Home Organization 101: The Dining Room

Our dining room is the only room in our house that doesn't need to be decluttered.  We don't keep anything extra in here.  Woohoo for an easy week!

Home Organization 101: The Pantry

A few weeks ago, I started the Home Organization challenge.  Since I was late starting, I started from the beginning and the pantry was up next.  We have this huge pantry that becomes a bit like a catch all.

I bought seven of these plastic containers months ago to store each meal's ingredients for a week.  Since we started our once a month cooking, they haven't worked out exactly as I had planned since most of our meals are in the freezer.

After!  I took out our tupperware from the kitchen and stacked them and put the lids in a plastic tub.  This helps us see where the pieces actually are instead of blindly grabbing in that dark cabinet and hoping you get the pieces that fit together.

I condensed all of the food to one wall of the pantry.  It makes me feel like I don't need to run straight to the grocery store because there actually is food in the house.  Our small appliances and medicine cabinet are all up high since they aren't used on a daily basis.  Those plastic tubs were repurposed to hold pasta, vegetables, side dishes, and odd items like peanut butter that don't fit into categories.

Treats and leashes are stored together now instead of three different drawers.  The harnesses and collars are staying in the master closet/storm shelter.  After last year's tornado, I get anxious that my dogs might find themselves outside without identification.  If things get real, I would prefer to have those handy.

I've been on a huge homemade cleaning kick lately.

I think this will be super handy to grab and take out when I'm baking something.

Next up is the office.  Since we don't have one, I think I'd like to tackle the guest bedroom.  I don't think I've ever liked the way that it looks.  I'm excited to take a swing at it.

Home Organization 101: The Garage

Last week I started the Home Organization 101 challenge and tackled our kitchen.  This week's space was the garage.  Hubs and I just emptied the whole thing out in May so it's not terrible.  Since he was at work, I didn't do too much heavy lifting or get into the spooky attic.  Anything with pull down stairs just gives me the creeps and I'm definitely not going up there by myself.

This is kind of the catch all corner.

I believe those blankets have been lying there since the last time that we went to the drive in.  In August.

I feel like the pile of shoes can build up in about three seconds.

After!  

No blankets or shoes!  What a difference.  When we moved in, the builders left these huge scraps of carpet and they've actually been super handy as mega rugs.

I'm surprised all of the junk that spread itself on the floor fit into boxes to be put away.  I was able to close Hubs' tool box for the first time ever.  That pallet is fixed to the wall to store things like baseball bats, shovels, tall umbrellas, and things like that.

Maybe someday I'll buy some pretty boxes to hold everything but for today, my budget is $0 and I'm going to embrace the mismatchy thing going on here.

Another one down!  If Hubs immediately makes a pile of shoes when he gets home from work, he gets to clean it next time.  The next area on the list is the pantry.  I can't wait!

Home Organization 101: The Kitchen

I found this awesome organization challenge on Friday and decided to start at the beginning since my house could really use it.  The first challenge is the kitchen and it couldn't have come at a better time.  We loaded everything into the cabinets when we moved in two years ago and haven't rearranged anything since.

This is a little embarrassing.  We tried the curtain rod thing to hang your cleaning supplies on but ours was too flimsy and it's out of sight most days and forgotten.

I have empty shelves?  Say what?!  I spent $10 on plastic containers to split between the kitchen and the pantry and they've made a huge difference!  

Dachshund photobomb.

The cleaning supply cabinet isn't the messiest section of the house anymore!

I have a short container holding all of our kitchen utensils that aren't pretty enough to be left on the counter full time.  It's a smidge too tall for the silverware drawer so it found a home on the pull out section with the pots and pans.

The things on this pull out shelf were spread out between 3 different cabinets.

I have a baking cabinet.  I love it!

Another of the containers is holding travel mugs because they can take over an entire cabinet if not watched closely.  This cabinet has all of the casserole dishes, mixing bowls, and Christmas tins.

I have all of the spices in one at a decent height to where I can actually reach them.  

This is the mother in law dish cabinet.  The next time we see her, all of these will get to go home where they belong.  I do feed her son.  I promise.

I put down place mats in the fridge for easy cleaning.  I'm just one short so I'll need to go back to Target soon. 

I believe the garage is the next area on the list.  I think I'm going to pull Hubs in on that one and let him go crazy.  I can't wait to do the whole house.  My kitchen is making me so happy right now!