Here I Go!! Pantry Rescue!!

It is that time again!

The time when I start to feel like my pantry is vomiting all over me! I am so blessed-I have a beautiful, large walk in pantry. Because it is so large it is also a multitasking workspace. It is part food pantry, part art/homework station, part appliance storage and part family history storage space. All that means is that this large space is used for much much more than just normal food pantry items! It is a catch all for the entire family.

For ten years I have been trying to figure out how to utilize the space more efficiently. I have tried numerous different methods trying to keep the space from becoming a massive wreck.

The most successful thing to date has been the two three drawer units that house pencils, note card, scissors etc. There is a place fore the scissors and tape. I may be the only person that knows how to actually put them in the appropriate drawer but my family knows that scissors are generally in that drawer.

The rest of the huge space is a work in progress! A few years ago I added baskets with labels for all the canned and boxed foods. It has been fairly successful-until it isn't! That is where it is right now. The labels mean nothing!!

A year or so(maybe two) I decided that I needed a space for each child's papers. Things that we want to save and things we don't want to lose. I added three, three drawer units. I put names for each family member on a drawer. Those have been successful-except they are now full so they must be emptied. Those things that need to be saved need to be filed in their own files(which I do not have but am getting soon).




One huge problem that I haven't solved yet is the art/school supplies. The shelves are not wide enough for two drawer units-so I have had two open baskets. The problem with baskets is that they are open so they are asking for things to be shoved into them. No matter that the label says construction paper-if there is a space anything can be shoved in.

I am often overwhelmed by the enormity of a big project so I don't even begin. This is one of those projects. I decided that I would only tackle the art/school supplies and the cookbook collection. I emptied four shelves-FOUR and filled my dining room table!

I went through every single basket. I ended up throwing away two full kitchen garbage bags! That is a lot of extra garbage that has been shoved in open baskets! I had two drawer units left over from the last pantry overhaul. I decided that I would use them, even if they don't fit perfectly. Drawers work so-so much better for my family--for ME! If I have to actually open a drawer I will most likely only open it if it is the correct location. So--hopefully, these two drawers will alleviate a bit more "drop ins!"

Four Shelves down! Only FIFTEEN to go!!!(then the floor!!)

Next on The List

I go through phases. Usually it is just survival. Doing the daily stuff and keeping my head above water just enough. Then I realize that the chaos is drowning me and I better start digging out.
Quite a few weeks ago-maybe even six weeks ago, I started a list. This is a list that really is on going. I write one quite often. This list consists of most of the chaos ridden spots in my house. Places like closets, cupboards, etc. I started on the garage shoe spot. That project took three weeks to finish. I am happy to report that we are sporting a new shoe cupboard. I will hold off on deciding if it is a success-as it took me nine years to call the other method a complete and total failure.
However, I did cross it off "the list".

Stuff from TWO Shelves in my pantry
This is my latest project off of "the list" My pantry. I have a very large walk in pantry. It really is a lovely pantry. The problem is that it is a very large pantry. It serves dual purposes. It is not only the food pantry it is also the broom closet, the kitchen office, and over all catch all for anything that doesn't want to be properly put away!

I have been working on organizing this pantry for the last three years. I have made progress. I have labeled baskets for food that actually mostly work. I have drawers for pencils, crayons, phone books etc. that have actually been working for 8 1/2 years! The problem is that there is still space that is not designated with a very specific purpose. What ends up in this space? Anything! Mostly art projects and such that I want to save. I have a room in my basement that I have drawers for each of my children. The problem is that my children bring me treasures every single day. Usually I put the art on the bulletin board so that we can enjoy them. Then I decide to clean it off but I don't actually take the thirty two seconds to run it to their drawer in the basement.

So--my very large dining room table and counter is covered with stuff from TWO SHELVES!! Two! I am sorting, purging and will be photographing the artwork. I am also considering new containers. I have realized that my family(and me) do better with closed drawers. This way the only things that gets put into these drawers are the things that are labeled. I will be visiting the store in a day or two to purchase some plastic drawers. Baskets with lids work on things that are used infrequently, such as extra school supplies or recipes. But for the rest I must have drawers-that way, I wont just pile!!! I am also thinking about a label maker.

Hopefully, there will be great success to share soon!!!

Quick Rolls

I was given a recipe that I thought that I should share. I am really not a very good cook. I just don't love doing it. The food that I do cook is fine, not gross but pretty plain jane. This recipe is for quick, homemade rolls. They are faster than frozen rolls!

Fast Roll Recipe

(makes a very large batch-1/2 recipe for a regular family dinner)

3 ½ Cups Warm water
6 Tbls. Yeast
¾ cup Sugar
1 Cup Oil

Mix first four ingredients and let stand 15 minutes.

Add 1 Tbls. Salt
3 eggs(2 for ½ batch)
10 ½ Cups of flour

Mix/knead until pulls away from sides of bowl and not too sticky.

Let sit for Five Minutes

Make into rolls and let rise approximately 30 minutes

Bake at 350* 15-20 minutes.

These rolls arent' going to win the contest for best rolls at the county fair--but they might win you "mother of the day" at your house!

Thanks Becky!

Where has the service gone?

There are some problems with modern society.

When I was a kid we went to the local grocery store and you pushed your cart behind the counter and the cashier pulled everything out of the cart and priced them. There would be a bagger that would put all the goodies into the bags (paper, of course) and then into a cart. Then that nice boy would push the cart out to your car and then load them into your car. He would then say "Thank You" and he would take the cart back into the store. You would get into your car and drive home.

This is how it is today. We put our own goods on a conveyor belt. The checker runs them across the scanner, without even acknowleging you. He loads the plastic sacks(poorly-watch out for your bread and tomatoes) . Now, if you are like me, I don't shop every day so when I do, it is a really big order so the bag holder gets full very quickly. Much sooner than you have unloaded the cart. Does this cashier look and realize that his bag cart is full and he should go and get another cart ? No, he just keeps piling.

Would it kill a Walmart employee to actually care about their job? Would it be so difficult for a cashier to stop checking for three seconds and go and get a second cart so that the already bagged groceries could be loaded? When I was 9 months pregnant with my last baby I went to the store. I had TWO carts. I am a LARGE pregnant woman. I have big babies and my belly is massive. It was very apparent that I needed help. I could not get any Walmart employee to make eye contact with me. If they did they knew that they would HAVE TO help me.

What has this world come to?

Just as a side note. The grocery store in the small town that I grew up in still has baggers and they still take your groceries to your car and say thank you. There is something special about small towns.

Pantry---Again!!

Do any of you remember this picture? Well, I am ready to finish this project! It has been almost finished since before my trip. I have needed to label the baskets. I am still not sure how to go about doing this. I know that I am overthinking this process! My big girl said just get some big sticky labels and stick them on! However, I want it to look cute!

The baskets are already helping! Labels are needed however, because I am the only one that seems to realize that things go in certain places! Actually, the family is starting to "get" the placing of things. I have a few more little tweaks to do, not liking the looks of a few boxes but not sure what would work better! When it is finished I will take pictures and have the pantry's big debut!!!

What projects are you working on? I have a pantry to finish and a desk to build!

Doing what?

I am going on a big trip--to Germany--in one week. What am I doing to prepare for this trip? Cleaning my pantry! I think that must be about the wierdest thing to want to have done before I go. However, it is almost done! I have made huge strides. It has been a massive project. I have been working like a crazy woman. I stayed up much too late last night trying to actually find my counter again. I did it. Today, I decided to finally tackle the two big craft/junk boxes. I went through every plastic grocery sack. I condensed two large totes into one smaller tote! I put every type of goodie in a clear ziploc bag so we know what is in it. I need a few more baskets and need to label every basket, in hopes that if they are marked things will be kept in better order!

What is on your list?
These are the things that will be on my list next, they have to be done before my trip!
*Clean fridge(Looks so nice, icky sticky gone)
*Clean garage/coat mess (This was yuck! We could hardly walk)
*Take piles to DI(like goodwill)
*Clean bathrooms (4) (contemplating how to turn this responsibility over to someone else)
*laundry-this is never ending! (did 6 loads) (laundry up to speed! All folded and put away!)
*vacuum (for today at least!)
*dust (one down! Hopefully, will get it again before I leave!)
*mop
*grocery shopping
*clean guest bedroom/scrapbook studio so Grandma can have a place to sleep! (this is a huge job that really will take more time after I get back--however, she deserves to be able to walk to the bed without killing herself)
*Go shopping for some shirts and shoes.
*Buy camera batteries
*put up Easter decorations! (Spring,spring-now I need some daisies!)
*Buy some new underthings
*clean-up basement
*Easter shopping(I will be in Germany)

Happy Thursday! My pantry is getting better!

Is This Progress?

Have any of you ever had a project that you put off for much too long because you haven't wanted to deal with the mess? That is the story of my pantry. It is a catch-all in our house. I am the worst offender! It has been bothering me for a long time. I really went through it a year ago, and tried some new ways to organize things. Some of those have really worked great, are still working. Others didn't work. So, I started a few weeks ago. Yesterday, I hit it with a vengence.

The PROBLEM? Now this is the mess that is now in my kitchen! I am now committed! I have to actually deal with this mess! I am going to have this straightened up by tomorrow(I hope today but I have scouts at the library and tumbling so I might need more time!)

Smart Habit Saturday(updated)

*Updated* My friend suggested that I look at my habits and really see where I am. Those small habits that when used effectively make a big difference in your life. So, I thought about these;
*Clean off my counter before going to bed---I am actually doing quite well with this. I would say that I am probably doing this 5 out of 7 nights. I think that it is a habit that will always need a bit of motivation. However, my morning is so much nicer when I walk into a clean kitchen. It also seems that the messes don't add up as quickly throughout the day if I don't start out messy!
*Read my Church magazine-I have been listening to these talks on my ipod-I was trying to listen to at least one talk a day. I have not done as well this past week, however, I am almost through!! That is appoximately 48 talks! I will finish these talks this week because we get a new set this next weekend--I am excited for our General Conference!
*Exercise--this is a habit that has to always, always be thought about! I had a week that had me quite busy so I honestly didn't make it to the gym one time. I can feel it in many ways--my pants, my gi track, and my mental health.--So, I am trying to have a less hectic week, I am hoping to go at least 3 times to the gym and then try and run at home the others. The weather is so nice!
*Read scriptures-personally and as a family-we have always struggled with this. My little Missy is a big helper on this. I am going to try and read my own(or listen) every day. I am also going to try and read as a family at least five days. I think that if I have Missy make a chart and have her be in charge of it, we might do better!
*Have big kids practice piano enough-we struggle with this, they don't want to do it so they won't if I don't remind them. I am thinking about some type of chart for this also. Not sure-any ideas-these are big kids-stickers don't help!



Here we are at Saturday again! The weeks go too quickly for me! I have really been focusing on my Lifestyle goals this week. I have made progress for Smart Habit Saturday! It may be a tiny, tiny improvement but it is still significant!
I have purchased more baskets for my pantry declutter project.
I have purchased the materials for the built in desk in the big girls bedroom!
I have gone through one large rubbermaid bin full of old coloring books and gotten rid of most of them!
I have gotten rid of three years worth of scrapbooking magazines!
My house still looks like a train wreck but it is getting better!

My friend Lara had a quote on her blog today that I really liked. I have often felt these sentiments but I struggle daily with the day to day. I feel so behind that I don't do some of the "other" things that I would like to do, for myself or the kids. Here is the quote.

“Waiting for the chores to end before I take time to teach, mentor, plan, prepare, inspire, and study is like standing at the banks of a mighty river waiting for the water to finish going by so that I can cross to the other side!” Diann Jeppson

Here are Lara's thoughts on this;
Are you waiting for the river to pass before you cross over to become the brilliant, inspiring, competent person you were meant to become? No!!! We know you are building a bridge and already on your way to the other side because you are participating in Smart Habit Saturday. We are all working together here, pulling each other along, to make simple and often mundane daily tasks a little easier by creating life changing habits. This will give us more time to find our greatness within. Whether you want to become a great mother, wife, teacher, or leader, thank you for taking the time to inspire me!

So here is my list! It is not in any order-of importance or of need. It is just a random list that I worked on all week. I had a paper by my phone and I would write the thoughts down. This is by no means a complete list. This list also has nothing to do with personal improvement goals. These are things that need done around my home to make me feel less fragmented so that I can enjoy my life and be a better person!
I hope that by doing this list it will help me to actually start accomplishing some of these things. This will be an ever evolving list because I know already that I didn't include any of my outside needs on this list!!!

*Move washer and dryer downstairs
-call for cement cutter
-get long exhaust hose
*Put all decorations away in furnace room. Christmas/February/Easter etc.
Make sure they are all marked well.
*Move both freezers
*Build Desks in bedrooms(one almost finished!)
*Completely go through pantry-everything put where it goes. (This was major-I worked on it for an entire week)
-containers-label all baskets
*Studio/Scrapbook room-go through all the piles, dejunk, put everything in working order.(this is a huge project) (can see floor-a start)
*Clean garage-
-Winter stuff put away
-shoes-throw away old
-snowboards/skis up on brackets
*Re-organize hall closet
*Coat closet
*Clean fridge (looks so nice, icky-sticky gone!)
*sort toys-parts with parts(donate many)
*Go through each child(4) bedroom and sort all clothes and toys
*Hang up shelves in kids bedrooms
*Hang up name plaques and letters
*Sort books
*Clean off bulletin board (This has to be done ALL the time, it is the catch all and art gallery)
*Back up photos
-burn cd’s
*pictures into albums
*print digital photos
*go through lazy susan
*sort/discard old scrapbook magazines (my friend was thrilled to have them!)
*go through craft boxes in pantry (I went through every sack-reduced from 2 totes to 1)

If you are still reading you deserve a medal! Stay tuned and hopefully together we can make progess!!

Tuesday-already?

It is Tuesday-does it ever seem that the week goes so quickly that it has passed before you have caught up to it? I do all the time! So, because of my SHS lifestyle goals I am trying to overcome my procrastination habit. Just do it! Well, my friend Lara came by yesterday and we discussed how to do a built in desk, measured etc. I am hoping to go and get some of the supplies soon. I would like to have it finished before I go on my trip-if I just DO it instead of waiting until I get back I will have made progress!
I have also made a tiny bit of progress in the messy pantry. I bought some larger baskets that hold more, so that they can stay a bit more organized(I hope). I need to go and get some more, I bought all they had-baby steps!

What projects are you working on? I am going to write one of those longs lists--then perhaps it will make me want to finish them!!!!

I posted another picture of my awful pantry so that when it looks better I will have proof!

Sick Wee One!

Today was a strange Sunday. I got up and showered quickly, got kids moving, etc. We were on schedule until I went and got Little Boy blue out of his crib. He had bright red cheeks and was feverish. So, that changed all of my plans. I did manage to get the other three out the door to Grandma's so she could drive them to church. Little one and I just held each other all morning. I hope that he will be doing better soon. He was warm again tonight, he has been doing the motrin rollercoaster. Poor little baby! I miss church when I don't go. I also really enjoy going to the singles ward. It is a different feeling where they are not so family oriented yet.

My big sweetie came home from church today wiped out. It was a rough day as Bishop(congregation leader-LDS church). I wish that there was something that I could do to help him but there isn't really. So, I keep praying, and making sandwiches. He is such a good man. I am often reminded about how lucky I am to have him in my life. Now, don't get me wrong, he isn't a saint or anything. He has a few faults, but all in all I got one of the really good guys out there.

I am going to Germany very soon! I have many things that need to be accomplished before I go. I am not really worried about clothes or that type of thing(although I need some pants badly). I am more worried about getting this house so that it isn't so difficult for my Mom. Also, Easter will be while I am gone- So, there are just a lot of things that we Mom's just do.
I have thought about writing one of those lists--you know, the ones that list every project you want to accomplish. I have done these lists before and I don't think that they really help. I am such a procrastinator! However, I have plans to make some progress! Lara is coming over tomorrow to help me figure out a desk in the big girls bedroom. Lara is so handy with tools and she won't procrastinate if it is at my house! So, tomorrow it is!

What plans do you have? A paint project, a pantry declutter(oh, yeah, that is mine also). My garage is also in desperate need of some attention. I have 7 chairs that need painted(Shh, don't tell Lara) and the list goes on and on and on!

One step at a time!

SUNSHINE!

I have flung open almost every window in my house! SPRING-GLORIOUS SPRING! I need spring. Every ounce of my being needs spring! I need to sweep out the cobwebs, out of my house and out of my soul! Every surface, closet, drawer, etc. needs some spring cleaning.

What are you doing for your spring cleaning? I am also feeling much more motivated to do some personal spring cleaning. You know-those things that we want to do, need to do to improve us but we wait. Why do we wait?

So, one of my Smart Habit Saturday goals for this week was to keep my house tidier, be more motivated and finish things. There are others but I will save that for another post. So I have been going through rooms of my house with a garbage sack and a laundry basket. All sheets have been stripped from beds, the washer is running and my house is a mess! I purchased some baskets for my pantry so I am working on that mess also. It is a happy, motivated mess! I feel progress!(that is a good thing)

What are some ways that you teach your children to work? I have often(daily) felt that I have not taught my children how to work. Well, that isn't true. They know how they just don't want to. So, my question and quest is this--How to get the ability to work to move to the desire to help because it needs done, not because Mom told them to do it.

Okay, off to the mound of laundry! We all need clean sheets to put back onto the beds tonight!!!

Saturday Is a Special Day

Saturday is a special day, it is the day we get ready for Sunday. We clean our house, and we shop at the store, So we won't have to work until Monday. We brush our clothes, and we shine our shoes, And we call it our get the work done day. Then we trim our nails, and we shampoo our hair, So we can be ready for Sunday!

Do any of you remember this song from when you were little? I do! I sure do wish that I was better at really preparing myself and my life for Sunday. We go to our church meetings early(9:00am) so there isn't a lot of time in the morning to get extra things done-it is difficult enough to get 5 bodies dressed and combed and in the car on time.

What are a few things that would help me prepare for a more peaceful Sunday?

1. Children bathed(most of them still like to take night time so--if I just remember it is great!)
2. Have church/diaper bag packed.(Books for baby, snacks, scriptures, paper, pencils, manuals etc) When I don't have this done(usually) I am rushing about and it makes us late.
3. Make sure everyone's church clothes are clean and ready---socks and shoes are a nightmare!
This is harder than it sounds. My angels are getting big enough to really do much for themselves and they balk at doing anything early!(wish me luck!)
4. Get myself up earlier than I think is necessary! This is SO hard for me. I struggle with mornings anyway so I just don't get up and moving like I need to.

Do any of you have anymore suggestions that would help me to have a peaceful Sunday? I can use all the help I can get. I am trying to go to my sweeties church after ours so it is a long day. The angels are really very good, so it works out mostly well.

I am going on a cruise next Saturday! So, this week I am not going to add any new habits for Smart Habit Saturday. I am going to try and get ready for our trip--and get my family ready. For those interested check back in--Lara, the Lazy Organizer is going to look at my pantry mess and give some suggestions. Who knows she may start hiring her services out!!! Here is a sample of my messy pantry! (Yes that is a pile of organizing bags from Lara-they are wonderful if you use them!)