You'll Be So Glad You Read This

For awhile now, I have been wanting to purge and organize. And by awhile, I mean six years. Do you ever get in those moods? The clutter just starts getting to me, and the disorganization starts making me crazy. Stuff is falling out of cabinets because it was crammed in there to begin with, and it starts taking more time to find one item than it would to just CLEAN THE THING OUT.

So today I started with the kitchen. I should have taken some before pictures - this would be so much more impressive that way, but since I didn't, you'll just have to take my word for it: I'm on the verge of greatness and neatness and organization.

The verge, I say. That means that I can start to see the great and the neat and the organized, but there's still a long way to go. But you have to start somewhere, right? So I'm starting in the kitchen. I figure because it's the most used room in the house, it's also the one that's the most neglected, because who really has time to clean and organize anything when preparing a meal at the witching hour with the help of two small children seven days a week? And by help I really mean the opposite of help, whatever word that is. No one I know, that's for sure.

So where was I? Oh yes, the kitchen. This is part of the reason why decluttering and organizing is so difficult for me - I start organizing, say, my scrapbook supplies (that I don't use anymore, but that's another post) but then that makes me think of the cute ribbon bookmark that I put down somewhere two weeks ago and haven't been able to find..... where was that? Oh, must be upstairs, in the dresser, maybe? Oh, look at this book I found in the dresser! I've been wondering where that was. I should read this book again, it was so good. I could start the first chapter now, but then I'll need one of those, what are they called? Oh, yes, bookmarks. And what did I come upstairs for again?

But back to the kitchen.

So I purchased some cute little containers to hold things like flour, sugar, powdered sugar - dusty things that need to be contained. Because any pantry looks neater with cute little containers, and it makes me feel like I really have things together. That's really what cleaning and organizing is about - making me feel like I'm doing something productive, I think. But this isn't Psychology 101, it's Decluttering 101.

 

I also thought having cute little containers sitting on my counter, staring at me, mocking me with their nothing-ness, would motivate me to get something in them. I was wrong about that, by the way. Cute containers in and of themselves make me happy, regardless of whether or not they have something in them.

But isn't that fabulous? I even wiped down each shelf, which I must admit, was rather gross, but the containers, aren't they great? And now just with ONE GLANCE, I can see that we are running low on sugar and I will need to pick some up the next time I'm at the store. And that we'll have enough flour to last until Christmas. With just ONE GLANCE!

These pictures would be better, I feel the need to point out again, if it weren't for the lens. A portrait lens takes great portraits, but not so great clean pantry shots. I also feel the need to point out that "pantry" is AWFULLY close to "panty", but a clean panty shot would probably scare some people away from this blog, so I'm really having to concentrate to get that "r" in there, every time.

Some things I learned by cleaning out this baking part of the pantry: see those old-fashioned oats there? Yeah, when you shake them and they sound like rocks rattling around, it's time to let go of the oats and throw them away. Purchasing more oats, I've decided, is optional, since I obviously didn't use them enough before they got to their current Hard Rock Oat status. (Don't worry, Mom, the canister you see in there did not sound like rocks. Yet.) And the same can be said for brown sugar. I also learned that I have a fondness for Jell-O. No, not actually making and eating Jell-O, just purchasing it by the box and hoarding it in our pantry. I found, seriously, a DOZEN boxes of Jell-O, and quite a few of them expired in JULY 2004. So for five years now, I have felt the need to buy box after box of the stuff, but never make a single one. I guess you never know when the craving for Jell-O might surface - will it be in 2005? Nope. Maybe 2007? Apparently not. 2008? Um, nu-uh. Guess it's time to throw it away. Interesting to note, strawberry Jell-O seemed to be a favorite obsession of mine, with a total of 5 of the boxes, but there was also lime, grape, orange, and raspberry. Orange? I don't think I've ever had orange Jell-O in my life, and the thought of it kinda makes me want to give up Jell-O forever. Oh, wait, I've already done that. 

Speaking of things I'm fond of but didn't know until I cleaned out the pantry, pasta would be high on that list. I found no less than FIFTEEN boxes of various pasta. And this would make complete sense.....if I was a carb-lovin', Italian-eating fool. But, I'm not. Well, not the first two anyway. I can't even recall the last time I made anything with noodles, mostly because that many carbs don't mix well with my glutes anymore. And I do try and always keep my glutes happy. There was princess pasta, Christmas pasta, pinwheel pasta, bowtie pasta.....why? I have no idea. Perhaps one day I will feel the need to fix a nice Italian dinner for twenty of our closest friends, with strawberry Jell-O for dessert?

 

For some reason, I couldn't toss the pasta like I could that Jell-O. Perhaps I need to dive back into that Psychology 101 for a bit. Maybe because the expiration dates hadn't been reached yet, or maybe because it seems like pasta would be an easy meal to make for the kids, despite the fact that I never whip up meals for the kids while we eat something different. But it sounded good. Okay, that's as deep as my psychology goes.

Now everything has a place. This cabinet, for instance, has breakfast items on top, and snacks on the bottom, so the kids know where to go when they want something. And when you're my kids, those two are THE most imporant things - breakfast and snacks. I can pretty much guarantee I will always find my kids hovered around this cabinet. I even bought cute containers that will allow my children to pour their own cereal! But they wouldn't fit in this cabinet, so they had to go in another cabinet. Canned fruits have their own row, dried fruits have their own shelf. It is happiness in a cabinet, I tell ya.

 

For those of you that don't know, I am not organized by nature. I'll wait for the gasps to subside. I am not compulsive or neat or orderly or contained in any way, shape or form, of any of those words. But I pretend to be, because - again, this shouldn't come as a news flash to those that know us - John is all those things, and he likes it, so it's my however small act of service. And it does make me feel productive. I guess I can be compulsive about some things - like not having bugs in my home, for instance - but you get my point, I'm not compulsively neat.

When it was all said and done, I threw away two huge garbage bags of food that had expired, never been touched or was just downright disgusting. And I do feel good about myself. Our kitchen is looking fabulous! I also organized the rest of the kitchen, but thankfully there are no expiration dates on, say pots and pans, or baking sheets, so that part went much faster.

And you OCD types, I know just what you're thinking. Those cute containers would look MUCH better if they were labeled with what they contained. And I agree.

Never fear, that's my next project!

As soon as I can find my label maker. 

Comments

[Marni]

Wow Megan! You are inspiring me to get in gear and Spring clean. How do you fit that in with school too? I think you are more organized than you think. ;0)

[Desta]

I am laughing out loud- b/c first the way you wrote this post is TOO funny! Hilarious actually :) But second- b/c I am that OCD person who can TOTALLY relate as I was nodding my head at each shelf having a purpose-i.e. canned goods one shelf, cereal boxes another, etc... And I totally agree on the canister thing! I actually just bought some new flour, sugar, etc... clear (diddo on them having to be clear!) ones a few months ago- which for me was shocking in the sense that I can't believe I've not had them for years now- but anyway- I have no idea what I ever did w/o them! They sit on our counter and make me feel all domestic and chef like- which I'm SO not! I actually don't think I've used any of the ingredients yet in those canisters- but they sure do look nice and pretty and will be so convenient for when I do decide to put them to use! And watch out- you might find out just how addicting being a little or a lot organized can be- be prepared :) It can be a great thing- except well when it turns into a serious problem which I've been told I have! :)))

[Gina]

I'm glad to hear I am not the only one with this problem! I did the same to our "pantry" about a month ago. (I say "pantry" b/c it's really just cabinets that we use as a pantry--I would so love to have a real pantry again. And pull-out shelves would be even better...) So in my continuing endeavor to organize, I cleaned out our freezer last night. It's much nicer to open now and be able to see all that is in there instead of having to guess or move 10 things around to find the 1 thing I'm looking for. Good luck as you continue to Spring Clean!

[MiMi]

I just love containers--they look so cute. I, also, reorganize the freezer from time to time. It's amazing what all you find in that freezer. I can see that you are ready to go on to new heights, Megan. Good luck!!

[Renee]

I definitely need you to come on down here and clean out my very messy kitchen cabinets and pantry!!! I decided I'm going to have "summer cleaning" instead of spring cleaning. It's hard for me to start organizing and actually finish it with schoolwork and Lydia into EVERYTHING!

[Jonathan]

Very nice. I'm impressed. Now go make your bed!!

[Ashley]

It does feel nice. I recently did this to our pantry and our kitchen junk drawers. Now if I could only get motivated to move these efforts upstairs to our closets!! YUCK!!

[Leigh Ann]

I saw my applesauce :) haha and yes, I was one of the ones that said ... "those need labels..." Very fun post!!!

[MiMi]

Were you all out of Fruitloops?

[Robin Miles]

ha ha, I love this post, so funny... and now I feel the need to go clean/organize my kitchen. ;)