MamaBugBlogs: Reorganizing the Pantry

Yesterday I reorganized the basement pantry. Our home, as I have mentioned on many occasions, is from 1923 and lacking in storage or "normal" spaces.

When we moved in 10 years ago, we decided to utilize the spaces under our front porch. Originally used to store coal, the little rooms under the porch are perfect for a pantry, totes, and storage in general. The big issue is that moisture gets in, and salt forms on the walls and floor. *I realize this would be the perfect time to show a picture of the salt, but my camera was dead yesterday morning and I did not get the image.*

In May 2011, I participated in 31 Days to Clean and purged a ton from the pantry area. The end result looked like this:

Not horrible, but over a year later the can area on the second shelf had taken on a life of its own. Again, I wish I had been able to take a picture. Technology is so frustrating sometimes.

My biggest gripe with the old shelving was that it was missing a shelf (as you can see on the right side). Another issue was that I could not get a broom or sweeper vacuum under the shelves, so the stuff on the bottom left is actually sitting on the ground. This means little critters were able to make their homes in and around my stuff. The other issue, but not as pressing, is that the canned goods area was very hard to see what we had/needed. If I am to keep a good pantry, I need to know what I have and what is needed to stock it.

So what was the solution?

First I needed to purchase a new shelving system. When I Googled pantry storage the one store that came up the most was IKEA. I found this unit to be quite nice:

I measured the area and knew I would need to of these shelves to make the space work for me. I needed to take the Ladybugs out of the home on Saturday, because Jim was removing the asbestos tile in our basement. They chose Jungle Java, so I thought after a morning of jungle play and Wendy's for lunch we would make our inaugural visit to the IKEA store nearby.

My Trip to IKEA

I knew the IKEA store was an experience, but I had no idea it would be so overwhelming. It was kind of like Target on crack.

Upon entering the store, there was a huge escalator. The Ladybugs were so excited, so we went up. But then Zoe had to pee. Since I have never been to IKEA before, I had to be a newbie and follow the signs. There was so much stuff - showrooms with ideas, as well as stuff. STUFF EVERYWHERE!

We finally found our way to the restroom, which was located near the cafeteria. I have never seen so many people eating at once. The noise level reminded me of being in 4th grade and eating lunch in the school cafeteria. Of course, again, it was amplified dramatically. We weren't at IKEA to eat, and our quick tour of the showroom area proved to be unproductive. The Omar shelf was on the main level - figures.

When we descended the stairs, there was a craft going on below. And we all know how the Ladybugs LOVE their crafts! The craft was spin art, and I must say it was super cool! Now mind you, we have yet to find the shelving unit, and my girls are spending time making a craft. Yes, we spent 20 minutes in that area. However, it was long enough to talk to a VERY lovely woman who gave me the low down on how the shopping works.

Some items you get immediately - as you pass the area. However, many larger items (like my Omar shelf) have tags with numbers on them. You must write the number down and at the end of the IKEA journey you go to a huge warehouse and locate your item(s). I was quite thankful to her assistance, however, I really just wanted to go home. I was also told we HAD to purchase the cinnamon buns, so I kept that in mind as well.

The craft seemed to put the Ladybugs in a great mood, so we successfully located the shelf, went to the storage are, pulled two off the shelf, and I decided to also get two of the little baskets as well:

The Pantry Reorganization

Yesterday I pulled the old shelving unit and pantry items out of the room. Then I gave the walls and floor a new paint job. Once I was completed with that, I spent time up-cycling two mason jar boxes.

When I put everything back, I tried to focus on putting the stuff I used the most on the top self, and making certain that the canned items were grouped by veggies, fruit, and soup.