Organizational crazies

With this 12-week challenge that I started a couple weeks ago, I've been doing my best to make healthier choices, eat better, and not settle for easy processed food.  This has translated into a lot of cooking, salad making, and vegetable cutting, to name a few.  My kitchen has been the most well-used place in our home.  Unfortunately, the kitchen is easily one of the smallest, save for maybe the bathroom, and all this cooking and vegetable cutting is making me pull my  hair out because I have no where to "work" in my kitchen.  I've had smaller kitchens in my past, so I can't complain too much.  That said, it dawned on me earlier this week that I could create so much more room for myself in my little kitchen if I just got things better organized.

One of the coolest rooms in our house is our pantry.  Why is this cool, you ask?  To put it simply, I've never really had one, and it's rockin' awesome to have a place to store food other than in the cabinets that surround your dishes.  I've tried to keep things in somewhat of an organized fashion.  We had a mild attempt at buying some things at Ikea back a few months ago, but it needed more...

I made a list, took measurements, and put together a plan on how I wanted to organize things.  We'd already started the Ikea massacre, so I decided to use Ikea as my source for all things "organizational."  If it isn't obvious yet, this girl loves a good organizational project :)

Here is what my pantry looked like before I started:

Such a mess!  And here is my little kitchen with all its lack of counter space.  What made things more fun is that the way we had things set up, it seemed to invite all of that junk you have in your hands when you walk in the door and have no where else to put it right to my counters.  You all know exactly what I'm talking about, right?  Translation:  little counter space just turned into no counter space.

This project was really motivating me, so much so in fact that I took little r to Ikea after he woke from his nap and tackled the adult playground all on my own.  It was exhausting and I had several moments of digging deep for my inner patience, of which I own NONE, and we somehow ended up back in the car with a trunk full of new organizing goodies for Mommy.

And here I am happy to reveal the fruits of my labor.  You are all rolling your eyes, I'm sure because this could not be anywhere near exciting to anyone but me (and maybe Big R...maybe...).

Here is my beautiful new and very organized pantry:

The cat is included in the picture for posterity's sake.

These pictures hardly do it justice, which is unfortunate.  Have you ever tried to take a picture of a pantry?  Not easy. I need Big R's talent, but he's still back in the States learning how to be a good lawyer for the Army.  You'll just have to believe me on this one.  The room feels ridiculously clean and everything has a place.  It's awesome.

And my new and improved kitchen...

Look at those counters!  I actually HAVE counters now.  It's too cool. When I made dinner tonight, I had to pinch myself.  Yes, I am really that strange.  I even put up a small make-shift table behind the door for those pesky things that have a way of finding themselves to my counter space.  

So, I can now check this project off of my list.  I put several other things aside to get this taken care of.  A girl has priorities, you know.  The things I share with you people, you must really think my marbles are loose.  Let's just say that a happy cook makes good eats :)  So, when are you coming over for dinner???