Pantry Organization

Now, I definitely admire all the beautiful designer pantries out there on Pinterest, but I will not be shelling out the big bucks for fancy containers or taking the time to paint, much less stencil, the interior. I really don't like to spend money on home decor when I can find a free or almost-free solution. I had been using clementine crates to store some items - I was going to paint them with the Pinterest favorite, chalkboard paint - but they weren't really working for me.  When I spotted six of these boxes at our local discount grocery store, I snatched them all up!

 The Pinspiration: Jen's wrapping paper-covered shoe boxes at iHeartOrganizing.

Since my boxes would be used regularly, I wanted to use a more durable material than wrapping paper. So I decided to go with drawer-lining contact paper. So I went to Marshalls and found two rolls of this pretty Laura Ashley drawer lining contact paper for $5.99. 

 Four of the boxes would fit in my pantry, so I covered them with the contact paper and put these cute (free printable!) labels on from Better Homes & Gardens. (Another pin!) I love these labels so much, they will be making appearances in future projects.
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/storage/organization-basics/free-printable-storage-labels/#page=8

The rest of the pantry looked kind of boring, so I added labels to (most of) the remaining containers. I used clear contact paper and regular printer paper so I can easily remove the labels if needed.

Our pantry still needs some work to maximize storage. The bottom shelf and floor are currently under toddler takeover. My eventual goal is to put up a skirt from the bottom shelf to the floor and put some cooking-related "tools" for him to play with while I'm working in the kitchen. I already have the velcro to attach the curtain. Now I just need to find the perfect fabric at the right price, which may take awhile!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my first Home Pinspiration project!

If I Had a Blog

I've been inspired by Pinterest and several of my favorite home blogs to make our house functional and pretty. A few weeks ago I created a Facebook Album entitled, "If I had a Blog." It was fun and motivating to post my projects.
As I've worked on more projects (all small - I do have a toddler in the house), I've decided to give this whole "home blogger" thing a try. I doubt I'll ever gain much success or notoriety like IHeartOrganizing or NaptimeDecorator, but I think it will be a fun outlet and a way to stay accountable to accomplish my goals.
So, what are my plans for this blog?
 Home Projects:
 * Low-to-no-cost.
 * Simple
 Cleaning:
 * I'll probably take a stab at some home-made cleaners.
 * If I find ways to make household cleaning easier or faster, I will definitely share!
 Food:
 * Favorite and tried-and-true recipes.
 * Simple meals for real families
 * Real food (with some exceptions - not everything can be made from scratch!)

Most of my posts will probably come with a "Pinspiration" link. I have very few original ideas, but I'm not ashamed to make others' ideas work for me. :)

So, here we go!