Okay, so I definitely would not classify myself as a neat-freak. And having a bit of clutter about does not affect my sensibilities. But as I peered into the pantry the other day at the jumbled mess it had become, I felt a little tinge of OCD kick into gear.

It’s not the worst wreck I’ve ever seen… but it’s not really functioning well. So despite STILL not having unpacked mine or the kids’ bags from our beach trip, this suddenly skyrocketed close to the top of the to-do list. [Maybe it has something to do with my boys going back to school soon? A desire on my part for a little order before the mayhem of school hits?] Whatever the reason, having lasagna on the top shelf, rotini on the second, and spaghetti on the third became unacceptable.

I pulled up the kitchen table right to the pantry door and started unloading everything. As I sorted, I tried not to look too deeply at the food choices I’m making for our family. I’m emotional enough about summer ending and the boys going back to school–no sense adding mom guilt to this right now! 😉

Wow, SEVEN kinds of pasta. Mini Farfalle, Sea Shells, Campanelle, Rotini, Radiatore, Lasagna, and Spaghetti… And that’s not even including the instant mac & cheese and the instant shells & cheese. Carb much, CampClem? The thing is, Li’l Bro LOVES pasta, and it’s a big treat for him to pick out a special one when we’re at the store… Somewhere in the disorganization of the pantry, I think we might have gotten a little carried away.

Speaking of getting carried away, how did I end up with so many drink mixes? I cut the boxes in half, labeled them, and consolidated the contents where I could. Ah, that feels good. I cut off the front half of the cracker box, too, for easy access (2nd shelf below), and I always tear off the top of the granola bars (bottom shelf below), so the boys can easily reach one of their favorite “candy bar” treats.

Okay, maybe it’s silly and small, but I do feel a little more breathing room now that the pantry is in better shape. I laugh because my mom has told me before that when I was a little girl, the whole house might feel like a tip, but she’d “clean up” my doll’s house each night. I guess I got the selective cleaning gene… like selective hearing for women? 🙂

So, anyone else out there have the selective cleaning gene? Maybe just trying to get organized before the kids head off to school? […And anyone want to come help me unpack our beach bags??]
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