Mama's got a new Pantry!

    I'll admit it, my kitchen is tiny. I can handle that, but there is a serious lack of cabinetry for storage. It was irritating to have "stuff" piled and crammed everywhere, never knowing if I was ever going to find "that" item I needed. My pantry was the worst.

           It worked better than what I had initially, which was two totes crammed with stuff. But this kind of disorder was an eyesore. (My pantry did the job, but it could be much better.) What couldn't fit either sat on the floor, sat in another bookcase next to the stove, or took up valuable space in the cabinets I did have. (The bookcase next to the stove was a pain, because Sarah's play kitchen sat right in front blocking my cookbooks. It would be easier to move the toy, but Sarah likes to help Mama cook!)
          After spotting a hutch on Craigslist, I talked it over with DH. He had been on overtime recently, and I knew that we could afford it if we wanted it. He agreed that it was a nice find for the money. With the help of my longtime friend Paul, we picked it up and installed it in my kitchen.  The result is stunning!

  Not only is everything organized, but it held so much more than just the contents of the original pantry space! One of those drawers holds some of my kitchen utensils. They were overflowing the utensil drawer! With them relocated, I was able to put my dish towels in their place without space issues. My dishtowels are actually now in my kitchen! Yay! (Really it's the small victories that keep me going.) The other drawer holds my coupons and such. My cookbooks are now easily accessible, as are my spices, oils, and other ingredients. Boxed foods, canned goods, my waffle iron, and my Forman grill now reside in the bottom. AND all my small appliances fit on top, much more accessible than the cabinet WAY on top of the refrigerator!
  All in all, I freed up a lot more space than I initially thought I would. There is a whole section of cabinetry empty. With a few rearrangements, it is looking like I will be able to finally bring all my cake decorating supplies in from the garage!  **Faints**
  I have my DH to thank for this first. I left the final decision to him, and he knew it would make me happy. I could just.....well, I'll have to PG 13 that thought, er, cuddle him? LOL I love him and he is the greatest for affording me this pantry. Secondly, I have to thank Paul who helped us pick it up. We definitely couldn't have done this without him!

                             
                                  I'm one happy Mama! Cheers!~ Mama Homesteader