My pantry looks amazing! I mean, you should REALLY be impressed with it. I thoroughly decluttered it about a month ago (you can read about that here) and have now spent some time organizing it.

Everything came together fairly quickly, except for those darn spices! I struggle with wanting the PERFECT solution, which derails progress significantly. I know what you’re thinking… spices, not a big deal… BUT, I really wanted a system I could easily maintain AND easily find what I needed. They had been thrown haphazardly on the side shelves of the pantry, resulting in frustrating searches for the needed spice. This was my chance to start over with some actual thought put into the plan.

I found something!

They are shelf organizers that look like risers for a little choir of spices.

I smile every single time I open the pantry.

Seriously!

On the left are the baking spices, savory dinner spices in the middle, and herbs/seasonings toward the right. It’s not an exact placement, but rather a general grouping— which works great for me because at this point, I’m a bit more stream-lined with the spices. Nothing too exotic… just the basics.

I never thought I’d have so much affection for the way spices are stored, but it’s just so cute and happy feeling… every bottle lined up as if they’re ready for a spicy choir practice. Hah!

I found the risers at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $5.99 each. They had several sizes to choose from and are called Non-skid Shelf Organizers. (I’m sorry I can’t provide a link to them. My blog is not set-up for affiliate links… yet.)

And, the shelves are wide enough to easily fit canned goods on each level rather than spices, if you wanted to do that.

I’m also being diligent about using a Sharpie to write the expiration date on the lids of any newly purchased spices. It was SO buggy to try and find the microscopic codes when I was decluttering the pantry. Now it’s super easy to know if something is still fresh.

And speaking of spicy things…

Eddie and I just celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. It absolutely does not seem possible that we’ve been married for 34 years. We feel way too young to be old enough to have that much history together. So strange! 

I absolutely love this man with all my heart. I don’t always show it, and I can be challenging to live with… BUT… I KNOW I am blessed!!

He is my Italian Stallion, my Steady Eddie, my Eddie Bear, and my closest, best friend. I respect him like crazy and wish I could be more like him. He COMPLETELY holds our family together! … just ask the kids!

We have been through infertility, adoption, mudslides, death in the family, (you can read about that here, here, and here) cancer, running the football concession stand, (Yep… that snack bar is on the list right next to cancer. It was stressful!) getting Cory through high school… and SO much more. Through all of it, he has led by example and with a lot of faith in God.

Marriage takes work. Not a very romantic thought at all. We are coming off a season of high stress with not much energy left over for each other. This summer feels like a chance to catch our breath and reconnect on a deeper level. Not to be corny, but I can easily relate that to organizing my pantry. A lot of marital junk has accumulated over this past, stressful year, and it’s time to declutter the not so useful stuff.

So…

Whether spices or marriage, here’s to making intentional choices to let go of the junk.