Awesome Spring Cleaning: The Pantry

An awesome mom is supposed to have an awesome pantry right?  This is a little embarrassing, but I'm going to show you what my pantry used to look like.  I'm only doing this so you will have increased appreciation for the finished product, so no judging.  

I know it was completely out of control. I get that.  I mean, I have a pantry door for a reason...so no one will look in there! (Although I did have a "friend" who made a beeline for my pantry every time she was in my house just to "look"! Come on! Who does that? It's just bad manners).  And the scariest part is that the "before" picture is actually after I took 2 garbage bags of empty packaging and expired food out of it (I didn't think of documenting it at first, I just walked by, freaked out and grabbed a garbage bag!)  It also doesn't include my husbands "collection" of alcohol. I mean, seriously, who needs 5 bottles of half full rum?  I told him his contribution to our new and improved pantry would be to rum and coke himself out of at least 2 of those bottles.

I got the idea for my own pantry transformation when I saw this pin on pinterest from  http://BurlapAndDenim.com/2012/01/my-corner-market-aka-my-pantry/

That pantry was creepy organized, and my first thought was that I didn't want a pantry like that because it would just make me want to eat more often since it's such a happy, clean place to be. My pre-pantry was probably helping my waistline since it was dangerous coming within 10 feet of it, making standing inside and snacking a life or death choice.  But honestly tackling my insane pantry just seemed like SO much work I was getting sweaty just thinking about it.

I read through the tips on BurlapAndDenim but it was going to be hard for me to follow many of them.  Unfortunately we don't live near an Ikea, which has the cheap and fantastic clear plastic containers she used (and they don't sell them online). I don't buy anything from Costco which comes in clear tubs so that wasn't an option either. The Container Store was having a massive sale which was helpful, and then I collected boxes and bins from around the house that had been storing other stuff or just hanging out waiting for a purpose in life.  Of course, this project is leading to a reevaluation of my other cabinets....but that's a different post!!

What I did take away from that amazing pantry pin is that repetition makes things look organized and boxes and baskets are fantastic for putting all those random sized snacks my kids devour at about $15 per minute.  Honestly, do little boys EVER stop eating?

I started my pantry exorcism by just cleaning out everything that was expired, empty (yes I had some empty cereal boxes and an empty Pellagrino box in there) or didn't belong in the pantry (Hot Wheels, Legos, etc).  I took everything out of the pantry and wiped down the shelves and vacuumed everywhere.  Once that was done I sat back and realized the containers I had ordered wouldn't be arriving for 4 more days.  Oops!  So I pushed everything back into the pantry (took the picture above) and shut the door.  My kids noticed the increased danger in selecting a snack almost immediately, but unlike me they were willing to risk life or limb for a granola bar.  Luckily no one was injured in the cleaning out of this pantry.

After organizing things a bit in my new and newly repurposed containers this is the finished product:

Woohoo! I purposely put the fruit basket right next to the snack bars so my kids would SEE them as they were grabbing for other snacks and think of fruit as an equally amazing choice (so far it hasn't worked, but I'm nothing if not persistent).  Best of all the kids can easily see their snacks and chose something themselves, so the new pantry wasn't just something that lasted a couple hours and then started falling into the usual insane mess.  It's been really easy to keep it organized.

Wow! That was a LOT of work Mom! :)

Do you smell poop?

I hear Max counting "28, 29, 20-ten..." as I walk into the playroom.
Max "Do you smell poop?"
Me: "Is there poop in this room?" (in all honestly I never really know the answer to that question)
Max: "Fynnie pooped in here"
Me: "Where's the poop?"
Max: "Close."
Me: "JUST TELL ME WHERE THE POOP IS!!" (at this point I'm not even moving because I have no idea if I'm one step away from poop squished between my toes.  Yeah, it's happened).
Max: "In my pants."
Me: "THIS is how you tell me you pooped your pants?!"
Max: "Well, I almost broke my record for holding it in.  Almost."

It would be one thing for Max to be obsessed with breaking the world "hold-my-poop-in" record if he was GOOD at it.  This is quite another thing altogether.

The definition of boy

etsy shop

Police Line - DO NOT CROSS

OK, this pic was taken with my phone so it's not the best quality but I think all the necessary details come through. This is what my house looked like when I got home from a quick trip to the gym.  My hubby was home with the kids, but I expected to find him laying in a chalk outline somewhere on the other side of all that police tape (and blue painters tape).  Um no.  He was sitting (unharmed) on the couch playing a game on his phone.  Awesome babysitting.  He stressed the fact that all 3 boys were still alive so I guess he has a point there.  Anytime I come home after leaving the boys alone with their dad I'm happy to see them still breathing (and a bit surprised I have to admit).  Still, I think I should leave the tape up until morning.  It's going to be so much fun to see a groggy hubby walk into it in the semi-dark trying to get to his coffee! :)

Popsicle Cozy

Our new best friend with the weather getting warmer...the freezer pop cozy! I love these!  They keep the boys fingers from freezing while they're eating frozen pops and actually can have a small magnet stitched between the layers so they can be stuck onto the freezer door when they're waiting for their next pop!  You can also ask that they be made without the magnets (which I did).  So many cute colors at my new favorite etsy store.

Quit Waiting for Perfect

from girlygirlgraphics

Married

When I walked into the kitchen after a failed attempt at getting F to nap I heard M say "Ewww gross Dora and Diego are getting married?! Does that mean they have to KISS?!" G: "Yep" M: "How to you kiss when you're married? On the lips?" G: "Like this". At this point I'm holding my breath hoping G isn't about to slip his brother the tongue because he grabs Ms face in both hands and brings it close to his own...and plants a big smooch on his cheek!  And M says "Well, it's still gross".  I'm seriously not sure how this conversation started, but the least disturbing part of the whole thing is that Dora and Diego are cousins! :)

Emergency Moustache

Well, you just never know when you might need one.  Trust me, you'll thank me for this some day :)

Car Wallets

WOW! These things are so CUTE! Why have I never seen them before? So perfect for my boys (and it would even be a great gift for my niece who loves cars).  I always have 4-5 Hot Wheels (and a train) in my purse, but it would be awesome to have them all organized in this little pouch.  We can't go to a restaurant, doctor's appointment, or anywhere outside a 2 centimeter radius of our house, without a Hot Wheel so I'm excited to put some of these to the test! I found these on etsy (of course) at this adorable store.

Bad Guys

This is the exact conversation I overheard taking place in the backseat while I was driving the boys to swim lessons:
M: "G do you wear a diaper on your head?"
G: "No. Of course not. Why?"
M: "Well, that means you aren't a bad guy."
G: "That doesn't even make any SENSE!" (Poor child is always so frustrated with his younger siblings who are physically incapable of rational thought at the moment - making the whole thing even more hilarious for me.)
M: "A course it does! That's how the police mans know if there's a bad guy because he will be walking down the street with a diaper on his head."
G: "I'm not even going to tell mom you said that, it's too weird."

Although factually wrong, I didn't correct M because as a general rule I'd prefer he does NOT approach anyone wearing a diaper on their head while walking down the street.

Naked Ninja

M to F (in regards to his birthday party in exactly 11 months) "Let's just be clear about one thing. There will be NO NAKED at my party. If you get naked at ANY point you will be put in a time out, and I might forget you're there so you could be waiting a LONG time. Do you think it's worth it?" F (who is currently naked) replied "NINJA....GOOOOOO!!!" so I'm kind of anxious for the next 11 months to pass so I can see what goes down at this party. Should be entertaining. :)

Run

I love to run.  I've always loved to run.  I loved it when I was running on the dirt path between the creek and the orange groves behind my house when I was in elementary school, I loved it on the streets of NYC when I was in grad school and I love it now, even though I'm sometimes pushing 100lbs of kid in my bright orange double BOB.  Even though I have less time to myself now then ever before, being a mom of three little boys makes running more of a priority, not less of one.  I'm a better mom when I run.  After an hour (or 2, or 3) of just me and the rhythmic sound of my own breathing all the crazy little things my kids bust out seem hilarious instead of annoying.  Well, stopping 600 times in 200 yards to re-buckle F into his car seat is still pretty annoying, but it's also insanely entertaining that he keeps trying just to see if I'll crack and let him roam the car like a baboon on attempt 601 (obviously I never do, which is the beauty of being more stubborn than your stubborn 2 year old).

Now, I'm not fast.  And I'm actually a lot slower now than I've ever been.  I'm definitely not as fast as my dog.  He runs for the pure joy of it and he's quick.  We've clocked him running 20mph.   He's the absolute best running partner EVER.  When I'm out to run just because it's on my training schedule but I'm slogging through mile 6, or 10 (or even 2) all I have to do is glance down at him and he always looks back at me (yeah, he's always leading) with a huge grin on his face and does a little bunny hop like he's saying "wow! Isn't this just the most fun we've ever had? EVER!"  Well, he also seems to be saying "why the hell are you so freakin SLOW!  Seriously, I'm only trotting to make you feel better about yourself, but this is usually how fast I WALK", but whatever.  He runs because he loves it, and he reminds me how much fun it is to just get outside and put one muddy foot in front of the other.

So when I start to get frustrated and my kids say "Mama, I think you need to go for a run", I do just that.  By the time my hubby walks in the front door from work, my running shoes are laced up and I'm ready to hit the open road (OK, it's a suburban sidewalk or the track at the middle school).  No one in my family ever tries to stop me, because they all know a mama who runs is a happy mama.  And who doesn't want to live with a happy mama?  Certainly a happy mama can be nothing but an asset if you're planning to go for your 602nd car seat escape attempt.

No more naps :(

M: "MOM!!! F is NAKED again! Isn't he supposed to be NAPPING?!" and then quietly to F "I am SO sick of seeing your bottom! I'm trying to eat my snack and I can't because your bottom keeps LOOKING AT ME!" Then G puts his arm around M's shoulders an says "Remember when F used to take TWO naps everyday? Mama says those days are over, but I really miss them..." :)

Open House

Tonight is G's Open House at his elementary school.  I'm so excited to see all his school work! Although I volunteer every week in his class so I actually helped the kids make half the things (and then stapled them on the walls myself). So, is it horrible that I'm most excited about my chance to win an iPad 2? Ooops, did I say that out loud? I meant I'm most excited to see my son's rendition of a corn cob in construction paper...yeah, that's why I'm arriving early to stuff the raffle box with 80 more tickets, it's all about the corn. :)

Co-Workers

At the gym I overheard 2 people talking about how their co-workers act exactly like 2 year olds. I get the point they're trying to make, but honestly as a person who actually HAS a 2 yr old "co-worker" I'm going to have to STRONGLY disagree. Well, unless of course their co-workers poop in a small frog shaped potty during a meeting and then yell "You my bottom wipe! POO-POO COMED!!", spit/raspberry inside your mouth when you open your mouth to yell "NO! DO NOT DRINK URINE!" and then draw with RED permeant marker on "company furniture" but instead of saying "sorry" beam with pride at all the new "O's" they've created for you. Just saying' :)

Sweat

G just came up to me and said "Mama, feel my bottom!" I looked at him and said "Why?", thinking maybe he had a rash or something he needed professional advice on.  He just said "touch it! Now!!" So I did and then he said "sweaty, right?"  Awesome. I just touched a sweaty butt for no reason other than to identify it as sweaty (which it was....very).

Dance Machine

M just came up and said to me "Are you trying to be funny or is that your real dancing? If that's as good as you can dance I think you should never do it again. I still love you, but it looks weird and people who don't know you good might be scared." Crap. :)

Welcome

Welcome!


I finally bit the bullet and started a BLOG!! This is a direct result of the pestering I got from all my "friends" on facebook who apparently think the insanity that is my world should have a broader audience.  Although I talk about my kids...a LOT...I don't intend this to be a "parenting" blog at all. It's more a blog to make you feel better about the crap day you just had.  After reading what went down at my house you'll most likely walk away saying "well, I had a bad day but at least THAT didn't happen to me".  But most of all I want to use this as a place to record what is happening in my family at this exact moment in time, so when I'm old and gray and start getting all nostalgic about the "good 'ol days" I can read what actually happened and not only feel great about being in a different point in my life, but thank my lucky stars I survived!


Ok, time to introduce everyone! I'm the mom of 3 little boys ages 5, 4, and 2yrs.  G is my oldest and is capable of the highest level of rational thought out of the three, which leaves him very frustrated with his brothers most days.  M is 4yrs old and very sweet and easy going (which is why I hold him personally responsible for duping us into believing we could handle three children).  F is 2yrs old and I'm not sure how to best describe him.  Perhaps the words of the elderly woman who went for a LONG ride in the elevator with us (and 7 other unsuspecting "guests") when, on the ground floor, F pressed the button for every single floor on the way to my doctor's appointment in a 19 floor building.  She looked like she was struggling to find the right word but finally settled on "my, he's quite SPIRITED, isn't he?" Yes. F has lots of SPIRIT.  Exactly.  Or perhaps the 4 strangers who came up to me, in 3 different stores, to tell me F (who was always standing sweetly by my side) "has a mischievous glint in his eye" and "looks like trouble".  Or maybe G's description of his youngest brother would be best.  I overheard G introducing his little brother to one of his friends at school.  With a completely serious face he said "This is my brother F, he's an evil genius".  The other kid did a little head nod, and took a step back.


I also have a lovely hubby who I blame most days for passing on what must be HIS insane genes to our children since there is no way this craziness came from ME.  And a boy (of course) standard poodle who has so much energy both my husband and I are literally near death on the floor trying to make him tired everyday.  Ok, so by "near death" I mean we take turns running with him for 3 miles (actually hubby cheats and rides his bike), throwing his tennis ball with one of those chucker things and trying to exercise his brain with tricks and puzzles (which is a JOKE with a poodle since they are so darn smart he figures out the stupid "puzzles" before I'm done reading the instructions).


Our days are filled with complete insanity which I find very entertaining and I hope you will too!

Dishwasher Ninja

Figured out why my dishwasher was acting weird....I found an entire Ninja Arsenal in the little food trap thingy at the bottom. Nunchucks, swords, stars (which apparently - according to G- are called shruiken). I really don't care what you call them, I just want them to stay the heck away from my dirty dishes. And when I asked who put them there both G and M (without looking up from their coloring pages) said "the evil genius". I thought F might be the victim of a frame-up but his evil grin gave him away.