What a Mess!

I WISH my pantry were this organized!

I don't know what's going on in my kitchen, but lately it seems like my pantry is crammed with crap.  I THOUGHT I cleaned it out recently, but I must have been dreaming.  All my shelves seemed overstuffed and disorganized, and I know I'm missing out on some really good stuff simply because I can't find it.

It's odd. In my professional life, I'm an organized person.  But at home...and especially in my kitchen...it's chaos.  It's not as bad as an episode of Hoarders on A&E, but I hate feeling like I can't find stuff or that I'm storing things that may be out of date.


So I ask you: How do you organize YOUR pantry?  What are your best tips for this never-ending task?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Since this is on my mind, I thought I'd check in with the Queen of All Things Organized, the fabulous Ms. Martha Stewart.  Here are her tips for controlling the pantry chaos--I'm not finding them all too helpful.  Oh well:

Store items that are used together next to one another. For example, group baking staples such as baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cocoa, salt, and molasses on the same shelf.

Most items keep best in airtight containers; glass, metal, and heavy plastic containers are least likely to become infested with pests. Containers for oils and dried herbs should be opaque as well as airtight. Martha likes to store grains, dried beans, dried chiles, rice, and dried fruit in tightly sealed canning jars.

Make sure that jars of food you've canned at home are properly labeled and dated. It's a good idea to mark the purchase dates of other foods such as flour and spices as well, so you can tell at a glance if something is past its prime.

A cool, dark space in the pantry is an ideal place to store hardy vegetables such as potatoes and onions. Don't store potatoes and onions right next to each other, however, as they hasten each other's spoilage.

The pantry is also a convenient place to store non-food items such as lightbulbs, candles, matches, baskets, serving trays, and pet treats.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Setting up a Pantry and more decorating ideas, organizing tips, and homekeeping and cleaning solutions on marthastewart.com