Let's Get Organized, Shall We

PART I

{the embarrassing part}

You know when you've been out of town for a while, and then you get back and you feel like your life {and home} have turned into complete chaos during your absence?

Well that's exactly how I felt after getting home from:

Where our family welcomed back my hubby's parents from their 3 year LDS church mission in Leeds, England.

We had such an incredible time with our family.

Baby W had a blast with his older cousins.

He spent the entire trip admiring how his big boy cousins got from place to place using their feet instead of their hands and knees.

So sure enough, as soon as we got home, Baby W decided he was ready to give walking a try for himself.

And just as soon as he took those first steps, he entered a new phase of "curiousness"--and it seemed nothing in our home was off limits to his curiosity.

The second I sprinted into the family room to find him crying with both of his fingers shut in the drawer, I knew it was time to take action.

Time to get organized.

Time to get baby-proofed.

And when I told Baby W about the plan, these were his thoughts:

"But Momma, I like opening and closing every drawer and cupboard in the house--even if my fingers get in the way sometimes--and especially when the cupboard has sharp and dangerous objects inside"

And because I have no shame with y'all,

I have decided to provide you with a handful of my before pictures demonstrating the desperate need my house has for some MAJOR organization.

Exhibit A:

My pantry.

Disgraceful, I know.

But at least the jumbo peanut butter and chocolate milk are readily available.

Exhibit B:

My closet.

I don't even have an excuse for this madness.

Time to execute the golden rule of clothes hoarding:

"If you haven't worn it in a year--trash it".

Exhibit C:

Under my guest bathroom sink.

I just keep my fingers crossed that my guests never open the cupboard.

Exhibit D:

The hubbies cramped closet.

Due to my clothes hoarding illness, the hubby's clothes have gotten the shaft and currently reside in our much too small spare bedroom closet.

Are you embarrassed for me yet?

If so, then you'll be proud of my next step.

First I headed over to my buddy blogger, Leanne, over at

"Organize and Decorate Everything"

for some inspiration.

She has this awesome link party for all organizing posts and I am determined to link up my results by her next party!

So I headed over to Bead, Bath and Beyond--the mecca of organizing goodness--and I picked up a few necessities for the pantry {baby steps}.

No more stale pasta and cereal in this house.

I also picked up all my baby-proofing paraphernalia.

And so it begins.

The organizing extravaganza.

I WILL get organized, if its the last thing I do this summer--you mark my words!

Are you in?

{after pictures will be posted upon completion--so stay tuned}