There'll Be Some Changes Made

Last week and the leaving of #2 Son for college have kicked off some changes here at Chez Sluggy.

Lots of changes both big and small.

First off was the clean out of #2 Son's room.......

 

I am still in the process of that one and I suspect it will take about another week to get it livable again. ;-)

Before #2 Son left home, he helped Hubs with this change......

Now you see it.......

Now you don't......

They took the rusted out pool down.

It got folded down into a flat steel package and they shoved it into the minivan and Hubs dropped it and all the metal support pieces off at the recycling yard last Saturday.

My backyard now, sans pool.

Later on last Saturday we took all the pots and pans out of the cabinet and all the foodstuffs out of the pantry.
Here is what the kitchen looked like then......

The lower cabinet to the right of the stove in the photo is where all my pots and pans were stored when not in use.  I have always detested this arrangement because that cabinet has no pull out lazy susan or other arrangement and I can't get to things in there with my short arms.  Plus it's like a dungeon down there and I can't even see what I am trying to reach!
I knew there had to be a better way.

The kitchen island filled with food from the pantry.

More pantry contents on the table.

The pantry had become a jumble of stuff mainly because #2 Son would go out into the stockpile in the garage and bring something in to cook/eat.
Then he would promptly change his mind and instead of returning said stockpile item to the stockpile whence it came, he'd just open the pantry door and shove said item in there.
Ugh!

As a result the pantry had devolved into a mish-mosh of both opened goods and stockpile duplicates of said opened goods.
This is the same child that would open a new ranch salad dressing when he wanted some, instead of using one of the already opened FIVE bottles in the fridge.

So everything from the pantry was sorted and returned to it's proper place and here's the pantry AFTER.....

Then I put all the pots and pans into a Rubbermaid container which will live on the floor of the pantry.....

I keep a lid on the tub to keep the pots and pans clean of course but removed it for this shot.

This arrangement lets me reach everything and SEE it too.  Not as convenient as having them next to the stove but I can manage the walk. lolz

And that dark, unreachable cabinet I despise?
Here is what is in there now......

A dish draining rack which holds the pot lids, pushed to the front of the door.
On the shelf above are my cast iron pans that I don't use as much as the other pans and behind in the depths of the cabinet is an electric griddle, which also isn't used as much as other items.

 

And the photo above is all the items I am getting rid of or giving to my older children if they need anything.

We cleaned out the other kitchen cabinets with dishware, glassware and serving/casserole pieces too and that is where some of this came from.

I still need to clean/clear out the island shelves and one cabinet under the microwave and the drawers to the right of the stove(which store towels/potholders, cutting boards, phone books and take-out menus)and then the kitchen will be done.

Plus I need to find a new home for the Bread Machine as the tub of pots displaced it from the pantry, but this will involve working on the Garage, which is next on my list of cleaning/organizing for the house.

And the latest change around here was yesterday.

Going.....

Going.......

GONE!

1 of our 4 cars is now at the Auto Auction.
And the minivan will be disposed of by the end of September which gets us down to 2 vehicles.

Updates later as they become available.

I am off now to go inform the insurance agent that the car went bye-bye and get my auto insurance lowered.
Woohoo!!!

Have you had a big change in your life lately that led you to change/clean/move things in your home?





Sluggy