Welcome to Thankful Thursday - January 26, 2012

Praise the LORD.
 How good it is to sing praises to our God,
 how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
Psalm 147:1

Greetings Sweet folks,


So what cha been up to this week?

Anything fun or constructive?

I told you on Tuesday that I would tell you about
my newly organized pantry, but first,  I must
give credit where credit is due....
which leads me to my


#1
I am thankful

for Cass over at an oasis in the desert.

She did a blog post this passed Monday

on organizing her pantry, and I got some

very good and useable ideas from her,
as well as inspiration.
if you wanta see her post....click here,
and you might just get inspired too.

and now

#2

I am thankful

that my pantry looks similiar to hers and 

is all fresh and organized,  and that the

ideas I got from her seems to be working

out very well for us.........Yippee!!

Let's hear it for Cass!!  

Thanks for your inspiration Cass.

and here are some pictures................

Here is the top shelf and the 2nd shelf
going down.  Cass had her cereal on the top
shelf,  and I had our chips and foil and such
on the top shelf,  and many times they 
would fall on us as we tried to get them
down.  Cereal on the top shelf has been
wonderful and hubby really likes it,
just so much better!!

1st shelf, nuts, and condiments, and don't
know if you can tell from the pics... but our
pantry shelves are wider than our door,
which makes these end areas that are dark,
and hard to see into.........so this time I
think I might have found what I hope will be 
a better solution, course, I think that every 
time I redo the pantry. lol
I put all the syrups and honey on one end,
with a riser shelf, which is where it has
been without the shelf tho,  and on the
other end I put all the bags of croutons,
cause they are all the same and easy to
see in white bags. I stock up when they
are on sale, cause we all love them.


2nd shelf- I did what Cass did,  I put all
the baking stuff in one area,  then on one
end cap I put mainly sugars: brown, white and 
powdered,  and put them in a tin so I can easily
 just pull them all out at once and get what I need.
Then on the opposite side of the shelf I put all
my pastas, panko and stuff like that.


3rd shelf- I put a new potato and onion bin
in the end cap, and now I can easily reach
them,  and also see if they are going bad,
they used to be on the floor of the pantry
and hard to get to as well.  Love the new
location.  Now all our snacks are on this
shelf as well,  any unopened bags of chips
are in the other end cap,  and I just have
a shoebox in there now to hold all the 
opened bags,  but think I will get a nice
basket or container when I get a chance.
Sorry didn't mean for this to turn into a
tutorial, but just so happy about the
changes wanted to share them.

Here is a shot of the end caps on left side

This is the endcap on the right side

4th Shelf- cookbooks and cat and dog cookies.


Floor:  Extra olive oil and broth and all my foil,
freezer bags and stuff in the square kitty food 
container,  It is so great having down here 
where it is so easy to get to............don't know 
why I never thought of this before,  well,  that's
just it,  I never thought about it.  Isn't it amazing 
how we do some things just mindlessly,  and that is
 not typically how I am, but for some reason where
 this pantry was concerned that was exactly it!!  lol

So glad Cass got me straightened out!!

Well, it might not be pretty,  but it is functional, 
 and I am like Cass in that,  Maybe once I get it perfectly
 functional then I can make it pretty one day....lol

and guess what??? nothing has fallen on our head or out

 of the pantry since. Who couldn't love that!!

well, time to get back to Thankful Thursday........


#3

I am thankful

that Rosie has been here all week,  she is going 
home tonight,  but so happy that she was happy with
 dog food and dog cookies,  cause in the passed 
Grammy and Grampy liked to feed her table food,

and she loves table food.....but we are no longer
 allowed to give it to her, cause she has gotten
 sick a couple of times!!  It has never happened
while she is here for some reason.

But we sure don't want to do anything that 
would make her sick.

#4

I am thankful

that I have heard from an old friend of almost
 40 years twice this week via email.  She reads
my blog at times, but just doesn't get much time
to respond as she is babysitting her 3 grand -
babies daily,  and we all know how much time
and energy that takes...........but it is always
 a joy to hear from her, she is such a sweetie.


#5
I am thankful
that Dee was feeling better by Monday,  since
it seemed like she was getting what we had
last weekend.


#6
I am thankful
for fresh fruits and veggies.  Not only are
the healthy but they are delicious.  I have
been eating some red seedless grapes,
and this must be their season cause they
are just sooooo good!


#7
I am thankful 
for almond bear claws that they make at Publix bakery.
  I bought 2 today but I haven't had them in years,  cause
 they really are not heart healthy,  but every once in awhile
 you just have to indulge one of those wants............
 so today was the day,  and oh my, it was scrumptious!!!


#8
I am thankful
for a sweet gift basket that we rec'd from some
friends at church this week.  It had banana oat
pancake mix,  and sweet potato pan cake mix,
and syrup and hot chocolate,  and it was all
heart healthy,  so hubby and I can't wait to
try some of it for Saturday morning breakfast.
Even the basket was great, it is very dark brown,
that almost looks black so it goes great with
my new look in the family room.


#9
I am thankful
for this wonderful lil towel rack I discovered at
 Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Can not begin to tell you
 how handy it is and what a time saver it has been 
for me.  My only towel rack is on the oven door,  
which is across the kitchen from my sink  area, so....
I have always just hug a towel on the drawer next to
the sink for year and years, and it worked fine,  but
 once we got our  wood laminate floors,  we got lots
 of water spots from dripping hands or whatever going
 over to the towel,  so......... 
about a year ago I decide to move the towel to right
 under the sink,  cause I have those lil tilt out type
 drawers that you can put your sponges and soap pads
in, so I did that,  but I have to sort of double over the
towel at the top in order for it not to come out so easily,
and usually everytime I dry my hands it comes out anyway.
Was not too happy with the process, but it was keeping the 
floor from getting water spots and I definitely liked that.
Then around Christmas time while in BBandB, I happened
to see this.....................

What is it you say??  Why it is an over the cabinet
door towel rack, but didn't think they would work for me
 cause they were in brushed nickel or teak.  Last Friday
 when we were we went into BBandB for something else, 
 and saw them again,  so decided to try the teak one, 
(we sort of picked thru them to try and find one that looked
 like our oak, and it not only looks great but solved a time
 eater problem but an annoyance, as well!
 Love that lil towel rack!!  lol

and they are only $8.00 and less with a 20% off coupon.

So thought you might like to see how it looks.

Just took the cabinet picture, the sink was full of
dirty dishes at the time............lol


It just amazes me how making small changes like
the towel rack and the pantry can make life so
much easier,  but it is a great thing!


So it is with our lives as well,  when we make
small changes we reap big results!




#10
I am thankful
that I had a chiropractor appt. yesterday, as my neck was
 just starting to act up a bit, but I am all good now,  and
very thankful for my Chiropractor,  he really knows his stuff.
Can't bear the thought of this man ever retiring, because the 
Lord has used him to help me so much in the last 11-12 yrs,
 but I know one day it is probably gonna happen.  Will just
have to trust the Lord to find me another good Doctor
when that times comes,  sure hope it is not anytime soon.


#11
I am thankful
also for his asst. who does killer massages before he
works on me,  she alone is worth the visit...and she is
a sweetie and has been working for him for 38 years.
Amazing...........you rarely hear of anyone being some
where for 38 years,  and her daughter works there as
well.  It is like a lil happy family.


#12
I am thankful
for you dear bloggy friends and for your ability
to hang in there with me,  cause this turned
out to be longer than usual.  So Sorry!
I am just too long winded for my own good!


So happily for you, I am sure............
that wraps it up!!  lol


Thanks for coming by,  always a joy to hear
from you.............


If you have something you are particularly
thankful for, please be sure and share 
it with us.


Love,  Hugs, and 
Simple Life Blessings to You!


Nellie