Pinterest Pantries

I know I'm not the only one who has occasionally or is often drooling at pantries and storage solutions on Pinterest.  Why am I so jealous of these pantries?

 Don't you just love all the labels and matching containers and how much they can store in this one?

 This one is just wow!  That's a whole room for kitchen stuff, what a dream.  You wonder what is actually in their kitchen cabinets

 They have one of my favorite prints for the wallpaper in their pantry, who wouldn't love that? 

 Love the glass jars and basket combo in this one and of course all the matching chalkboard label decals

 Nice and Neat 

This one is a cabinet.  Since I don't have a pantry this one made me swoon, this is something I could actually do.

Now for the reality check!

Last week I read another writers post about how she organizes her kitchen and she said it wasn't the most creative or the prettiest way to do it but it worked for her family.

I loved hearing that!

The super organizing wannabe in me, desires for everything to be pretty, organized and labeled and would love to have one of these pantries or super organized and labeled cabinets but in the same token, I feel like they aren't real life.

The labels take time, I can't get the things I need to do most weeks let alone designing labels for my glass jars and pretty baskets.

I don't know about you but I know how expensive containers and baskets are, these pantries are not budget friendly and so much of the organization on display on Pinterest aren't.  It's expensive for things to look good!  We have a budget and I know for us, spending lots of money on containers for food that already come in storable packaging just isn't in it.

And the wallpaper is pretty, but that took time and who sees your pantry besides your family?

What do you do when you buy something that doesn't fit into your labeled items and categories?

And lastly, unloading groceries takes me long enough, I try to reorganize as I put things away and tidy up my fridge and cabinets but can you imagine how long it would take to refill all your jars and containers with what you just bought?  You can't just dump it on top either, otherwise you will have the old at the bottom so you have to dump what is in their first, put in new, then put old back on top.  Who has that kind of time?

Okay that last one I may have learned from experience.  I may have fallen into the trap one day and bought a few containers for some items in our cabinets to make it easier  look better after I drooled over pantries one night.

What I need to remind myself is that yes, those are gorgeous pantries and blog worthy but the most important part is that it functions for how you need it to and ours do just fine for this stage of my life.

**By the way in case you have a pantry or cabinets like these I don't think their is anything wrong with having them.  I love them, and if I had all the time and money in the world I have to admit I would probably have one similar but I just don't feel they are practical for me and my family right now.