Thursday, March 12, 2009

Picture Puzzles

My favorite thing about going to the doctor's office when I was a kid was getting to read Highlights magazine. I just loved the hidden pictures.Then when I got older...there was the advent of "Where's Waldo." I have loved introducing my girls to these books.

And now. I have discovered that I have my very own version of Waldo here at my house. And my very own hidden picture. It's called: What does not belong in the pantry?

Please ignore the state of my pantry. I think I might have discovered something else for Michael to do during his all-nighter. I am sure he'll have lots of helpers.

So...what about you? Do you keep your pantry neat and tidy? Or does it look like a bomb went off? Do you check the dates on your food labels? What is the strangest thing in your pantry?

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33 comments:

Michelle said...

How about... I don't have a pantry so all my stuff sits on counters and packed into small cabinets? And when I remodel my kitchen I'm *so* building in some sort of a pantry like thing.

So it that a cat down on the bottom? The grey thing?

Gina said...

Well, does a pile of spilled cheerios on the floor alongside a pile of sprouted potatoes count as messy? Yeah, I thought so.

I would be mortified if I found one of our pets on the pantry floor...since they're goldfish!

Firefly Mom said...

My pantry is a lot smaller than yours! Which is bad in one sense, as it means that less will fit in it. On the other hand - less will fit in it ;)

Weirdest thing? MRE's. That would be "Meals Ready to Eat" if you have no military buffs in the house. My dad keeps my son supplied with the nasty things, and he and his buddies like eating them for lunch. Blech!

Sally-Ann said...

I have a tiny pantry, in desperation my garage now doubles as a pantry. My "real" pantry starts off neat as a pin, then, after a few days it looks like a jumbled mess.

Jill said...

I used to LOVE the Highlights magazines too! What fun... :)

As for messy pantries - right now I'd say my pantry is extremely messy. I have an A/C unit in there - and because it's so darn cold I don't like to be in there for more than a few seconds. Things are then just thrown back anywhere when I'm done with them...

IMO, dates on food labels are merely a suggestion... beggars here can't be choosers!

lynette355 said...

I am massive OCD in my pantries. All in order, labels turned forward, food stacked (aka store style), sorted by activity (baking, pastas-rice-beans, canned, condiments, ect).
Same with fridge and closets. Pathetic isn't it.

Rhea said...

I like looking for Waldo. I wish I had kitties to go looking for. That IS a kitty in your pantry, right?! lol

My pantry is not super organized, but it isn't horrible...

It just gets raided...a LOT. By boys who come home from school STARVING.

Tam said...

I Loved Highlights as a kid and Waldo rocks still!

MY Pantry is a mess! Strangest food item in the pantry would be Seawood and Dried Squid.

I found a pack of Uno Card and a Spider man Slipper in the pantry the other day...thanks to the Natives.

My pantry is a walk in and the Natives often play in there...so keeping it neat is a chore. Cans are rearranged consantly.

Tam said...

OO Yeah and I forgot to mention I see a HOOLIGAN KITTIE in your pantry! Dried Squid in the pantry drives kitties crazy the theroy is tested here! I will mail you some if you like! LOL LOL LOL LOL

Anonymous said...

I'm sure your pantry was neat and tidy until somebody decided to camp out at the bottom on the left side. which caused boxes to tumble on the right side. clearly not the fault of humans in the house.
you know my pantry. it's like--whatever. weirdest thing right now...Mike's suitcase. full. last week when he came home from his secret spy assignment he didn't empty it so it got moved to the laundry room. then last night during a storm. yep, I said storm. we had to move the dog into laundry room at 2 am so suitcase came out and went to pantry. still full.
and we have RAIN!!!!!

Susie said...

My pantry is always neat and tidy and the expiration dates are up to date. I can't run my kitchen without knowing what I have.

HiHoOhio said...

This is one ofthe bestposts I have seen in a while, I only know one person who has a PERFECT PANTRY and she paid a TON of money to have it perfect....her trick is that EVERYTHING is in a seperate and very cute fabric lined basket!!! Not me!

Elena said...

I LOVE hidden pictures. So fun. Your kitty cracks me up, everytime! My pantry shelves are okay, not perfect by any means, but the floor. Just look away. That's where everything is shoved and stuffed, all the food spills, and more stuff is shoved on top of it. Good luck to Michael and his all nighter.

Brandy said...

You know I have this small addiction to CVS & couponing so my pantry is a disaster because there's SO. MUCH. STUFF. in there.

And yes I'm obsessive about checking dates so that nothing goes bad.

Jo-Jo said...

Mine is bare at the moment!

Carrie said...

I always used to beg my mom to get a subscription to Highlights, but she never did. boo-hoo Poor me...

My pantry has days of fantastic organization and days where it looks like a grenade exploded in it. Usually just three meals after it's looking fabulous. I guess it probably stays in its grenade state more often than not.

Teri said...

I used to hate it when other bad kids would circle all the items in the Highlights puzzle.

My pantry is tidy. I love to organize. Geeky, I know.

Nissa said...

I'm jealous at the size of your pantry! I am not an organizer... It usually gets tidied up when Michael decides he can't find anything. I can always find what I want (after enough searching! haha)

Brian and Staci said...

Well, I will have to admit...my pantry is all neat and tidy...I'm sick that way :( I even go as far as making sure all the cans are turned "just so" with their labels where I can read them :( Oh how I wish I could just throw stuff behind cabinets. I don't really check dates on food though...of course, unless I know it's perishable. Strangest thing in my pantry, hmmm, um...I'll have to go see. Well, we are very boring people...nothing at all very strange...unless Grey Poupon is??

Swirl Girl said...

I love, love, love Hightlights magazine and what was more fun than picture puzzles??

Goofus and Gallant - that's what!!!

I found something in my pantry that expired in 2006...uh-oh.

Angie's Spot said...

I so loved Highlights! And I too do not have a pantry. When we remodeled our kitchen, I added lots more cabinets and I've done an excellent job of cramming them full, so that I can never find what I'm looking for. Sigh.

Jen said...

I call my pantry magic b/c it always hold just want I need even when I didn't really no I needed it. To be honest, I have no idea what is in my pantry.

Shannon said...

I try to keep my pantry organized. The bottom shelf is the hardest to keep organized, since this is the one where the snacks go. Easy access for my girls to get to, but they don't always leave things in the same shape they found them.

Unknown said...

I don't want to answer those questions. But I want to say that I very clearly see both the crunchy AND smooth peanut butter.

sassy stephanie said...

No comment. You don't want to go there with me. It's pretty scary.

Linda said...

I love Highlights and Waldo too. I have to organize my pantry about every 3 months. It drives me crazy if it's in disarray. But here's the funny part ... I can close the door on the pantry and no one would know. So why do I care? LOL Oh and I often find a cat in my pantry too.

Anonymous said...

Well I certainly don't have kitties in my panty. LOL My looks like a bomb went off. I only check the dates when I pull something out to use it. I have no clue what the strangest thing is...it needs cleaning BAD!!!

LadyStyx said...

Dang, it's neater than my pantry....oh wait, I dont HAVE a pantry!

ChicagoLady said...

My pantry is pretty small, so even when full, it's really hard to be messy. Right now, it's pretty empty.

Unknown said...

My son is reading Where's Waldo? as I type!

We have a cupboard for food and I try to keep it organized. It's actually just three shelves and keep cereal and bottles on the top, pasta's, sauces, rice and potato's (we are the sad instant box type of family ;) and crackers on the middle and veggies, and misc on the bottom. Then down below I the bottom cupboard I keep a bin of the good stuff - chocolates and candies and fruit snacks and juice boxes.

Lo said...

uhmmm jealous of how organized your pantry is. that should give you a glimpse at how fatal mine is. as in, cupboards, and i need a step-stool to reach all 42 inches of them. in agally kitchen. i'm scrunched for space. however, i think i spot a kitty in there, and in my house, that totally belongs bc my cat is the queen of the castle and goes where she wants.

also? THANK YOU for the rec' on Wake. cannot put it down. am reading it right now!!!

also? i'm awed and inspired at how strong you are. i continue to read you bc you instill such a sense of... of strength and completeness. even tho i'm sure you feel thrown and upended and upside down... you woke me up that life's 'okay ness' is a thin thread next to 'what do i do now'.

i pray, meditate, and send tons of love your way. to the entire gang. ya'll deserve it, over and over again.

Tam said...

Just had a free moment to stalk over and give your blog some attention! Hope your weekend is going good!!!! Savannah is crowded big time because of St Patricks Day fun downtown.

Queen of Feisty said...

I refused to read the other comments. I just needed to first guess that the grey cat at the bottom is our pantry bonus?

Yes I am anal about my pantry. Sadly it's the only part of my house that I am SO OCD about. My cans are all faced, I rotate them so the newest is in the back. I always have at LEAST 2 of everything.

The rest of my house is a complete mess though.

I loved Where's Waldo!

Fiesty