Unlike Zackey I'm going to say that storing potatoes and onions, garlic, etc around here is nearly impossible. This may be because as a native I'm setting my inside temp around 78* I don't like the dang cold and the stuff doesn't store well at those temps. Now my husband would prefer 62* where they would probably store just fine, but I'm not wearing long johns and mittens! Anyway I guess what I'm saying is that unless you keep your A/C excessively cool I don't know that storing in your regular pantry is an option. It seems to me that things tend to sprout in just a month - 6 weeks. Store bought seems to just rot. *shudder* My solution has been to grow things that are eaten when I harvest them. I will harvest white/red potatoes for about 6 weeks - 2 months and thus be able to eat them fresh for about 3 months of the year. The rest of the year I eat them either from frozen stash or I switch to what is in my garden (perpetually growing sweets) Most of my vegggies are eaten this way. I only eat from the store what i cannot grow (bananas are one for my region) or what I need for a specific recipe, etc. If anyone has a great answer I'd love to hear it. Maybe we'll all have giant humidors next year. ;-)

I do store things like sour cream, cottage cheese, applesauce, yogurt, salsa, etc. upside down in the refrigerator. Do make sure the lids are on tight! (Don't ask me how I know.) I don't wash any fruits/vegetables until I'm ready to use them. If you buy spices in bulk, keep the majority of your stock in the refrigerator and have small containers out for everyday use. Heat, light, and moisture really speed the loss of flavor and color. I never use a whole can of tomato paste or chipotle peppers at once. Put tablespoon size dollops on a flat pan and freeze. Pack frozen dollops in a freezer bag or a freezer container. I keep sweet onions in the refrigerator. They are loaded with sugar and donÂt keep well on a pantry shelf. Store romaine or leaf lettuce head down (let the stem end stick up into the air) in a container of water in the fridge. A 2 quart Rubbermaid pitcher works well. My lettuce will stay crispy for weeks this way (and if your lettuce gets a bit wilted, this will crisp it back up again, too). I store potatoes, winter squash, and root vegetables in a cardboard box or a crate separated with styrofoam packing peanuts (keeps the vegetables off the box surface and air can circulate). We keep them in our back bedroom, which is cool and dark. And definitely cruise the veggie/meat keeper drawers for menu planning. I get so mad at myself for finding something that I left in the fridge too long without using it, and ending up throwing it into the compost bucket.

Your idea is great. I use one of those large plastic Rubbermaid containers for the rolls of gift wrap and I have room in my pantry. But a few years ago I finally realized that I just buy way too many rolls especially after Christmas when they're on sale. I like to wrap my presents and put them under the tree as part of the holiday decorations. So now I only buy solid color wrap and then decorate the packages with ribbons, ornaments and other little holiday decorations. I think it's a prettier look than the odd assortment of leftover paper that I always had. So now I've extended that principle to all my wrap- birthdays, anniversaries, weddings etc. I use an appropriate solid color and then get my thrills by using ornamental ribbons, silk flowers, ornate bows and other decorative items on the boxes.

Even cereal needs to be in a plastic or glass container....those little varmints will get into anything...I found mouse poop every where food had ever been ..the little critter was steady searching for any crumbs... Since you are not moving you will not be interested in this hint but maybe someone who does move around will be...There are some things that just need to be in a particular place all the time and I hated picking them up and moving them every time you move so I solved that issue by velcroing baskets to certain places....For instance...I have a small basket about 2 inches X 7 inches wide on my night stand that holds my reading glasses, hand cream, tums, nail clippers etc etc and another on next to my captains chair up front...at the table, I have one , much larger, on each side of the table...one will hold his prescriptions and supplements, the salt and pepper, and mine on the other side, holds mine...the space between the two baskets hold napkins,,,It's nice that we don't have to clear the table every time we move..the baskets look nice and will hold enough that we can toss in whatever else we need . There is a basket on the counter top where we keep scissors, the dogs leash, tape, things we need to get to quickly and then there is a bin that we have taped to the bulkhead over the motor where we carry things like battery chargers. flashlights bulky items and on top of that another basket that has the phone charger and keys, wallet and change for tolls and lots of other things like glasses and clippers blah blah blah...couldn't get along without the baskets...