The birds are chirping, the sun is out and it is time for a change. This is a great opportunity to organize while you do some Spring Cleaning.
Here are some tips to help you navigate through the process.
- Start with a small project. This way you will have the time and energy to clean up without feeling overwhelmed. I don’t want you to run out of steam, leave everything where it is, and feel defeated.
- Set a timer! Work for a preset amount of time. Once the timer goes off then you can stop and feel great about your progress. If you are on a roll, continue on until you are at a comfortable stopping point or finish your project.
- If you are a list person, you can create a list with a breakdown of the tasks necessary to complete the project and commit to a few tasks at a time. Before you know it, the project will be complete.
- Think about a “reward” for yourself. Maybe watching a show or movie, enjoy some reading time, a nap, perhaps a walk around the block, that ice cream you’ve been wanting.
- Grab a snack, a bottle of water, and turn on your favorite upbeat music. Why not have some fun while you’re working.
Here are some steps on organizing your Pantry.
- Pull everything out of the pantry and sort it into categories, such as breakfast, snacks, soups, condiments, pasta & grains, baking, etc.
- Clean all the surfaces and walls.
While that dries…
- Go through each pile and check expiration dates.
- Toss or donate seasonal items and food you know you will not use.
- Stop and look at your pantry or cabinets. Just because you have used the pantry in a specific way in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep it that way. It is okay to try something new.
- Consider the space you have and use as much of it as possible. It’s often difficult to get to things on the back of a shelf or they can be forgotten. Using bins or containers of some sort can help you not only organize things but make it easy to pull that container out to see and get to the full contents. Also, if you have a lot of vertical space between shelves, consider risers to make two levels where possible. Take a look around your house and repurpose baskets, bins, boxes, trays, or containers. Think about using things you have around the house before buying anything. You can always replace them later with something new or fancy if you want.
Now that you have sorted into categories, you can put everything away.
- Grab a piece of paper, start a grocery list of things you had to toss but need to replace. Create a menu of meals you would like to cook or ingredients that you want to use or that expire soon.
- Cut the top off of boxes so you can see the quantity inside and make it a quick grab. For example, protein bars or individually wrapped snacks.
- Once you assign a home for each category then it is time to label. LABEL LABEL LABEL This is almost a guarantee that you and/or your family will put things back where they belong.
- Remember to leave space for new stock if you have not gone shopping in a while.
Happy Organizing!!!
