A Bowl Full of Lemons

Welcome back to A Bowl Full of Lemons.  We survived one of the most challenging weeks and you’ve done very well, so we’re staying in the kitchen for another 7 days. It’s time to clear out the pantry. If you don’t have a pantry, simply clean out the cabinets that you store your food in. By the looks of your photos shared on Instagram, you are coming along just fine. (Use the hashtag #abfolchallenge and take a look at others who are on the same journey).

If you’re just joining us, welcome. Simply print out the schedule and checklists below and tag along. For encouragement, join our Home Organization 101 Facebook community to share your progress, or struggles, or questions. Or simply look through the photos and read how others are doing.

 

Free Challenge Kit

 

 

For the perfect companion guide to our challenge, purchase The Complete Book to Home Organization. It includes all 14 weekly challenges as well as a ton of inspiration and tips about the spaces we will be organizing. No need to log onto the computer for ideas, this manual has it all!

 

 

If you need more guidance on cleaning your house, be sure to pre-order my brand new book The Complete Book of Clean.  It has tons of tips and checklists that will teach you how to get your homes sparkling clean.

 

 

Week 2: The Pantry

This week should be pretty straight forward. Empty the pantry, wipe it out, toss expired food, and put it all back in an organized fashion.

THE PROCESS

• PLAN – Before starting, make sure you have a good supply of boxes, bins & food containers. You will need them.  If you do not have any, simply organize your pantry into “categories”.
• SET UP – If you are using them, line up your empty bins, baskets & containers onto the kitchen table. If you don’t have any, you can still separate your food into ‘categories’ on the table.
• PURGE & ORGANIZE – Take everything out of your pantry.  Check the expiration date and throw out expired or no longer used items.  Place “like” items in the baskets on the table. Organizing your food into categories (bins) will help keep your pantry looking nice and neat.  (Categories to consider: School, Breakfast, Pasta, Baking, Sauce, Bread, Snacks, Sides, etc.)  You can also empty bags & boxes into OXO containers or mason jars for a more uniform look.  If the unused food isn’t expired, you can donate it to a local food pantry.
• CLEAN –  Once you are finished organizing everything into categories, you can wipe out your pantry, then sweep & mop the floor.  You want it all nice & clean before you put everything away.
• PUT AWAY – Place all of your neatly organized bins, boxes, and containers back into your pantry
• LABEL – Label each bin & container with a labeler or hang a tag on the baskets.

 

Last year, we yanked out the ugly wire shelving and cheap hollow doors.  We replaced them with wooden shelving (which we installed ourselves) and more stylish looking french doors. Installing the french doors has given me the push I needed to keep the pantry neat and orderly. Each week after I return from the grocery store, I spend a couple of minutes tidying up the space. Also, it has helped me to eliminate wasteful food and indulgent grocery shopping.  I try to stick with a list and only buy what we need for the week. It’s been a nice change from the overstuffed shelves full of food.

 

 

THE LAYOUT. Categorize your pantry into zones for easy access and order.

 

 
COOKBOOKS. My cherished recipes line the shelves of my pantry.
 

 
DRY GOODS. Mason jars are the perfect way to condense boxes and bags into uniform food storage.
 

 

CONVENIENCE FOODS. Open baskets are great to store convenience foods and quick snacks for the kids.

 

 

BULK GOODS. Large open mouth jars are the way to go when storing bulk foods. I found these at World Market.

 

 

CANNED GOODS. Canned goods are heavy and should be stored near the bottom of the pantry. Large bins or baskets on the floor are great to store overstock items.

 

 

DECOR. Not only can your pantry be functional but it can be pretty as well. Bring your home decor into the pantry and add a little charm. I love to display vintage scales and old mason jars.

 

 

Here are several blog posts that will inspire you to get your pantry organized.

• Pantry Organization 2014
• Pantry Organization 2012
• An Organized Baking Pantry
• Menu Planning Door
• Snack Organization

 

This week, let this blog post be your guiding force. Take as much or as little time as you need to complete the challenge.  If you need it, you can find more pantry inspiration in my book. Let’s get organized!

Share your progress on Instagram using the hash tag #abfolchallenge, blog about the weekly challenges, and  share your before and after pictures over at my Home Organization group here.  Hold yourself accountable and finish all 14 challenges! I can’t wait to see what you accomplish.  Good luck. I’ll see you back next week for the week 3 challenge. Happy Organizing!

~Toni

 

Disclaimer: You may find Amazon affiliate links within this post. Thank you for your support to A Bowl Full of Lemons.

Tags: 2017 home organization challenge, kitchen organization, organize, organized, pantry, pantry organization
2017 Home Organization Challenge, 2017 Home Organization Challenge, Blog, decluttering, Kitchen, Organize, pantry, pantry organization Posted in 8 comments