Helping people enjoy their living spaces is the ultimate goal and when someone asks me what’s my favorite place to organize my first answer is a kitchen pantry.  I believe that the kitchen is the heart of the home and whether you like to cook, bake or not, having an organized pantry leads to saving money, improving eating habits and impressing your guest at your next house party. 

Let’s start by making something clear, if you haven’t edited your pantry in a while, get ready because you will find a lot of things you didn’t think you had and so many other foods that have expired.  Regardless if you have a spacious walk-in pantry or cupboards serving as a pantry, everything must come out. My clients are always so amazed on how much they have accumulated during the years. Food will be thrown out as they are inedible and have already expired, but no one wants to keep pasta sauce that expired in 2001.  With this in mind and after realizing how much expired food has gone to the trash your next trip to the grocery store will be more intentional and you will only buy what you only need and use.  

Creating organization systems in a pantry allows you to see exactly what you have, no more impulse or over buying.  I suggest to my clients to always take inventory of what they have, use what they have and create a shopping list right before heading to the grocery store.  In the long run, an organized pantry will save you so much money because you will use what you have before it expires and you have found foods you didn’t know you had so no need to go shopping for what is already at available.  

Once a good pantry edit is done and all the shelves have been wiped clean, it’s time to create an organization system that will work and improve your eating habits.  Yes, friends! An organized pantry can help you reach those eating habit goals you set at the beginning of the year. How you might ask? Well, when you have a clean and organized pantry, you will bring in foods that give you energy and bless your body.  

Let’s be honest though, a snack section is always clients’ request and so much fun to create.  I had the opportunity to work with Top Tier Woodbridge and I was so impressed by how many healthy snacks they have, their pantry was full of healthy and nutritious goodies. While we were getting to know each other, they shared with me that meal planning is a huge part of their Sunday routine because it saves them time but most importantly it helps maintain their healthy eating habits.  My friends at Top Tier Woodbridge are so committed to maintaining their healthy eating habits that they have dedicated a page on their blog for  Meal Prep Sunday, check it out and you will get so much inspiration to continue working towards your own eating habit goals. 

I absolutely love it when my clients are honest with me and give me the real reason they want to get organized.  Just recently, I had the pleasure of organizing a kitchen pantry and got it ready for a party. Yes, friends! My sweet client knows how to impress her party guests, she wanted to keep the pantry doors open during the party and let me tell you it turned out fabulous.  We all love a compliment and what a better way to receive praise when you have people over your house and they know that you have thought on how to make them feel welcome. An organized pantry will not only impress but also inspire your friends and family. And just think about house parties, where do most people like to hang out? I know for the majority of the parties, I have attended the kitchen is the spot to be at. 

Now, let’s talk about labels and how helpful it is to label all the things. Once we create categories that are functional for clients, the final touches of an organized space is in the label. When I’m creating a labeling system, I imagine one day a private chef or just a kind friend would come over and decide to help with dinner.  Having it all labeled will make it easier for say, the talented chef to find everything needed to make a delicious meal. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? 

Organization and time go hand in hand and as a professional organizer we are often contacted by people who aren’t necessarily unorganized but instead they just don’t have time to do it all.  Outsourcing your organizing needs to a professional organizer will be an investment well worth. Remember that if you need the heart of your home to get organized STR consults are always complementary. 

Until next month,

STR