The holiday season is officially upon us as of Thanksgiving.  The holidays tend to center around the kitchen and one important aspect of the kitchen is the pantry.

This past weekend, I worked with a client to organize her pantry.  She loves to cook and a key aspect of that is being able to go to her pantry and quickly retrieve what she needs.  She was, however, having difficulty doing so because she was not sure what was in the pantry and where things were stored.  She did not have a system.

We emptied out the entire pantry and looked at everything.  We eliminated the excess and then grouped like items together according to her own personal preference. 

Containers had been purchased ahead of time when we first evaluated the space to help containerize certain items.  Then, it was just a matter of figuring out what items belonged where.  She already had a hanging rack on the inside of the pantry door.  We repurposed it so that items being stored on the door were the items she most frequently accessed.  We utilized her various shelves to store like items together.

After the process was complete and the layout met my client's needs, we noticed that certain items were missing.  She now knew she needed to go shopping for pasta, tomato sauce, cereal and crackers.  We had left space for those items to be incorporated. 

To make sure you have the staples needed in your pantry, I am providing a list of items that I recommend:  (Your items might differ slightly)

Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Salt, Pepper, Spices,  Red Cooking Wine, White Cooking Wine, Chicken Broth;

Canned Tuna, Tomato Paste, Jarred Marinara and/or Tomato Sauce, Diced Tomatoes, Rice, Pasta, Beans, Cereal, Crackers,

All-purpose Flour, Sugar, Oats, Bread Crumbs, Condiments, Salad Dressings.

Again, your items might differ but you can use this as a basis to get started.

So, now that you have an idea as to how I helped my client organize her pantry, you don't need to ponder your pantry anymore.  If, however, you need further assistance, don't hesitate to contact me. 

In the meantime, have a great week!   

Next week is Thanksgiving and the official start of the holiday shopping season.

Do you want your younger children to understand more about uncluttering and organizing?

I have gathered some suggestions for gifts you can give them that they might enjoy with an underlying theme on uncluttering and organizing:

1. Room Enough for Daisy by Debbie Waldman. Little Daisy has so many toys, she wishes for a larger bedroom to accommodate them all. Eventually, her mom convinces her to donate some items to a rummage sale. Cindy Revell’s illustrations are really cute.
2. Too Many Toys by David Shannon. David’s books are fantastic, starting with the hilariously relatable “No, David!” Too Many Toys has a similar theme to Room Enough for Daisy, in that David is required to thin his massive collection of toys. It’s a fun story that kids think is funny and adults find useful.  
3. Mr. Messy, part of the Mr./Mrs. series by Roger Hargreaves, is an untidy fellow until he meets Mr. Neat and Mr. Tidy.
4. More by I. C. Springman is about a hoarding magpie whose friends teach him the value of “enough.” Again, the illustrations are great and the minimal text is great for new readers.

Do you have any suggestions that you would like to share that go with this theme of child organization tools?  Please share by commenting.

If you need assistance in getting the toys and clothing organized for the holidays, don't hesitate to contact me.  I am here to help.

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!