Enjoy this wonderful guest post by Amie Jones! Amie has one of the cleanest houses I've ever been to. If you're looking to do some Fall cleaning, keep reading!
"While clean recipes and food choices have been a part of Rachel’s journey to a healthier lifestyle, cleaning and organizing have always been a part of mine. There is such a mental calmness for me when everything has a place, and everything is in its place!The beginning of new season, is a great time to start organizing different areas in your kitchen, and to reevaluate what it and isn’t working for you.Taking a few minutes to organize your pantry will not only reduce your stress, but will also set you up to continue to make healthy food choices on a daily basis. I’ll share my top two tips I follow that help me keep our food organized. Choose one tip to start small, and don’t move to the next one until you have finished completing the one you chose.
1) Pick and know your zones.For me, this is the most basic way to start. Organize your food into how you most often use it. It could be as simple as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or you could get as specific as you like.Think potluck options, desserts, allergy zones, ect. Identify which zones work for you, and commit to keeping them that way.Here are some examples:Breakfast options should be grouped together. Have three different boxes of cereals? They should all be right next to each other. Keep the oatmeal, granola, or whatever breakfast options you select right next to each other.Same goes with your baking products. Flour, coconut oil, sugar, baking soda, ect - they should all be grouped together.I have a “snack zone” on the bottom shelf where the kids know they can grab a snack for their lunchbox, or just when they are hungry. Keeping your food organized by zones streamlines your cabinets, and helps when making your grocery list - it’s easy to quickly see what you are running low on- and also when putting your groceries away.Everything already has a spot waiting for it.
The next tip is essential, but maybe hard for some. (You know who you are!)
2)Get rid of it!
That spice jar that you used ¼ teaspoon of, and haven’t touched again? Toss it. The sample product you got, but never used? The leftover bag of chip crumbs that you weren’t ready to throw away? Now’s the time to get rid of them. Generally if you’ve had something sitting in your pantry for over six months and you haven’t touched it, I say use it or lose it. Check your dates and make sure everything expired is gone!
Not only will purging and organizing your pantry make you feel better afterwards, but it will simplify your daily food choices, and you may even feel inspired to create a new recipe with something you forgot you had!
Happy Fall, and Happy Clean Living!"
Photo credit: Pixabay
Elle says
Thanks for those organizing tips for my pantry! I felt that Amie Jones was speaking directly to me about throwing things away! My spice cupboard does have some of those spices she mentioned that were opened and used once. 🥴
Reading this post motivates me to have a good clean out.
Elle
thecleanhappylife says
Glad it could help, Elle! 😉 Happy Fal!