I don’t know what it is about this year.

But, as the days go by, I look forward to the holidays more and more.

It must be because I am craving my family’s hugs and the laughter ringing around the house.

I remember as a child we would all gather around the table to spread the corn husk with masa and other fillings to make tamales.

But, It’s amazing how you remember those special moments with your family, isn’t it?!

I love that as an adult I can recreate some of that magic with my kiddos and make the holidays special for them.

Anyway, in my last post I shared with you about organizing your refrigerator and today I want to share with you how to organize your pantry.

When I work in family homes, the most stressful zone of a kitchen seems to always be the pantry.

Especially for people that have deep pantries because things get lost in the back.

That’s why I want to help you organize your pantry before the holidays so you can find all your ingredients for your meal preparations and your heart sings every time you need something else.

Heck, you might even accidentally leave the pantry doors open. 😉

So here you go…..

*All of the links below are affiliate links and although I will get a small percentage of the price in no way will this effect the price you pay.

1. Pull everything out

Yes! Everything. I know it makes you cringe to think of all the work but it’s the only way to see what you have.

As you pull things out, look for expiration dates and toss anything that is past its date.

Anything that is still good but you will not eat, set aside for your kids’ food drive or your nearest food pantry.

2. Organize Your Pantry By Like-items

Every pantry has staple items; items that you can always find in your pantries like flour, sugar, and pasta.

A great way to keep your pantry visibly organized is to arrange your food by like-items.

Put all of the canned foods together, all of the snack foods together, and all of the breakfast foods together.

Not only will you be able to easily find what you need, but you will be amazed at how much more space this will create!

It also makes creating your holiday food shopping list much easier by being able to just peek in and see what you need.

For short pantries use step risers for your canned goods so that you can see what you have on hand.

For deep pantries think deep to find the right containers. Something like these stackable bins from the Container Store.

Use lazy susans for condiments and oils so that things don’t get lost in the back.

Use baskets to group and contain items such as bread and snacks.

3. Ditch the boxes

Whenever possible get rid of the boxes and use clear bins to keep your dry goods such as beans, rice, flour, pasta, nuts, etc.

Sometimes it is necessary to purchase them throughout the year.

A great place to get deals on these is at TJmax, Ross, or Home Goods.

Clear containers like these allow you to see everything that’s inside so that you can see when you are running low but, it also allows you to take advantage of the vertical space because they are stackable.

These containers you can purchase on Amazon. They even come with labels so that you can clearly mark what is in each container.

4. Use the Front Space only

One very handy trick I learned early on in this business is the importance of maximizing every inch of your pantry.

When deep pantries are a problem, installing pull out drawers like these, are the best solution.

But, when budgets are an issue the alternative to using your space effectively is to use pull out or stacking organizers and think vertically.

Not using the depth of the cabinet (because stuff gets lost and goes bad back there anyway.

Take the stress out of meal prep with an organized pantry.

So that you can find all your ingredients in a snap, and focus on your loved ones this holiday season.

If you are still feeling a little lost or overwhelmed on where to begin when organizing your pantry, contact me!

I will walk you through the best way to start fresh and we will get you ready for the Holiday Season and more!

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