alright gang. the new year is in full swing. i don’t know about you . . . but i have spent this first week of 2020 getting my tooshie in gear. i have been purging. cleaning. organizing. but most of all. i have been minimizing & simplifying.

it always feels really great to start the new year in a super fresh & clean space. mentally. emotional.y physically. the change of a year leads me to want to get rid of all the unnecessary. and fill my home. heart. mind. and time. with only the things that bring goodness.

a home that is tidy. and open. and everything in place.

a heart that is pure. and clean. and free.

a mind that is at peace. and focused. and calm.

so where to start? for me. i start at the center of it all.

my pantry.

why you might ask? well . . . the kitchen is the heart of our home. so the organizer in me wants that space to be tidy. eating is also an emotional element for me. when i am happy i want to celebrate with good food & treats. but when i am stressed i find comfort in good foods & treats. ok ok ok. lets be honest. i will find any damn reason to eat good food & treats.

but in all seriousness. the panty. the kitchen. it doesn’t just feed our tummies. it feeds our bodies. it feeds our souls. food helps our bodies to run optimally. but it also brings our bellies to the kitchen counter to eat & connect with one another. so cleaning out the junk. stocking it full of the good. and organizing it to be aesthetically pleasing brings a whole lot of good to me.

it makes it a space where i can see clearly what my inventory is. it makes it a place that encourages cooking. and it just makes me happy.

have i convinced you yet?! just organize your dang pantry. you’ll be happier.

i mean. come on. is that not so satisfying. its just down right pretty if you ask me.

everything has its place. everything has a home. everything is sealed up tight.

i find that when i pour my big staple items into these oxo bins. i end up using everything i have purchased. it gives you a very clear idea of what you have. so nothing gets crammed in the back of the pantry. lost forever.

i also find that you can seriously cut down on the amount of pantry items you need. scale way back. you literally do not need to buy 100 pantry dry goods. spend a few minutes to really think about what you eat & use. only buy those.

for me. we eat oats & granola a ton. so that is a no brainer. we eat nuts like its our job. other than that we use some pasta. some lentils. some quinoa. really. its not a ton of food that you need in your pantry. to be honest. when trying to live your healthiest life. your pantry should be quite empty. your fridge should be jam packed.

you know. its interesting to me. when i think about the words that i want to define my 2020. they really overlap from my personal life & into my food life.

i want simplicity. i want purity. i want authenticity. i want strength. i want minimalism. and i want nourishing.

keep your panty to those things. and you will be golden when it comes to your healthy eating goals. keep your heart & mind focused on those things. and you will be golden when it comes to your general overall wellbeing. am i right?!

anyways. back to the organizing. i put all the rascals snacks on the bottom shelf. that way they can reach them on their own. they always have to ask permission to get a snack. otherwise they would snack all day long. but they are welcome to grab a protein bar. or some veggie straws. or some flax crackers. this makes is super easy for all of us.

take the individual packaged items out of their boxes. put them into bins. this will keep things way tidier & you have a better idea of if you are running low.

i literally put everything in a bin. it makes it so much nicer. even down to my teas. I throw out all the boxes the tea bags come in. stack them all up in a long bin. then you eliminate having odd sizes, shapes, and things that don’t stand up properly. drives me bonkers. this keeps it tidier.

there you have it troops. the pantry should really not be jam packed. and it certainly shouldn’t be messy. i have linked my fave bins & storage pieces. go snag yours & you’ll feel so good when your pantry to tidied up.