It’s back to school season in the greater Philadelphia and New Jersey areas, and that means you may be on your way to purchasing new school supplies, clothes, and finishing up any last summer activities. Part of going to back to school includes planning for lunches, snacks, and dinners. This month, you can expect to see a lot of activity in your kitchen and pantry. At Closet and Storage Concepts of West Berlin, New Jersey we want you and your family to have an easy time going back to school. Here’s how you can get your home ready, starting with organizing your pantry and kitchen area.
Purge or Donate
Before you fill your pantry with necessary snacks and goodies, take a moment to purge items that won’t be finished, or donate unused snacks that your kids won’t eat. Many school programs and charities look for school supplies, snacks, and other meal items, particularly in the fall. For the half eaten bag of chips that have gone stale, you can still compost these items. Some schools even offer community compost areas. Clearing out food that would otherwise go uneaten and wasted will help to clear up prime kitchen space.
Strategize, Stock, and Station
Once you’ve cleaned up your food storage areas, which feeds into your food prep area, it’s time to follow the three “S” system – strategize, stock, and station. Start with strategizing the items your family needs whether that’s fruits, snack packs, or mac and cheese. Only stock up on what you need; this helps to control the clutter in your home.
When placing items back into your pantry, store and stock them in a logical fashion. Be sure to place snacks at kid-level to be of the most benefit for all members of your family. While you’re storing items, consider creating a snack station. A snack station helps to contain all of your snacks in one area. This way, if you’re in a rush, it will be easy to grab on the go. Don’t forget to use dividers and containers to keep things in their place.
Contain
As you place your items back, consider your containers and storage system. If it’s time for an upgrade, set some time aside so you can address your concerns. The sooner the better, as you’ll want to test drive your systems before it gets busier in the school year. Choose appropriate containers for all of your snacks and food. Lids that stack together with your containers helps to keep all your lunch pieces together and reduce valuable space.
Organizing your kitchen pantry with the best organizational system for you is a great way to get a head start. To find the solution that works best for you, be sure to call in the professionals. Our designers at Closet & Storage Concepts are experienced enough to help create the perfect system for you. We serve Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. We can’t wait to work with you!