Pantry Organization for Families

 

If you’re struggling to keep your pantry organized as your family changes and grows, you’re not alone. As a professional organizer, I re-engineer far more pantries than any other room in my clients’ homes, and I’m often invited back to update the pantry plan to keep up with the changing needs of growing children.

Organizing a pantry isn’t a one-and-done exercise. The needs of your family are constantly changing. 

That’s why your pantry organization needs to be flexible and ready for the unexpected. There is no better way to accommodate your pantry’s constant evolution than Reusable Bin Labels. Stickies stick to any shiny surface and are perfect on plastic storage bins and containers, as well as glass jars. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and can be cut to a custom size for that oddly shaped container.

Here are my top five ways to use bins when you have kids! 

Baby Food 
All those little jars and packets for feeding your baby are impossible to keep organized sitting on a shelf. Keep one open bin in your pantry for all the baby food items. Make feeding time easy for everyone (hello sitters and grandparents!) by writing out your feeding schedule and special considerations on a larger Stickie and posting it right to the bin. 

Kids Snacks vs. Treats
No matter their age, your kids likely have favorite snacks that don’t necessarily align with healthy choices. Keep them focused on the good things with an approved bin of snacks and make a bin for special treats and put it on a higher shelf. Keep the label updated with the snacks it contains. They’ll know the treats are there and can ask before they indulge.

Lunch Box Supplies
Make your morning routine easier with a pantry bin of all the elements for a well-packed lunch. Just pull the bin out of the pantry and suddenly making lunch becomes a simple assembly task. Power move: keep an inventory of the bin on a Stickie so when it’s time to replenish, it’s easy to make a shopping list.

Sports Snacks
Whether it's Little League or high school tournaments, you can keep these extracurriculars powered up with a bin of snacks that sustain energy and rehydrate young athletes. Seasonally, the contents may change. The right snack for ice hockey may not translate to the lacrosse field, so keep a running list of what’s in the bin right on the Stickie label.

Breakfast Bin
Hectic mornings? Take the stress out of breakfast and keep a pantry bin full of breakfast items like protein bars, quick cooking oatmeal and cereal. Make it as self-serve as possible by keeping an updated inventory on the Stickie label. You’ll appreciate the extra time in the morning as you’re getting out the door.

Your pantry can keep up with a changing, growing family. Check in on the setup regularly to make sure the bins still meet your family’s needs. Update the labels as many times as necessary.And be sure to hide your personal stash of treats!

About Lisa

Lisa Trigsted is a professional organizer in McKinney, TX. She’s transformed the homes of hundreds of busy families both in person and via tele-consultations, and she specializes in creating long-lasting systems that help households run more smoothly and productively.