Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 10:4
Checking off the boxes of our monthly ‘Do It’ List might not make you wealthy financially, but you will be rich in peace and joy as your whole family enjoys the benefits of a tidy, well-maintained, clean home.
Since introducing our ‘Do It’ List this year, we’ve enjoyed the positive responses to our monthly publication from moms all over the country. Keeping it all on one page makes it simple and understandable. Each month, we continue to change out a single item in the list of tasks to be completed. Our unique-to-August chore is: Kitchen/Pantry shelves.
We’re keeping up with the fridge – cleaning it out is on the list every month. But dry food items also have an expiration date. And, just as things can get lost in the freezer, they can also get pushed to the back of cabinets and forgotten. August seems a good month to take dry goods inventory and get those shelves organized before the new school year begins.
Here are a few items to consider as your tackle this once-per-year job:
- Allow enough time. Depending on the size of your kitchen and/or pantry, and the number of cabinets and shelves, you might even want to spread this out over a couple of afternoons.
- Think outside the box….errr…cabinet. Consider some location reassignments. Just because your cereal has lived on the exact same shelf for ten years doesn’t mean that’s the most logical place for it – or perhaps your family’s tastes have changed (or you’re avoiding certain foods for health reasons) and cereal is no longer the many-times-per-week staple it once was. Don’t be afraid to move items to a more convenient, logical place!
- Gather cleaning supplies. You’ll need a mild detergent for cleaning the shelves and cabinets, as well as towels or cleaning rags. You might also consider adding or replacing shelf liner while the cabinets are empty.
- Recruit help. This is a good job to enlist the support of the whole family. They can weigh in on which items are used most and where everything should end up, as well as help clean and purge.
- Be ruthless. The same rule applies here that applies to purging your closet: if you haven’t eaten it in a year, you probably won’t. Set it aside to pass on to someone who will use it.
- Check dates. If the “best use by” date has passed, pitch that item into the trash.
- Donate unwanted items. Let’s say you bought sauerkraut for a recipe that wasn’t exactly a hit. If you find an unexpired can of kraut on your shelf and you know you will never use it, donate it to a local food bank (along with items you gathered from #5 on the list).
- Re-evaluate storage. Would baskets, clear containers, or wire racks keep the inside of your cabinets tidy? Check Pinterest or YouTube for some pantry organization ideas, and add these items as your budget allows.
- Use it up. If you find a long-forgotten bag of noodles or can of soup, make a note to work those items into the meal plan before they expire.
- Review the new layout. Gather the family and highlight the new location of certain items, so everyone is on board and not only knows where to find the peanuts, but where to put them back when finished.
We would love to hear how you choose to tackle your kitchen shelves. Post a comment below and consider adding a pic to our Facebook page.
We hope you end August with tidy shelves and an organized kitchen!
Download this month’s ‘Do It’ List
and get a GREAT start on the 2018/19 school year!
(A blank version is also available for download,
to personalize the list to your family’s needs.)
