The holidays add so much extra to our lives. By extra, I mean extra everything. Extra work, extra expenses, extra needs, extra activities, extra love, extra fun and more! Now that I have written the word extra more times than I could have ever expected, let’s talk about how to deal with all of the extra food that you will be bringing this holiday!
With all of the extra food that you need to stock up on, you might want to take a little bit of time to prep your pantry for the holidays. The following tips will help get your pantry ready for all of the extra food that you’ll be bringing in and help you to lower your stress a little bit.
Prep Your Pantry for the Holidays
Time to Clean it Out
You know as well as I do that there is going to be some stuff in that pantry that is either expired, or you just simply know that you are never going to use it. Toss it out and free up some space!
As far as what to do with the clean out items, check out these ideas:
- Take good (non-expired) food to the food bank to donate.
- Compost anything that could be used in your compost pile.
- Toss everything else.
Now that you have gotten rid of stuff that doesn’t belong, it’s time to literally clean it. Grab a washcloth and wipe down the shelves, sweep the floor, vacuum out the corners, etc.
Reorganize
Now that your pantry is cleaned out, it’s time to reorganize. This step will make the next step (inventory) much easier. Plus, it just looks great!
Figure Out What You Have
It’s inventory time! Before you head out to go shopping, make sure you know what is already in your pantry so you don’t buy anything that you don’t need.
It’s a good idea to take a picture of your pantry too. While it may seem odd, you can look back at it while you are grocery shopping in case you forget what you have at home.
Make a List and Head to the Store
Now that you have gotten rid of the stuff you don’t need and organized everything beautifully, it’s time to make a list of what you need for the holidays and head out to go shopping!
