Lizzy Kline is a St. Louis based professional Organizer. She discovered her passion for organization and decluttering while being a full time mom of four. Lizzy is a firm believer that organization is a skill that everyone can learn. Now, she shares her tips and tricks for how to reimagine your kitchen spaces and declutter your life!

How to Begin

We dust, we polish, we pack up those heavy winter clothes to hopefully not see again for a very long time. But often times, we forget those areas like the pantry and the fridge that can be so beneficial to help us get ready for the spring and summer months.

So what to do?

The best way to get the party started is by emptying out the space. Yes, the WHOLE space.

Start by making 3 piles:

• Keep
• Donate
• Garbage

Keep

Deciding what to keep in the space you are organizing is actually the easy part. Editing is the hard part! You can always buy great containers, lazy Susan’s, can organizers, and other organizational essentials. But before you do, sort items into categories and measure.

Donate

Decide what can be given away because there is no shame in the editing game and someone else may have a use for it. Especially this year where we may have overbought and aren’t necessarily using it all. Not to mention, it helps breed creativity and newness when you are cooking with less options. 

Trash

“When in doubt throw it out.” Especially if it is expired. First check expiration dates --- that is an easy place to start. Extra packaging also takes up lots of space. You can discard and use purposeful containers. Doing so will make it easier to see what you have and to avoid buying excess in the future. Also containing dried fruits, nuts, and fresh fruits/veggies helps everyone see the choices to make better ones. 

How to Maintain Organization

 Ok now that we are edited and organized...

 How are we going to keep it that way?

 1) Think Quality Over Quantity

 Buying better quality, nutritious foods

 2) Practice the In One Out One Rule

 3) Less is more

We have so much access to grocery stores, especially now with delivery and online ordering. I challenge you to start using what you have instead of buying more. It’s amazing how the creative juices can start flowing when you look at what is already there!