This week I’ve been in the middle of a much-needed kitchen reset.
We live in a small two-bedroom apartment, and while I love our home, the truth is that clutter shows up fast when storage is limited. Things pile up. Cabinets get crowded. And before you know it, it’s been longer than you’d like to admit since you last cleaned out the pantry or spice cabinet.
Add in the fact that we’re off winter break and back into our everyday homeschool rhythm, and I knew I needed to fit this project into the small pockets of time our days allow.
So I started simply.
Yesterday morning, right after breakfast, I tackled the spice and baking cabinet. I took everything out, tossed expired spices and old ingredients, wiped the cabinet down, and reorganized what was left. That alone took much longer than I expected, but it felt really good when it was done.
Today, after breakfast again, I moved on to the pantry.
I pulled everything out, wiped down the shelves, and went through it all piece by piece. Our pantry does double duty: it holds food, pots and pans, small appliances, and general kitchen overflow, so I took the time to donate and toss items we no longer use, along with expired food that didn’t need to be there anymore.
What I’m left with now is a clean, organized pantry.
Tomorrow, I’ll tackle the refrigerator: one last piece of the puzzle before calling this little reset complete.
Is it Instagram-worthy? Not even a little.
But it works for us. And it feels so good to know it’s done.
I don’t usually share real photos. I tend to lean toward pretty, styled images instead. But maybe it’s time to be a little more honest. These photos are of my real pantry and spice cabinet… tiny apartment versions and all.
If this post inspires anything, I hope it’s this:
Not everything has to be perfect to be worth doing. And you don’t need a picture-perfect result to feel proud of yourself.
Small progress still counts.
With love,
Abby
