Fall is here, which means soups, baking, cozy meals, and before we know it—the holidays. So... before the busy season really gets underway, October is the perfect time to give your pantry a refresh. And no, you do not need to pull everything out, buy matching containers, and create a Pinterest-perfect pantry.

You just need a pantry that works for your real life.

Start With What You Have

Before buying bins, baskets, or containers, take a good look at what is already in your pantry.

Pull out expired food, empty boxes, and anything your family simply isn't going to eat. Check those spices, baking supplies, and canned goods that may have been hiding in the back longer than you’d like to admit.

If you forgot you had it, you're probably not using it.

Group Like With Like

Once you've cleared out what you don't need, start grouping similar items together.

Think:

• Breakfast foods

• Snacks

• Baking supplies

• Pasta, rice, and grains

• Canned goods

• Sauces and condiments

• Backstock

You don't need a complicated system. The goal is simply to make it easy to see what you have, use what you have, and put it back where it belongs.

Give Everyday Items the Best Spots

The things you reach for regularly should be the easiest to access.

Save those high shelves and harder-to-reach corners for extras and items you don't use every day.

Your pantry should make everyday life easier—not require a scavenger hunt every time you make dinner.

Don't Buy the Bins Yet!

You know I have to say it: bins don't

make you organized.

Declutter first. Decide what needs to live in the space. Then, if a container will make the system easier to maintain, measure your space and choose one that actually serves a purpose.

A basket for snacks? Great.

A turntable for oils and sauces? Helpful.

Twelve matching containers because they looked pretty online? Maybe not.

Get Ready for Holiday Cooking

While you're refreshing the pantry, take a few extra minutes to check your

holiday staples.

Do you have flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, broth, canned pumpkin, chocolate chips, or other ingredients you use every year?

Knowing what you already have can save you money—and prevent buying your fourth container of cinnamon.

Keep It Simple

A pantry doesn't have to stay picture-perfect to be organized. It needs simple systems that make it easy to reset when real life happens.That's what organizing is really about.

See it. Use it. Return it. Enjoy life.

Start with one shelf. Give yourself 20 or 30 minutes and see what you can get done. You don't have to organize the entire pantry in one afternoon.

Sometimes, it starts with finally finding the flour.

Happy Organizing.

Organizing and smiling,

Rebecca