What’s Lurking?

Life with kids can be amazing and fruitful and all those happy things, but it can also have a flip-side where the toys pile up, the laundry grows and the house becomes cluttered. And it’s in these times when a nudge to get the physical home back on track, is where I often come into the picture.

A client of mine had one of those amazingly large, pull-out drawer systems for holding the bulk of her pantry items. She explained which items were on each level and why they were located in those spots too- which was great. It showed that she had put thought into the different types of items we find in pantries- heavy, bulky, snacks, tins, bags, packets and everything in between.

Even though her pantry drawers were organised, they seemed a bit too busy, so I investigated. I pulled a few things out to check on expiry dates (as a lot of items were purchased in big bags), and to shuffle a few things around to keep with my “like with like” mantra.

I did find a few expired items, some double-ups and a leaking packet of seaweed. After I cleaned and tidied things up, we were able to have a conversation about the expired items I had found. We discussed that sometimes buying in bulk can have drawbacks, especially with young children who seem to change from loving something to hating it the next week. And now that the pantry items were categorised my client would have a clearer picture of items needed from the grocery store and therefore less double-ups (which can often lead to expired food). And having found the leaking seaweed, my client was able to have a fresh start.

It’s a feeling of ‘lightness’ when things are organised. My clients often have that, ‘sigh, awww’, moment when they see the revamped pantry or wardrobe or cupboard. I can literally see their shoulders drop from the lightness and calm it brings them.

It’s truly satisfying.