- Back to school is already here,
and I know that the past few days and upcoming weeks
are gonna be a whirlwind of shopping
and getting everything the kids need ready.
In today's video, I'm going to share with you how I get
my kitchen ready to make packing lunches
and making meals a breeze.
Getting back into the school routine is so important
to start the school year right,
especially when it comes to your kitchen.
Think about it!
It's where we spend the majority of our time.
It's where we pack lunches, we make breakfast,
we write notes, and finish getting our kids ready
to walk out the door.
The kitchen is also the hang-out spot after school.
It's where the kids do their homework
as you prepare dinner and where they run in to tell you
something that just happened while you're making a snack.
Keeping a clean and organized kitchen is essential
to keep your busy world running smooth,
so I'd like to share with you
my personal mom proof routine to keeping the kitchen tidy
with the help of Grove Collaborative.
Grove is perfect for busy moms
because they deliver all-natural home
and personal care products right to your door,
when you want it, so you can keep the house
and your family in tip top shape.
I love how it allows me to customize my order
with my favorite brands, such as Mrs. Meyers, Method,
and Grove's own brand.
If you've been considering the switch
to natural household products,
then you should go check out Grove Collaborative.
They have everything from household cleaning supplies
to kitchen and personal care products.
And back to school is a great time to switch
to natural products because we're all getting
into a routine.
As a bonus, Grove is giving you this Mrs. Meyer's gift set
for free when you join and spend $40 on your order.
I mean, many of us already use and love these,
so that's a pretty sweet deal.
Make sure to click on the link right below this video
to shop and get your free set.
Let's get the kitchen in gear,
starting with the fridge and pantry.
Every back to school, I start by doing a thorough clean out
of anything that may have expired, been open too long,
and gone stale,
and donate non-perishable items that we don't use.
Any pantry items that are still good,
I remove from the shelves and do a wipe down
with Mrs. Meyer's multi-surface cleaner
or this Grove multi-surface cleaner
that's made from concentrate.
Both of which are super gentle and safe to use
on surfaces near or around food.
One thing that I love about Grove spray is that
it comes in the form of a concentrate which you dilute
with water in this glass container.
That way, you can use the same container
plus I love the way it looks.
After the pantry, I tackle the fridge.
Again, I throw out anything expired,
take everything out I want to keep and do
a thorough wipe down of the shelves.
Once the inside of the fridge and freezer are cleaned out,
I use the stainless steel cleaner made by Method
to wipe down the front of my fridge and the sides
of the door to eliminate grime and hand prints.
Now cleaning out the fridge and freezer is something
that I try to do once a week, usually on Saturday,
so that I can eat everything that day to prevent
throwing out any food at the end of the week.
I can also make a note of what I need to replace
and add it to my shopping list.
Next, it's time to take a break,
which is when I like to finalize my meal plan
for that upcoming week.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner, all of it,
is so much easier to tackle with a plan
and it helps me keep my family enjoying delicious,
fresh meals, straight from the kitchen,
even during busy weeknights.
With a clean pantry and fridge, it's time to stock them
full of my staple items, like coffee, peanut butter,
and of course, every thing else I'll use to prepare meals.
One thing that I find that helps me is creating a space
in my pantry for snacks.
Every week, I'll fill a basket with fresh, homemade,
as well as pre-made options so the kids and husband
always have a snack on hand after school or work.
Let's get to prepping.
But first, we need to do a spot clean.
Clean before you cook, yes!
This cuts down the after mess in half
and it provides me with the space I need
to prepare my food.
A spot clean consists of wiping down the surface
so you have a clean place to prepare the food
and removing any dirty dishes from the sink,
into the dishwasher so you can prep your produce.
Once the area is clean, I'll set out all the ingredients
I plan to prep, like produce, eggs,
and any marinade ingredients as well
as the containers that I plan to store them.
I love these storage containers for my meal prep
because they come in various sizes
and Grove's reusable storage bags
for chopped veggies and fruit.
Normally I can go through a ton of zip baggies
when packing lunches and meal prep,
so I prefer to use reusable ones instead
to cut down on waste.
Any meal components that can be made ahead of time,
I'll store inside of the containers,
saving me time when that 5:00 mid-week dinner rush strikes.
Of course, the night before,
I make sure to prep my cold brew coffee
with my BrewMe brew bottle so my morning fuel
is waiting for me when I need it.
After the week's meals are prepped and ready to go,
it's time to clean.
Definitely not my favorite part,
but I do have a couple of tools that make it easier,
like this scrub brush from Grove,
which is gentle enough to use on my favorite pans
to get rid of the grease without scratching the enamel.
The final step is to give the countertops
a good wipe-down followed by the stove and oven.
Doing this each day keeps the kitchen smelling fresh
and in tip top shape.
Once all the counters are finished,
I'll make sure to sweep and mop the floor,
something I do every day,
especially with my kids and a dog running around the house.
Mopping happens once or twice a week,
which keeps the floors in really nice shape,
especially since my family loves to walk around barefoot.
I love using Mrs. Meyer's concentrate,
which comes in a 32 ounce bottle.
I use it to refill the spray bottle
or other surfaces as well as mopping.
That's a wrap.
Lights out because it's time to get bed,
because tomorrow is a full day.
Good thing I have some coffee waiting for me.
As you can see,
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen every day,
which is why having a routine
that uses non-toxic cleaning products
like the ones from Grove is so important.
Plus having multi-use products on hand means
that I have less things to keep track of.
And luckily, my Grove shipment is customized
to send me the items I love when I need them.
Check out the description box right below the video
for your free Mrs. Meyer's set from Grove
to help keep your kitchen and home in tip top shape
this back to school.
(lively music)