If you're local, pick up January's issue of Wrightsville Beach magazine and turn to page 14, if you're not, read on!

Your pantry sees a lot of activity. Daily, you and your family are in and out, grabbing food and snacks, putting things back, loading, stacking, shoving, digging, stuffing - it's no wonder it can start to look a little chaotic. Keep reading to learn how you can reset your pantry - or get it organized for the first time - and how to best keep it that way.

The first step to an organized space is visualization. The first ACTION step to an organized space is decluttering. It's choosing which of your possessions you want to keep - which you use, which you love, and which brings you joy. It's letting go of guilt, the parts of the past that aren't part of your future, and the weight (literally and figuratively) of clutter. Decluttering clears the way (again: literally and figuratively) for you and your family to live the life you want and deserve. The first step to getting what you want is getting rid of what you don't. Wow, right? But those of you who have started decluttering know: it's easier said than done.

We all have goals - milestones we want to reach. So why is it that some people reach their goals and some don't? Why do 80% of us fail to reach our New Year's Resolutions with the majority of us giving up by mid-February? Why do 25% of us give up after 7 days? What can you do differently for a better chance at success?

Whether the space you're organizing is large or small, cluttered to the ceiling or just a little over-stuffed, filled with shoes and clothes or pasta and canned peas - the general organization process is the same. Follow these steps for a more organized space.

JAM Organizing will soon announce the schedule for two different educational series to help you get where you want to be. Join us for live classes in Wilmington, North Carolina and, in the near future, for webinars you can watch regardless of where you live.

Read on for more information on the why's, what's, where's and when's!

Full disclosure: I don't enjoy lining my cabinets. Not even a little. I never buy enough shelf liner, it always takes longer than I expect, and before the project is over, I've been to the store MULTIPLE times to buy more. Why do I line my kitchen cabinets? For the same reason many women do much of what we do around the house: because my mother did.

​So, I decided to look into it. Is this necessary? Do the benefits outweigh the frustration? Turns out, they do. 

April is Stress Awareness Month - a perfect time to reflect on your home and whether it's a port in the storm or a storm in itself. If you're fearing it's the latter, don't fret. Recognition is the first step, and you're not alone.