Guest post by Kayleigh Lum.

Dun, dun, dun! The kitchen can be one of the most welcoming – albeit scariest places in the home for organization. If you regularly cook at home (which I encourage!) the kitchen is likely one of the most used rooms in the home, and with frequent usage comes disorganization and mess. Recipe books, utensils, containers and knick knacks fill most kitchens hiding away in random drawers and cupboards.

A kitchen should be warm, welcoming and somewhat relaxing which are hard feelings to holster when you’re scrambling to find that damn spatula! Utilize these ten simple, cheap and cheerful tips for turning your kitchen into a place of peace.

1. Purge your kitchen of any useless, broken, or duplicate items. For tips on purging your home, click here.
2. Group items by purpose. Designate cupboards and drawers as “baking”, “pots and pans”, “spices” etc.
3. Throw out the worn out shoe box! Store recipes the easy way using one of these techniques:

a) Type out your recipes and file them on your computer. That way you don’t have to worry about spillage, they are easy to share and modify.
b) Rolodexes aren’t just for business cards. Use a Rolodex to divide your recipe cards alphabetically.

4. Hole punch take-out menus and store them in a binder with tabs. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is whether it will be pizza or Chinese.
5. Reuse plastic grocery bags and store them by putting them into a large facial tissue box. Pull one out when you need them!
6. Keep track of grocery and to-do lists by either purchasing a magnetic white board for the fridge or painting a cupboard with chalk paint.
7. Arrange your kitchenware by how often you use it. If you don’t bake muffins more than once a month, put the muffin tin on a higher shelf.
8. Save counter space by hanging your pots and pans, using a magnetic knife strip or installing a paper towel holder under your cupboards.
9. Keep pantry items like pasta and flour in clear, reusable, labeled containers.
10. Skip the bulk store and head to your local farmers market. Buying groceries daily prevents needless overstock of your pantry and fridge.

Put these tips to the test or think of your own additions to the list to keep your kitchen organized. Enjoy creating meals and memories in your freshly organized kitchen. Happy organizing!

Kayleigh Lum is the owner of Get Yourself Together, Professional Organizers in Vancouver, BC. For more information visit www.getyourselftogether.ca.