Best Ideas and Products to Keep Your Kitchen Organized

Declutter the Counter

http://www.sherriallen.com/house/decluttercounter.html

Resist the urge to keep lots of bowls, baskets and other things on your counter tops. Clutter is not your friend! This blog lists the 10 things you should keep easily accessible. The rest should be in drawers, cabinets or hung somewhere.

Use Vertical Space Effectively

http://www.hgtv.com/kitchens/9-ideas-to-keep-your-new-kitchen-functional-and-organized/pictures/index.html

I give HGTV credit for this example of how to use vertical space. Mount rails on the wall and hang just about anything on them - coffee mugs, dish towels, utensils - to free up space in drawers and remove clutter from the counter.

Hang Pots & Pans

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/marthas-50-top-kitchen-tips#slide_5

Hang your pots and pans to free up drawer space and create a nice visual. Don't go overboard and ensure your pots and pans are in good condition. Thank you Martha Stewart for making it look so easy and beautiful.

Utilize Cabinet Door Space

http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/08/measurement-conversion-chart.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InfarrantlyCreative+%28infarrantly+creative%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Use the inside of a cabinet to store smaller things like measuring cups and spoons. Love how this blogger added a conversion table.

Keep the Fridge Clean

http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2010/11/tips-for-clean-and-tidy-fridge.html

Read this blog post for tips on keeping your fridge clean. She has some great advice on how to clean and organize your fridge.

Baskets Inside the Fridge

http://penniesandblessings.com/2011/04/10-quick-organizing-tips-for-the-kitchen/

This blog has lot of great tips including this one - Use baskets INSIDE the refrigerator to group like items. They keep those science experiments out of the rear of the fridge, make the good foods easier to grab, and shelves stay cleaner longer.

Kitchen Drawer Dividers

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/Product.asp?SKU=16592790

You can buy these at places like Bed, Bath & Beyond or have a carpenter build them in. Either way, invest in drawer dividers for the kitchen and other rooms.

Stow Kitchen Tools

http://thatkindofwoman.tumblr.com/post/5481033889

Create a bouquet of similar kitchen utensils and tools by putting them in stylish containers. I love this example from That Kind of Woman blog.

File Plastic Containers

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/kitchen/smart-ideas-kitchen-00000000013845/page10.html

Another great idea from Real Simple that I use in my kitchen. File all your Tupperware containers and tops in an orderly fashion in one dedicated drawer.

Lazy Susan

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/kitchen/smart-ideas-kitchen-00000000013845/index.html

As Real Simple puts it, "contain messes by housing sticky or spillable food items on an easy-to-clean lazy Susan."

Kitchen Gear that Nests

http://www.re-modern.com/store/pc/Rainbow-Nesting-Bowls-4p290.htm

Rainbow Nesting Bowls are a colorful and smart solution for compact living. from Re:modern (www.re-modern.com)

Suggested by Mona Ying Reeves:

If you have a small kitchen, then every inch of those cupboards have to work. I love this nesting bowl set that even has a colander and measuring cups as part of the stack. There are also other smart and collapsible tools in the same collection.

OXO Bins For The Pantry

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Square-4-Quart-Storage-Container/dp/B000UHWVGY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1308446981&sr=8-4&tag=theskin02-20

I hate having half used bags of sugar or mismatching boxes of cereal, pretzels, etc. So I bought matching OXO bins and then stack them together. Then you can toss or recycle the boxes and/or buy in bulk next time.

Shoe Holder for Pantry Storage

http://moneysavingqueen.com/January-2011/Couponing-101-Quick-Tip-for-Pantry-Organization/

This is one easy and cheap tip. Buy a bag holder and hang on the inside of the pantry door to store all sorts of things. Thank you MoneySavingQueen.com for this idea!

Magnetic Primer + Spice Jars = Spice Organization

http://335w.blogspot.com/2011/04/patience-is-virtue.html

I've been looking for a better way to organize my spices & found it on this blog. She found magnetic primer at Home Depot and combined that with magnetic spice jars from Bed Bath and Beyond. Beautiful!

Cookbook Organization

http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/2011/02/week-4-challenge-kitchen-organization.html

This blogger listed 5 great tips to organizing your kitchen. I particularly like the use of a basket to store cookbooks

Pottery Barn Daily System

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/daily-system-white/?pkey=e|daily%2Bsystem|4|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Sku_Top_Marketing_Rule-_-

Love this Pottery Barn organization item. So great to keep organized around the kitchen (or other places like the home office or children's room.) A Pottery Barn insider told me it's their #1 organization item.

Chalkboard It

http://sweetdreamsalways.tumblr.com/post/4260049533/shannondanielle-it-is-a-must-that-i-have-some

Use painted on chalkboard to plan your meals, keep track of your grocery list or other such things.

Under the Sink Makeover

http://creatingahouseofgrace.blogspot.com/2010/06/under-my-sink-makeover.html

Some DIY ideas to make the most of your under the sink space from this blogger. Just because no one sees it, doesn't mean it should be a mess. I particularly like the tin she spray painted white and labeled "bags".