When everything has a place, it's easier to put everything in its place.

The kitchen is a room that all family members use every day. Yet so often it is one of the most inefficient rooms in the house. Life in the kitchen is much easier when you can find what you're looking for and you know what food is in the cupboard or pantry.

Here are a few tips to encourage and help you to create an enjoyable kitchen:

• Neatly stored items take up less space. Organize your kitchen so that the everyday dishes, silverware and glasses are close to the sink and/or dishwasher.
• Coffee mugs... how many do you really need? Think about those you use most often and how much space the rest consume.
• Square and rectangular containers take up less space than round ones. OXO TOP containers for refrigerator and freezer storage are not only space savers, but are airtight and designed for easy one-motion opening and closing.
• Go through cupboards and pantries once a year and toss what has not been used in a year.
• Don't buy products in bulk unless you have a place to store them.
• Small appliances that you use often should be accessible. If you need to make room for them, it might help to relocate appliances that you don't use often to hard-to-reach places.
• Put canned goods with canned goods and boxes with boxes, etc. Break each down by category, such as fruits, vegetables, soups, beans, pasta, snack foods, etc. Install slide-out drawers in cupboards for easily access to pots, pans, plastic containers, etc. Or, install a turntable to make every item easy to reach. One with multiple levels is particularly space-efficient.
• Can't install slide-out drawers? Use clear plastic boxes that can hold similar items, such as pasta, rice, snacks, baking goods. That way you can pull them all off the shelf at one time to find what you need. OXO has an entire line of POP containers which are clear and perfect for an organized pantry.
• Add some structure to your drawers so you can grab the utensil you are looking for in a snap. OXO has a range of adjustable and expandable drawer organizers for any sized drawer.
• With just a few hours of time and some products to help you organize, you'll be well on your way to a kitchen in which you can enjoy spending time.

Get your family organized and on the same page with Cozi, the free online family organizer.

Copyright Eliminate Chaos. Reprinted with permission.