With less than 100 days left until Christmas, it’s hard to believe, but it’s time to think about relatives coming to town for the holidays.

Getting ready for the holidays means getting organized!

Whether you have a lot of family coming in and out of town or it’s just a small group, The Organized Chick can show you some easy fixes to optimize your kitchen for ultimate functionality and easy living.

Before starting, you should first understand why these changes are necessary for a happier and healthier lifestyle. This is a self-evaluation that has no right or wrong answer and will also allow you to understand what issues you are dealing with daily in your kitchen.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Is it a hassle to retrieve dishes and put them away?
• Do you have trouble finding the right food storage container lid?
• Have I ever bought ingredients that I already had in the pantry but couldn’t see before going to the store?
• Do I have the amount of counter space that allows me to freely move when cooking/baking?
• Is there a fight to close the utensil drawer?
• Is there a current struggle to keep my kitchen looking clean and tidy?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, don’t fret! Many people in their busy lives struggle with their kitchen. It’s completely normal.

You may have not realized how annoying these things are in your everyday life until now. Be proactive! Take on your kitchen obstacles today.  Luckily for you, I have some great tips to help you re-organize and enjoy being in the kitchen again.

How To Create Your Dream Kitchen

Step One: Purge & DeClutter

One major issue that can cause crowding in your kitchen is the unknown. There are times when things just seem to accumulate, so it’s important to discover what’s hiding in your kitchen.

You need to see every item in your kitchen and decide whether or not it still holds use and value in your kitchen. This is not the most fun part, but I promise if you dedicate the time needed to pull out these items, it can seriously save you space and money in the future. This is a great time to get the family or your close friends involved. Have them help you pull out each item one by one and sort them into bags. Think about each item that comes out and ask:

• Is it necessary?
• Does it work?
• Do you love it?

Don’t linger too much on these questions with any item. The goal is to make quick decisions to finish the purging and move on to the fun parts!

Once you decide that an item will not stay, place it in a donation bag or trash bag (if the item is broken or unusable). You don’t have to lose the value of an item you spent your hard-earned money on. Host a yard sale to grab some funds back from those purchases, or even better donate to your local thrift store or shelter to someone in need who would greatly appreciate your gesture.

For the items you know for sure you want to keep, further separate them into categories, grouping like items together (i.e. pans/pots, spices, cutlery, cooking utensils, gadgets, etc). Once you’ve removed every item, you’re ready for the next step.

Step Two: Sanitize & Disinfect

If you haven’t cleaned out your cabinets and drawers in a while, more than likely they need a good cleaning. With the drawers empty, now is the perfect time to do a deep cleaning.

First, dust your cabinet shelves and drawers. A handheld vacuum does a great job at grabbing any crumbs or little pieces that are hard to get out of drawers. After dusting, wipe down each surface with disinfectant.

You can stop here for a moment and appreciate the new appearance of your empty cabinets and drawers, and pantry. You can also take it a step further and install cabinet and drawer liners. These allow for your drawers and cabinets to stay cleaner and more sanitary in the future. There are also many modern patterns and colors that can suit your kitchen style, so don’t worry about tossing out the old and updating a little new.

Step Three: Decide Your Zones

You are getting closer to the fun part, but first, you need to decide what areas, cabinets, and drawers best suit your different categories. This is a chance to switch up your routine and find new, better-suited spaces for your kitchenware. Take out a pen and paper (or better yet, pull out your tablet/phone for easier access in the future) and plan out your zones. Here’s my example:

Everyday Zone: This is reserved for your easiest to access items and close to the sink/dishwasher (plates, bowls, basic glassware, tumblers, serve ware, and cutlery)

Cooking Zone: This is the area that is close to the oven and range (pots, pans, cutting boards, cooking utensils, measuring cups/spoons, mixing bowls, baking gadgets).

Pantry: This area that contains items to be stored outside of the major cabinets and drawers (spices, dry goods, larger kitchen gadgets).

Accessories & Food Storage: This zone is for items to store near the fridge (Tupperware, food storage, food wraps, Ziploc bags, aluminum foil)

Coffee & Bar: Here is where you can keep everything you need for your morning cup of joe or evening sip of wine (coffee cups, pods, coffee accessories, coffee pot or Keurig, wine glasses, shot glasses, bar accessories and glassware)

Under the Sink: This is where you can keep items that can be near the trash, and toxic items (cleaning supplies, extra hand/dish soap, rubber gloves, garbage bags, recycling)

Special Items: These items need a special spot and are most likely delicate items that you can also consider storing other places like your dining room (china, serve ware, hosting items, pottery)

Now that you have a clear plan for which items go where, think about how you will position them. Keep the items you use the most at eye level, and place any items you seldom use further away or higher up. Consider using organizers for small items.