Time to get organized for the new decade!

I always love January. It’s a time for me to get my ducks in a row, catch up with life and bring some calm in. There’s no better time to clean house, get organized, and get ready for the new year ahead. Oh shoot, look at that, it’s almost February… Better get started!

I thought I’d share some useful organizing tips that help me keep my kitchen just how I like it – organized, clean and cleared, and ready for inspiration!

Sort and Stack. I personally love to collect dishes and glassware. It’s fun and creative – but it can make for a storage nightmare. What’s the point in having all of these wonderful things if I never even use them or, even worse, forget I own them because they’re hidden under a pile of other great “finds.” I recommend sorting and stacking.

• Sort like with like, and then stack accordingly. The process simplifies and streamlines what we have, what we need and what we actually use. After all, the dishwasher is only so big…. and who wants a stack of dishes in the kitchen sink?

Clear off countertops. Clutter-free countertops are a must in my house.

• If your kitchen has turned into an “office” space, then now is the time to make it official. Organize this part of your kitchen accordingly. Pick up a tin box or basket from a retailer or find one at the antique mall or a garage sale. Use these for mail – I even put a divider in the box or basket and put bills in one side and invitations/social mail in the other.

• We have several big box stores that offer inexpensive containers, both glass and stainless steel. They look nice on the counter – and you can use them to store dry goods. I have my granola in one, hot teas in another. If you enjoy cooking pasta, don’t just let that dry pasta sit in the jar for decoration… go ahead and find a nice scoop and cook it up!

Make your kitchen a reflection of who you are and what you love.

• If you love baking, create a baking corner on your countertops. Showcase that Kitchen Aid mixer and your new containers filled with baking staples like flour and sugar. I like to keep chocolate chips, cranberries, and other cookie-add-ins on display. And, I’ll mix it up, too. Since Valentine’s Day is around the bend, I’ll fill one up with Red Hots or maybe candy hearts? It’s festive and creative -- and it brightens up and changes the feel of my kitchen! You never know when inspiration will strike….

• Think of your countertops as a canvas to display bright colors and artistic impulses. I love to create surroundings that feel like me, filled with things I love. A bowl of fresh fruit, candy-heart-red-hots or fresh-cut flowers perfectly displayed always makes me feel happy and like I’ve come Home.

Create your own, in-house “entertaining supply store.” If you like to entertain and have lots of supplies scattered all around your house, like I do, consider transforming a linen closet or an area in your garage or basement for these supplies.

• For my plates, I find it helpful to clean and dry these, then wrap a stack (about 5-high or 10-high at most) in plastic wrap to keep dust away.

• We have a few restaurant supply stores in Kansas City where you can purchase commercial dishwasher racks, which are helpful for storing coffee cups, wine glasses and champagne flutes, and other glassware safely in place. You can use your plastic-wrap to wrap around the outside of the dishwasher racks to keep your glassware nice and dust-free…. and ready for any spur of the moment entertaining!

• I use a clear storage bin for my linens and placemats and table toppers. An index-card box or file folder is useful to store recipes, past menus, friends’ food preferences and even wine labels.

Give the inside of your refrigerator a Home Makeover and a Deep-Clean. You don’t need to invite Ty Pennington and his camera-crews over for this one, but consider clearing out the old, cleaning thoroughly, and creating space for the new. I like to keep my refrigerator looking good, so I artfully put things into my refrigerator. I love the feeling of opening it up and being met with fresh fruits, crisp vegetables, cold drinks (labels all lined up and facing forward), all perfectly displayed. Why not? ☺ One of my friends calls my refrigerator “the MOMA of refrigerators.”

If you have any great organizing tips or ideas, I’d love to hear about them. Low-key and stress-free, my mantra for 2010. At least that’s what I’m hoping for…

My best wishes to you all for a great 2010. Happy organizing!