Labels for LifeLabels for Life will give tips for organizing your life, home and office.

So we’d said we’d be organizing the kitchen later. Well, here’s later.

There are a few steps one must follow in order to organize anything.

First, everything needs to come out. At this point one can discard all inessentials that are not used in the normal course of things. Discard also any spices that are not fresh any more, any food or drugs beyond their expiry dates.

This is the time to clean or freshen up drawers and shelves. Go ahead and wash out cupboards and drawers with warm, soapy water. Rinse or wipe dry, dry out and replace cupboard and drawer liners.

If you have a collection of home-made jams, jellies, preserves, pickles etc. get them all together, label them with your own fancy labels proudly claiming them as your own and display them prominently in your kitchen. Here are some samples of labels you can easily customize:

As you’re organizing, you’re sanitizing and redecorating your kitchen as well. Childproof your kitchen while you’re about it especially if your infants have just turned into toddlers or you have any toddlers visiting you often.

Banish sharp tools, chemicals, and other toxic stuff well out of reach of children. On the other hand if there are certain things in your kitchen they are allowed to use, such as the kitchen towel, paper towel, plastic mugs, napkins etc. make sure they are well within their reach.

Pots and pans, frying pans etc. can be stored near the stove. Dishes, silverware, glasses, mugs etc. can either be placed near your dishwasher for your convenience or near the eating area. To keep silverware in order use drawer dividers or cutlery racks.

Spices are best stored away from light. Store them close to the stove for cooking convenience but not on the hackneyed place over the stove. They are exposed to too much heat near the stove. Keep them in a drawer or cupboard near the stove instead.

Foods that can get infested or bad are best stored in airtight containers or plastic containers, well sealed and labeled.

Now that your kitchen is well organized, happy cooking! Enjoy your kitchen!