While we’re finishing the work on this house, I’m also doing some late spring cleaning and getting it ready for market. There was a time I got paid to ‘stage’ a house for sale, but even then it was always a matter of common sense with me. While I’m prepping this for sale, I thought I’d offer up a few ideas that help me stay an organized cook and enjoy my kitchen.

• Store all things where you use them, i.e., pots and pans near the stove…
• Store your most frequently used items in the most accessible places. Keep the things you use most often at eye level; store heavy items near the bottom and rarely used items on higher shelves or in another area of the house, garage or basement.
• Group like items together.
• Sort and reorganize yearly. Wash your rarely used utensils, cookware, and dishware annually. Get rid of any unnecessary duplicates or items that are damaged or no longer used.
• Keep your small kitchen items like corn on the cob holders and such in small baskets.