If your kitchen is an almost constant hub of activity like mine is
, getting and keeping it organized can be a real nightmare. With mail and schoolwork coming into it daily, just trying to keep the counters clean seems like an almost impossible task. And the pantry often ends up with random things shoved in it simply because there is nowhere else to put them.
So how can you solve these kitchen organizing problems? One solution for the paper issues is to make a house rule that all paper must be out of the kitchen every night or every other night (depending on how much you can stand it).
Another thing you can try is setting up a specific area of your kitchen just for paperwork. Give each family member a labeled specific area that is theirs. A mailbox type setup can work well. The trick to this is that when each person's area or mailbox fills up, then they need to empty it out.
What about those random items that end up in the pantry? How can that kitchen organizing issue be solved? One thing that can help is designating certain areas of your pantry for certain things. In my pantry there is a certain area for appliances, another for bulk food items and another for extra tupperware. If it does not fit into one of the designated areas I have, it does not go in the pantry. There are a few exceptions (things that simply cannot, because of their size, fit anywhere else) but those exceptions are rare.