Get your kitchen organized so you can cook your Valentine a romantic dinner!

Ready to cook your Valentine a romantic dinner?

Here are 5 tips on how to make your kitchen more organized.

1. Adjust the height of upper kitchen cabinet shelves.  Store the least used items at the top (and by the way, isn't it time to get rid of that fondue pot that never gets used?). Clearing out unused and expired items allows for more room for storage. 
2. Alphabetize your spices.  I know, I know.  That sounds like way too much work, but if you do this, you will find it is much easier to find them when you need them.  Buy a spice rack, or spice shelf for either the drawer or cabinet. According to Still Tasty, whole spices will stay fresh for about 4 years, ground spices for about 2 to 3 years and dried herbs for 1 to 3 years, so toss old ones and treat your taste buds to a new jar.
3. Organize your fridge. Use a Lazy Susan to corral jars.  Use plastic baskets and bins from the dollar store to organize items. Lay plastic magazine file boxes sideways in the freezer to store bags of fruit and veggies. If you have sticky shelves, wipe them down and put Press 'N Seal wrap or plastic place mats down for easy cleanup.
4. In the pantry. Use 12-pack soft drink boxes to store cans of soup or veggies. Use clear plastic containers for pasta, flour, granola bars, cereal, and fruit chews. You can tack your sandwich bag right to the pantry if you don't tear the top flap all the way off. Because my pantry shelves go all the way to the ceiling (9 ft.) and I want to utilize all that space, I keep a small collapsible step stool, grabber tool and yard stick hung up inside.
5. Utensil and junk drawers.  Because how can you light romantic candles if you can't find your matches? Invest in plastic baskets, bins, and silverware trays from the dollar store to keep utensils neat.  Start saving your cardboard and plastic food containers (like cereal boxes, butter tubs, and pasta boxes).  Cut them to just below the height of your junk drawer and arrange them to fill the drawer. You can organize and store all your odds and ends in there and be able to see everything at a glance.  An old muffin tin also works well for small items.