They say, and I co-sign, that when your home is clean and organized, you function better. Think about it. How well do you sleep when you know there’s piles of laundry to fold…and if you don’t, you’ll end up rushing in the morning trying to find that black boyfriend cut blazer in a sea of black clothes forcing you to rethink entire outfit at the last minute causing you to leave the apt in a hurry only to get halfway to work and realize you left your lunch on the kitchen counter! Oh…I got a little too personal.

But when you have clutter around, mail that needs to be opened, papers that need to be shredded, it prevents you from sleeping well. You’re on edge and can relax. The same can be said for places in the home that aren’t organized. It makes cooking difficult when you can’t easily see the spices you need. It makes grocery shopping harder because sometimes you’ll come home after shopping only to realize you are indeed out of sugar. I figured looking at some nicely organized pantries will encourage one to get that part of their home in order. No pantry? Simply take some of these tips to keep your kitchen counters and cabinets in order. Thank me later.

When you open a door, you want to easily see what’s low. This is where mason & apothecary jars or any type of clear container comes in handy. Storing oats, cereal, sugar, flour, cornmeal, rice, and any other staples allows you to see at the blink of an eye what you need to get more of. It saves time too because you don’t have to go shaking boxes and lifting bags and opening canisters. Not to mention it’s visually pleasing to the eyes. These containers can be apart of your kitchen decor. World Market, Pier 1, Target and Marshalls all have nice designs for affordable prices. Try Crate & Barrel, Ikea, CB2 and Pottery Barn too.

Clear jars for spices are also excellent and a good way to decorate floating shelves near the stove. Everything is within reach and easy to grab.