Keeping Kitchen Neat During Hectic Hours during Holidays

I love to bake and cook during the holidays but one thing that I hate is the mess I make while doing it. Some things that I do to help minimize the  mess in the kitchen is

1. one great idea to help keep the top of fridge from getting cluttered is to create a display on top of your fridge that takes up the entire space or placing a decorative item up there that does the same. I love vintage items so on top mine I have a beautiful old pitcher and glass set that I have spaced out to cover the top
2. Were you aware that the top of your microwave works better if not covered Well it does. If you insist on items being on the microwave or they end up there somehow then one thing that you can do is place a pedestal bowl on top of the microwave as sort of a catch all. this allows the microwave to still breathe
3. Organizing pantry space  helps in several different ways, (a) allows you to know what you have on hand (b) makes putting groceries away easier because you all ready have an idea of where the item is to go (c) makes cooking easier because you can easily grab ingredients you need.
4. One tip that I use all the time is to clean as you go. This takes less time because you have it all done as you cook and also makes kitchen look much better Label leftovers with date and name of what is in the container. Remember to check leftovers as they have shelf lives as well. 

I hope that these tips help you not only during the holidays but help to make life a bit easier. It seems to me that if my home is tidy I am happy. Do you have any tips to share would love to hear them please share in comments