It has taken years to get a kitchen that has the structure to breed efficiency. Why is this so important? Some kitchen designers out there will talk about the triangle of work and how the stove, refrigerator and sink need proximity to each other.
This is not my focus.
I want organizational efficiency where every kitchen item has a home, making putting those items away quick and painless. I want a home that is clean and organized, but I don’t want to spend all my time cleaning and organizing. How did I get to this euphoric point of kitchen organization?
This is largely because I have moved a lot . Everytime I did, I had to look at each piece I was moving and I would ask myself two questions:
These questions would help me determine if they went in the donation pile. I have become very good at donating AND it feels SO good to declutter.
When you declutter your kitchen, or any space in your home, it sheds stress and frees your mind. This level of organization automates repeated processes and makes sporadic kitchen gatherings accomplished with little thought.
Mornings are hectic, and we drink bulletproof coffee on most. The mixture has multiple ingredients, yet because of the time I took to organize and put everything in its place, I have made the process effortless. This means I have more time to get lunches packed or check work email to get ahead of the day. And when I enjoy an occasional night time tea and macaron (with insightful conversation that led to the writing of this article). I was able to whip it all together in a manner of minutes thanks to the time I put into organizing.
Everything in my home has a place, but that doesn’t mean everyone else knows where it is.
I am ok with that.
When other people in my home help to put dishes or laundry or anything else away, it frees me up to do other things or just go to bed earlier. I am grateful for all the help I get, and if I find something out of place, I simply reorganize it with a HUGE smile on my face, because I am reminded that someone else took care of it.
If you can afford to hire someone and outsource your cleaning, DO IT! Do what you can to keep a clean and organized home without stressing out about it (I am working towards getting back in the I-have-a-Cleaning-Lady Club).
I hold myself to unrealistic expectations with all that I do, and I sometimes feel as if I’m falling short, but my man reminds me with compliments of how he is proud of our home. He also regularly offers to help (which I take him up on as MUCH as possible, and you should too).
I take my “Queen” role seriously and aim to have a home we are all happy to share with friends and family when they visit.
Women, be a role model and maintain a home to be proud of, and ask your man for help.
Men, if you don’t think you are contributing to the maintenance of the home, you are missing an opportunity to impress your woman as a builder and protector. Simply providing financial support is not enough. It’s so sexy to watch my man do home improvement projects and get after it.
