The Evolution of a Kitchen

Hi everyone, it's Karen here. I moved into my current residence about twelve years ago, and I am still organizing my kitchen. How can that be, you ask? Aren't dietitians supposed to have some kind of magically perfect kitchen? Sadly not. Instead, my kitchen is an ever-evolving space that reflects a life lived and lessons learned. 

When I first moved into this residence, the dietitian in me demanded that I unpack the kitchen stuff first. So I did. I took my best guess as to where placing and storing things made the most sense. At the time, I thought I did a pretty good job (especially since I was six months pregnant!), so I patted myself on the back and went about my life. A few years later, in the middle of cooking, I thought to myself "Why the heck do I have my measuring cups and spoons stored in the drawer farthest away from where I prepare food?" I guess between raising my second kid, working full-time, and just living life, I'd never noticed how inefficient this was. 

But one cannot simply move measuring cups and spoons from one drawer to another. You must submit yourself to a domino effect of reorganization with no defined endpoint. As frustrating as this can be, it can also be extremely productive. You can realize things like "Why is my blender sitting on the counter taking up space when I only use it once a month?" or "Why is my favorite pan stored in the back of the bottom cabinet where I have to get on my hands and knees to reach it?" Or my personal favorite, "Do I really need a whole shelf of mugs when I use the same dang one every day?" 

It's easy to go on auto-pilot and overlook these inefficiencies. We get used to them because they are always there. But spotting and fixing inefficiencies is important for making your kitchen a place you'll actually use. You won't be motivated to cook at home if your kitchen feels cluttered, disorganized and hard to use. So consider a little kitchen reorganization as a small investment with big payoffs!