If there’s one thing busy moms know well, it’s kitchen chaos. Do you ever feel like you’re constantly in the kitchen either preparing meals, or cleaning up after them? Does your kitchen become a dumping ground for things like backpacks, toys, junk mail, and more? I swear I could’ve just cleaned off my kitchen island, and within the hour it’s covered with odds and ends yet again – and yes, my hubby is as guilty as the kids! To help ease a bit of this, here’s some ideas on How to Reduce Kitchen Chaos.
First of all, no there isn’t a way I know of that will keep your kitchen completely clean or organized all the time. It’s life, there will be messes and stress and craziness. But if we can at least minimize that, it sure helps our sanity!
- Create a weekly meal plan. You should always know what you’re making and shop for the ingredients before the start of the week so you can serve dinners on time – or at least within a reasonable time.
- Organize the junk. Take the time to declutter your kitchen, get rid of things that don’t belong, and organize the things that will remain in this space. Junk mail, I’m looking at you!
- Consolidate food prep. Whenever possible, you should try to consolidate food prep. If you can chop veggies tonight for dinner tonight AND tomorrow, for example, then you’re saving time in the future.
- Create a system. Just like anywhere else in a busy mom’s life, organization comes in handy and creating a system for your kitchen, the meals you serve, and the cleanup will make it all seem much more organized and less chaotic. Know where things are, have a process for how prep or dinner tasks are done, etc.
With these tips in mind, you can reduce the chaos in your kitchen and feel a bit more in control of this space, and your life.