Things in My Kitchen That Just Make Sense

(Not Your Average Kitchen Hacks)

I love it when I am in the middle of cooking dinner and scrambling about the kitchen when my oldest makes his way to the table with his guitar and plays while I scurry about. I love it when I am deep into chopping veggies and my other son plops himself on the corner counter and tells me about the latest trampoline trick he is trying to nail down. It's where deep, late-night conversations happen over a glass of milk. It's where friends end up gathered even when there's a perfectly good living room ten feet away. The age old saying rings true: The kitchen is the heart of the home. Here are the things in my kitchen that just make sense, a few systems and easy ideas that take this space from a simple workstation to a people focused space.

Reusable Napkins. Someone told me not too long ago that in Switzerland, each person in the household has their own napkin, with their own design so there's no confusion about whose is whose. They use it for every meal, fold it up after dinner, tuck it in a drawer, and only wash it when needed. I love everything about that. No more grabbing a fresh paper napkin for every snack, no waste, no running out mid-week. We've adopted our own version of this and it just makes sense. We love these and they’ve held up quite well with all the washes and uses. Boho Cotton Napkins

Silverware in a basket (or jar). Instead of digging through a drawer for forks every meal, I keep silverware in a simple basket I can just grab and set on the table. Plus, it makes putting dishes away a bit easier, I’m all about efficiency here.

Only a few dishes. Think one per person. This one's been a game changer. We go through seasons where we don’t do this and I always quickly go back to this method. The idea is to keep just enough bowls, cups, and plates for each person in the house, nothing extra. It means the sink never gets buried, and everyone has to wash their own dish before they reach for it again.

I even came up with a system that's worked surprisingly well: if you don't wash your dish, you're on full dinner-dish duty for two nights in a row! Even if it's not your turn in the rotation. It sounds harsh, but it's kept dishes from piling up better than any nagging ever did. Spoiler alert, I was the first on two night dish duty because I forgot to wash my tea cup.

Meal planning. Having a plan for the week takes so much decision fatigue out of dinnertime. I'll link the meal planner I made below. One trick that's helped us avoid the "what's for dinner" rut: keep the same simple theme each night of the week, for example: Greek bowls Monday, Taco Tuesday, Pizza Friday… These are pretty consistent but you can change up with meal pretty easily each week. Chicken tacos one week, beef the next. The structure stays the same so nobody has to think too hard, but the actual meal changes enough that we never get bored.

Here is the meal planner I use: Weekly Meal Planner

A bowl of crayons and a stack of coloring books, kept right on the table (or near the table). When my kids were little, this was a lifesaver. I'd start cooking dinner and they'd come sit at the table and color. Entertained, contained, and close to me all at once. Win-win.

A stash of treats just for Mom. Who says moms can't have a little something nobody else gets into? Out of sight, in my own spot, and entirely off-limits. I love to keep Trader Joe’s shortbread and jam cookies and their peanut butter cups.

Supplements kept in a basket on the counter. Out of sight, out of mind is real! So I keep all of mine right there where I'll see them every day, which means I actually remember to take them.

The handy dandy drawer. Every kitchen needs one spot for the random-but-essential stuff, and ours is fully organized with bins: pens and pencils, rubber bands and push pins, permanent markers, a notepad, flashlights, toothpicks, a label maker, and tape and super glue. The random but most asked for items go in this drawer. Always organized, of course, for optimal use.