Taking back control of the kitchen {Makeover}

Taking back control of the kitchen {Makeover}

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This Christmas, we invited our extended family to lunch at our house - excited to be able to host a big celebration in our new home. We asked everyone to bring something to make the day a little easier. My sister-in-law Louise was on salads, and when she arrived, she went straight to the kitchen to finish putting them together. I sat back and noticed she was opening drawers and cabinets and finding things with ease, without having to ask. Everything seemed pretty intuitive. Which was awesome for me as the champagne had already been opened!

When I asked if she needed any help, she answered:

'Everything is so easy to find in here! You should have seen me this morning in my kitchen... To get to this big platter, I had to move a heap of crap out the way, things I don't even use anymore. I was getting so frustrated I didn't have enough space to prepare everything, I nearly didn't make it! Being in this kitchen is like **nirvana** compared to the nightmare I was in this morning!!'

I love my dramatic sister-in-law! We had a good laugh, but I knew she was only half-joking. She has told me many times before about how she hates being in her kitchen, and feels totally uninspired to cook in there.

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A sneak peek inside the Clever Kitchens Video Workshop

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A sneak peek inside the Clever Kitchens Video Workshop

As some of you may be aware, I recently released my new guide 'Clever Kitchens'. After months of hard work behind the scenes, it was so exciting to finally be able to share it with you all!

Clever Kitchens is made up of a few components. Primarily, there is the Ultimate Guide - 11 detailed chapters of actionable tips and strategies to help you create a kitchen you'll love spending time in, and that will save you time and energy on a daily basis.

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Introducing 'Clever Kitchens'

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Introducing 'Clever Kitchens'

Getting your kitchen organised can be overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be...

I want to know if this sounds familiar to you: 

→ You're struggling with lack of storage space in your kitchen

→ You're sick and tired of not being able to quickly find the item you're after when you're cooking a meal

→ You don't even WANT to spend time in your kitchen because it leaves you feeling frustrated and stressed

→ You're embarrassed by the state of your kitchen - you always have to do a major clean-up before guests come over

→ Your drawers and cabinets are so packed to the brim with 'stuff' that you don't even know exactly what's in there!

→ You feel constantly frustrated and stressed in your kitchen

But what if it didn't have to be that way? You CAN say goodbye to the chaos and learn how to create a calm and inviting space that you actually want to spend time in

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3 mistakes that are costing you time and money in your kitchen

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3 mistakes that are costing you time and money in your kitchen

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When I first moved in with my now-husband almost 11 years ago (!!), it was into a single-fronted terrace house in an inner-city suburb. The house was in need of some updating and refreshing, but was perfect for us at the time. We poured a lot of time and energy into doing it up as best we could, and as much as we could, but were limited in many respects due to it being a rental. 

Although we were happy enough to be in a smaller property due to the great location, the one room of the house I always struggled with was the kitchen. A small, dated, and fairly uninspiring spot in the house, I always felt limited with what I could actually do to improve the organisation situation, and how to create a space that I was happy to spend time in.

Not only did this kitchen have yellow laminate bench-tops, an ancient oven, and drawers that never shut properly, the cabinet storage space was minimal, and I was always shifting things from one spot to another to try and create more space. 

Yet over the last 9 years, and in my role as a professional organiser helping others get their own homes sorted no matter their layout or storage situation, I've since discovered and created some fantastic organising solutions. Especially in the kitchen. These strategies could turn even the shabbiest of kitchens into one that is more efficient and functional, and that saves time, effort, energy and money on a daily basis. I only wish I'd have thought of, or known about, these strategies all those years ago in our yellow kitchen!

I wanted to share my own story and the strategies I've learnt, in order to save you from possibly making the same mistakes in your own kitchen. Here are 3 mistakes that could be costing you time and money in your kitchen - it's time to change things before you waste any more!

 

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5 smart habits that will simplify your life in the kitchen

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5 smart habits that will simplify your life in the kitchen

A habit is defined as:

'Something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it' (Source)

Over my 2 years as a professional organiser, I've noticed a common problem with the clients I work with that greatly impacts how they manage the general running and organisation of their home. It's something you may be able to relate to yourself, if you ever feel overwhelmed by the state of your home, or that you don't know where to start when it comes to getting your home more organised.

This commonality is that many people have not developed good daily habits around organisation. When I talk about good habits, I'm referring to those things you can do daily to make your home clean and tidy, organised, and easy to maintain. So that things are running as smoothly as possible. 

At first, you'll have to choose to make a concerted effort to incorporate those 'good' organising habits into your day, but if you do them regularly enough, they will become habit, a natural part of your everyday routine that you won't even have to think about.

While it's important to have good organising habits in all areas of your home, today I want to focus specifically on the kitchen, and 5 smart habits that will simplify your life in this space.

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3 proven strategies to restore calm to your kitchen

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3 proven strategies to restore calm to your kitchen

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The kitchen is often considered to be the heart of the home. Whether you're sharing a meal with friends or family, preparing breakfast, lunches or dinners, baking, doing the dishes, putting away groceries, meal planning…. There’s no denying it's a space we spend a lot of time in! 

So it's extremely important that your kitchen is a space you actually enjoy spending time in! If your kitchen is cluttered, messy, packed to the brim with 'stuff' and items are difficult to access and find, it'll likely leave you feeling stressed, overwhelmed and frustrated.

On the other hand, imagine a kitchen that is organised, efficient, clutter-free and neat, safe, with everything easy to find and access. Essentially, a space you're happy to spend time in. A space that saves you time, energy, and effort on a daily basis. Not to mention the cost-saving effect of knowing exactly what you have and not purchasing things you already own.

Sounds much more enjoyable, right?