Thursday, March 25, 2010

7 Reasons to Clear the Clutter in the Kitchen - Part 1

I must admit that I have a touch of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)--ok, maybe more than just a touch.  It drives me crazy when my surroundings are in disarray.  Once I started learning about feng shui and mindful living I realized why, over the years, I morphed into a new age version of the urban cleaning queen:  I enjoyed the sense of freedom, peace, beauty and abundance I found after I cleaned and organized my space.

This is the first in my two-part series of 7 Reasons to Clear the Clutter in the Kitchen:

1. Save money - clearing the clutter in your refrigerator, cabinets and pantry allows you to see exactly what you have so you don't duplicate items and spend unnecessary money when you go grocery shopping.

2. Save time - have you ever noticed how much longer it takes you to cook a meal if you can't put your hands on the ingredients, utilsils, etc. when you need them?  Removing unwanted, outdated items and organizing your space will help you become more efficient in your tasks, thus saving you loads of time and frustration.

3. Increase productivity - if you're like me, you relish the thought of being able to handle several tasks at once and do them all well.  If you're organized in the kitchen, you can kick your multi-tasking skills up another notch by getting meals on the table while tending to other household or personal tasks. You can cook a nutritious meal, tidy up the kitchen and maybe even get the kids off to their extracurricular activities with ease.  Not only will your family think you're a rock star, you'll gain confidence that will carry over to and benefit other areas of your life.

4. Increase positive energy - when we clear the clutter in our spaces we are essentially "clearing the air."  Just the simple act of movement allows new air to circulate and removes stale or stagnant energy.  Gradually, you'll feel more energetic in the space and your creative juices will flow in abundance.

5. Create an inviting space - we feel a greater sense of peace and happiness when our spaces are free from clutter and are esthetically pleasing and if you just happen to be an apprehensive cook--not wanting to be in the kitchen anyway--walking into a beautiful, clean and well-organized kitchen will give you the motivation you need to get the job done.

6. Reduce danger and hazards - if your space is clean and well organized, you reduce the risk of accidents and illness.  You can avoid things like heavy objects falling out of cabinets, slips and falls on protruding obstacles, food-related illnesses and more.

7. Attract money & other goodies -  it's as simple as the Law of Attraction: when you clear the clutter you are inviting more organization, clarity, creativity and MONEY into your space.

A relative sidebar...a bit of personal testimony...

Every time I clean any room/space in my home, within days, I get unexpected money.  Sometimes the sums are so small that in the beginning they were barely noticeable and sometimes the sums are much larger but invariably, I always get unexpected money or other treats when I clean.

Once, after I organized my kitchen cabinets and got rid of some items I no longer used, I went to dinner at a friend's home.  After dinner she gave me a brand new Food Network 4-in-1 grill station--in bright red, no less--which happens to be part of the color scheme of my kitchen!  Other times, my DH surprised me with new kitchen tools and gadgets and unexpected food goodies like a pound of lump crab meat or a slab of ribs...and then there was that HUGE three gallon container of vanilla ice cream that showed up the day after I cleaned out my freezer.  LOL...as I'm writing this I'm laughing at the "gifts" that have shown up after I'd cleaned or organized the kitchen but I'm grateful for all gifts--big and small and I just wanted to give you an idea of the blessings that can come once we clear unnecessary clutter.

Anyway, as you can see, there are many benefits to keeping the hub of your family's home--the kitchen--in optimal condition for effective food preparation and serving as well as family and social gatherings.

In the second and final post of the series, I'll share tips on how to get your kitchen organized and share product and resource links you can use to help it stay that way.

Click here to Read 7 Reasons to Clear the Clutter in the Kitchen - Part 2

6 comments:

  1. OMG is that your kitchen????? It's gorgeous!!! I want to live in it.....LOL!!!! I agree with you about organization....a definite must for us foodies!

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  2. LOLOL...NO, that is not my current kitchen it is my dream kitchen. Stunning isn't it? As a matter of fact, I'll be adding this picture to my dream board PRONTO! :>).

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  3. am so glad I didnt miss this post. Even I like clean kitchen. But I dont throw unnecessary items specially from the refrigerator.
    Thanks for sharing such helpful information!

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  4. @Uma...Hi, thank you for visiting today! Glad you found my information helpful. Be sure and stop by tomorrow evening for part 2 if you can. :>).

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  5. My Feng Shui is working just fine i see, because with only 3 1oz cans of corn in my cabinets, my enery flow is just great, but i just stay so hungry. No just playing,so you don't have to send food. I'm much like you with my obsessive-compulsive disorder. I must have order in my kitchen. It make's cooking so much easier.

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  6. @Frederick, glad the feng shui in your kitchen is working fine. Corn, huh? Hey, I could send you my cans of black beans and you can use my recipe to make my black bean and corn salad. I'm sure you'll love it.

    Kidding aside, though, don't you feel a sense of contentment and empowerment when your surroundings are in order? There aren't too many things that make me feel more grounded and at peace. :>)

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