So, when I look at my kitchen now compared to where I started this reset, my first thought is… what were you thinking before?! 😂 I actually love the flow for cooking right now! And yesterday really showed me just how much better it is because I had people in my kitchen, everyone was making their own wraps, and somehow we actually had enough room for everyone to do their thing without me standing there thinking, “Okay, where am I supposed to put this now?” 😂 For a tiny kitchen, that is a pretty big deal!

It was such a good day too. We made chicken fajita wraps, everyone made their own and learned how to roll them… well, kinda! hahaha. We had a great lunch up here, and while everyone was making their wraps and eating, I got to socialize AND I got newborn baby snugglised! 😂 So when I say cooking has become a way for me to take care of myself, I really mean it in more ways than one. Of course I am nourishing my body and feeding other people, but I am also creating these little moments where people are here, we are laughing, talking, eating, and enjoying ourselves. That is a pretty good feeling.

And honestly, I think that is one of the things that surprised me the most through this whole kitchen reset. I actually had people in my kitchen and LET THEM COOK! 😂 If you know me, you know that is saying something. I have spent all this time figuring out where things should go, how I want my prep area set up, and how to make this tiny kitchen work for me, and then yesterday I got to see if it actually worked when other people were using it too. And it did! Everyone had enough room to make their wraps, we had just enough space, and then we all moved into the living room afterwards for lots of baby “ohs” and “awes” and plenty of laughs. My home actually felt like people were living and enjoying it, and I loved that.

Of course, the meal prep helped make all of that possible too. I had already cooked up the chicken fajita mixture and vegetables for the wraps, so a big part of the work was already done. That saved me a load of time! It really makes me appreciate all the work I have been putting into my freezer and meal prep because when you are standing there getting ready to feed three extra people, having that chicken and veggies ready to go makes life so much easier. Now I need to do some more prep this weekend and restock my freezer because apparently Future Shelly is going to need some more favours from Past Shelly. 😂

That whole thing is really what I love about cooking. It gives me a place to let go of whatever is weighing me down and just have fun. I can get into my kitchen, start pulling out my spices, think about what I want to make, and just get lost in it. I usually feel so much “lighter” after I cook. Well… at least until I eat! 😂 There is just something about creating food that gives me a sense of accomplishment, and having my A Spice Affair Spice Army sitting there ready to be unleashed makes it even more fun. I can look at my spices and start thinking about what I want to put together, and before I know it I am off creating another recipe.

I think that is also why making my kitchen feel like mine has become so important to me. I am on the right path. I have been having people over for visits and lunch, I let people cook in my kitchen, and I have literally unleashed permission for the full Spice Army and anything they want to use! 😂 That might sound like a small thing, but for me it really isn’t. I am making room for other people in a space that I have always considered my safe place. A place that is calm and peaceful for me is now becoming a place where other people can come in, make their own food, laugh, eat, and make memories too.

Sir Kit Kat, however, would strongly disagree with my assessment of yesterday. 😂 His Kitchen Review before all the peeps arrived might have earned me a B-, but after yesterday’s adventures, including what he considers a “squawk box” otherwise known as a baby, I am pretty sure yesterday’s report card would have been a giant F. He did not approve of any of it! Poor little guy probably thought his peaceful kitchen kingdom had been completely invaded. 😂

But the funny thing is, when I really think about what I am most proud of from this whole reset, it isn’t some huge organizational accomplishment. It is the flow. The flow is so much better. Yesterday proved that to me. Everyone was able to create their wraps, there was just enough room, and I wasn’t tripping over everything or trying to figure out where something could go. Then we gathered in the living room, laughed, talked, and watched everyone fuss over the baby. That is what I wanted my home to feel like.

And then Friday morning, I was doing my final wipe-down again, making sure everything was cleaned up and set up properly, and I had this little moment where I stopped and thought, “Wow… I can do this like I used to.” That one got me. Because sometimes you don’t realize how much you have changed until you suddenly find yourself doing something that used to feel normal again. There I was, cleaning my kitchen, putting things back where they belonged, getting everything ready, and realizing that I was actually doing it. I can do this.

When I look around my kitchen now, I see lots of new recipes coming and tons of meal prep about to happen! 😂 I see my Spice Army waiting for me, my freezer waiting to be restocked, and a kitchen that finally feels like it is working with me instead of against me. But more than that, I see a place where life can actually happen. I can cook, create, have people over, feed them, laugh with them, let them make their own food, and apparently even allow a newborn “squawk box” into my peaceful little kingdom. 😂

And maybe that is what this whole kitchen reset has really been about for me. It started with wanting to organize a tiny kitchen and make it more user-friendly, but somewhere along the way it became about making my home feel like home again. It became about creating a space that brings me peace but also has room for laughter, people, food, creativity, and memories.

So if you are sitting across the table from me right now with your coffee and looking around your own home thinking you should have everything figured out by now, I want you to know that you don’t. You don’t have to fix everything at once and you certainly don’t have to make everything perfect before you are allowed to enjoy your home. Start somewhere. Move something around. Clean one little area. Figure out what makes your life easier and go from there. You might be surprised at how those little changes start adding up.

For me, I think I finally found something I had been looking for without even realizing it. I found my flow again. I found a little more confidence in my own home, and I found myself opening the door and letting people in.

And Friday morning, standing there wiping down my kitchen, I realized something I hadn’t been sure of when I started this whole thing…

I can do this like I used to.

And you know what?

Maybe I can do even more. 💜

So here’s to more cooking, more recipes, more meal prep, more people around my table, more baby snuggles, and probably a whole lot more chaos. 😂

Because my kitchen isn’t perfect.

It’s mine. And I’m going to make the best of it.

Until next time, grab your coffee, take a breath, and remember that sometimes you don’t need a whole new life. Sometimes you just need to rearrange a little bit of the one you already have.

Love Always,
☕ Shelly 💜