Organising the kitchen

I don't know if you are like me, but I love looking at other people's houses... how they decorate, how they organise things, what furniture they use. It is fascinating. I do most of my looking online however. If I come to your house, I promise I won't look in your pantry.

I have adopted quite a specific method of organising my kitchen. In the first house my husband and I bought, I was not so well organised. When we moved there, I was unaccustomed to really using a kitchen. I was working full-time, and away from the house many weekends and evenings. I 'organised' my kitchen based on where things looked good, not on functionality. By the end of our time there (and being around home with small children a lot more), I realised that in order to do a simple task, like make a cup of tea, I would have to walk from one end of the kitchen to the other at least 3 times. When I was heavily pregnant, I hated cooking because I didn't want to have to bend down and reach into low corner cupboards in order to get at pots and pans.

It all changed in our new kitchen. I had a specific plan of where I wanted things to be. Some of my priorities were:

* Saucepans and baking dishes near the oven/ cooktop

* Oven near the microwave (I could do this as we renovated our kitchen)

* Cutlery, plates, cups and glasses near the eating/ dining area - so kids could set the table without having to walk right through where food preparation was happening

* Coffee mugs, tea, coffee, sugar and teaspoons within easy reach of the kettle

* Food kept all together (fridge and pantry near each other)

We had a limited kitchen renovation budget, and limited space. My dream kitchen would be something like this (ha ha):

To make the most of the area we had available, our (actual) kitchen is a galley style. We don't have a lot of space, but we do have mostly drawers below bench level, rather than cupboards, for maximum access and to create natural divisions. This is our kitchen:

(Keeping it real - there is always something in the dish-drainer).

With limited space, a system is even more important... and here it is:

Side 1:
Standard-sized drawers:
1) Cutlery - nice and close to the dining room
2) Larger kitchen utensils

3) Glad wrap, al-foil, plastic bags, baking paper...
4) Lunch-boxes (for easy access, and they don't fit easily with the plastics)

Glass-fronted cabinet above drawers (you can't see this in the photo, sorry): standard glasses - in easiest reach, and nice and close to the dining room, wine glasses, vases and fancy dishes/ cups live on higher shelves.

Under-sink cupboard: Cleaning cloths, non-toxic cleaning products (dishwashing powder, vinegar and bicarb soda, water spray bottles). We also have our slow-cooker here.

On-bench pantry. Pantry also extends to two drawers below - one for snack foods, pasta, dried fruit and nuts, and the other for baking products:

Not edited for photo: needs a bit more organisation, though I have no trouble finding things here with the bird's eye view.

 Some rarely-used appliances live in the drawer below:

Side 2:
Fridge (opposite pantry, so all food is 'together'). I have a stereo above the fridge - planning to listen to music/ talks while cooking. This rarely actually happens.

Cupboard above microwave/ alongside oven and range-hood: baking dishes/ china mixing bowls (I like to have these near the oven)

Below microwave, drawer 1: baking utensils - measuring cups, rolling pin, stab blender and food processor

 Drawer 2: plastics

Drawer 3: other appliances - rice cooker, electric wok

Drawer below oven: flat(ter) baking trays

Set of drawers on dining-room side of oven:
Drawer 1: bowls and plates. This is a soft-close drawer, so the plates and bowls are safe - even when children close the drawer!

 Drawer 2: Regularly used saucepans/ fry-pans:

Drawer 3: Larger baking dishes

Our kettle sits on the bench above these drawers. Importantly, the cupboard above the kettle contains tea/ coffee/ sugar and mugs. The teaspoons are in the cutlery drawer which is just behind you as you face the kettle:

With limited bench space, we try to keep the bench fairly clutter-free

We keep a 'good' dinner set, some platters and cake stands in the sideboard in our dining room. We also keep tablecloths and tea-towels in this sideboard, to save space in the kitchen.

As you can seem our system is not perfect. I need to do a little tidying within some of these cupboards/ drawers, but in terms of the overall placement, this system works perfectly for us.

Over to you. How do you organise/ conserve space in your kitchen? What are your best tips?

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Cute and smart

Yesterday afternoon was my (one of) my God-son's 2nd birthday party. He is a big fan of diggers and construction vehicles and the party was suitably themed. At the party, my youngest (Miss 18 months) spent a fair bit of time with the aunty of the birthday boy. As we were leaving the party, the aunty came up to me and said; "[Miss 18 months] is so smart!"

I am just like any parent. Telling me that my child is smart makes me happy. It doesn't matter whether there is truth in the statement or not. (I actually think that calling Miss 18 months 'smart' was more based on the fact that she is sociable and interactive, rather than intellectually superior, but that is another story...). But this interaction reminded me of some reflections during the work conference I attended last week.

Our speaker was an internationally renowned developmental specialist, lecturer, researcher and author. (Dr. Louis Rossetti, for any Speech Pathologists reading). The conference days were two of the most interesting days of lectures I have ever attended. Dr. Rossetti has spent a life-time working with children aged 0-3 and their families. Many of the families Dr. Rossetti works with begin their relationship with him at birth, in a Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The families often have very sick babies, who have recognised developmental delays or are at high-risk of developmental delay.

Dr. Rossetti has kept a parent journal for 31 years of his career, where he writes down interactions he has with families of children with additional needs. Parents open up to him about their anger at feeling let down by the health system, at feeling a lack of attachment with their sick babies, at feeling the death of their dream of having a 'perfect' baby, at carrying the judgement and disappointment of their extended family and friends. One of the most interesting (and heart-breaking) aspects of his presentation was hearing the stories of interacting with families.

One of the things he mentioned, almost in passing, really struck me. 

Our society values babies and small children based on two things: whether they are cute and whether they are smart. Many of the babies and children we work with are not "cute" (babies with dysmorphic features, facial clefts etc), and they are not "smart". 

So, what sort of reaction do parents of these children face everyday - from extended family, friends, people down the street, even from medical professionals? No-one tells these parents that their babies are cute (or if they do, it is not sincerely, which is even worse). These families spend their whole lives with their children under-going tests which will tell them that their children are not smart (though usually not in those words). It is shattering for parents, for their own esteem (which is often so wrapped up in our children), for their dreams.

As we (society) fail to affirm and value these children, parents struggle everyday to find value for both their children, and for themselves. Of course, (most) families love and accept their children, no matter whether they are "cute" and "smart" or not. But many families struggle to see their child valued by outsiders, never receiving the affirmation that the parents of other children receive. Add this to the often high-level physical care needs required for these children, and things are not easy.

We all know how hard parenting can be, even with our own "cute" and "smart" children. We all know how our esteem can be shattered and our value questioned over the smallest criticism or rejection of our child. For some parents this is a reality in almost every interaction they face, everyday. 

I'm interested if you have any insights...

How can you express acceptance of or love for a baby/ small child and avoid the cute/ smart thing?

Have you you been in the position of any of these families, with a baby/child who is not considered cute/ smart by society for any reason? What is the hardest thing about your situation?

 

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Thankful Thursday: 18 months

For the first time, our youngest child is 18 months old. (As in, we had another younger baby when both our first and second children reached 18 months). 18 months is apparently the point when a child is officially no longer a baby. So, for the first time in 4 years, we do not have a baby!

But, here she was when she was a baby (approximately 6 weeks)...

And, more recently:

  

Miss 18 months has a personality to match her hair: gorgeous, funny, a little bit unruly and unpredictable:

She loves directing her own play, and is particularly keen on outdoor play:

She is particularly keen on anything that involves getting her hands dirty: paint, water, play-dough, glue, clay... and food - she will not allow anyone else to feed her, and, although she will use a spoon or fork, often hands are much easier!

Miss 18 months loves her big brother and sister, and loves to copy what they do:

She is a perfect mummy's little helper and loves to care for her dolls and teddies:

And, she is the best organiser and "packer-upper" in our house (apart from me!):

I do miss having my baby a little bit (until the next one comes!), but it is so much fun and brings us so much joy to watch Miss 18 months grow, and watch her personality emerge and change. Happy half-birthday Miss 18 months. We are so thankful for you.

Joining Thankful Thursday with:

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Block Play and Long-Term Learning

During one of the rainy days over the June long weekend, I followed a link and got reading a New York Times article about playing with blocks. The most interesting paragraph from the article (for me) asserted:

"Studies dating to the 1940s indicate that blocks help children absorb basic math concepts. One published in 2001 tracked 37 preschoolers and found that those who had more sophisticated block play got better math grades and standardized test scores in high school. And a 2007 study by Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Hospital, found that those with block experience scored significantly better on language acquisition tests". 

I am slightly skeptical about the second assertion, particularly since a little probing uncovered that the 2007 study was sponsored by Mega Blocks! (True). In the context of blocks promoting interactive play however, they (like many other toys) can be beneficial to language acquisition.

Anyway, all this got me thinking that I am not particularly creative with block play... and therefore, by default, our kids aren't either. Our block play usually involves making a mess, building a couple of tall towers, including the tallest possible tower we can build, then packing up again.  In the rainy weather over the weekend, I thought we should get a little more involved in block play.

Miss almost-18-months contributed by getting the blocks all over the floor:

Miss 4 suggested building a river and a bridge (the blue blocks are the river):

We built a castle with a moat surrounding it and Miss 4 added some "boats" on the river:

Mr almost-3 suggested some princes and princesses to live in the castle:

And a prison for anyone who tried to get into the castle:

Finally, we added a village on the other side of the river:

And, imaginative play with the blocks went on (without me) for another 20 minutes:

Although I was seeking to promote construction play and problem-solving, Miss 4 and Mr almost-3 got more animated and involved in their imaginative play with the structures we had built together. There is a definite preference toward imaginative play at our place. Independently, our kids had no desire to re-build or re-arrange their structures, preferring to use blocks as people, boats etc and enact play scenarios with them.  I wonder what their "maths grades and standardised test scores" will be like in high school???

Do you/ your kids enjoy block play? What else do you do with blocks?

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Our weekend with "Sunny Bear"

This weekend, our family had the task of entertaining "Sunny Bear". Sunny Bear is the resident teddy bear at the daycare centre our children attend. Each child at the centre takes a turn bringing Sunny Bear home for one weekend during the year.

Sunny Bear came home on Thursday afternoon, complete with a backpack of goodies - some clothes, a raincoat, a (pretend) telephone, a toothbrush, and a book outlining all of Sunny Bear's adventures to date. Rather than being simply a photo-diary for Sunny Bear, the book represented a chronicle of mummy competition.

Sunny Bear is a well-travelled bear. He has been to Canberra for the weekend, and the central coast, and out to various sporting events. He has been to almost every park in our local area. I must admit, there were one or two refreshing entries of Sunny Bear simply playing trains, or reading, or watching TV.  But browsing through the album, suddenly taking a few photos of Sunny Bear playing in the backyard, and getting ready for bed didn't seem to cut it.

To add to the pressure, we had two children at home sick this weekend (conjunctivitis and colds), so having other people meet and help entertain Sunny Bear was out of the question. The other complication we quickly discovered was that our two older children had a bit of trouble sharing Sunny Bear around.

We started our Saturday sharing a pancake breakfast with Sunny Bear:

We got out to a local park:

But we left fairly quickly with 2 children in tears, after fighting over Sunny Bear:

Instead of heading home, Matt had a flash of brilliance. We headed down the coast to Bald Hill (overlooking Stanwell Park and down the coast to Wollongong). Overlooking the beach put everyone in a better frame of mind:

We even saw some para gliders:

The two youngest were too still too contagious for church on Sunday, but we got out in the afternoon for a walk in the rain and a visit to our favourite local cafe (favourite meaning the only one we ever go to, because it has space for kids to explore/ run around)

Considering our limitations, I think we did quite an acceptable job entertaining Sunny Bear for the weekend. Feelings of inadequacy averted...

Have you ever had to entertain a stuffed toy for your child's preschool/ daycare? Did you feel the pressure, or am I just being ridiculous?

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It's not about the money, money...

Over the weekend, I got to reading this article: Rise of the Mummy Bloggers. I'm a bit slow I know. I'm sure that the article has done the rounds of the mummy blogger set. I'm sure there has been wittier and more intelligent commentary on the article than anything I could write.

I do have issues with the article and the public response to it. I have issues with the fact that any mother who writes a blog is automatically lumped into the mummy blogger category, as though we all think and act the same, share the same opinions, have the same aims in blogging etc, etc. There are many mummy blogs that I love reading. I have developed many "mummy blogger" friendships. But there are some blogging mums who think very differently to me. I don't necessarily want to be put in the same group with some. I am proud to be a mummy. I am (less) proud to be a blogger. I'm not always proud to be a "mummy blogger".

The article itself was inaccurate and misleading (as media can be), but it was one of the comments that really got my goat. Here it is:

There are SO many underemployed mothers in Sydney. Please get a (more interesting) life. Here's an idea, get a real job: you know, the ones adults (probably like your husband) have. Yes, you CAN do it. It even pays....

Residents of overseas countries are always amazed at how few mothers work here. It is embarrassing and infantile. And not good for the economy. Or your superannuation, or work skills, especially when hubby dumps you for the younger more interesting (working) model. If you have time to blog, you have time to work. As a working mother, I hate my kids seeing all the men go off to work and the women sit gossiping at the local cafe: they ask me "why?", what can I say....

There are so many things that bother me about this comment that I don't really know where to start...

I am bothered by the claim that mums who have time to blog, have time to work. I'm assuming that most mummies who blog are similar to me. I spend at most about 2-3 hours a day online, mostly in the evening, less on weekends. I know that some of the "successful" bloggers do have to spend much more time online. But they are usually the ones who are getting paid. There aren't really many jobs available where you work 2-3 hours/ day, mostly while your kids are sleeping, from the comfort of your lounge room. 

I am bothered by the insinuation that mummy bloggers are making "infantile" attempts to make money. Many of us have no inclination towards monetising (making money, by reviews or advertising) on our blogs. I'm not a business-minded person. I have never accepted an offer to review a product or attend a product launch (not that there is anything wrong if you like that sort of thing). For me, and I think many others, making money from a blog would take the joy away from blogging...

I am bothered by the suggestion that mums should not do anything that brings them personal joy or relaxation (blogging, going to a cafe). If you are not directly caring for your children, or doing housework... you should be at paid work! Turn that TV off now. Get out of the gym. Get out of that bubble bath. Pour that cup of tea down the sink immediately.

I am bothered by the insinuation that if you are just a stay-at-home-mum, you will become so boring that your husband will feel the need to leave you for someone else. 

But mostly, I am bothered by the opinion that motherhood is just taking women away from their rightful, productive place in our economy. Is the measure of a person's worth what they contribute to the financial security of our country? According to this logic, what do we make of those who are sick, people with disabilities, the elderly, those who care (unpaid) for all of the above? Obviously worthless. What about volunteers? Worthless. And, what about mothers (or even, stay-at-home fathers)? Pfft.

Some things, no... many things, cannot be measured by money, and graphs and economic data and tables. Many things are worth prioritising above financial gain, employment, superannuation and the economy. Maybe blogging is not one of them. But giving time to your children, your spouse, your relationships is. Caring for those who need care is. Looking after your own health, and the health of those you love is. Creating responsible citizens of the future is. Imparting your values and beliefs to your children, and backing them up by the way you live is. It's not about the money.

What do you think? Are you one of the "underemployed" mothers of Australia? Do you find it embarrassing or worthwhile?

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Sometimes, my life feels too superficial to blog.

Like last week, when an old friend lost her 9-year-old daughter to asthma. 

I could not bring myself to blog about my almost-3-year-old who has started frequent night-waking again, or my confusion over whether to send my 4-year-old to school next year, or my joy at my almost 18-month-old starting to say some new words. I couldn't complain about the aches and pains of pregnancy starting to set in, all too early this time around. It all felt too silly.

I couldn't blog about the joy of having two friends welcoming new babies into the world last week.

I didn't even want to blog about the great Bible teaching I heard on Sunday, about how much we underestimate the compassion of God, and the joy of having relationship with him. Because, imagining the heart-ache of my friend, I doubted that compassion and that sense of joy - for a little while.

In reality, I am not close to this tragic situation. I don't want to claim a part I don't have. I'm not sure if I have ever met my friend's daughter in person. If I have, our meeting was very brief. But, reading my friend's experience and words hit me hard. Last week had me in a bit of a fog.

Nothing else seemed to matter much last week.

Last week, all I wanted to do was copy verbatim the words my friend had written online - as she prayed for her daughter while holding on to God's promises, as she rejoiced in the assurance of seeing her daughter again, for all eternity, and as she celebrated how joyful her daughter was, and now is. All I wanted to do was share that encouragement with everyone, and have everyone witness what is truly possible when God's hope and strength is in you.

*******************

I know Fi, that you read here from time to time. I don't expect you to be reading now, but in case you come across this one day... I know that for you and your family, the fog will last much more than a week. The fog will probably never lift completely. 

I have never been so encouraged, humbled and full of admiration as I have been watching your response to the tragedy of the past week. I can't imagine how your heart must be breaking, how you must be questioning, and shocked, and grief-stricken, and even angered. Yet your faith and hope is shining. You are not grieving "as men who have no hope", but as one whose hope is firmly placed in Jesus and will not be shaken.


We are continuing to pray with you and grieve for you.

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