Kitchen Stuff

I just finished cleaning my kitchen. I did a thorough cleaning this weekend, and then cooked up a storm Sunday night. It was in need of another thorough cleaning today.

I hate having a dirty kitchen, but I unfortunately can live with dirty dishes in the sink for a long time. As I was cleaning away today, it dawned on me that I think my biggest obstacle to keeping the place clean, (besides laziness), is my perfectionist tendencies.

The closer I get to having a room straightened up, the more I see those tiny little things that need doing too, and I get a little obsessive about it. It drives me crazy. My standards are higher than my willingness to do the work or time allows, and so it's easier to just stay messy. I can live with clutter, unfortunately, and it's sometimes easier than living with standards that are set too high.

That's nuts, but I think that's a big part of my problem.

But when the kitchen is clean like today, I realize how it's such a breath of fresh air for me. I'm determined to keep this puppy clean. Not perfect--just clean.

My bedroom may look like a warzone, but this kitchen is going to be my first line of defense in the battle to keep this house clean. It's further motivated by the fact that I'm getting excited about the possibilities with my kitchen. I went to IKEA on Monday, and took a serious look at the kitchen cabinets there. They are surprisingly affordable, and I think within a year, I could have a new kitchen that fits better with my passion for cooking. In the meantime, I'm determined to keep the place ordered.

It could be a bloody battle though, and I may need reinforcements from time to time.