Finding Happiness in My Kitchen Drawer (Or a Tale of Six Spoons)

One way I preserve my sanity is by having less stuff in my kitchen. Because a calm and simple environment go a long way toward helping me have a calm and simple heart. And that, I want.

I love being able to grab a rubber scraper or hot pad without looking where I am reaching. I love opening my container drawer and being able to find in one glance the container I’m looking for and knowing the lid will be right next to it. (The flip side of that is sometimes the container I’m looking for is not there because my few, organized containers are all in the fridge or dishwasher. That means it’s time to clean up leftovers and I’ll have to use a baggie or a jar this time.) I also love finding that extra spoon or cracked plastic funnel that I haven’t used in a year and moving them to the donate bag or trash can. For me, less is usually more, and a few well-used and well-loved items are much better than lots of things I use less often.

Let my tell you about my measuring spoons. They were one of my favorite bridal shower gifts — a quality set of six spoons. I liked them because they were sturdy and will be working in my kitchen at least as long as I am.  I also liked them because they were well-designed and they fit into spice containers — if I needed one tablespoon of cinnamon my tablespoon measure fit easily into my normal-sized cinnamon jar. For seven years they were the only measuring spoons I had in my kitchen. And during those seven years I cooked from scratch daily and baked now and then, sometimes with the help of my two children or husband. And of course, sometimes that corner of the drawer was empty and I had to wash up a spoon — or more — to finish my recipe. But I was never quite sure that I wanted another set.

Several months ago I was given another nice set of stainless steel measuring spoons. I added them to the drawer with the others and I didn’t run out anymore. I liked that. What I didn’t like was that it took me longer to find one; I had to sort through a pile instead of glancing in and being able to reach for the one I needed — if it was there (I know). And the drawer always felt messy. Believe me, I have messy places in my house, but this was one place that had always stayed neat without any effort on my part and I missed that. I didn’t want to get rid of them because they were useful. (And because my husband gave them to me and he doesn’t like washing spoons in the middle of mixing up cookies.) Eventually I moved the new set of spoons to a half-pint jar in the spice cupboard above my utensil drawer. They’re right there when I need them, out of my way when I don’t, and if I’m making a casserole or Chris is making muffins we can each find what we need. Now if I could get my spice cupboard half as organized as the drawer below it….

I know my minimalism and reluctance to buy things are a double-edged sword. Sometimes I don’t buy something because I don’t know exactly where I will store it (I really do think about that –don’t laugh), or if I’ll like it for sure; and then when after two years I finally buy it I wonder why I waited so long. Or if I see something I like at a thrift store, but am not sure that I want it my usual response will be to not buy it, and sometimes I miss out on things I like. But I’m slowly learning what kind of things exactly I like and use, and I take care of myself and our home by working to buy and keep only the things that give more time and happiness than they take.

They say it’s not what you have that makes you happy, and that is true–partly. It doesn’t make you happy, but I say it helps. Having beautiful, useful things in my home makes my home a more beautiful, functional place. And that makes me happy. I smile when I use my favorite coffee mug, or roll out biscuits with the rolling pin I bought at that little store in Santa Fe, or pull out the smallest kettle from the set my Mom bought me. And I smile more when the things that aren’t (very) useful or beautiful aren’t in the way.

Go find something you love in your kitchen, pick it up, smile, and put it away neatly. And then find something you don’t love or use and donate it to Goodwill or recycle it. Make space for beauty in at least one spot in your cupboards and you will make space for a little more happiness in your heart.