If you’re looking for some motivation to get your kitchen organized and eat at home more often, this challenge is for you! A Happy Kitchen Challenge will focus on three daily activities. So, if you’re ready to get started, join me below!

Did you feel happy today when you first walked into your kitchen? Or did you feel stressed? The goal of this kitchen challenge is to help you feel happy in your kitchen and enjoy eating at home again.

My kitchen is one of my favorite places in my house. I love to cook and feed my family well. But I didn’t always feel that way. In fact, I used to feel all kinds of stress when it was time to cook.

As a young mom I remember so many mornings where I would walk into the kitchen and feel defeated before my day even started. If you ever feel like you always have to clean the kitchen just so you can cook the next meal… this kitchen challenge is for you.

You know what I’m talking about. You can’t cook in a messy kitchen and the kitchen never seems to be clean when it’s time to cook?

Isaiah 1:19 says: “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.”

Here’s the thing, and this is important: It’s those small acts of faith that we build a faithful life. All you need to do is be willing an obedient.

What is God calling you to do today?

He could be calling you to serve as a missionary in the Philippines or Kenya. He could be calling you to serve as a ministry leader in your local church or at a large non-profit organization. Sometimes God calls us to do big things for Him.

But more often than not, He simply calls us to be faithful with that which is in front of us. That’s why I’m so excited to share this Happy Kitchen Challenge with you!

A Happy Kitchen Challenge

In the Happy Kitchen Challenge we’re going to be focusing on 3 main tasks or activities each day for seven days.

1. morning meal prep
2. cooking supper and eating at home
3. cleaning the kitchen before bed each evening

So let’s talk more about these tasks and how to participate in the kitchen challenge:

Morning Meal Prep

The first part of this kitchen challenge will involve prepping for supper – in the morning. This shouldn’t take very long. In fact, you should only spend a few minutes prepping. You can do some of the following during this time. You may or may not need or want to do all of them and that’s okay.

• Think about the your evening meal. What will you be serving?
• Take any food you need to thaw out of the freezer.
• Add ingredients to the slow cooker if you are using one.
• Chop veggies or prep a casserole, etc.

Whatever you do, just think about how it will make your life easier when it comes time to cook supper.

Cooking Supper and Eating at Home

Busy families today struggle to eat together and yet, studies have shown that eating together as a family is so beneficial for everyone! Children are less likely to engage in risky behavior when meals are eat around the table. Not only that but eating together helps kids have better grades and closer relationships with their parents.

So in our kitchen challenge I’m encouraging you to eat together at home and around the table.

Ideally, you’ll have time to cook a good meal without stress, but let’s be real, days can be really hectic for all of us. Getting supper on the table sometimes feels overwhelming right? That’s why it’s so easy to feel like grabbing take out is the answer. I know from experience!

There are a few things you can do to make cooking supper at home easier.

Plan simple meals. Meal planning is a must! Everything is harder when you don’t have a plan because you have to figure it out. If you are in a hurry to get to soccer practice and you don’t have a simple plan for supper, you’re more likely to run out the door and make a quick trip to Chick-Fil-A or Taco Bell on the way.

related: 15 Minute Meal Planning

Prep ahead. Take a few minutes in the morning to prep for supper (as suggested above). Or you could do meal prepping for the week and do all your meal prep on one day.

Use your slow cooker or Instant Pot. If you are new to using your Instant Pot you can participate in Instant Pot School for free! And using your slow cooker is such a great way to get supper on the table fast. Dump your ingredients in the crock and walk away. It’s so great!

Use a simple meal planning service like Eat at Home. If you feel like meal planning is just one more thing to put on your to do list and you’re already overwhelmed, using a simple meal planning service can really make life easier. Basically, just order your groceries and go! With meal plans and shopping lists, Eat at Home makes it easy to get supper on the table even on weeknights.

Use up leftovers. Using leftovers not only saves money, but it also saves time! If you can plan for leftovers even better. I like to plan for a “leftover night” each week – which usually ends up being Saturday night. It gives me a break from cooking but we still eat together!

related: How to Plan for Leftovers

Clean the Kitchen Before Bed

As a homemaker, you are called to the ministry of homemaking. A clean house may not equal a happy home, but when clutter and grime take over our homes, we feel more stress.

In fact, studies have shown that a messy house causes stress and increased cortisol levels. A study published in Current Psychology found:

“…a substantial link between procrastination and clutter problems in all the age groups. Frustration with clutter tended to increase with age. Among older adults, clutter problems were also associated with life dissatisfaction. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that clutter can negatively impact mental well-being, particularly among women. Clutter can also induce a physiological response, including increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. – The New York Times

Clutter in our homes causes us to feel unhappy! I know in my own home I have to work hard to stay on top of the clutter on my kitchen counter. It can build up so fast!

“Clutter can play a significant role in how we feel about our homes, our workplaces, and ourselves. Messy homes and work spaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Yet, rarely is clutter recognized as a significant source of stress in our lives.” – Psychology Today

Dirty dishes in the sink – or even covering the kitchen counters – dried crusty food, pots that need scrubbing, spills on the floor, and more can make your kitchen feel like an overwhelming space instead of a happy place.

But the kitchen is often the heart of the home! So much of family life revolves around food. Holidays, celebrations, traditions, hospitality, often all involve food. The kitchen is so important to family life.

How you feel when you first walk into the kitchen in the morning can set the tone for your entire day. How much better would you feel walking into a space that was tidy and clean?

Each day during our kitchen challenge we will be going to bed with a clean kitchen. You want to put away leftover food, wipe down the tables and counters, load the dishwasher, and hand wash any pots and pans or dishes that didn’t go into the dishwasher.

Join the Kitchen Challenge

Here’s the details: 

• The Happy Kitchen Challenge begins January 15, 2020.
• You’ll receive an email every day for 7 days.
• You’ll also receive my free printable cheat sheet (above) and more!

How to prep for the challenge: 

• Sit down and plan your supper menu for the next 7 days.
• Or, join Eat at Home and download their simple menu plan.
• Pick up any groceries you might need.

I hope you’ll join me in this kitchen challenge! I’m so excited to share it with you!

How to Join the Challenge

1. Just fill out the form below.
2. You’ll receive each days email with tips, ideas, and some of my own real life examples!
3. Optional: Follow me on Instagram @purposenotperfection and watch my stories! #ahappykitchen