RSS Email
You are here: Home / Archives for Everyday Life / Kids in the Kitchen

Clever Remodelling Ideas for a Small Kitchen

May 13, 2025 by

Small kitchens appear to be a problem that cannot be resolved, but it doesn’t have to be so, as they are the perfect time to be creative. If remodelling your kitchen is on your to-do list, you must blend functionality and beauty so that the space appears much larger than it is. A compact room needs to work for you so that you don’t feel suffocated while working. These brilliant makeover hacks will be able to get the job done for you, so you don’t have to settle on a style when you use your space. 

1. Use Your Space

You’re going to need to ensure that you’re getting as much out of the space as possible. Having that image in inspo pictures and thinking that’s enough planning will not cut it. Design over a galley plan if your kitchens are tight or an L-plan if your corners are tight. If your kitchen is a square or a U-plan kitchen, a peninsula counter will create more space for you to prepare your food. A lofted open plan may also be constructed if you can take out a non-load-bearing wall to combine the kitchen with the adjacent space. Another great way to keep a coherent design is by adhering to the kitchen triangle of sink, stove, and refrigerator. Keeping them in line facilitates your kitchen workflow to be organised. 

2. Storage

Maximise vertical space through the utilisation of high cabinets that go up to the ceiling. Cabinets do, however, consume much space. Use open shelving for what you use every day instead. Magnetic knife strips and hanging hooks can free space in your drawers by keeping your utensils and tools accessible but in an orderly manner.

Don’t forget about the space above your cabinets—put it to use storing less-used appliances or decor in baskets. Utilise every nook you have without cluttering the vinyl floor mats from V-MAT or most of the countertops. Fill every square inch of your kitchen with innovative storage solutions. Pull-out pantry shelves utilise small spaces to the fullest, and lazy Susans in corner cabinets so you never run out of room. Drawer dividers, roll-out trays, and tiered racks are space savers. Find a magnetic spice rack by your refrigerator or a dedicated drawer for your cutting boards. 

3. Space-Saving Appliances

Install space-saving, multi-purpose appliances such as a microwave-oven combo, a slimline dishwasher, or an under-counter refrigerator. Through Fairfax kitchen remodelling, you can select built-in appliances so that it is chic and industrial in appearance as well as simpler to clean and fix. For example, a cooktop with a downdraft ventilation system can eliminate a large range hood.

4. Use Lights

You can create optical illusions with lighting. Under-cabinet light, recess light, and pendant light together will provide sufficient light. Light can be directed by utilising reflected surfaces such as glass tiles or a mirrored backsplash. Utilised as reflected surfaces, shiny tiles, stainless appliances, or mirrored cabinet doors can be utilised. They can make the area larger and also disperse the light anywhere. Natural light is a lifesaver—if you have a window, maximise daylight with light, sheer curtains. Light colours prevent a room from feeling shut in and crowded. Paint walls and cabinets white, light grey, or pale colours. 

5. Minimalism

A decluttered kitchen is a large kitchen. Declutter your countertops regularly, and keep the things you regularly use within arm’s reach. Store lesser-used gadgets and pots, and pans out of sight. A practical minimalism as a decor style is the most effective means to optimise your space.

6. Multipurpose Countertops

Add a countertop that serves as a dining table, or put in a drop-leaf table, which may be pushed to the back when not in use. In an intimate space, a rolling kitchen island with storage can be a useful addition, offering prep space as well as storage.

7. Reflect Your Style

Even in a small space, don’t be shy and be yourself. Include bold cabinet hardware, a dramatic backsplash, or a splash of colour to inject personality without overwhelming the room. Consider accent lighting, textured tile, or an indoor herb garden to infuse your kitchen with life.

Your limited kitchen does not have to limit you. With good planning in the shape of practical design decisions and intelligent remodelling techniques, you can possess a sophisticated, functional kitchen that suits your needs. Make functionality your top priority over everything else, add unconventional storage devices, and do not hesitate to inject personality into the space at hand. With the reporting, get your kitchen to work for you in the simplest manner possible so that home cooking will be an experience you anticipate.




5 Chores Toddlers Can Be Involved In for Holiday Dinners

December 23, 2019 by

Holidays are supposed to be about families and the bonds we share as families. Helping each other in tasks, doing things together, deciding everything as a family is a special moment for the family. Having fun while doing holiday-related chores helps us make memories for later and brings giggles to the present.

cupcake

I am not talking about including kids in the heavy lifting, these are the kinds of hosting jobs that don’t need to be done a certain way or you can easily do without. But, these chores helps toddlers feel involved and helpful. It helps them feel like an adult and show off their work later to the guests.

1. Setting the Table

Setting the table is one of the simple tasks that can make the kids think that they did something big because the whole party is going to assemble and see their handiwork. 

  • Let them help you select the table cloth and runner.
  • Let them help straighten them out on the table.
  • Let them place the placemats.
  • They can also help arrange the silverware.

2. Making a Centerpiece

Buying a good centerpiece can get expensive and holiday-themed ones aren’t used more than once a year anyway. So, a little DIY can help you save money and also help you have a lot of fun making one from scratch. You can use pinecones, fruit, gourds, or branches to create your own unique centerpiece.

  • Take the kids out in the garden or to the park.
  • Let them select flowers, branches, pinecones, whatever suits their fancy.
  • Allow them to arrange the collection the way they like while advising them a little about the design.

3. Arranging Flowers in a Vase

This is one of the simplest tasks on the list. All your kids have to do is place flowers in the vase for the most part. If you want them to be more involved in this, then they can create custom arrangements on their own with you looking over.

  • If you have a garden with flowers, take them there and help them choose the flowers.
  • Or, you can take them to the market and choose there.
  • Bring the flowers and help them trim the stems and remove leaves to make the flowers stand in the vase better.
  • Let them fill the vase with some water and explain to them that the water is supposed to keep the flowers fresh.
  • Let them place the flowers in the vase and arrange them as the like.

4. Designing Place Cards

This is one of the things that is the most optional in this list. So, even if they mess up, it doesn’t matter. Place cards aren’t that important in informal family dinners. But, if you have a large family, and some family drama, then this can come in handy. Plus, the kids get to show their artistic skills.

  • Give them a deck of cards, art supplies, and the list of family members attending.
  • Ask them to write one name on one card and decorate it the way they like.

5. Organizing Snacks Platters

Snacks during parties is a must, especially if there are kids at the party. Help them create snack platters that can be passed around before the meal. This way they can get involved in the food part without actually being a problem for you in the kitchen.

  • Set them on the dining table with the necessary requirements.
  • Give them a plate to set out snacks on and explain what kind of platter they are making. They can make –
    • Cheese and Crackers Platter – Give them cheese slices, cubes, and crackers.
    • Fruit Platter – Cut the fruits and give them the fruits in separate bowls.
    • Chips and Dip Platter – Give them the packet of chips and the bowl of dip.
  • After you have placed all the things on the table, ask them to arrange the items on the plate in a pretty way.

Final Thoughts

Kids love being involved in adult responsibilities, especially toddlers. They are filled with so much energy, excitement, and curiosity. They are at an age that is a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. Let them be a part of preparations and then see the pride on their faces during the festivities.




The Importance of Teaching Kids Basic Life Skills

December 16, 2019 by

We have all laughed at memes and experiences online on “If only I learned this in school…” We often say that our education system needs to change, we need to teach kids more real-life skills than algebra, and so on. What we don’t focus on is that, it isn’t the sole responsibility of the educational institute to teach things, parents have the same responsibility toward their kids.

Skills like cooking, repairing, and swimming, are all life skills that might not necessarily be vital in life, thanks to modern advancements, but they are some of the basic survival skills that make a person independent and confident to live alone. 

kids active

Children learn by watching us. Involving them in various healthy activities is a great way to cultivate good habits in them, and teach them things that will help them survive independently. Start doing chores with them so that the tasks become more of a bonding moment between you and your kids. When we do things together with them, instead of asking them to do stuff, they are more accepting of learning the skill that is required to do the task.

You have to learn to be persuasive and influential to push your kids in the right direction; it is more like nudging them in the right direction and then watching them grow. Let them make mistakes, just be there to help them learn. If we don’t teach them basic things, then life will, and life might not be that kind to them.

If you do not introduce your kids to cooking, then they are only going to learn it if it is necessary or they have an interest in it. Because of this, when people move out of their parent’s house, eating healthy and home-cooked meals becomes one of their major struggles.

Repair work and swimming might not seem as important as cooking because they are not basic survival skills that everyone requires, but nevertheless, they are handy skills to have, in case something goes wrong. 

No matter how much we love our children, no matter how much we pamper them, they are going to move out as we did. Yes, we want to give them the best, we don’t want them to have to work for things, but they eventually will have to. Their situations CAN and WILL change, and we will be powerless to help it then. Change is an inevitable process, so you need to prepare them for the shift that is bound to happen in their lives.

To make the kids better equipped to deal with the reality of life when they grow up, we need to stop treating them like babies in their impressionable years and start treating them as transitioning adults.

Final Thoughts

Growing up is a combination of learning and getting a lot of things right, but seldom do we realize that what we teach our children is what is going to shape them into independent or dependent adults. Avoiding huge issues tomorrow is worth handling little tantrums today.




Important Things to Remember While Teaching Your Kids to Cook

November 4, 2019 by

Involving your children in chores is a great way to teach them new skills and spend some time bonding over trials and errors. I have always been an advocate for inculcating positive habits in children from a young age, knowing the basics of cooking is one of them.

Knowing how much effort goes into a certain task can only be learned when you actually do it or are a part of it. As the kids start growing, it is our responsibility to teach them everything they need to be independent. Change is inevitable, we are not going to be there to provide for them all their lives even if we want to.

cooking

Knowing how to cook also makes sure that an individual will have more healthy meals. We should provide them with the knowledge and tools to begin feeding themselves so that later they don’t have to struggle with takeouts and fast foods. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when introducing kids to cooking.

Safety First

Kitchens have a lot of potentially dangerous pieces of equipment that your kid can hurt themselves with if not careful. Make your first lesson about safety. Teach them how to hold the knives – from the handle and not the blade even if all they are going to do with it is passing it to you.

Hot stoves, sharp knives and peelers, heavy iron woks, big rolling pins – there are a lot of things that can be considered dangerous if played with. If your kid is too young then you will most likely only include them in mixing stuff, keep them away from the main area then. Have them seated at the dining table. If they are actually going to be helping you in cooking then a thorough lesson is important.

Don’t scare them though. Be vigilant when they start out as your tiny little helpers but don’t make them feel overwhelmed. Use a cheerful voice and smiling eyes to keep the mood light. Because if you are worried, they will sense it and mimic too, they won’t enjoy the experience, and that is the main goal along with learning.

Teach Them the Correct Terminology

Kids usually have their own special name for things, especially for words they cannot pronounce. It is an instinct to dumb things down for children, but you don’t need to. You will be surprised at the ease at which children learn new terminologies.

Use the correct words for tools and techniques so that they pick it up and don’t have to struggle later. If they are learning something new, they might as well learn it correctly. They also feel proud – when they use something they recently learned – correctly. This helps boost their self-confidence and makes them feel proud of themselves.

Use Rewards

baking

If your kid isn’t interested in cooking, use rewards to persuade them. This isn’t just a hobby. Cooking is a skill that they need to learn to be independent. It is one of the basic survival skills. They don’t need to be restaurant quality chefs, they just need to learn how to feed themselves. Learning all the basics is more than enough.

Use their favorite shows or dishes as rewards for them helping you out in the kitchen with food preparation. You can also let them choose the dishes. This makes them more interested in the process. Don’t focus on just the healthy recipes, they will be bored real quick. Sprinkle in a mixture of healthy recipes and treats to keep it interesting.

With cooking, try baking because most children enjoy baking more than cooking. You can alternate the dishes with one being their choice and then the other being your choice.

Remember Your Goal

The above point brings me to this point. It is easy to get caught up in wanting to teach your kids all the dishes you know or experiment with new ones altogether. You should remember that the main goal here is to teach your kids one of the necessary skills that they need to survive and also to boost their confidence and self-esteem.

Knowing things makes an individual feel confident in their ability to do things and learn stuff. Cooking is one of the tasks that kids often relate to adults. Them being included in the process makes them feel important and like an adult.

It isn’t necessary for them to make top-notch dishes. They should just be learning something after each cooking session. Adjust the lessons according to their interests. If they aren’t interested, don’t keep pushing them to learn more complicated stuff. Let them do things at their own pace. Most importantly, have fun together.

Final Thoughts

What you basically need to keep in mind is that the whole idea behind teaching your kids to learn cooking from early on is to teach them an important skill that will help them become independent, boost their self-confidence and self-esteem, and help you bond with them. Just have fun with the process instead of treating it like a chore.




Valentine’s Day Thumbprint Heart Cookies

January 16, 2014 by

To wrap up our week of Valentine’s Day themed crafts and activities we’re showing off our Thumbprint Heart Strawberry Preserve Cookies. As you’ll see Shae and Shaun didn’t really use their thumbs but Fingerprint cookies don’t have the same ring to it.

Strawberry Jam Heart Thumbprint Cookies

We started with a simple soft cookie dough.

Ingredients

  • 1cup butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla or almond extract
  • 2 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup strawberry/raspberry jam or preserves

Directions
In bowl of stand mixer combine butter and sugar till fluffy then add vanilla and eggs, beat till smooth.

Add flour and salt and blend till combined. Set aside in fridge for 1 hour to chill.

Form 1inch balls of chilled cookie dough and place on parchment covered baking sheet .

Strawberry Jam Heart Thumbprint Cookies

Using fingers press a heart shape into the cookie dough. Reform edges if needed.Strawberry Jam Heart Thumbprint Cookies Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Fill with 1/2 tsp of favorite jam.

Strawberry Jam Heart Thumbprint Cookies
Cool and enjoy.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Sarah of Play to Learn with Sarah, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

You’ll find so many more ideas on the #KidsintheKitchen Pinterest Board.
Follow Melinda Babiak’s board #KidsintheKitchen on Pinterest.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky





Fruit Painted Rocks #craft #kidsinthekitchen

July 25, 2013 by

Don’t we all have pretty bowls and vases on our kitchen table filled with fruit, flowers and other lovely centerpieces. On our tables I have a bowl of fresh produce and on the other table I have a tray filled with junk. I’m talking about coupons, sunglasses, notebooks, beads and business cards. It’s the catchall for the room.

I gave Sabreena and Shae a task to make something pretty for the table.  They hunted under our deck for very specific shaped river rocks and made a this bowl of fruit.

The first thing they had to do was wash all the dirt off of the rocks and set them aside to dry. A couple minutes in the sun is all it took.

river rocks

The girls brought out all of the acrylic paints plus some kid friendly washable poster paints, tons of brushes like these ones  and protection for my table. They wrote down lists of all the fruits and veggies they thought they could paint and started mixing colors.

Shae went for her favorite fruits first, strawberries and blueberries. Sabreena went for more elaborate designs like corn an squash. Hours and hours went by and they were still sitting there painting rocks to resemble something completely new and beautiful.

Painting Rocks-Corn #kidsinthekitchen

painting rocks #kidsinthekitchen

Did you have fun in the “kitchen” this week? Did you try a new food or a new kid friendly restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? We invite you to share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

Don’t have a blog? Share an instagram photo or Facebook update.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

#KidsintheKitchen Weekly Linky

document.write(”);