A Sneak Peek of How an Obsessive-compulsive Mom's Kitchen Looks Like

1:22 AM

Forty degrees Celsius.  It's official!  Summer is here and we're stuck at home.  Who in the world would like to get toasted under the scorching sun?  I don't know.  All I know is that this summer season in the middle east has just started and it's going to become even worse once the month of August kicks in.  In short, no outdoor activities for our family in the mean time.

That's  fine!  I prefer the hot and dry season of Abu Dhabi rather than the rainy season in the Philippines.  I don't like rain.  It stresses me.  Honestly, rain scares the hell out of me.  And it's all because of my traumatic "Ondoy" experience.  Good thing we are living in a place where rain only happens once in a blue moon.  That's enough to give me peace of mind.  Thanks God!

Since we're home bound (meaning either my sister or my husband can look after Rafa for a while), I took the opportunity to keep my self busy organizing our kitchen.  Don't get me wrong, I love taking care of Rafa.  It's just that I, being the wife and the only OC (obsessive-compulsive) person in our house, am expected to always keep the house clean and maintain it that way.

Our kitchen is pretty simple and minimalistic. All we have here are just the things which my husband and I deem necessary. Just the basics, nothing ornamental. (Wondering what the high chair is doing here? That's our little man's throne as he watches mommy/daddy cooks. He loves watching LIVE cooking show!)

I  never really knew I had OCPD until I accidentally stumbled upon this link where I took the test out of curiosity.  The result showed I scored the highest (86%) for obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

"Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), also called anankastic personality disorder, is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, excessive attention to details, mental and interpersonal control, and a need for power over one's environment, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency."      - Wikipedia

Top:  The blue bag contains all tools.  Bottom (L-R):  Face masks (personal protective equipment for infection control especially that we have a baby in the house), Skyflakes container (used to hold all miscellaneous items like tapes, batteries, etc.), first aid kit (this item is essential in emergency cases that's why it is placed in a common area where everyone has an easy access to), and medications (I used a shoe box to hold all prescription and over-the-counter drugs for common illnesses)

Grocery items go into this cabinet.  Obviously, we love hot and spicy tuna!

My favorite and most frequently opened cabinet in the kitchen containing all my breakfast essentials - oats, sugar, milo, and skimmed milk powder.  We do have coffee and tea for visitors as well.

Our ref is being overloaded with too much magnets.  Blame it on my sister who loves collecting these kind of stuff.  Anyway, noticed that white piece of paper?  That's the guideline for storing/thawing breast milk.  I'm one proud breastfeeding mama!  To the right are just the condiments which you would usually find in every person's kitchen.

SPICES.  When I was still single, all the seasonings that I knew of were just salt and pepper.  After getting married to a master chef, I was introduced to basil, rosemary, thyme, paprika, turmeric, and many other spices I've never heard of.  Thus, this!  (All the jars in this cabinet originally contains Bonne Maman jams and jellies which we later reused to house the incredibly numerous spices that my husband uses for cooking.)

COOKWARE and BAKEWARE.  We don't own a set of stylish and matching cooking pots.  It was a mutual decision for me and my husband to just pick a few pieces which we consider necessary for cooking.  That way, we don't get to spend extra on things we don't really need.  It works for us.  Maybe because we're both minimalist and frugal, so style becomes the least of our priority.

UTENSILS and SILVERWARE.  I want our kitchen countertops to be always clean and free from any clutter that's why utensils and silverware are kept inside the drawers.  We used drawer organizers from Home Center to keep these items in order, not to mention it also helps in making things more visible and readily accessible.

GLASSWARE and FLATWARE.  My husband and I had only one criterion when we went shopping for these items -- it must be plain/simple.  We want our glassware and flatware to look generic in terms of design so that it will be easy to find a replacement in case we break a few pieces.

I hope informing you beforehand of my OCPD would help in making you understand the reason behind the photos of how our kitchen looks and why it looks just like that.

Wondering if you might have those OCD tendencies too?  Check out this 10 signs you might have obsessive compulsive disorder.



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31 comments

  1. Jennifer VillanuevaJune 1, 2015 at 8:42 AM

    I don't mind seeing how neatly organized your kitchen is... i think all kitchens should look that way. Call It an ocpd too, but, i guess this is just standards that we should all keep if we can. I mean, who wants a roach-filled pantry, right? Cleaniliness should start in the kitchen. Props to you mommy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cheragilesJune 7, 2015 at 1:01 AM

      I agree with you, no one wants to have a roach filled kitchen. I hate cockroaches (or should I say, I'm scared of them). Thanks Jennifer!

      Delete
  2. Daniel Kaity BatoJune 1, 2015 at 11:18 AM

    Nice work Mommy!(: Organization makes all the difference!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ruth AlarconJune 2, 2015 at 4:47 AM

    Hey momma! I looooove your kitchen! Sana din maging OCD din ako para ma-achieve ko to. Hehe :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cheragilesJune 7, 2015 at 1:04 AM

      Thanks Ruth! You can do it too! But I must say that you need your family's cooperation to maintain it clean and orderly.

      Delete
  4. MrsMartinez | xoxoMrsMartinez.comJune 2, 2015 at 8:22 PM

    Good job, momma! Nice arrangement on the shelves!

    xoxo
    MrsMartinez

    ReplyDelete
  5. jared's mumJune 2, 2015 at 9:12 PM

    judging from how organized your shelves + pantries are, i think we are going to be best friends! i love everything to be neat + orderly at home, too, although it is quite a struggle when you are the only house-hold help around + you are living with a 5-year old boy who has a knack at scattering stuff around. i would love for everything to be in its proper place all the time, but i just do not have the energy to clean up every single time! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cheragilesJune 7, 2015 at 1:08 AM

      I agree Jared's mum, it really takes a lot of effort to keep everything orderly, more so if you have a kid who knows very well how to mess up everything. #mommyproblems

      Delete
  6. AyiJune 3, 2015 at 12:55 AM

    I love how organized your kitchen is! Great job momma! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fully HousewifedJune 3, 2015 at 3:21 AM

    You can be OCPD in my home, haha! Seriously, your kitchen is divine. I thought I was OCPD but I guess I"m not since I started tolerating mess when my 2nd child came. And now, there are no traces of it!

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    Replies
    1. cheragilesJune 7, 2015 at 1:12 AM

      Thanks Fully Housewifed! I understand how difficult it is to be orderly at home especially with not just one, but two little kids who knows little of orderliness. That's fine mommy! It's forgiveable! Lol.

      Delete
  8. BalotJune 3, 2015 at 3:36 AM

    Wow! Totally neat! The best talaga, good job mommy :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rhoda FajardoJune 3, 2015 at 3:58 AM

    IMO, it's normal for most moms to have OCD coz I think I am when it comes to sorting my files in my laptop. Others, in home cleanliness. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cheragilesJune 7, 2015 at 1:15 AM

      I agree with you Rhoda! I think most women are naturally hardwired to be neat, clean, and orderly.

      Delete
  10. Rhoda FajardoJune 3, 2015 at 3:58 AM

    IMO, it's normal for most moms to have OCD coz I think I am when it comes to sorting my files in my laptop. Others, in home cleanliness. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. LevyJune 6, 2015 at 6:36 AM

    I think it's okay to place everything in their proper place. I'm just curious, if they are re-arrange do you get mad?

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    Replies
    1. cheragilesJune 7, 2015 at 1:18 AM

      I don't get mad, Levy. I just nag. Lol! Kidding aside, you know it will just come to a point when getting mad and nagging become more tedious than just putting back everything in its proper place.

      Delete
  12. Peachy @ The Peach KitchenJune 7, 2015 at 2:45 AM

    You have a very organized kitchen! I wish I could say the same for ours!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Josephine BahalaJune 7, 2015 at 5:10 AM

    I think I used to be OC too, but somehow forgotten about it na (nakakalimutan ba yon?) Hahaha... or is it just because of lack of material time?! Lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cheragilesJune 10, 2015 at 4:37 AM

      I feel you, Josephine. Mommy duties are 24/7 and often, we find ourselves having so much to do with very little time.

      Delete
  14. Kaycee EnervaJune 7, 2015 at 8:21 PM

    Si boyfie ang OC sa kusina. Taga-kain lang ako hahaha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cheragilesJune 10, 2015 at 4:40 AM

      Kaycee.. I used to be like that when I was still a bit younger, single, and childless.. But after getting married and having the need to learn how to cook, I started to be OC in the kitchen.

      Delete
  15. Maria Teresa FiguerresJune 7, 2015 at 8:32 PM

    Wow! Your kitchen is really organized. There's a specific place for anything and everything! Your OCPD is a big help in this regard.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Que Sullano - GavanJune 7, 2015 at 9:03 PM

    Lovely and organized kitchen!

    ReplyDelete

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