Making The Most of Your Kitchen Experience
Contributed by: NAPSA
(NAPSA) - For a busy mom, days can be filled with packing lunches, carpooling and maintaining family schedules.
Finding time to bring the whole family together in one place can be daunting. According to a new survey, the kitchen is often the place families happily come together.
When asked what they most like about their kitchen, 52 percent of women said that it serves as a social gathering place for friends and family.
"For this reason, it is important to make the most of your kitchen experience," advises Lauren Groveman, author of "The I Love to Cook Book" and host of PBS' "Home Cooking with Lauren Groveman."
The survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation and commissioned by Joy(r) dishwashing liquid, polled 1,000 women, ages 18 and older.
These women offered three tips to bring more joy to the kitchen:
- Personalize your kitchen
- Involve the entire family
- Clean as you cook
Make Your Kitchen Your Own
A simple way many women make cooking and cleaning more pleasant is by personalizing their kitchen. Forty-nine percent of respondents said fresh-cut flowers can liven up the kitchen, while 46 percent say they feature their children's artwork to add a personal touch. A beautiful bowl of assorted citrus fruit on their kitchen counter does the trick for 27 percent. Filling the room with a favorite scent is another option.
"Find something that adds to your own kitchen experience," recommends Groveman. "It can be as simple as filling the room with family pictures. Or-for the 75 percent of women who often wash their dishes by hand-using a dishwashing liquid such as Joy, that contains natural citrus extracts, can offer a refreshing scent to boost your mood."
Share the Experience
Nearly half of the women (48 percent) think the best way to make the kitchen more fun is to involve the entire family-from prepping to cooking to cleaning up-by giving each family member a role.
If everyone lends a hand, they will gain a greater appreciation for cooking and cleaning and the quality time spent in the kitchen.
Hurry Up and Clean Up!
Twenty-four percent volunteered that cleaning as you go helps with the sometimes difficult task.
Also, according to 14 percent of respondents, making cleanup a family affair cuts down on time.
