Why Rica Peralejo Spiced Up Her Kitchen Space: 'I Was Changed By Motherhood'

Being a mother changes you. It changes not just your body but also your personality. In fact, even science agrees! This motherhood fact hits home, both literally and figuratively, for Smart Parenting's first-ever celebrity editor-at-large Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio. The actress-turned-online content creator shares being a mom encouraged her to spice up her kitchen and get into cooking.

Rica has been actively sharing her motherhood journey online and how it continues to bring about positive changes in her life in ways more than one. Case in point, it was only now that she's a mom that Rica wanted to learn how to cook. Better late than never, right?

"How did I learn to cook? By love. My children love to eat. I love my children, and so I now love cooking, too!" Rica tells Smart Parenting.

Rica's new-found appreciation for a good kitchen space

For the love of her sons, Philip, 8, and Manu, 2, Rica's goal is to grow a passion for cooking and spend more time in the kitchen, a place she used to ignore and even wanted to be removed before!

Pre-motherhood, Rica's idea of a kitchen only involved a microwave. "I had no kitchen. My kitchen in my very first home as an adult had no stove. In fact I told my mom I wanted the kitchen removed. Just put a microwave — that is what I said."

But gone are those days now that she's inspired to whip up delicious meals for her family -- so inspired that she had her kitchen renovated. "Fast forward to today, and I put a big chunk of my money into a kitchen renovation. I wanted one that encouraged me to cook more and be in it more, which is exactly what it is now," Rica said.

As the newest member of the Smart Parenting team, Rica let us in on an exclusive sneak peek inside her spiced-up kitchen. Why the renovation? She says, "Because I was changed by motherhood."

Take a look inside Rica's new kitchen space, plus she teaches us an easy to prepare snack for kids using an air fryer.

How to effectively organize your kitchen

As Smart Parenting's editor-at-large, Rica will be the face of our new vlog series, Poprica: Popular Parenting Spiced by Rica Peralejo, where she will give her own flavor on various parenting topics. Catch the first episode on February 14, 2022, only on Smart Parenting's YouTube channel!

To give you a taste of what to expect from Poprica, we asked Rica for her tips on how to keep the kitchen tidy and organized. She tells us three simple steps to do just that:

1. "Study the flow of traffic in the kitchen"

Efficiency is the key when maintaining order in the order. Rica's advice is to "Place plates and utensils nearest to the dining area, pots, and pans near the stove."

2. "Risers are a must!"

Rica notes the importance of maximizing space. Using a riser is a simple but perfect tool to achieve that. "You can put much in a tall space and not waste that extra space."

3. "Put the same colors together"

Ingredients, spices, and other cooking essentials can easily fill up your kitchen space. To avoid spots that can feel like eyesores, it's Rica-mmended to "Put the same colors together so you also like seeing those things and not only so eager to hide them and put them away!" Again, efficiency is key when keeping a space organized.

Expect more of Rica's tips and pieces of advice, not just on kitchen essentials but also on anything parenting on Poprica!

Read more about the exciting things to look forward to as Rica Peralejo begins her journey as Smart Parenting's editor-at-large here.

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