I’m a Working Woman Who Loves to Cook and Clean—Here’s How I Found Balance
Riya Kumari | Feb 12, 2025, 23:39 IST
The world is changing. Women are CEOs, artists, scientists, and leaders. But here’s the thing—some women also love to cook, keep a beautiful home, and find joy in the little acts of care that make life softer. And no, that doesn’t make them any less independent or ambitious. It just makes them women who embrace all parts of themselves. Somewhere along the way, “loving to cook and clean” got boxed into outdated narratives.
"I" in this story is not just me—it’s every woman who pulls it off daily. The ones who wake up early, chase ambitions, handle responsibilities, and still find joy in making a house feel like home. The world loves to put women into categories: career-driven or family-oriented, ambitious or nurturing. But some women refuse to choose.
I’m not some domestic goddess floating around in a vintage apron, nor am I the overworked career woman chugging cold coffee while staring at a pile of laundry with existential dread. I’m both. I love my job, and I love making a home that looks like something out of a Pinterest board. And guess what? I’ve figured out how to do both without losing my mind. But for many, it’s not about obligation—it’s about joy. It’s about turning the mundane into something beautiful, finding a rhythm that works, and refusing to let society dictate what fulfillment should look like.
1. Cooking Isn’t a Chore When You Romanticize It
Ever since I was a kid, I loved to cook. There’s something wildly satisfying about creating something from scratch and watching people close their eyes in happiness after the first bite. I don’t do stress-cooking—I intentionally cook in a good mood. No frantic chopping, no passive-aggressive slamming of cabinet doors. Just me, vibing to a solid playlist, testing out a recipe I probably found at 2 AM on YouTube. And my family? They get it. They don’t just eat what I make; they appreciate it. Because they know food made with love just hits different.
For those who love to cook, it’s never just about food. It’s about care, about memory, about weaving warmth into the fabric of a family. It’s the difference between eating and being nourished, between feeding and giving. A meal made with presence feels different.
2. Cleaning Is Fun When You Have a Co-Pilot
Here’s a hot take: Cleaning isn’t that bad when you make it a team sport. My partner and I have a system—if I cook, he does the dishes. But it’s not just him, miserably scrubbing pans while sighing dramatically. Nope. We turn the kitchen into our dance floor, blasting music and turning cleanup into foreplay. (Trust me, watching your partner wipe down counters like he owns the place is weirdly attractive.) We divide and conquer—I handle the clothes and organization, and he’s on broom-and-mop duty. He also takes out the trash, which is basically the ultimate love language. When everything looks good, it feels good, and then we happily collapse on the couch, guilt-free, because we earned that rest.
A home is not just walls; it’s an energy. When both partners contribute, a house stops being a place you live in and starts becoming a place that lives with you. It is not about making a home perfect—it is about making it yours.
3. Good In-Laws Are a Cheat Code to a Happy Marriage
Listen, I lucked out. My in-laws actually like me. Not just tolerate-me-at-family-gatherings like me, but root-for-my-happiness like me. They even scold their son when he messes up, which is chef’s kiss perfection. (Seriously, watching your mother-in-law side with you in an argument? Elite experience.) And it’s mutual. I adore my family too. Our relationships aren’t built on obligation but on actual love. We make time for them, we plan cute little family dates, and we genuinely enjoy each other’s company. It’s almost suspiciously wholesome.
A woman’s peace is often determined not just by her partner, but by the family she marries into. The strongest relationships are the ones where respect flows in every direction. Where a woman is not just accepted but valued. Where family is not a duty but a source of belonging.
4. Love Is a Verb, Not Just a Feeling
We both work. We both have responsibilities. But when we’re together, we choose to love each other in the small, intentional ways that matter. We go the extra mile to make the other feel special, even if it’s just bringing home their favorite snack after a long day. Love isn’t just grand romantic gestures; it’s choosing to be present, choosing to care, choosing to be nice—even when you’re both exhausted. And that’s how we balance it all. Not perfectly. Not effortlessly. But in a way that makes life feel full, fun, and like the kind of romcom you’d actually want to watch.
Between work, responsibilities, and the constant movement of life, love can easily become something that exists but is no longer felt. The way someone listens, the way they make space, the way they return—even after long days, even when it’s easier not to. Love isn’t sustained by words alone but by action. It is a habit, a discipline, a decision made every single day.
5. Balance Is Built, Not Found
No woman should have to choose between ambition and home, between success and softness. The world may try to frame it as a trade-off, but the truth is, balance is not discovered—it is created. Not through perfection. Not through exhaustion. But through intention. Through knowing what matters and making space for it. Through refusing to see life as an either/or when it was always meant to be both.
I’m not some domestic goddess floating around in a vintage apron, nor am I the overworked career woman chugging cold coffee while staring at a pile of laundry with existential dread. I’m both. I love my job, and I love making a home that looks like something out of a Pinterest board. And guess what? I’ve figured out how to do both without losing my mind. But for many, it’s not about obligation—it’s about joy. It’s about turning the mundane into something beautiful, finding a rhythm that works, and refusing to let society dictate what fulfillment should look like.
1. Cooking Isn’t a Chore When You Romanticize It
Cooking
( Image credit : Pexels )
Ever since I was a kid, I loved to cook. There’s something wildly satisfying about creating something from scratch and watching people close their eyes in happiness after the first bite. I don’t do stress-cooking—I intentionally cook in a good mood. No frantic chopping, no passive-aggressive slamming of cabinet doors. Just me, vibing to a solid playlist, testing out a recipe I probably found at 2 AM on YouTube. And my family? They get it. They don’t just eat what I make; they appreciate it. Because they know food made with love just hits different.
For those who love to cook, it’s never just about food. It’s about care, about memory, about weaving warmth into the fabric of a family. It’s the difference between eating and being nourished, between feeding and giving. A meal made with presence feels different.
2. Cleaning Is Fun When You Have a Co-Pilot
Making bed
( Image credit : Pexels )
Here’s a hot take: Cleaning isn’t that bad when you make it a team sport. My partner and I have a system—if I cook, he does the dishes. But it’s not just him, miserably scrubbing pans while sighing dramatically. Nope. We turn the kitchen into our dance floor, blasting music and turning cleanup into foreplay. (Trust me, watching your partner wipe down counters like he owns the place is weirdly attractive.) We divide and conquer—I handle the clothes and organization, and he’s on broom-and-mop duty. He also takes out the trash, which is basically the ultimate love language. When everything looks good, it feels good, and then we happily collapse on the couch, guilt-free, because we earned that rest.
A home is not just walls; it’s an energy. When both partners contribute, a house stops being a place you live in and starts becoming a place that lives with you. It is not about making a home perfect—it is about making it yours.
3. Good In-Laws Are a Cheat Code to a Happy Marriage
Family
( Image credit : Pexels )
Listen, I lucked out. My in-laws actually like me. Not just tolerate-me-at-family-gatherings like me, but root-for-my-happiness like me. They even scold their son when he messes up, which is chef’s kiss perfection. (Seriously, watching your mother-in-law side with you in an argument? Elite experience.) And it’s mutual. I adore my family too. Our relationships aren’t built on obligation but on actual love. We make time for them, we plan cute little family dates, and we genuinely enjoy each other’s company. It’s almost suspiciously wholesome.
A woman’s peace is often determined not just by her partner, but by the family she marries into. The strongest relationships are the ones where respect flows in every direction. Where a woman is not just accepted but valued. Where family is not a duty but a source of belonging.
4. Love Is a Verb, Not Just a Feeling
First date
( Image credit : Pexels )
We both work. We both have responsibilities. But when we’re together, we choose to love each other in the small, intentional ways that matter. We go the extra mile to make the other feel special, even if it’s just bringing home their favorite snack after a long day. Love isn’t just grand romantic gestures; it’s choosing to be present, choosing to care, choosing to be nice—even when you’re both exhausted. And that’s how we balance it all. Not perfectly. Not effortlessly. But in a way that makes life feel full, fun, and like the kind of romcom you’d actually want to watch.
Between work, responsibilities, and the constant movement of life, love can easily become something that exists but is no longer felt. The way someone listens, the way they make space, the way they return—even after long days, even when it’s easier not to. Love isn’t sustained by words alone but by action. It is a habit, a discipline, a decision made every single day.
5. Balance Is Built, Not Found
Club
( Image credit : Pexels )
No woman should have to choose between ambition and home, between success and softness. The world may try to frame it as a trade-off, but the truth is, balance is not discovered—it is created. Not through perfection. Not through exhaustion. But through intention. Through knowing what matters and making space for it. Through refusing to see life as an either/or when it was always meant to be both.