So This is the Diamond Room

In lieu of the addition we really wanted to do (stupid fiscal responsibility in an unstable economic environment) and to save some pennies, we spent our Valentine's weekend rearranging more furniture in the house.

Peanut's toys have been oozing from a corner in our den for awhile now. The train table he received for his birthday was crammed into a corner leaving little space for actual playing. I finally took a realistic look at the house and decided the random "keeping" room off of our kitchen would make a perfect play room. It has a built-in hutch that already stores all of his art supplies. It has a door to the back patio (and therefore sand box, basketball hoop, etc). It is close to but out of my direct sight line from the den, the living room and my bedroom (meaning I don't have to see the mess!).

So, I took stock and decided I needed to give up our casual eating table that lives there and give peanut the space we all need for him to play.

Before:


After:


The added benefit is that now we are eating in our dining room. This is causing me some short-term stress as I figure out how to best protect my beautiful, first real adult furniture purchase table from toddler fingers and forks that he thinks are better as drum sticks than eating utensils. But it is a lovely environment to eat in.

The best part is that peanut is calling it the "diamond" room. Love it!

So, one weekend, a little sweat equity and I have three new rooms in my house -- a new play room, added space in my den with a bookshelf full of books without pictures or Curious George in them, and a refreshed dining room. All that without the inconvenience of dust, hammering and interrupted naps.

Oh, wait. Peanut's still not napping. But that's a whole other post for another day...