Practical Crafting

This summer was a mess, to say the least. My mom had a bad wreck at the beginning of June, on the same day I tried to burn my house down. I was at my parent's house for 3 weeks helping to take care of mom while she was in the hospital. Then, I got the experience of living through a kitchen remodel from ...you know where. It is actually STILL not finished. You name it, it went wrong. *Serenity NOW*. Since my kitchen was messed up, the dining and formal living room were trashed and the office became the catch-all. As I began the process of putting my house back together, I had a fantastic idea that has actually transformed my life here at home.

We had been spending 90% of every day gated into a very small portion of the family room. I worked from the couch, and he played, as best he could, in the area he had. It was not ideal. The couch was wearing out, and we were both sick and tired of that room. BUT, it was what we had if I used the spaces in my home as they were intended. We have a large formal living area that was not being used, and a very small dining room that was only a hall between the kitchen and unused living room. My office was in a small room separated from the rest of the house and was in no way a place a baby could safely play while I worked. In a moment of inspiration I turned the whole house layout on it's side.

The family room became the formal living room, and is kept (relatively) clean. The unused living room became a play room/ family room, and the dining room became my offie. Now, we both have open space to work and play. I can sit at my desk and get things done while he has the freedom to roam explore 60% of the house safely. Now, the hall, entry way (which is technically the back door which NEVER gets used) play room, office, kitchen and laundry room are all connected and flow together in a usable way. I can do laundry and cook dinner while keeping an eye on the baby.

Of course, when I do things like this my husband is very supportive, but he cringes at the money I will inevitably want to spend to decorate the new space. That was the old Jessica's way. This new Jessica, who stays at home with the baby, is a bit more budget friendly. I chose to use the old dining room table as my desk until I can find something at a later time. I am using dining room chairs for seating in the office. I updated an old ugly file cabinet we bought used for $5, and it works great. As far as desk organization goes, I really like cute things but I don't want to pay for them. Instead, I went through my trash. YUP, I recycled my trash and used it. It's actually kinda cute! Turns out a tin can, a mayonnaise jar, toilet paper tubes and a folgers container CAN be pretty. I used lemon oil to remove any sticky residue from the tables and then washed them with dish soap. Just a quick coat of spray paint (the color I happened to have the most of on my paint shelf) and I called it good.

I am not known for my ability to keep clean... I always end up looking much the same as the paint project I am working on. By the end of my project, I looked like the jolly green giant. I was covered in overspray. Luckily, I keep lemon oil beside the sink. Just a couple of drops rubbed on my hands took the paint right off! No scrubbing and scraping required. I then washed my hands with Thieves foaming hand wash, and there was no sign of paint anywhere. I may do more craft projects now that I know clean up can be this easy.

~Grammy's Essentials Team
www.grammysessentials.com

The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only and as a guideline for your personal use. It should not be used as a substitution for medical counseling with a health professional. The contributors and authors do not accept responsibility for such use.