I’ve been waiting for weeks to write an unboxing post about the merch I ordered from my favorite webcomic, But FedEx is apparently taking it on a sightseeing tour of the U.S. It’s been to 8 states! The surest way to get it to arrive is to write about something else, so here’s a blog about the other reason FedEx came to my house today: tricking out Jordan’s play “room.”
Election anxiety has caused an uptick in my online window shopping, and anxiety about the coming winter months and the next wave of the pandemic has given me an urge to nest and make our home more comfortable for spending all the time in. So I made a few splurges, and most of them were focused on creating a fun and inviting place for Jordan to play. (Others were merch from my favorite webcomic and tools for cutting and dyeing my hair. But I digress.)
Our living room is basically two rooms in one, but it’s kind of like 1/3 room, then 1 whole room, then 2/3 room. The space we have for his toys is not quite large enough and kind of awkward. It also doubles as Dada’s office, even though Jerald mostly works in the dining room. Jordan doesn’t spend much time there, and I want that to change now that we won’t be able to take him outside for a change of scenery as often. I didn’t take a “before” photo, but here’s the after:
My biggest concern was that the floor would be cold, so I got him a special rug. We must have looked at every streetmap rug on the internet before Jerald and I agreed on one. 
Jordan is sporting his best lumberjack look for this photo shoot. I wish I took better photos. 
This tent was his Christmas present last year. I wonder what would happen if I used my clothes steamer on the wrinkles. 
Jordan loves numbers thanks to Team Umizoomi, so Dada bought him this chart. I need something better than washi tape to hang it on the wall. 
I moved his kitchen into the corner and used his baby puzzle mat to make it a separate area. Then I used the leftover pieces to make small toy bins. 
The Duplo box is good for climbing. At this age, everything is good for climbing. 
Jordan is more interested in Sesame Street than his new table. 
He has a parking and refueling station, courtesy of GranDee. With a bonus gnome for a gas station attendant. 
I’ve learned to always take live photos, because there’s a chance he’ll be looking at the camera in at least one of the frames. 
The sling bookshelf behind the truck is also new, and the toy basket is looking kind of empty after I cleared out all the baby toys.
What do you think?
This project has kept me occupied for several weeks of Googling and Pinteresting, comparison shopping and repeatedly bugging Jerald for his opinion. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I could have waited for Christmas, but I want Jordan to use it now. He has been doing an incredible job of keeping himself entertained while Mommy and Dada have to work, but I still feel awful that he doesn’t go to daycare anymore. (COVID finally caught up with his old center, though, so I do feel justified that we were cautious and kept him home.)
I’ve also got Pinterest projects going on for the dining room, our bedroom, the basement, my craft area, the mud “room,” and even my niblings’ rooms in their new house. All of these projects have varying degrees of fantasy vs. reality. While I did find a great deal on a new dining room set from Craigslist, I doubt we’ll actually rip out the closet next to the garage and install a storage bench and corner shelf. Or build a wine cellar under the basement stairs. Dreaming just occupies my mind and keeps me out of trouble (with some notable exceptions). If any of these other projects do turn into something real, though, I’ll be sure to keep you posted.
Lauren B. Lentini 
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