Something from Nothing (AKA: Free Playroom)

Winters are long here. 

Way. Too. Long.

And COLD. Like, new-meaning-to-the-word-COLD cold.

As the time approaches and we're spending less time outside, this Mommy was getting desperate for a new place for the boys to play. I'm trying to limit the amount of toys in their rooms, cuz it's always a disaster--or it would be if they had their way, but we're the old-fashioned kind of mom and dad that make them clean up several times a day.

I know. So rude.

Anyway, I wanted an area where they could be louder and run more and not worry about my things and not always have to clean up so much cuz no one would see it, and a place to stash those huge toys that quickly fill up bedrooms and somewhere away from the bedrooms in case someone's sleeping. Even more important considering there's another baby on the way.

Enter our unfinished basement. Unfinished plus 40 years of storing someone else's pack-rat tendencies. And bugs. And mice. Unfinished brick walls and cement floors and exposed pipes and wires and things in the unfinished ceiling. We do plan to finish the basement in the next couple of years, so all of the exposed elements will be hidden and I wasn't thrilled about spending a lot of time and effort painting. Besides, the point was to do this for FREE!

Because I started with nothing, there's no picture of it. LOL! Just the mental image you get from reading the above paragraph. Here are the afters:

No excuses, Mommy!

Not pictured: rug, twin mattress to act as a couch, basketball net. It's also conveniently close to the laundry area so I can fold clothes while the boys play. And there's a bathroom!

We're all loving the new play area, especially our budget!