My Desperate Need for a Mama Fort

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Looking around my house I really needed to find a place that could be all mine; a mama fort, of sorts. Something that would remind me of the woman I want to be, a spot for me to recharge, and do something I love. A place of beauty, or meaning, and of course completely lego-free! 

mama fort

I was eager to make this idea a reality one morning while the kids were in school, and I was doing my usual chores. I cleaned up messes from where they ate, played, and danced. As I went, I found myself feeling like I was constantly cleaning up messes from where my family lived in the house, but struggled to find evidence where I lived

Sure, I have a craft area in the garage, but it has been buried for as long as I can remember. I have a soaking bath tub in my master bathroom, but it really just displays my bath salt jar collecting dust and scattered toys at the bottom from when my kids use it. Even my treadmill has baskets of laundry on it, but that is what treadmills are made for right? 

As mother’s we are expected to just go until we crash into our pillows at night. I have been a mother for almost a decade now, and I have six blessings that I am currently raising. It is easy to find myself with a to-do list that never ends, but this is not what motherhood is all about. We need time for ourselves, to spend time doing the things that bring us joy. 

So much of our house is shared space, heck, most of us parents even share our bed not only with our spouse but a kid or two. So, I was determined to find a spot just that is just mine. Maybe I would make some sort of mama fort in my master closet with pillows, a lamp, and a shelf with good books. A place for me to read, pray, and just breathe. Or I could clean off my treadmill and decorate the wall around it with inspiring and motivating words and photos. It could be my little bubble of me-time.

I knew with a family of our size I wouldn’t be able to claim an entire room for myself, but I realized that I could fill a tote that I could tuck away and pull out when I needed some me time, a traveling mama fort. Maybe I could create a little spa basket and pull it out when I needed a mommy makeover in the bathroom. 

While doing my chores and dreaming of the possibilities, I made my way to the front room near my entryway. Glancing around the room I saw our piano, bookshelves, the overflowing toy box, and two chairs huddled around the large-sized coffee table. I Looked at my curtains and realized how much I loved this spot. The light from the front porch on sunny days is beautiful, and even when it’s dark outside the floor lamps give it a cozy glow. This is going to be my mama fort, at least for now. I can shut the french doors to be alone, snuggle up in a chair with a warm cup, and read or write or just sit. I might even let my husband join me for morning coffee dates on the weekends while the kids are watching cartoons. It is a place where I don’t have to see my messy kitchen, and I won’t step on dried cereal, and for the season I am in right now, I need this space. 

However, the only thing that makes a mama fort work is if we take the time to enjoy it. I encourage you to look around your house and make your own. No blankets needed, unless you want to curl up in them. Just a place for you to hide out when you need to breathe a little deeper.