With M going to school five days a week until 3pm, I’m going to have roughly 5 1/2 hours to myself on days I’m not working. That’s 16.25 “free hours” per week! I’ve been advised to do nothing that first week, just lie back and relax. Don’t plan any big projects or massive household undertakings, for example…
But I really, really want to plan a massive household undertaking. My mother used to have half the enclosed porch (which is heated and insulated and really just another room in the house) as her “office”, and M’s room has essentially just been her storage space, as she sleeps in my room and has the other half of the porch as her playroom. Well, we’re finally throwing out the old recliner and rickety desk on the porch, and the whole room will be free for M. Which means I’m going to set up a Montessori-inspired space that will serve as her playroom and “bedroom” (sans bed). I’ll bring M’s clothes out and put them in the porch room’s closet, move the stuff there into the second bedroom closet, and the 2nd bedroom will become my mom’s room/guest room. I will move the toddler decor onto the porch (it’s a much bigger room).
I’m really excited to get going. I want to get the old “baby” toys that M doesn’t play with out, and start setting the room up for my “big girl”, with her easel, a nice sitting area by her book shelves, a clothesline with clothes pins where she can hang up her art. She’ll have her train table, and kitchen, and tool bench. To be honest I should just ditch the tool bench cause she’s ready to use more realistic tool stuff now, and this is a very basic toddler model.
Mother of All Things 
Sounds like an awesome plan! Except… she will have a big change happening already and that first week might not be a good time to make a big at home change too.
That’s a great point, but besides the design, it won’t be a huge change. She doesn’t use her bedroom at all, not even to play in. So, I will just be moving stuff like her clothes to the room she already plays in, and taking away the stuff she never plays with (while she’s not looking of course). I doubt she’ll care, as she will still be sleeping in my bed with me (which is already on the floor)
I LOVE reimagining spaces. We’ve been on a total kick with it for the the last year and it always feels so good to clear stuff out and make better use of space. I was amazed at how much having a guest room changed things. Even just the ability to offer it to someone is amazing. I hope you share pictures of the space!