There are two reasons why I chose The Mum Cave as my blog name.
- I wanted a sort of online sanctuary where I could write down all my thoughts and feelings about being a parent.
- I constantly dream about having my own mum cave.
We’ve all heard of a man cave. A place where men can escape to, to do their man things.
It’s only fair that us mums should have our own little space too! As much as we love our kids, it’s nice to think about having a space where we can go, to do our non-mum things for a bit.
Somewhere that’s our own.
Somewhere where we can’t hear the kids shouting “mummy” every 5 minutes.
Somewhere where we can just have a moment to think.
Or, if the day has been really shit, somewhere to scream.
But where’s the best place to create one? The only way we could completely get away from everything would be to have an actual cave. Preferably near a beach. Miles and miles away.
Since we can’t escape parenthood, that’s obviously not possible.
And so, we’ll have to settle for these ideas instead:
The loft
The loft is one of the best areas for creating your own private space. It’s out of the way of everyone, it’s cosy and it’s perfect for a reading nook.
Or for somewhere to indulge in a hobby, such as writing, painting or crafting!
Under the stairs
I love the thought of having a cosy nook to escape to under the stairs, Harry Potter style, but without the shitty relatives.
Although small, the space under a staircase can still be transformed into a usable space, like this one created by a young mum.
As this story shows, it’s easy and affordable for mums to create their own space.
And beneficial for our mental health too! I love the use of the comfy bean bag and the simple lamp to create a calm, cosy atmosphere.
Our storage cupboard is located in the kitchen. It currently houses a ridiculous amount of cardboard boxes and carrier bags, but it’s not a bad size and definitely has the potential to become a mum cave in the future!
And because it’s in the kitchen, I’ve got easy access to wine, tea, coffee, biscuits and other treats. I can sneak into there when it all gets a bit too much. I might even install a door with a lock on it to enhance the experience.
Bliss.
Garden room
Whenever we visit a garden centre, we always go to the outdoor area and immediately look at the selection of sheds.
And daydream about what we would use one of the huge garden rooms for.
The kids would use it as a playroom.
The husband would have an art studio (he does a bit of illustrating in his spare time).
And I would create an awesome mum space, where I can….escape from being a mum.
It has to be a daydream – a brand new garden room is out of our budget for now. But we can dream!
We do have a big outbuilding that has the potential to be transformed into the ultimate mum cave, but I might have to fight the husband for it. It also needs decorating and LOADS of decluttering for it to be in a good enough state to be inhabited by anyone other than the massive gang of cellar spiders that are currently residing there.
It’s definitely a project for the (hopefully near) future!
In addition to providing you with your own cosy space, a garden room also enables you to enjoy lovely views of the garden and wildlife.
It’s amazing how therapeutic watching a squirrel eating an acorn can be, as you relax and enjoy time away from all the chaos. And there’s nothing better than the sounds of nature, such as birdsong. Or the noisy gang of Canadian geese flying over my house. Which admittedly can be annoying, but still a thousand times more tolerable than the kids shouting and screaming.
A corner of a room
Ok, so this idea probably won’t enable you to get away from the kids for a bit.
BUT
Having just one section of the home to call your own, even if it’s just a corner or a small nook in one of the rooms, can really make a difference.
You can easily personalise the space with a photo, piece of art or other decorative item that’s special to you. There are so many ideas available…
Be sure to ban any toy dinosaurs, cuddly toys and balls from your mum corner.
And by balls, I mean the kids’ bouncy balls, not just the husband’s.
An office
I would LOVE to have an office! Unfortunately, we don’t yet have enough space in the home for an office room, but it’s something to look into in the future.
If you work from home and have your own office, you can easily transform it into a room where you can relax too. Simple touches, such as adding a rug, a small bookcase or even a plant can make an office space feel homely and provide you with somewhere to wind down rather than just somewhere to work.
I suggest choosing artificial plants. This is a mum cave after all. It’s all about relaxation and getting away from every household chore possible. In our mum cave, we don’t want to have to worry about keeping anything other than our children alive.
Unless you’re a plant lover.
In which case, go ahead and fill your mum cave with as much real greenery as you wish!
