Libby Frank: Postponing haircuts one day at a time.

A solution. And one that matches, natch.

We are in the middle of reclaiming our family room, at the expense of our dining room. When Kevin and I began house hunting, we chose to stay in the city. We knew this was at the expense of things like square footage and a functional garage, but we feel at home in an urban setting. We love our neighborhood. Close to Ault Park, shops and restaurants, and chock full of young families like ourselves, it's a great fit.

But man, is it small.

I made a unilateral decision that the dining room must go. Our basement, while good for Play Station and laundry, really isn't baby friendly. Too many shelves with heavy objects, and lots of exposed equipment. I'm not adverse to children who use their imagination to create toys out of nothing, but sailing little boats in the toilet under the stairs might raise a few eyebrows. Not mine, of course, because I'm all for baby-led rearing. Catch a few communicable diseases, and you'll learn.

So, the dining room. We do use it. But it has valuable floor space. Floor space that my almost crawler can use. And it's an easy space to childproof. Square. No cords. Plugs and vents covered. Go baby, go!

If you are invited to dinner anytime soon, know that the table will be shoved back into position minutes before you arrive, and that you might have to step over an exersaucer and shimmy past the pack-n-play to get to your seat.

And the wine rack can be used as a climbing gym! When one lives in a small space, one needs objects to do double duty. Common sense, really.