Mama Made Magic

You know how sometimes you dream about fixing up a space for months, but life just keeps getting in the way? That was me with our apartment balcony. The concrete was so gross — paint chipping off, dirt that never really went away no matter how much I swept. I wanted my son to have a safe spot to play outside, but with a toddler, a small budget, and no time for big projects, it felt impossible.

Then one day while grocery shopping at Aldi, I spotted this little wooden mud kitchen that was just the right price. I grabbed it on a whim, thinking it might make the balcony more fun. And while it was cute, it didn’t quite work on its own. My son loved splashing in the water bin, but now the ground was wet and slippery, and suddenly I was throwing down towels, adding to the chaos.

About a month later, shopping for groceries at Aldi again, there they were— rolls of fake grass, tucked away in the back like a hidden treasure. I’d been talking about getting some forever, but it was always too expensive or too flimsy. But these? Perfect. Two 4×6 rolls came home with me that day, and I thought: This is it.

I was so excited to lay it down, but the balcony was still a mess. Toys to clean up, furniture to move, a baby gate crammed between a chair and the stairs, and of course—my little man, running around at full toddler speed. So I tossed the grass out there for the night, away from our curious cats who wanted to snack on it, and told myself I’d handle it tomorrow.

The very next morning, my son woke up with a runny nose. A little cough and a lot of boogers — the kind of cold that means you’re homebound for a few days. Honestly? If he was going to get sick, the timing couldn’t have been better.

We weren’t going anywhere. No errands, no splash pad, no playdates. Just me, a sick little guy, and that fake grass practically calling my name from the other side of the sliding glass door.

I still couldn’t get out there while he was awake, so while he played and the TV buzzed in the background, I started tidying near the balcony door. Just a quick straighten-up. But one thing led to another and suddenly I was on one. Everything that needed to go, whether to storage, goodwill, or the trash, got stacked by the door. The boxes that had been sitting next to the couch. The empty water jugs we stopped using months ago. Holiday décor that managed to escape storage bins months ago. Everything was put by the door.

By the time nap time hit, the apartment already felt lighter. I made a few trips down to the dumpster, loaded up the car with donations and storage stuff, and left it at that — just having it out of sight was enough for now.

And then it was time.

I rolled up my sleeves and finally tackled the balcony. I swept, moved furniture, laid down the grass — and just like that, everything changed. It looked softer, cleaner, intentional. The kind of space you actually want to be in. And the apartment looked even better, seeing a nice little outdoor area on the other side of the glass doors was a drastic change from the mess we’d been looking at for months.

It’s not done. There are still gaps where the concrete peeks through, and toddlers will always find new ways to destroy your hard work. But now it’s manageable. Comfortable. Ours.

And somehow, that little patch of fake grass ended up being the spark that finally got me moving. It wasn’t just a mini balcony makeover — it kicked off a whole-home shift. A reminder that sometimes the magic starts with a cold, some clutter, and a couple of $20 grass rolls you didn’t even plan on buying.