I still remember the first time my son came home from a school field trip and announced he wanted to paint his bedframe blue because “it looked like mom’s kitchen.” At forty-two, with two kids ages 8 and 11, my days are a steady mix of school runs, soccer practice, and the neighbor dropping over a pie when life feels hectic. Mornings smell like coffee and cereal, afternoons are a blur of homework and carpools, and evenings are when the house finally breathes. Lately, small changes around the sink and stove have felt like tiny acts of self-care—swapping a lamp,…