When I was a kid, we lived across the street from a family who had two daughters who were younger than me. They had this magical little playhouse in their wooded backyard. It had charming Victorian details – a small porch and window boxes. And even though I was probably too old to really justify playing in it, I would go over and play with the girls.
You know – totally for their benefit. I felt like I should impart wisdom and share my knowledge. It wasn’t because I desperately wanted a playhouse myself.
No. Of course not.
Anyhow, now that I’m a mom, I only want to buy Henry toys and activities that are perfect for him. It doesn’t matter if I love them or anything. Because when you become a mother you become selfless.
Psych. Having a kid gives me justification to buy everything I always wanted.
Wait? Who said that?
So, anyhow … this playhouse appeared in our backyard on my birthday eve. Ryan wanted to know if it was a gift for me or for Henry. The jury’s still out.
The long story (yes, the story is already longer than what I’ve shared) is that I’ve been debating the merits of a swing set/slide/playhouse for months. I’ve been watching Craigslist and the ads. Because when we move to the barn, we’ll be in the boon-docks. Right now, we have three parks within a 5-10 minute walk from our house. We go to the parks A LOT. But when we move, no walking to parks anymore. So I feel like having something right there will be a benefit to both of our sanity.
But, when it really came down to it, Henry really only loves the forts and the slides. He doesn’t care about monkey bars, swings, etc. So for the money it costs to get a swing set, it may not be worth it. I may have a plan for the slide, but for now, a fort/playhouse. When I spotted this cute little cedar playhouse in a Sam’s Club display for under $300, Ryan and I agreed that it was worth the bucks.
My lovely friend Shannon took me to Sam’s to pick it up. And while the box SAYS it is four simple steps, do not be fooled. The company clearly took some cues from IKEA. I was planning to put it together before Henry’s birthday, but Ryan actually started working on it one night and then, there it was. Standing proud in our backyard.
It’s so stinkin’ cute and Henry really seems to enjoy playing it. (Although not as much as he enjoyed playing in the box it came in. Which is a good way to make his father – who had just spent 4 hours putting it together – want to cry.) The house and his sand table are right outside the back door, which is nice for me to be able to watch him from the kitchen, too. He spends lots of time in this area.
There’s a phone in his crib, which is a favorite. And my fanny actually (barely) fits in one of those benches. I have to pry myself out with a crow bar, but it’s worth it.
There’s also a cute little kitchen. Henry’s been cooking a lot of mulch lately. And he enjoys throwing all his toys out the window, as to be expected.
And my favorite part – the teeny tiny little toddler mailbox.
I mean, it’s just too adorable for words. Again, he mostly receives mulch in the mail. But, he seems okay with it.
I have a few plans up my sleeves to add a little pizazz to the house – I need to find a flower pot, some window boxes and maybe some (manly) curtains. And I’d love to add some vinyl details with my Silhouette to make it his own. But for now, it’s quite charming right out of the box (after four hours of assemble, clearly).
So, I may love the idea of a playhouse, but Henry seems rather smitten with it, too. So, clearly, this is ALL about him.
What do you think of his new crib?
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It has. A. MAILBOX. How much do I need this in my life?! I’m moving in. Move over Kim… er, Henry.
When I was growing up, my dad built us a 2-story play house out of left over building materials from our house. So it had the same siding, and shingles, and everything that our house had. It was literally a mini version of our home. It was perfect. After we got all big, they donated it to a park. And now it’s vandalized. sad day.
You’re such an awesome mom! I think the trick is to get your kids to like the same things as you, and I think we can all agree he’d be crazy not to like that playhouse!
I have started pondering how we could bring some awesome to our backyard, too. Our neighbors got a wooden playground, and my son has some serious backyard envy!
How fun for you to write Henry letters as he grows up and deliver them right to his door. I think it rocks!
Love the playhouse! Half the fun of being a mom is totally getting to buy and play with all the toys you want. I may or may not have bought my son a Little People princess castle for Christmas. You know, to go with the Little People airplane and helicopter he already has 😉 He decided it wasn’t a magical princess castle. Instead his trains fly through the windows. Oh well, I tried. Your son is adorable in his little house. I’m thinking the mailbox totally needs a Silhouette makeover!
Hahaha…. love it! Henry loves the Little People Princess Castle at my in-laws’ house and plays with it more than the Pirate ship.
So much fun! Henry is adorable in his crib! I think Nell would love this…but shes just gonna have o love the swing set, because Mama’s not putting more in the backyard.
Well, I wish we were closer because I know that Henry would love a swing set, too.
This is so cute! I love the little benches out front! Our neighbors have one of the plastic kid houses and now their dogs uses it to hide his toys!
I absolutely love this wooden playhouse! I hate the plastic ones. This looks like its been built to last! We may have to buy one of these once we start having kids. Or maybe earlier.. just for us. =]
Ok seeeeriously, that is the cutest play house I have ever seen. It’s so perfect!
Also, Ryan gets some serious dad points for 4 hours of assembly. I’m pretty sure I would have returned it (in a half-assembled state) at that point.
Yummmmmm – Nothing beats a fresh batch of sauteed mulch! That looks like a super fun play house!
Do you think mulch is paleo?
Fo sho! You can’t get much more primal than wood. 🙂
Ahhh! It’s so cute! I loved our playhouse as a kid! My stepdad built it on stilts around a tree with a slide coming out of the window, it was the best.
Oh wow, I really want to get this for my girls. It’s adorable!
(And I always wanted a play house too.)
The price was right on this. Ryan said he couldn’t even make it for that.
This is adorable!
I know. I was disappointed it wasn’t in my size.
I LOVED our playhouse growing up! I remember making weed lasagna and pond water soup (we were also in the boonies). Those were the days.
Boon docks unite.
The whole reason to have kids is to get to live out your childhood dreams, right? 🙂 I wonder if B would go for a Barbie mansion… hmmm 🙂 Or maybe just the car… I’ll have to experiment… I love this wooden house. What I love most about it is that they haven’t put a ton of ugly plastic colors with it, but kept it white and gray in the kitchen. As you should. Love that. Other companies should take not of that 🙂
I want a photo of your son unwrapping a present – a Barbie Dream House. 😉
Oh my! I cannot handle the cuteness! Loving the mailbox and little kitchen. And I’m glad to hear mulch is getting cooked. We’re making a play kitchen on our swingset for Abe (spoiler alert), and we just filled in the area where it’s going to be with mulch, partly to keep it from being a mess of weeds, but partly because I’m hoping for some mulch cuisine action 🙂
Can’t wait to see the kitchen. You guys are outdoing yourself. We could barely get the boxed version together and you are creating a whole playground from scratch.
What a great playhouse and it sounds like a good deal too. We had an adventure this weekend putting together some kid junk. Didn’t have nearly as much success as you though 🙂
Ugh. Why must it all be so difficult?
ADORABLE!!!! 🙂 You’re such a good mom.
Takes one to know one. 😉
When’s Henry having me over for supper? Or for that keggar that he and I talked about at your birthday party?
I’ve having a hard time imagining you at a kegger. Henry, not so hard to imagine.
Such a cool playhouse! I’m torn between a playhouse or a sandbox for Megan’s birthday this year. I need to keep an eye out for that one – it’s adorable!
We had a sand box and sand table and HE LOVES THEM. The sand table is honestly one of his favorite toys ever. He makes his rounds from the train table to the sand table to the house now. And every kid I’ve ever met loves the sand/water table. The sand box was cool, but he always ended up with sand in every single crevice, which got old. So it went to live at my parents’ house. Where they can take care of cleaning crevices. 😉
Just my ten cents.
Plus, I got the sand table on CL for like $20. Which made it totally worth every dime.
Oh this is a great playhouse! I love all the little extras.
I was really impressed with the little kitchen. It was way cuter than I expected. And the window grates and cupola are also winners with mom.
I love the MAILBOX!!!! And the house of course too. I had one growing up with a window box too! Love his little house!
The mailbox just killed me. Seriously – so cute.
That’s so cute! Love the mailbox 🙂
I can’t wait to gussy it up with his name.
I love it!! When I was growing up, my younger sister has TWO, count them TWO, dollhouses. I was in there all the time teaching her the ropes of life.
And there are some days I wish all I received in the mail was mulch!
LOL at wanting mulch in the mail.
oh the mailbox! i die! LOVE it! how fun will it be for santa to deliver letters there!!!!
HOW COOL ARE YOU? SANTA WILL TOTALLY DELIVER MAIL THERE.