I’ve always wanted to get Lil’ B one of those cute indoor playhouses (like these) but I try to stay away from too many plastic toys. I know that for the most part they are safe but the environmental cost of making too many plastic toys and accessories will make your brain hurt if you think about it. First their is the petroleum use, the transportation from some unknown factory in some foreign country, who may or may not ethically treat their employees…you see where I’m going right??! Not to mention the cost of disposal and the lifecycle of such products. Most of these houses end up at a garage sale or in the local dump where they rot for hundreds of years to come.
We are also quite limited on space in our house and if your kids are like mine they usually only play with their toys for a short period of time before they get tired of it and move on to something new. That’s why I was excited to review a new trend in playhouses, the cardboard playhouse by Cascades.
When the box arrived I have to admit I was a little overwhelmed – it was HUGE! I contemplated waiting until Christmas to open the box and give it to the kids for Christmas but I just had to see what was inside this rather large box.
Once the kids arrived home from school we started to assemble the house in my bedroom when we suddenly realized it was too large to fit through the doorway. Thankfully we do have a nice size living room (even though the rest of the house is small) and we quickly found a spot to place the house.
We placed all of the accessories upon the house; the window awnings, the mail box, and the chimney. Finally the moment came where it was ready to play with. We decided that this would be a perfect place to put Lil’ B’s kitchen and all of the felt food that I made her last Christmas. It’s actually quite perfect because the playhouse has a door that we can pull shut to keep the dog away from the toys (he likes to eat the felt food).
Here are a few pics from our first night playing with the house: (excuse the iPhone quality images)
Yes, even daddy and the dog tried to pay our newest homeowners a quick visit. The house is quite spacious and has plenty of room for multiple children. We’ve had the house for a few weeks now and it’s a favorite hiding place for when mommy needs a time out!
Now, I just need to get my creative juices flowing and decorate the house (or let them decorate it).
Here are some cute ideas I found on Pinterest. I’m sure after adding a few over-sized pillows and using a box of markers or paint our little house will become a truly unique home. I’m thinking about adding some curtains too with some scrap fabric from my sewing stash. How would you decorate your cardboard playhouse?
Where to buy: Cascades’ ecological products Boutique
Retail price: $48.00
Facebook: Boutique Cascades’
Coupon Code: THEECOCHIC valid until Dec. 31st, 2011. Save 25% off!!
Eco-Benefits: Sure cardboard doesn’t last as long as plastic but that’s OK for this product. The cardboard is made from reclaimed cardboard and is 100% recycleable once it can no longer be used. Depending on how well your kids take care of it this playhouse should last for several months – or longer. To view the Cascades’ environmental policy statement click here: http://boutique.cascades.com/us/en/cascades-environment/
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