Since last summer I have wanted to build a playhouse/treehouse in the backyard for the kids. We spend a lot of time playing outside when the weather gets nice around here and I think something like this would be awesome…
We have five huge Douglas Fir trees in our backyard. While I wouldn’t actually build the playhouse in the trees, I do want to build it between the trees.
Aren’t the treehouse’s above incredible? I found them at the TreeHouse Workshop located in Seattle. Wouldn’t it be fun to build and design treehouse’s for a living?!
I also bought a bunch of books about how to build a playhouse and had a vision in my mind. My dad made a quick sketch based on what I told him because I thought he might be able to help us build it during one of their visits out here.
Well, it didn’t get done last summer…or fall. My parents were only here for 1-1/2 days last fall and on one of those days we had baby girls birthday party. Needless to say, we did not get around to building a playhouse. While my husband is handy, it is hard to find the time to spend on such a big project.
So here we sit with spring and summer approaching, and I still want the playhouse for the kids. With the only visit planned from my dad being in July (and we are going to go to the Oregon Coast), I am having to resort to plan b.
Enter Costco.
I was at Costco last week and found this:
While it is not perfect, it is close enough to what I want and we can do some extra handy work to embellish it and make it critter resistant (we have squirrels, skunks, raccoons, etc. that visit our backyard at night).
What we will need to build is the platform in between the trees which will end up being a deck around the playhouse (and maybe a bit of storage underneath).
The Costco playhouse also has these added features that would have been more $ to add to any playhouse that we build ourselves:
I made a deal with my husband that I would make (find) the money to buy it. Last week, I sold our single BOB Revolution and made enough money to buy the playhouse!
The bummer is that my husband has been out of town since Saturday, and I have not been able to get over to Costco to purchase the playhouse. I am hoping and praying that they still have it in stock this weekend when I plan to go buy it!
This little playhouse is going to add a nice dimension and some color to our backyard. I can’t wait!
Wish me luck at Costco.
home is…being happy with plan b (and hoping I don’t have to figure out a plan c)!
stephany taddeo 
Plan B looks terrific… and much less grey-hair producing for parents and grandparents! Your two will have such fun with the playhouse and so will their friends without the height worry…
I am so jealous of your Costco and Ikea… such a good resource for a family of any age and size.
You can drop the kids here at our house and go pick it up. We are so close to Costco and it would be fun to have a playdate with our new playroom. 🙂 So always keep that in mind. We are around all day tomorrow (after strides – I think i am going to the early class) and then Thursday we are here after Tommy’s school (around 11:45A) – I could do lunch for the kiddos while you take a trip to Costco. Or Friday I am here after I teach at the mall. SO seriously it would not be a problem!
Thanks, Steph. You are so thoughtful!
Steph: I spent 3 days with Pete Nelson, the Tree House man in Plan A, at CC for my 30th reunion and Pete’s 25th. He is a close friend of my best friend Ellen’s husband John. We all spent a good deal of time late into the mornings in the Kappa Kitten penthouse suite at the BMoor south, pretending we could afford our room, let alone one of Pete’s tree homes. He donated a consult and an overnight stay in one. Ellen and John bought the stay. What a character he is and what an awesome creative job he has! So, if you ever go back to plan A, with your pop as builder, I will hook you up with Pete.