I am so excited to share this post because I just love a good project, especially with the right resources AND when it’s for my baby boy. I previously shared our hopes for getting Thomas a Playhouse or “clubhouse” for Christmas. I love the idea of letting him play outside more and use his imagination (while maybe NOT trying to get into the dishwasher or playing with steak knives.. ya know?).
Our good friend Ryan Hamilton owns his own woodworking business so we knew he was the perfect person to hire (or at the very least, ask for recommendations or insight). We were so happy he was able to help us! He quickly sketched an idea (more functional and more resilient than most of our inspiration) and quoted the project! He got started right away so we can have it ready for Christmas! The best part; Thomas loves watching him through the window 🤩.

Playhouse Project | Victoria Austin | Hamilton Woodworking

Below is the progress so far. I can’t wait to paint and add special touches! He’s going to LOVE this! Especially this Spring. 🙌🏻

Backyard Playhouse Project | Victoria Austin | Hamilton Woodworking

The craziest part is this was all completed within two days! I know he had a good bit of prep work, getting the wood and supplies and scheduling, etc. But damn, it was incredible to see it go up so intentionally and swiftly. And extra nice that I don’t have to rush the “fun stuff” now (like painting and accessorizing). I am so thankful for Ryan and my husband for getting this going so perfectly! You can also follow Ryan on Instagram where he shares a lot of unique projects and behind the scenes (one day he will be doing our pier when we live on the bay hehe).

Below is some inspiration we had for our wooden playhouse that I found on Pinterest! I know I want to add a unique light fixture and chair for the porch. Oh and a potted plant or two!

In the next post, I will share the finished playhouse and then all the “Playhouse Must-Haves” that we have come across. Any tips on paint? I have some ideas already but always open to suggestions! Thanks for following along!!

The most magical season has finally begun. It was so sweet last year with Thomas here for his first Christmas, but this year is even better. Now that he has interests and so much more personality.. I cannot wait to share in his excitement. We swore we wouldn’t go crazy this year, seeing as toys last a whole 20 minutes of interest for Thomas. We wanted to do a couple bigger things, instead of a lot of little things. And I know, I know, it isn’t about the gifts! You don’t have to remind me :). I actually love Christmas for all the other reasons and can’t wait to tell the story of baby Jesus in a manger on repeat to Thomas. I want him to become accustomed to traditions like waking up in our cozy house on Christmas morning, baking with Mom, putting Christmas lights up with Dad and trimming the tree as a family. I hope to teach him why we do these special things - and what the family time and nostalgia is all about so gifts are an after-thought. As moms, I know we can all hope!
We have plans to give Thomas a playhouse this year and I am so so excited about it. We have a talented friend in town who owns his own woodworking company and he has sketched up some awesome plans for T. I wanted to do this so we can utilize our backyard more, without bogging it down with random toys. Our in-laws gifted T the play kitchen that I plan to add some customizations to and put it in playhouse too. He gets two AWESOME gifts, and mom doesn’t loose more precious space in this house haha! It’s a win-win.
At last… here are my top picks for Thomas’s age range. I personally feel like boys can be tricky to shop for so I liked the idea of something educational, something developmental, something imaginary, a clothing item, etc to break it up.