Personalizing your child's play space! Plus, a Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage II Review

Disclosure: As a Step2 Ambassador, I received the Neat & Tidy Cottage II at no cost to facilitate this review. 

Now that my little guy has turned two, his personality is really starting to shine. He's forming his own opinions and has even started trying to pick out things to wear. When I say "trying" what I really mean is demanding, especially when it comes to his cowboy boots. We dressed him up as Sheriff Woody for Halloween last year, complete with a hat and boots, and ever since he's been in love with them. When I learned I had the opportunity to review one of Step2's newest products, the Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage II, I knew he'd love it, but I really wanted to make it his own. I started brainstorming ways to personalize it for him, then looked over and saw his little boots laying on the ground.

I decided to give our Neat & Tidy Cottage II a little western flair. I thought of some fun little DIY projects I could do and started jotting down a supply list, but first we had to assemble our cottage. Right off the bat, I could tell that assembly was going to be pretty easy. Most of the pieces to the cottage are large and there was just one bag of screws so I thought this was a task I could even do without my husband... well, not without my mama though. This is definitely a two person job.

Assembly was really simple and we had the entire cottage put together within 30 minutes. The directions were very easy to follow and we didn't run into any problems. How cute is this cottage?! I love how the exterior resembles stone and wood, and the colors are very gender neutral and pretty much match the color of our home. Assembled dimensions are: 46.50" H by 51.00" W by 35.00" D.

I also love that it's got a very open design so I can see inside from pretty much all angles. Other playhouses we've seen have one or two closed off walls with small windows, so this is a really nice feature of the Neat & Tidy Cottage II.

The first thing I wanted to do to personalize my little guy's cottage was make a doormat. Since this is his first house, I figured a doormat would be a nice housewarming gift. I found a "blank" mat at Walmart and purchased some acrylic paint and got to work. Using PicMonkey, I printed out some wording in a pretty font for inspiration and printed out a cowboy boot silhouette that I could trace around with a Sharpie.

Painting the words would have gone much more smoothly had I had stencils or a Cricut, but I decided to freehand it and hope for the best. After all, it's just a playhouse mat, right?! I wanted to write "Take off your boots and stay awhile", but that wouldn't fit so I just rolled with the punches. Overall, I'm still really pleased with the way it turned out.

Then, I decided to make my little guy a fun sign. We're big Doc McStuffin fans around here so I wanted to make a sign that he could flip around when he goes in and out. Again, I found this awesome little sign {on clearance for ONE dollar!} at Walmart and used some puffy paint to write on it. Paired with a Command hook, it's perfect! Again, I went with a Western theme, but you could use this idea for almost anything - dinosaurs, outer space, princesses... the possibilities are endless.

Since I had an extra Command hook I was even able to hang up the Wubba's cowboy hat inside! Plus, I was able to stash his beloved Woody doll in the molded-in flower box on the front of the cottage.

Speaking of the front of the cottage, you can see the pass through mailbox and the doorbell that really works in the photo above! My husband and I both gave each other  "the look" when we saw the doorbell, meaning "oh my goodness, what sort of horrible, loud noise is this going to plague us with," but to our delight, the sound of the doorbell is soft and not bothersome at all.

The inside of the cottage has a built-in floor that looks like wood (cute touch!), and there are drain holes in case your cottage spends most of it's time outside. There's a "roaring" fire in the fireplace and a fun, adjustable wall clock, which will also come in handy when we're learning to tell time (update: design may vary, clock has been updated to a decal without working hands). There's also a cute little molded-in seat right next to the kitchen table and sink.

My little guy loves peeking out of the working shutters. He loves opening and closing them again and again. He's also fascinated with the sink and grill combo. He likes to watch Daddy when he's manning the grill, so I think he's pretty excited about having his own mini version. I just need to get him some play food and dishes and he'll be good to go.

Another super cute feature of this cottage is the cordless phone that's included. The Wubba is heavily into babbling and mimicking me on the phone, and I often find him in his cottage holding this phone to his ear and chatting away.

I added a few of his familiar things, like his hat, boots, and rocking horse, to his new play space and he's really taken to it. I think it really makes it fun and exciting for kids if you can include their personal preferences into decorating their space.

We're really loving the Neat & Tidy Cottage II! It was fairly easy to put together, and I love the overall look and feel of it. It's such a great color combination, without being overly gender specific or too bold with primary colors. There are plenty of features to keep my toddler busy and even enough room for a friend or two to play along. Another thing I really love about this cottage is that it's easy to wipe down and keep clean. My little guy has a tendency to make BIG messes, so it's great that I just wipe it down. Since this charming cottage is manufactured by Step2, I know it will last for years to come. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a great playhouse for your child.

You can see even more about this cottage in my video review: 

Think your little one would love a Neat & Tidy Cottage II of their own? 
Well, the lovely folks at Step2 are giving you the chance to win one!

Connect: You can connect with Step2 on Facebook and follow them on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. You'll also want to make sure to sign up for their Birthday Club where you'll get great coupons before your child's birthday plus other special offers and deals!

Buy it: The Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage II is available on the Kmart website for $189.99.

Win it: One lucky person is going to win a Neat & Tidy Cottage II from Step2!

Open to the residents of the 48 contiguous US states, ages 18+. Ends 8/14/14 at 11:59 PM EST.
Just enter using the Giveaway Tools form below.

Disclosure: As a Step2 Ambassador I've partnered with Step2 for this review. I received this product in exchange for my review and honest opinion. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Viva Veltoro and Thrifty Nifty Mommy are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Giveaway is open to residents of the 48 contiguous US states, age 18+. Giveaway will close at 11:59PM EST on 8/14/14. One (1) winner will be selected randomly from all eligible entries.  Amazon link is an affiliate link.