magic cabin review - Stuff Parents Need

My husband did most of his growing up in the Pacific Northwest. Home to lush greenery, mild temperatures, and very few icky bugs. Heading outdoors was a joy to get to do, and as a result, he has a deep love for nature.

I was raised in the muggy deep South, where stepping outside 6 months of the year feels like taking a bath, and the bugs are as big as your fist. I, therefore, detested going outside, even as a child, and never really developed that love for the great outdoors.

Encouraging a Love of the Outdoors

I hope for something different for my girls. While the weather in Chattanooga is more similar to my growing up years than to Tim’s, it has enough differences to convince me to give outdoor time some priority in our daily schedules. And my girls both love to get to go outside. I’ve been thinking about what I can do to encourage that love and not squelch it with my own personal preference for being inside. Lately I’ve been considering adding a swingset to the garden. The kids need ways to get their energy out and I think a swingset would help immensely with this need. But this is something that is going to require a bit of saving up for, so I need a simpler solution for the mean time.

Want to see one of my main solutions? It is a work in progress, as it needs time to “grow” but here are the bones of what is going to surely become a source for many great memories for my girls:

This is the GardenFort, available exclusively through and sent to us by Magic Cabin. It takes about 45 minutes to get completely set up, and it is ideal to have 2 people working on it, especially as you work to get the netting secure around the frame. The kit also comes with 3 varieties of seeds that will turn into lush, blooming vines. The end result is going to be something truly magical. Here’s an example :

As much as I disliked being outside, if something like this had been in my backyard, I would have had a very hard time resisting it. My girls already love to play inside of it. Darah calls it her secret fort (though it is not exactly “tucked away” in the backyard!). We are enjoying bringing blankets, books and toys outside and sitting inside of this special space. I can only imagine how magical of a place it will be to my girls when it is covered in vines and truly starts to feel like a little secret garden.

Magic Cabin is, without question, my very favorite online source for imaginative play. The GardenFort is just one example of the imaginative finds there. Here are a few of my other favorite garden related items that would be ideal for encouraging more outdoor time:

1. Swing Seat

2. Child Size Garden Planters

3. Elfin Garden Accessories

What do you think about the GardenFort or these other great outdoor items? What do you do to encourage a love of nature and of being outside? Is it something you struggle with, personally? I’d love to hear!

Are you starting to see butterflies in your area? We have several garden plots near our home, and those have started to attract some butterflies. Our 3 1/2 year old is positively giddy about this, and loves to go outside and see if she can spot one.

Watching her flutter around in her butterfly wings, chasing after all sorts of creatures and pretending that she, herself is a butterfly (or a fairy), is one of my very favorite things to witness. It is nothing short of magical to watch a child experience pure fun, and to use her imagination for creative play. These are the moments that people tell you about that make all the really hard aspects of parenting worth it.

Since Darah is fascinated by butterflies, I have been looking up places to find butterfly gifts. In particular, I’ve been interested in options that weren’t necessarily toys. At least not the plastic, light up, “let me entertain you and you watch” type of toys. And friends, It hit the jackpot while browsing at one of my very favorite online stores: Magic Cabin.

Magic Cabin, in my experience, is THE place to go online when you are looking for creative play gifts. In particular, I think they have an unparalleled collection of gift ideas for children who love the outdoors, fairies, butterflies and nature. I recently received a butterfly wreath that is just so beautiful, yet made of materials that my child can touch and feel without me worrying that it will be damaged.

Darah chose the spot in our house where this hangs. She put it on a blank space in our living room. I asked her why she chose that spot and she said, “I can look at it every day from my chair while eating.” And she is right! This butterfly wreath is playful, colorful, and also very special. I hope Darah will choose to keep it for a long time.

close up of butterfly wreath butterfly gifts

Isn’t that detail so lovely?

If you know someone who loves butterflies, be they young or just young at heart, this wreath is really exceptional. It also happens to be a great deal, currently on sale for just $37.50. Additionally, I’ve got 4 other personally selected butterfly gift ideas that are all fantastic!