La Petite Christmas Present

I don't like to start my Christmas shopping early. But our mailbox is already overflowing with catalogs and a few of the presents I've seen would take a bit longer than usual to put together. La Petite Maison Custom Playhouse, for example.

The FAO Schwarz catalog offers La Petite Maison Custom Playhouse for a mere $30,000. The price goes up depending on size, design and selected features. What features could a playhouse have? That would be up to your child and his or her professional interior designer, who guides the design of your child's dream house.

"The discriminating craftsmanship and intricate architectural detailing is superior to what's found in most adult homes, with standard features like 8-ft. ceilings, recessed lighting, bay windows, and dry-walled interiors," reads the catalog. "When children are used to living well, they should play like this -- with options such as electricity, heating and air conditioning, mini-kitchen with running water, custom child-sized furnishings, a mini-media room, garage, and a grand staircase."

The playhouse features raise a few questions.

Is la petite mortgage included with the playhouse? And will la petite property taxes increase if you build one? Will your child have to get la petite job to pay for the playhouse's maintenance or is la petite trust fund included? Does La Petite Maison come with la petite domestic help that your kids can pay under la petite table?

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