Baby X is well on its way and I'm a bit terrified. I'm not scared of being a new mom again or messing up this kid's life. No, this time around I'm worried that the stuff will end up taking over the house. What stuff? Baby stuff. Kid stuff. Toys, clothes, books, games, furniture...the list could go on.
I'll be the first to admit that it's great to know a circle of moms. We swap stories about our kids. We give advice. We share our old stuff. Everything gets recycled. I recently received a bassinet from a friend of mine who didn't need it anymore. The crib mattress is currently being used in Arthur's toddler bed, and we didn't want to purchase another crib mattress (besides, where would we put a huge crib in our small house, anyway?).
Sometimes recycled stuff doesn't always come in a condition or style that you'd appreciate. For some people, stuff is stuff. They don't care what it looks like as long as they can use it. I'm not really like that. Generally, if I don't like the look of something, it's either 1) hidden until I can do something with it, 2) refurnished, or 3) thrown out or given away. Take, for instance, Exhibit A: the bassinet (picture on the left). While I was very pleased to get it, I was completely turned off by the frilly blue and white. Not my cup of tea. Luckily, the same weekend that I inherited it, Nana was in town and I was able to recover it (see Exhibit B, picture on the right). I still need to get the right size pliers to attach the snaps for the inside cover and I'm thinking about getting a larger basket for the bottom, but otherwise...it's a nice complement to our bedroom!
Why do we hold on to so much stuff? Some people know they're going to be having a large family, but I only bothered holding onto Arthur's old clothes on the slim chance that I'd be having another kid. Now that it's happened, I'm going to be so glad to pass it all to another mom who needs it when we're through with everything. It's simply amazing how much stuff another human being "requires."
Blessed be.
I'll be the first to admit that it's great to know a circle of moms. We swap stories about our kids. We give advice. We share our old stuff. Everything gets recycled. I recently received a bassinet from a friend of mine who didn't need it anymore. The crib mattress is currently being used in Arthur's toddler bed, and we didn't want to purchase another crib mattress (besides, where would we put a huge crib in our small house, anyway?).
Sometimes recycled stuff doesn't always come in a condition or style that you'd appreciate. For some people, stuff is stuff. They don't care what it looks like as long as they can use it. I'm not really like that. Generally, if I don't like the look of something, it's either 1) hidden until I can do something with it, 2) refurnished, or 3) thrown out or given away. Take, for instance, Exhibit A: the bassinet (picture on the left). While I was very pleased to get it, I was completely turned off by the frilly blue and white. Not my cup of tea. Luckily, the same weekend that I inherited it, Nana was in town and I was able to recover it (see Exhibit B, picture on the right). I still need to get the right size pliers to attach the snaps for the inside cover and I'm thinking about getting a larger basket for the bottom, but otherwise...it's a nice complement to our bedroom! Why do we hold on to so much stuff? Some people know they're going to be having a large family, but I only bothered holding onto Arthur's old clothes on the slim chance that I'd be having another kid. Now that it's happened, I'm going to be so glad to pass it all to another mom who needs it when we're through with everything. It's simply amazing how much stuff another human being "requires."
Blessed be.
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