Use the stuff! (part 2)

The Mrs. here!  It has been nearly a week since we posted....we took our own advice to heart with some time honored traditions and spent most of our long weekend "unplugged".  It was wonderful!  But now, back to business:  What to do with all of the things you have gotten over Christmas?  This can be an even greater challenge if you have kids because they tend to bring home the most stuff.  Here are a few ideas that won't cost you a cent!

Simple way to use a small box from a
puzzle and an ice cream pail. These are the
perfect containers for all of those little
"random" toy pieces. Then they are

all in one space. :)

~Re-use any boxes or bags to organize the new (or old) toys that your kiddos have.  This is not only a great way to re-use boxes/bags, BUT it can teach little ones to read labels/pictures, and to be responsible for picking things up in a more orderly way than just throwing it all into a bin where everything disappears into a mis-matched mess!!!!  But I digress... ;)





A prime example from our house....I was
going crazy with all of the different
blocks laying around.  SO....I took
a note card and drew a simple picture and
label for the bin.  Then I put an old ice cream
pail inside for the smaller blocks, and
there was still plenty of space for
the big blocks.  Problem solved!



~Pack away some of the "old" toys that the kids are less interested in right now as they're playing with new toys and dolls.  When the new Christmas toys become less exciting, pack them away and pull out the old favorites!  Again, this doesn't have to cost you ANYTHING if you use boxes or bags from Christmas, or even storage bins that you probably have laying around your home.  My favorite bin lately has been the diaper boxes :)



~Teach your kiddos to be generous!  For all of the new toys, books, dolls, games, etc... they got, have them help you pick a few things to donate to those that are less fortunate!  Find an organization close to where you live, ask them about their policies for donations, and then enjoy the time as a family finding treasures that other little kiddos will LOVE!  Plus this will clear out more space in your home instead of just adding to the clutter.





Hope these tips were helpful...if you have anymore, we'd love to hear about them!

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!