Pre Holiday Purge

My New Year's Resolution is to get back to blogging.  I have been so bad about posting since the kids have become toddlers (I wonder why).  I am going to set a realistic goal of posting once a week and if I happen to do more than that you can consider it a BONUS!

 

Just before December I began thinking about all the toys and other stuff that Tanner and Abigail would be getting for Christmas from family and friends.  I decided that if I didn't downsize what they already had, our house was going to feel MUCH smaller after the holidays.  I went through their toys (while they were sleeping) and pulled out ones that they had outgrown or no longer played with.  I joined a few local Facebook Yard Sale groups and began posting the items for sale.  I was able to sell several things and got about $100!  I was happy the toys were going to be used by other children in the area and that they wouldn't be collecting dust in our basement or barn only to be thrown away or donated at a later date.

I must admit, Facebook Yard Sale pages are a double edged sword for me.  I made $100 selling stuff but I kept seeing things that I wanted to buy.  Picture me sitting on my couch and Matt in his recliner:

Me: "Matt, look at this!  It is only $10!"
Matt: "The kids don't need a Chemistry set.  They are only two years old."
(I wasn't quite this bad...but it was getting ridiculous.)

I did purchase a gently used Alex Toys Wooden Cook Top for $20 from a local mom, which "Santa" gave Tanner and Abigail for Christmas.  They loved it and were unaware that it wasn't brand new.  I like the idea of buying gently used toys for toddlers.  Don't get me wrong, new toys are great but toddlers can be so rough.  I hate to spend LOADS of money on something that will break before the New Year.

I hope to do some weeding out before each Christmas, next year I will have Tanner and Abigail help.  I want them to understand that to make room for new things they should donate, sell, or consign things they have outgrown or don't use anymore.  I want them to know how it feels to donate to families and/or organizations in need during the holidays.

Note:  Once the holidays were over, I removed myself from the yard sale groups because I just couldn't stand the temptation.  However, next November I will add myself again to buy and sell before the holidays!

What do you do to keep the toy population under control at your house before Christmas, birthdays, and/or through out the year?