Christmas is Coming… and so is More STUFF

14

I’m starting to panic. Christmas is coming, and along with it thoughts of wish lists and gifts and a new influx of stuff, and I’m freaking out a little bit on the inside.

Of course I love to give and receive at Christmastime. I love to pick the perfect gifts for my kids, and I love to see the joy in their hearts that comes from the excitement of getting something new and special. I’m even jotting down gift ideas for them already and feeling excited about surprising them with something good.

Overflowing Toy BinsBut when I stand in the middle of their bedrooms and gaze upon their overflowing toy bins, I truly do not know where even one new thing could possibly go. (That makes me feel not only anxious but also a little bit guilty….)

They don’t need any new play things (and they certainly don’t have room for any), but I “need” to give them stuff… because I love them and because it feels good.

And like any mom, I want my kids to have nice, fun, special, new things… especially at Christmastime.

But what I haven’t figured out yet is WHERE those things are going to go (and HOW I’m going to convince the kids that not everything can stay. They truly do love and appreciate their things.)….

I’ve done the toy rotation thing, taking different toys in and out of storage in order to keep things fresh or to make more room; but my kids are getting older now (and my storage is getting fuller), and the whole method is sort of losing its appeal.

I’ve also done the sell-stuff-on-the-swap-page thing; and though it’s nice to gain a little money while subtracting a little stuff, seeing that whole process through from photo shoot to final sale is sort of like a part-time job.

Overflowing Toy BinsSo I’m kind of at a standstill. A slightly panicked standstill. Because even though I say every impending Christmastime that we don’t have room for more new stuff, this year we REALLY don’t have room for more new stuff.

I don’t yet know what the solution will be—though I’ve threatened a few times that it might involve the dumping of bins over the trashcan.

I don’t want to be excessive with what toys we keep or with what we gain, and neither do I want to be wasteful with or ungrateful for what we already have.

So maybe you can help me….

What are some ways to address the toy-bins-are-overflowing-BEFORE-the-influx-of-Christmas-gifts problem? Do you know of any Des Moines area ministries or organizations looking for donations of gently-used toys? Or maybe you have ideas for great gifts that don’t take up space? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

14 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve heard a few suggestions, and you named many of them (donating, cycling them out, swapping). One that might get the kids involved is having them choose which toys go. Set a number (5? 10?) and have them select what they will give away in preparation for the upcoming season. I do the swap page thing. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but money can be tight for us, so it helps me get a little extra cash and it also helps others to find things they can afford.

    • I like the idea of picking a number! That would give us a goal and make it seem like a more manageable undertaking. 🙂 Thanks for adding the perspective that selling on the swap page is a way of helping others, too. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but to see it like that makes it seem more “worth it” to invest the time in selling.

      Thanks for weighing in with your ideas, Becky! I’m feeling more empowered already! 🙂

  2. I’m a big fan of Hope Ministries! They have great outlets for used toys from their families in recovery to their bargain center which helps fund their programs. They are a truly worthy organization. I run the JBF consignment sale for Des Moines and they are our charity partner for our sale. In the past, we’ve also let our kids pick which toys they want to sell at our sales to earn their own money to purchase holiday or birthday gifts for their friends or for each other. It teaches them to recycle and helps them learn the value of money.

    • Sally, what great ideas!! I think they would really enjoy selling some of their things and using the money to buy a gift for someone else. Why didn’t I think of that?! I love it!

      Do you have a contact for Hope Ministries? I would love to explore that option!

      I was so bummed to have missed the JBF fall sale. We had to be out of town that weekend. I hope to be able to hit it in the spring, though! It sounds like a great thing you have going there!

      Thanks for the comment!

      • Hey Angela, I work with Cole Lindholm who is the director of their community outreach programs. His number is 515-265-7272 x113. Steve Harvey is also very helpful and he directs their bargain center.

        My boys LOVE logging into their little accounts each night and seeing what sold that day. It had an effect I did not expect and taught them the difference between “retail” and “resale” when they realized they had to sell several things to be able to buy one new thing. I was teaching the value of recycled items and a great money lesson totally by accident. #mommywin – Hee hee!

        Would love to see you at a sale! We have a really good time! 🙂 Sally

  3. I agree Hope Ministries. Also Alpha Women’s center in town not sure what they all take though. We did a garage sale this summer and sold a lot of toys then I gave some money each to the boys (they helped pick toys to sell) and they each bought a lego set. We have just really downsized and don’t really have very many toys at all. The only toys we really have are legos and rescue hero stuff other than that they just go on adventures together when they play. The play with legos all day. Which makes Christmas easy. We don’t spend a lot on Christmas for the boys – I love to keep it simple. I find they play better too without so many toys around.

    • Jodi, you are so right that kids seem to play better when they aren’t surrounded by so many toys! That was something I observed when my oldest was just a little tiny guy, and it has held true for all of my kids over the years.

      I, too, like to try to streamline the toy collections. I touched on that in a post I did last year at Christmastime: https://desmoines.momcollective.com/gift-giving-minimizing-excess-while-maximizing-enjoyment/. That approach definitely helps to calm the clutter. Needless to say, even the streamlined collections start taking up space! 🙂

      I definitely like the idea of letting the kids sell some of their toys. It seems like it would help them to feel more ownership in a process that could otherwise be a little bit painful for them.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jodi!

    • Hey Jodi, Alpha keeps great track of what they need and what they don’t so you can always call them and ask what they are short of or in need of at the time. Super helpful if you are wanting to help multiple organizations! They are a great group too! 🙂

  4. I’m not a minimalist but I really try to limit “stuff”, and I truly believe children play and focus better when they aren’t surrounded by mountains of toys. I really liked this post: http://www.becomingminimalist.com/why-fewer-toys-will-actually-benefit-your-kids/ Even though you say they “love and appreciate” their things, if their bins are overflowing, you can downsize and they won’t miss the excess — and cleanup will be easier! In general, we value the gift of experiences over the gift of “things”. How about a train ride, a trip or membership to a museum or zoo, an art class, movie date, or something like that instead of toys? Books or audiobooks are great, too, and don’t take up as much space. (I’d rather deal with an overflowing book collection than toys.)

    • What a great article you shared! I completely agree that too many toys can be a hindrance to our children in many ways. This thinking is so counter-cultural, but it’s true!

      One thing I’m learning about my oldest daughter is that “things” are extremely meaningful to her because she so strongly associates the gift with the giver. So even if she doesn’t play with a particular thing all that much, it’s still important to her because of whom she associates it with. That definitely makes it a little harder for me to take stuff away! She’s a reasonable girl, though, so I think we’ll be able to work through some of this together in a way that makes us both happy.

      Thanks for sharing your ideas for “experiential” gifts! I do hear of families–especially larger families–going this route for gifts; and I think it’s something that we will consider as the kids continue to get older. We are a book-loving family, too (big time!); so we always love the gift of books, as well!

      Thanks for weighing in, Margaret! Great ideas, and great food for thought!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here