Recycling

I'm a firm believer in recycling and reusing. I've tried to teach my girls the importance of this. At their ages (3,4, and 5), they understand more than I thought they might.

So in our family, we don't call clothes (or shoes or toys) hand me downs. Reusing clothes keeps them out of landfills. It also keeps money in your pockets.

There are a many ways to do this.

• Check out thrift shops. Really. You may be surprised at some of the finds there. And not just clothing. Some shops have better quality than others. Just step inside and check out a few in your community and see what you can find.
• Browse in consignment shops and second hand stores. The prices will be higher than a thrift shop and you're more likely to find brand name items. But you can get clothes at a significant discount over retail and many times the items look brand new.
• Stop at some yard sales. Some people do this all the time. I wait for community or neighborhood yard sales so I can hit a bunch of sales in a short period of time. This saves gas by avoiding driving all over and it saves time. I have gotten some great deals at yard sales. In fact I bought my daughter's soccer cleats at a yard sale this summer for $2. She's five and will play 8 soccer games and have 8 practices this year. I bought them from a Mom of another five year old who wore them "about fifteen times." Who wants to spend $20 or $30 (or more) for something that gets such little use?
• Let people know that you're open to hand me downs. I don't mean to go around and ask for things from every Mom at the playground. But you can certainly let your friends and family know that you appreciate them. I've had people say, "I hope you're not offended, but I wondered if you'd like..." Offended? I love hand me downs. I love to look at my girls in a beautiful outfit and think that their cousin wore that last year. I have a beautiful dress coat that was a hand me down gift from friends. Their daughter wore it, then all three of my girls and now their little cousin wears it. It always makes me smile.
• Freecycle. Been to www. freecycle.com ? You can often find children's clothing, furniture or other items at no cost. We happen to be near an Army base and it seems that when soldiers move around, some don't want to take much with them. There are always furniture, bikes and such looking for a home.
• Craig's List. I'm sure you've heard of this one. But if you haven't used it, go check it out.

I constantly get comments on how cutely dressed my girls are. I rarely buy anything retail for the kids. In fact, it's usually only if someone gives me a gift card for my birthday or Christmas (and then I'm usally checking out the clearance rack and buying for next year in bigger sizes). I have to admit that I find it much more challenging to find gently used adult clothing. But I'm working on it.

Of course, it's equally important to "share the love". I sort clothes into bags as my girls grow out of them. Some are for specific friends who share my love of recycled clothing. Others I drop off at a local thrift shop that supports the food pantry in our area. That way the clothes can bless another family.