Cleaning Up & Giving Away

Apparently it's National Declutter Day today. As such, I thought it was appropriate that I finally try and get rid of the pile of toys that has been sitting in our living room for the past month. You see, when you only have one child, there is absolutely no excuse for keeping around toys and other items that he has outgrown. He is never going to play with Rescue Heros again, I know this, yet it's so hard to part with those little bits of childhood that have passed us by.

Last month, we finally broke down and spent two days cleaning out the play room side of the basement. We had inherited a foosball table, and since Will is old enough to enjoy competition games without having a meltdown if he looses, we thought it was time to bring it out. The only problem was we didn't have any space in the house to put this new acquisition. By cleaning out his playroom, we were able to remove quite a bit of clutter (including an art desk that he NEVER used. Ever.).



Most of these are actually really wonderful toys; especially for the 18mo-4yo set. We also have the booster seats that we no longer need to use now that Will is 53" and over 80lbs (and over 8yo, as is law in the state of Virginia). These are in like-new condition and have never been in an accident.

Oh, and there's also BatDog, who was won at Six Flags a few years ago. He makes an awesome watchdog at night if a certain child is afraid of going to sleep by him(or her)self.

If you're local to the DC-metro area, take a look at my Flickr set and see if there's anything you'd be interested in. I'd love to give away stuff for free to homes where it could be put to good use. Drop me a comment or an email if you want anything. After Thanksgiving I'll throw everything up on Craigslist to see if I can sell any items for a small profit. Some of the items, like the Rescue Heros, were quite an investment.

Oh, and if you're in need of boy clothes in sizes 2T to 8, let me know!

New Post at DC Metro Moms

I've been waiting to make this announcement for a few weeks...

Last month while at BlogHer DC, I spent most of the day hanging out with a group of women who write for DC Metro Mom's; an awesome collaborative blog that I've been reading since it launched last fall. These women are a diverse bunch; coming in all shapes, sizes, career choices, and political leanings. The things they have in common are they are all parents, local, and amazing writers. The DC Metro Moms blog is one of the ten blogs owned and maintained by the Silicon Valley Moms Group and features opinions and commentaries from local moms on all aspects of parenting.

Having met a couple of the DCMM writers previously, a couple of them encouraged me to join their group. After contacting the site founder and having a little phone interview, I was accepted within a week. Of course, after I introduced myself to the group, everyone started asking me if I was going to the party. Umm.. what party? The party that was being held the next day and was sponsored by Chevy. So, wow. If they have parties all the time, what took me so long to join?! It was such a fun evening! I'm so glad I was able to attend.

My first post for DCMM went live this morning, so go check it out. It's about the aftermath of our Puerto Rico vacation back in Aug. and what happens when unexpected "friends" come home with you while hitch-hiking on your son's scalp. Lovely.