Sometimes we have to listen to our kids...

So, my neighbors gave my daughter, Milla, a bike about a year ago, and she is 4 now, so she just recently started getting into riding it... Here I am the one that does the kid's swap and I kept having this urge to want buy her a new bike - I mean this one is a little beaten up - I even offered to get her a new one for Christmas (I figured a first bike was something special) -no no no... Milla wants this bike. "Well, at least can I buy you a new seat" I asked. "No, I like this one" she said. "But there is a tear in it" I told her. She doesn't care. It works, it's a bike, it's pink and purple and that's all that matters to her. And then, she did to me again for Halloween, I was looking on the internet and through the catalogs trying to find her the "perfect" costume. She decided on being a witch by going through all of our old dress up stuff from old Halloweens - we got some green face paint, and that was it. It made me realize that sometimes it's not our kids that want all of this new stuff, it's us - sometimes we want it for our kids because we didn't have it when we were growing up, or our neighbors kid has that really cool thing- so my kid should have that too... or for whatever reason - We just want them to be happy I guess... But, what we don't realize sometimes is that it doesn't take much to make them happy. I am the queen of buying recycled stuff and getting stuff from the swaps - Milla tells everybody that she "got it from the swamp" (she calls the swap the swamp)- Even if I didn't get it at the kid's swap - Milla tells them I did (good advertising I guess! ) ... And I too sometimes forget that we don't need to get our kids that shiny new bike or new toy, we can get a gently used one from peace. love. swap. kid's swap, or online on craigslist or freecycle etc... Our kid's are just as happy with something recycled as they are with something new - trust me - plus you you don't have all that plastic and twistie tie thingys and waste to contend with - Especially with Christmas coming up. We bought the kids stuff from consignment stores last year for Christmas - I can't remember the amount of waste created by the holidays - that goes into landfills - think of all the wrapping paper and packaging that the toys come in- it's pretty disgusting - if everyone just replaced, like 2 toys with gently used toys - think how much waste that would eliminate! just a thought. Anyways.. looking forward to the next kid's swap in Grass Valley next weekend November 7 at Gold Country Gymnastics. Email me if you have any questions or if you want to volunteer. Also, we are expanding into the Rocklin/Roseville area in December so spread the word! The first kid's swap there will be December 19 at American Powerhouse Gymnastics.