Recycling and Reusing Baby Gifts

The reality is that all of those cute baby gifts you got for your baby shower are only used for a short period of time. Some stuff, as nice as it is, might not be appropriate when you start redecorating the nursery to look more like something that a preschooler or school-aged child would want. That means a lot of the baby gifts wind up at the bottom of a toy bin or at the back of a closet. Why not put the stuff aside and give it to charity or donate it to a local nursery? It’s better than letting the toys collect dust for the next five years. A few things to consider before giving away those former baby gifts include:

• making sure there are no baby toy recalls on the items, especially if it’s been over a year since you first received them;
• cleaning the toys with a mild solution of water and bleach;
• ensuring that any stuffed animals or teddy bears don’t have any loose parts (eyes that can come off, etc.)

Was it one of your best friends who gave you the baby gifts? If so, you might want to talk to her about your plans. Just tell her you and the babe have really enjoyed the toys but now that the baby is getting older, it’s time to recycle the toys to someone else who can use them.