The Swing Set

As the youngest of four children, I have been the grateful recipient of many a hand me down. Now Olivia is also reaping the rewards of her aunties and uncle, as they all gave us tons of baby gear and clothing for her.

Recycling isn't just about throwing something in the right bin, it's also about seeing who else in your life may need the things you have outgrown or no longer use. As shown in the pictures above, Olivia's cousin Logan, now almost three, used his infant swing before sweetly handing it over to Olivia. Sadly, Olivia has outgrown the swing long before the manufacturer says she should have, because she is a little escape artist, "Houdini," who views the swing as a bird might view the clipping of its wings! As I type this, she is not yet five months and trying to teach herself how to crawl on her blanket behind me.

I don't have anyone to hand our swing down to, so I found a great organization in Los Angeles called baby2baby. They accept and then distribute your gently used baby gear and clothing to families in need. Founded by three moms who wanted to do something helpful with their overflow of baby stuff, they have been supplying LA's less fortunate with essential items for their young ones. Visit their website to get a list of several drop off locations.

If you're not in the LA area, see about donation organizations that cater to redistributing baby items specifically in your neck of the woods. That way you'll be certain that other little babies will keep on swingin' their way through nap times.