more on g'mas .. much lighter version

I am a struggling flybaby. The one tenet that I adhere to is ... I don't do
clutter. I don't do knick knacks.

My MIL (lovely lady) keeps sending crap home with my daughter. She finds the
crap that has been hanging around her house for 40 years and give it to DD
to "play with." Examples; 4 jewelwery boxes, 2 ... wooden horses (not toys),
costume jelewery up the ying yang, picture frames. Can someone tell me what
a 2yo needs with a picture frame? In 4 weeks, we have had 4 jewelery boxes.
How many jewelery boxes can one woman fail to throw away in a lifetime?!?

Anyway, I am pretty sure that the only thing to do is to let her keep giving
DD this crap and let it linger around long enough for MIL to see it and DD
to forget about it before pitching it. Yes or no?

Stephanie wrote:
I am a struggling flybaby. The one tenet that I adhere to is ... I don't do
clutter. I don't do knick knacks.

My MIL (lovely lady) keeps sending crap home with my daughter. She finds the
crap that has been hanging around her house for 40 years and give it to DD
to "play with." Examples; 4 jewelwery boxes, 2 ... wooden horses (not toys),
costume jelewery up the ying yang, picture frames. Can someone tell me what
a 2yo needs with a picture frame? In 4 weeks, we have had 4 jewelery boxes.
How many jewelery boxes can one woman fail to throw away in a lifetime?!?

Anyway, I am pretty sure that the only thing to do is to let her keep giving
DD this crap and let it linger around long enough for MIL to see it and DD
to forget about it before pitching it. Yes or no?

That's one strategy. Or you don't really have to
wait for MIL to see it before you pitch it (unless that will
make her go ballistic and you don't feel like dealing with
that). Or you can suggest that Grandma keep that stuff at
Grandma's house for DD to play with. Or you can get really
creative, turn the stuff into an art project, and then give
it back to Grandma as a gift from DD ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Stephanie" wrote:

I am a struggling flybaby. The one tenet that I adhere to is ... I don't do
clutter. I don't do knick knacks.

My MIL (lovely lady) keeps sending crap home with my daughter. She finds the
crap that has been hanging around her house for 40 years and give it to DD
to "play with." Examples; 4 jewelwery boxes, 2 ... wooden horses (not toys),
costume jelewery up the ying yang, picture frames. Can someone tell me what
a 2yo needs with a picture frame? In 4 weeks, we have had 4 jewelery boxes.
How many jewelery boxes can one woman fail to throw away in a lifetime?!?

Anyway, I am pretty sure that the only thing to do is to let her keep giving
DD this crap and let it linger around long enough for MIL to see it and DD
to forget about it before pitching it. Yes or no?

It is possible that this stuff has some family significance and isn't
just junk. I'd ask her about that before I pitched it. If the thing
is valuable (or she thinks it is) than I'd ask her to keep it until DD
is older and can 'appreciate it'. If not, maybe I'd give it to
Freecycle (which is what I'm doing with my stuff so as to make room
for my mom's stuff - I can actually walk into most of my rooms now) or
sell it on eBay. Or donated it to a yard sale somewhere. (Summer is
a good time for that.)

Stephanie wrote:

Anyway, I am pretty sure that the only thing to do is to let her keep giving
DD this crap and let it linger around long enough for MIL to see it and DD
to forget about it before pitching it. Yes or no?

I'm the same way about clutter. This is pretty much what I do. As the
kids have gotten older (and their grandma moved and so lots of stuff was
coming my way) I sort of made a standing joke about the fact that I
pitch stuff away. I say things have a 6mo rule. If no one has touched
it or used it in 6mos it is history. So now I say - 'You know me - if
it is important - don't give it to me/them because it will get tossed.'

Some things don't last the 6mos even. She used to send lots of
toys/game/projects that needed heavy adult supervision and/or
participation to use. I have four kids (two toddlers) and work full
time. I'm not spending full afternoons on some project I can't turn my
back on. They disappear. Often I say those things need to be done at
your house, or left at your house etc. Guess what - she doesn't want
them either, lol.

--

Nikki, mama to 4 boy.