We are lucky to be expecting our second child this Winter. We are thrilled....but we have a girl and of course we are having a boy this time around. I know, I know, we are lucky to have one of each. But this means we have to buy everything new for this little boy because everything, including the car seat, was pink.

So I've started my project of sorting through all of the bins and boxes that house all of our girl things. As I have started this process, I realized that I don't want to just give away things blindly to local charities, but really ensure that they have a good purpose. I have done some research, and have found a couple of great options for our gently used baby clothes and gear.

First, online communities and auction sites (like EBay, Craigslist) to sell items that are new or almost brand new are a great. I also have the opportunity of posting sale items on a local mother's club website. For the majority of clothing and some gear, I have visited local consignment stores. They are pretty particular about what they take, but if they want what you have they are can be simple and moderately profitable. You'll split the profit at a designated percent. Last, instead of just sending the more used things off to the Goodwill( I love Goodwill but they are so broad), I have found local donation sites that are specifically for mothers and children. I love the idea of giving directly to the audience that will benefit.

Not only has it been a big project, but just keeping the bags and boxes that are going out organized is a job in itself. All the bags are labeled with contents and destination. Then I use my daily planner to make note of where and when items were donated and dropped off.

Sippy cups are for....vinaigrettes?

I love hearing of ways people reuse items. Over the last couple of days I heard of two ways to reuse common baby/kid products that I just had to share.

1) Sippy cups. I read somewhere that a Mom reuses her children's old sippy cups to make vinaigrette salad dressing. It totally makes sense, with the lid you can shake it (be sure to put a finger over the spout). And the small spouts keeps the dressing from spilling out too much. Helping to not overdress the salad and make it a little more healthful.

2) Formula Dispensers. Today during a playdate, a Mom friend of mine pulled out an old forumla dispenser when her 1 year old wanted a snack. No more formula in there- she uses it to store small snacks now. Each compartment nicely holds goldfish and other small snacks.

An old wallet makes a great toy

Ever since my daughter could reach into my purse or diaper bag, the first thing to make its way into her little hands has been my wallet. She manages to take out everything, even things I didn't know were there. The credit cards, cash and frequent shopper cards end up all over the house and returning them to their home in my wallet ends up being like a treasure hunt.

While cleaning out my nightstand I came across an old wallet. I thought a perfect new use for it would be a play wallet for my daughter. So I loaded it up with old cards and strategically left it out..and sure enough Megan found it. She was just as intrigued with the old wallet and my cash didn't end up all over the house! I still need to tuck away my wallet but when she finds it, I can quickly hand her the stand in and the fun can continue.