Pre Christmas clear out

[marne2]

Have started clearing out the old to make way for the new, 4 years worth of tat which I am slowly making my way through, just been to the tip with a car full of old toys, feeling and slightly
that my dd's have acquired so much tat over the years and so much has hardly been played with, also shocked at the amount of boxes I had kept for toys that have now been lost or lego sets that have no joined the masses of odd lego in the big tub.

Anyway I have decided that this year I need to control myself and not buy anything that the dd's will not use daily, no more plastic toys with tiny bits, no buying things just because they are cheap, if it ain't on the list I'm not buying it .

Luckily the dd's are getting older, dd1 doesn't play with toys as such so I must not buy any, dd2 still likes toys but I need to limit what I buy , she loves book and annuals so I will buy her these instead of plastic tat.

Anyone else having a clear out and wishing you had bought less tat in previous years?

How do you control the buying of tat?

You need to go on the minimalist threads in good housekeeping, full of similar issues! I'm in total agreement btw, I've just bought 3 flannels with my 3dcs names and an appropriate hobby picture on for their stockings, practical, not tat! Just happened on a little shop that custom made them!

I am usually just the same! I do try and think to myself will they really use this when I buy them christmas presents though! X

I am going to try my best to think practical . I always buy them a board game but it only gets played a couple times then gets chucked in the cupboard or bits get lost ( so no board games this year ). Dd1 wants a hudl so she will be getting this, will get her a cover\case, have bought her a handbag and purse to keep her money in and some books! will try and get her a few more practical things like pj's, slippers, stationary etc.., Dd2 wants an electric guitar ( still thinking about this, is it practical? ), a wet suit for next summer, a crystal making kit and Shopkins ( plastic tat ). I really must try hard not to buy anything else and I think I may have to step away from the Christmas bargain thread .

I am very much of the same mind set this year. Last year I bought loads of stuff, and most of it went unplayed with looking at you skylanders, you huge waste of space and money. This year I don't care about how the pile looks, I'm going to buy what they will love and nothing else. No more lego, ds1 lost half the sets before he had finished building them. No faddy plastic board games like that pooing dog. Just one or two games that everyone will actually enjoy playing. No tat in general.

It's hard tho. Especially for ds 2, he's 3 in Dec, and things can be a bit hit or miss!