The Great Toy Migration...

I have let the toys in my house go so long without weeding through and giving any away, that when I actually think of going in and sorting them, I get so completely overwhelmed I can't even stomach the thought of going through with it. (It really is that bad.) But, I saw Toy Story 3 about four times this past week, and it lit a fire under my butt and made me want to do this. I definitely feel more in the mood to tackle this horror, and move this stuff onto new kids that will enjoy them, now that my kids have moved on. Now is the time!

Also, my friend Kirsten decided that since this is a tough year for everyone-money wise-that we should all sort our stuff, and have a "Girls Night Out-toy swap meet" where what's old is new again (to each others kids'). It's a completely fantastic idea!

My problem is, my boys have a way of mutilating almost everything they touch. They are toy serial killers! "Sid" from Toy Story could be based on my boys and what they do to their stuff, I'm not kidding. I have had 7 bags of garbage, and 1 bag of goodwill stuff. I only have a small pile of stuff that looks new-ish enough to give to another kid for Christmas morning. I'm not done though.....I still have a few more places to sort through. But, since I have been at this for 5 hours now, and I am ready to scream in horror at the sight of another toy, I am quitting for the night.

I am happy to know that this toy room will finally be unpacked, and sorted for the first time since we moved in (in MARCH!!). This is reason enough to keep on cleaning tomorrow. Plus, I have sorted through most of the toys, so there really isn't much left to throw on the ground and mess up. It's awesome!

My friend Erica has been getting her kids toys and things from garage sales since this summer and packing them away for Christmas. Another brilliant idea! I plan on making some of the presents I am giving, and I'm actually pretty excited about the one I'm making for my brother, Adam. I drew his name and have a genius idea (that I can't share on here in case he actually reads this), but trust me.....genius.

How are some of you coping with the holidays coming up? Any money-saving tricks you'd like to share?

Swap meets of your own? I'm interested to see  how creative people are getting this year.