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Today โ€” 26 December 2024Main stream

My kids had tons of stuffed animals they didn't play with anymore. Donating them made it easier to let go.

26 December 2024 at 03:52
High angle view of female volunteer packing stuffed toys in boxes at community center
The author (not pictured) helped her kids get rid of stuffed animals and blankets they didn't use anymore.

Maskot/Getty Images/Maskot

  • Getting rid of stuffed animals can be hard for kids because they have sentimental value.
  • We learned to donate them instead of throwing them out.
  • We contacted our local soup kitchen and realized there were more things we could donate.

This fall we got new carpeting. While packing our house we found dozens of items from our kids' childhood โ€” clothes, stuffed animals, cuddle blankets โ€” shoved into closets and under beds. Things that hadn't been previously donated or recycled but they were also not using. Except now, we didn't have space for.

While surrounded by piles of sweet plush faces โ€” the white dog now gray from being loved, the bunny from grandpa โ€” we knew we needed to figure out where to send them. Thankfully I have a good friend who volunteers at a soup kitchen. She shared that they have a need for stuffed animals and my kid's childhood friends would find a new home.

Letting go of stuffies can be hard

Getting rid of things that have sentimental value isn't easy. When I was moving in junior high I struggled getting rid of my stuffed animals. Each one had meaning to me โ€” the Figment plush from Disney World, my first Care Bear โ€” and the idea of throwing out stuffed animals seemed mean.

Items that are a comfort to us, like stuffed animals and blankets, can be hard to let go of. These items have nostalgia, provide emotional comfort, or may be a reminder of someone we love. I can't let go of the stuffed animals my grandma had before she passed away.

Knowing that their stuffed animals would go to kids who needed them, helped my kids as we sorted through the large pile of plush.

A volunteer at my local soup kitchen also told me that stuffed animals tend to be gone within minutes since it's not something they have often.

Knowing this made us look at all the unused items we have and think about what else we aren't using โ€” things that are just sitting on a shelf, that could have new life as a comfort to someone else.

The stuffed animals were just a start. By talking with volunteers we learned there was a serious need for items we didn't think we could donate.

Winters where I live are rough. Cold-weather clothing and blankets are in high demand. Even items like throw pillows and mattress toppers are put to good use. Our coat closet was a treasure trove of boots, gloves, and hats that we were ready to give away.

Socks and undergarments are popular and most places will take underwear and bras. I had so many pairs of toddler underpants post potty training โ€” I wish I knew then what I know now and had donated them.

I checked with my kids before putting something on the donate pile

I sometimes look at my kid's room and have flashbacks to the book "Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room." I just want to walk in with a huge garbage bag and get rid of all the mess.

Blankets, stuffed animals, toys, books โ€” especially the story you read to them before bed โ€” should be something you agree on before donating. You don't want to get rid of something that has sentimental value.

I asked around before finding where to donate our things

I was surprised how many of my mom friends had connections or volunteered at places. Schools, townships, and churches are another good source.

During the holidays many charities ask for new items. Keep their information because they may take used items the rest of the year.

Your local food bank is an excellent resource for locating soup kitchens and food pantries โ€” places that may provide support beyond food.

It feels good to donate items that help another parent get their kid through a growth spurt, provide blankets needed during the cold months, and give-away stuffed animals that are a comfort to a child in need.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Before yesterdayMain stream

I went on a $4,000 Disneyland trip and took a $4,400 Disney cruise. The pricier experience was a way better value.

4 December 2024 at 08:34
A composite image of the author at Disneyland and the author in front of a glacier in Alaska while wearing a Mickey beanie.
The author recently started getting into Disney vacations.

Trisha Daab

I've taken 20 trips to the Disney theme parks, including visiting Disneyland for the first time in 2023. A year later, I took my first Disney cruise.

This gave me a great chance to compare the two vacations based on price, activities, food, and overall experience.

Here's how they stacked up.

Disney vacations are not cheap.
The author posing in front of the "Sleeping Beauty" castle in Disneyland.
My trip to Disneyland was during its 100th anniversary.

Trisha Daab

I paid about $4,000 for a Disneyland vacation in 2023. It was a solo trip with four nights at the Disneyland Hotel and four park days.

Though that cost didn't include my airfare, it included all my meals and ticket upgrades.

While at the parks, I attended the Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween after-hours event, which cost about $150. I also took the Disney100, $110, and Walt's Main Street Story, $160, tours.

The cruise cost even more.
The author posing in front of the Disney Wonder cruise ship at a port.
I went on the cruise with another person, but it was still pricier than my Disneyland trip.

Trisha Daab

My seven-day Disney Wonder cruise cost $5,800 for two adults in a veranda stateroom. Like many cruises, this included most of my meals and entertainment options.

Our room was about $1,100 cheaper than a typical veranda stateroom because it had obstructed views. But it was perfect for the cold, windy Alaska weather.

One major hidden cost was the port excursions โ€” we spent about $2,000 for four excursions. We also paid extra for some specialty beverages and a brunch at Palo.

Not including airfare, the total came to about $8,800, or $4,400 a person.

Eating and drinking on the cruise was cheaper.
A hand holding a cone of Dole Whip on a cruise ship in Alaska.
The Disney cruise soft serve was the perfect treat before visiting Ketchikan, Alaska.

Trisha Daab

Other than the specialty brunch, all my meals on the cruise ship were included in my up-front cost. Each day, I got breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and we also had access to 24-hour room service.

My favorite cruise treat was the soft serve.

I'm used to paying theme-park prices for meals on a Disney vacation, which can cost $60 a day. Eating as much as I wanted, whenever I wanted, was a luxury.

Unlike some companies, Disney doesn't offer unlimited drink packages on its cruises. Fountain drinks, coffee, tea, and sparkling water were included, but wine, beer, cocktails, and specialty coffees weren't.

The cocktails were generally cheaper on the cruise. An old-fashioned at Park Wine Country Trattoria in Disneyland cost me $18.50, but an old New Orleans fashion cocktail at French Quarter Lounge on the cruise was $14.50.

Photo packages were more expensive but less complicated on the cruise.
The author posing in front of a map on the Disney Wonder cruise ship.
Every day, there was a different Alaska-themed PhotoPass photo.

Trisha Daab

I often travel to Disney theme parks solo, so a PhotoPass Package is a must if I don't want a camera roll of only selfies.

At Disneyland, I can download photos individually for about $15. If I get a line-expediting lightning-lane multipass, usually about $32 a day, I can get unlimited downloads.

For longer trips, the PhotoPass+ One Week pass costs $78 for unlimited downloads.

On my Disney cruise, the photo package was more straightforward because there was only one option. But it was expensive โ€” $296 for the seven-day trip, over $200 more than the same package at the parks.

I saw Walt's apartment and rare villains at Disneyland.
The author hugging Lotso from "Toy Story 3" at Disneyland.
The author loved seeing rare characters, including Lotso from "Toy Story 3."

Trisha Daab

My Disneyland trip was packed with Disney history and unique experiences.

I loved seeing the castle decorated for the 100th anniversary and meeting characters in their Halloween costumes.

Paying extra for the tours and party was worth it. During Walt's Main Street Story Tour, we visited Walt's old apartment on Main Street, USA. I even stood on the same patio Walt did while watching guests enter the park almost 70 years earlier.

At Oogie Boogie Bash, I met characters who rarely do meet and greets in the parks, including Bruno from "Encanto," Lots-o-Huggin' Bear from "Toy Story 3," and Judge Doom from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

We held sled-dog puppies, met rare characters, and saw a glacier on the cruise.
The author posing with a tiny sled-dog puppy in Alaska.
During an excursion in Juneau, we held four-week-old puppies.

Trisha Daab

The Alaskan cruise was also packed with unique experiences.

Disney cruises offer activities from morning until midnight. We watched a "Frozen" stage show, met Alaska-exclusive characters like Lumberjack Goofy, and saw amazing scenery from the deck.

Every evening, we returned to our room to find our towels folded to look like different animals, and on the last day, we even learned how to do it ourselves.

One of the most magical experiences was sipping on drinks made with glacier ice while we were within a quarter mile of Dawes Glacier.

The magic continued in the Alaska ports. We saw humpback whales and sea otters at Icy Strait Point, watched a bear wander down Creek Street in Ketchikan, and held four-week-old sled-dog puppies in Juneau.

Both trips were nice, but the cruise was packed with once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
A view of mountains from a room on a Disney Wonder cruise ship.
The cruise was close to so much natural wonder.

Trisha Daab

Every Disney vacation is magical in its own way.

There are plenty of experiences from both these trips that I don't think I'll ever forget โ€” from exploring Walt's Disneyland apartment to meeting Alaska Fisherman Mickey.

But when it comes to breaking down the value of each trip, I got more out of the Alaskan Disney cruise.

It was a bit more expensive, but my cruise was filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, unlimited food, and unique Disney activities.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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