Fantasy on a Shoestring

I have been fairly frugal for most of my adult life, but in recent years I have really tried to kick that more into gear.  My frugality used to be mainly about saving money (mostly because I never had any!), but now it also includes a desire to live more gently upon the earth.  I'm not quite to the point where I am ready to eliminate most plastics from our home (although the idea has great appeal on many levels), however I try not to buy **NEW** plastic items for our home.   2nd-hand plastic items are at least not doing additional harm to the planet, and if I can replace a plastic item with one of natural fibers and materials, then so much the better!

To me, shopping 2nd-hand just makes so much sense. 

There are so many items you can purchase 2nd-hand that are just as good (and sometimes even better) than a brand new version of the item.  I would estimate that about 80% of my (2 youngest) children's clothing was purchased/received in used condition.  I have a wonderful circle of friends who pass their children's gently-used clothing along to a younger friend.  This is a great blessing to us!   I also shop at consignment stores and the occasional yard sale for items we need.

You can imagine my delight, then, when my husband saw the above adorable cloth castle at a yard sale this summer!  It had originally been priced at $10, however by the time he stopped by in the late afternoon, it was marked down to $5!  It has a nice, sturdy (but light!) metal frame inside, with removable (and washable!) cloth on the outside.  We rested it upon an old tarp in order to help keep mold from forming on the bottom of the cloth (from dew and rain).

The kids have loved creating adventures with this castle!  This castle has even inspired a new bedtime tradition in our house.  Our two littlest ones share a bedroom, and so they both benefit from bedtime stories. My husband and I now tell a story from 'The Continuing Saga of Prince K. and Princess S.'.  It always involves a castle, and of course it ALWAYS involves their friendly pet dragon.  

The other night, for example, the dragon came along and helped the prince and princess out of a sticky situation by carrying them back to the castle after a long day of blackberry picking. Their arms were so overloaded with berries, that they didn't know how they would get all those berries home.  Only the dragon could help them! He scooped up the prince and princess and flew them back to the castle on his back.  And so the dragon saved the day, and the prince and princess were able to happily share their berries with all their friends back at the castle.   OK, OK; I'm guilty of sneaking lessons into our bedtime stories!

The next day, I overheard my son talking about those blackberries while he was inside his castle. I just love when life imitates art!

Childhood fun doesn't need to be expensive. It doesn't need to be the latest (usually expensive) gadget to come down the line.  Why not consider a 2nd-hand item?  No new natural resources need to be harmed in your purchase of the item, and another generation of children can enjoy it.  You can save money and live more gently upon the earth at the same time.  

Now THOSE are the lessons that I MOST want my children to learn!

p.s. I'll be passing this castle along when my own kids are done playing with it. I just love paying it forward!