Toy & Stuff Swap on April 19

This is great. I looooved the last toy swap I went to. Man, did I ever unload a bunch of crap, um, I mean, gently used, clean and working toys in exchange for "new-to-us" things my kids can really use. It was really great. My kids had a bunch of toddler toys just hanging around: great Melissa & Doug peg puzzles, sorter/stackers, one of those wooden "popcorn popper" type walker toys. We were happy to find new homes for these baby toys, and for our family to "trade up" to some new board games and bigger kid puzzles. Love the idea of toy swaps. Love it!

So here's the scoop on a Toy & Stuff Swap that's coming up right around Earth Day:

• Spring Toy & Stuff Swap
• When: Saturday April 19 at 2pm
• Bring: clean toys the kids have outgrown, dishes, gifts, clean garden supplies, tools, books, clothes -- basically garage sale stuff that's clean and in good working order
• Where: Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst (in the Gym) 935 NE 33rd Avenue. Portland OR 97232
• Directions: two blocks south of Sandy Blvd on 33rd, at Pacific Street, in a small modern red brick building. There is a large parking lot behind the church. Enter through the door closest the play structure. There will be signs.

Arrive around 1:45pm. You'll be laying the items on the floor in rows with an aisle down the middle. Please put like items with like items (i.e. toys with toys, books with books, tools with tools, etc...and breakables with breakables at the farthest end of the gym from the entry door).

A few notes:

• Dress warm, the gym is unheated
• No trash, no broken stuff, no dirty/greasy/gross stuff -- we don't have dumpsters, and since this is all volunteer and no money is being made, we don't have the ability to dispose of trash!
• Nothing too big to fit into the backseat of a car or in a trunk
• Bring boxes or bags to carry your treasures home in
• Adults only at the swap as breakables, lotions, power tools, etc. will be on the floor.

And finally a word from the swap organizers: Why manufacture/purchase MORE new stuff, when we already have plenty of stuff we aren't using? Swap your unused stuff for something you can
use. This is a great way to be eco friendly and put feet to your sustainability ethics. Plus it's a heck of a lot of fun, and it's FREE!