The following are some of our favorite RRS ideas. Please feel free to let us know what examples of Reuse, Recycle and Save you have come up with:

Original item: Baby crib

New item: Toddler ball pit

Once my baby outgrew his travel crib, I was at a loss with what to do with it until I came across 2 giant bags of ball pit balls ($2 each) at a yard sale. After the removal of the crib bedding and mobile, I was able to fill the crib with the ball pit balls and move it from the nursery into the playroom. The mesh sides of the crib make for a soft, squishy play area and they are too tall for small children to be able to climb out. Note – this RRS could easily be adapted for a “regular”crib or playard.

Original item: Baby bathtub
New item: Anything!

Baby bathtubs are great RRS items because they are so versatile. They can be used for storing toys or bath items, as a giant mixing bowl for homemade bubble liquid in the summer or as a sled in winter (the raised sides give added security against your child falling off). The possibilities are truly endless. And the best thing? Baby bathtubs are fully washable, so it’s incredibly easy to return them to their original state.

Original item: Body & Boppy pillows

New item: Floor pillow

Pregnancy and nursing pillows were my best friends in the months prior to and after my son’s birth. After he moved onto sippy cups, bottles and solid foods, I found the pillows in danger of becoming obsolete until I realized that with a couple of strategically placed stitches (which can easily be cut out if I need the pillows again in the future), I could roll the pillows to form the shape of a comfy floor pillow. I wrapped the “floor pillow” in foam to give it an even surface all around (and to protect the pillows themselves from any spillages) and covered it with an inexpensive fabric. (I matched my fabric to the colors in my son’s room, but you could really let your imagination go wild here.) I don’t own a sewing machine, so I just tied the fabric at either side of the pillow (so it kind of looked like a Tootsie roll J ), so it would be easily removable for washing, but anyone with a basic machine could probably add a zip to their cover pretty easily.