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Hand Me Downy: The Ups of Hand Me Downs

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Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

My boys wear hand-me-downs, it’s just a given. As a mom, I care about value and sustainability – so being able to reuse clothes in our family means things can be worn and enjoyed for many years to come. Friends and family are amazed that I can still swap clothing among Ryder and Reid! Usually, once kids reach school age, the first child is much too rough on his or her outfits, making a second round of use almost impossible to pull off. That’s why we use Downy Fabric Conditioner. It’s specially formulated to protect against stretch, fade and fuzz and helps our kids’ clothes last longer, so they can be worn, re-worn and handed down, instead of worn out, thrown out and end up in a landfill too soon.

Meet Ryder. He’s our first born; tender, sensitive and always fussing after others. He gets first dibs on mostly everything, simply because he’s an early riser and an eager apprentice.
Meet Reid. Born almost two years to the day after his older brother, he loves cake and loud noises and operates on two modes: energetic and sugar rush implosion.

He’s also spent his entire childhood wearing hand-me-down clothes.

From the moment I found out I was having another boy, I carefully packed away all of Ryder’s clothing. The large totes were organized with a Seinfeldian level of OCD that still makes me warm and fuzzy to this day. I currently have a big batch of Size 8-10 clothing waiting for Reid to take ownership; he’ll begin to fit into these previously loved clothes after his annual summer growth spurt.

“How come Ryder doesn’t have to wear MY old clothes?” Reid sometimes asks. I think we all know the answer to that!
Thankfully, over the years I’ve discovered a few key ways to improve the longevity of my kids’ clothing, and I’m happy to share the tips with you today!

1. Purchase quality garments at a reasonable price. Look, I’m not saying you need to buy designer track pants for your six-year old (unless you want to). The fact is, as moms, we all know the difference between “value” brands (think two t-shirts for $8) and brands with a reputation for higher quality clothing. Go for somewhere in the middle. Children can be hard on their clothes and tend to wear the same ones over and over; be sure that their favourite tee or jeans can keep up with them.

2. Protect fabrics in-wash. Did you know that Tide and Downy together keeps clothes looking newer 50% longer and helps you get more life out of your kids’ clothes? They can be worn, re-worn and handed down – not worn out and thrown out too soon.  Downy is specially formulated to protect clothes from stretch, fade and fuzz. Think of it as conditioner for your clothes! And when you get more wear out of the clothing, your wallet sighs in relief, too.
3. Be a tree hugger. Hand-me-down clothing can also have a positive impact on the planet. In North America, 9.5 million tonnes of clothing is sent to landfills each year, and nearly 95% of that could have been either reused or recycled. In Canada alone, if we took all the clothing in landfills from just one year, we could fill the Rogers’ Centre three times! Please don’t be part of this scary statistic; take a long look at the kids clothing you have on hand, and then revisit point #1 and #2 above!

4. Host a Hand-Me-Downy Kid Clothing Swap Party. One word: ingenious. Now that you’ve purchased quality clothing and protected it wash after wash with Downy Fabric Conditioner, here’s a great idea to ensure that your kids’ favourite clothes are loved again and again (and don’t end up in the landfill too soon!). It’s an economical and sustainable way to declutter your family’s closets and I’ve hosted many swap parties over the years – especially when the boys were toddlers.
Hosting a clothing swap party is simple:

– Be clear about what’s swap-worthy. Remind guests to clean out pockets, check for mystery stains and ensure there’s no sentimental value attached to the article of clothing.

– Be mindful of the size/gender of the kids clothing when inviting friends to participate. Everyone should go home with something they love!

– Display items in a simple manner; although hanging items a la trunk show sounds like a cool idea, you may be better off simply displaying the clothing on a clean folding table.

– Take turns “shopping” and limit the number of picks to three per turn. Donate any unclaimed clothing to a local charity.

Have I convinced you of the ups of hand-me-downs? Visit handmedowny.ca for more information on how Downy can keep your child’s clothes in great condition. You’ll also find some money-saving coupons!

Enter to WIN a Hand Me Downy Swap Kit valued at $150 here! Simply fill the form below with your qualifying entries. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is sponsored by Downy. The opinions on this blog, as always, are my own. Giveaway is not affiliated with Downy.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. aanch

    Love the “Hand Me Downy” party! I’m going to have to throw one for my classmates :)

  2. Erin N

    I love the #HandMeDowny clothing swap party idea! It is such a great idea (and free!) to change up your wardwrobe :)

  3. Tara Betterley

    I really liked the #HandMeDowny clothing parties. I need to do this with my girlfriends and trade some of my clothes!!!

  4. Sarah Smart

    Hand Me Downy clothes swaps for the win! I can’t tell you how many pieces of clothing are hanging up and not being worn! I need to make some space !

  5. Darci Paice

    I love the #handMeDownyClothing party ideas I think giving out tokens and drawing for placement is really cool!

  6. Tara

    I checked out how to pack for a family vacation. Great tips and also there are good coupons on the site for Downy.

  7. Rosanne Robinson

    I really like the Swap: Host a kids’ clothing swap party with friends and family suggestion.

  8. Caryn Salageanu

    I love the clothes swap party idea. It great for your bydget and the environment too!

  10. Tiffany Rotulo

    The #HandMeDowny clothing party is a genius idea. Save money and protect the environment! Iwould invite all my mom friends.

  11. Treen Goodwin

    The Closet Cleanout Guide has awesome tips , i need to follow this myself !!!!

  12. Janet Meisner

    I learned that Downy Fabric Conditioner protects clothing fibres from fading, fuzzing and stretching, so clothes stay in great condition wash after wash .

  15. Heather Howard

    I won’t lie…I love the coupons ????
    but I also love all the helpful articles.

  18. Kristy maclean

    Children’s clothes are so expensive ! Hand my down clothes is how I grew up. I love the idea of hosting a swap party with my friends

  20. Sarah

    I liked that they walked you through some great tips to having a swap party :) I have never thought about doing that before bit it’s a great idea! Thanks

  24. Amanda Masters

    I love P&G and use their site a ton, especially for money saving coupons! I did like the post about hosting a clothing swap party! That’s definitely an interesting way to to save money and recycle gently used clothing especially as I have a girl and a boy so no hand me downs.

  29. Calvin

    Saving money and protecting the planet with the Hand-Me-Downy program is neat. I learned more about how it works

  30. Mrissa

    I love the printable coupons and am definitely going to switch to the Downy Fabric Conditioner.

  31. Alison Braidwood

    I really like that they have a page detailing how to properly recycle their packaging.

  32. kristen visser

    LOVE the coupons and that they have a section dedicated to bloggers and their love for Downy

  34. Joan G.

    I like the idea of a HandMeDown party – great way to recycle some gently worn clothes.

  37. Nicole Jubleew

    I loved the coupons on the site so that I can keep our clothes looking great and save money at the same time.

  39. 409cope

    I love that washing with tide and downy keeps clothes looking newer for fifty percent longer.

  47. Maritess S

    Hand me down are not only saving parents money but also the Earth by not getting to landfills. I may one day try doing this swap parties. Thanks for the idea.

  50. Julie Bolduc

     I read the how to pack for a family vacation. I know know how to pack a suit case

  52. Marlene J

    I really liked the #HandMeDowny clothing parties – we at our house do a swap every so often.

  53. kathy downey

    So glad I visited their site it’s amazing ,filled with coupons,ideas and tips!

  54. Christine D

    The handy me downy party is SUCH a great fun idea! I mean I’m expecting baby number 3 and although I have one of each I handed down some clothes to other family and friends and those in need so this is smart!!

  61. sarah alexis

    I love all the blogs on “HOW TO HOST A HAND-ME-DOWNY CLOTHING SWAP PARTY” it’s such a fun and practical idea!

  63. Lynda Cook

    I loved how they show you how to have your own “Hand-Me-Downy” party, so much fun!

  64. SweetPanda

    I love the tips of #HandMeDown and how to throw a party. I also love that there’s printable coupon available on the site

  65. michelle tremblett

    I love the clothes swapping party idea, that’s awesome! I always have stacks and stacks of clothes that the kids have outgrown. Also love the printable coupons, Who doesn’t love coupons :)

  68. Karine

    I liked the ultimate guide of recycling! Always good to read recycling tips! Thanks:)

  70. Sab Edwards

    I like the idea of a swap party although we usually just gave all of our old stuff to my sisters kids

  75. Tyler Ennis

    The tips for hosting a Hand-Me-Downy kids’ clothing swap party were very useful!

  83. Erin N

    I find that my clothes start falling apart so quickly! Even the brand name ones :( I’m gonna try this detergent and see if it helps! Thank you :)

  84. Kim McLean

    I grew up in a large family and lived in hand-me-downs. I love, love second hand stores…so you are preaching to the congregation with me!