I’m pretty sure I made this decision a while back.
The one about how I wasn’t going to keep plastic restaurant cups anymore.
Maybe we haven’t had enough practice since we so rarely go to sit-down restaurants these days. When my daughter asked if she should keep her cup after Daddy’s birthday celebration a few weeks ago, I automatically said, “Yes.”
Yes. Because it’s a cup. A FREE cup. Who in her right mind wouldn’t want a FREE cup???
Pre-blog, I never considered NOT bringing these cups home.
But after I ran it through the dishwasher, I noticed “they” (whoever they are) don’t make these kiddie cups like they did when my boys were little. (Wow. How old does that last sentence make me sound??) After one top-rack dishwashing, the cup was warped and wonky. Once I noticed the wonkiness, I also noticed that the material is pretty flimsy.
Like, they’re not actually meant to be collected into a full set!?!?
This realization shook me into reality where I realized that even if it wasn’t a flimsy, they-just-don’t-make-things-like-they-used-to cup, I shouldn’t have kept it. I don’t have room in my cabinet for it, and I most definitely wouldn’t replace a grown-up glass with a plastic restaurant cup.
Now I know. Next time Mama’s answer should be, “No!!”
Though I doubt it will ever be as automatic as the “yes” was.
--Nony
Good plan. We used to keep them at one time way back when they were sturdier. I got rid of the last few last year…when my girls were 16 and 13!
My automatic answer is now, “Let’s not keep it. We have enough at home.”
My husband asked me if I wanted coffee cups for Christmas b/c he saw some really pretty ones at the store. I have 11 coffee cups and 6 tea cups which is plenty, plus the area of my kitchen designated for coffee cups is full. He’ll have to think of something else for Christmas. Before your blog, we would have bought more!
Or you could replace the ones you don’t like! (Not to complicate things!!)
I like them all! Eight of them match my dishes, which is fun. One has sentimental value and one is my husband’s favorite. One was from my mom. She was just decluttering and thought I liked that mug. :/ I’ve thought of getting rid of it, but I have space and I feel bad. The teacups are from the Philippines so of course they are very special.
BUT, if hubby wants to buy kitchen stuff, I need a new blender! He broke the old one and I’ve been really looking forward to a new one. 🙂
The thought of keeping restaurant kid cups has never crossed my mind. Now that i think about it, yes you’re right they’re not designed to be kept forever. Restaurant kid cups are flimsy and meant to be disposable. However the tree hugger in me screams ‘recycle!!!!’. So…if my kids ask later on if they can keep the cups, I will say yes, but sneak them out under the cover of darkness to the recycling bin.
i just yesterday recycled all my flimsy plastic kids cups, as well as my least favorite of their sippy cups. i nearly cried when i discovered one of the cups i wanted to get rid of didn’t have that lil recycle symbol on the bottom. but i got over it and pitched it in the trash. Whew!!
I’ve been telling the kiddos for weeks, months even, “when we move into our “new home”, I will be going out and getting ONE kind of cup for y’all. In ONE color. One kind, one color. No. More. Cup. Fights. URRRGGGGGGH!” This conversation varies in detail and length all the time. Some day, some day this will happen.
As for the super-rare occasion (that never ever happens for us anymore) if it were to happen, I could see saying, “yes, but you can only keep it for ‘the weekend’.” After the weekend, good-bye cup.
That’s a fantastic idea! i recently saw a guide for decluttering toys that suggested throwing away happy meal or party favor toys away after two or three days and my mind was totally blown.
I had a neighbor who had trained her kids to return the toy to the counter, still in packaging, because they didn’t need it, but some other child might. Doesn’t work when you are in the car, but you can always order one without the toy.
I started ordering items a la carte because if you add it up, you ARE actually paying for the toy! Plus I make the kids get a free water sometimes, telling them that they are dehydrated. 🙂
on the rare occasion we do go to mcdonalds, we actually order a 20 piece nugget for the kids to share. and we almost never get drinks. in my oldest daughter’s four years, she’s only ever had 3 actual happy meals with toys. My 3 year old has only ever had wo.
I let the kids keep the toys for awhile. Then I collect them along with the little “party favors” and give them to a teacher for her prize box/ treasure chest.
I didn’t come up with this idea until my kids were older, but a few Years back I had each family member pick his or her own special drinking glass from the Good Will (thrift shop). Each person uses his or her own glass every single day. That helps so much!
I have a bunch of sports events cups like that. I know I would be on the bad mom list if I ever threw them away so I put them way back in a dead zone cabinet. No one can ever reach them or use them but they are there and out of my everyday cabinets.
My husband is a huge Texas Rangers fan and season ticket holder. He gets at least one new plastic Rangers cup from the opening day game every year. We’ve been married 25 years…
Like at Teija’s house, they go up up up in the highest cabinet never to be reached or used again, but wo unto me if I ever threw them out. At least they are out of my way and marital peace and happiness can be achieved this way.
It is true that “they” do not make the cups as “they” did! I never allows my daughter to bring such cups at home because I’ve read that some of the ingredients of the plastic could be harmful for the health. So, be careful what you bring at home!
You had me at, “Anymore.” I am so happy for the victories, however big or small.
totally get you! Even though i know i should “just say NO” i still have to pause, hash it out in my head, and only half the time stick to what i know. 😛 lol
Great timing of this post. Just last week I took a few STACKS of these cups out of my cabinets and tossed them. I do keep ones from one specific restaurant because they are a good size for the kids and if they take them outside and they get ruined oh well. But all others will not be kept in the future and the ones we keep will be delegated to one section in the cabinet and the oldest recycled when new come in.
My cabinets were getting overfull and those old cheapo cups HAD to go!
Some good ways to re-purpose those cups before you throw them out: Easter Egg dying, sand box cups (if they crack or break, the kids know to toss them), water cup for paint brushes (because kids just love those water – color paintings), and playing in the tub cups (just don’t drink the water!) Also for the Happy Meal toys, whenever I have a garage sale I always have a free box. The free sign attracts the parents to come look at all the other stuff and THEIR kids take home the toy. Let them decide what to do with it. I know of some children who are vegetarian and don’t eat at McDonalds so they never get those toys. So you get to brighten their day, even for a few minutes. I mean really, who doesn’t like free stuff? Kids are taught by us to like free. I also teach mine to be generous. Even if it’s just a small toy.
I keep cups when I need them for using with crafts. I don’t like using our drinking cups for swishing watercolor paints or acrylics in, so we’ll use the cheap cups we don’t care about and just rinse them out each time.
I always keep the freebie cups and use them as of each use snack cups. If we are in a hurry or if the dishes are passed needing to be done in just grab one of them and throw it away when they are done.
I also use the free cups for crafts or dirt digging.