Our Baby Einstein playmat is back in our house after a year-long hiatus at a cousin’s house. Ah, the sounds of the magical musical star…I’ve both missed and not missed those sounds. This playmat was a gift at our baby shower 4.5 years ago. (Seriously? How can that be so long already, and seem so short. But that’s another entry.)

Baby gear gets pricey, especially when you take time to research and look for quality, durable items. My feeling is, if we aren’t using things, and someone else can, share!! It’s hand-me-down-cycling…and then it can be hand-me-down-cycled again when they are done. That is how the BE playmat came to be at my cousin’s house and now again at ours. It makes me happy that 4 families now have enjoyed this simple playmat. And instead of 4 families purchasing their own version, there are 3 that will not be taking up space in a landfill for the next few centuries.

(As an aside, this playmat is fantastic. Really. I’ve been known to refer to it as ‘baby crack’. It’s that good. Trust me, I know. Plus, my 2 and 4 year olds are both in there on the playmat while I sit here typing this entry and nursing their 5.5 month old baby sister.) Since I’m lazy right now, and don’t feel like perusing through 1000+ photo files on my hard drive to find our exact mat, this picture above will just have to suffice. Ours is an older version, but if you see the star thing on top, that lights up and is musical, you know its the good stuff. Family #4, child #6 to use this mat. (I am guessing, however, that the powers-that-be at BRU and TRU and the like are probably not so fond my my love of recycling).