Old Meets New Birthday Gift

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This November, my nephew turns one. He might just be the cutest thing you’ve ever seen and with a smile so big, you can’t help but light up when you see him in a room. The boys adore him and I have loved spoiling him this past year.

He’s the one on the right. I can’t even stand it. He’s so fancy.

It’s crazy to think that he will grow up in a world where technology has never not been a thing, but he also enjoys playing with the simple pleasures, such as old salad containers, random empty water bottles, and plastic jugs. For his first birthday, I thought I’d put together the perfect mix of technology, recycled materials, and make all things new with a few simple tricks to give him the best birthday gift yet.

Start with a bin. (I recently had an entire conversation with a group of women over what you call this item. Apparently, some say tote, some say bin, and others say tub. Grab one of those whatever-you-call-its and go from there.) I selected one that was pretty basic and the best part is that you can use this for EVERYTHING, so mom can reuse it for outgrown clothes and shoes, packing up toys for another day, or as extra storage around the house. PLUS, no need to wrapping paper or a huge gift bag – BONUS!

For the past few months, I’ve been saving my containers so that I can reuse them to create his own little set of building blocks and fun things to fill with other toys. For this, use clean, dry containers that you’ve been saving and repurpose into a custom set of “building blocks” as a gift. You’ll also need some rolls of duct tape in your favorite patterns to make these adorable.

Wrap the tape around the containers to cover them. For a few of them, I left them clear so if he puts something inside of them, he can still see through them and have even more fun. This was SO simple, but put a cute personalized touch on the reused containers. I also added some beads to a clear water bottle container for some special rattling.

Since I was able to repurpose some of what I already had, I then decided to add a few other technology favorites because I’m his aunt and I’m allowed to spoil him with toys. His mom works from home, so since I had already bought him his own laptop earlier in the year (just a toy, I promise), I thought I’d add to his collection. Work-at-home babies definitely need their own cell phone and tablet also.

But let’s not forget. That first birthday quickly becomes a LOUD reminder that mommy and daddy need batteries. The favorite toys ALWAYS have them and require LOTS of them. So I made sure to include a pack of AA and AAA NEW Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ high performing batteries are the world’s first AA battery made with 4% recycled batteries and Energizer®’s longest-lasting battery (and the parents breathe a sigh of relief because they won’t be replacing those all the time now!) Even better, because the batteries last longer, mom and dad can feel good about using less batteries and creating less of an impact on the planet.

When it’s time to pack up your gift, you’ll need tissue paper for wrapping and a big bow! Remove the lids and stack your reused containers – this will help save space. It’s also the perfect place to nestle your batteries.

A birthday doesn’t have to be a time to fill your house with more stuff – instead, consider repurposing what you have into something brand new! You can also make a difference by giving parents a much needed toy addition – batteries! Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ is the first battery on the market to use recycled batteries and materials and fits perfect into my Old Meets New Birthday gift for baby Ro.

Ready to make some old things new again? Head to your local Walmart and find Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries in the electronics section.

How would using batteries made with recyclable materials change the way you used technology?

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