Adventures of a Dumpster Diving Mommy

Movie Dive that I have yet to finish watching on Netflix

Portlandia may have introduced many of us to Dumpster Diving in this episode. Dumpster Diving is "the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find items that have been discarded by their owners, but that may be useful to the dumpster diver" (Wiki). At first, it may seems that you can only be part of such practice if you wear special rag clothes, wait until the sun goes down and drive around neighborhoods without leaving too much trace.

But I have benefited many times from the Not Scheduled Dumpster Diving. It is the same thrill as when Santa leaves you a gift on your doorsteps. Tonight it was one of my Santa's lucky days. As I walked around our block around 8 pm, I spotted on the curbside, next to the recycling group of plastic bins, a kid's play kitchen. Now, I have been dreaming about getting the boys a small play kitchen, that would fit inside their bedroom, not too feminine (like bright pink), where they could pretend to cook, instead of playing inside my real kitchen with my real pots! And there it was, a small sized, neutral color with some blue accents, plastic play kitchen starring at me.

At the time of my encounter, the garbage was already being put to good use by two men that were going through the cans and transferring them to plastic bags so that they could make some money later. I was across the street, in a very lighted and busy area, don't worry, no dark alleys dangers. And the question popped in my head, Should I feel ashamed of rescuing a perfect plastic kitchen from the garbage? Will I become less noble if I step in the garbage, or more noble as I will be freeing Nature from digesting a few extra artificial substances?

In a question of seconds, I swallowed my pride, crossed the street, rescued the kitchen and was welcomed by my son with a smile, as he was heading to bed. I had brought him a mid January, Tuesday night gift! What an unique treat! After I wiped the kitchen clean, in case it had gotten some kind of contamination on it, I placed toy pots and pans and fake foods inside its compartments. Tomorrow morning, when my sons wake up, they will benefit from living in a country where you can find a $80 Play Kitchen in the garbage.