It is once again Trash Grabbing Season in our house. I missed the opportunity to tout the trash grabber as a fabulous Father’s Day gift again this year, but I cannot overstate the value we have gotten out of this handy item. It’s the perfect post-dinner activity – especially if you find a regular walk to be slightly ho-hum. Who wants to gaze at beautiful surroundings, or have a meaningful conversation, when you can instead focus on finding and touching other people’s garbage?
My husband loves the grabber I got him last year so much he bought a second one. Now both of the kids can use one. Here’s a photo of my two-year-old using a trash grabber.
If you have never experienced the pain of watching a toddler try to use a trash grabber, let me describe it for you. That piece of trash will disintegrate, turn into dust and reappear as a tulip before your child manages to pick it up.
On the upside, having two grabbers has introduced an intoxicating level of competitiveness to our Trash Walks. Now we race to see who has the dexterity to pick up the smallest pieces of garbage first. If we win, we pump our fists in the air and yell “BOOM Shocka Locka!” And then we make tons of lame jokes about how we like to ‘trash talk’ one another (get it? GET IT?!?).
By ‘we’ I obviously mean ‘me,’ and yes – my family grows tired of me quickly.
I admit there is a risk that this competitive garbage picking hobby could become unhealthy. The other day it occurred to me that I could throw a few pieces of trash out my car window to give myself an edge for that evening’s walk. I didn’t do it! Calm down. But I do have a wide array of garbage in my car at all times, so I’m really hoping I can resist the temptation.
Banana Wheels 
Fist pump, fist pump, loved it! Very funny, makes me smile.
Hi! I’ll get you one for your 40th. xo
I have an addictive personality so this kind of tool would be something that I would end up carrying around with me day and night.
I MUST HAVE ONE OF THESE CONTRAPTIONS.
Amazon. The product reviews often refer to them as indoor grabbers for people who can’t reach things, so maybe you should get 2 or 7 just to be safe for all scenarios.
I seriously need one of those! I walk my dog every day and am constantly picking up trash. (I try to remember to wash my hands when I get home. Usually.) My kids (snotty teenagers) call the trash bag I always carry with me my hobo bag, but I get sick of seeing garbage in my neighborhood and weep for the fish that would be swallowing this stuff that would otherwise go down a drain and into the Pacific. And if it’s a recyclable – BONUS 5 cents for me. Whoo hoo! (BTW – the dog poop goes in a separate bag, in case you were wondering, which I’m sure you weren’t, but I thought I’d tell you anyway.) Speaking of anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Thank you, for helping make the world a better and more beautiful place. You deserve a big BOOM shocka locka indeed!
Get one! Then you’ll really only need to worry about washing your hands from touching dog poop, not trash.
Totally forgot to get one. A full year since I celebrated your genius, and I forgot!
As long as you just keep celebrating my genius. That’s the important thing.
Loudly and forever.
Flash forward 10 years and your kids will be using the two trash grabbers to pinch each other.
Dude. Take the trash grabber in the car with you. Give each kid a grabber and a bag. YOU’RE WELCOME.
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