Hi everyone! Most of you know that I unplugged my computer on Friday for Kimba's challenge. This was really, really good for me. You also know that I've been struggling with the whole balance issue from this previous post. In the last little while, I've been kind of thinking of how much it seems I used to get done. The to-do lists I make these days are just discouraging, because it seems so little gets crossed off. I attributed it to the fact that I have more kids, and of course that plays a role, but on Friday I think my eyes were opened to how much time the computer sucks out of my day. Having it in the kitchen at my little work desk is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it is handy and I'm "accessible" to my family, or would like to believe I am, but a curse because it's
right there.
Right there to click refresh to see if I have any new emails or comments, or to just "quickly" check Google reader to see what new, amazing things y'all have put on your blogs. And all those little checking ins take a huge chunk out of my day. I felt so good on Friday as well because I felt like I was in control of my day and what I wanted to accomplish, instead of the computer in charge of me. I couldn't believe how much I'd accomplished by 10 a.m. I felt more tuned in to my kids as well. I was more present and connected to what they were doing and saying because I wasn't so distracted with what was going on in cyberspace.
Was it hard? It was really hard. I think I made it to around 6 p.m. (I just committed to the day, right?) So, yea, I'm a little embarrassed with how addicted I am. But, I've re-committed myself to turning the computer off in the times that I've designated to be computer-free so I'm not even tempted to push "refresh." I'm really wanting to work on this and needed this eye opener. So, thanks, Kimba for the challenge~it was what I needed.
And, speaking of eye openers~ I saw in the Michaels ad this week that their craft boxes are 3 for $5. This is the cheapest I've seen them and you may want to pick up a few~I'll even be showing you a fun little project with them that's kind of "outside the box." Ha ha. I'm a nerd and it's late. Here is the photo from the flyer:
Have a great Monday!
* if you buy new things, you have to get rid of some of the old *
Unless you have a bare house and are starting from scratch. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that most of you {like me} have too much stuff already. If you start bringing home a bunch of treasures and add to your home without replacing items, pretty soon your house is going to look like an indoor yard sale. Get rid of things you may not love and replace them with things you do.
Unless you have a bare house and are starting from scratch. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that most of you {like me} have too much stuff already. If you start bringing home a bunch of treasures and add to your home without replacing items, pretty soon your house is going to look like an indoor yard sale. Get rid of things you may not love and replace them with things you do.
Remember these quotes from this post? Use them as a guideline in this area:
"Remove the clutter and then honor and respect those things that make your heart sing" -Peter Walsh
"When we talk about saving money, the best way to save it is not to waste it. And it doesn't matter how much time or energy or money you put into a room, if you haven't edited and organized and decluttered and gotten it into a beautiful, functional state first, you've wasted the money." ~Candice Olsen Awesome advice.
* ground yourself once in awhile *
If you get too many treasures that need makeovers, or things are piling up and you haven't gotten around to the "getting rid of" part, you need to put yourself in a yard sale/thrift store/flea market time out. I'm doing it to myself this weekend. No more treasures for this girl until her bathroom is finished.
And some random things I thought of...
* bringing kids along *
I actually think it's a great idea to bring your kids to yard sales once or twice a year to show what bang you can get for your buck and to help teach the value of a dollar. My mom and grandma loved to go and that's where my love started, because I could see what great things you could get for so much less. The kids will be in heaven, but the problem with this is what we talked about above. All the treasures they find will start accumulating in their rooms. If you do have to take kids, you can make it work, it just takes a little more planning, creativity, and lots of snacks.
* feeder sales *
this is what I call the sales that don't advertise, but "feed" off the people who did advertise whose sales you're on the way to.
Always stop at them. There can't be earlybirds, because no one knows about them. They're not trying to make up the money they spent in advertising in the paper, so they may be priced better. They don't know if they'll have much traffic because they didn't advertise, so they often just want it gone. I have had some awesome finds from sales I just happen upon.
*a few things you may want to keep in your car that will help you out*
*measurements if you're looking for a specific big item
* a tape measure to use at the sale see if it will fit in the space and in your vehicle
* a list of the sizes and items you are looking for for upcoming seasons for your kids
*a city map in case you get lost
*blankets to protect furniture when you haul it off.
*snacks and drinks for you! I love me a Snickers Almond.
That wraps it up for this week! I've had a ton of fun doing it and I have loved, loved your comments and tips as well. I'm thinking we need to do a 101 course on having a yard sale in April. What do you think??
Tomorrow, I'm taking Kimba's challenge and turning my computer off and keeping it off the whole day. Yikes! I'm a bit nervous to see just how addicted I am. Join us!
I'm planning on getting lots done. So, I'll see you back here next week~have a great weekend!
I'm planning on getting lots done. So, I'll see you back here next week~have a great weekend!
sourceThe hardest part is getting there, so here are a few tips for at the sale:
* pick it up *
* if you see something that you like, or even think you like, pick it up. You can always think about it and set it down later. You'll be kicking yourself if you don't and see someone else pick it up and then it will make you like it even more. :) If it's a big item, start asking questions about it and then if you want it, tell them you'll take it and it's yours! (yes, you still have to pay) If you want to discuss it with your husband first, let them know you think you want it, you just have to make a phone call first.
* piles *
pic source *If your arms are getting full, ask the people running the sale if you can make a pile by them. That way, they know it's yours and by the yard sale "rules", no one can take stuff from your pile. I hate it when I see something I love and pick it up and someone says, "oh, that's my pile." But, you have to be nice and play by the yard sale rules. Piles are sacred.
* it never hurts to ask... *
pic source
If they're asking $10, ask if they'll take $7.
If it's $1, ask if they'll take .50
If it's $5, ask if they'll take $3.
What's the worst they can say?
No?
Then you decide if you want it at that price or not.
If you have more than a couple of items, add it all up in your head and then take off what you think sounds fair and then ask. Don't low-ball though. You don't ask for a pile of amazing stuff that adds up to $10 for one dollar. That's bad yard sale etiquette.
If you have more than a couple of items, add it all up in your head and then take off what you think sounds fair and then ask. Don't low-ball though. You don't ask for a pile of amazing stuff that adds up to $10 for one dollar. That's bad yard sale etiquette.
Sometimes, people just have great prices and you don't feel like you need to ask for less.
pic sourceAnother trick for this one: I've found it helps if I have the cash in hand when I ask. So, if it's $10, I'll pull out a five and two ones and say, will you take $7 for it? For some reason, when the money is right there, they seem much more willing to take it.
A funny story with this one: when I was with my sister-in-law Kristine we were at the end of our yard sale trail and out of money. There was something she really wanted though, so we went and searched through the car for some loose change, and we came up with .42 or something. She went up like a little kid and showed him all the loose change and said, will you take .42 for it? He just took pity on her and just gave it to her. Oh, the good yard sale memories.
* what's up with the department store prices? *
You'll come across sales that are just so high priced it's crazy. You can feel them out to see if they're willing to come down, but most of the time, I just move on to the next one and don't waste my time.
*price points*
speaking of prices, I have "price points" set in my head of what I want to spend for certain items. For example, I try not to spend more than 50 cents a piece for kids clothes, unless they are coats, dresses, nice shoes, or very nice name brand items. The more you go, the more you'll have little price points in your head for what you're willing to pay for items.
*exchange phone numbers*
if there is something that's priced too high and they won't come down, or an item I need to go home and measure to see if it will work, I ask for their phone number and then I can call them back and say, "I want it~can you hold it for 10 minutes until I get there?" Or, you can call in the afternoon to see if they still have it. Most people are much more willing to go down in price if it's the end of the day and it's still there.
*drive bys and not buying anything are ok*
Sometimes you can tell it's just not your kind of sale when you drive by and you just move on to the next one. If you do walk up and nothing catches your eye, just say, "thanks" or "have a good day" and be on your way.
*if you're looking for a specific item, ask.*
many times, people will ask if you're looking for anything in particular. If you are, tell them. This last fall when I was on the hunt for maternity clothes, I asked and a lady brought out 2 whole boxes she forgot.
Oh, and one more little thing:
*always ask the husband what the price is...*
A lot of times, they have no idea what their wives paid for it and they just want it out of there. They usually give you the best deals. ;)
Tomorrow, we'll wrap up our little Yard Sale 101 Series with "after the sale" and some miscellaneous tips that I forgot. I'd love to hear any other tips you have!
Pretty Organizer is hosting a Toile Party today! I have to admit, I didn't even know what toile was until my sister-in-law decorated her daughter's room in it about 5 years ago. Once I saw it, I recognized what it was, I just didn't know it had a name (pronounced twahl).
It's beautifully classic though and I have a few touches I wanted to share...
here is a pillow I found at a yard sale that I have in a wooden box on my fireplace hearth or on my sofa, depending on my mood.
The next one is in our bedroom: it's a glass (maybe crystal?? how do I tell?) door knob from our very first apartment after we were married and is from the early 1900;s It had broken off of the door and when they replaced it with an ugly, new brass one I kept it. It brings back so many memories.
Anyway...I had been wanting to display it somehow, so here is what I came up with:
I found a scrap of black and white toile fabric, a little letter "S" from Hobby Lobby painted black and a frame from a yard sale that I also spray painted black. I had to cut a little hole through the fabric and hot glue the knob to the backboard of the frame so it would stay. My inspiration for the hanging "S" came from Blue Castle ~I loved hers. So much that I may even paint my "S" red to stand out a little more~what do you think?
There are my little touches of toile~there is a whole party of it going on over at Pretty Organized Palace~go join the fun!
**** Edited to Add: ****
Wait! Something about that "S" was really bothering me~too shiny, too much black, too something. So, I tried red spray paint. It still didn't fit. So I started wiping the red off, which took off some black as well, and I actually loved the old, weathered look it gave it. It seemed to fit the door knob. So, here is the makeover of the makeover.
Yes, I'm a spaz. Back to normal programming. Thanks :)
Tomorrow we'll continue our Yard Sale 101~we'll talk about "at the sale." Until then... happy Tuesday!
Yard Sale, Garage Sale. Potato, pot-ah-to It's all the same, right?
Where do I begin?
First of all, you have to go. I hear lots of, "I never find good things at yard sales." And I find myself just wanting to say, "because you never go, or when you do, it's on the way home from something at 2 p.m. when everything is gone!" It takes a little planning and effort.
So,
*Look in your newspaper's classified section (many are available online to look at for free
*check on Craigslist in your area under garage sales
*look in the little free newspapers that come out during the week
to see what's going on for the weekend. I check on Thursdays and Fridays.
*look in the little free newspapers that come out during the week
to see what's going on for the weekend. I check on Thursdays and Fridays.
If it looks like a promising weekend, make plans to go!
Do you just start driving around, or do you map it out beforehand?
pic source
I would say map out your route~I get frustrated very easily if I get lost on the way to yard sales because I think of all those great finds that are being snatched up because I'm LOST! So, I use Google maps~you can add as many destinations as you want and they give you turn by turn instructions from each place. This is well worth your time. Be mindful of the start times when they begin when making your "plan" so you don't have one beginning at 9 a.m. as your first stop if you're heading out at 7.
How do I know where to go??
I would just start going to areas near you. It won't take you long to figure out where your favorite neighborhoods are. You may have to drive a little ways to get to them and you'll have to determine if that's worth it for you. In the summer, when gas prices were crazy high, it wasn't for me. My favorite neighborhoods always seem to be mature areas with big trees and a good mix of older and younger families. Once you find your favorite areas and neighborhoods, you'll always gravitate there first. Pretty soon, you'll even become familiar with the street names and when a sale comes up on say..." 320 Sycamore" your heart will skip a little beat because you know that's a "good" street. :)
Are neighborhood yard sales always the best?
Hmmmm. Not always. Neighborhoods tend to have a preview night where they shop each other's stuff, and it seems everyone goes there, so it is crowded and gets picked over quickly. It's nice because you can hit a lot in not very much time, but some of my best finds have been skipping the neighborhood ones and hitting some others that are going on that same day. If you go to the neighborhood ones, head to the back first and work your way up, since people tend to hit the first houses they come to, and bring a bike or a stroller to quickly navigate from house to house. I have a friend who goes with her husband on bikes~one takes one end and the other takes another and they use their cell phones to keep each other up to speed on what they're finding.
What time should I go?
I like to go early. As I'm making my little route, I look at what time the first one I want to go to begins. Then, I plan on being there 1/2 hour early. Most people plan on early birds, and a half hour seems to work out well for me. So, if it's 8:00, I try to arrive around 7:30 and they are usually hauling their stuff out and don't mind if you start looking. April and May seem to be huge yard sale months and lots of people start at 7 a.m., and I head out about 6:45 then.
Of course there are exceptions, but this has worked well for me. If they haven't started bringing things out yet and there are plenty of other sales going on that day, I don't waste my time waiting. I'll come back if I have time at the end. There are also advantages to going at the end of the day~most people just want to get rid of everything and will practically give you things, but I love the selection first thing in the morning.
Do I need to get cash?
I would definitely take cash. A lot of people won't accept checks. I usually get a five, 4 ones, and 4 quarters and see how far I can make $10 stretch. This makes me really think about what I buy. If there is something for more than that and I really want it, I see if they will take a local check or hold it for me for a half an hour while I run get more. If you're on the hunt for big ticket items like furniture, of course you want to bring more.
Do you go by yourself or with a friend?
Either. It can be a ton of fun going with other people, but if I'm on limited time I like going by myself because I know what I'm looking for and can move quickly from one to the next. That being said, some of my favorite yard sale memories have been with friends and family~being lost, trying to contain our excitement when we find a treasure, or wondering how we're going to fit that bookself in our little car, or where we're going to hide our stuff from our husbands. :) It's always nice to have a driver and a navigator as well.
Either. It can be a ton of fun going with other people, but if I'm on limited time I like going by myself because I know what I'm looking for and can move quickly from one to the next. That being said, some of my favorite yard sale memories have been with friends and family~being lost, trying to contain our excitement when we find a treasure, or wondering how we're going to fit that bookself in our little car, or where we're going to hide our stuff from our husbands. :) It's always nice to have a driver and a navigator as well.
How often do you go and for how long?
It all depends on what is going on in our family life. Saturday mornings are usually "mine" to head out and have time for myself, so if it's yard sale season that is what I tend to choose to do. But if we have activities planned or soccer games in the morning, I can head early for an hour (it's amazing how many you can hit in an hour if you have them mapped out and they're not far) so I can be back for whatever we have going on.
Do you ever just sleep in on Saturday mornings??
Yes, but not many during prime "season." The thrill I get in finding good deals is so worth sacrificing a few minutes of extra sleep. If you can't do Saturdays, Friday mornings can be your best friend. I like to head right after I drop the kids off at school and there are wayyyy less people on Fridays. If I have good luck, I don't have to worry about heading out on Saturday.
Oh, this has been so much fun writing~can you tell I love yard sales?? I would love to hear your tips for "before heading out" and I know many of you are experts. What would you add?
Next, will be "at the sale..." Stay tuned!!
It's officially here...yea!
This week has flown with spring break~we've gotten some good cleaning in, with a few of these:
"no one else's mom makes them clean on spring break!"
"mom, it's supposed to be a break!",
and my personal favorite, "the only reason parents have kids is so they can work for them!"
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.” ~Brian Littrell
Okay, so I was a little ambitious yesterday. We only made it through the girls' room in our spring cleaning adventure and then we got kicked off the field by soccer practices when we were trying to fly our kites, but the weather was a perfect upper 70's and we still had fun.
We'll see if we can tackle the boys' room this morning...but for now, I'm joining Miss Rhoda's Spring Fluffing Party! Here are some more spring touches in my home:
a wreath from a little shop in Washington in the entry way:
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