Our new toys

From the consignment sale...

Peeping chicks for Ivey (Suzi loves them too),

And a new(er) Ergo for Jordy and me. We had one already that we bought used from a friend, but this one is an upgrade. The old one will be out on loan to a friend this summer. We love the new Ergo, but we do not love the overpowering scent of the prior owner's laundry products. What is it with people and faux-flowery scents? Hopefully it will wear off soon. At least it doesn't reek of cigarette smoke.

I am having some trouble deciding if I should go to the next sale, which is in early April. I do not need anything. However, if I volunteer I get 70% of my sales rather than 65% and we are selling a nice jogging stroller. And if I volunteer I get to shop early, and if I spend four hours of my life volunteering it'd be a waste not to go to the early sale. It's such a privilege after all. Super marketing plan, isn't it?

P.S. Don't worry, we got Suzi some new toys too. A moon bounce ball to play with in the yard. A couple of new dolls. A pink dinosaur bank she loves to "feed." Swimsuits for this summer. A mini-chalkboard box. Probably some other things I can't remember.

P.P.S. I can see now I reallllly need to stay away from this next sale.

P.P.P.S. Hmm. Well maybe it wouldn't hurt just to drop by the 50% off sale.

Driving the invisible car

This is my favorite baby outfit right now. It has an adorable ruffle across the butt, and Ivey looks sooo cute and cuddly in it. It was a consignment sale find. The girls' fall wardrobes are all washed and organized in their closet. We got most of their clothes at the consignment sale and then picked up a few more things at Goodwill's 50% off day on Sunday.

Poor Suzi is suffering from allergies. Hoarse voice, watery eyes, runny nose... She will be getting her way lots today. Right now she is watching "the puppies" (101 Dalmatians).

Soon I need to post about how we are coming with cloth diapering. And tightwaddery. Also need to take more pictures.

It's SALE time!

Today marks the kickoff of the Upstate Kids Consignment Sale in Clemson. We are dropping off our van full of items, plus a crib, this afternoon. The volunteer sale begins at 5:00 pm, so I hope to be waiting in line at 3:30.

We were up until midnight ironing, pricing and tagging, and Jordan had to get up an hour early to assemble the crib we are selling. Now that we're all finished I can't wait to shop!

If you are in the area, I highly recommend the Clemson sale. I've had the best luck finding deals at it. The public sale begins Friday, March 6th at 10:00 am. This time they've added a 25% off sale, which is Saturday, and the 50% off sale is Sunday! See the schedule for details.

If you can't make it this time, don't worry. There will be another sale in Anderson later this month. In fact, you still have time to register as a seller for that one and make some money off your own items! Better yet, volunteer to work for a four-hour slot and get in early (it's worth it).

Oh boy, I am excited. Happy shopping!

Making ordinary things beautiful

Bet you can't guess what we're going to do tomorrow!

As expected, the consignment sale brought good deals on a pile of white onesies, all in different sizes. Scratch that off my list. We bought rubber bands, gloves and some Rit dye and we will be tie-dyeing tomorrow, probably in the kitchen (where there's no carpet). I learned to tie-dye from my 11th grade Chemistry teacher Mr. DuBose. I left that class with two spiral-dyed t-shirts, one of which I wore to have my wisdom teeth removed the following year. Ouch. (Is it strange I remember that?)

I also tie-dyed with my friend Megan in our church circle. As a matter of fact, we tie-dyed our underwear. Megan is pretty deep and came up with a lovely Christian reference: God takes ordinary things and makes them beautiful for us, and that's what we were doing. We took our ordinary white underwear and made them bright and beautiful. At the same time I made Suzi this little onesie:


Wasn't she a little pumpkin? She was just four months old. I hope the t-shirts we do tomorrow will be this good!

Visit my other blog to see the even more amazing consignment sale deal my mom got today!

It's like Christmas in September

The semiannual Upstate Kids Consignment Sale is just around the corner, and I'm so excited I can barely contain myself. I'm as excited about de-junking my house as I am about getting new stuff! Last time we cleaned out and cleaned up, selling enough to more than pay for what we bought--which was Suzi's spring wardrobe, a bunch of like-new toys, and then some. This time I am hoping to do the same.


If you haven't been shopping here, you have been missing out. Thanks to some seriously picky organizers, you won't find a bunch of recalled toys and stained, holey clothes at this sale. The items are in excellent condition and, let me tell you, the gym is loaded to the hilt. It's almost too much stimulation for a bargain shopper like myself. Since I'm pretty sure I've regaled nearly everyone with my consignment sale adventures, I'm going to list my tips for buying and selling. Most of them are on the Upstate Kids website, but a few of them bear repeating.

1) Volunteer. You can sign up for this here after you register. Volunteers get to shop first! This is how I got Suzi's crib, cradle, and her dolphin swing for our backyard swing set. It is a four hour shift and it's honestly worth it. And don't worry, they won't work you too hard. (I volunteered when I was seven months pregnant. Kim gave me tasks I could perform sitting down, and even gave me granola bars to eat because I'd forgotten to bring a snack.) If you are selling, you get 70% of your sales instead of the usual 65%! I've met some cool people while volunteering, and if you volunteer for before the sale it's a good time to scope out the items you might want.

2) Package your sale items securely. Shoppers can get rowdy, and items with lots of pieces will probably be strewn everywhere if you don't pack them up safely. Save those clear plastic zipper bags (the kind sheet sets come in) and use them to package things. If you use a ziploc bag to package something, tape it shut. Don't count on things staying together just because you set them down together. Things get moved around a lot before the doors officially open.

3) Don't overprice your stuff. Ask yourself what you'd pay for it, and then go down a little from that. You don't want to haul the stuff home again, do you? We learned this the hard way. While we made a lot of money, we could have made more if we'd gone a little lower.

4) Get a babysitter for the presale. Unless you are nursing a little one you can carry in a sling, you will regret having your child in tow. He might even get stepped on in all the commotion, and this is why they ask shoppers not to bring children under eight to the presale. (It's okay to bring them to the public sale, I think.) But please, PLEASE don't bring a stroller to the presale. There is nothing more obnoxious than a woman blocking off a whole aisle with her own personal bus.

5) Arrive early for the presale. I'd recommend at least an hour, because there will be a line. If you don't need anything in particular (i.e., you're not making a mad dash for a crib you fell in love with while volunteering) you could probably just come 20-30 minutes early.

6) Things to bring: A laundry basket, fold-up hamper, or other vessel for transporting your goods while you comb through the racks. The really smart ladies tie a rope or belt to their laundry basket so they can pull it along easily. When your arms are full, one of the volunteers will usually tag your pile so you can scamper off in pursuit of more good buys. Also bring cash and credit cards. They accept both (but no checks), and in case you run out of money you might need backup. It also might get you through the line faster. Bring patience too, especially to the presale. There will be a line at checkout because there are so many people, but it is worth the wait.

7) If you want to sell but don't know where to start, go here to sign up. After you gather your items and get them clean and pretty, you can sit at your computer and print price tags for them. It's easy and fun! The best part is you can log in each day during the sale to see how much of your stuff sold! Since there is a sale in Clemson and one in Anderson this year, your items have a much greater chance of selling. This is by far the best avenue I've found for making money off previously loved items--you should try it!


I know all this might sound a little crazy, but hey--it comes but twice a year. Let me know if you're volunteering and going to the presale. Maybe I'll see you there!

Upstate moms take note!

Here's what happened at the Upstate Kids Consignment Sale. This was the first time we had anything to sell since Suzi is only 9 months old.

1) We decluttered! Our house is less crowded without Suzi's rainforest swing, jumperoo, two bouncy seats, infant car seat, and a huge pile of clothes and assorted baby items. It is so cleansing to get rid of things you don't use!

2) We stocked up! Suzi is ready for spring and summer with all the clothes she could possibly need. We also got her an adorable blue dolphin swing for the backyard, some toys, and books. The half-price sale was my favorite! I got 25 items that day, and most of them were like-new clothing. It cost me $37.45. A great deal.

3) We had fun! You know how some guys like to go hunting? For me, I get what I'd imagine is a similar rush from shopping good sales. I volunteer at this sale every season for the privilege of getting in early. Then I run and grab what I want! You should've seen me when I was seven months pregnant bounding across the gym to claim Suzi's crib! It's so exciting. (I'm sure I'm not the only woman like this... Right???) Volunteering is fun too and you'll be working with other moms so you'll have lots to talk about.

4) We made money! Here's a little math problem for you. We spent $172.27 buying Suzi's new clothes, toys, and accessories. (And, I'm not gonna lie, a few things for ourselves. Jordan got a talking Yoda doll which now keeps him company at work.) We got a check for $211.45 plus $5.00 extra for referring another seller. We decluttered, got everything we needed and more, had fun, and made $44.18 doing it!

The fall sale will be in a few months, so start getting your stuff ready to sell! There are other consignment sales, but Upstate Kids is the most meticulously planned and organized one out there. Better organization = more money and great deals for you! Do me a favor and tell them Jenny Harmon sent you. If you have nothing to sell, just come and shop. You'll love it!

Good landscaping makes good neighbors

I've been so busy lately I haven't been able to post! Last week I was getting our items ready to sell at the Upstate Kids consignment sale, and Jordan's parents came Friday night to stay for the weekend. Jordan and his dad, Steven, spent the weekend putting up our fence. They did a beautiful job (Steven is a professional landscaper). Neighbors passing by complimented us on it--a nice change from the nastygrams we were getting when it was only partly up! We also have two maple trees which will grow fast and the leaves will turn orange in the fall. We are going to have sod soon and flowers! No more red mud.

I went to the sale last night and did $100 worth of damage. We got a fold-up stroller for when I'm trying on clothes or something and can't have Suzi in a carrier. We also got her a backyard swing, some board books, spring/summer clothes, and a few little toys. I'm hoping some of our items will sell! There were over 20,000 items total. If your kids (of any age) need anything, you should go shopping. The public sale starts this Thursday from 9 am - 7 pm but first-time moms can register and get in tonight at 8:00.

While I was waiting to get into the sale I met a lady who had a great use for old t-shirts. She cuts them into strips, sews the strips into a long rope, then crochets them into rugs. It's especially good for shirts in bright colors, and they work up fast with a big hook. She said they also make good pads to lay under pizza stones so they don't scratch your countertops. And I thought old t-shirts were only good for wiping babies' butts!

Suzi has been cruising along the furniture and loves to eat Cheerios. (See video.) We spread a bunch out on the coffee table and when she's eaten them all she holds her little hands out as if to say where'd they all go? In this video she isn't cruising yet, but now she is. It was taken a week or so ago. Yay for Cheerios! They are cheaper than Puffs.

One more thing... Here's a picture of Suzi before the Weathers family reunion on March 2nd. We had her dressed up in blue for a change! Now my blog is all caught up.