Somebody forgot to tell the weatherman...

That it's March.
In Alabama!

Does anybody know the proper flag flying etiquette for snow?
Not that we follow that etiquette. We leave our flag out all the time and I try to tell myself it's because we're THAT patriotic. It's really because we're THAT lazy.
I know you're supposed to take it down during rain and at night {unless there is a light on it}. Any snow tips?



Hope your Sunday is this pretty (but NOT this cold).

Consignment Sale Warrior- Part Deux

Because I'm fancy like that. Whilst discussing second hand clothing.

After this post about shopping at consignment sales, several folks asked about my tips for selling items, so I'll be happy to share those, too!
Again, I'm thrilled to be an expert at something, just embarrassed that this is it!

The main person that asked me about this was my childhood next door neighbor, Alana. She was {and still is} one of the coolest people I know. She was a cheerleader in high school and taught the cheer clinics {I attended, of course}, she babysat us and she drove.

Could she get much cooler, you ask?

Why yes, she can. One of my favorite childhood memories of her is watching her bleach her jeans. She was outside in the yard between our houses {near where home plate usually was} and had a bottle of bleach that she was flinging across her jeans back and forth to the tune of "Red, Red Wine" that was blasting out of the boom box {yes, big and silver}. I am literally snorting laughing at this memory! I can't hear Red, Red Wine without thinking about it- which is a tad more often than one might think.

Aaahh. The 80s. Good times.

Back to the consigning, here are some sure fire tips to SELL your crapola fine used items.

1. Plan Ahea...

Or plan ahead. It will usually take MUCH longer than you think to get your items prepped for selling. Especially if you most likely have children {previous wearers of said clothes} around that are big time suckers.

2. Read all the instructions for your sale. Then read again.

Most are very particular about what position on the hangers the clothes should be, what type of clothes/ toys are accepted, what the maximum number accepted is and what specific numbers should be where (price, size, consignor number bar code). This is all for a reason and once you go through the whole sale process once you'll understand it all. Or else it will take you 4 times like, *ahem* me.

3. Become an Iron Maiden

Iron absolutely everything. Except maybe the toys.

It's all about presentation {see below}. And it covers up the pilled shirts pretty well.

4. The Price is Right

A good rule of thumb is to not price anything over 1/3 of what you would pay retail for it (and most of the time I go cheaper depending on how worn it is). I think you have to know the clothes and what they’re worth, but consider if you would rather have $4 or have it back in your house. You will almost always make more money in a consignment sale than at a yard sale, so think of those prices in comparison.

5. Getting Labeled
If you can do labels on the computer, then do that; they are much easier to read. And use big font.
If you hand write them, just make them easy to read and I always add extra info- like “great for grandma's” or “super cute for school pictures” or “only pooped in once” {wait- you could possibly leave that last one off}.
Just think about what the shopper would be thinking. Also, if it fits like a 4, but is a size 5, write “fits like a 4” and then make sure it’s placed in the 4s. Several things don’t get sold because they are in the wrong area and everybody that picks it up will think, “that looks small”, but nobody will move it!
Think like a shopper. The best way to do that is to actually BE a shopper first, so hopefully you can do that, too.

6. Presenting My Used Junk.

Presentation is key. Group outfits together and make sure the top and bottom are clearly shown. If you have a minimum price {ours is $3}, and your item is not worth that much, then group with a like item. Don't try to hide a crummy piece with a nice one, though. That's just frustrating. What are these Faded Glory pajama bottoms doing with this Polo shirt??

Speaking of grouping, pin everything more than you ever think you’d need to. Go ahead and buy the 300 pack of safety pins. The clothes and hangers get a lot of action and things can fall off easily.

7. A Little Some-pin' Special

If you are going to collect your things that don’t sell, put a sticker or stamp in a different place on the sale card {that’s not obtrusive to the instructions} as an identifier- like a gold star or a Mickey Mouse stamp. This makes it really easy to sort and find your clothes if you are going to pick up any that don’t sell {or most places donate them if you don’t pick them up}. If you know you're going to donate any thing that doesn't sell, then you can skip this step. And really, people, do you want it back in your house to begin with? Come on. Let it go. You can do it.

Hope you enjoyed my tips for selling! Let me know if you have others!

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I forgot to show you pictures of the whole experience and my "haul" from the other night.

Here are all the other moms who work the sale waiting anxiously to get at that used apparel. Notice the garbage bins and huge laundry baskets with wheels. There is no playing around here.

Here is a shot of the little girls clothing. There are racks and racks like this. You lucky people with girls! I wouldn't know my bloomers from my brain squishers {or headbands- whatever you call them}. Here is some of the baby gear and a general idea of what the whole place looks like. You can't see the majority, but know it's like a big warehouse of used goods heaven.
Here are all the clothing items I got for the boys. Ollie's stack is the biggest on the left there, but since Henry has all his hand-me-downs you can see I didn't get him much. At all. Poor kid. Then I set up this shot of most of the toys that had gotten and FORGOT {like an idiot!} to take it down before the kids got up from nap. I was literally shoving things under the sofa when we were coming downstairs, but they still thought it was Christmas. Fun times, but I wanted to spread out the giving of the toys. Oh well. I'll hide some. They'll just cry a little.
Any more consignment questions? Ask away!

Here's to a little Red, Red Wine and come great cheap clothes. I hope none of them are bleached.

Become a Consignment Sale Warrior in 10 Easy Steps

Tonight was the workers sale night at my favorite local kids consignment sale. This night happens twice a year and I REALLY look forward to it.
As in, it ranks higher than a girls night out.
Or maybe even a movie date. With chocolate cake afterwards.

Yes. It’s that good.

So, with my vast experience and knowledge at SOMETHING {I’m kind of embarrassed that this is what it is}, here are 10 easy steps to become a Consignment Sale Warrior:

Before the Sale

1. Sign up to work.
Most sales have volunteers that staff the receiving item times, the public sale times and the closing times. Look online for your local websites and talk to other moms. This is the BEST way to get the best deals; shopping first is a huge advantage and is totally worth it.

2. Get the appropriate gear.
You will need either a very large clothes hamper or a large garbage can. Wheels are really important.
If you would like to go ghetto consignment sale warrior, you can use a clothes hamper with a belt looped around the handle to drag it from place to place.
Oh, yes. I saw that A LOT tonight.

3. Case the joint.
If you consign at the sale or work when consignors are bringing in their goods, try to figure out which sections will have clothes, accessories, books, etc- whatever you are looking for. It’s best to know where you’re going before you get there with other crazies shoppers.

4. Find another warrior princess.
There is a HUGE power in numbers and if you have 1-2 friends who will also be there, it is much more fun and you can get someone else’s opinion on whether or not that item is worth $3.

5. Suck up.
I always ask my kids’ pre-school teachers what they are in need of in their classroom and let them know that I get to shop first.
Tonight I got some big trucks for Ollie’s classroom and some train tracks and trains for Henry’s classroom. I think this might buy my kids a few more days out of time out. Or at least let them get away with one little push on the playground.

During the Sale

6. Know your priorities.
Try to get to your #1 area as soon as possible and work your way down your list. I always go to clothes first unless I need a specific item {like a video baby monitor or double stroller} and I start with the older child’s clothes. There are ALWAYS more clothes in the younger sections {they aren’t as hard on them and have many more clothes, usually to begin with} and my youngest has hand-me-downs. Then I go to shoes, then toys, puzzles, videos and anything else cool.

7. Stockpile your purse.
I know you’ll think I’m kidding, but I bring food and water for snack/ dinner. After 2 hours of throwing elbows and judging the value of Faded Glory {Wal-Mart} vs. Circo {Target} elastic shorts, you need a little boost of energy.
I packed a PB & J and some chips. And I was not ashamed to chomp away while sorting clothes {Helloooo, hand sanitizer?}. One mom came close by me and told me it smelled good.

No, I did not share.

8. Have a network.
Start asking the people in your size zone if you can look through their “leftovers” after they are done. Most people get a big pile of things they might like, then they go through and only keep their final purchases. Ask around- especially if you see that other mom snatching all the cute stuff.

9. Know your sizes and brands.
Some people bring a tape measure and have their kids measurements written down {kids aren’t allowed at our worker’s sale}. Some even trace their kid’s foot around a piece of cardboard and bring that to fit in shoes.
I just wing it.
If it doesn’t fit one child, it will most likely fit the other. And if all else fails and it doesn’t fit either, I can always re-sell it, right?
Try to remember the basics like:
* Gymboree runs big and Polo runs small.
* They only paid $4 for that George shirt at Wal-Mart, so you should not buy it for $8.
* You'll need that Spiderman shirt later to talk your child out of the house to a birthday party or piano lesson, so go ahead and get it now for $4.

You probably know if your child will fit larger in shirts than pants or vice versa. Or if you will use these clothes for the next 7-8 months, like I will, buy your current size and the next size up.

10. Don’t forget special occasions!
If you have a wedding or family pictures or a 4th of July party coming up this summer, go ahead and stock up while the getting’s good. And don't forget swimsuits and dress up costumes.
Cheap is the name of the game, so go for it!

I'm not done! You get an extra tip!

11. Scour the goods.
I have been burned a time or 2 with a shirt that had a stain on the back or a well placed tag was covering it. Also check the size of each item if several are together and the front and back of each if there is a combo on one hanger. I do love a matching shorts outfit, so I tend to lean towards those, but be sure to check it out.

If I had to have an 12, it would be to bring sharp elbows and a smile. The smile will hide what your sharp elbows can do!

Hope this helps and good luck this season at your local consignment sales. They are a great way to help other moms and get some great clothes much cheaper than buying retail!
For more great tips, please check back in at We are THAT Family for Works for me Wednesday.

Some help with the dishes and other things I should probably keep to myself

Finally! Something around the house that helps with the dishes (besides our lovely new dishwasher, of course)!

Why Cranky the Crane was on the counter this morning, I'll never know. But, he was using his skills to help me dig my way out of the dishes.

And why do I love Cranky so? Because my kids love him and I found him at the last consignment sale that I love- Kids Kloset (Spring worker shopping TONIGHT!!)- for about 3 bucks- new in package with Salty and Bulstrode. I hid him until Christmas and he's now a favorite. Apparently, so much so that he travels from room to room.

Since I mentioned the hall where laundry comes to die in my last post, I thought I'd scan around from the sink and show you that I wasn't kidding.

Here is some clean laundry decomposing right this very moment.

I'm sending Cranky the Crane there next.

Our Man- Designed Home

I realized today, for the nth time, that a man designed our home. We have major rooms without ceiling lights (we have added them), crazy tile on the floors (there is no way to describe it- we have covered it up) and color coordinated bathrooms- including the toilets, sinks,floor and wall tile.

Our house was built in 1971, so that probably explains the pink, blue and yellow toilets (I HATE that we missed out on avocado green), but it also explains that the design field was probably dominated by men.

Here is my replication of our floor plan - or at least the path from the car to the refrigerator (egg-zakly to scale):

If you can't quite make it all out, on the far left there, you have a "Big, honkin' SUV full of groceries". Now, since we are all being guilted into being environmentally friendly, the groceries are in cloth sacks that weigh about 30 pounds each because you can fit so much in them. {Please note that my guilt does not extend to driving anything that would crunch like a potato chip in an accident- or smell like one driving down the street.}

You then pass through the 2-car garage that has never held one of our cars. This isn't because it can't be cleaned, but it has the bedrooms on top of it and apparently has to have these major poles in the middle of the garage to hold them up. And I guess cars used to be smaller than the afore-mentioned big honkin' SUV.

You got it.

We have a 2 car garage that NEITHER of our cars can FIT in.

Then you walk up 9 stairs, though the foyer, though the living room (aka train station), then into the kitchen (aka train depot).

What's the difference in a train station and depot? From what I can tell, the trains are loudest wherever you happen to be standing. That's all.

Now, you made it to the refrigerator to unload groceries! Congratulations! Now turn around and do that 5 more times! Who needs the gym?

And, do you notice where my laundry "nook" is? Right beside the kitchen so the little woman can get all her chores done at once. {And did you recall that our bedrooms/ clothes changing areas are waaaaay over on the other side upstairs?}

The laundry closet area also clogs up the only passage to the guest bathroom from the stacks of clothes that accumulate there. Luckily, our 3 year old has learned to do the pee-pee dance and hop over piles of clothes while trying to make it to the bathroom. He's got mad skillz. He gives our guests a tutorial when they arrive.

You can see the testosterone that built this home, can't you? I am super thankful to have it, but there are probably a few dozen things I would change about it.

I think if the man designer would have brought in a sack of groceries with 2 gallons of milk in it, then he might have come up with a new floor plan. Or else he would have run into one of the poles in the garage while not looking. I think I would have rather seen the latter.