Garage Sale Finds, Mishaps & A Valuable Life Lesson

Garage sale season is here again.
Hooray!

I only have a few very small things on my list, but it's still fun to see everything for sale...

We went today and got these 4 things for a total of $2.25.
Not too bad, I think.




However, our morning wasn't without incident.

After the very first garage sale find, as I was walking back to the car with Rowan in my arms, what should happen? Oh, I slip on wet grass clippings and fall flat on my backside. And yes, Rowan went flying, too. Thankfully I broke most of her fall, but she scraped the top layer of skin off a knuckle or two. No blood, thank goodness!
As for me, I somehow managed to skin my right knee, the top of my right foot and my left elbow.
Now that's talent.

And since my pants were wet with mud and grass we went home so I could change.

As we were driving home, I started to wonder why God allowed that to happen.
(Not wondering in a bad way, more curiosity, because I know that everything that happens to us is for a reason and it's all part of God's master plan.)

And literally as we pulled into our driveway, Rowan threw up all over herself.
Guess I learned the reason.
(I'm wondering if it had something to do with our fall, because she wasn't acting sick before we left and she was fine immediately after and since that. )

After a while back at home, Breck asked if we could go back to garage sale-ing.
And since Rowan was acting fine, and agreed enthusiastically to go back out, we did.

The last accident happened shortly after the 3rd garage sale.
Rowan tripped on the sidewalk (or her own feet) and skinned her nose.
This time there was blood - not much, but I'm sure it hurts.

Thankfully, that was the last of Rowan's injuries!

But before we were done for the day, Breck learned a valuable life lesson:

There was a scooter at one garage sale that he saw on the way out, and I told him if he was good at the next door sale that we'd go back for it and if it was still there he could have it as his birthday present.
(It was only $5. And he's been really wanting a pillow pet, so I gave him the choice of a scooter or a pillow pet...he thought a while and decided a scooter was the best choice.)

And just as we were walking up to get it, another little boy started riding it. So, we trailed back and waited to see if he was just playing or if his mom was planning to buy it. After a few minutes, he was still on it, so I talked to the mom and indeed, they were planning on buying it.

And in the words of The Rolling Stones...
"You can't always get what you want."

Chair Rehab

Here's the chair that will eventually match the computer desk!
I bought it at a garage sale several years ago and painted it, which was a bad idea, since it did have somewhat nice wood. But that's history, and it's not nice enough to refinish, so I'm painting it again!

Here it is all painted, but something's missing...
(aside from the seat.)

that's better!

A while ago, I went to Hobby Lobby to get some fabric and foam to make a nice seat. But the foam was going to cost a minimum of $15 for the thickness I wanted...this chair is not worth $15.
So, I improvised and used a very old and yucky looking pillow for the cushion.

Then I waited a long time for someone who owns a staple gun to visit us, as I was forbidden to buy one only for this project. And this past weekend, Seth's parents brought me theirs to use!

When I was ready to upholster my seat, I realized that the cut of fabric I bought was a little too short. So, I had to go buy more.

But, I finally bought some that mostly matches in the right size and finished it today!

Ta-Da!!

This Week's Shopping Deals!

Target
(3) 6-shelf closet hanging storage units for $6.72 total
(10) single string cheeses for free after the $1/2 Target coupon!
and some scrapbook paper and book covers for about $3.50 total


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On the way home from Target, we stopped at a garage sale and found the following for $6.00!!

5 peg puzzles
2 magnetic puzzles
Mini Piano
1 airplane puzzle (which is more difficult and goes with our Airplane theme for the first week of Tot School!)
Shape Sorter (we have the ball type, but that's a bit too hard for Rowan to really enjoy for any length of time)

Lookey What I Found!

Saturday I did some unplanned garage sale-ing with my Dad, Step-Mom, and sister and brother as well as the kiddos...good thing they have a van...because in addition to hauling people, they also hauled some large furniture!

A BIG thanks for that!
(and a big thanks for those who offered up their trucks after my last garage sale post!)

Here's what we got:

this $60 couch


and a rather large $25 play kitchen complete with all manner of play food and play food related small appliances!


the same people we bought the couch and play kitchen from gave Seth a tote full of random toys that no one bought and they just wanted gone since they are moving! The best is an Easy Bake Oven...but it's missing the trays you cook stuff in.


and this $12 desk, which I will use as a craft table
(I can hardly wait...oh the things I will make!!!)



I also got a shelf for $1 that I'll use to hold my small canvases while I paint
(I'm going to paint 4 or 5 floral paintings for Rowan's room - and I've been thinking of making one of these shelves for a while, but I can't buy the wood for less than $1!)



and last but not least, a big pink unicorn for Breck - $0.50


This was given to the seller's son by a little girl while he was in the hospital (not sure what for - he's fine now) and so it was special to them, but he's too old for it I guess, and so now we are the proud owners of a magical unicorn!

It sure does make a nice chair!

(More) Garage Sale Goodies!

Apparently around here Thursdays and Fridays are the best garage sale shopping days!
(I just find that so weird!)

So, this morning, the kids and I headed out to a sale - and were happily surprised to find that it was part of a neighborhood sale!
Hooray for multiple garage sales in a small area!

Here's what we got at a few of them:

Scrabble game - $1
I'm not going to be playing the game - instead I'll use some of the letters as part of Tot School and some for making tile pendants! And I know I've seen some kind of craft using the board...I'll have to search for that.
...not sure what to do with the tile holders....any ideas?!


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4-drawer bin - $2 - will be used for small crafty things,
letter sorter - $1 - will be used for organizing Tot School weekly "lessons",
and 2 baby dolls that move and make baby noises - $2 for both


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Large Mohawk area rug (8 x 10?)- $25,
365 Science activities book - $3


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Then we headed over to another sale we saw on the way to the first one.
It turned out to be an estate sale - not sure what the story is there - It looked like the "evicted tenants left all their things" situation, but I don't know for sure. Anyway, I found some good containers to use for our crafts and Tot School for ubber cheap plus several partial packs of pull-ups (odd, but they were obviously clean and from a non-smoking home, so why not?)
I got all the following for $6.00



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Oh how I wish we had a truck!
Soooo many of these sales have furniture priced ridiculously cheap!!!
...and we're still needing couches for the basement and a table for my craft room, but no way to get them home :( ...

Garage Sale Goodies!

Thursday - Saturday a neighborhood near us had their neighborhood garage sale!

Here's what we got on Thursday:
(there were only 4 sales, but 3 had something we could use!)

LeapFrog Fridge Phonics - $5



First Years Swing Tray Booster Seat - $5


2 metal magazine holders - $1 for the pair


thread holder - $0.50
(it's homemade, but certainly gets the job done! the elderly lady at the garage sale told me that her husband made it for her, so I know it was made with love!)



Friday the kids were not up for the hunt!


But we scored some sweet deals on Saturday:

DVD player - $10
(it's the silver unit in the middle)



Chalkboard/Dry Erase Board Easel - $5



Decorative bucket/planter - $1
(I have some ideas for this...gift basket, planter, storage for small bathroom things, etc)



Hershey's Kiss silicone mold - Free!
(This was the only thing I was going to buy at this sale and the older gentleman running it said to "just keep it!" How nice was that?! It was only $0.25, but still...)



Large dry erase board - $1
(I got this at the first sale, before we found the easel. It's the large kind with the little ledge)

Breck's Fashion Show!

Here are a few things we got for Breck this past Saturday at garage sales:

(click on the pic for a slideshow!)

Dresses Galore

Yesterday I went garage sale-ing again....still nothing for Breck, but I got 22 pieces of clothing for Rowan for $7.50 - that's $0.34 per piece! Here are a few of the dresses and the cutest little Christmas jeans!:

click on the pic for a slideshow!

Fashion Show!

Last Saturday all 4 of us went garage sale-ing! My whole reason for going was to get Breck a wardrobe for next year....of course that didn't happen. Instead, we came home with a partial wardrobe for Rowan's next few years! These were too cute not to share! Not everything is pictured...just the really cute things....all of this plus about 10 more items for $18.75!

click on the pic for a fashion show!