Hand Me Downs and Yard Sale Finds

I am so thrilled and blessed that we don't have to spend a bundle for kids clothes once the weather is starting to get cooler.  The Lord has tremendously blessed us with hand me downs and great bargains at yard sales. 

There are a few people that continually bless us with kids clothes that they no longer need, this is one way that the Lord has provided to our family.  I have also been amazed at the prices I find on kids clothes at yard sales, I mean like nice, looks like it has never been worn, church kinda clothes.  Like this past weekend I bought a few church outfits for Little Bits, they were dress shirts, dress pants, a sweater vest and 2 cozy pairs of pj's (17 items total) and I paid $10 for the whole bag.  I was very excited to say the least.  I had them babies washed and ready to go as soon as we got home, he even wore one of the outfits the next day to church. 

It is not only a blessing to get but it is a blessing to give.  I am thankful that we have been able to bless others.  I pretty much have a designated home for most of the clothes that the kids out grow.  Whatever these families can't use, we give to our church's Great Clothing Giveaway, which is actually coming up and part of my motivation to go through all our clothing bins.  Well that and the freezing cold weather we've been having : )

While I will admit that it is so tiresome to go through all our clothes bins in the fall and again in the spring, I am very thankful that we don't have to go buy all new stuff.  i am thinking that buying all new stuff for 4 kids would probably cost lots.

This year I am wising up though, I am pulling out the fall/ winter stuff that we need now and while I am at it I am also getting all the spring/ summer ready for next year.  I am going to just stick the bins on the top shelf of their closets.  Please don't ask me why I haven't been doing this all along, it really was one of those Duhh! moments. 

Have you switched out your clothes yet?  Any helpful hints to make the clothing switch out easier?

I L-O-V-E Yardsales!!

I have been a yard sale girl for many years.  I love getting things for a bargain.  Why pay full price when I can find something for so much cheaper. 

Most Saturday mornings I am up and out the door, usually by 7 or 7:30 am.  I like to be early, but not too early.  The early bird does get the worm when it comes to yard sales.  Most of the time I go solo, sometimes Computer Girl goes with me and occasionally we all go

The Lord has majorly blessed us through yard sales.  I can not even begin to to tell you about the very nice clothes that we have got for the kids at.  I mean really NICE stuff.  I am especially thinking about all the long sleeve button up dress shirts and corduroy pants that I have found for Alpha Boy.  Yard sales are a great place to find church dresses for my girls.  Games for the kids... yard sales.  Books, books and books....you guessed it, yard sales. 

I have a general route that I drive through the neighborhoods and I normally stop even if the yard sale looks like a dud.  I have found some great things at yard sales that don't look like much.  For instance, a few months ago I was out with Computer Girl and we found a yard sale.  This guy had a small table and that was pretty much it.  BUT we stopped and I got a cast iron griddle that I have been wanting for a while.  These things are $50 new, I paid $5 for mine.  I am still excited about this one! 

In addition to my normal route I will usually check Craigslist.  Several weeks ago, I came across a yard sale that had lots of HOMESCHOOL books!  Can I tell you I loaded up on science and history readers, as well as a microscope and some math manipulative's, for like $25 total!

Yard sales that have kids books are a dime a dozen.  Yard sales that have homeschool books seem to be a rarity, but I found another one today!  I got a few grammar books, science readers and some great history books.  Most of the history read alouds that I got are about  $10-20 each, if purchased new.  I got the following books for a TOTAL of $16:

• George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster
• The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster
• Poor Richard by James Daughtery
• Of Courage Undaunted by James Daughtery
• From Sea to Shining Sea for Children: Discovering God's Plan for America in Her First Half-Century of Independence, 1787-1837 by Peter Marshall & David Manuel
• The Light and the Glory for Children : Discovering God's Plan for America from Christopher Columbus to George Washington by by Peter Marshall & David Manuel

We are pretty set for American History next year!  Isn't that a blessing!!

So when people have asked me questions like, "Is it really worth getting up early and going to yard sales?" or "Do you find anything good?" My answer is Y-E-S!!!  Some people think that yard sales are full of junk but really there aren't.  Yard sales are full of great treasures, you just have to be willing to go find them.  I have found some amazing things at yard sales and am so thankful for them!! 

Do you have any yard sale tips?  What great things have you found lately from yard sales?

Saturday Morning Yardsales!

Packed up the 2 boys Saturday morning and headed out for my first yardsale of the season!  I am so excited that yard sale season is upon us yet again!  I love yard sales almost as much as I love crockpots ; ) 

I was headed to this BIG yard sale because they advertised kids clothes.  The man told me he had just GAVE AWAY a huge box of boys clothes.  At first I a little disapointed but then I realized they were just not meant for me. 

I did however get some great new books.  Is it just me or do you just love books!  I got some Magic School Bus books, Stelluna, Is Your Mama a Llama (very cute!), I know a Rhino (also very cute!), 2 Olivia books and several others.  Also, we got several books by Shirley Hughes, never heard of her before but the books looked wholesome and had really nice illustrations. I got them for $.25 to $.50 each, not bad.

I love to get book, househouse goodies and kids clothes!  The Lord has really blessed us with some really great kids clothes at yardsales.  When my oldest was our one and only I found some clothes at a yardsale that were super nice, mostly name brand and exactly 1 year ahead of her.  I talked to the mama and gave her my number and each season she would call me when she had clothes.  I'd go over to her house and buy the clothes that I wanted.  This worked out great for several years until my daughter got taller than the little girl -  that was a big bummer for me at the time. 

I think for 2 or 3 years now I have been pretty much clothing my oldest son from a family up the street.  Whenever I see their yardsale sign go up I try to be there bright and early!  I have gotten my son button up shirts for church, sweaters, unused dress shoes, jeans, pjs and some nice polo style shirts from them.  Most of these clothes are Childrens Place, Polo, Gap, etc.  Most of them look like they have never benn worn.  Yeah, can't wait for her yardsale.  The more I think about it I might just go knock on her door, LOL!

Like I said I just love yardsales!