Saturday, October 25 . . . .
Oh, this is so exciting. Stuart got a new job. But, there's so much to do! I have a Sunday school party tonight, and then on Sunday, I have to take Owen to see the new Junie B. Jones play in Little Rock at the Arkansas Children's Theater.
Here we are driving back from the play, and I'm not feeling very well. Why am I feeling dizzy and sick? Oh, this is bad. Stuart, I think I am going to throw up. Okay, I was right. I think I need to lay down . . . by the toilet. A few hours later, I think I need some meds. Oh, I don't feel well.
"Can you help me?" says Stuart. Why? I'm throwing up right now, I reply (in a not-so-nice voice). "Hudson just threw up all over his bed!" I stumble to clean up his mess, while I'm still a mess, and I stagger around in a drug-induced state brought on by phenergan.
The next day, Hudson feels better, but Stuart comes home from work with the stomach flu. I'm not nice enough to help him very much, but I do all the childcare by myself, so he can sleep. Quiet kids. Your father is sick! Yes, I think he got the throw up. I don't know where it comes from. No, it doesn't crawl in your mouth when you sleep.
Finally, maybe a good day to work on the 57 essays that I haven't gotten to yet. I think I've done 18 loads of laundry! Oh, I still have to fill out the 14 page form for the MLS listing for the house, and I have to take digital pictures of every room and make them look like my home is out of Pottery Barn catalog while disguising the toys, exersaucer, and vomit-protection towels all over the floor. I think I'll type a flyer to put in the info-tube. Oh no, Owen are you okay. Are you getting sick too? Yep.
After two days with Owen home from school, I'm only 1/3 into the stack of essays that are supposed to be returned in the next 24 hours. I jot off a sad-but-true email to my class, stating that I will be delayed in returning their magnificent essays. I'm back to emptying out the vomit bucket (for the tenth time).
Ah, finally it's Friday. Owen returns to school, and his broken capillaries from projectile vomiting don't look too bad. I think I can finally get some more grading done today. Oh, I forgot. It's Halloween, and I promised Hudson I would go to his "Fantasy Ball" at his pre-K, then I have to get all the kids ready and dressed as a ladybug, pirate, and army man to attend the church festival. So much for grading again!
It's Saturday, and we get to visit with Lewie Clark as he made a visit while he was in town from Chicago (was I coherent, Lewie?). After our nice break with Lewie, I found my handy-dandy "to do" list, and I worked Stuart to death as we tried to get the house ready to show. Mulch, mow, edge; we need more mulch. The "for sale" sign went out, and we tried to stuff all the "clutter" and extra belongings into our attic to achieve a "spacious and magazine-ish" feel. I don't know if it worked, and our attic flooring might collapse from the weight of it all.
Ah, another Sunday. Oh no, I've got a baby shower, and I don't know where I put the gift, and I forgot to iron the tablecloths for it. Stuart, watch the kids. Gotta run.
Finally, I sit down to eat a relaxing dinner (of 4 day old spaghetti and Halloween candy). The phone rings. What? Twenty minutes? They want to see the house? Kids, start cleaning! Pick up your toys! Stuart, I knew we needed to clean your closet . . . .
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
We're moving!
It's been a whirlwind week! It started with a call last week for Stuart to interview for a job at the Bentonville prosecutor's office in northwest Arkansas which had an unexpected opening on their staff. Stuart was already headed up that way to Fayetteville, AR, for an annual prosecutor's conference, so the interview was set up during that trip.
On his way to the interview, Stuart got another call from the prosecutor's office in Athens, GA, where we had sent a resume over a month ago. They wanted to interview him too . . . at the same conference in Fayetteville! It turned out that their head prosecutor was a speaker at the Arkansas conference and was on his way to Fayetteville too. So, Stuart had two interviews set up within 24 hours of each other.
Ultimately, both interviews went very well, and Stuart was offered jobs by both of them. We feel very blessed that Stuart was affirmed in his ability and desired for two different positions which were both very good offers. However, the Bentonville office seems like a better fit for us. The location is still in the Arkansas state system, where Stuart knows almost everyone. It is closer to our friends and family, and it is a beautiful area with great amenities and good public schools. So, Stuart accepted an offer to go to Bentonville as their Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney (the picture above is of his new office in the Bentonville Courthouse).
Stuart begins his new job on December 1. It will be pretty crazy for the next few weeks or months as we attempt to get all the details worked out. We are planning to put our house on the market in the next week, so please pray for a fast sale! The market isn't the best right now, but we know that God is bigger than that. We are trusting Him in the details since the job basically fell into our laps through divine intervention. We know that God can sell a house! Stuart plans to get a temporary apartment in Bentonville and live there during the work week, and he will drive back to Cabot on weekends. We hope we don't have to do that for very long.
If only I were on I Dream of Jeannie, and I could cross my arms and blink to make all the work be done. House sold . . . blink. Stuff packed . . . blink. New house located . . . . blink. Too bad it won't be quite that easy! Pray for my sanity as we continue this whirlwind and try to get Stuart settled there in a month.
We're excited about the future and all the opportunities that await us in Bentonville. God has shown His faithfulness and revealed where He wants us next. We're ready to follow . . . .
On his way to the interview, Stuart got another call from the prosecutor's office in Athens, GA, where we had sent a resume over a month ago. They wanted to interview him too . . . at the same conference in Fayetteville! It turned out that their head prosecutor was a speaker at the Arkansas conference and was on his way to Fayetteville too. So, Stuart had two interviews set up within 24 hours of each other.
Ultimately, both interviews went very well, and Stuart was offered jobs by both of them. We feel very blessed that Stuart was affirmed in his ability and desired for two different positions which were both very good offers. However, the Bentonville office seems like a better fit for us. The location is still in the Arkansas state system, where Stuart knows almost everyone. It is closer to our friends and family, and it is a beautiful area with great amenities and good public schools. So, Stuart accepted an offer to go to Bentonville as their Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney (the picture above is of his new office in the Bentonville Courthouse).
Stuart begins his new job on December 1. It will be pretty crazy for the next few weeks or months as we attempt to get all the details worked out. We are planning to put our house on the market in the next week, so please pray for a fast sale! The market isn't the best right now, but we know that God is bigger than that. We are trusting Him in the details since the job basically fell into our laps through divine intervention. We know that God can sell a house! Stuart plans to get a temporary apartment in Bentonville and live there during the work week, and he will drive back to Cabot on weekends. We hope we don't have to do that for very long.
If only I were on I Dream of Jeannie, and I could cross my arms and blink to make all the work be done. House sold . . . blink. Stuff packed . . . blink. New house located . . . . blink. Too bad it won't be quite that easy! Pray for my sanity as we continue this whirlwind and try to get Stuart settled there in a month.
We're excited about the future and all the opportunities that await us in Bentonville. God has shown His faithfulness and revealed where He wants us next. We're ready to follow . . . .
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Job Interview -- Revised!
Stuart has a job interview Wednesday, October 22, at 4 p.m. in Bentonville, AR. (The interview has been moved up from its original time of Thursday morning). After about 5 months of serious job hunting for a new job and many resumes sent out, this is only the second job interview that we've gotten. We are really feeling the effects of the tightening economy on the job market.
Please pray for Stuart as he goes into this interview; it is a job that he would love to get, and from our human perspective, it seems like it could be a great fit. We know that God is in control, and we trust Him to bring about just the right option for our family.
Thanks for praying; we'll keep you posted!
Please pray for Stuart as he goes into this interview; it is a job that he would love to get, and from our human perspective, it seems like it could be a great fit. We know that God is in control, and we trust Him to bring about just the right option for our family.
Thanks for praying; we'll keep you posted!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Day of Remembrance
Today, October 15th, is the National Day of Remembrance for Infant and Pregnancy Loss. There are many friends and relatives of mine who have been touched personally by miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or infant death due to accident or illness.
If you personally have ever lost a baby at any point after conception, I am praying for all those moms today. Please join me in celebrating life, at any stage, and its value by remembering and grieving those babies who have died too soon.
There is a great blog which I follow that is honoring today's day of remembrance with a place for moms to list the date of their infant loss. It is a Christian blog that was started by a woman Angie Smith whose own daughter died just hours after birth due to birth defects in April 2008. The link to this blog is http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/. The last time I looked, there were already over 850 posts by moms who have lost children.
There is probably no greater pain than that of a mother who has to say goodbye to a child.
If you personally have ever lost a baby at any point after conception, I am praying for all those moms today. Please join me in celebrating life, at any stage, and its value by remembering and grieving those babies who have died too soon.
There is a great blog which I follow that is honoring today's day of remembrance with a place for moms to list the date of their infant loss. It is a Christian blog that was started by a woman Angie Smith whose own daughter died just hours after birth due to birth defects in April 2008. The link to this blog is http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/. The last time I looked, there were already over 850 posts by moms who have lost children.
There is probably no greater pain than that of a mother who has to say goodbye to a child.
Friday, October 10, 2008
All About Arden
We took Arden to the pediatrician this week to have her 9 month checkup. She is doing great and off the charts in height! She is about 21 lbs now and 31 inches tall! That is over the 98th percentile in height! That is why she weighs quite a bit but doesn't look that chubby; it's just all stretched out. She is the same height the boys were on their first birthday! She is looking more and more like a toddler these days as her hair is thickening in front, too.
She is saying "mamama," "papapapa," "gagagaga" -- but no "dada" yet, much to Stuart's dismay! She can wave bye-bye, and she seems to say "ba" when she is reaching for her bottle. We just began trying out a soft-spout sippy cup with her to try to begin the transition off a bottle over the next few months. I've been pretty good about getting all my kids completely off their bottle within a week or two of their first birthday.
Arden is also crawling much more proficiently now -- enough to get into trouble! She has pulled over several lamps by crawling to them and yanking on the cords from the floor. I don't remember what I did to prevent this with the boys. She can almost crawl the entire length of a room now! She pulls up part way and will try to stand up too! I know she'll be walking by her first birthday.
She's had three colds already since she began part-time childcare, but the pediatrician said that should improve as she builds up immunities for the first time (we never even had her in the church nursery on Sundays until August). Luckily, none of her recent colds have turned into ear infections like they did with the boys. She also got her first flu shot this week, so I'm glad she will have that protection. I consented to enroll her in a flu shot study at our pediatrician's office, so we will have one extra doctor's visit, and they had to do a blood draw this week. They will draw blood one more time in 8 weeks when the study ends to check her final antibody level after immunization. The monetary compensation to participate in the study was a nice perk, and Arden also got the mercury-free flu vaccine that I wanted for her due to all the hype about autism.
Stuart has been in Atlanta most of the week, and he was gone over his birthday on October 9. We are looking forward to some good family time when he returns tomorrow.
She is saying "mamama," "papapapa," "gagagaga" -- but no "dada" yet, much to Stuart's dismay! She can wave bye-bye, and she seems to say "ba" when she is reaching for her bottle. We just began trying out a soft-spout sippy cup with her to try to begin the transition off a bottle over the next few months. I've been pretty good about getting all my kids completely off their bottle within a week or two of their first birthday.
Arden is also crawling much more proficiently now -- enough to get into trouble! She has pulled over several lamps by crawling to them and yanking on the cords from the floor. I don't remember what I did to prevent this with the boys. She can almost crawl the entire length of a room now! She pulls up part way and will try to stand up too! I know she'll be walking by her first birthday.
She's had three colds already since she began part-time childcare, but the pediatrician said that should improve as she builds up immunities for the first time (we never even had her in the church nursery on Sundays until August). Luckily, none of her recent colds have turned into ear infections like they did with the boys. She also got her first flu shot this week, so I'm glad she will have that protection. I consented to enroll her in a flu shot study at our pediatrician's office, so we will have one extra doctor's visit, and they had to do a blood draw this week. They will draw blood one more time in 8 weeks when the study ends to check her final antibody level after immunization. The monetary compensation to participate in the study was a nice perk, and Arden also got the mercury-free flu vaccine that I wanted for her due to all the hype about autism.
Stuart has been in Atlanta most of the week, and he was gone over his birthday on October 9. We are looking forward to some good family time when he returns tomorrow.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Bargain Shopping for Kids' Clothes
I'm always on the lookout for a good bargain for kids' clothing, and I have found a few ways that have really helped me to shop more affordably. First, let me say that all of this is just my opinion, so not everyone will agree with it. Also, there are probably a lot of ways to find bargains on kids' clothing, so this is not an exhaustive list.
Before I share how I shop for my kids' clothes, I want to mention that in order to save money on clothing, you also have to understand a couple of my philosophies:
1. Cheaper up front isn't always better down the road for resale value as well as how well clothing holds up and can be passed down to multiple children (as the case is with my two boys).
2. More is not the goal. Many children have so many clothes that the child can only wear each item a handful of times before it is outgrown; these kids have more clothing than my entire adult wardrobe. Ironically, most kids don't even care about what they are wearing, but as parents, we want them to look cute and well dressed. I guess we all want our children to look good, so that it reflects well on us. However, I think it will ultimately mean more to our kids if we invest our resources in items that last longer than clothing, like their college fund or savings accounts. My personal philosophy to save money is that I try to limit the quantity to around 8-10 pairs of pants, 20-25 shirts, a couple sweaters or dresses, 1 coat, and a couple pairs of shoes for boys (maybe around 4 -5 pairs for my daughter). That gives them several weeks before they have to wear the same thing again, but it doesn't require a lot of closet space to store. I try to shop only when clothes are needed for size changes or when seasons change; I never just "browse" (it will make you buy things you don't need). Boys, especially, usually don't care what they are wearing until they are older (mine don't care at all), so ask yourself if you are dressing your kids to please them or to please yourself. That's a tough one . . .
3. You will have to limit the "extras" and the accessories. I didn't have this issue at all until I had a girl. Now, I see where the budget can be destroyed. There are Gymboree hairbows to match every outfit in the store, there are belts, there are sunglasses in every color, there are socks that have a design to coordinate with each dress. I draw the line at spending my money on those items. I buy solid color Gymboree socks that can go with all the outfits. I buy solid color hairbows that aren't Gymboree that can match anything. I completely skip the hats, belts, ponchos, etc. (unless they came in a lot I won from Ebay, more on that below). My daughter rips all that stuff off anyway. It looks cute, and I might splurge on some special accessories for a professional photo session, but I can't afford them for daily life.
4. Everyone can't match. I, too, like the whole look of all the kids coordinating in "matching" shirts or outfits. I know lots of people who have all the children coordinated for most daily wear, and sometimes the entire family for Sundays. However, I can't afford to do this. I have found a good balance that I am happy with; I buy two "matching" outfits per year -- Christmas and Easter. I usually get the boys Christmas and Easter shirts on sale with Gymbucks at the end of the season and buy them in a larger size. Then, the boys wear them the following year. Obviously, buying matching clothing on sale requires some planning! I'm happy with a couple of matching outfits a year, and I know it is saving money over doing it more frequently.
5. You need to be open to buying things used, and that includes shoes and pajamas. I draw the line at undergarments, unless they are passed down from friends or relatives whom I know.
6. Have a set limit on what dollar amount you will routinely pay for items. I average out all my sales by the number of items to get a "price per item" amount. I routinely only pay $6 per shirt (new Gymboree) and $12 per pants (new Gymboree). Resale items average around $5 per item for name brands. I will pay more for a couple "specialty" items like a smocked dress for a photograph (I got one used on Ebay for $20). However, if you want to save money, you can't expect to spend hundreds of dollars on a single outfit on a regular basis.
CHOOSE BRANDS WISELY
When shopping for kids' clothing, I usually rely upon name brands that I like, that are stylish, and that hold up well to multiple children wearing them. I want my kids to look in fashion, just like everyone else! I don't really shop at Walmart or Target, even though some of their clothes are very cute. I buy a few sandals or casual clothes at Target from time to time, but that's about it. My reason is that they just don't wash and wear as well as Gymboree. All of Owen's clothing is passed down to Hudson since they are the same season. Most of the shorts and tee shirts I have bought at cheaper stores in brands such as Cherokee, Circo, Faded Glory, etc. become pilled, faded, or stitching tears before they can be passed down. After throwing away multiple items for this reason, I finally decided to pony up a bit more money on the front-end in order to pass clothing down to multiple children. Additionally, I resell almost all of the clothing that is in good shape after Hudson and Arden are done with it. Gymboree and other brands will get a much better resale price than cheaper store brands, so I recoup a lot of my money there.
I do have some favorite brands. These are my "tried and true" brands that wear well, are stylish, and the stores usually offer good sales and discounts. My first choice is Gymboree! Clothing is well made, cute, and the tee shirts are a softer, higher quality cotton. I have soaked most of the clothes many times in OxyClean for stains, and they can withstand it without much fading. I also like Children's Place, Old Navy, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, and Baby Gap/Gap Kids. I would say that 85% of my children's clothing are those brands, but I never buy new or full price. How, do you ask? That is the next point.
SHOP CONSIGNMENT SALES
In order to buy clothing and save money, I limit the number of items each child owns, and I buy good brands in fewer items. However, I only buy consignment or on sale. There are large consignment sales in most major cities in fall and spring (usually September and February). In central Arkansas, the biggest ones are Duck Duck Goose and Rhea Lana. I sell around 100-150 items in each sale which allows me to shop early and get the first pick of the consignment clothing for the season. It's a lot of work, don't get me wrong! You have to label all the clothing, put it on hangers, drag it to check in which can take over an hour, and then you have to go back out to shop for 4-5 hours during the sale. At the last sale I just went to in September, I stood in line for 1 hour and 40 minutes to check out at the presale shopping event to buy some clothing! I still feel it's worth it when I leave with 7 pairs of shoes in Stride Rite, Robeez, and Nike brands that totaled under $40! Just realize that you will pay for some of the discounted price with your time. When selling my children's old items, I usually get back around $250 profit from the consignment sale which I put towards the cost of the items I bought.
As boys get older, it is harder to shop consignment. I have begun to see that with Owen who wears a size 7/8. Now, I can only find him 5-6 items at the consignment sales, which is not near enough to complete his wardrobe. That means that the younger kids will get mainly consignment items, and I will have to buy most of Owen's items on sale at local stores with the intent of passing them down to Hudson. There are always twice as many girl items at consignment sales, so you might be able to plan to spend more of your budget for the girls' clothing from used items.
GYMBUCKS and SALES
If you do shop at Gymboree, you need to work the system to get items affordably. I can't walk in and pay full price and get a tee shirt for $19.50 and a pair of pants for $28.50. One thing I do is only look at the clearance rack. This store has great sales, they rotate items frequently, and they mark down prices up to 75% off. I never buy full price, even if the item is "to die for" cute. I don't even look at the full-price racks! It take a lot of self-control, but I make myself shop in my price limits per item. I also shop using Gymbucks which is the famous Gymboree coupon system. If you shop at certain times, you can earn Gymbucks coupons to redeem later. Usually they are given for every $50 spent, you can earn a $25 coupon to redeem later. Then, during Gymbucks redemption, if you spend $50 you can redeem your $25 coupon, so everything is half off. The best part is that you can do this with sale/clearance items. When I shop on clearance and then apply Gymbucks, I usually average $6.00 per item. The key to success is to buy what your kids need (I often buy bigger sizes and put them back for the next season since those items are on clearance) and shop clearance items only. You won't save much just using Gymbucks on full price merchandise. You can also shop Gymbore online which helps me since I live 20-40 minutes away from the two store locations. Usually online inventory has a better selection of sale items than my local store, and I end up paying the same in shipping as I would have spent on gas to drive to the mall. Plus, you can't beat the convenience of shopping from home.
SHOP EBAY
Besides shopping consignment, using Gymbucks, or using other store clearance sales, I also use Ebay . . . a lot. This online auction format is not intimidating once you've done it a few times. I sell some of my better items on Ebay instead of selling them in consignment, since the consignment sales take a 30% cut of your profit. I also look regularly for Gymboree clothing, especially for older boys, as I have lucked out on some lots for Owen of 25 items for $75 (average of $3 /item!). Most sellers are reputable, and they have a feedback score listed. I only bid if the score is 99% positive or higher. I also ask if items are from a smoke-free home, which is important for leather goods/shoes. It is hard to find shoes at consignment sales, especially for boys. Ebay is a place where I look for shoes. Owen is wearing a pair of gently used Merrell shoes right now that I won for $13 (including shipping)! They are great! I buy all my Robeez used on Ebay and then resell them. I found some consignment shoes for Arden at the Rhea Lana sale, but then I got a few other ones she needed on Ebay. Stride Rite, Merrell, Ecco, Nike, Born, and Robeez are all brands of shoes that I have bought used on Ebay. I also found Arden's custom made crib bedding, lampshade, and child chair slipcover in an auction on Ebay last year. It was in immaculate condition, and I saved 70% over what it would have cost to buy fabric and hire someone to sew all the pieces. Then, I was able to locate the same fabric through fabric wholesale outlets and make additional items to complete her nursery.
Hopefully, some of these tips will work for you. It still takes discipline to walk past a cute kids' outfit and choose not to buy it because your child doesn't really need it. However, it will pay off when you are routinely saving money on their clothing and can fund a vacation or college fund instead. I think my kids always look cute, and they get compliments on their clothing. But I smile because I know that the sweater was $4, the pants $3, and the Robeez were $8 . . . but she looks like a million bucks!
Before I share how I shop for my kids' clothes, I want to mention that in order to save money on clothing, you also have to understand a couple of my philosophies:
1. Cheaper up front isn't always better down the road for resale value as well as how well clothing holds up and can be passed down to multiple children (as the case is with my two boys).
2. More is not the goal. Many children have so many clothes that the child can only wear each item a handful of times before it is outgrown; these kids have more clothing than my entire adult wardrobe. Ironically, most kids don't even care about what they are wearing, but as parents, we want them to look cute and well dressed. I guess we all want our children to look good, so that it reflects well on us. However, I think it will ultimately mean more to our kids if we invest our resources in items that last longer than clothing, like their college fund or savings accounts. My personal philosophy to save money is that I try to limit the quantity to around 8-10 pairs of pants, 20-25 shirts, a couple sweaters or dresses, 1 coat, and a couple pairs of shoes for boys (maybe around 4 -5 pairs for my daughter). That gives them several weeks before they have to wear the same thing again, but it doesn't require a lot of closet space to store. I try to shop only when clothes are needed for size changes or when seasons change; I never just "browse" (it will make you buy things you don't need). Boys, especially, usually don't care what they are wearing until they are older (mine don't care at all), so ask yourself if you are dressing your kids to please them or to please yourself. That's a tough one . . .
3. You will have to limit the "extras" and the accessories. I didn't have this issue at all until I had a girl. Now, I see where the budget can be destroyed. There are Gymboree hairbows to match every outfit in the store, there are belts, there are sunglasses in every color, there are socks that have a design to coordinate with each dress. I draw the line at spending my money on those items. I buy solid color Gymboree socks that can go with all the outfits. I buy solid color hairbows that aren't Gymboree that can match anything. I completely skip the hats, belts, ponchos, etc. (unless they came in a lot I won from Ebay, more on that below). My daughter rips all that stuff off anyway. It looks cute, and I might splurge on some special accessories for a professional photo session, but I can't afford them for daily life.
4. Everyone can't match. I, too, like the whole look of all the kids coordinating in "matching" shirts or outfits. I know lots of people who have all the children coordinated for most daily wear, and sometimes the entire family for Sundays. However, I can't afford to do this. I have found a good balance that I am happy with; I buy two "matching" outfits per year -- Christmas and Easter. I usually get the boys Christmas and Easter shirts on sale with Gymbucks at the end of the season and buy them in a larger size. Then, the boys wear them the following year. Obviously, buying matching clothing on sale requires some planning! I'm happy with a couple of matching outfits a year, and I know it is saving money over doing it more frequently.
5. You need to be open to buying things used, and that includes shoes and pajamas. I draw the line at undergarments, unless they are passed down from friends or relatives whom I know.
6. Have a set limit on what dollar amount you will routinely pay for items. I average out all my sales by the number of items to get a "price per item" amount. I routinely only pay $6 per shirt (new Gymboree) and $12 per pants (new Gymboree). Resale items average around $5 per item for name brands. I will pay more for a couple "specialty" items like a smocked dress for a photograph (I got one used on Ebay for $20). However, if you want to save money, you can't expect to spend hundreds of dollars on a single outfit on a regular basis.
CHOOSE BRANDS WISELY
When shopping for kids' clothing, I usually rely upon name brands that I like, that are stylish, and that hold up well to multiple children wearing them. I want my kids to look in fashion, just like everyone else! I don't really shop at Walmart or Target, even though some of their clothes are very cute. I buy a few sandals or casual clothes at Target from time to time, but that's about it. My reason is that they just don't wash and wear as well as Gymboree. All of Owen's clothing is passed down to Hudson since they are the same season. Most of the shorts and tee shirts I have bought at cheaper stores in brands such as Cherokee, Circo, Faded Glory, etc. become pilled, faded, or stitching tears before they can be passed down. After throwing away multiple items for this reason, I finally decided to pony up a bit more money on the front-end in order to pass clothing down to multiple children. Additionally, I resell almost all of the clothing that is in good shape after Hudson and Arden are done with it. Gymboree and other brands will get a much better resale price than cheaper store brands, so I recoup a lot of my money there.
I do have some favorite brands. These are my "tried and true" brands that wear well, are stylish, and the stores usually offer good sales and discounts. My first choice is Gymboree! Clothing is well made, cute, and the tee shirts are a softer, higher quality cotton. I have soaked most of the clothes many times in OxyClean for stains, and they can withstand it without much fading. I also like Children's Place, Old Navy, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, and Baby Gap/Gap Kids. I would say that 85% of my children's clothing are those brands, but I never buy new or full price. How, do you ask? That is the next point.
SHOP CONSIGNMENT SALES
In order to buy clothing and save money, I limit the number of items each child owns, and I buy good brands in fewer items. However, I only buy consignment or on sale. There are large consignment sales in most major cities in fall and spring (usually September and February). In central Arkansas, the biggest ones are Duck Duck Goose and Rhea Lana. I sell around 100-150 items in each sale which allows me to shop early and get the first pick of the consignment clothing for the season. It's a lot of work, don't get me wrong! You have to label all the clothing, put it on hangers, drag it to check in which can take over an hour, and then you have to go back out to shop for 4-5 hours during the sale. At the last sale I just went to in September, I stood in line for 1 hour and 40 minutes to check out at the presale shopping event to buy some clothing! I still feel it's worth it when I leave with 7 pairs of shoes in Stride Rite, Robeez, and Nike brands that totaled under $40! Just realize that you will pay for some of the discounted price with your time. When selling my children's old items, I usually get back around $250 profit from the consignment sale which I put towards the cost of the items I bought.
As boys get older, it is harder to shop consignment. I have begun to see that with Owen who wears a size 7/8. Now, I can only find him 5-6 items at the consignment sales, which is not near enough to complete his wardrobe. That means that the younger kids will get mainly consignment items, and I will have to buy most of Owen's items on sale at local stores with the intent of passing them down to Hudson. There are always twice as many girl items at consignment sales, so you might be able to plan to spend more of your budget for the girls' clothing from used items.
GYMBUCKS and SALES
If you do shop at Gymboree, you need to work the system to get items affordably. I can't walk in and pay full price and get a tee shirt for $19.50 and a pair of pants for $28.50. One thing I do is only look at the clearance rack. This store has great sales, they rotate items frequently, and they mark down prices up to 75% off. I never buy full price, even if the item is "to die for" cute. I don't even look at the full-price racks! It take a lot of self-control, but I make myself shop in my price limits per item. I also shop using Gymbucks which is the famous Gymboree coupon system. If you shop at certain times, you can earn Gymbucks coupons to redeem later. Usually they are given for every $50 spent, you can earn a $25 coupon to redeem later. Then, during Gymbucks redemption, if you spend $50 you can redeem your $25 coupon, so everything is half off. The best part is that you can do this with sale/clearance items. When I shop on clearance and then apply Gymbucks, I usually average $6.00 per item. The key to success is to buy what your kids need (I often buy bigger sizes and put them back for the next season since those items are on clearance) and shop clearance items only. You won't save much just using Gymbucks on full price merchandise. You can also shop Gymbore online which helps me since I live 20-40 minutes away from the two store locations. Usually online inventory has a better selection of sale items than my local store, and I end up paying the same in shipping as I would have spent on gas to drive to the mall. Plus, you can't beat the convenience of shopping from home.
SHOP EBAY
Besides shopping consignment, using Gymbucks, or using other store clearance sales, I also use Ebay . . . a lot. This online auction format is not intimidating once you've done it a few times. I sell some of my better items on Ebay instead of selling them in consignment, since the consignment sales take a 30% cut of your profit. I also look regularly for Gymboree clothing, especially for older boys, as I have lucked out on some lots for Owen of 25 items for $75 (average of $3 /item!). Most sellers are reputable, and they have a feedback score listed. I only bid if the score is 99% positive or higher. I also ask if items are from a smoke-free home, which is important for leather goods/shoes. It is hard to find shoes at consignment sales, especially for boys. Ebay is a place where I look for shoes. Owen is wearing a pair of gently used Merrell shoes right now that I won for $13 (including shipping)! They are great! I buy all my Robeez used on Ebay and then resell them. I found some consignment shoes for Arden at the Rhea Lana sale, but then I got a few other ones she needed on Ebay. Stride Rite, Merrell, Ecco, Nike, Born, and Robeez are all brands of shoes that I have bought used on Ebay. I also found Arden's custom made crib bedding, lampshade, and child chair slipcover in an auction on Ebay last year. It was in immaculate condition, and I saved 70% over what it would have cost to buy fabric and hire someone to sew all the pieces. Then, I was able to locate the same fabric through fabric wholesale outlets and make additional items to complete her nursery.
Hopefully, some of these tips will work for you. It still takes discipline to walk past a cute kids' outfit and choose not to buy it because your child doesn't really need it. However, it will pay off when you are routinely saving money on their clothing and can fund a vacation or college fund instead. I think my kids always look cute, and they get compliments on their clothing. But I smile because I know that the sweater was $4, the pants $3, and the Robeez were $8 . . . but she looks like a million bucks!
Recipe for Homemade Foaming Handsoap
In my neverending quest to save money, I decided to try this recipe for homemade foaming handsoap. My kids have loved the Kandoo brand in their bathroom, as the foaming dispenser makes it easy for young kids to get their own soap out to wash their hands. However, the Kandoo soap is over $3.50 per bottle, and it only lasts about 6 weeks in my house with several dirty boys. That cost adds up!
This week on Good Morning America, there was a segment on saving money, and this recipe was shared. I decided to give it a try. We were just about out of Kandoo soap, so I just rinsed and reused that dispenser.
Results: wonderful, foaming handsoap that is just as good as Kandoo for a fraction of the price! If you use a good soap product (like Bath and Body Works), you can still enjoy the great fragrance too.
You will need:
1 foaming type pump dispenser (you can buy them in many brands and then just refill it yourself when empty, or Pampered Chef sells a plain one for about $2.00)
2 TBS concentrated handsoap (I used some antibacterial soap from Bath and Body Works that I already had from a previous sale; use the kind in a NON-FOAMING dispenser)
1 cup water
Pour soap into dispenser and add water. Shake.
I intend to make my own for each bathroom from now on!
This week on Good Morning America, there was a segment on saving money, and this recipe was shared. I decided to give it a try. We were just about out of Kandoo soap, so I just rinsed and reused that dispenser.
Results: wonderful, foaming handsoap that is just as good as Kandoo for a fraction of the price! If you use a good soap product (like Bath and Body Works), you can still enjoy the great fragrance too.
You will need:
1 foaming type pump dispenser (you can buy them in many brands and then just refill it yourself when empty, or Pampered Chef sells a plain one for about $2.00)
2 TBS concentrated handsoap (I used some antibacterial soap from Bath and Body Works that I already had from a previous sale; use the kind in a NON-FOAMING dispenser)
1 cup water
Pour soap into dispenser and add water. Shake.
I intend to make my own for each bathroom from now on!
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