I buy a lot of things used; my friends usually tease me if they know me well and ask if any new purchase came from "the thrift store"! All of Arden's shoes, pajamas, clothing, winter coat, etc. just came from a children's consignment sale. I just bought three twin sheet sets from garage sales ($3, $7, and $6 per set for super cute children's sheets). One was Ralph Lauren! I have bought used shoes for myself and the kids, if the brand is good, and they are in good condition.
However, I do splurge on items and buy some things new. I like name-brands, and I am not one of those people who wears clothing that is styled from the 1970's just because the whole outfit cost $3 at Goodwill. So, here are a few of my tips:
1. shop consignment and thrift stores regularly. The merchandise changes all the time. I find super cute home accessories from time to time. I always find good books for me and the kids (or my classroom) for .25 cents to a dollar for a hardcover. My favorite ones are Goodwill, The Salvation Army store on Walnut, and Helping Hands on 28th.
2. Consign and shop in large children's consignment sales like Rhea Lana to purchase a large amount of items for young children (and girls will have more in larger sizes than boys)
3. Ebay. This is where I go first when I want some particular brand or a particular shoe size. The per item price will be higher than consignment or thrift stores, but you can get a specific item. For example, I will do a search for "stride rite 10.5" to look for used shoes for Arden. With boys, I will typically have to buy new shoes at their ages now, but I can sometimes find NIB pairs on Ebay cheaper than the same item in the stores. Sheet sets are sold on Ebay for great prices (both new and used). Boutique brands like Matilda Jane, for example, resell well on Ebay, if you are willing to splurge for a special outfit for a photograph session, but it will still be about half of the new retail price. Every time I want to purchase a clothing/shoe/accessory item new, I search for it on Ebay first to see if it is available for less. I even order my salon hair products I love on Ebay for about 1/2 off, and they are new and sealed. I even bought my Delta kitchen faucet fixures from Ebay (new in box) for half of retail!
4. Discount Vouchers/websites: I get regular/daily emails to a variety of discount programs and buy vouchers for items that I would use, usually at 50% off retail. These sites are places like Groupon, Living Social, or NWA Piggy Deal. They have really good discounts on restaurants and services. Also, I shop at www.onekingslane.com for similar discounts. They hold sales each week that highlight certain high end brands, and you can find good deals on brands like Peacock Alley sheets etc. I have bought 6 items there in the past year at One Kings Lane, and I usually buy at least one voucher monthly for some service/restaurant from the other daily deal sites.
5. Stores that have good sales: I have to shop quickly and on sale when I do buy myself clothing. I like Belk a lot because it is smaller than a Dillards. I also love Ann Taylor Loft. They have wonderful promotions and sales. With the store credit card, I get extra promotions/discounts plus a teacher's discount, even on sale items. I always get everything there over half off the retail price. Since it is a small store, I can get in and out quickly, and I know what size I wear. They can order me sizes they don't have and get them shipped to my house for free! I also stay out of clothing stores, in general,unless I have a specific item that I am really needing to purchase. I don't have time to browse malls now that I am teaching full-time, but I also find that it stops me from making a lot of impulse purchases.
6. Coupon codes: before I order from any online retailer, I always do a search for valid coupon codes for that business. Routinely, I can find codes that get me 10-20% off at checkout or give me free shipping. I recently found a valid coupon code for $25 off at www.erincondren.com and purchased the popular life planner for half price by using the code.
7. Outlets: These are probably my least favorite because they really aren't any cheaper than regular stores with sales. However, I do love upscale handbag outlets like Coach because department stores won't have these bags on sale very often. I purchased two Coach purses last fall for only 1/3 each of the retail cost. The quality of the leather is worth the cost, and I got them for only a little more than leather purses from Target by going to the outlet. The closest outlet to me is in Branson, MO.
8. Friends: See if you can find a friend who has children older than yours in the same gender, then you can get free (or cheap) hand-me-downs. I have been blessed to have a friend who gives Arden a lot of her daughter's outgrown clothing. I know of other times I have "shopped" from friend's clothing, and they have let friends know they were selling clothing privately before they sent it to a consignment sale. They would price it more cheaply, and friends got the first picks of the nicer items.
My goal is always to decorate well, look nice, and find a bargain. I can't enjoy my home or my kids' clothing if I am worried about how much money I spent on them. Try a few tips, and see how it goes. Once you see the savings, you will be addicted!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Labor Day Weekend
My mom came for a visit this weekend and arrived on Friday; she will leave tomorrow when we all head back to work and school. It has been a fun visit with a visit to Braums to get hamburgers and ice cream, a tour of the Walmart visitor's center which has been recently remodeled, a visit to see my classroom, and a getaway to see the movie The Help which I have been dying to see (I read the book awhile ago and highly recommend it).
While we were seeing the movie yesterday afternoon, Arden and the boys were home with Stuart. During that time, Arden managed to sneak into the kitchen, get scissors, and take them to her bedroom. She proceeded to cut out several large chunks of her hair! Yes, the newly styled, adorable bob haircut that we got last weekend! Apparently, getting a haircut made her interested in cutting hair because people were telling her how cute her hair was. She told me she "wanted to be even cuter" by cutting it some more. It could have been a lot worse, but now she has a section on one side that looks like long bangs where she chopped off about 3 inches. It makes me sick, but I know it will grow back. I guess I need to go to Gymboree and buy more of these barrettes that stay in her hair, so I can pull it back to the side. It is too short now to put behind her ears or pull up into an elastic. I really don't want to cut the front into short bangs since I want it to grow out. Sigh.
The cooler temps from this weekend are beginning to make it feel like fall is on its way, and it makes me want to go to Silver Dollar City soon. The kids were hoping to go to the pool one last time this weekend, but we haven't gotten to do that since it got too cool. Maybe it will warm up enough for that this week!
Stuart got back from his trip to Seattle, and I have been doing constant laundry it seems trying to get everything caught up from unpacking. He has had to work several times this weekend to get caught up from being out of the office. And, yes, Owen has football practice TODAY, on a HOLIDAY!! This practice schedule is still driving me insane; I'm just not a die-hard football fan. I am probably one of the only people living in northwest Arkansas that doesn't watch a single Hogs game! I am not from here, didn't grow up around football (I lived overseas), and I didn't go to college at Arkansas, so it just isn't a big deal to me. But, my son loves it, and I love him, so off to practice we will go.
While we were seeing the movie yesterday afternoon, Arden and the boys were home with Stuart. During that time, Arden managed to sneak into the kitchen, get scissors, and take them to her bedroom. She proceeded to cut out several large chunks of her hair! Yes, the newly styled, adorable bob haircut that we got last weekend! Apparently, getting a haircut made her interested in cutting hair because people were telling her how cute her hair was. She told me she "wanted to be even cuter" by cutting it some more. It could have been a lot worse, but now she has a section on one side that looks like long bangs where she chopped off about 3 inches. It makes me sick, but I know it will grow back. I guess I need to go to Gymboree and buy more of these barrettes that stay in her hair, so I can pull it back to the side. It is too short now to put behind her ears or pull up into an elastic. I really don't want to cut the front into short bangs since I want it to grow out. Sigh.
The cooler temps from this weekend are beginning to make it feel like fall is on its way, and it makes me want to go to Silver Dollar City soon. The kids were hoping to go to the pool one last time this weekend, but we haven't gotten to do that since it got too cool. Maybe it will warm up enough for that this week!
Stuart got back from his trip to Seattle, and I have been doing constant laundry it seems trying to get everything caught up from unpacking. He has had to work several times this weekend to get caught up from being out of the office. And, yes, Owen has football practice TODAY, on a HOLIDAY!! This practice schedule is still driving me insane; I'm just not a die-hard football fan. I am probably one of the only people living in northwest Arkansas that doesn't watch a single Hogs game! I am not from here, didn't grow up around football (I lived overseas), and I didn't go to college at Arkansas, so it just isn't a big deal to me. But, my son loves it, and I love him, so off to practice we will go.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Erin Condren Life Planner
There has been a lot of hype about a planner by Erin Condren. It will supposedly rock your world . . . and your wallet. Anyway, I love organizational items, so I was very curious about this planner and immediately wanted one. They can be personalized, have your photos uploaded on the cover, etc. I missed a big half price promotion a few weeks ago, but I have just located a valid coupon code on the internet for $25 off the $50 planner which still makes it half-price! It was valid today because I just used it, and it went through on check-out without a glitch. My planner should arrive in two weeks!
If you are interested, it is "seeyousoon25" at www.erincondren.com. I have no idea how long it will be valid, so act fast if you want to get one!
If you are interested, it is "seeyousoon25" at www.erincondren.com. I have no idea how long it will be valid, so act fast if you want to get one!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Two Weeks Down
I am really going to try to attempt at least one blog post weekly, mainly for our families and friends to be able to stay caught up with us!
We have now been in school for two weeks, and it is already feeling like I never left! I finally know all my students' names, so it is easier now to call on students or have class discussions. My students seem very sweet and capable, so I think it will be a good year.I have already hit the ground running with curriculum and have introduced Socratic circles this past week. I have never done them this early before, but I am experimenting with it to see if the students will be even better at discussion in May if I start now.
National Board is on the back burner until Thanksgiving, as I don't have a tremendous amount left to write. I hope to send off some of my completed entries to some people to read this fall, so I can get some feedback from other NBPTS teachers. I am collecting writing samples over the course of this semester in order to eventually use these student work samples to analyze for my last entry, and I am experimenting with parent surveys and other ways to increase parental contact as another component that I must document. I have until March to get it written, so my main focus now is just collecting materials and getting into my regular school year duties.
I feel like the first two weeks of school have been MUCH busier than normal due to my time commitments with the Rhea Lana consignment sale which just happened to fall during the first week of school! I tagged my items before school started, but it took me one entire evening to load up and drop off all my items I was selling. Then, I spent a half day last Saturday shopping at the pre-sale. In addition, football practice is ongoing, so that is a huge adjustment to our evenings and family life. I also participated in my school's parent open house on Thursday night and was at school from 8 a.m. until 7:30 p.m that day without a break! It was great to meet the parents, and I had an excellent turn out, but it is exhausting physically. Stuart also left early this morning for a conference out-of-state for a week! I hope I can rest this weekend and try to recuperate!
I really want to see the movie The Help since I read the book and loved it. I have heard the movie is good, but I have no spare time on weeknights to see a movie, and Stuart is gone this weekend, so I have no childcare. Maybe I can squeeze it in during the Labor Day weekend!
Stuart bought a MacBook laptop computer this week and drove all the way to Tulsa to get it (nearest Apple store) because he wanted to take a tutorial on how to use it for some specific features. Now, we have two laptops, and our desk top is still dead. It hasn't worked in over a year, but we have yet to dispose of it, so I dust it, and it acts as a decoration in the office!
The kids want to go to the pool this weekend, since it will close soon, but it looks like it might rain today. All the kids are liking their new teachers, and the school year has been smooth so far. One development is that Owen's middle school now has a bus that drops of faculty's children at my junior high on its afternoon route. So, Owen has been able to come to my classroom about three days every week and sit in the back of my classroom for 30 minutes while I finish up teaching my last class. He really enjoys watching the 7th graders, and it has been working well so far. He has been good not to interrupt or talk to me, as I told him that he can't talk to me until school is dismissed since I'm still working. He brings a book to read, gets on my computer, or listens to the activities we are doing. It is saving us a lot of money in after school care, so I am very thankful that this busing option just started!
We have now been in school for two weeks, and it is already feeling like I never left! I finally know all my students' names, so it is easier now to call on students or have class discussions. My students seem very sweet and capable, so I think it will be a good year.I have already hit the ground running with curriculum and have introduced Socratic circles this past week. I have never done them this early before, but I am experimenting with it to see if the students will be even better at discussion in May if I start now.
National Board is on the back burner until Thanksgiving, as I don't have a tremendous amount left to write. I hope to send off some of my completed entries to some people to read this fall, so I can get some feedback from other NBPTS teachers. I am collecting writing samples over the course of this semester in order to eventually use these student work samples to analyze for my last entry, and I am experimenting with parent surveys and other ways to increase parental contact as another component that I must document. I have until March to get it written, so my main focus now is just collecting materials and getting into my regular school year duties.
I feel like the first two weeks of school have been MUCH busier than normal due to my time commitments with the Rhea Lana consignment sale which just happened to fall during the first week of school! I tagged my items before school started, but it took me one entire evening to load up and drop off all my items I was selling. Then, I spent a half day last Saturday shopping at the pre-sale. In addition, football practice is ongoing, so that is a huge adjustment to our evenings and family life. I also participated in my school's parent open house on Thursday night and was at school from 8 a.m. until 7:30 p.m that day without a break! It was great to meet the parents, and I had an excellent turn out, but it is exhausting physically. Stuart also left early this morning for a conference out-of-state for a week! I hope I can rest this weekend and try to recuperate!
I really want to see the movie The Help since I read the book and loved it. I have heard the movie is good, but I have no spare time on weeknights to see a movie, and Stuart is gone this weekend, so I have no childcare. Maybe I can squeeze it in during the Labor Day weekend!
Stuart bought a MacBook laptop computer this week and drove all the way to Tulsa to get it (nearest Apple store) because he wanted to take a tutorial on how to use it for some specific features. Now, we have two laptops, and our desk top is still dead. It hasn't worked in over a year, but we have yet to dispose of it, so I dust it, and it acts as a decoration in the office!
The kids want to go to the pool this weekend, since it will close soon, but it looks like it might rain today. All the kids are liking their new teachers, and the school year has been smooth so far. One development is that Owen's middle school now has a bus that drops of faculty's children at my junior high on its afternoon route. So, Owen has been able to come to my classroom about three days every week and sit in the back of my classroom for 30 minutes while I finish up teaching my last class. He really enjoys watching the 7th graders, and it has been working well so far. He has been good not to interrupt or talk to me, as I told him that he can't talk to me until school is dismissed since I'm still working. He brings a book to read, gets on my computer, or listens to the activities we are doing. It is saving us a lot of money in after school care, so I am very thankful that this busing option just started!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Life as I Used to Know It
My life as I used to know it was leisurely. I stayed home for six years and only worked part-time as an online instructor at a community college, so I set my own hours. Sure, I had 1-2 children at home and 1 in school, but I was the one who determined the pace of our family life. If we had a busy day, it was usually because I had us running errands, going to appointments, or I aggressively cleaned the house.
Fast forward. Football practice 4-5 days per week. Three kids in school programs. Homework to supervise. A full-time job. A larger house to keep clean. Did I mention football up to FIVE practices per week for a ten year old? Wow. This pace is getting a bit crazy. We have never been the ones to have our children in many (if any) activities. We made them wait until school age to play any organized sports,and then we only did Upward on a non-competitive team. I knew I didn't want the pressure. After years of begging for tackle football, we are trying it this year with the Boys Club of Benton County. Wow. It. Is. Intense. I didn't expect 12-15 hours of practice per week in 5th grade. Stuart has been going to every practice and watching, so he and Owen leave at 5:30 and usually don't get home until 8:30. Then, Owen takes a shower and goes to bed. I feel like I'm missing half my family for the whole week, and I am an only parent most nights to the younger kids. The unfortunate part (for me) is that Owen LOVES it. Stuart thinks he actually has some talent. In three seasons, he will be old enough to try out for a school team which has daily practice (and sometimes twice per day), so he needs to learn now if he ever hopes to get good enough to make the junior high team. Compared to most families, Owen is very old to finally play a real sport at age 10. The younger two kids are not even enrolled in anything. No sports or lessons for them! I can't take the stress of having every member of the family at different events all week long after I have taught school all day. I don't think it is worth it on my family life.
I hope we survive football season; maybe I will actually learn the rules (ha!). I have thought a cornerback was the same thing as a quarterback! Hopefully, it will be good experience, and Owen will learn life skills about responsibility, team work, dedication, and hard work. I think those lessons would help him develop immensely. Somehow, he does seem much older since he started playing football and began middle school last week!
When I picked him up from school the other day,he was shooting baskets in the gym with some friends. I saw him make three long distance shots in a row, and he won the shooting game they were playing. On the way home, he mentioned that he is getting pretty good at basketball and might want to try it this winter when football ends. Lord have mercy . . .
Fast forward. Football practice 4-5 days per week. Three kids in school programs. Homework to supervise. A full-time job. A larger house to keep clean. Did I mention football up to FIVE practices per week for a ten year old? Wow. This pace is getting a bit crazy. We have never been the ones to have our children in many (if any) activities. We made them wait until school age to play any organized sports,and then we only did Upward on a non-competitive team. I knew I didn't want the pressure. After years of begging for tackle football, we are trying it this year with the Boys Club of Benton County. Wow. It. Is. Intense. I didn't expect 12-15 hours of practice per week in 5th grade. Stuart has been going to every practice and watching, so he and Owen leave at 5:30 and usually don't get home until 8:30. Then, Owen takes a shower and goes to bed. I feel like I'm missing half my family for the whole week, and I am an only parent most nights to the younger kids. The unfortunate part (for me) is that Owen LOVES it. Stuart thinks he actually has some talent. In three seasons, he will be old enough to try out for a school team which has daily practice (and sometimes twice per day), so he needs to learn now if he ever hopes to get good enough to make the junior high team. Compared to most families, Owen is very old to finally play a real sport at age 10. The younger two kids are not even enrolled in anything. No sports or lessons for them! I can't take the stress of having every member of the family at different events all week long after I have taught school all day. I don't think it is worth it on my family life.
I hope we survive football season; maybe I will actually learn the rules (ha!). I have thought a cornerback was the same thing as a quarterback! Hopefully, it will be good experience, and Owen will learn life skills about responsibility, team work, dedication, and hard work. I think those lessons would help him develop immensely. Somehow, he does seem much older since he started playing football and began middle school last week!
When I picked him up from school the other day,he was shooting baskets in the gym with some friends. I saw him make three long distance shots in a row, and he won the shooting game they were playing. On the way home, he mentioned that he is getting pretty good at basketball and might want to try it this winter when football ends. Lord have mercy . . .
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Rhea Lana Sale Exceeds Expectations!
The Northwest Arkansas Rhea Lana consignment sale is this week from August 22-27 at the Frisco Station Mall in Rogers right next to Hobby Lobby. It is now open to the public daily and charges no admission! The hours are 9 am - 7 pm Monday through Wednesday and 9 am - 3 pm on Thursday. The half-price sale days are Friday with hours of 9 am - 7 pm and Saturday from 8 am - 2 pm.
I shopped during the pre-sale on Saturday when consignors are able to get in early before the sale opens to the public. I bought 60 items this time, and I averaged around $6 per item. My purchases included my daughter's ENTIRE fall/winter wardrobe including tops, pants, jeans, smocked dresses, pajamas, a light jacket, a heavy winter coat, and multiple pairs of shoes! Everything I found was name brand with styles from Gap, Children's Place, Gymboree, Matilda Jane, Orient Expressed, Stride Rite, Geox, Sperry, Petunia Pickle Bottom, Abercrombie, ZaZa Couture, and Mini Boden!
If you haven't gotten to the sale before, you need to try it out this week! This is the largest Rhea Lana sale in our area yet, and there were over 87,000 items from 1,100 consignors!!
I included pictures of some of my best deals above, and here are some more details:
1. Petunia Pickle Bottom toddler bag in mint condition - $8.00
2. Sperry Top Siders in mint condition - $10.00
3. Smocked dress by Orient Expressed - $15.00
4. Gap hooded heavy winter coat - $9.00
5. Pink Stride Rite tennis shoes in excellent condition - $3.50!!
6. Black mary jane Stride Rite shoes for $6.00
7. ZaZa Couture dress trimmed in faux fur - $10.00
8. Matilda Jane dress with minky dot ruffle pants (I am planning to use this outfit for a professional portrait this fall) - $20.00
I love the idea of recycling our used items at a consignment event because it is a form of living "green" plus it saves so much money in our family budget, even over sale shopping! So, get yourself to the Rhea Lana sale early this week to find all the good bargains that are still left! Don't forget to tell your friends! The sale also includes toys, bedding, and all sorts of baby equipment if you are needing those items. Happy shopping!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Back to School
Well, it's that time of year again, and we are getting ready to head back to school. I think this was the shortest summer ever, so I am still not quite ready to let it go! We had an amazing family vacation to Washington D.C. over the 4th of July and were away for ten days. This was our first family road trip of this length, and it was really fun. The kids did amazingly well on the 20 hour drive each way, and we enjoyed seeing sights like the arch in St. Louis and Gettysburg along the way since we were driving. We were invited to stay in a friend's apartment for free, so that was so convenient! We were only blocks from the Capitol and the Smithsonian museums.
Arden started pre-K yesterday at a new building with a new teacher, and she has been crying at drop-off. I have to begin attending teacher meetings next week, so I wanted her to have a few days to acclimate before I have to take her even earlier. I was hoping it would be an easier adjustment than this, but she really doesn't know anyone in her class right now, and she misses the security and comfort of her old building. She is still in the Bentonville School District program, but she was too old to attend in her previous location which only serves birth-3 year olds. I didn't have a choice about her being promoted to the pre-K facility, and I'm sure she would be like this at any new school. I am hoping it gets easier soon!
The boys will attend a week of day camp next week while I am in teacher inservice meetings, then they begin officially on August 15. Hudson will have Mr. Stolt for 2nd grade, and he is SO excited to have a male elementary teacher! Owen doesn't know his teacher assignment until next week, but he will be switching to middle school and also have a new building to navigate. He is very excited about it! Owen also signed up for competitive tackle football for the first time and had a skills test last night for team placement. He feels he did well and didn't have any problems auditioning in front of a panel of coaches! I am hoping the heat tapers off, so that practices are not too hot or demanding, but that is the "mom" in me! Stuart says we need to let him toughen up and follow his dreams which are to be an NFL player at this point! Ha
I am wrapping up tagging all my consignment clothes for the upcoming Rhea Lana sale and hope to finish that today, then I need to complete Arden's baby book before I go back to school. The good news from school that I found out yesterday is that I do not have to float this year! That is where a teacher teaches classes in several different rooms. I have room shared for the past two years which actually was not terrible, as I only taught one class each day in another English teacher's room. However, it will be luxury not to have a cart at all and no longer transport markers, supplies, projects, handouts, etc. up and down the crowded hallway every day!
I got a lot done on National Board Certification this summer, and I am taking a break from it for a few months to get into the routine of the new school year. I will be collecting writing samples from students this fall in order to select samples to use for my last entry where I analyze student writing. I have until March to finish the writing, and I am about 2/3 done already, so I feel good about that. I am sure I will be revising this fall as I get some professors and other NB teachers to be readers for me.
Arden started pre-K yesterday at a new building with a new teacher, and she has been crying at drop-off. I have to begin attending teacher meetings next week, so I wanted her to have a few days to acclimate before I have to take her even earlier. I was hoping it would be an easier adjustment than this, but she really doesn't know anyone in her class right now, and she misses the security and comfort of her old building. She is still in the Bentonville School District program, but she was too old to attend in her previous location which only serves birth-3 year olds. I didn't have a choice about her being promoted to the pre-K facility, and I'm sure she would be like this at any new school. I am hoping it gets easier soon!
The boys will attend a week of day camp next week while I am in teacher inservice meetings, then they begin officially on August 15. Hudson will have Mr. Stolt for 2nd grade, and he is SO excited to have a male elementary teacher! Owen doesn't know his teacher assignment until next week, but he will be switching to middle school and also have a new building to navigate. He is very excited about it! Owen also signed up for competitive tackle football for the first time and had a skills test last night for team placement. He feels he did well and didn't have any problems auditioning in front of a panel of coaches! I am hoping the heat tapers off, so that practices are not too hot or demanding, but that is the "mom" in me! Stuart says we need to let him toughen up and follow his dreams which are to be an NFL player at this point! Ha
I am wrapping up tagging all my consignment clothes for the upcoming Rhea Lana sale and hope to finish that today, then I need to complete Arden's baby book before I go back to school. The good news from school that I found out yesterday is that I do not have to float this year! That is where a teacher teaches classes in several different rooms. I have room shared for the past two years which actually was not terrible, as I only taught one class each day in another English teacher's room. However, it will be luxury not to have a cart at all and no longer transport markers, supplies, projects, handouts, etc. up and down the crowded hallway every day!
I got a lot done on National Board Certification this summer, and I am taking a break from it for a few months to get into the routine of the new school year. I will be collecting writing samples from students this fall in order to select samples to use for my last entry where I analyze student writing. I have until March to finish the writing, and I am about 2/3 done already, so I feel good about that. I am sure I will be revising this fall as I get some professors and other NB teachers to be readers for me.
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