Garage Sale Breakdown

I just thought it would be a fun experiment to look up the values of my recent garage sale purchases, had I bought them new and compare them to what I paid...

PBK Giraffes (small and large) - pd $3, retails for $36
3 Hooded towels & two wash cloths - pd $3, retails for $30
Little people tractor set - pd $3, retails for $20
2 swaddle wraps - pd $2, retails for $20
Ball pit with balls - pd $3, retails for $30
Fisher price piggy bank - pd $2, retails for $17
Baby Einstein playmat - pd $5, retails for $50 (though missing 4 toys so subtract $20)
6 footie pjs - pd $6, retails for $50
2 pairs of ministar shoes - pd $2.50, retails for $26
Frog baby outfit - pd $1, retails for $17
Let it snow sign - pd 75 cents, retails for $7
Lamaze toy - pd 75 cents, retails for $7
Misc little people animals - pd $1, retails for $10
Purple bunny lovey - pd 25 cents, retails for $20
3T shirt and oshkosh adjustable pants - pd $1.50, retails for $20
TCP pink shoes - pd $2, retails for $13
Triple stacking set - pd $3, retails for $17
Hose reel cart (not pictured) - pd $5, retails for $35
Manhattan Toy Skwish (not pictured) - pd $1, retails for $15

Total spent - $45.75, total retail - $420...so total savings is: $374.25, or roughly 89% off!!

It's a Wonderful Life!

I was just thinking today how blessed I am! I have a wonderful husband who works and takes care of us, and is a joy to be around...a beautiful baby boy who is growing and learning so quickly...and a baby on the way! It is so amazing how quickly life goes. In six months I'll have a new child, and a year from now I will have as strong a bond with the new baby as I have with Seth. What a wonderful life!

My 12 week appointment was today and the baby was doing great, with a 156 heart rate. I discussed my concerns with the doctor regarding episiotomies, delayed cord clamping, etc. and was satisfied with her answers.

Milestones this week - Seth was officially weaned yesterday! He also has been taking a few steps since April 15th. He usually will walk until he realizes what he's doing and then he'll sit down. He took four or five steps today in the doctors office. I felt the new baby kick for the first time yesterday, which is a few weeks earlier then with Seth. Again today I felt the baby after meals and also when I leaned on a counter (which I remember Seth doing as well). It's really cool to have more signs of life aside from an expanding waistline and morning sickness. I also was able to stop my progesterone this week which is always a highlight as well.

On a side note, I did the first garage saleing of the year, and boy did I find some bargains! I got a Coach purse/diaper bag for $1 (the insides need to be replaced, hence the price, but the exterior was great!), a NIB johnny jump up for $5, tons of Robeez knockoff shoes for $1 or less, hooded towels for 75 cents, and a jj cole bundle me for $10. I think I officially have garage sale fever!!

"Going Green" or the "Accidental Hippy"

The more I thought about my role as a mom, and my response to the previous comment on the garage sale post, was that I am a "green" mom. I am everything a hippy mom is like, but it was not totally intentional. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm totally into being responsible and respectful of our planet. It's just that I'm also not the stereotypical "green" person, who must buy organic everything, wear hemp, and try to become a vegan...you know what I mean. Anyway, the ways that I'm a green mom are:
1) Cloth diapering - yes, this is better on the environment, and I'm likely saving 2 tons of diapers from the landfills, but the diapers themselves are amazing. I do the bumgenius 3.0s and I (rarely) supplement with disposables. I just find that the cloth diapers contain the "explosions" really well, and though they are more work, in the long run I'm sure it's the same as I only have to wash the diapers instead of a million outfits that have leaks on them (not to mention his sheets, my clothes, etc. that are around the leaks). They are also cheaper then disposables, and a heck of a lot cuter.
2) We recycle - this is a no brainer with my mom working for the environmental mgmt of our county...though it's such a simple act, I'm rather shocked when I visit peoples homes that don't recycle. I mean, it's not much effort throwing a can/bottle/paper into a bin that is right next to the trash bin and it is good knowing that we aren't contributing to the detriment of our planet
3) I garage sale/buy craigslist - I've always been commented upon that I have champagne tastes with a poor mans budget - well this is how I get the best of both worlds! I find what I want, then buy it used...a lot of times it's in mint condition and for pennies on the dollar. Plus, there is great satisfaction knowing that if I ever wanted to "change it up" I can always sell the stuff and usually I will break even. Also, if something gets wrecked, I don't have that "sick to my stomach, I paid a thousand dollars for that!" feeling.
4) I breastfeed - it is definitely not the most fun thing in the world...being the only one my child can come to for nutrients (he's allergic to formula). However, I know it is healthier for him, and I think parents need to be self-sacrificing for their kids. Just one thing that we can do to make their lives better and healthier.

I Love Garage Sales!

I just love garage saleing! There is nothing like the thrill of paying next to nothing for nice things. $100 spent at a garage sale is like $1000 spent at regular stores. So, though I have said countless times "I'm done garage saleing for the year", I'm so glad that I didn't give it up! Yesterday, on a whim, I asked Amber if she wanted to do a little saleing as the weather was beautiful (though a bit hot). We passed by a few sales that didn't look like they had much to offer, but at the last two we struck gold! I found a puppet theater for $5 that was still new in the package, I looked it up online and the seller had originally paid $110! After that sale, I found the rest of the little people sets I was looking for (Noah's Ark and the Castle), so now I'm set! I would have to say this beautiful theater is exactly what I was looking for and for me is the ultimate garage sale find of 2009.