Along For The Ride

If someone asks me for advice I gladly will give it, but generally I make it a point not to just throw out unsolicited advice!!   However, this is MY blog and today I am choosing to throw some out.  Sanity is something I treasure...I hold it very close to me and try very hard not to let these little people that I call my children steal it from me.

How do I keep my sanity you ask??

Every day I get up without thinking about the day before, good or bad and I leave the house!!

That's it!!

I leave the house because staying home 24/7 just doesn't work for me!  Whether it is just to go to Starbucks or a full day of errands...I leave the house!!

I did it before I had kids and I do it now!!  My kids have all gotten good use of their car seats and Tatum is no exception!!  Thankfully she is just like her brother was and LOVES her car seat!!  She is perfect just about 98% of the time when we are out!!

She goes with me everywhere!!  Sometimes our stops are long enough that she actually gets to stretch her legs...

And when she gets tired...she sleeps!!

She helps me keep that sanity that I hold so dearly!!  And always gives me something to smile at!!
 

Trust Me

I will be the first to admit that my music tastes are confined to a tiny box that contains only country music and frankly I like it that way. I will even confess that when I watched the Grammy's this year (only because Jaime was in town) I had no clue who half the artists were and if I did...it was because I saw them on the Ellen Show. And even then I usually fast forward once they start singing! OMG...I really have turned into my mother. Oh well...I am pretty sure that happened a while ago! Love you mom! Anyway...back to the point.

Ever since my sister bought my hubby the Jason Aldean album My Kinda Party it has had a permanent spot on my playlist! I love EVERY single song! And even though the album has been out for a few years now he just released another song from it and I have to share...



If you like country even a little...you need to buy this album. TRUST ME...you will not be sorry!!!

???

I was just wondering where all my bloggers have gone??

You know who you are!!

Yep...

YOU!!!

In case you were wondering...you do have followers that enjoy reading your blogs and hearing your funny stories.

I know, I know...you are all busy!! News flash...I am playing zone defense now, so you do not have to tell me about busy! I just keep hoping that during my routine of blog perusing I will find some new material at the top of my blog roll!!

You might just thank me later because you will have a hard copy of what life was like when...

JUST SAYIN'

Thought I Would Share!!

Last year you might remember that I did a two part post about...

Garage Sales!!! And some of my best tips.

I love a good deal, I love thrift shopping and I am always looking for a treasure!!

Unfortunately the thrift stores are what they are...and you really have to take the time and have the patience to look through everything to find your treasures!

Garage sales on the other hand...well I have no control here either, but I can offer some of my best advice and tips. Why am I offering up these tips??

Well...Saturday morning my mom, my cousin and I had ANOTHER garage sale!! Although we had quite a bit less this year, we still made almost...

Wait for it...

$600

I am not lying when I tell you that 90% of what we sold was for $7 or less. I say this only because every time someone asks me how we did and I tell them...their immediate response is, "What are you selling?"

I took some pictures before we opened and put a few of my tips on the pics. Be sure to check out my original post if you are thinking about having a sale yourself. I stand firmly behind my tips!!!

Happy Selling!!

Why?

Sparked from an impromptu trip to Costco this morning I thought it should be said...

I have two complaints in regards to parking and the holidays, as they relate to each other that is.

Why do people insist upon blocking traffic for a parking spot in the front?

Why do people do this??

Why do people drag out the process of getting into their cars when clearly others are waiting for said parking spaces.?

Why do people do this??

If you see a spot, take it...if you have to walk...well...IT IS NOT GOING TO KILL YOU!!

I spent 10 minutes trying to back out of my parking space because of both of the questions I posed above.

Two ladies...unloading their Costco carts (oh you can just imagine how much stuff they had)...into their cars at a slow, nonchalant pace. Short of being legally blind I am not sure how they could miss the line of cars waiting for their spots.

Two cars holding up three other cars from backing out (one of which was me) to get said spots in the front.  As I sat there in reverse I counted 7 spots that I could see on the next row over.

Seriously people??

Just Sayin' {Part 2}

Yesterday I told you that I am SOOO not impressed with the garage sales I have been seeing lately.


When a girl goes to roughly 15 garage sales on a Saturday morning and buys nothing...there is something wrong.


So I decided that I would give you all my best tips for having a successful garage sale.


I do not claim to be an expert, but I have had some pretty darn successful garage sales. So...you might want to try some of my tips the next time you are purging your life via a garage sale.


Now try to stick with me, these are GOOD tips!!


Tip #1 (And this is a BIG one)

Signage!!!

Take time to actually make signs that people can see and read. When I say "can see" I mean from like a block away. Nothing is worse than getting right up to a sign and by the time you read it you have missed the turn. Some people won't turn around. Your signage should have the following and only the following...
*Garage Sale
*Time (start-finish or if you choose just do a start time)
*Arrows

That's it! Nothing else!! If you list items on the sign people may think that is ALL you have and won't stop. Your signage should just bring them in!!

Tip #2

Avoid the Maze!!

Find the quickest route to your house and put signs on each corner. This is especially important if you live in a neighborhood. Nothing is worse than seeing a sign, getting excited to find the sale only to get lost in the neighborhood and give up.

People do give up!

Tip #3

Price EVERYTHING!! (And price it CLEARLY)

I personally hate sales that have no prices. There are people that will pay exactly what you ask and there are people that will offer you a little less, but often people do not like to just make an offer. Now I am only speaking for myself, but I am not good at just throwing out a number. I always feel like I am going to offend someone. If everything is priced you will avoid people walking away.

Additionally, if you happen to have a garage sale and price nothing and you do get a crowd...you run the risk of losing some sales based solely on the fact that you can't get to everyone.

Tip #4

Take the time to "Set-Up" (This one has a few components)

This is another big one. Your goal is to MAKE money, so spend a little time setting things up. Don't just throw it all out on your driveway and hope for the best. Use tables...lots of tables. Spread things out and use your entire driveway. Place larger items IE: furniture, at the very front so people can see them. Hang ALL clothes, people don't like to dig through boxes and it doesn't show that anything is actually worth buying.

This includes KIDS clothes. I have had quite a few garage sales since my kids were born and I have sold LOTS of their clothes. I hang everything! I make sure everything is in sellable condition (no stains or blemishes) and keep everything priced pretty much the same. Often when it comes to clothes people buy multiple, if everything is priced the the same it makes things a little easier.

As you sell down, move things around. Check to make sure prices haven't fallen off and mark things down.

Tip #5

Be in the Right Mindset!!

EVERYTHING that I put in a garage sale I am done with. When I start a garage sale I get in the mindset that I want to get rid of everything. I consider all offers that people make and almost always make the sale. Always ask yourself if you really want it leftover?

Decide prior to starting if there is anything that you are firm on and make sure to mark it, this helps to avoid awkward situations where you don't really want to take less.



THAT'S IT!!

My 5 Best Tips for a successful garage sale.

Just Sayin'...I mean I am no expert!

Just Sayin' {Part 1}

OK I am just going to say it...

My mom and I ROCK at putting on a garage sale.

Saturday morning I drug my hubby and the kids out on an early morning garage sale hunt. I thought that because my hubby was with me I would for sure find lots of treasures. See he thinks anything I find at a garage sale is just more junk taking up space in "His" garage.

Well...

It was a whole lot of NOTHING

I would say we hit roughly 15 garage sales and NOTHING

Not one quarter spent

I really couldn't believe it

BUT WAIT

I could believe it

Why?? Why you ask??

Because people have no clue how to actual have a successful garage sale.

In less than a years time we (and by we I mean my mom, my cousin and myself) have had two garage sales and between the two we made almost...




WAIT FOR IT




WAIT FOR IT



Almost $2700.00

If you want to make some extra coffee money then keep doing what your doing people. It is my STRONG opinion that the garages I visited this weekend made just that, enough money for a few extra Starbucks.


However, if you want to make some real money then you need to take my advice.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a little list of my tips.


I think I know what I am talking about...Just sayin'!!