Easter Reveal & New playset. Random thoughts. Oodles of Thrifteds.

It occurred today that I meant to post their Easter baskets, but I did not. It's still April, so totally not too late (I hope). Today's post totally comes with a warning. It's crunchy granola-eco friendly, cheap and simple. But, I am who I am, so here's my ramblings.

 
1) Easter Baskets.  Except for a couple crafty type things, they were 100% homemade, thrifted or upcycled. Even the big Easter baskets. Except for the small encapsulated sponges, the rest was all non-plastic.
 And this little created playset certainly was the showcase.
 Zoom clearly thought all this stuff was his.


Verdict? They loved it.
 



2) Random Thoughts.
Yes, almost all of their baskets were filled with thrifted stuff. Why do I do that?

a) They are equally as excited about the stuff that I get them used as they would be if I filled my cart at Walmart. I like teaching them that we don't need expensive or fancy to be thankful.
b) Cost. Reducing outcome has given me the ability to reduce my hours at work to part time. We also had a whole year (last year) when we owned two houses.  With paying for two homes (and all the things that have gone wrong in both houses), I was unsure if we would be able to afford to give our kids anything for Christmas. I began going to Thrift Stores more often to make sure our kids would have something to open for Birthdays and Christmas. (And now I'm more hooked than before.)
c) The types of toys. I aim for simple, eco friendly toys and books that develop the imagination.  You can often find things in the thrift store that you can no longer find in department stores.
d) Many thrift shops do good things with the money they earn. I'd rather give my $ to a charity shop than a department store.
e) I'm into eco friendly. Saving things from the dump, less packaging, etc.
f) The hunt is fun!

Many people often tell me that I find marvelous things at thrift shops. What are my secrets?
a) You need to frequent them. Stop by a couple times a month at least if you can.  It only takes ~5-10 minutes to scan the shelves to see if there's anything you've been looking for. Things are changed up often, keep checking back if you have the time.
b) Keep a mental list of what you're looking for. It will help you narrow down your search.
c) Patience. Don't be disappointed if you don't find anything on that list when you're shopping. Sometimes I leave thrift stores with nothing.
d) If you love it, buy it. If not, carry it around the store and put it back at the very end if you're undecided.  You don't want someone else to snatch it up before you decide.
e) Start shopping a long time before you actually need something.  Certain items take a long time to find sometimes.

A quick clean when you get home and you can pack it away with your other treasures for future holidays.  It's so worth it, I tell you. I only spent $15/kid on the Easter Baskets posted above...and the kids loved them!

I currently have enough stuff for all holidays between now and the Christmas after next in my attic. 

This is the loot I got from our PTSA consignment fundraiser this year. These sales happen 2x a year and they are often some of my biggest source of gifts for the later holidays.

All of these lots cost between $5.00-$7.50.
  
Richard scary books. Melissa and Doug tool set add on, Melisss and Doug sewing cards. Sunglasses.
 Drum. Wooden refrigerator magnets, preschool game, Paperdolls. fun books.
 Wooden play clock. Melissa and Doug puzzle, a John Deere lot. Peter Rabbit stuff.
 A vintage fire truck, frog family, movies, books.
Two puzzles, John Deere tractors, rhyming puzzles, lacing numbers, the book Otis (a fave!).

 I know some of you might be rolling your eyes at me, as I do get a little intense about thrifting.  But, think of the good stuff and the savings you could be missing out on!  Next time you drive by your local thrift shop, pull in!  And if you aren't lucky enough to have a thrift shop, check craigslist. 
If I could convince even one of you to become a thrift shopper, you won't be sorry! 




5 comments:

  1. You always have the best thrifteds. We love Richard Scarry around here and that vintage fire truck is amazing! Keep on thriftin', girl!

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  2. Jackie, I LOVE thrifting, I wish I realized this when my children were younger. It makes so much sense, and teaches the children more about value than buying a bunch of cheaply made department store"stuff". Thank you for your posts, and the pics of your beautiful children!!

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  3. I loved thrift shopping before, but to out-thrift Jackie has become my mission (Kidding, sort of) I wish I lived closer to/could go more often, but unforunately I can't. However, I've found some AMAZING finds at thrift shops, and they get played with more often than some of her department store-bought toys! I usually get even more fired up to go after seeing/reading your posts/finds. :)

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  4. Good stuff! I think it's a smaller carbon footprint to re-use things. No shipping. I'm looking for a decent used kitchen sink to upgrade mine. I could buy new (much more) but if I can find a good used one, why not? If I can't find used I will get a new one eventually...

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