What I really love about yard sale shopping is when I find something for a few dollars, but more importantly when it’s something that I’ve needed for quite some time. Like our toaster which recently died, and then finding this beauty for $3. It’s like new and works perfectly!

There seems to be a big difference with “need” versus bringing home more “junk.”

I’m constantly trying to thin out. I keep a box in the garage where I can add to it, or take to Good Will when it gets full.

In the meantime, here are a few $1 finds that really make me happy. All under $5 – I’ve saved in the hundreds of dollars by being smart and buying used.

Large Family Room pillows – $4 for all.

Bathroom basket and small plant – $1 each.

Planter turned napkin holder – $1.

Set of 25 glass dishes – $5.

Perfect for apples – $5 (I probably spent too much on this item).

Lamp – $1.

Large decorative bowl – $4.

A favorite Good Will pitcher – $1.99.

Yard saling doesn’t have to be big and elaborate.

Sometimes it’s the $1 finds that can really make you happy!

I’d love to hear about your weekend bargains?

(If you didn’t catch my yard sale post last week, check out my $5 bargain, and my time with Apron Thrift Girl. I’m so excited to get this cool, retro light fixture hung! Today this post is linked to Rhoda’s Thrifty Treasures. And in case you need to find another awesome blog – Linda T has posted her bargains and I just love her $2.99 burlap table runner! Take a peek!)

I’m posting over at SC Johnson today … The Dinner Table: Where Empathy Flows.

Would you join me there?

(Tablecloth above: My Good Will Vent du Sud $2 bargain.)

Yesterday was a yard sale SCORE day for me and Apron Thrift Girl. As Selena was passing through town with her family, we met up early for coffee and hit a few sales together. We only had an hour, and I was a little bit nervous because you know how yard sales are … either hit or miss! But we really found some great bargains. (I’m sure she’ll be sharing her finds over at Apron Thrift Girl.)

I think my VERY favorite find was this $5 beauty. Okay, Selena saw it first as I came up behind her. But we both decided that it would go perfectly with my style of home, and how was she going to get it back to CA? (Oh, and I just offered the guy $5 and he said, “sure!”)

A beautiful lamp (heavy-duty!) for my back patio and other fun stuff.

Flowers, decorating items, cards, and books for only a few dollars.

And this $1 find. Can’t wait to make it a DIY project.

My favorite memory from the day was hanging with Selena. She is so lovely, so full of wisdom and great tips, and I really gleaned from her keen eye. (I also brought her to my house so she could see my new kitchen and signed a RE book for her.)

But my favorite part of the evening was when our friends came for dinner last night and we were able to enjoy the back patio. The new lamp (tray and grass) added a touch of ambience that our patio was missing.

After spending very little money, it felt completely like a new space!

Did you have a good week of thrifting?

(This post is linked to Thrifty Treasures over at Southern Hospitality. I hope to share with you the results of what I do with the cool glass, retro, 3-colored hanging light fixture. I have the perfect place for it!)

I only had $3 cash in my wallet a few weeks ago when I went to an antique sale that my friend told me about. I did not have high hopes of finding anything, but I scored! I feel “chalkboard” screaming at me with this priceless old stand. How fun to be creative and use it at my front door when guests arrive!? ($2 for a project down the road.)

Then these 3 old frames for $1. I had a vision when I saw them. I love the word “old” written on the tag.

Wondered about the history of these old nails that I had to remove.

My $1 frames became a quick Saturday morning project, using everything I already had.

Wall space
3 pictures I had removed from our walls when we did our kitchen remodel
Nails

This wall in our family room has been empty for a few months because we have used bookshelves coming from some friends who are giving them to us. But in the meantime, my vision began here.

One picture up.

The old frame around it.

You get the idea.

Project completed.

I think sometimes we think we have to spend so much money to complete the look on a wall, or we just give up because we don’t have the money. But yard sales are a way to be so creative!

Did you yard sale this week, and if so I’d love to hear about your finds!?

I’m linking up to Rhoda’s Thrifty Treasures! Head on over and check out all the bargains and creativity going on over there, and Rhoda’s How to Hang yard sale plates.

If you haven’t seen the Bed and Bath Video yet, of Rhoda’s visit to The Pioneer Woman’s ranch, you do not want to miss it!

Also, there’s still time to enter Nester’s drawing for the 5 books of The Reluctant Entertainer! The winners will be announced in the morning over at Nesting Place! I can’t wait to see who wins!?

Yesterday I didn’t want to do it. But I did.

For about a month my friend Jenny and I had been talking about holding a yard sale. In fact, we set the date and then the “stuff” started piling up in my garage …

When I tried to get out of the sale (Good Will sounded much easier), Jenny talked me back in to it. I think I have too many bad memories of making yard sales more difficult than they should be, from past years’ experience.

I don’t even price my items any more, until the morning of. Who cares if people are showing up while you’re putting stickers on the items?

My goal is to get the stuff out there, to move it on and out of my life.

DO THIS
1. Set the date (one month early)
2. Have the sale with a friend (way more fun)
3. Hang as many clothes that you can (especially dress, coats, jackets)
4. Buy pre-made stickers from the Dollar Store (cheap and quick)
5. Price the items after you have everything out (don’t stress on everything having to be perfect)
6. Don’t forget the pets (entertaining and never a dull moment)
7. Be friendly and have fun (be willing to engage with your buyers)

DON’T DO THIS
1. Turn people away if they come early (you don’t want to lose out on a sale)
2. Leave stuff in boxes for people to rummage through (stuff needs to be visible)
3. Forget to advertise (Craig’s list, local paper (only $3), signs out)
4. Overprice your items (you’ll lose biz)
5. Say no to offers (goal is to get rid of everything)
6. Want to hang on to things (remember it’s just stuff)
7. Go past noon (not worth going another 5 hours for $5)

We closed up by noon. The car was loaded with the “leftovers” and off to Good Will I went. We were $200 happier and what was my favorite part of the day?

Spending a solid 5-hour chunk of time with my friend. (Thanks for the fun, Jenny! And to Myrna who also joined up with us!)

Are you planning a yard sale this year?

(This post is linked to Rhoda’s at Southern Hospitality post: Yardsales this Week!)

(This post is linked to Rhoda’s Thrifty Treasures!)

I debated about writing this post. It could really help some hostesses who struggle with image, or it could come across as a bit … arrogant … sharing about my clothes when I hosted this particular dinner party!

But I’m going with the first thought. Because I know where my heart is and I want to share with others that it’s okay – that you don’t have to “look the part” like movie stars or Martha Stewart, when you host a dinner party.

Years ago, one tip I did learn, when it came down to the last hour of getting ready for the arrival of my guests, was to KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO WEAR. There’s nothing worse than knowing you’ve taken the time to invite the guests, plan the meal, set the table, maybe even clean the house (although not mandatory in my mind – sometimes it happens, sometimes not!) – and then you go to your closet and can’t think of what to wear.

1. Always try to lay your clothes out, or know in your mind what to wear.
2. Don’t over-dress if you know the night is going to be casual.
3. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Buy a few dresses that work well for entertaining.
4. Don’t wear complicated jewelry or big scarves that will hang into the food. Keep it simple!
5. Make sure your shoes are comfortable for the evening.
6. Make sure that you feel beautiful, so your love drips over onto your guests.
7. If you are married, dress for your spouse. Wear something that he will love to look across the table and see you in.

In my case, I picked up this $12 dress at Wal-Mart. Yes, Wal-Mart. No, they are not paying me to talk about their store right now, but I fell in love with this dress and for $12, I just knew I’d get a lot of dinner parties out of it. (Oops, the bean dip was spilling here!)

Don’t worry about having to “look the part” Hollywood style when your guests come into your home.

Keep it simple, find some hostess outfits that fit your budget, and most of all, make sure your heart is right – that you are ready to put yourself aside and love on your guests.

Hospitality is not about you. It’s about the people coming to your home!

Even in a $12 dress.

Do you worry about what you’ll wear when hostessing a dinner party?

(Thanks Cousin Anni, for having fun with me and the camera! And for your amazing blog. Just take a peek at this post! Yummy, look at all those beans in that dip above! Recipe coming out in my new book … The Reluctant Entertainer!)

I know it’s not quite Mother’s Day, but I was given what could have been a great Mother’s Day a week ago. That’s if you are a mom who relishes in “gifts of service.”

I scored, big time, when I drove by a yard sale and saw a big box that said “old curtains” on one side.

And “yard sale” on the other!

Inside the box were 6 beautiful, PERFECT, Pier 1 84×42 window panels!

The lady and I settled on a price of $20 and I was on my way.

You do not know how long we’ve waited for window treatments upstairs. You know, the kind that are heavy duty and would block out the sun that beats in, in the summertime. So I was thrilled. No, my kids were thrilled! (This is their hang-out area.)

This is where the handyman teenage son comes in. It was a Saturday morning and he graciously gave me his talents and time and hung the curtains for me.

Even our kitty Hobbes got in on the action. She’s everywhere … (do you have a kitty that follows you around the house?)

Two large windows now treated to block the sun. Yay!

And a happy mom who’s waited a long time for the right “deal” to come along, and who checked another “to do” item off of her list.

Do you have a running list of things that you’d like to purchase, or projects that you want to complete?

Is Mother’s Day a day where your family pitches in to help?

(4 panels were used, 2 are going in my son’s room. I looked up the prices on line and it looks like they run around $40 on sale! So I got about $240 worth of window treatments for $20. What a bargain! I went to Ross Dress for Less for the $12.99 rods. Mission accomplished!)

Now if you’re creative and want to make your own window treatments (instead of finding them at a yard sale), head on over to The Nester’s and you’ll receive all the information you’ll ever need. She’s the gal! And this post is linked to Rhoda’s Thrifty Treasures and to Kimba’s DIY DAY!!

Welcome to Home is … Day here at RE! This week we’re sharing about …

… a bargain or a yard sale find!

I love saving money when I can. So I’ll start with my story, and then you can link up and share yours, okay?

I was on my way to pick up a friend and stopped off at a yard sale. The bargain I picked up (let me just say it was a bargain! and from Pier 1!) was great enough to make me content for the weekend. To not feel like I had to get just one more find! I’ll share the story soon and I can’t wait! Let me just say, the whole box only cost $20. I also picked up these items for a total of $3. Will post what I did with them later, too.

In the meantime, today I’m sharing with you my $2.99 Good Will find that was pretty ugly in the store.

A few more things at Good Will that made me happy.

In the right time and season, each item will find a place in my home.

But for now, this $2.99 deal was transformed with black spray paint.

So many ideas and ways to decorate (I heart my sisters, Di and Linda!)

And it ended up on my dining table, where I’ll be able to change out the displays. For now, fruit will do!

For only $2.99, this kind of bargain makes me happy!

Not it’s your turn … link up and share your bargains with us today!

About Home is …

Each Wednesday you can link up here at RE, to a different theme that I will share in advance … which may be something like a beautiful set table, a snack waiting for your kids when they get home from school, fresh flowers in the kitchen, dishes in your hutch, a meal on the stove (maybe using leftovers), a family heirloom, a yard sale find and how you put it to use, pictures on the walls, music being played in the background … a feeling, a smell, a touch.

What’s exciting about this day is that I will provide you (on my sidebar) the theme each week which will hopefully inspire you!

A few short rules to follow:

1. Just add your name to the description. The photo itself will help people browse.

2. Link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog. Please follow this instruction, otherwise I will have to delete your entry. If you need help with a permalink, click here.

3. Go back to your original post and link this party to that post, and you are may also include the Home is … button from my sidebar, to bring people back here to RE.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN … and Thank You for participating! Remember to visit the other bloggers who link up!

The 5 winners of Mela Kamin’s CDs are: Amy, Janice, Liz, Kirstin and Jennifer. Congrats Ladies!

And now the 4 winners to the Bush’s Beans strainers are: Sara (no blog), Melissa, Darla, and Dawn.

I hate wasting time. And having a long list of yard sales to go to is just that for me. A big waste of time.

I’ve learned over the years that I need to be wise with my time and my money.

Don’t waste time
How many times have I gone from sale to sale and picked up junk? And have come home and felt like I just wasted 2 hours of precious time.

One find is enough
If I can walk away with one precious find, that is enough for me.

We don’t always have to have this over-consumptive feel inside that we need more, and that a purchase is going to make us happy.

Be content with ONE find and walk away!

I found an awesome entry table. It was perfect for a space that I had been looking to fill. It made my entry seem inviting and warm. So I bought it for $20. And then I drove home.

Sometimes we think we have to keep buying. I’ve found enjoyment in finding just one item, and stopping at that.

Which brings me back to my philosophy: keep things simple.

Are you good about finding one bargain, and then walking away?

I’m linking to Rhoda’s Thrifty Treasures party, over at Southern Hospitality. If you have time, head over and check out Rhoda’s fun blog and all her yard sale finds! I’m also linking to Selena’s Thrift Monday, over at Apron Thrift Girl. Selena always finds unique items and spent her birthday doing what she loved, thrifting and eating yummy food!

Apron lovers – don’t forget to link up HERE at RE on Wednesday this week for Home is … (see sidebar!) Share a picture or a story!

I’m so happy it’s thrifting season again! Finding a bargain is one of my greatest joys, because I know what I’m purchasing is usually about one-tenth of the original cost.

Last season one of my $20 unique finds was an antique side table that fold ups. Our friend, Stephen, gave us the history behind these campaign tables, which were used during military campaigns.

I have a new-found appreciation for my bargain, musty-smell and all. It works perfectly as an overflow table for serving pieces and water pitchers.

It’s interesting to share the history behind yard sale finds or bargains at dinner parties! It creates unique conversation, and you never know what you’ll learn!

I’d love to hear about your most recent find? Or, do you have something in mind you’ll be looking for this coming yard sale season?

This post is linked to Rhoda’s Thrifty Treasures, over at Southern Hospitality!

Don’t forget that WED. this week is Home is … Day here at RE! Link up and share about a delicious scent in your home! Check out the side bar for the weekly post ideas. You can read more details at the end of this post.

Since we are indeed an Irish family, and St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and I am a firm believer of being thrifty in any way I can – then why not do a post on green?

Keeping these hard economic times in mind, and the fact that our green dollar seems to be diminishing – I wanted to share with you ways that I saved money just this very week, and ways that our family will be saving money in months to come through our garden.

Anticipating strawberries

Broken lawnmower fixed by hubs – $27

First mow of the year

Beautiful lawn clippings recycled – $5 compost bin

New green tablecloth – Good Will $2.99

New white dish, making my set “13” – Good Will $1.49

Leftover bulbs forced inside

Hair colored professionally, but said NO to a haircut – saved $25

Green flare added to geese

Ironed hubs shirts – saved $20 dry-cleaners bill

Fresh homegrown rosemary for dipping sauce

Cold frames producing fresh, glorious greens

Bargain greenhouse for $149 (mail order)

Green-lid recycling bin ready for spring yard work

Besides recycling and reusing and buying at Good Will or looking for bargains in the stores, our family is really trying to cut back.  

We’re eating out less, looking for more grocery bargains, trying to be as efficient as we can in our home.

When we entertain, most of the time we delegate and split the meals.  

I never want to use the excuse that we can’t have guests into our home because it’s just too expensive.  There are ways around that!

Just this week at Balcony Girls I asked the girls to contribute toward the crafts.  The families are so generous and willing to help out.  

Everyone seems to have green on their minds, whether it’s St. Patrick’s Day, the dollar, or recycling.

What green is on your mind?

If you want to learn more about saving money on meals, visit Erin at $5 Dinners.  She has some amazing ideas to share.

Check out what The Nester has going on with her green succulent beauties!

And read about Melissa’s green obsession!

“Can’t you just make meat enchiladas?!” she said.

Even though my kids are very grateful for the food set before them, and they eat anything I cook – they still are kids! (Speak their minds, right?)

I said, Abby, we’re going to be cooking with a lot more rice and beans this next year! No more complaining, girl!

A few months ago, with the tanking economy, we sat our children down to explain how our family needs to save money and make changes – in every area we can!

We’ve already made small changes
• cut the newspaper subscription
• cut the long-distance from our phone plan
• cut our “beloved” soccer channel (a very painful cut!)
• cut buying any frozen, processed food items
• cut gas use, by carpooling to sport events and birthday parties
• cut produce and herb costs, by growing our own

Think ahead
Every dish I prepare now, I’m thinking ahead to how I can stretch it out, using less meat and more rice or beans! Rice is cheap – and you can stock up on beans as they go on sale!

Double the quantity
Simple recipes like tacos, enchiladas, soups, quesadillas, wraps, even a scrambled egg dinner! Keep it simple, but double the quantity by adding rice or beans – or both!

Rice cooker – less than a minute
I’ve found by leaving my rice cooker out on the counter, I’m using it more. In less than a minute of preparation, my rice is cooking! Last night after dinner I cooked 2 cups of brown rice, planning ahead for tonight’s meal.

I have a new meatloaf recipe that I want to try this week. And guess what I’ll be adding to it?

Rice!

Are you like me – wishing that you had bought stock in rice and beans? I’d love to hear how you are stretching your meals out!

You could hear the Costco staff muttering under their breath, “Why lady … why?” as the tomatoes were being stepped on, squished, and were rolling around the cement floor. But then in Costco-fashion, the workers came rushing to my side – broom, dustpan, and all.

My friend Kristi and I had decided that morning that we were tired of buying produce at Costco and having it go bad on us. As in – we didn’t eat it fast enough, so we’d end up dumping out the last portions. So we tried something different.

We did our shopping trip together, with a goal of sharing and saving some money.

Off we went to Costco, barely finding a parking spot. Hitting the store early, it seemed everyone else in our town was thinking “Costco,” because of the 100-degree weather we’ve had. We squeezed into this tiny parking place (with tires up on the curb – oh well!) and practically jogged up to the store. We moms were on a mission!

I’ve shopped at Costco with my friend Hoppi in the past, as we’ve shared items between our two households. Keeping these ideas in mind – this is why shopping with a friend has worked well for me:

· You get fresh ideas, from one mom of hungry kids to another
· You try something you’ve never tried before, but always wondered if it was good
· You can buy bulk items, divide them in half, and then split the bill
· You can share a little bit of what you bought with your friend, just for a “try”
· You can compare prices together
· You will always have a good laugh or a good cry

As the drama continued, over in Kristi’s line, a man behind her dropped 5 cartons of eggs! What a mess that made, and along with my grape tomatoes smeared to the floor – we both couldn’t wait to get out of the store. We stopped off at the deli line and shared a yummy Costco turkey wrap! Delicious! Then we headed out to load up and head home.

When we got to Kristi’s house, and as I began to open up the back of the Suburban, the whole pack of FUJI apples went rolling out of the back – into the driveway and down the street!

“No!!” I screamed, having had enough shopping drama for the day.

We divided our peppers, green beans and sweet peas – into Ziploc bags – gave each other a hug, and decided we needed to do this more often.

Yes, we were 2 busy moms on a mission.

So why not shop, share and save a few bucks – and do it with a friend? What are your secrets for saving and sharing?


(Photos: Fun at Costco. Kristi is an ex-neighbor, running partner and a great friend!)