Celebrate!

I am feeling very melancholy as I sit here thinking of the past year and that it is over.  It is ending in quite an unimpressive way.  Geez, if only I had a few friends that played some instruments that would go marching through the great outdoors with me...if only. ;) I do have an HH sitting behind me playing on his new guitar that he just bought, and that is somewhat fabulous, considering that he's been playing on the same guitar for 19 years!

I'm not sure where this little blog stands now.  I'm sure I'll keep it up and going if only a little bit.  In fact I have a post from Ashley's little Yard Sale adventure (without me!) from last weekend.  It's going to blow you out of the water!  So look forward to that.

I still can't believe that it has been a year, I'm rather impressed with myself though.  I know that sounds super self indulgent, but hey I just went 366 (1 extra day because of leap year.  YES I'm counting it!) days buying only second-hand items! I deserve to be a little self indulgent and since I'm here, without a marching band, and I am a words person then I will go on in my self indulgence. :)  I'm AWESOME! Okay, I'm done now...

This project has been stressful as you know, and I've hated it, and cried because of it, BUT it has done so much GOOD for me and my family.  It has saved us so much $$$, has made me more aware of how wasteful we can be, and helped me think outside of the box more then ever.  I look back and can see how much good it has done for us.  I also hope that I have helped people be more inspired as well.  Helped people not to be embarrassed to shop second-hand and to see that it is so much more fun, and so much more creative and unique.  I hope that I've inspired people to SAVE money instead of SPEND money.  I hope I have shown someone what really matters in life.  It's not the fancy clothes you wear, or the expensive things you have around the house.  It's not the latest technology sitting in your hand or on your desk.  It's not the 2012 car in your garage.  It's the wonderful PEOPLE that surround you each day, it's GOD, it's PEACE.  

I have a saying hanging on my wall that says, "The secret to having it all is believing you do."  I couldn't agree more. :)  

THANK YOU so very, very much for supporting me on this little journey of mine.  Thank you for reading my blog.  Thank you for all the encouragement.  Thank you for all the nice things said.  Thank you for having Yard Sales. THANK YOU for INSPIRING me!

Now let's strike up the band, and...CELEBRATE! 

No Impact.

When I first started my project I had a few people tell me to watch this "No Impact Man".  Check it out.

 

P.S. This will NOT be my next project. ;)

Thoughts...

Just got home from spending a day with my Sisters!  LOVE THEM! Now I want to go spend some time with the Hubby. So this is going to be short and sweet. He is downstairs vacuuming while I am up here blogging!  Rude, I am rude!  He spent the whole day with the kiddos doing yard work, laundry, dinner, dishes and who knows what else.  He always amazes me.  He is such a hard worker.  I am 100% BLESSED to have him in my life.  Okay sorry I just had to brag on my awesome HH for a minute. ;)

Any who...after spending a day in a Mall looking at "NEW" clothing, and even trying a few things on, and getting sticker shocked.  I have to say WOW, this is going to be an adjustment coming back to the "real world" as my sister called it. LOL.  I was dying whenever I would look at the price tag, and think what I could get that for at a Yard Sale.  It's IN-SANE people!!!  I'm pretty sure it's going to take some getting use to, but I'll never be the same after this project.  My "NORM" will not be the same as others.  I have to admit though, that it will be nice to get a few things to spruce up the old wardrobe. I already have my eye on a few things. ;)  REALLY, REALLY cute things!

2 MORE DAYS!

Houston, I Have a Problem!

No Yard Sales for me this weekend...bummer.

This morning I have been on a Field Trip with Mr. C's class and tomorrow morning I'm going on a run with my Sister and then off to "City Creek Mall" for a much NEEDED sister day, with the BEST SISTERS on planet Earth I might add.  At first I was kinda bummed that we were going 2 DAYS BEFORE my project ends, but now I'm just SUPER EXCITED to go spend the day with some really AWESOME PEOPLE, who I am LUCKY enough to call my sisters. :)

I'm going to need my Yard Sale fix somehow though.  I've put Ashley in charge of going and getting some really great stuff. Ii have all the confidence in the world in her, after the last two weeks of Yard Selling. ;) She's AMAZING.  Also if any of you go out, PLEASE take pictures, and send them to me. Message me at heathergshu@gmail.com I'd love to see all the great stuff that you get, and it will ease the pain of me not being out there with you. 

Really though I can't complain too much because I'll be with these AMAZING, and BEAUTIFUL people...

5 Days, But Who's Counting?

I am!  I'm counting!  This has been very awesome, very long, very life changing, very empowering,  very stressful, and I'm VERY ready to be done. :)  I'm so glad I stuck with it and did it though.  I can't believe I did!  It would've been so easy to just give up.  Nobody even cared but me.  It would've been even easier to cheat.  Do you know how many times I heard the phrase, " I'll buy it for you first, and then you can just buy it from me." No PEOPLE THAT'S CHEATING! :)  Love that everyone was so willing to help out though. :)  I have had so much support.  People you are AWESOME! 

I am very excited to buy something new AT LAST.  I've had lots of people asking me what my first purchase is going to be and I'm deciding on a couple of things.

A new swim suit.  The HH and I will be celebrating our 10 YEAR Anniversary this year and with all that money we saved this year ;) we were able to save enough to go on a cruise to celebrate. I can't even wait!!  Excited doesn't even begin to describe it!  So of course I'll "NEED" a new suit...or two. ;)  I haven't bought a new swimming suit in 5 years! 5 YEARS!

Here are some options, what do you think?

 This one as many options for bottoms. What do you think?

I also want one of these really cute floppy sun hats.  I've always been a fan, but never have bought one.  I think it's time. :)

Something else I've been eying are the cute colored  skinny jeans.  I especially like the mint, and the coral.

I'll be going to "City Creek Mall" in SLC this Saturday (Yes 2 DAYS before my project ends!).  I won't be buying anything, but I will be eying up all the stores to see what I want to buy come May 1st! Eeeeeee!

The BEST Things in Life Aren't THINGS!

Saturday was another one of those days that solidified that 

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE AREN'T THINGS! 

  

Mr. C went and worked for his Grandpa all morning and came home with a new pet "Sally the Salamander".  He was so excited!  He worried and stressed about her getting sick, not breathing, and if she was happy for 2 days.  He ended up taking it back to Grandpa's house and letting it go in his pond.  "I'm going to miss her Mom, but I know it will be the best thing for her." said with tear filled eyes almost broke my heart.

 

Sparkling clean windows that I didn't even have to clean! The HH went on a window cleaning rampage!!  I told you he is HANDY to have around. :)

Note: The shed in the back ground is for our goats (yes we have goats! Long story) it is older then the HH.  It was his great-Grandpa's. Talk about SECOND-HAND!

To end the day we had a get together with friends.  They are so great!!!!!!!  We had a ball, the kids had a ball.  GOOD TIMES!

What a fun filled weekend! Full of JOY, and it didn't cost a penny. :)  That's what I'm talking about! :)

Weekend Finds #2

Ashley recently finished her basement resulting in the need of a lot of new house decor, and such.  She also recently had a new baby girl after having 3 (adorable) sons.  Thus resulting in LOTS of new baby girl things!  :)  It's so fun going Yard Selling with her because she finds so much stuff, for sweet prices I might add. :)

Here's the breakdown:

 Lady bug Halloween costume. $1

 Lamp and lamp shade $2 each. Two baskets, I can't remember how much, but cheap!

 She bought this picture for the frame $4!

 Misc goods.  The only thing I can remember the price on is the rug gripper-$1

 Framed mirror that she wants to repaint $2.  i wish I would've bought this!  I forgot that I was looking for one to put in Miss J's room above her desk.  I give you $3 for it Ash. ;)

 Diaper bag.  dang I can't remember on this on either!  It was cheap!  Like $2 or something.

 I DO remember how much these to were though .10 a piece! Awesome!

She got all this for $19!!!!

And that was just Friday! :)

Saturday's Goods:

 Working Laptop for $5.

 Shelf-$2 and DVD player-$2

 Coat -$3, hat-? I didn't even see her buy this!

 Gap pants with the tags still on $1

Some more misc. goods.

She spent a total of $18 that day!  

Go Ash!

Stacy came with us this time, loved it!  She scored with a Baby Bjorn carrier for $3!!!!!  It looks brand-new too! Those things are at least $80 and that's a good deal.  When I was looking on-line today Target had them listed for $119!!!  Sorry I didn't get a picture. :(

I also locked my keys in my car while out on Saturday.  It was at a crappy Yard Sale too, and it took the cops 30 min.s to come unlock it. On a happy note though, the cop was AWESOME!  He looked like he was from a cop movie from the 70's.  Strawberry blond hair parted on the side, aviator glasses, and a little pencil mustache.  He is officially my new FAVORITE cop. :)

Weekend Finds

I went out both Friday and Saturday Yard Selling.  I didn't buy a lot but I did get some great things.  In my opinion. :)

Friday's Goods:

A shelf for shoes and such.  I've been wanting one of these for Mr. C's room for a long time and I've seen them a lot, but they were always really flimsy or something.  This one on the other hand is in perfect condition and VERY sturdy. It cost me $1.

It's already being put to use. 

I got this back-pack for .50 and had in mind to use it for Miss J's 72 hr kit and give her old 72 kit to Mr. E, BUT Miss J has kinda fallin' in love with it and so it might just be her new everyday back-pack.  We'll see. :)

Saturday Goods:

Sno Rider Sled - $1.  These are pricey brand new.  You'd pay anywhere from $20-$40 for them. This is going to be put away for a Christmas present for Mr. C.  He'll love it!

Byu football- .25, and a military canteen -.25. The canteen needs a little cleaning, but I'm fulling confident I can get it looking decent.   These are going to the 'Good Behavior Bag' for Mr. C he's going to flip-out!

More books!!  4 for $1. :)

Brand spanking new Horse Shoe Set.  The plastic has never even been taken off! $2!  These go for over $50 at the store.  The HH was excited about this one.  Yes, we are a little Red Neck. ;) Anyone up for a game of Horse Shoes? 

Tomorrow I'll blog about what my Yard Sale Chickas got.  Ash of course struck gold again!

Anyone Need a Little Dave?

 http://www.daveramsey.com

A couple years ago the HH and I feel in love...with this guy, DAVE RAMSEY.  He is so incredible inspiring and motivating.  He is exactly what we needed at that time in our lives.  I am so glad that we found him sooner then later.  He teaches about getting and staying out of debt and how to use your money wisely.  By following his plan, it has given us so much more freedom, control, and peace of mind with our money.   Pretty much he's AMAZING!

He is a BIG reason why I did this project in the first place and a HUGE reason why I've stuck with it.  He has a radio show that I listen to almost every night while I do the dishes and clean-up the kitchen, it continually motivates me to 'stick with it'.  If you haven't checked him out yet, DO!

Do You Believe in Magic?

I BELIEVE!...in these two products!  They have made my life so much easier/happier!  They pretty much clean EVERYTHING!  They have saved me numerous times cleaning up things that I've bought second-hand and made them look, sparkling clean, and new.  Thus giving me more options on what I can buy.  I love it! 

OXI CLEAN gets out most set in stains, including, blood stains, grass stains, and grease stains.  I'm not kidding this stuff is AMAZING!

Magic Erasers get out everything!!! Dirty marked-up shoes, crayons, marked-up dolls, pen, and LOTS MORE!  I have used these countless times and I'm still amazed every time.

Here is an example.  Our cute neighbor girls wanted to give this 'My Loving Family' doll house to Miss J.  They brought it over and Miss J instantly fell in-love with it.  My love was not so "instant".  It had been colored from top to bottom with crayons.  It kinda looked like a mess.  Which we can all relate with right?  What kid hasn't taken crayon to something in their life?   I was not wanting to keep it, but there was no way Miss J was giving it up without a fight.  So I spent 30 min.s trying to scrub it with soap and water, and nothing!  You couldn't even tell.  I went back to my cleaning supplies and saw my 'Magic Eraser' so I thought I'd give it a try and I was BEYOND AMAZED! It cleaned up the whole thing in less then 10 min.s!  Oh, I believe in Magic alright, because I don't know any other way to explain how it works!  If you don't have one of these, or ten, then go get one ASAP.  You can thank me later. ;)

I wish I had before picture of the house, but I don't.  Just picture it colored ALL OVER. Here are the AFTER shots though.  

I also got these other 'My Loving Family' products at a Yard Sale.  .25 each for the dolls and .50 for the car.  Love!!!!

Happy Yard Selling!

There are a TON of Yard Sales this weekend so hopefully that's what I'll be doing ALL weekend.  I can't get enough of them, right now!

Last Monday I was de-cluttering my abode for a Fundraiser Yard Sale for the HH's Sister.  They are going to Africa to adopt another baby! Eeeeeeeeeeee!  So excited for them! This is what I have for them so far.  

Pretty good pile if I say so myself.  :)

If any of you have unwanted things that you'd like to donate to a worthy cause let me know.  They are hoping to have their Yard Sale the first weekend in June.  I'll for sure let you all know the details of it so that you can come check it out.

HAPPY YARD SELLING!

Book Worm

I've ALWAYS been a fan of reading, ever since I can remember I've loved it.  Naturally I find myself scanning over the books whenever I am out Thrifting.  Books are so great to buy second-hand because most of the time they still look brand-new, and even if they do look a little 'loved' it doesn't make it any less useful for you, so it's great!  Here are just a few of the ones I've found.  I didn't pay more then $3 for anyone of these books. Even better right?  Most were even less then $2 though.

I love reading to my kids before bed.  It is so fun to re-discover books with them!  We've already read about half of these together and just finished up "Falling Up" by Shel Silverstien, which is not pictured.  The kids loved it and laughed a lot!  What should we read next?  Mr. C is thinking 'The Trumpet of the Swan' because we've also read 'Charlotte's Web' and 'Stuart Little' which are also by E.B. White.  Any other suggestions?  I'm actually kinda thinking to read the 'Little house on the Prairie' (Blogged about Here) series through the Summer , but I'm not sure if Miss J (4) is quiet old enough and if Mr. C would even like them.  What do you think.

I'm excited to read 'These is my Words' and 'A Girl Named Zippy' (found these on the shelve together! I lucked out.) which I've heard are fantastic. 'The Shack' has me a little bit skeptical, and I'm waiting to be in the right mood to read that one.  I've read the other two and they're great.  I'm working on completing my 'Harry Potter' series.  Can't wait to be able to read them to the kids! This one's cover wasn't in the best condition, but I got it for $1 and the pages are fine.

Jane Eyre, LOVED THIS BOOK BEYOND WORDS! it is defiantly going on my list of FAVORITES. :)   I went to a local thrift store specifically looking for this book.  I scanned the books up and down  until they all started to look the same, then I came across a super old, super "loved" copy.  I kept it in my hands for awhile really wanting to buy it but hating that it was in such bad condition, but I REALLY wanted to start reading it.  In the end though I decided I would just WAIT and be patient until I found a better copy, so I put it back on the shelve right next to.... another copy of JANE EYRE, the copy you see pictured. :)  It was AWESOME! I was So excited paid my $2 for it and started reading it that night.  I love it and highly recommend.   'The Goose Girl' I already blogged about HERE. Loved it too and am now looking for the sequel 'Enna Burning'. 'Princess Academy' is also by Shannon Hale, but I have yet to read it.  "Grimms' Fairy Tales" was also a great find, for me anyways, love having all the Classics in one book and the illustrations are bea.u.ti.ful.

I even got the 'Hunger Games' for $2! It's not pictured because it is being lent out. You can afford to lend your books out for that price. ;)  Loved the book! Loved the movie!

Pajama Party

One of my most favorite things to buy (second-hand or not) is pajamas for the kids.  They just look so darn cute in them!  Pajamas can be one of those really expensive things though, especially if you buy the fun Character ones from the Disney Store, which the kids LOVE. I have gotten me, or rather the kids some great second-hand jammies for a GREAT price.  Here are just a few of them.

Miss J sporting her Princess Arial PJs.  She has worn them so much that they are starting to come apart along the bottom, but "who cares, no big deal, she's got more" and I only spent $2 on them. :)  Wear/love them all you want. :)

 

Mr. C in his "How To Train Your Dragon" pajamas ($1), and Miss J in ALL PINK PJs. (.25  for both the leggings and the shirt.)

Mr. C in Mario Jammies which were a huge hit and his Valentine's Day present ($2.99), and Miss J's Tinkerbell jams that I purchased a year and a half ago for our Disney Vacation. ($2 and legging were .50) Much cheaper then buying them brand-mew at Disneyland, and she loved them just the same. :)

Yard SALES!!! Part 2

Totes! Glorious, GLORIOUS TOTES!  I have been looking for totes for pretty much an entire year now and I finally found some! $1.50 a piece.  Yes please! Ash(my Yard Sale companion), said that she just paid $5.75 for some brand-new ones last week. SUCKA! :) Just Kidding Ash! :) Love you, but my price is better then yours. ;)

I also got .25 reversible basketball shorts.  My 7 year old has decided that basketball shorts are the only thing he wants to wear.  The minute second he get home from school, off come the jeans and on goes the basketball shorts.  So I can NEVER have enough of these!  For .25 I would've taken 10!

Swim Diapers.  These things are EXPENSIVE! At least $10 for a pack of 20.  

Well, I got this whole pack for $1! 

Brand spanking new, never been open Dart Tag Set.  Complete with target, nerf gun, and protective glasses.  $2!  it's stuff like this I LOVE coming across, things I can give as gifts. :)

Also got 2 small bread pans (which I had just told Ash that I was looking for!), a plastic bottle to use for Honey, and a glass juicer.  They were .25 a piece!

In total I spent: $8.75 

Good day of Yard Selling if I say so myself!  It was so much fun getting back into them, so excited for this Summer when they really get good.

I told Ash that I would post pictures of my 'Early Morning Yard Sale Self' for pay back of taking pictures of her, so here I me in all my 'Yard Sale Glory'!

  It's early people I don't put on make-up, or do my hair, or pretty much anything.

Don't judge!