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!!!!

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!

YARD SALES!!! Part 1

It wasn't the greatest of weather this weekend, but I was bound and determined to hit up some Yard Sales if there were Yard Sales to be had.  I lucked out and was able to go to 5!  Yippee!  Thanks for braving the wet, and cold weather YARD SELLERS!

 My two Yard Sale Companions. :) 

Ash is SUPER excited that I'm taking pictures of her so early in the morning.

 Ashley getting her Yard Sale on!  She struck gold at this place.  All clothes .25! 

Again, she is super HAPPY I'm taking pictures of her. :)

 Here is a pic. of just part of her pile of goods.  

The shorts on the top are actually some I bought, but the rest is hers.  GO ASH!

Ashley's Goods:

 These pants are to die for and still had the tag on! .25!

She paid $9 for all of this stuff! $9!  Can you believe it?

That's: 6 Pairs of shoes

2 kid shorts/pants

13 shirts

2 swimsuits

1  P.J.

1 cookbook

2 plastic squeeze bottles

ALL FOR $9! 

I'll post about the great things I got tomorrow.  Yard Sales!!! Part 2 :)

Frame: Before and After

Remember this frame?  It was one of my very first posts!  I paid $7 for it @ a Yard Sale and I still LOVE it, even more now actually.

Here is a little before and after.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I spray painted it with the color 'Ocean Breeze' which is one of my favorites.  It's hanging on my wall waiting to have an AMAZING picture put in it.

We are getting Family Pictures taken in May and I can hardly wait to get one of them blown up to complete the look.  CAN"T WAIT! But, of course I will. ;)  That's what I do.

My niece actually used it at her reception.  They took pictures of everyone coming through the line inside frames.  Cute right?  I have to say that my frame was a BIG hit. :)  So worth that $7!!

Easter

 My sweet, sweet (with a little lot of spice) kidlets on EASTER!  LOVE THEM!!

 The kiddos baskets from the Easter Bunny.

Toothbrushes and paste were NOT second-hand. ;)

The Sing-a-ma-jigs are also NOT second-hand but I bought them over a year ago and have been saving them for a special occasion.  So glad I did!

MR. C's Basket:

 Life Jacket: $2.99

Sing-a-ma-jig: $3

Bubble Bath/Finger Paint: .25

MR. E's Basket:

 Sing-a-ma-jig-$3

Diesel Thomas Train: .50

Bubble Bath/Finger Paint: .25 

MISS J's Basket:

 Parasol: .50

Sing-ma-jig: $3

Bubble Bath/Finger Paint: .25

We had a blast going to two FAMILY Easter Egg Hunts, but you know what that means...SUGAR COMING OUT OUR EARS!  So I did a little trade with the kids, they turned in half there candy to pick prizes out of the "Good Behavior Bag".  Usually they only get one prize but they talked me into getting two this year. 

Mr C. chose: 

storm trooper costume- .50

Parachute Army Guy- .50

Miss J Chose:

A Golden dress- $3

Fake fruit for her kitchen-. 50 

I didn't get a picture with Mr. E's prize but we did get this little JEM!  Haha 

LOVE THIS LITTLE BOY!

Mr. E got a book: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"-.25

Fleaology

Flea.o.logy is one of my favorite things to go to.  Really, even over the MALL!  They have some of the greatest finds there.  Most of it even has really great price tags to go with it too.  

They have an event coming up MAY 5th, and I can't wait!  Even though my project will be over by then, I still  will be a flea.o.logy regular.  Check out their blog HERE for more info and dates. Plus some of the great finds, and merchandise they have. They are so great!  Can't wait for MAY 5th!!!!
 

Here is what some friends and I got at the last flea.o.logy event.  Ash got this amazing orange chair to shoot photos with, Liz got this cute tin bucket to plant flowers in, and I got the jewelry box for a graduation gift.  Paid $5 for it!  Can you believe it?  L.O.V.E!

Wedding Day Bliss!

 The very HAPPY couple!

 All of us girls; sisters, cousins, and nieces.  They are the best!

Note how incredibly cute my shoes are!  They are my "something borrowed" from my Sister.  THANKS AGAIN JEN!

This is the best we could get.  The Photographer was snapping some pic.s at the same time that is why none of us are looking at the camera.  Man, story of my life these days!  We can't get a decent picture to save our lives!  Wait until you see the Easter ones.  HA, HA!  Plus the wind was blowing like crazy.  Oh well, it is what it is. :)

I wanted to post this anyways to give you a breakdown of our attire.

Like I said My Mother-in-law bought Miss J's dress and the boys matching ties.  How cute are they?!  

I added the green lace to Miss J's dress.  I got it from a yard sale last Summer.  A whole box of ribbon and lace for $2 and it is all really vintage, I LOVE IT!  Her flower in her hair is also made out of that same lace by my HH's sweet cousin, April.  Miss J's shoes of course are the ones I just got from Kid-to-Kid for $2.99. 

Mr C's shoes are from Kid-to-kid also for 3.99.  Everything else he already had, hand-me-downs are the best!

Everything that Mr. E is wearing he already had! Hooray!

The HH is a cheat and bought him a new white shirt (he reminds me often that it is MY project not his).  He did get a good deal on it though $8 for a nice white shirt.  Not too shabby.

Yours truly is wearing a dress that I wore at my nieces wedding.  It was actually given to me by my sister-in-law because it didn't fit her girls.  She got it on clearance at DownEast.  That's my kind of girl! :)  The shoes I already told you about.   Love them!

What a fantastic day it was!  I survived without buying me anything new, but was tempted plenty.  ;) 

We also had a chance to take a quick walk through the new City Creek Mall in SLC and WOW it is gorgeous!  I loved it and I can't wait to go back in 22 days! :)