Another Second-hand Birthday

 Mr C had a Birthday and got HOOKED-UP in the gift department.  How much did I spend you ask? A big whopping 18.50. SWEET!

  He woke up to balloons (can you get balloons second-hand that actually float?), a hand-made cape that he has been begging for since the first one I made for his friend, and 4 secret presents that he had to wait to open until after breakfast.  TORTURE!

He went for the biggest one first, of course.  I even got the wrapping paper at a Thrift store. :)

GOLF CLUBS! Him and his Dad are going to have a blast this summer! Picked up the golf clubs, with the bag and extra balls and tees for a whopping $10 from a Yard Sale!

He has been wanting a "big" back-pack since he started 1st grade because he says that the other kids tease him that he has a "baby back-pack".  We told him to just 'own that baby back-pack'  and if he thinks it's cool then it is.  He didn't like that answer but we made him deal with it (it was actually his perfect size, not a baby one) until now.  He was so happy!  He took it everywhere and even wore it all day at school on Monday.  I've had this for years, but had forgotten about it.  Glad I organized and found it again. :)

New(for him) bike helmet. $2

Agent P t-shirt.  Miss J was Thrifting with me and came across it.  She had to get for him.  I didn't think it was worth $3.49, it looked pretty worn. She was convincing though and we came home with it.

She was right he loved it! She got a big hug for it too.  I guess it was worth it after all.

He LOVES that cape.  I got the fabric at a thrift store and from my Mom. Spent about $3 on it.  the sweet mask was a Yard Sale find from last Summer. $1.

I would say that he had a great Birthday! Yes?  Love this kid and ALL of his energy. :)

31 Days and Counting

Can you believe it? I have 31 days left until my "Year of Thrift" is complete!  I can ALMOST taste it!  I am so glad that I did it and I know that we have saved SOOOOOOOOOOO much money, but I am REALLY excited to be done. 

How nice will it be not to hand-make birthday presents anymore? For the receiver, as much as me. ;) How nice will it be to not take a whole day hunting for something that I couldn't even find, so my whole day was a waste?   How nice will it be to have at least one nice NEW pair of shoes, or pants, or shirt, or well...anything.

Am I just going to go back to buying $30 jeans for my 1 year old then? NO. NO.  And NO!!

I have LOVED learning what I have and being able to re-use things.  It's so awesome, and now I know I can do it if I have to. I'll just be doing it because it's fun and I 100% WANT to.  Not just because my project is holding me to it. 

I'm still going to be a Yard Sale Queen, and a Thrift Store Junky, and it's going to be so much fun, but I will start shopping at Target again (oh TARGET!! ).  :) I will 'splurge' every once in a while and spend a whole $20 on a shirt! GASP! I know right?  I'm getting a little crazy here! Even as I type this my heart is starting to race just thinking about it! Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Oh, the JOYS!

In CELEBRATION of my last month I am going to, and I say this with hesitation because I know my track record, have a NEW blog post everyday through-out April. :)  

That is one regret that I do have, I didn't blog even half as much as I wished I would have.  I could've shared SO many more things with you all. Oh, it makes me sad, but hey, this will help make up for it right?

So.... 

....here is to one more month of Second-Hand buys!

My Swagger Wagon...

Here are  few pictures of my SWEET Van!  I should've taken more, especially of the inside.  what was I thinking?!  

Mr E feeling pretty "POSH" in the Van. I know how you feel buddy, I really, really do. :)

One of my most favorite things about it.  I don't know why I love this so much, but I do.  Hooks! To hold your bags so they are not rolling around, so that everything stays nice and tidy and your bread, and fruit doesn't get smashed. !!!! :)  LOVE!

There are so many other things I love about this Van! SO MANY! Did I mention that it has a back-up camera?  It does...and...I love it!


**Mr C had a Birthday!  His big day coming up next with all the Second hand goods!  We spent a total of $15.00 for all of his presents and he got some really great stuff people!  I'll post soon.  Well, let's be honest you know me....I'll post as soon as I can. ;)

Oh, and if you're still not convinced that my van is truly the best maybe this will convince you.

WHY. WHY, WHY!

For some reason blogger will NOT up load my pictures. WHY?! I think because I am such a blog slacker and it hates me.  REALLY?!  Do you think that is going to get me to blog more often? PROBABLY NOT!!

I'm going to stick-it to blogger and blog anyways...that should show 'em, right? HA!

Any who sorry about the rant. :) 

I was REALLY EXCITED to post pictures of my most FAVORITE second-hand buy, and Christmas present.  MY VAN!!!!!!!!  That's right folks, I am rockin' the Mini-van and proud of it! :) I love this thing so much! 

You see we had a Lexus (car) and it was wonderful, but we were squishing 3 kids, with car seats mind you, in the back seat of that amazing car.  No bueno! We sold the Lexus and got a Toyota Sienna.  Some people might consider this 'down grading' but I am feeling like royalty in this baby!  It has it ALL, leather (and heated) seats, navigation, DVD, lasers for cruise control(the HH's favorite), hooks in the trunk space to hang your bags(MY FAVORITE), back up camera(also my favorite), and soooo much more.  Honestly I could live in this thing. Oh, and the older kids can put on their seat belts by themselves.  LOVE THAT! They are not on top of each other so it's 'slightly' more peaceful too.  LOOOOVE!

The HH says that it is going to save me 5 swear words a day...at least!  Now I'm not a big swearer people but try packing 3 kids into a CAR and have to seat belt all of them because they can't reach it because they are so squished.  Then at least one of them is crying because they got their head kicked or hand smashed from someone else trying to get packed in the car. It was Aw-SOME! :) NOTE: These swear words were 'mostly' in my head so not to offend little ears. ;)  Really it has helped in a BIG way, in every possible way.  Who new?

Like I said this is a second-hand van.  We bought it from a dealer who got it from an auction who took it from an older lady so she could transport her dog. ;0  She kept this thing so clean though, and paid for the whole thing to be sprayed with scotch guard.  It looks brand new, but is a 2005.  we got a SMOKIN' deal on it and were even able to pay cash for it! LOVE!!!! 

I was determined to not go in to debt for a car.  We've done debt, and me no likey!  So we were looking at A LOT of vans with fewer upgrades and leather was an absolute no.  Then the day before the guy was buying our car we found this one,  it was slightly higher in price, but we thought we could talk him down and juggle some more of our money to make it work.  We got there to look at it and fell in LOVE, and fell HARD, but were ONLY going to do it, if the price was right.  

We took it to a mechanic and they checked it out for us and it needed to have the CV-boots changed on it, so the Dealer came down $200. The guy buying our car agreed to do a trade through the dealer which saved us another $600, and since we had cash the dealer came down another $1000!  BLEEEEESSED!

We have squished 3 kids into the back of a car for 18 months and now we were finally able to reap the reward of our sacrifice!  I am so glad we waited to find this one and that we stuck to our guns and didn't go into debt! BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!



 

Christmas MY Way

This Christmas was both super low key, and stressful all in one.  I had most of my kids Christmas bought by Thanksgiving and hardly spent anything. the stress cam in when I was buying for everyone else. I did stick to my project though...mostly.:)  I broke it for some Sub for Santa gifts and one gift for Jed. Other then that I stuck to it.  Not to bad huh? 

From Santa

Miss J's desk Before and after.  $5 plus paint.

Mr E - Yard Sale $5

Mr C has been asking for a Wii for 3 year straight now and we finally decide that we'd give him his one dying wish. LOL, this kid LOVES video games. We didn't want to give him the whole Wii all to himself though so from Santa he got Wii PJ's-Savers $3, Super Mario Tin Container filled with Mario Cards, stickers, and stuff- Yard Sale $2, and Super Mario Bro. game + his own special red Wii controller.

This is what Santa brought to the family.  Mr C was absolutely in H.E.A.V.E.N!

We bought all this off of KSL it came with a bunch more stuff but we gave it to the family from the HH and I.  I didn't want Santa to look too awesome. Cost $250 for the entire bundle.

Looking ADORABLE in their second-hand Christmas wear.

We also gave Miss J... 

Barbie case with Cinderella Barbie- $3.50, 

Snow White Set- $2, 

Pet Shop Game-$2

Dog Kennel with Stuffed dog and Vet kit-$3

Books from her brothers- 3 for .75

*Everything else pictured are from her Grandma's and Grandpa's

Mr. C also got...

Elmo Live (which he ABSOLUTELY LOVES)-KSL $25 

Books-$2

*Chair and books were from G-ma's and G-pa's

Mr. C got...

Magnetix-$2 

(My cousin bought these at a Yard Sale and let me buy them to give to Mr. C. THANKS NATALIE!)

Bakugans-Yard Sale $2

Toy Story 3 Wii game- KSL $15

Books from siblings- Yard Sale-$3 

Mario t-shirt- Yard Sale-$1

Coupons for extra Wii time- FREE

A post of what the HH and I got will come soon....HOPEFULLY!

BONUS:

Gave this super cute pin cushion (even made it) to my Mother-in law. :)

Christmas Surprises...

Surprise, surprise, I'm blogging!  I'm really starting to believe that I am NOT so good at keeping a blog.  How do people find the time to do everything? HELP! If you have any tips on how to juggle...life.  Let me know.  Yes it's been a while, but here I am (when I should be sleeping) BLOGGING. :)

We have a little tradition in our family to give the kids new (well new to them anyways ;)) Christmas pajamas, books, and ornaments on the night that we decorate the Christmas Tree.  We usually try and do this on December 1st.  This year it didn't happen until the 5th because the HH has had to work A LOT, and we did not want to do it without him.  

We use to give the kids there Pajamas on Christmas Eve but I hated that they didn't get to wear them through the Christmas holiday so we switched over to this way and it has worked great.  The kids love getting a few gifts early and they love wearing their jammies as much as possible. 

 Here's the cute little bunch dressed in their new PJ's with new books in hand.  As you can tell Mr. E is beyond excited about his new book. :)

Mr. C PJ's- Hand-me-downs from his cousin- FREE

Book- One of my old Chapter books-FREE

Mr. E PJ's-Hand-me-down from cousin-FREE

Book-Yard Sale-$1

Miss J PJ's-Yard Sale-.50

Book-Yard Sale- $1

Remember how I wasn't sure what to do for their Christmas ornaments this year? After MUCH thought, I decided on these "I Spy" ornaments.  My Mom had left over clear ornaments that she let me have and I used some of my scrapbooking ribbon that I already had, then went around the house finding things that were small enough to fit in and that described my kiddos. I also printed off small pictures of each of them and small pictures of certain things that they liked plus a small picture of a Nativity and put them in as well.  The kids LOVED them and have taken them off the tree more times then I can count to look at all the fun things in their special ornament.  In fact Miss J already broke hers once.  Thank goodness my Mom had a back-up one for me.  THANKS MOM!!!!

I love these kids so much!    

They make the Holidays that much more fun and their excitement is defiantly contagious.  

Can't wait for Christmas morning!!!

A Second-Hand Birthday

This little girl turned 4 and had a fabulous Birthday.

She could have cared less that all her stuff was Second-Hand.

I love that about kids!!!

Here is the goods...

Mr. C gave her a Dora book that she had wanted for-ev-er.  Found it at a yard sale for $2. :)

Even the Princess wrapping paper was from a Yard Sale. $1.

She loved it and Mr. C received a big, fat, hug.

Mister E gave her a coloring/activity book and crayons.  This girl is a coloring fool and absolutely loved this.  Who cares if it came from DI for $2 and the crayons .50.  Not her!

The HH and I gave her a Snow hat and gloves set that I actually got last year on clearance for $2.74, and this helmet purchased at DI for $1!

We also gave her this cute little scarf that I purchased before my project started form THIS  awesome Girlie!  She makes the cutest stuff ev-er! I got it for half off though $8. We also gave her this scooter that I purchased off of KSL ($10) last year for her birthday, but 3 days before her Birthday (last year) she  decided she wanted a STAGE.  yeah, that's right a STAGE to dance and sing on. :) Since her Daddy is the best, he wipped her up one in less then 24 hours using only materials we had lying around the house.  

It came complete with carpet and storage!

The cake was NOT second-hand. ;) But the candles ($1.99 for 4 packs of candles) and the Princess toppers ($1) were purchased from Savers.

Funny story:  

We've been letting Miss J ride her scooter around the house and Mr. C wanted to bring in his scooter from outside and ride it inside too.  

I told him No, because it was dirty.  He said that Miss J's scooter had dirty wheels too. I explained to him that it just looked dirty from having wear on the tires but that I cleaned it up really good before we gave it to her. so now it's clean.  

Then miss J comes scootering into the kitchen like she owns the place and says, in her sassiest voice mind you,    " Yeah, she picked this up from a Yard Sale."  

She thought she was the coolest ever because her scooter was picked up from a YARD SALE. I LOVE it! I love that she still thinks it is cool. Probably won't last into the teenage years though will it?  I guess I won't break her heart by talling her that I bought it off of KSL and not a Yard Sale. ;)