Treasure Hunting Finds!

When the older kids were little, what is normally called "yard saling" I always referred to as "treasure hunting".  It's true when you think about it with well known axiom in mind: "One man's trash is another man's treasure."

Or mama, trying to find some good bargains for her 4 children, aged four and under.

Isaac is now a couple of years older than the oldest of the originating group of the family saying, but I still use the terminology, as does Dale.  The older ones still tag along from time to time, but finding treasures for them is a little harder.  For one thing, their sizes aren't as easy to come by.  Also, they are no longer excited by the Little Tykes pedal car that could be brought home for a couple of bucks.  Still, we do find bargains, but it takes a little more persistence these days, but I don't mind.  For me, the thrill is in the actual hunt, not the find.

I know, you are probably thinking, "didn't she just post the other day that they are moving again?".  Well, yes, but Isaac has outgrown almost everything in the last 6 months, and the poor child looks like he is perpetually prepared for flood waters.  Even his school uniforms are needing to be replaced, but that will have to wait a couple of months.

So, when we set out we went with the thought firmly planted in our brains what we would stick with our very specific list of needs.  And we did!  Sometimes it is easy to get a little carried away with all the good finds, or rather it is easy to carry away a lot of the found treasure, but at this juncture, we are trying very hard to be discerning and exact in our purchases.  Not just in yard sales, but also in groceries.  We've ditched our usually 4 week shopping plan to a mere 2 weeks, and have been diligently trying to use up what we have in freezers and in the pantry.  We are making very good progress.  The only exception to the rule was when Dale and I stopped at tiny bulk food shop and found loaves of Pepperidge Farm bread on sale for .50 a loaf!  We bought a case of the 9 grain bread and got some strawberry swirl stuff just for a treat.  We only have about 4 or 5 loaves of that left, but I knew when we bought it all, it would last until we moved.

So, here are some of the "treasures" we got at yard sales last weekend:

Look at these carefully!  See that red long sleeved shirt on the right? That is a Ralph Lauren!

  I don't know how much these shirts sell for normally, but I paid a whopping .25 for it.  Yup, that is a whole quarter for a spendy shirt!

Isaac has had a love for Micky for a while.  This fleece sweat shirt is from the Disney Store.  Again, not sure what it would sell for retail, but I know it would be a pretty penny.  I got it for 50 cents!

This polo was for Caleb.  It looked like it was never worn.

Jerusha was in terrible need of some p.j. bottoms.  We usually just get some t-shirts at yard sales or the thrift store on the 49 cent days, and voila!.... cheap pajamas.

Dale has a couple of dress shirts that are very well worn (a.k.a... ratty and time to put them out of their misery) and was reluctant to toss them yet.  Well, he got these new shirts, with tags, for just a couple bucks.  Old, overused shirts say hello to the incinerator!

Here are a few more items for Isaac.  I thought the oxford shirt with the black casual pants were adorable.  Isaac was more impressed with the Toy Story pajamas.

We've had bigger and more impressive hauls, but this was very good considering our very narrow-minded list.

Blessings,

Lisa