Sincerest apologies to the family at the table I joined tonight for dinner for Family Night at Lilli's school. It may have come across that maybe I had something in my eye, or maybe that I was emotionally unstable, could have been hormones or maybe just the fact that my better half is out of town again but truthfully tonight ingrained an image in my head that will forever remain in my heart. 

When we arrived at family night at her school tonight and Lill had the opportunity to dance with her friends. She asked that I join her three times. I mentioned that after I ate dinner we would dance. She hesitated and gently tugged until slowly, slowly she let go of my fingers and walked nervously towards her friends. I watched in awe as it seemed that the room slowed down and the only child I could see for that minute was her. Tears streamed down my face as she walked away towards her friends, away from me, away from her comfort zone and began dancing... actual dancing with her four year-old self. 

I'm sure it doesn't sound like a pivotal point for any parent. And I think if I was one of those couples at the table, I may have just gotten up and "checked out the bookfair." You have to understand why this is such an emotional moment. You see, Lilli has always had extremely anxiety with any 'out of her norm' circumstances and particularly anxiety with strangers. As an infant, she would panic when we went grocery shopping when people would smile or talk to her. I would actually ask that people not talk to her because it would upset her so much. She has huge meltdowns when Josh picks her up from school still and when we are at home she often calls out my name just to determine my proximity. When she was younger she would actually cry when the doorbell rang. She is more than just a mama's girl. 

Tonight I cried for her. I cried for me. I cried for every time I felt that I couldn't do something because my worries got in the way. I cried because I see that this apple doesn't fall far. I cried because she reminded me in that very moment as I watched her blond pony tail bounce further away that all those self doubts I've had about who I am or where my purpose lies that the four year-old mini me knows that it's there's an opportunity worth taking.

I'm in awe of her own growth and can attribute so much of it to her teachers and to the incredible environment they've provided. Their love for my both of my children has helped both share empathy with others and find love in themselves. I'm really not sure that as a parent I could ever really want anything more for my kids. There is not a single day that goes by that I don't value the rich environment they've provided and the path that they've laid for my children's confidence.

Tonight left me crying and emotional, not because "she's growing up" or because "she's so big" but because as a human being that self-talk that she exhibited tonight has really resonated with me lately. Maybe those positive affirmations do work. It's possible that those inner instincts that you have, those deep within your heart and belly, really could guide you. Sometimes we really need to listen to our own heart and just get up and dance. 

Floor Plans and Our Changes Thus Far

As I'm sure you can recall I shared our lovely home with you a week or so ago but left you hanging on the plans. 

We shared the plans with a few family and friends via email, but wanted to wait for feedback before publicly publishing these bad boys. 

Keep in mind that we're still in the design phase and that we're making changes daily often. We will meet again with our architect in a month or so and go through another round of revisions. We are extremely pleased with everything thus far. And the changes we've made are very minor. I'll share those with you in just a sec. But, for now, let me introduce you to the most-awesome-plans-you've-ever-laid-your-eyes-on plans.

Our living space is wide open. It's very similar to our house now in terms of the living, dining, kitchen layout being open to each other. We have the guest suite to the left of the house and the owner's suite at the front right to take advantage of the "lake view" I mentioned previously. More on the changes later in the post. Just keep reading...

 

On the second floor, we have the kids' rooms. Each kid will also have their own bathroom and walk-in closet. We haven't made significant changes to these spaces, but here's what we've done:

1. Taken out the door to the playroom so that it will feel more like a second living space and less like a room. 
2. Reversed the door into the attic from Jaxon's room. Thus removing a pocket door and adding a door to his bathroom.
3. The "future space" will be our fitness room and will be finished. 
4. Lilli's (aka the Boo) bathroom will have either a window or skylight or solar tube to add nat. light

And then there is the basement. This space will remain unfinished. We like the idea of possible expansion. Maybe moving the fitness room to the basement one day or making it into Mr. B+B's man room. But for now, it will be tool and lawn equipment storage. We are opting to remove the window in the bathroom. It just doesn't seem necessary. 

Now on to the changes...

So we decided to swap the pantry and the laundry room for a few reasons. One, we didn't want to hear the washer spinning from the dining room. Two, we already have plumbing hook-ups for water near the guest suite. Three, we didn't really need a storage spot in the garage since we have the basement and a three car garage. Four, I wanted a pantry large enough for a second fridge and that would accommodate all of our kitchen appliances such as my mixer, toaster, blender, crockpot... Five, we'd have to vent the dryer on the front porch. Umm..No thank you. 

The only dilemma thus far will be that we'll want to add a window and we'll need to push out the guest suite about a foot to make the laundry room large enough for a counter and storage. But with the walls being on paper only, it's much easier to move them now. 

We also moved down the wall for the resource room so that it's easier to get to the pantry. Much better huh?

I'm thinking a pantry like one of these: 

 

via

Unfortunately, most of these images were found on houzz and I'm sure of their designers or origins. But aren't they lovely? I could stare at them all day. Or at least until the Boo wakes up from her morning nap. 

Here's the Before:

 

And the "After":

The blue area is the one space that I'm not really happy with. I really like a semi-symmetrical bathroom. In other words, the sinks, in my opinion, should be the same size and either be beside each other or flank the tub. So we're still working on this space and I'm totally up to suggestions. 

So there you have it! What suggestions do you have? 

What calls me 'Mom' and is purple all over?

We have a trick. It's a good trick. We started it about 2 years ago when the Bird wouldn't take a bath. We'd grab a bottle of food coloring and add a few drops to the tub to make his bathwater 'magically' turn colors.

As he's gotten older this trick still works. We simply ask him if he'd like colored bathwater and with this strategy have avoided numerous tantrums. Suddenly, he's practically begging to get in the tub.

Over the past two years we've accumulated quite the assortment of food coloring. We have everything from the blah-and-boring standard assorted colors to the burn-your-retinas neon colors. Yeah!

[photo via]

Last night, we had to pull out the big guns. The food coloring. We even {gasp} let the Bird choose his own color. Of course he chose neon purple. And, I'll admit, it's a pretty amazing color. 

The secret to using food coloring in the tub is to only use a few drops. A few. No more than 5 or 6 ish. It's very precise you see. More like a science. 

He excitedly jumped and played and, most importantly of all, bathed in bright neon purple bath. Once again, crisis avoided. And Parent of the Year right here. 

That was last night. 

Tonight, the Bird willingly took a bath. No need to pull out a rainbow assortment of food coloring. Mr. B+B bathed him and we left him playing happily as we bathed his sister, the Boo, in her infant tub and picked up laundry around the house. When else am I supposed to get anything done? 

He was in earshot. We carried on conversations and checked in on him frequently. 

Then he calls me into the bathroom because he wants to "show me something." I honestly expected for him to show me how he had "bathed" all of his cars in a makeshift car wash or possibly how he could "float" in the tub but what I didn't expect to see was...

A very, very purple bathtub and a very purple polka-dotted Bird. 

Apparently...The previous night "we" hadn't returned the food coloring to it's home in the kitchen cabinet. In fact, it was sitting in eyesight directly beside the soap and the shampoo in the bathtub. So I guess you could say that "we" were asking for it. 

The Bird decided to add his own food coloring to his bathwater. He poured in half the bottle before realizing he had "made a mess." Then, in an attempt to help he tried to "clean it up," but failed miserably by splashing the dye all over the shower walls and floor. 

While "cleaning it up" the Bird had also managed to get food coloring all over his body in big purple splotches from his neck down and all over our white tub, white tile, and (you guessed it) white grout. Yay. 

Needless to say, through the magic of the magic eraser I was able to clean most of the tub, tile and grout. The only areas that it truly stained was the caulk, but that's really no biggy. 

However, the Bird will be sporting neon purple spots for the next few days. And, of course, he thinks it's cool. I, however, will spend the next few hours contemplating how to color coordinate his neon purple spots to his outfit tomorrow. 

A Glamorous Life

7:15am

I feel someone standing in front of me breathing. It's the Bird. He whispers in his not so whisper voice "Mom, can I watch cartoons?"

I respond "yes" in a whisper. We've trained him to turn on the TV in the morning if we aren't ready to wake up yet.

His sister isn't awake yet which is a good thing considering that she woke up six times the night before. Must be a growth spurt.

7:47am
The Boo awakes. I nurse her and change her diaper.

8:06am
I make breakfast for the Bird. It's a fancy breakfast of microwavable pancakes and orange juice. We all three sit together at the table as I scan over email. I'm enjoying a mug of coffee and working on organizing our coupons in hopes that maybe I can somehow manage to take both kids to run errands. It's ambitious I know.

9:22am
I'm dressed and we're ready to go. We'll the Boo and I are. The Bird wants no part of going anywhere. So I bribe him. I remind him of the $20 he received as a Valentine's Day gift and how he can spend it on anything he wants. Suddenly, he's game for anything. Crisis avoided.

9:40am
I nurse the Boo and change her diaper.

9:48am
The Boo's in her car seat. Now, the timer has begun. Once she's strapped in there is no turning back. We move quickly to avoid her melt down.                                      

9:55am
Both kids are harnessed into their car seats. I've managed to carry a car seat with a 15 pounder strapped in it, a diaper bag, two bags of outgrown baby clothes, the Bird's jacket and blanket, 7 reusable grocery store bags, and our coupon book to the car. I'd rather rip my arms off carrying everything then making two trips to the car. We get ready to pull out of the driveway and everyone is happy and content.

10:14am
We arrive at our first store. I coach the Bird that we will be in and out of the store quickly because his sister is asleep which means our time is limited. "We must move quickly" I remind him as if we are running as fugitives. He begins his 2,846 questions about locating the type of toy he's seeking.

10:17am
I locate the items I needed and then we head to the toy department. I reiterate "We must move quickly."
After much debate about which toy to purchase and after making a conscious effort to keep the Boo's cart moving we have pretty much shopped the entire store. The Bird makes out with a foam sword and a "headacopter."

                             
10:44am
We check out and use my online coupon. We begin to load back into the car. So much for 'moving quickly.'

10:49am
I nurse the Boo.

11:11am
We roll into the parking lot of the FedEx, pet store, and grocery store. I purposely park the car somewhere in the middle of the stores so that I can finagle mailing my packages, buying dog food, and purchasing two weeks of groceries without moving the car. Because that wouldn't mean re-strapping two kids in again and I'd rather walk up hill in two feet of snow both ways than do that at this point.

I put the Boo in the baby carrier as I rationalize with the Bird. His case: "why he needs to take his new 'headacopter' into the store." I'm not buying it. He wines and carries on.

I cave. I agree stating that it cannot leave his hand at any point.

11:15am
The girl at Fedex helps me mail my packages. She too has a three-year-old she tells me. The Bird looks at me with his loud whisper face and tells me that he wants to throw his 'headacopter' in the store. I give him the look of death as I say "no." I turn back to the FedEx employee when I see his helicopter whiz by my eye. I snatch it up and put it in my left hand out of his reach. I get on his level and stare into his eyes as I try to perfect my 'mom look' and say in the sternest voice I have "what did I say would happen if you threw it?" He immediately falls into melt down mode in the middle of the store, but I don't care.

One, she has a kid so she's been there, too. Two, their is no one else here in the store with us. And, three, all of the merchandise is out of reach of his roll-on-the-floor meltdown. Fine. by. me.

I pay the employee, step over the Bird and head out the door. He gets up and follows.

11:30am
We return to the car to get our reusable grocery bags. The Bird has calmed down at this point. His new objective is to use the left over change from his previous purchase to buy something out of one of the cheap vending machines.

His two quarters purchase two eye balls that stick to everything they touch. I consider it a sound investment to help our shopping trip go smoothly. And it does... until they break.

11:51am
It's been twenty minutes and we're half way through the store. I've used every trick I can think of to keep the Bird happy. Meanwhile, the Boo is getting attention from all sorts of guests as she squeals at the top of her lungs.

We've sampled every cookie, slice of deli meat and cheese, and produce possible. We may have even had seconds. I've given him my phone, asked him to help me coupon, and even had him pick out groceries. The sticky gooey eye balls have broken apart. I return to aisle four when I realize that I've forgotten noodles only to see one of them laying in the middle of the floor. I roll over it, hoping that he won't notice it. Luckily, he doesn't notice it although now our cart bumps as I push it.

12:15pm
We start to check out. I'm proud of my coupon saving efforts as I spread out the coupons like they're cash in front of the cashier. The Bird is beginning to whine and moan that he's ready to go, but they aren't excepting all of my coupons. I speak with the manager and he's starting to really loose it. He's occupied himself with the automatic opening door. Open. Close. Open. Close.

Then here comes melt down number two. He's tired and hungry.

It was fine in FedEx, but here, in the grocery store... No. I wouldn't let it happen. I bribe him again. "Look... you can go ride the dragon." It only cost one cent. Totally worth it... other than the stupid thing is "out or order" and my three year old can't read. Luckily, he's interested and I've just bought myself two more minutes to figure out this coupon debacle.

12:25pm
I survived. Everyone's happy to be heading home. Until... I realize we forgot stamps. I haul the kids back into the store and make our way to the customer service counter. I order stamps and turn around to head out, but I can't find the Bird. He was right beside me. I swear. I look up and he's trying to open the cigar case. He's standing on the bottom baseboard and is really trying hard to get the doors open. Luckily they're locked, but I can't help myself as I shout his first and last name.

He's not a climber. He's a good kid. He just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

He's startled and immediately turns his lip out and begins to cry. That's okay though, because the Boo has had it too and she begins to fuss as I place her into her chamber of terror car seat. 

   

        

12:44pm
We've made it home. I've feed the Boo. Groceries are unloaded. I'm beat. The kids are beat. I quickly forage through the pantry for lunch and it appears that we have nothing to eat. Nothing. How is that even possible? I make the Bird left overs.

1:05pm
Nap time. Praise. The. Lord. Except the Bird won't cooperate. I finally barter with him enough to convince him that he doesn't have to take a nap as long as he "lays on the bed quietly with his eyes closed." Unfortunately he's too smart for that so he asks if he can play quietly in his room. I don't care at this point because I'm defeated exhausted.

1:20pm
I lay on the couch with the Boo who has fallen asleep nursing. I hear the Bird quietly playing in his room. Everyone's content for the moment including me.

1:40pm (ish... I guess)
I hear someone loudly whispering my name "Mom...Mom... MOM..." I know it's the Bird. I has just fallen in a deep sleep. My thoughts "If I ignore him he'll stop or take a hint..." But he doesn't. "Mom... mom...MOM..."

I continue to ignore him. I might even be able to sleep through him calling my name. I'm that tired.

I hear him walking up to me. He's still loudly whispering my name. I'm getting my threatening mom look ready for him when he approaches me and his sleeping sister.

Then I realize...  He's standing beside me with no pants. And no underwear. None. NONE.

"Where are your pants?" I ask in astonishment.

"Mom... I need you to wipe my bottom."

Oh. It's a Glamorous Life indeed.

Feeding a Babe Round One

I debated posting this post. I actually held on to it for a few days. It's personal but I think it's informative and worth a read...

Before the Bird was born I knew I wanted to breastfed but it terrified me. I can remember driving home one weekend about 7 months pregnant from my in-laws house bawling my eyes out because I was nervous about nursing. I knew I wanted to pick my battles with parenting and breastfeeding was going to be one of them but the road ahead of me gave me many sleepless nights.

At eight months pregnant with the Bird I was laid off. I took the opportunity to nest and prepare (as much as one can) for parenthood. I looked forward to staying at home with our son and making my priority keeping the little being happy and, more importantly, alive. I purchased nursing books, pillows, and pumps in preparation for the Bird's arrival.

On May 7th the Bird came squawking into our lives. He immediately took to the breast. I felt relief and joy. The lactation specialists were very helpful and put me at ease. They gave me a breast shield a handy pamphlet and sent me on the way.

Once we got home things changed. Nursing hurt. Lanolin helped but I gritted my teeth every.single.time I fed the Bird. I meticulously marked how long I nursed the Bird and from which breast. It was tiresome. It was a single person job and it was emotionally and mentally draining. He nursed ever two to three hours for months. He never seemed to "sleep through the night" like everyone else's kids. I despised nursing but I knew it was going to get easier. I didn't have to do it forever. I just had to make it one year. 12 months. 365 days.

At about two months things changed. The pain went away. I began to enjoy the experience. I liked that it was something only we did together. I liked that he rooted around on my shoulder when he was hungry. I loved the look on his face when he nursed. I loved how he put his hand on my chest when we was asleep. Nursing him was peaceful and comforting for both of us. He was a comfort nurser and I could always calm him through breastfeeding.

While nursing the Bird had turned into such a pleasant experience a new problem began. He wouldn't take a bottle. Ever. From day one. He refused it. I tried ever bottle available. At one point I believe we had around 16 different bottle types. We tried different feeding positions, different caregivers, and different advice from everyone. Most people found it necessary to say "if he's hungry he'll take it."

"If he's hungry he'll take it?!"

This was not reassuring whatsoever. What. So. Ever. We tried for months to give him a bottle, but at least I was at home with him and it was not absolutely necessary for him to take a bottle. He'd live. We'd live. I'd deal.

At eight months I returned back to the work force as a student teacher. The Bird enrolled at a daycare and I pumped. I packed bottles of different types and my liquid gold for him. As I dropped him off I can remember saying to his teacher, "Here is a bottle. He won't take it. And it's fine. Don't worry. I'll feed him when I pick him up." She didn't believe me, but I knew my kid and I knew he wouldn't take it.

When I returned to pick him up from school you know what?! He didn't take the bottle. She suggested different bottles, sippy cups, spoon feeding, and cup feeding him.

They didn't work. He just didn't take them. Ever.

 Luckily I was introducing solids, so he gladly took those, but he NEVER took the bottle. As in Never. Ever.

He was hungry. And he didn't take it. So there. Point proven. He won't take it if he's hungry enough. Worst advice ever. He's stubborn. Not sure where he gets that from.

He stopped gaining weight. Instead of being in the once 80% for weight and the 95% for height. He fell into the 16% for weight and 95% for height.

At the advice of the pediatrician, I really pushed protein and his weight began to creep back up. Once my student teaching was over he was at home with me again and life was good.

I nursed the Bird for 13 months. All that aside it was a wonderful experience. It was always convenient. I never packed bottles and pumped very little. We had it down to an art. He eventually lost interest and I found that to be my sign to stop.

Stopping was bittersweet. I felt like he didn't need me anymore. His dad could fulfill the same duties I could and I wasn't able to swoop in and nurse him if he was hurt or upset. At the same time, I was relieved that I was able to have an identity outside of the Bird. He didn't need me for survival. His dad could feed him. My parents could feed him and he'd be okay. I could go out with girlfriends and was no longer tied to a timer. I had gained a tiny ounce of freedom back.

Two and half years later the Boo arrived. As soon as she latched on, I felt at ease. I felt confident and arrogant at the same time. The only advice I cared to receive was how to give the Boo a bottle. The consultant told me that I could try but it wouldn't happen. "If the first one didn't the second one wouldn't either," she said. At the moment I was determined to prove her wrong. And the Boo was determined to do her own thing.

A house on paper

If you follow me on facebook you had a sneak peak of our house plans last week. I can say that receiving that email was the best thing to ever find it's way into my inbox. I poured over them for hours and have emailed them out to family and friends for feedback. I have copies on the nightstand and on the fridge so that when I have my mid-night and mid-dinner epiphanies I can quickly make changes. 

While I'm not able to share the whole plan with you just yet I will share with you our thoughts on the plan, our wish list and our changes thus far. 

So as I mentioned before we bought land on the most amazing road. It's not really a neighborhood. We won't have HOA fees or a fancy neighborhood pool. It's only one way in and one way out. It's an eclectic mix our houses. One side of the road is lake front while the other is lake view. Our house falls into the "lake view on a winter morning if you jump up and down and tilt your head just right" category. 

After we searched the internet for house plans and came up short we met with a builder who guided us into the direction of completely custom. He hooked us up with two potential architects and looking over their work and fees we went with the one that we felt was a good fit. 

Our consultation with him was simple. We discussed our wish-list including must-haves and must-nots and our budget for the project. 

Our wish list:

Open floor plan (with views of the one-day pool)

Efficient spaces 

Porch on front

Veranda on back

Storage!

Resource/Mud-room

3 Car garage

Exercise room 

Partial walk-out basement (since our land slopes)

Playroom (upstairs)

4 Bedrooms 

Master downstairs

Space for potential pool

Foyer (We don't have one now, and I grew up with one and miss the transition it gives you between the outside and inside)

Walk-in pantry

Downstairs guest suite (For aging guests)

Sink in the garage (For dog washing, car washing, dirt scrubbing in the winter)

Second small fridge in the pantry 

Our must nots (and why nots)

Formal living room (we wouldn't use it)

Formal dining room (ditto)

His/her closets (we don't own too many clothes... we're actually nudist. kidding)

Tray ceilings (not our thing)

2 story spaces (don't want to heat it) 

decorative columns (not us)

Excessively large bedrooms (don't want to vacuum them nor do we do much else there than sleep so we thought we'd keep them small cozy)

front-load garage (didn't want a house that was "all garage")

Excessive hallways (wasted space)

Frivolous moldings and trim (not us)

Niches or Plant shelves (not our thing)

While many people are perfectly comfortable and desire the items on our must-not list it's just not our style. We both wanted a space that seemed practical for our family. Aesthetically we wanted spaces that were understated, simple and somewhat primitive. 

When looking "designing" our dream home we kept a few things in mind. 

1. How will I clean it? And where will I store our cleaning supplies? Vacuum? Large supply of couponed stock pile items.
2. Where will we do laundry and place dirty clothes? Hello!? This pretty much runs our house now. 
3. Where will I store our computers, cell phones, printer, router, etc.? Where will our kids do homework? Where can we drop off our mail?
4. How will we enter the house? Where will shoes and coats end up? How can we organize these spaces? Where will guests enter? 
5. How can we easily take out the trash through the garage?
6. How can we keep the kid's toys at bay? 
7. If we're inside, how can I have a good view of the kids outside? 
8. How do I want to bring in the groceries on a weekly basis? 
9. How can we maximize our lot to block views of the neighbors but maximize the view of the lake and the woods behind the house? How do we utilize the slope of the property? 
10. How can we cut down on heating and cooling costs? 
11. What materials can we use that will wear nicely and stand the test of time? 
12. How can we guarantee that we aren't building anything trendy or that will be outdated (remember those uber modern houses of the 80s? Yeah, not so cool now...) in 20, 50, 60 years? 

Changes thus far: 

1. We've gotten rid of a few doors to open spaces up. 
2. We switched the layout of the pantry with the laundry room. This gave us a larger pantry to add a second fridge and moved it closer to the kitchen. Moving the laundry room also allowed for the plumbing to back up to the guest suite bathroom and in-turn cut down on plumbing costs. 
3. Added a window/skylight/sky-funnel-tube to Lilli's bathroom to add some much needed light. 
4. Removed the window from the basement bathroom. 
5. We've also moved a door or two so that spaces flow better. 

Our family and friends have been wonderful tools in this process. Their eyes have helped us see things that we hadn't noticed before and their homeowner experiences have helped us make sound decisions in the process. 

Stay tuned for our next meeting with the architect and a reveal of the plans! 

How to Consign Like a... Mother.

The mother of all consignment sales just happen to come this last week. I look forward to it all year. I plan. I prep. I store away hangers and clothes. I stash them in storage containers all over the house and then I sit and wait for the sale. 

See it only happens twice a year and it's big. Like Christmas morning big. 

My house goes from adorable to... ugghhh... this...

Why do I do it?! The money. I do it for the money. I'm not going to lie. I turn a pretty penny off of those beat up fire trucks, loved on stuffed animals and outgrown swim trunks. 

I plan it meticulously. I look for hangers year round and constantly think "can I consign that?" Yes, it sounds a bit crazy, but it works for us. 

So here are my secrets to consigning BIG. 

-ONE-

Gather your supplies. 

1. Batteries. Lots of batteries. I get mine of clearance and at the dollar store. 
2. Zip ties. 
3. Large storage bags. The Dollar store sells huge bags that I can shove all sorts of goodies in. 
4. Plastic wrap for wrapping puzzles. 
5. Clear packing tape. 
6. Safety pins. 
7. Cardstock for printing
8. The inter-web (for looking up prices, entering items, and printing your fabulous labels.)
9. And, of course, clothes hangers. 

Everything you sell that requires batteries should work!! This is a must! 

-TWO-

Hanger Hoopla 

When I first started consigning I was clueless on finding hangers. Now, I have a few secrets. 

1. Hit up neighbors and friends. 
2. Clean out your closet. We needed a good reason to upgrade to wood hangers. Thank you consignment sales. 
3. Post on Facebook. You'll have people come out of the wood works to give you free hangers. 
4. Post an add on Craig's List. I did this a few times with much success. 
5. Email coworkers. I have one coworker who always saves her husband's dry cleaning hangers for me. 
6. Goodwill. When all else fails, I hit up Goodwill. They aren't free but are in bundles of about 12-13 hangers in the home section for a $1. Totally worth it.

-THREE-

CLEAN it! 

Don't ever assume that someone else will wash or clean an item. I break out all the pinterest tricks when cleaning and destickering the toys. WD-40 works great on removing sticker residue. Thank you, to my father-in-law for that trick.

Dawn, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide are great at removing set-in stains on clothes. 

And don't for get the magic eraser. It's magic. 

Also, the washing machine and dishwasher are your friends. 

People will pay more for clean items. It's true.

-

-FOUR-

Group like items. 

When I'm getting ready to sell clothes I sort them by size. I also group books, and toys by age group. For example, board books vs. chapter books. OR infant toys vs. toddler toys. 

-FIVE-

Be creative! 

I saw this trick at a consignment sale before and I thought it was genius. Why not put items together as a set? Here I have two books and a Chameleon sold as a set. 

-SIX-

Price to sell! 

If I'm unsure of the cost of an item I'll search Craig's List to see what the item is going for. I'll usually price it under the list price. If it's an item that I know what it retails, I'll price it for a 1/3 of what I purchased it and then usually a dollar or two less. 

Why I am "the best mom ever!"

How does it work for us? Why do we consign? It's actually not all about the money... See really there is a catch. I don't just sell items at these mega consignment sales... I buy. I buy big. I purchase a large amount of our kids' clothes, birthday gifts and Christmas gifts for the Bird and the Boo. And they love it. Really, I've been called "best mom ever" a time or two.