Successful Yard Sale Strategies

Since we are still de-cluttering the house, and fall (and spring) are major Yard Sale seasons (last week we counted about 10 in the south part of town), I decided to do a little research on how to make your yard sale a success, and wanted to share what I found.  It is a good alternative to donating, consigning, and throwing stuff away.  Your kids can help, so it will be a family affair, and you will spend the whole day outside.  And don't forget about the extra $ money $. After all, one person's trash is another person's treasure, right?

Permit
First off, check with your town to see if you need a permit to have a yard sale.

Decide on a Date and Time
Instead of a full day, consider 2 half-days to reach more people who might be out and about or busy on one of those days.

Sorting Your Items
Try to group your items together by category - baby items, books, cooking/kitchen, clothes, etc.  This will help someone who is browsing to see what else you have to offer and may inspire a last-minute impulse buy.

Un-Box Everything
Even if all the items in the box are from one category, no one will buy it if they can't see it, and many people don't feel comfortable digging.  Instead, take everything out of the boxes and put them in plain view.  Something might catch a customer's eye as they walk by.

Clean Your Items
You don't have to detail everything, but make sure things don't look dirty.  No one will buy it if they don't even want to touch it.

Put Your Items on a Pedestal
If at all possible, set-up as many tables as you can spare to lift the items up, so customers do not need to reach down.  If you don't have alot of available tables, you can be creative with turning big boxes upside-down and using two sawhorses and a piece of wood.  Bringing items closer to the customer allows them to see and reach something easily.  Besides, keeping your items off the ground shows you care for them, and they are not "trash".  If you have clothes to sell, hanging them up is the best way to sell.  Your nicely-folded pile will turn into an unfolded heap in no time.

Price Your Items
When items don't have a price on them, many people will turn around and walk away.  Maybe they are too shy or don't want to deal with negotiations.  No matter what the reason, a sale is better than no sale.  Put what you think is a fair price, and forget "book value".  Make sure you use stickers which can peel off later, and don't write directly on the item. Better yet, do this the week before so you are not rushing around that morning.

Create a Walking Path
Instead of having items all over your front yard or driveway, consider making a "U" shape with the tables, so there is a clear path - if they walk the path, they will get a good look at all you have to offer, and they won't miss anything.

Be Prepared

• Be sure everything is set-up way before the start time on your sign - you will have early birds, and you don't want to make anyone feel awkward if you are not ready.
• Make sure you have plenty of cash on hand in all denominations, including coins.
• Have an apron or cash drawer ($26 at Staples) to keep your money organized.
• Keep a calculator nearby for people buying a number of items. 
• Have a stash of bags to give people if they buy more than one item.
• Keep a garbage can nearby to keep things tidy throughout the day.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign
Probably the most important part of your sale is to "advertise" it to get people there.  You can price out local newspaper ads, but I've seen lots of successful Craigslist postings, and they are free.  Either way, the BEST way to get people there are large signs pointing them in the right direction from the nearest main road. 

• Use THICK letters and a THICK arrow so people can see it from far away as they are driving - then they will not miss the turn.  
• After you put your sign up, step back - far back, maybe 100 feet back - to test out your sign visually.  
• It's a good idea to write date and time on the sign, and in smaller letters, the address.  
• If there is more than 1 way to get to your house, be sure you have signs at every turn so they can easily follow your directions.  
• You will also want to weatherize your signs - not necessarily laminating them, but staple them to a thin piece of wood and stand them on an a-frame in case there is no pole to hang them on.  
• Putting them up the night before will let more people know you will be having a sale (good) but if the morning dew curls the sign, no one will be able to read it (bad).  
• It is a good idea to ask customers throughout the day if they saw your signs, and if you have someone available to help you, to check on them (to make sure they are still there and didn't tip over)

It's Showtime!
Play some light music in the background to keep it peaceful and entertaining.  Put your cell phone away and be sure to greet everyone who stops by, but don't hound them.  They want to feel welcome and free to look around. As items sell, re-arrange your items so there are no big empty spots.  Thank all the customers for coming buy even if they don't purchase anything (maybe they will come back).  Most of all, don't worry about making $$.  Just have fun with it and reap the rewards after the sale.

Working Mother vs Stay-at-Home Mom

Why does this have to be so controversial?  Why do we continue to try to prove that one is better than the other?  I think we all realize that both make sacrifices and each situation has pros and cons.  Let's take a closer look and appreciate Moms for who they are (please forgive my generalizations).

Working Mothers
They wake up early, help to get everyone off to school and work, all while trying to prepare herself for work, aiming to get there on time.  It is a busy morning of rushing around, but things settle down during the commute. 

She arrives and gets started right away until her thoughts drift back to the family.  "Did I remember to pack lunch for them?  or give them lunch money?  Did the kids wear sneakers to school for physical education?  Today's not picture day, is it?  Did the kids finish their homework and remember to put it in their backpack?  What about the Book Club order - oh, I forgot the check!  There's a field trip coming up, and I need to sign the permission slip and return it so they can go - oh, how I wish I could chaperone and join them!  Do I spend enough quality time with them?  What should we do this weekend?  What am I going to make out of ground beef for dinner?  Wish we didn't have the same 5 meals all the time, but I don't have time to cook."  She shakes her head and tries to focus.

She works hard and is worn out by the end of the day - boss was scolding her to be more efficient, and even though she completed a project and felt great about it, the feeling was fleeting, since there is another 6 projects lined up that need to be done. The commute back home is a mixture of feelings - relived that the workday is over, excited to see her family, and dreading the afternoon witching hour.

Upon arriving home she tries to capture a glimpse into everyone day while nagging kids to clean up toys and do their homework, and she begins to prepare dinner.

After dinner there is more cleaning up to do, getting the kids into the shower, and starting the bedtime routine.  Bedtime leads to quiet time, but now is the time she prepares for the following day - packing lunches and picking out clothes - then checks personal email, exercises, or works on a personal project she can only chip away at (or any combination of those activities) until she decides it's time to wind down.  PJ's, sitting on the couch, a little snack while watching a show or reading for a while, falls asleep, gets up, brushes teeth, goes to bed.

Stay-at-Home Moms
Once again, waking up early, she get everyone prepared and off the school and work.  With the little ones not yet school aged, she returns home from the bus stop only to finish cleaning up after breakfast.  Time to "play" with the kids, which can be fun, but can also be painstakingly boring or slow - all the while she is thinking of the 100 projects she COULD be working on.  Sometimes she can distract them with an activity so she can get something done around the house.

Lunchtime, clean up after lunch, then nap time - YES!  With only an hour to herself, she spends it tackling a project or cleaning the house.  Although it is not necessarily "relaxing", she is enjoying peace and quiet.
The kids wake up and she brings them outside where she can accomplish even less.  Although being outside is a nice breath of fresh air (no pun intended), pushing someone on the swings for 20 minutes is not exactly the time of her life.  With only kids under the age of 5 to talk to, it can get lonely - thank goodness for the occasional play date!  Time to get the other kid(s) off the bus, so they walk down together and she has to entertain the little ones in a tiny space of wilted grass and sand on the corner of the road while waiting for the bus to arrive.  Get everyone home, start homework, and start preparing dinner. 

After dinner, she  has a similar routine as the working mother, unless she has to work at night, which allows her even less quiet time and time to work on her own projects.  The upside is additional income and a sense of accomplishment, which she rarely feels from raising children, even if it is the "most important job" she has. 

As you can see, both mothers work as hard as they can - and everyone has their own reasons for choosing which route to travel.  We need to be respectful and support each other - stop the competition!

Decluttering: Properly Disposing of Paint, Electronics, and more

In the spirit of de-cluttering, you may be left with items you cannot or should not throw away.  Here is how to properly dispose of some of those items, and in some cases, re-purpose them:

PAINT

The following information is from Lowe's

Paint can be toxic and dangerous to the environment if not disposed of properly. Follow these steps for safely getting rid of that extra paint that you no longer need.

Latex Paints 

Step 1

• Here's how to dispose of latex paint without taking it to a recycling center.

• Add equal parts cat litter to latex paint in the can. If you have more than a half a can, you can also pour the paint into a lined box or trash can. Then pour in cat litter.

Step 2

• Stir the cat litter into the paint until it thickens and will not spill. Allow the mixture to sit for one hour.

Step 3

• Throw the dried paint in the can in the garbage. Make sure to remove the lid.

Good to Know

If you don't have much paint left in the can, you can just remove the lid and let the paint dry out on its own. Make sure that it's in a location where small children or pets can't get to it.
There are also commercial paint hardeners that you can purchase if you prefer not to use cat litter. Just follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Oil-Based Paints

• Oil-based paints are considered hazardous waste and must be taken to a recycling center.

To find a place to safely dispose of your latex and oil-based paints, use our Recycling Center Locator.

Good to Know
Consider donating your paint to a community center, charity, place of worship, local theater or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They're often working on projects with a limited budget and could use the extra supplies.

Electronics:  Cell Phones, TV's and Similar Items

The following information from the EPA:

Electronic products are made from valuable resources and materials, including metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Donating or recycling consumer electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials.

For example:

• Recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 3,500 US homes in a year.
• For every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.

 Click Here to Find the Closest Place to Donate or Recycle These Items

Motor Oil

The following information is from Dummies

Never dump oil onto the ground, throw it out with your regular garbage, or flush it down a drain. It’s a major toxic pollutant that needs to be treated accordingly. In many locales, putting oil filters into a landfill is against the law, so you may risk a fine.

So what do you do with your old oil? Decant the oil from the garbage bag that was in your collection pan into clean disposable containers with tight-fitting, screw-on lids — the bottles that the new oil came in or old, washed soda bottles work well. Place a funnel in the neck of the container, tie-off the bag, and hold it above the funnel. Then cut a tiny hole in a bottom corner of the bag and let the oil drain out of the bag into the funnel and container. You may want to cover the ground underneath the container with a thick layer of newspapers.

Oil recyclers probably won’t accept oil that’s contaminated with another substance or in a dirty container, so take it to a toxic waste disposal center.

The Steel Recycling Institute says that if all the oil filters sold in the United States each year were recycled, enough material would be recovered to build 16 stadiums the size of Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium! Many auto parts stores and some service stations accept old oil and oil filters for recycling. If you don’t have one close by, look in your local yellow pages for the nearest oil recycling center or toxic waste disposal center, or visit Earth911 or the Filter Council Web sites and enter your zip code.

Batteries

The following information from Wiki How

Millions of batteries of all types and sizes are disposed of in the United States each year. Because they contain various hazardous materials, including heavy metals and acids, they can pose serious environmental risks if not discarded properly. If you want to learn how to dispose of batteries, consider these guidelines.

• Do NOT Dispose of alkaline batteries in the regular trash - they go with household hazardous waste collection for special recycling.
•  Dispose of button batteries at a hazardous waste collection site. 
•  Dispose of lead-acid vehicle batteries at the retailer.

Smoke Detectors

The following information is from NH DES:

Some retailers will take back all brands of smoke alarms/detectors that they sell. Please contact the retail store at which you purchased your smoke detector for more information.

The following brands of smoke alarms/detectors are returnable to their original manufacturers. Mark the box "For Disposal" before mailing. Please contact the manufacturer before mailing your old smoke alarm/detector. Some manufacturers require a fee or have special requirements if the device is no longer under warranty.

Brand Name	Company	Mailing Address	Phone
American Sensors	Dicon Global	20 Steelcase Rd., W., Unit 3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2 Canada	(800) 387-4219
BRK	First Alert	Cusomer Service Disposal, 3901 Liberty St. Rd. Aurora, IL 60504	(800) 323-9005
Dicon Global	Dicon Global	20 Steelcase Rd., W., Unit 3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2 Canada	(800) 387-4219
Family Safety Products	Family Safety Products	Returns, 2879 Remico St. SW, Grandville, MI 49418	(616) 530-6540
Firex	Invensys Controls	"For Disposal Only", 28C Leigh Fisher Blvd., El Paso, TX 79906	(800) 445-8299
First Alert	First Alert	Cusomer Service Disposal, 3901 Liberty St. Rd. Aurora, IL 60504	(800) 323-9005
Garrison	Dicon Global	20 Steelcase Rd., W., Unit 3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2 Canada	(800) 387-4219
Gentex	Gentex	Returns, 600 N. Centennial St., Zeeland, MI 49464	(800) 436-8391
Honeywell	Honeywell	Returns, 1985 Douglas Dr. N., Dock 4 (MN10), Golden Valley, MN 55422	(800) 328-5111
Kidde	Kidde	1394 S. Third St., Mebane, NC 27302	(800) 880-6788
LifeSaver	Kidde	1394 S. Third St. Mebane, NC 27302	(800) 880-6788
Masterguard	Masterguard	801 Hammond St., #200 Coppell, TX 75019	(877) 453-3473
Nighthawk	Kidde	1394 S. Third St. Mebane, NC 27302	(800) 880-6788
North-American	Dicon Global	20 Steelcase Rd., W., Unit 3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2 Canada	(800) -800-387-4219
System Sensor	System Sensor	3825 Ohio Ave. St. Charles, IL 60174	(800) 736-7672
Triad Safety Systems	Triad Safety Systems	4595 Airport Rd. Kearney, NE 68847	1-800-240-7681

Why I Hate Surprises BUT I Love Surprises

Usually people generally hate surprises or they love them.  Of course it all depends on the surprise itself...good or bad.

Bad Surprises
I am not a big fan of bad surprises - but who would be?  For instance, the kids are being unusually quiet so I check on them - and what i find is a HUGE pile of pillows and blankets they are referring to as a beaver lodge, and puzzle pieces scattered all over the room (and they wonder why we are always missing pieces?). 

OR you are almost done your work shift and are winding down, thinking you may get home at a reasonable time, or even early!  Then your manager walks in and ask you to do "just a couple more things" which take you 2 more hours.  Although GREAT for the paycheck, not always my favorite surprise.

Good Surprises
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the occasional good surprise...like the time my husband surprised me on my birthday by secretly arranging for Grandma to babysit so we could go on a date alone together.  With these being so rare, they have more meaning, and I appreciate them tremendously.

Awkward Surprises
Then there are those weird "surprises" where things don't match.  Like Rick Astley's voice and face (Rick Astley on YouTube), or a sour grape you're expecting to be sweet. Or even walking in on something you weren't supposed to see...yikes!

Fall is Coming - Cool Leaf with Eyes

Technically, Fall is here, but we REALLY know it has arrived now that the leaves are falling.  In an effort not to make this an "all-grumpy" day, I decided to share a photo of a cool leaf my son and I found outside the other day.  I promise, this was not doctored, this leaf really does have "eyes".  ~Celebrating Life's Everyday Accomplishments~

Grumpy Me - Pessimism - Be Nice

Well, this morning I woke up with a pounding headache after not enough sleep, so I am trying my best not to be grumpy.  I try and try to look at the good side of things, but it's just so hard because it is easier (and more fun, sometimes) to be a pessimist.  Although I do HATE that about myself (only a pessimist would say that).

I realized how selfish AND pessimistic I am when I recently saw a news headline regarding Obama pushing for paid maternity leave.  I SHOULD think "Oh good!  This is good for all humanity!"  But no.  Instead, without even reading the article, I can only think "Yeah, NOW they do it...after I already had my 3 kids."

Why is it such hard work to be happy?  I feel like I have to work at it.  All day long, it seems like things don't work in my favor, and of course I blow them out of proportion.  God forbid I drop something 3 times in 1 day - and it just means I have having the worst day of my life. 

Who are these people who are SUPER happy all the time, with a smile on their faces?  I admit, I am envious of those people.  All the while I am wondering if that is how they truly feel or are they covering something up?  I read one of those Facebook posts that said you should be nice to everyone you meet because they are most likely fighting a battle you know nothing about.  I think that is true.  Some worse than others, but no one has a REALLY carefree life, do they?

And if we can nice to strangers most of the time, why can't we be THAT nice to our own family members MOST of the time?  I don't believe the people who say they "never fight with their spouse".  Again, my pessimistic side is coming out...but I think the idea of never disagreeing with your significant other means you don't talk about things the way you should, and you must have bigger issues.  Stop avoiding conflict and voice your opinion.  My husband and I argue about things, but what really matters is HOW we argue - respectfully - and that we work together to come up with a resolution.  That makes us a great team.  No relationship is all flowers and rainbows all the time.

One time I heard someone say "I love you, but I don't always love the things you do."  I thought it was genius because it is so true.  Word to the wise - don't say it to your significant other.  I tried that once with all good intentions...to let him know I didn't agree with him but I still loved him.  I don't think he interpreted it that way.   Oops!

De-Cluttering Your Living Space

Now that Autumn is upon us, the cooler air is rolling in and as the house slowly closes down for the approaching winter season, I feel more and more cluttered in our indoor "sanctuary".

I decided months ago that I would have to de-clutter.  But what I didn't realize at the time and soon discovered later was that trying to tackle "1 room at a time" was too overwhelming.  Finally, I figured out that instead, I would have to do a more manageable load if I wanted it to actually get done...one BOX at a time.

As the kids take a nap (IF they take a nap), I have about an hour to sort through 1 box of stuff.  Usually it's a box of stuff we haven't accessed in a while, so I know there is stuff in there I can get rid of.

If you are going to get serious about de-cluttering, and take advantage of the situation and make a few $$ instead of just throwing things away, read the rest of this article on my other blog at the link attached.

Saving for Something - Selling Stuff You Dont Use