Time Travel Trash Thursday - Resolutions

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and it's got me thinking about New Years Resolutions. Lot's and lot's of people make them. Some people say they don't. Whether that is to let themselves off the hook, give themselves a break, or just to relieve stress I don't know. I am one of the former type of person. I like to start out the year with some goals. Whether they are attainable, realistic, or otherwise is as they say "where the rubber meets the road".

This year I'm trying to keep my goals attainable. I'm starting a new program, and hopefully I'll be blogging about some successes. Till then, I'm just encouraging you to set some goals. New beginnings are good. They are scary. And most of the time we don't want them. However life involves change whether we accept it or not.

As for the Time Travel Trash Thursday - resolutions of the past I am throwing out and putting some new goals on my clipboard.

I hope this New Year is filled with exciting changes for you and for me and that we endure the changes with excitement, and graceful growth. I hope for good things to happen.

Ebay Printing Labels

I have come to use mostly Priority mail when I sell clothing on eBay. First, because most items I sell fit in the Priority Mail envelopes which are flat rate of $4.90 at a post office or postal center (which is what I use because its a gas station near my house, closer than any post office and since its run by the gas station employees it's open 24 hrs).
Second, my customers seem genuinely surprised at how fast their items come (I think to myself - yeah be happy, but you ARE paying for it). I do charge them $6 for priority shipping to cover MY handling ( i.e. ink, fees, travel, whatever).

Recently, after years of being stubborn, I decided to use eBay's printing label system. And I was pleasantly surprised. For my flat rate envelopes its only $4.75 including tracking! Of course it is wear and tear on my own printer & ink, but it saves me tons of time! Instead of waiting in the huge line before Christmas, I'd just walk up to the front and put them on the side counter and say, already paid for! And it was all good! I'm so happy to have witched because I can know when a customer gets their item without having to pay the extra cost.

Ramen Noodle

A friend of mine (who reads the blog but shall remain nameless due to immature content - LOL) has known me since I was about 11. Our houses were across from each others in a small town in Kansas. We sure had some great times together. We endured adolescence and really some of my earliest memories of a best friend were with her. Her family was like my second family. We'd lost touch for a lot of years and thanks to the glory of Face book, we've recently reconnected. Actually I don't know how we would have otherwise. We still have lots of catching up to do, but her commenting on one of my posts about knowing my younger brother when he was 2 brought back a flood of memories. Some are silly, like the one which is the main reason for this post.

I remember coming home from church on Sundays and begging to eat at her house with her family because her dad would make Egg Drop Ramen. I thought it was the coolest. Now I think, How smart was he! Trying to healthy-up Ramen, if at all it is possible. In a similar attempt, I have created Zucchini Ramen. I grate a Zucchini into my hot pot of Ramen. My kids (6, 5 & 2 yrs old) LOVE it!!! Who knew? My 6yr old will hand me a zucchini and a package of Ramen and know I know what she wants. When I was younger I don't think my parents could have held me down and gotten me to eat Zucchini Ramen!

Time Travel Trash Thursday - Christmas

This year I actually gave a way a lot of Christmas decor things that I'd had too long and didn't appreciate anymore. It felt good to give to friends, family and strangers really from my donations to the thrift stores (even my 6 yr old daughter felt the spirit of Christmas and gave away all her Barbies because she was tired of them and thought there must be another little girl who'd appreciate them).

This one was from way back though. It's a Time Travel Trash Treasure! And since it's Christmas in two days, I thought it was perfect. It's such a tiny little thing and I have no recollection of where it came from or when it came to me. It's cute, but it's clutter and has got to leave my hands.

I hope everyone has a beautiful Christmas and receives all the joy and fulfillment that they need this season. Much love!

Rain, rain...

I love the rain! And living in Vegas, well we hardly get any! However someone dumped a bucket on the western half of the US (sorry I have no idea whats going on elsewhere) and it has rained for most of the past week!! I love it! Somehow it seems like nothing bad can happen in the rain.Yeah, I know that's not possibly true, given there are always more accidents around here when its raining. And it is sad that our neighbor's blow up Santa & snowman have drowned in the puddles. But to me its like the world is being washed clean and the only people out in the rain are good people. Nice right?! Plus, when it rains, it smells wonderful. I love to listen to it, I never bother with an umbrella, and I love splashing in puddles!

Delivering Christmas cookies tonight couldn't have been more blissful! I was hoping for a white Christmas, but well, here's to a wet one!!

Manic Monday

So, I feel as though there is just NOT enough time to do everything that needs to be done before Christmas!!! I know I am not the only one out there who is feeling the crunch. I think I' gonna need to do some serious list making to gather some sanity around here!!

Now that my kids are out of school for 2 weeks I do want to do some fun things with them not just the regular chores and staying at home. This week is busy because of Christmas and all there is to do leading up to the Big Day! But next week we will do some get out of the house things like the park, the museum, seeing friends.

So, I've got to ask - What's got you crazy busy?! (As if you had time to answer)

Whistle while you work! And sing your head off while you play! Have a great day!

Time Travel Trash Thursday - German things

I can hardly believe it, but Time has flown and a week has passed like a minute.

It is time again for another post about my trash from the past which is gradually deteriorating with no continued love. When you don't love something, or have no real attachment (or even sometimes negative feelings towards) it is time to get it outta your space (and face)!

Case in point:

This is a coin purse from Germany where I lived as a child. So German or So touristy? I've no idea. I just don't want it anymore. Bye-Bye.

This second item I pair with the first because it too hails from Germany. Smarties are like the German equivalent to m&m's. If I remember though, they have more chocolate (and a higher grade than our cheap American stuff) and a bit of a harder shell. They usually come in a tube similar to a mailing tube but palm size. This little palm-sized Lego-like box is probably about 20 years old. And my kiddos wanted to open it and share it. Yeah right.  Bye-Bye.

How do you update your wardrobe?

I don't shop for clothing for myself very often. I hear that from a lot of moms though. For me, it has to do with not liking what I see in the mirror when I'm trying on clothes, but that's another story. Another major reason is I usually have kids in tow, so unless I want to wrangle them in the dressing room, or buy & then return, it usually doesn't happen for me. 

Although, awhile back I added these to my wardrobe from Goodwill, where I shop most often nowadays for things to sell on eBay. I don't go there looking for things for myself, and usually don't buy for myself, but sometimes I get home and think, "Hey, that would fit me!"

I love the pattern on this button down cotton shirt with 3/4 length sleeves.

This cotton skirt was a bit of a surprise for me. I thought it loud at first but now I just love it. I can't remember prices on either of these, but I'm sure it wasn't much! And they are like new condition because I never buy anything less than that at Goodwill, because I want my customers to be happy, and I wouldn't be happy with lesser quality.

More recently I've found these items to add:

Pretty red cords (just right for my Christmas get-away next week to a cold & snowy place), Michael Kors cargo pants (Hello fashion!) and I love the summery Down East Basics Lemon skirt! Each of these lovelies only set me back $2.50. Can't get that great a deal anywhere else! I LOVE Goodwill, what else can I say?

So again I ask, how do you update your wardrobe? Ever thought of stepping into Goodwill? I find so many name brand items in there, its ridiculous. I often wonder, where do these all come from?! There must be some awfully generous people in this town. I love that you never know what you are going to find, and it just might be fabulous! 

Time Travel Trash Thursday - Troll Doll

I decided to start this weekly post to archive some of my trash so that I could part with it. My Time Travels will take s back in time with items that we hold onto for no other reason than to remind us of the past. I've decided it is time to let go of some of my trash.

Have you ever held onto an item that you don't particularly like, just because someone gave it to you? I have.

Have you ever held onto an item just because you spent money on it?  I have.

Have you ever held onto something just because it reminds you of good (or bad) times in the past? I have.

I finally decided to break the cycle and out an end to some of this madness. to help me with such a quest I have enlisted my camera (a very useful item) to help me document some items so that I can just go ahead and pass them on. Because after all a picture is worth a thousand words right? Well, sometimes less, in my opinion. Should you ever see something that YOU find value in, just email or post a comment and hopefully it will still be in my giveaway pile and I can pass it on to you. Please don't clutter up your home needlessly though.

Today's Time Travel Trash?
The Infamous Troll Doll

Isn't this baby cute? It's one of the mini's. I think it is probably 20+ years old. Crazy right? Guess that means it's sort of vintage. I may post her on eBay. Do I need to hold on to her any longer? No. My memories include being with friends in a basement where we played with them. That's all. Course I was only maybe 8 or 9 years old, or even younger. See ya later Troll! Of course my kids did think she was awfully cute with the naked bum, and insisted I document that as well.

Ode to the Digital Age & Losing teeth

It wasn't so long ago that I can remember taking pictures with film, finishing a roll and taking it in for developing. Then after a day or two wait you could pick them up, and surprise! You could see what you tried to take pictures of and which ones actually turned out. That was the norm and it was fun.

However, had the digital age not taken over our lives, I would have been able to nothing about the boogers in the corner of my daughters nose that I hadn't realized were there till I looked down in my preview screen and got grossed out by them (as you will too if you look too closely at the first happy picture). We wiped her nose and took another picture. Waa-laa!

Now, to the second line of thought rolling around in  my brain. This morning I found my little stash of baby teeth I have collected from my children's tooth fairy (a lovely little stuffed pillow given to me when I was young, to hold the tooth overnight until the "real" tooth fairy could come and pay out - after all she is in the business of necklace making and the best teeth get paid more for) and began to wonder to myself. Why do we (or maybe its just me, though I doubt it) hold on to those baby teeth? Is it to one day show our children how little they once were, after they've outgrown the tooth fairy and are wise to mom & dad? Or is it to remind us of how little they actually were, not just from a picture, but from a tangible piece of them? Maybe its both for me. Now I certainly don't plan to actually make a necklace of teeth, but I keep my babies teeth in my jewelry box, up on a high shelf, lest they discover them, because they are valuable to me. They are invariably a part of me as well, and all I sacrificed to bring those babies into this world, and how much I love them. To me they are priceless. I guess I am officially a mom, I keep invaluable things which I declare priceless just because they are from my children. So be it!

I've been busy getting ready

I've been kind of M.I.A. lately because I've been getting ready for a Craft Boutique a few friends and  are having this Saturday, Dec 4th, to get ready for Christmas. There will be lots of wonderful items, and you can enjoy free refreshments!. So, if you are town please make the time and come and see all that will be for Sale!!!

Thanksgiving

Well, Thanksgiving Day is over. Leftovers in fridges, Black Friday Shopping, Weekend Movies. What kinds of things do you include in your Thanksgiving Holidays?

While there are lots of deals to be had, the thrill of Black Friday shopping as never really caught on for me. We sure like a lot of rest, TV vegging and good food for sure! We watched a marathon of Man vs Food, Taylor Swift's Speak Now special, played some games, ate yummy food. The great thing is, even though we stayed home, the weekend is so not over! More vegging to come! Right now, my girls are having a grandma date, watching the new "Tangled", my son is out running errand with his dad. And me? Well, I love to veg at the computer.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and I hope you have a great weekend too!

A Day of Thanks

I love that there is a Day that we as a nation celebrate our Thanks. Not only of our great nation but of all our many blessings!

I have a few things I'd like to share my gratitude for:

1. My Savior, Jesus Christ. He is my perfect example. He has given me such blessings and love immeasurable.
2. My family - I have a young, cute, fun, sometimes exhausting family. I am so grateful for the small and big things I learn from being a mother and being a wife. Life ever slows down it seems, but I am extemely grateful for the blessings included in being a wfe and mother.
3. My extended family & friends - they are so good to us. There when we need them, there even when we don't think we do.
4. My body. My mind. My life.
5. To be an American. To live in this priviledged country with such blessings.

And the list can go on and on.............

Randomness of EBay selling

There are so many products being sold on eBay every second of every day. To me, that is an AMAZING thing. Who could have predicted it would expode into what it is today, so quickly? The person who created eBay is a Genius.

For me, selling on eBay is a fun hobby. As of yet, it hasn't netted a ton of money. Nothing to cough at but nothing to retire on if you get my drift. I really do enjoy it though. Sure, I waste time like nobody's business searching things, rechecking to see if somebody's bidding or even watching my listings. Though I'm sure my kids don't love it as much as I do, and have to endure too many trips to the post office, I think they have come to realize it's a part of life with mom.

It's also tons of fun for me to find the deals. I love it when I come across a brand that looks expensive and like it's gone under the wire and is super cheap. I love to shop endcaps at Target. I LOVE GOODWILL! It is my Garage Sale Extravaganza! My kids love Goodwill about as much as they love Ebay and trips to the post office. However every once in awhile they are pleased when I find something special for them and surprise them.

I've come to realize that while there are lots of companies that sell specific items, I relish in finding and selling a variety of items. More recently I've focused on clothing, but that's new for me and I'm still trying to find my groove in it. I thought it was fun though to go through my SOLD EBAY file and remember selling certain items over the past 6 years. So here are a few to show you what I mean. I'm not going to go into what I bought them for and what they sold for. It's just to show that you really can sell just about anything on eBay!! If you haven't tried it, you are missing out!



Sun Smart Inflatable Crab Flotation device



Winnie the Pooh costume



Artesania Riconada Persian Cat Collectible Figurine



Bjorn Wiinblad Nymolle Vintage danish pottery

Classic Winnie the Pooh Wall Border

Halloween Banners

NBC's The Office stationary

Fisher Price Snap N Style dolls

French Laundry Crushed Velvet Tunic

Owl Halloween costume for a dog

Safari/Jungle drawer pulls

Circo brand Sparkly shoes

AeroGrow Cherry Tomato seed kit

Fun Cinderella doll

Clifford toothbrushes

Hello Kitty lights

Olivia the Pig card game

Betty Boop notebooks

Bob the Builder Hackey Sack balls

Sock Monkey infant onesie

Children's Superman Sunglasses 

Collectible Winnie the pooh mini plates

Charlotte's Web Wendy's kids meal toys

Mary Kay Cadillac Business card holder



Girls Mulan Halloween or Dress up costume 



Plus size Notations sheer top

Infant Sheriff's costume

Left Behind series books -
I loved this series and see them so frequently at Goodwill that I started picking them up.
They sell really easily for me too!

Sesame Street Pony tail holders

Veggie Tales toothbrushes



My little boy has officially jumped on the Sesame Street train. OK, not literally (because I think there really is one) but he is head over heels in love with Elmo. I remember when my youngest brother (now 20) was two years old and loved Elmo. I think it was when they first introduced Elmo on sesame street (yeah Elmo has been a toddler for over 20 years) . My brother would run around with a little stuffed Elmo calling Mo-mo, Mo-mo! My little boy, is a copy of my younger brother, looks and all.

So. my point in that trip down memory lane is to let everyone who cares know about a sweet deal I came across the other day. Wasn't too hard actually, because Earth's Best emailed me the deal. Get on their mailing list and you too can hear about sweet deals!! They are giving away copies of  this awesome DVD about "Being Green". Fits my lifestyle!! Actually the DVD is pretty cute, my kids have talked me into it twice at the redbox.

All you have to do is go to Earth's Best's to print out the form, and with 3 UPC's from their products, and $1.49 for S&H you too ca be the owner of this DVD! Their website even has coupons. Now let me introduce you to MY favorite Earth's Best product:

You heard me right. MY favorite product. I buy these for me, but I do share them with my kids. They taste just like Ritz crackers, but they are not saturated with fats. Get it? A serving size is like 30 cracker, and they're so yummy! Plus, they're organic. I love them! So I will be heading out now to buy some with my coupons so that I can score my sweet Elmo deal for my little boy for Christmas. 



Neglected

Ah sweet neglected blog O' mine....
Sometimes life gets in the way
While I wish I could spend my hours on you
there are often others who rule my day.

Ah sweet neglected blog O' mine...
There is so much in my head to share
and time seems to speed on by
It seems too much for me to bear.

Ah sweet neglected blog O' mine...
and friends from near and far
I wish you all the best today
and hope for more time and peace tomorrow.

Isn't this the most shameful piece of procrastination?
Ah, well... From me to you ;)

Halloween Favorites from Blogland

Now that Halloween time is offically over (yeah its really 12:01am on Nov 1st and I'm still up), I'd like to post a list of my favorite ideas I've come across. Ones which I will file away for next year. Yeah, these would have been great for this year but I'm not dwelling on that much. Maybe looking forward to Thanksgiving I'll have some more ideas to post earlier so you could actually use them for this holiday and not next year.

Fun Decor Ideas:


Creepy Specimen Art from Tater tots and Jello. I was so going to make this for me and for my sister in law and Never did. See my brother is an Entomologist which is somebody obsessed by bugs and has thousands of his own creepy specimens. I thought this would be a cute idea for his wife to be able to display something a little less creepy for Halloween. Maybe next year Paige! Or better yet we could make them together, I've got all the stuff!



Nap Time Journal shared a tutorial for this FAB witch legs banner.



These candy corn pom poms from Martha Stewart are too sweet! They are a kit you can buy (and I'll be looking for on clearance you bet) or you can use her tutorial here to make your own!

I love these eye ball-y bracelets and pumps from Poca Cosas

Fun Kiddie games that would be fun for adults too!

Jeanetics HAlloween Bowling

Pop Goes the Pumpkin by Martha



Pin the Bowtie on Mr Bones from Parents.com



Fun treat Ideas:

Milano Cookie Ghosts by Blonde Designs



Frankenstein Pretzels from Cute as a Fox

As for Party foods, I love these!

Tentacle Pot Pies from Not Martha



Meaty fingers from Healthy Foods that I'm more than a little grossed out by. I'm not sure I could stomach these.



The most appealing Monster eyeballs from Bee in Our Bonnet