Our Spain Fund!

As you may know, Aly is saving for a trip to Spain with her class.  This trip couldn't come at a worse time with  Robert not working but we want to keep positive thoughts about it.  When our daughter approached us with this, a strong NO danced around in our head, but, not wanting to deflate our daughters joy, we decided to let her know how difficult coming up with that amount of money would be at this time.  It's her senior year and there are alot of expenses that will be occurring.

I also, believe that kids need to learn that if they want something bad enough, they need to be creative and think of ways to earn the money.  With that said, we told her that if she earned most of the money, we would cover the difference she wasn't able to make.  We also told her that she would have to do the work and stick to it.  Any spending she wanted to do would have to some from the fund.

Our next step was to figure out ways to make the money.  We told her that all the recycling money she could keep for her trip.  I also sell on Ebay and the money from that is for the house but the items I can't sell on Ebay would be donated to her for yard sales and she could keep that for her trip.  She is also looking for a job at present. 

Her trip is in April and we are hoping that we can get close to the $2100 needed for her to take this trip with her class.  It would be a great experience for her. 

I am creating a chart to keep you updated to her progress.  Wish her luck!!

Lazy Daze of Summer....

Aren't so lazy anymore!  I have a list of things that need to be done and am only 1/2 way through the list.  School starts for my homeschooler on August 15th this year.  That's 3 weeks ahead of time and 3 weeks I'm losing so that means hustle, hustle, hustle.

I wake up in the mornings wanting to just lay around and then when I finally open my eyes and can see clearly, I read my Bible.  When finished, I turn on the TV and think I'm gonna just watch a movie when all the to do's start running through my head.  I try to shrug it off telling myself, "It's summer, take it easy" then I remember that what doesn't get done now, will spill over to the school year and it'll just get more and more hectic and I'll kick myself for not getting it done now. 

I turn off the TV and proceed to the desk where my to do list sits...1/2 crossed off.  I look for the easiest project and although most are easy, they are not what I want to be doing.  I slowly move to the shower and try to get motivated.  By mid-day, I finally get around to getting my list taken care of.  By early evening I am in full swing and ready to conquer the world.  I get things crossed off and wonder why I coudn't get up early and do it first thing.

Tomorrow will be a better day.....maybe!

Whole Lotta Love!

 Did some yardwork at one of my aunt's house yesterday.  This is the house I practically grew up in.  It belonged to my grandmother and I probably spent more time there than I actually did at my own house.  When I was about 2 years old, we moved into a house around the corner from my grama's house.  It was behind the house right next door to hers.  Because my mom and I were always going to her house, my dad build a pathway with a gate going from our backyard to her backyard.  That way we didn't have to walk around the block.

I have many fantastic memories of being at her house.  Family get togethers with all my cousins, holidays, visits from out of state (out of country) relatives.  When I was 14, after my mom passed away, I think I spent every day at my gramas.  Just being around my aunts and grama was comforting to me.  After I grew up and had my own family, I wanted to give them that same comfort.  Grama's house was always so warm and welcoming.  Christmas Eve was an especially fun time.  Everyone got together at grama's house and Santa would come and visit every year.  It was a tradition that started in the early 1950's.

In 1999, my grama passed away and my aunt was now alone in the house.  Unfortunatley, as happens alot after a death or other major event, my aunt slowly fell into a sort of depression and just didn't know how to cope.  She stopped taking care of the house.  She no longer wanted visitors (in part because she was ashamed of the state of the house), Christmas Eve at gramas's stopped and although the tradition continues at my house, we all agree it's notquite the same.  Slowly grama's house fell into despair.  Attempts were made to help clean things up but no maintenance was done so over time, things would get out of control again.

Recently,  a letter from the city was sent out regarding the condition of the yard.  Many conversations were had among family about how to handle this and what to do but no action was taken.  On Friday, I saw my aunt and she mentioned the letter to me.  She seemed to not know what to do.  My husband Robert, offered to go over and begin the clean-up process in the yard and happened to call my cousin Larry who in turn offered to go help.  Another cousin caught wind of the situation and offered to go as well.  Larry talked to his brothers and sister and they decided to go help as well.  All this transpired from Friday to Saturday.

Yesterday, Sunday, they all showed up at my aunt's house at 8am.  I went to the store and bought waters and juices and went to deliver them about 8:30 and was immediatley filled with emotion when I drove up.  There were 13 adults and children, all working together to clean up the yard.  When I got out of the car, my aunt who lives in the house said she was happy to see all her family there.  I told her that everyone was there because they wanted to be.  No one made them go.  She kept saying she couldn't believe that they were there.  I had to tell her that everyone was there because they loved her and wanted to help her.  I also told her that now she just needed to accept that love.

We all worked very hard until 2pm.  We made much progress but didn't finish.  We felt good about what we were doing.  It was hard for all of us to see how the beautiful house we all grew up in, that was filled with so much joy and love, had now become such an eyesore with so much work needed.  There didn't seem to be life there anymore and it looked lonely.  By the time we left, it looked so much better and we could all envision what it would look like with attention and care.

My aunt has a hard time accepting help from anyone and that makes it hard for everyone who loves her to go and help her.  On the way to her house in the morning, I prayed that her house would be filled with love and respect, that there would be no resistance or anger.  I prayed that the spirit of God would be with us all while we took care of business and that the love we all have for each other would shine through and outweigh whatever negativity there would be.  My prayers were answered because what we experienced yesterday was incredible.  We all agreed that growing up, we didn't have much in terms of money.  We didn't live in big expensive houses, our parents didn't drive big expensive cars and we didn't have tons and tons of stuff.  We had the basics but we were rich in love.  We were brought up to love each other and help always.  I grew up watching my mom and my aunts helping my grama all the time in everything and anything she needed.  There was a strong bond between them and now we are teaching the same thing to our children.  When I saw the children working just as hard as the adults yesterday, it made me realize that we are passing that same love to our children and teaching them that family is the most important thing of all.

Remembering Luther

Everyone has their favorite musician or artist.  Perhaps because it reminds them of their younger days growing up, or their courtship with their special someone.  Maybe they just like the style of music.  That's how I feel about Luther Vandross. 

I love the music of Luther Vandross but I think that the moment I fell in love with his voice was in 1981 when he sang his version of Dionne Warwik's hit "A House Is Not A Home" at the NAACP Awards Show.  Oh my goodness!  I got goosebumps all over.  From then on, I bought every album (at the time we had albums) and later CD's.

I loved the fact that his music was fun!  He had such a distinctive voice.  There was no mistaking him when you heard it.   I could tell he loved what he did.  He came across as such a real person, not at all with that celebrity ego.  I was lucky enough to go to 2 of his concerts.  I will always remember those good times.  Every moment was filled with great music!  There isn't a song that he sang that I didn't like.

I watched as his weight yo-yo'd up and down.  I loved him at his heaviest and at his thinnest.  Through all the ups and downs of his weight, his voice remained strong.   I heard him on a talk show speak of  how his dad had died from diabetes and how he wanted to be healthier.   That was around 1986.  He was thin during that interview and over time, he gained and lost alot of weight many more times. 

In 2003, I heard the news that Luther Vandross had suffered a stroke.  I was sad but not surprised.  I didn't know however, how serious that stroke would turn out to be.  He was in a coma nearly 3 months and developed pneumonia and had to undergo a tracheotomy.  He came out of the coma in June and over the next couple years, there was really no major changes.   At the 2004 Grammy Awards he was given the Song of the Year award and  made a videotaped speech.  In it he said "Whenever I say goodbye it's never for long because I believe in the Power of Love."  I remember watching and thinking how sad that such a talented man with so much life ahead of him was stopped in his tracks.  How hard it must be to not be able to do what you love so much.  I hoped that he would one day be back in the studio recording new songs.

On July 1, 2005 however, I remember waking up to a typical Friday morning.  It was summer and everyone in the house was home on vacation.  I was cleaning and turned on the TV.  The news said Luther Vandross had died.  What?  It can't be?  Must be a mistake!  I ran to the computer and logged onto the internet to confirm.  It was true.  My favorite artist, Luther Ronzoni Vandross had died from complications from his stroke.  He was only 54 years old.  My heart was sad as if I had lost a member of my own family.  I cried feeling silly but not really caring.  My family knew how much I loved his music.  I went grocery shopping that day and wanted to go alone so I could play Luther in the car as loud as I wanted.  I took my time so I could just listen to his music.   Today, I will play Luther Vandross' music all day and remember the joy and love this man gave to me and all the rest of his fans.

Thank you Luther and Rest in Peace!

Garage Sale Tips

I have been doing EBAY for about 3 years now and when I started, I didn't know anything about anything.  Over time, however, I have learned and really enjoy doing what I do and sharing it with others.  I get joy out of seeing others make money from things they were going to throw out because they thought it was just junk.

Most of what I have learned is just by shopping myself at garage and estate sales.  I know what I am looking for and why and I listen to what others are looking for.  I see what estate sale companies charge for items and how people will pay the prices even though they might be marked too high for my purpose.  I also see garage sales where no one is buying because the prices are too high.  My motto is better to sell many things at lower prices than to sell a couple things at higher prices. 

When planning to clean out a garage, house or storage area, the first thing to do in order not to get so overwhelmed is to take one area at a time.  This could be a room at a time or a box at a time. Sometimes people look at the whole picture and this becomes overwhelming especially if there is an accumulation of stuff. 

If you are helping someone who needs to downsize or just clean up their belongings, the first thing to remember is that people form emotional attachments to their stuff and getting rid of things is extremely hard for them.  I tell people to take it slow and be patient. 

Make 3 groups:  Things to keep, things to get rid of, and things to throw away.  Starting with these 3 groups is easy as there are only those choices when starting out.  Don't worry if the keep pile seems too large.  We'll work on that later.

Remember, only a section at a time.  For example let's say you want to clean out the garage and there are years and years of accumulation.  Start by taking one side of the garage and start pulling a box, bag or container at a time.  Make the groups mentioned above.  Continue to make your way through the garage staying in a pattern until you are finished going through everything.  Many times people go back and forth from one area to another and back again never making any progress.  Once you are done going through everything, start working on your piles.  The trash pile can easily be thrown away and now you are down to 2 piles.  The pile to get rid of needs to be looked at carefully.  Any fine china, glass, vintage appliances, cookware and clothing should be put aside to check on EBAY.  Anything else like souvineer kitchenware, glassware, knick nacks etc., can be put aside for a yard sale pricing. 

Once you've gone though the "get rid of" pile, you may now have 3 piles.  1. Keep   2.  Yard Sale and 3.  EBAY.  Now you want to start pricing your Yard Sale items.  Get some prices stickers.  (these can be picked up at the Dollar Store).  Keep in mind when pricing that whatever price you put on an item, buyers will always want a cheaper price.  In order to be able to negotiate, think of the lowest price you are willing to take for an item and price up from there.  That leaves you room for hagglers.  Usually when pricing glassware I start at .75 to $1.00.  Pots and pans in decent condition with lids anywhere from $3-$5.  Appliances can go for $3-$5.  Remember to make sure any electrical items work.  Keep an extension cord handy so buyers can test items.  Try to keep like items together.  Clothes can be priced .50 to 1.00 and usually people like digging through clothes dumped on a tarp on the ground.  Nothing fancy.  Larger furniture and appliances should be placed in front and off to the side as this is what attracts customers.  Bikes is another hot item. 

The night before the sale, get all the items to sell and put in one area so in the morning, everything is in one place.  If possible and ensuring you'll have help the next morning, put things on the tables so all that needs to be done in the morning is to pull the table out to the driveway or yard.   This takes some of the morning rush away.  If you are putting signs up prior to your sale, this would be the time to do it.  Make sure there won't be any dampness overnight.  We've put up signs at night and in the morning, found they were all damp and curled up overnight which made them useless. 

Hopefully, once the money starts coming in, the desire to sell more will be so great that the pile of items to keep will get smaller as items will start to get pulled from there to put out for sale.  If not, don't worry.  Let some time pass and then re-visit this pile to see if with time, some of the items can be let go.  If there is a need for another yard sale, these items can be put out next time.  If no more yard sales are needed, take the unsold items and donate to your local thrift shop.

Make sure to get plenty of change prior to the sale.  People will want to buy $1 item and pay with a $20.  I usually get about $60 in change.  Have plenty of $1's and $5's and enough coins to make change throughout the day.  You don't want to miss sales because you can't give change.

The most important thing to any successful yard sale is advertising.  These are the best ways to advertise.

Craigslist is an excellent way to advertise.  Post your ad with some examples of items for sale.  Include address, directions, cross streets and time of sale.  Try to avoid words that are meant to attract but sometimes end up being putoffs like, Gigantic sale and Huge sale.  From experience, the sales that state these end up being duds with a few items.  With Craigslist, you need to post it a few days before the sale, repost the evening before the sale and again the morning of.  Alot of people map their routes a few days before the week-end to ensure they are making the most of their time.  You want to make sure your ad is seen over and over.

Signs:  Get large poster board and create signs.  Flourescent colored signs are fine as long and the writing is visible from a passing car.  Sometimes these signs are hard to read.  Make the signs clear with address and arrows.  Post at major intersections around your home and at entrance streets leading to your home.  Make sure you are posting in both directions to capture more people.  VERY IMPORTANT:  Take your signs down at the end of the sale. 

Email your family and friends to let them know you are having a sale.  Sometimes these are your best customers.  Maybe others have things to sell and would want to join in on your sale that day.

Most of all have fun!

Here are some of the pics from a recent yard sale.  My husband and cousins were having silly fun with some of the items for sale.  My aunt had some wigs to sell and they thought it would be fun to try them on.  Don't underestimate what folks will buy. 

801-823-2023

This is the number that came up on my Caller ID today, Sunday at 2:30 pm.  I looked it up on Google as it rang to see who it would be.  I realized it was a company doing surveys so I quickly answered it.  The caller asked for the adult in the house and stated she was from a company wanting to speak to me about issues in my area.  I told her I wasn't interested and asked her if she could please take my number off of her list and her reply before hanging up was "No".  I thought this was funny as I have never been told no before.  I tried calling back but I just get a busy signal. 

Just thought I'd share!

Couponing in So Cal

I watch the show (which is too extreme for me) and I know there are ways to save money on groceries with coupons but for the life of me, I can't seem to save alot.  I clip coupons every week (4 sets of coupons from neighbors and family) and keep them in a binder.  I find that if I can see them at a glance, I will use them more than keeping them in a file somewhere.  The ads come out on Tuesday and I look through the ads for sale items then try to match the coupons.  I usually find that even with the coupon, the price is not very low.  There are rare occasions where I will find an item at little to no cost but it's really rare.

Today I did run into Ralphs and Stater Brothers for the cereal deals.  Stater's had buy 5 mix and match Cheerios and General Mills cereals for $1.88 each.  I had a coupon for Lucky Charms buy 3 get $1.00 off so I did that and then I bought 2 Cheerios and used $1 off 2 coupon.  Total for 5 boxes of cereal was $7.40,  Not great but in this house we go through cereal fast and I figured it was better than full price.

At Ralphs, I bought 3 boxes of Frosted Flakes that were on sale for 1.99 each and used a $1 off 3 boxes so my total was $4.97 for 3 boxes.  Again not great but better than paying full price.  I don't know how these couponers get such great deals.  My theory is that the stores here in So Cal don't run such great deals as they do back East and the Midwest.  I know the stores here don't double coupons except for Ralphs but only up to a dollar.   

For now I will keep clipping and trying to learn new tricks to save, save, save!

My Elephant Card

I made this card for Neecy's teacher.  I heard she likes elephants and wanted to incorporate that onto her card.  I really liked how the colors came together.  I used cardstock in grey, black, white and red.  I also used the floral paper to put the strip down the middle.  On the black I stamped circles with versamark ink and embossed silver over it.  I punched out balloons and colored them red and stamped the Thank You sentiment.  My favorite was the elephant.  I didn't have a stamp so I found an elephant I liked, printed it out and used it as a template.  I colored with copics.  Enjoy!

Birthday Card

Here is a picture of a birthday card I did for Alyssa's friend.  Alyssa said she liked blue and purple so I tried to incorporate that into the card.  Hope you like it!

Graduation Card



Graduation Fron

Graduation Inside

Graduation time is here and there are a couple of graduation parties Aly was invited to.  This is one of the cards I made.  The school colors are red and black so I made a card that would incorporate those colors.  Nothing too fancy but I really liked how this came out.  I used black white cardstock for the card and glued red for the front background.  I then cut a piece of white cardstock and bordered it with the black.  I stamped CONGRATULATIONS on the front along with the CLASS OF and the DIPLOMA using Stampin Up's Tassle Time.  I used the stars from the set to stamp around the red.  The inside sentiment and the cap was also from this set.  Hope you like it!