Open Your Eyes to Creative Solutions

Garage Sale Rule of Engagement 

#2: Open Your Eyes to Creative Solutions

This summer I have a new found fervor for accomplishing small projects around the house. Could it be due to the fact that my dear husband has finally finished school and I feel a thousand tons lighter on my feet? Indeed, I do believe so. 

One such project that has been on my list for far too long is finding a workable solution to the mass insanity I call a jewelry box.

For years now, I have been looking for an alternative to my current arrangement for all my earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Truly, I do not have many of the aforementioned items, but what I do have has been crying out for help.

From the outside, this four-tiered jewelry holder looks nice enough. The inside, however, is a different story. 

I bought it at a garage sale and was delighted that my bodily adornments would finally have a home. Up until that fine summer day years ago the top of my dresser was scattered with heaps of tiny metal, leather, ceramic and plastic jewels. It was a practice left over from my teenage years. A practice that drove my mother crazy. Now that I'm a mother myself, it was a practice that was starting to drive me crazy too. I won't even get started on how my husband felt about this practice. All I can say is I'm surprised I even have any jewelry left.

It didn't take long before the dreaded table mess transformed into the dreaded Box of Mangle and Frustration.

Earrings would be tangled up with one another.

Necklaces intertwined in tight knots.

And if I'm being completely honest with you, I barely have time to take a daily shower, let alone time enough to sit around and patiently detangle intertwined ropes and hooks. If I'm planning on adorning myself with jewels, it's got to be fast or it ain't happenin'.

I had been dreaming of a simple wire rack to hang nicely on my bedroom wall hoping to bring a semblance of organization to this mass pile of ornaments. I realize they sell things made for this purpose at most major retail outlets, but since I typically do not purchase things like this at normal stores, I sat around waiting for the jewelry rack of my dreams to magically appear. I waited. And I waited. It didn't appear. I couldn't find a single jewelry rack for sale at the garage sales and thrift stores I was frequenting.

Which brings me to Garage Sale Rule of Engagement #2: Open Your Eyes to Creative Solutions

With no suitable jewelry rack in sight, I readjusted my perspective on what I was looking for. Immediately, almost magically, I set my sights on this shabby chic iron wall hanging. It is a candle holder for tealights. The sticker on the back says PartyLite. It is the perfect jewelry rack for my bedroom.

Who knew that all this time I would find exactly what I was looking for in a PartyLite wall hanging? I was certainly surprised. And I couldn't be happier!

Garage Sale Season—It's On

Ahhhhh... the smell of spring.

In my house this only means one thing—Garage Sale Season is upon us.

It's been a long, cold winter my friends. I've been cooped up for far too long cleaning house and cooking exquisite five course meals for my family every night. Not really, but I do like to think of my one-pot dinners that way. A girl's allowed to dream, isn't she?

A couple weeks ago, I noticed a subtle movement—a rising in my spirit. I felt the call moving through my bloodstream touching my heart, soul and mind.

The love for garage sales is genetic, you know. Once it's burned into the cellular memory, it cannot easily be erased. For those of us who grew up garage sale-ing with mom and aunt and sis and cuz, it's the only proper thing to do on a beautiful Saturday morning in the summer.

So last week the garage sales began calling my name. And I answered, "Yes ma'am, I'll be right there."

There are always treasures to be had, but you have to know where to look. Stay-tuned: my garage sale-ing tips are coming in a future post.

In the two hours I spent digging deep into the well of passed along goods, I found quite a few items that bring joy to this little lady ~

Take for instance this insanely comfortable pair of Diesel jeans, just my size.

And this cool new pair of kicks. So sleek and fun.

Or how about this adorable pair of Seven jeans which will serve as my motivation to stop eating two full bowls of potato chips every night when the clock strikes 12.

And this brand new pair of sparkling bronze moon boots, tags still attached. Not exactly sure what I'll wear them with, but who cares, they're super fun. I'm sure I can find something.

But perhaps the best find of the morning was this little framed number. A vintage Susan Gantner 1978 offset lithograph of four hippos deep sea fishing.

Seeing this brought me back, waaaay back. I grew up with two of Susan Gantner's lithographs on the walls of every single bathroom I've ever called mine since the beginning of time. Well, not the beginning of true time, just my time.

Currently, these two lithographs have graced the walls of every single bathroom my children have called theirs since the beginning of time.

 

And now I have a third to complete the look. (Slightly different matte color, I know. But that can easily be remedied.) What a find!!!

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Dixie Chicks - Lullaby

My Return to Mindful Eating

Today my pants have officially begun cutting off my circulation. 

A snip-it of my conversation with myself yesterday.

Me: It's time.

Myself: Time for what?

Me: You know. You've been building up to this moment for five weeks now.

Myself: Let's see, five weeks. That was Thanksgiving time.

Me: Exactly. Ever since that bountiful day in November the consumption of all things rich and sweet and fat-ful have made a permanent place in our kitchen and our hearts.

Myself: Well, what's so wrong with that? Rich, sweet and fat-ful - that's the good stuff right there, girl.

Me: There is nothing particularly wrong with rich, sweet and fat-ful. But I'll admit, I am frightened every time I glance down in the general direction of my midsection. I'm having flashbacks.

Myself: To what?

Me: Those early days of pregnancy. You know, when that little belly is hanging out and making a cute baby bump. Looking down and seeing that everyday scares me.

Myself: What's so wrong with a baby bump? We love baby bumps!

Me: Indeed we do love baby bumps. We're doulas and childbirth educators after all. We LOVE baby bumps. Love, love, love 'em. But seeing one of those around my waist is not anything I plan to don again anytime soon. Excuse me, I meant to say ever again.

Myself: Oh yea, now I remember our slogan - "Three is enough for me."

Me: Right.

Myself: Right.

So I welcome back mindful eating once again.

Let us remember that I buy most of my clothes from the garage sales hosted by the sorority girls in town. In order to fit in my jeans from those skinny little girls I have several principles I follow as I embrace mindful eating.

But before I outline them here, I'd like to take a trip down memory lane to remind me, myself and I of my true nature.

Over the past five weeks, it was not uncommon for me to...

Devour an entire batch of Heavenly Burnt Sugar Almonds before they've even had a chance to cool.

Enjoy an entire package of fake Oreos before bedtime.

Take a break with half a bowl of Puppy Chow when the dough stirring got tough.

Polish off pounds upon pounds of rich dough and savory bacon without a worry in the world.

Enough said.

Eating like this works for me only for a time. But not without end.

Every good thing must come to an end. Similar to Christmas music. Too much of it and it looses it's effect.

Reserving all this goodness for certain special occasions makes it all that much more enjoyable when I do have it.

Too much of this stuff can be a bad thing. Sugar crashes. Zits. Fatigue. Saddlebags. Not to mention all of the explaining I have to do when my kids ask why they can't eat an entire package of Oreos like mommy does. It gets tiring my friends.

So here's what I know I need to do to remedy this overindulgent situation...

Cut Sugar. Entirely. No, not just reduce the sugar. Eliminate it. My cravings are so fierce that I can't have just a bit of sugar and call it a day. Let us remember that bag of Oreos. I must rid my body of the urge to consume mass amounts of sugar. Every time I do this I have three terrible days of sugar withdrawals. Shaking included. This subsides into two hard weeks of battling my mental cravings. And then I'm home free. In my book "sugar" includes all refined sugars and sweet treats, sugar substitutes, fruit, fruit juices, etc. I do, however, reintroduce small portions of whole fruit once I've detoxed and am feeling stable.

Always Protein. If food enters the body, I must pair it with protein. Chips and hummus. Rice cake and peanut butter. Salad and hard boiled eggs. This way I avoid the tendency to eat half a bag of chips and call it lunch. Or a bowl of air puffed rice and call it breakfast.

Speaking of chips for lunch... I say Adios Potato Chips. Arrivederci. Au Revoir. Tam Biet. These fried morsels of goodness are my true downfall. If I'm not careful, I have days where potato chips are half my calories. This does not lead to optimal functioning for me or the pocketbook.

Embrace the Water. Drink water, water and more water.

Fuel Frequently. Eat every two hours. This boosts the metabolism and keeps the body from entering starvation mode. Which in turn makes it so much easier to make healthful choices throughout the day.

Fanciful Fats. I love me some fat. Avocados. Olive oil. Almonds. Flax seeds. Walnuts. Salmon. Coconut oil. Bacon. Including healthy fats in the diet keep the body running smoothly, the mind sharp and the belly full. Of course bacon isn't a healthy fat, but every girl needs her some indulgences. My leading rule of thumb is not to skimp on the fats while I'm working to reduce my waistline. It's the thing that helps me get through. Thank goodness.


Cut it off. I can't put a lick of food in my mouth after 7pm or else I'm doomed. I have a very bad habit of eating half my food for the day in the nighttime hours. Once I start it's nearly impossible for me to stop. It is so easy to fuel myself after the kids are in bed and the chaos of the house has settled down. During the day it can be hard to get a moment to eat a decent meal. I'm running here and there, changing diapers, filling water cups, sopping up spilled milk. My gosh, a woman's work is never done. Even when I do get a chance to sit down and eat, some little person is usually sabotaging my plate and stealing half the food on it.

These eating guidelines helped me to lose my last 20 pounds of baby weight this summer. I had more energy, greater focus, and more vibrancy for life than I've ever had before.

While all of the holiday indulgences were delightful, I look forward to my return to mindful eating.

Anybody with me?

Mother of All Garage Sales

Normally I would have woken up at 6:30 this morning to be first in line for the mother of all garage sales... the local Moms Club consignment sale.

Ever since I was pregnant with my firstborn child I have made it a top priority to get this sale on the calendar months in advance. Make sure no one plans any out of town trips. Confirm Mr. Main's availability to take our three munchkins on a field trip, because Lord knows I need my undisturbed focus when I'm shopping the racks. I also must have both hands free, because Lord also knows that I've got to be flinging through those racks at lightening speed to cover all the items on my list.

My alarm is set to go off before the rooster crows. I pop out of bed, admittedly a bit groggy, too eager with anticipation to sleep soundly. Fix myself a cup of chai. Sneak quietly about my business as not to disturb the little ones from their slumber. It never works.

First Bubba wakes up and promptly needs a banana. Mimi hears the commotion and joins the party in The Little White Kitchen. And of course Dash can't stand to be the last one in bed so he stumbles his way into the predawn party as well.

Now what I can't understand is why this is all happening on the weekend, while during the school week I can't get this crew to fall out of bed even if there was an earthquake rumbling beneath them.

Anyhow, I proceed to slip out the front door before I can respond to the shouts of "Mommmmmm" coming from each of the four corners of the house. And I drive wistfully away into the sunrise.

I arrive at my destination fully prepared to endure the hour long wait when the doors will open to consignment sale heaven. In the meantime I stand like a lone soldier amongst the wild prairie grasses that are so gloriously golden this time of year.

If I'm lucky a horse will wander my direction and showcase it's magnificent beauty in the early morning light. I sip my chai and revel in the still and the quiet of this peaceful Saturday morning.

The serenity is broken the moment those doors open. It's a mad dash amongst the hundred or so ladies who've lined up to be the first inside today. Laundry baskets in hand, each knows where her priorities lie.

Girls 5T. Toddler shoes. Halloween costumes.

Being the first to your respective station means you get the pick of the litter. All the brands you love, for mere pennies. It's a joyous moment in a thrifty mom's life - putting together an entire season's closet with my favorite brands, all clean and neatly presented in a one stop shop.

And the best part about it is the price. For what I may have spent at Target on three items, I've outfitted all three of my offspring for the fall and winter. There's nothing better than that. Well, actually, I can think of quite a few things better than that. But anyhow, it's pretty great!

I woke up at 6:30 this fine Saturday morning. But this time, I hopped on my bike a went for an early morning ride with my girlfriend. Afterwards we sat in the backyard and drank chai and laughed. And then I moseyed my way on over to the sale, walked right in, and an hour later walked out with the loot. Perhaps my first-in-line practice has been unnecessary all these years?

Plan Thwarted

My plan has been so easy thwarted. Disappointing, but we will carry on. It all feel apart around noon yesterday.

Six kids sitting around the lunch table, Pops cooking up a big batch of pasta, and then the request. "Babe, can you run to the store and pick up a loaf of bread. I cannot eat this meal without bread." To which I replied, "Well honestly babe, if I continue buying loaves of bread that last us only one meal at $5.49 a piece, there is no hope for my budget reduction plan." But when a man wants bread on the rare occasion that he sits for lunch with his family, how could I deny his sweet request?

So yes, I did run out to the store to grab that oh-so fluffy gluten-free loaf, part discouraged that I made it less than a week before I gave in, but a little light on my toes that I was going to delight in the simple pleasures of perfectly crafted gluten-free bread with my meal.

On the bright side, my 6:30am departure for the Saturday morning Garage Sales was fruitful and fulfilling. I was back home by 8:30am with a few new threads perfectly suited for my wardrobe revolution. It's the little things that mean the most...

Ritual

Feeling good. And tired. Just wrapped up my Friday night ritual of searching for tomorrow morning's garage sales on Craigslist. This is actually where all of my thrifty ways start. I cannot bear to spend $70 on that cutie little summer dress when instead I can wake my tired ass up on a Saturday morning and get it just the same for $.50. Maybe a little worse for wear, but honestly, sometimes things are better when they are a bit worn in. You know what I mean?

When done the right way, I can find every good and useful thing for my family between the hours of 7-10am on any given Saturday morning. First things first, there will be a cup of coffee in hand. Then I'm free as a bird as I cruise along the open road in search of the master find of the weekend.

Last weekend it was the college girls who were selling everything to begin fresh after graduation. I scored the best dress of my life! Bright green and yellow with splashes of white, fit perfectly - I don't think I've ever gotten as many complements as I did later that evening. Here's to another successful morning... on the cheap.