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Hello, Sweet friends! Rebecca here with today’s post. 🙂

I have a little confession… one of my favorite activities this time of year is going to yard sales!!  Not only are we finding great deals, it’s also time I get to spend with my BFF, my mom!  Usually once a week, my mom will look at the newspaper and on craigslist and see if there are any good sales. Over the years our needs have changed… when I was graduating college, we were looking for items for my apartment… and then when I moved in my first house, it was to find decor. At the time I was big into antique and eclectic decor. Then when kiddo was born… we were on the hunt for all that baby stuff that a kid “has to have”… haha. And now as we are looking at homeschooling, I’m on the hunt for items to use for our school.  My mom is always on the look out for those practical items like pots and pans that were made 40 years ago, when quality was better… or for decor items or a current need, like plant stands that she got the other day.

I know there are some of you that think I’m crazy… why would I want other people’s junk or old stuff?  Well… for me it’s the thrill of the hunt. Once a season we happen upon the mother of all sales… my mom has found real and brand new Coach purses for $20… or my favorite sale of all time that was in 2007.  Grandparents were over the moon for their first grandson and when nuts on buying clothes for him… and these clothes were top of the line from stores that would have to travel to someplace like Chicago to find!  Many still had tags on them and were for $1 or less!! I went back all three days of their sale for more clothes… My son, who was only 4 mo at the time had a whole closet full for the first 3 years of his life… he was one very well dressed kid. haha! Since then, first priority of the season is always clothes for kiddo… there is one sale that I’m on their emailing list and they let me know when their sale is going to be held (usually twice a year). This is one of the sales that I look forward to… and if I can’t make it… I send my mom and she is calling me describing the clothes and I say, “ya or nay.”

Kiddo is slowing warming up to our adventures… this is the first year that I have given him a 6 quarters at the beginning of our morning for him to get what he would like. I have been pretty impressed with how selective he is… usually he spends a quarter or two on a new book and then keeps the rest of them to “feed the pig” (aka his piggy bank) when we get back home. Plus he is learning about money values… that makes this homeschooling mama happy… 😉

So, what were my finds from this last week? It was a light week… not much in sales around here… but I did find:

• Four 3-D puzzles that had the US Capital Building, Empire State Building, a Castle, and a Cathedral for $2 each
• A three hook hanger to hold kiddo’s coats by the back entry for $1
• 3 shirts from Children’s Place for kiddo… 75 cent each
• 3 stamp rollers and 4 brand new stamp pads to be used for kiddo’s craft time… $3 for the bag
• 2 Willow Creek figurines I didn’t have… $2 each
• Brand new train table (which I finally decided we needed)… $50 and they delivered it!
• 40+ kids books, 3 homeschooling reference books, Cuisenaire rods set, 5 curriculum books… $60 for all

My hubby says he is okay with this, especially on the money being saved on kiddo’s clothes… but he asks weekly when he is handing over cash for me for the sales as to when we are going to be having our own sale. Yeah, yeah, yeah… I’ll get to it… maybe in the winter I’ll get ready for a sale… the same thing I’ve been saying for 8 years… hahaha

So, do any of you go yard sales, too?  What have been your greatest finds?