Carry on

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Soooo...

... Maybe the garage sale this Friday and Saturday wasn't such a great idea... Forecast... Rain, Rain, Rain, Cold, Rain, Rain, Cold......

Oh well! Guess I get to sleep in now! :)

Saturday, March 7, 2009

My love for finding good deals, shopping garage sales and buying and selling furniture on Craigslist is no secret. It's something I'm not ashamed of but rather proud of, especially when I come across a great find... I can't help but to think much of it can be attributed to Bigdaddy (see previous post) as he's one of most frugal spenders I know (unless it's paying for family dinners which he never hesitates). My mom and aunt are the same way... Guess it's in my blood.

Anyway, where am I going with this?? The junk in our garage is starting to pile up with all the updates we've done recently. One of the reasons we bought our house was because we thought it was a great deal and needed only minor cosmetic updates that we could handle that would in turn allow us to make some money off of it when we eventually sell. These minor cosmetic updates include: changing out all light fixtures, fans, door knobs, some doors, cabinet knobs, stripping wallpaper, painting here and there, basically changing out anything brass to brushed nickel... So far, we've made decent progress in the 8 months we've been here. Along the way, we've also updated our own furniture, both living room, bedroom, guest room and bath. So, with all that, we've accumulated some leftover junk in our garage.

Soooo, for the first time, we're having our own garage sale!! Never really had one of my own... Always helped my dad growing up at his many garage sales, but this will be a first for me and Chase. Hopefully, he'll still come by to help :) It's a good time of the year, decent weather, and we could use the space and any extra money others are willing to pay for the stuff we don't want. On Friday and Saturday next week, we're kicking it all out to the curb and clearing it out... Hopefully making room for Chase's Tahoe that will one day fit into the garage:) We'll see...

I ran it by Chase this morning, and he was game... Then as I was waiting on my sandwich today at Whichwich (love their sandwiches, but don't go when you're in a hurry), I came across this article on http://www.usatoday.com/.

So, that's what we're up to next weekend... Garage sale, here we come!

How to make some extra money by selling your extra stuff
By Jason Paul, USA TODAY

The economy's tanking, cash is tight at home, and there are seemingly few ways to quickly make a little extra money. But selling household goods — dare we say, junk — is a proven way, and spring cleaning can provide the perfect impetus.

Options abound, from hawking items at pawn shops (where business is booming) to selling items online to hosting the old standby, the garage sale.

Successful organization and marketing are key factors in maximizing what you can charge — and earn.

"The wintertime is a perfect time to perfect your nest and move out the things that you no longer need or want," says author and garage sale enthusiast Bruce Littlefield. "In this economy, we quickly realize our excesses and are willing to let go of them if we can make a few bucks in the process."

The few bucks add up: Garage sales are a $3 billion industry, says Littlefield, author of Garage Sale America.

Jack Waddick of Arlington Heights, Ill., says garage sales have their place, but the online marketplace dwarfs America's front yards as the best sales location. He works full time buying, selling and teaching others the ins and outs of eBay.

"If you look at the traffic on your driveway vs. your traffic on eBay, it's not even a comparison," he says.

Waddick started posting his junk in 2003 and was immediately hooked when his first item, a 1984-85 Chicago Bears Super Bowl highlight tape, sold for $47. Waddick started bids at $9.

With 86 million active users, eBay moved more than $48 billion worth of goods last year, it says. Craigslist, GetItDaisy.com and backpage.com are other popular online marketplaces.

The e-markets have advantages, but posting every book and pillow — one by one — online can have its drawbacks.

"It's a lot of work," says Jim Griffith, an eBay marketplace expert. "There is less work involved in doing a garage sale."

If the goal is to empty closets and bookshelves, your lawn may provide the best solution.

"For a garage sale, your mission is to end that sale by the end of the day. You don't want to pack it up again," says Pat Simpson, the home building and remodeling expert from HGTV's Before and After.

Tips for a successful garage sale:

•Signage is key. Make sure signs can be read by someone driving past. Littlefield suggests attracting people to a sale with colorful balloons or a vintage car. "You want large items to collect eyes," he says. Also, place an ad on craigslist and in your local newspaper.

•Have plenty of change. Five-dollar bills and singles are a must. If you can, grab some $2 bills — some shoppers will be so excited to receive one they may tell friends where they got it.

•Add a neighbor and his junk. The more stuff to look at, the more people you are likely to attract.

•Set up the sale as a real store. Hang up clothing and avoid clutter. If it looks like dirty clothes stuck in a hamper, "People aren't going to buy it," Littlefield says. Price everything, too — unmarked items in retail stores can cause frustration — something you don't want at your garage sale. Have an extension cord handy to test electrical items.

•Get a permit if required. California, Tennessee, Utah and South Carolina all have permit laws. Check on your state's requirements.

•Give your leftovers to charity. "You'll feel good about it and get a tax write-off," Littlefield says.

•Price fairly but competitively. Pricing at 20% to 30% higher than value will invite bargaining, which is good. Use humor — perhaps on signs — to invite bargaining.

•Use masking tape to price goods. This will help deter theft. During your sale, the sound of ripping tape should be a cue to check your inventory. Just make sure the tape doesn't damage items.

But if dealing with strangers in person and coping with potential weather problems sounds terrible, the online marketplaces may be a better option.

Different e-markets have different rules and formats, but here are some tips to keep in mind when selling items online:

•Do some research. In many cases, all of your competitors' information is easy to see. Take a look at how others price similar items. Use keywords in your postings that helped previous sellers. But also look for ways to set your ad and item apart — the goal is to drive traffic to your sale.

•Take a picture. A professional-looking photo in an ad will help sell the item. Use a cloth backdrop to make your item stand out.

•Be honest. "It's OK to sell things that are chipped and cracked, but you need to be honest," Waddick says. "Show an additional photo so people know what they are bidding on."

•Mention shipping/pickup arrangements. This varies by site. On eBay, for example, the seller is responsible for shipping items. You determine the shipping costs and arrangements in the listing.

Be competitive but fair. On craigslist.org, transactions can occur similarly. But if a transaction is local and will be done in person, safety and cost issues must be considered.

•Remember that feedback occurs. On sites such as eBay, after every sale, buyers and sellers have the opportunity to comment. Feedback will affect future sales, so be honest and treat your listing and buyers like a business.

•Consider fees and payment options. EBay charges a listing fee, listing upgrade fee, a commission fee and a final value fee. Though small, they can add up. For example, a shirt listed in an eBay auction for $12, with pictures and bold font, will cost you $5 in fees. Though the site is not affiliated with eBay, you can calculate your fees at ebcalc.com. PayPal and other payment options allow sellers and buyers to trade products for cash without revealing either party's financial information.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Cheer Up!

Saw this story and had to share... Makes me think of my grandfather, Bigdaddy, who will be 90 next summer and one of the most optimistic and cheerful persons I know... I look up to him and am so thankful to have him in my life:)

Optimists Tout Happiness as Key to Living Longer
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA-TV

FRISCO - Optimists are people who expect good things, which appears to be the right way to look at things when it comes to living longer.

Theresa Borders said she would call herself an optimist.

"If you're happy, it's kind of like a medicine," she said.

Borders said her mother was an optimist too, and she lived to be a healthy 94.

"You can have two people next to each other with the same illness, but the one who has the better attitude - for some reason - they just always think they're going to make it and they do," Borders said.

She isn't alone. Joanne Grubbs said optimism has helped keep her healthy throughout her 73 years.

"I'm basically an optimist," she said. "Probably on a scale of one to 10, I'm a seven-and-a-half or eight."

Grubbs claims she inherited that attitude from her parents, who are 86 and 90-years-old and also in good health.

"You're less stressed simply because you don't expect bad things," she said. "Where if you expect bad things, you would probably be more stressed in general."

After working with senior citizens for 12 years, Carolyn Strauss - a Plano recreation center supervisor - said she's seen proof that happy people live longer and stay healthier.

"You have a choice, I think, each day to decide which way you are going to go and how you are going to approach life that day," she said.

Judy Cordell said she stayed optimistic during her lengthy battle with breast cancer. She said the key to her coping was surrounding herself with positive people and seeing other patients who were worse off.

"If you just think beyond yourself and think about others, you will start to focus on the good things in life rather than the bad things that might be happening to you," she said.

E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Taco Town

One of my all-time favorite SNL skits...

The Grammy's are on tonight!! I will be watching!!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Well, once again... Another month has flown by...

This morning was truly amazing as I had some people come to my house and clean... I like a clean house, and we try our best to keep things picked up, but I'm not good at the deep cleaning stuff... Maybe it's just that I don't know exactly what I'm doing:) Anyway, three wonderful women came and worked fast and efficiently and had my house smelling so fresh and so clean in a matter of a few hours... Cleaning everything from the countertops, floors, lights, windows, blinds, pantry, fridge, microwave, tubs, toilets, beds, shelves, cabinets, underneath and around all furniture... you name it, they cleaned it... Chase and I did laundry, picked up around the yard and patio and went and had breakfast before he left for work. It was a fun morning.

Last weekend, Chase and I flew to Austin for a quick getaway on his weekend off. Adam picked us up Saturday morning and we went to Buda to the Cabela's and shopped for a bit. Basically, the whole trip consisted of good food, some shopping and good times. We hung out with some of Adam's friends on Saturday night in downtown Austin and had a fun night out. Sunday, we went to Hula Hut and headed back home in time to catch some of the Super Bowl. We flew standby on both flights and managed to be the last ones on both flights, barely making it in time... But we made it, and it made for a slight adrenaline rush running through the airports, getting through security and finding our ways to the last single seats left on the plane:)

On the calendar coming up... District starts this week with Rockwall at Rockwall, so that's exciting. Chase's cousin and crazy uncles are coming in from Illinois for the annual boar hunt in a couple of weeks. This is Chase's favorite week of the year every year, so I'm excited for him. I'll go down to Ennis the night all the guys get in to say hello... That night is always fun to see everybody and hear the stories from the year. They are a funny and rowdy group of guys... But before that is Valentine's day, then Izzie's 3rd birthday... Busy month!

Well that's about it for now... I'll share some pics with you from Austin and some recent ones of the pups... Hope you enjoy! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hula Hut on Lake Austin

Hula Hut

Capitol at Night

On the bus... Take 1

On the bus... Take 2

Love this place

Spider House... A funky outdoor coffee shop.

Chase, Adam and Cassie

The pups

Bear

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Goodbye Decemeber, Hello January!

As you can see (by my lack of posting), December was a crazy busy month. With the start of soccer, holiday parties, shopping, Chase's graduation, church, birthdays, etc... I completely forgot to post here! But, with the start of a new year, I plan on getting back into the routine.

With that said, I love the idea of a new, fresh start... I am looking foward to 2009. Maybe it's because of my birthday, but I have always had a thing for odd numbers. 9 is a fun number!

Anyway, I do make resolutions and looking back on ours from last year, we did pretty well in 2008. Some of the things we wrote down were to find new jobs, find a new church, Chase graduate, possibly buy a house and find Izzie a brother. We were able to check those things off, so that's a positive! This year, we wrote some things down, but they were a little less monumental, which is kinda nice! 2008 was a crazy, busy year... With my job change and buying our first house, the latter half of the year, I stayed slightly stressed :)

Some things we wrote down:

Have a date night- Chase's idea! (I have a good guy.)
Chase wants to find a career.
Travel more (Austin, Seattle, Nashville, Hawaii?!)
Take vitamins.

Just a few of them...

I came across some pics of our place before some of the painting and stuff we've done... Thought I'd share some of the updates with yall!The home was in great condition when we bought it; it just needed updates on the walls, fixtures, knobs, etc... We're not there yet completely, but we're making some headway!

Dining: BEFORE