Money Saving Tip: Just Between Friends

We went to a fish fry at my in laws on Sunday. It was fun and delicious! :) I'm not a fish eater and luckily others feel the same way so there was more than just fish there. I was talking to everyone about my search for a cozy coupe (you know one of those red and yellow Flintstones type cars?!) and that's when my husband's aunt told me about a baby/kid extra large "garage sale" type thing they have just a couple times a year but she couldn't recall the name of it.

So the coincidence is that the very next day she saw it as a special story on the news! The sale was this week at the nearby convention center. It's called Just Between Friends (JBF) Sale and it occurs twice a year (spring and fall). When searching through their website I found out that there a ton of cities that have these sales! If you aren't near me in St Charles, MO then you can checkout their website to see if there is a franchise near you. And everyone else should just go sign-up for the newsletter so you don't miss the next one. Here's the gist of what I found at the sale:

Lego tray table and a bag full of Legos: $20
Race cars (about 8-10): $2
Race car track: $2
A HUGE stuffed Elephant in excellent condition: $5
A shopping cart cover (barely used, in the box): $7
Pull along dinosaur (cutest thing I have ever seen): $8
2 silicone Baby Bjorn bibs with the "tray": $7
Travel booster seat: $3 (WHAT?! Yeah crazy)
2 Kiddopotamus Swaddle Mes (for my friend who is pregnant): $6
Tool set: $8
And clothes wise I found...
1 Pair of Jeans, 1 button up, 1 sweater vest, 6 PJs, 1 swim shirt, 4 summer rompers, 2 polo onesies and something else that I am missing for about $35!

They are having a little contest for those that take pictures of their little ones with the JBF items they purchased and post it to their Facebook page so we put a little message together with the Legos, cars, and tools that we got. :)

There was a ton more that I wanted to get but I needed to restrain myself a little for budget sake! But this is my new favorite thing because I don't have to spend a fortune on toys AND I don't have to be frustrated when my son or other kiddos ruin them. It's kind of like our fridge. We bought it with a small dent in the handle (we got a screaming deal) and now when we ding it accidentally I kind of don't care... it already has one so oh well. Haha. Anyhow, JBF also has consignment so you can sell your stuff! In my terms it's selling to pay for the stuff I will buy at the sale but it's nice because I will basically only ever spend the original investment and then simply use the money earned from consignment to buy the next set of toys/clothes. Sounds perfect to me and our budget is loving it too.

I hope this tip helps you out! Have you visited a JBF sale before? Did you find any great deals?

<- Kassy ->

DIY: Bathroom Organization

This past weekend I visited my sister in Des Moines and we had a great time! It was a great sister weekend (minus one but she's enjoying Spain so she's not really missing out). On Friday night we went to a fun restaurant called Zombie Burger. It was awesome! The burgers and shakes were to die for (see what I did there? Zombies... to die for... ok yeah... I'm corny)! I tried the Dawn of the Dead burger with bacon egg and cheese on a burger and bun. Oooooh so delicious. And then after we dinner we each got a shake - wow. I ordered the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Shake which was vanilla ice cream, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and rum chata... whew, perfect. My sister ordered the Zombie Bride Cake Shake and that was also scrumptious. It was made with vanilla ice cream, yellow cake mix and cake vodka. Can you imagine just slurping cake batter? Because that's what it tasted like! I can't wait to try these at home AND maybe in a less fattening way?! Anyhow, to say the least I am a little jealous we don't have a Zombie Burger here in St Louis.

The good thing about me going out of town is that my wonderful husband finished a couple projects for me! I feel like we are finally getting to a point where our home is feeling less builder grade and a little more comfortable. Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference! So what did my hubby do, you ask? Well, first he added shelving to our master closet. I needed this bad because my clothes were so jam packed, even after I donated a large amount.

Additionally, he hung a crate that I stained to store rolled towels. I purchased the unfinished crate at JoAnn's. I used a 50% off one item coupon so the crate was only $6! I used leftover stain to stain that crate and a few other items I plan to use for other projects (the list is never ending). The stain I use for these quick little projects is a poly stain which is a stain with a poly finish all in one. It is quick AND easy when completing these projects. Just a side note that it will get on your hands and will be sticky but within a day it will wash off. It turned out pretty nice I think! I am planning on also adding a smaller crate, also stained, below it for smaller cloths and/or toilet paper.

My husband also installed small pieces of PVC under my sink in the bathroom. I am using those pieces to hold my hair dryer and straightener. He also put an outlet under the sink as well. Basically, I can keep them plugged in and when I need them I open the door, use them, and then put them back. :)  It's handy for me but I convinced my husband also loves it because he hates when my hair dryer and/or straightener are left out on the sink counter.

 Love these organization projects! Makes me feel so much less stressed when things are easy and in order. What about you? Any Spring Cleaning/Organization happening in your home?

<- Kassy ->