Reduce, Reuse, Rewear: Back-to-School Thrifting

Alisyn — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:10:00 GMT

I am a lifelong, die hard thrift store shopper. I started in middle school with my grandma, and by high school I knew all the best places within a 30-mile radius to find ball gowns for $3 or $4 (I'd cut them off at the knee and wear them with black tights and a rainbow assortment of Doc Marten's. Hot.) I still thrift almost every weekend, and have picked up some great household items (pillows, frames, art, dishes), as well stylish and well-maintained clothes (vintage coats, designer purses, retro dresses, hats, shoes, you name it!) for myself and my girls.

Not only is thrifting a great way to shop green (by reducing consumption, reusing used goods, and re-wearing that which can be re-worn), it's a great way to ensure that your kids will not be wearing the same Gap jeans or Old Navy sweats as every other kid in their class. I once paid about $5 for an Oilily kid's dress that would've retailed for over $100 - and it was brand new! It was probably a few seasons old, but again, a great way to stand out in a crowd. Taking the kids back-to-school thrifting is a cheap and interesting way to kill an afternoon or two - you never know what you're going to find, but you can be sure you won't spend more than $20 or $30 on whatever random treasures and hidden gems you happen upon.

Thrift stores are beginning to catch on to their consumer appeal, and some, like this store in Tennessee, run specials on everything from housewares to computer monitors to school uniforms. Look around your town - you're bound to find at least one. And when you do, here's great guide to thrift store shopping to look over, before you go hog wild in the aisles. Happy thrifting!

Crafty: Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

Patti — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Have you ever said to yourself "You know, sidewalk chalk is just so inexpensive and easily found at any drug, discount, grocery or dollar store. If only there were a way to complicate things..."?

Yeah, me neither. I don't even remember the last time I actually bought sidewalk chalk, it seems to multiply at our house like mismatched socks and wire hangers. It shows up in Christmas stockings and in birthday party goody bags and by one means or another, we've acquired a giant bucket full of the stuff, despite the fact that my three-year-old has eaten quite a bit of it (she still does this!).

But now that I know I can feed my child sidewalk chalk that wasn't crafted in China by slave laborers, I'm somewhat intrigued. Thrifty Fun has a recipe for the stuff, involving plaster of paris and tempera paint, with the caveat that it's messy to make. Because what's more fun than kids covered in chalk after a vigorous coloring session, than kids covered in chalk ingredients before they've even gotten to the part where they get to color the front walk?

I just don't know. I want to be the kind of mom who makes her own sidewalk chalk, but I don't think I have it in me. I loved this crayon-making project, but that involved old broken crayons that would otherwise have just been left to melt under the bookshelves. This involves making something from scratch that is regularly featured in the Target dollar bins. I think I'm going to have to defer to convenience here.

(via Apartment Therapy: The Nursery)

Strollerderby : thrifty fun

Reduce, Reuse, Rewear: Back-to-School Thrifting

Crafty: Homemade Sidewalk Chalk