If you’re looking to make some quick cash, you can go though all your stuff, find the stuff you never use, and sell it. You could technically hold a garage sale, but that’s a whole other huge event. I mean, you just sorted your closets, save the garage sale for warmer days and try the following places for selling your gear…

Consignment shops: The key to making quick cash at a consignment store is to ask them how they pay. There are plenty of consignment shops, but not all pay right away, and not all pay in cash. Possible scenarios include the shop paying you in store credit, paying you when your items actually sell, or cutting you a check at the first of the month when their payroll runs. The best (for fast cash) are places that pay within one to two days of you giving them your stuff. Take in items that are in style and in good shape for the maximum payout.

Craigslist: I know folks who do make money on Craigslist, but you should follow some basic rules. Advertise details; i.e “10 pairs size 9 jeans - dark navy” vs. “JEANS”. Never meet a buyer in private - meet them in a public place and only accept cash.

Specialty shops: Record stores, CD exchange stores, video game shops, bookstores, and other specialty sellers will usually pay decent prices for items that are in good shape. Do not take a boxful of scratched vinyl in for example, they check this stuff.  Also if you trashed all your CD and hardcover book covers, you’re pretty much screwed. Resale shops get more money for covered items, and usually won’t accept uncovered books or discs.

Can you believe it’s that time of year again?  This weekend, it will be time to move our clocks ahead one hour. 

Before you grumble and complain, remember that this is good news.  Spring is on the way!  I don’t know about you, but I am ready for some nicer weather. 

Click here for more information about Daylight Savings Time.

image from discovery education

BOY

And he will be here July 29th.  I will be very interested to see when he actually arrives as both of my other two kids arrived on their due dates.

Karen wrote a post about the mom who had octuplets in California.  Let me be politically incorrect here… Be very careful how quickly you ask the government to step in and help those kids.  No matter what our opinion of these kids and their mom is, do you really want the government to step in and take them simply because there are too many in your opinion?  I am pregnant with my third child and have had many comments directed at me that I should have stopped with my perfect family: husband, wife, daughter, and son.

Who is to say that in a few years, if we let the government step in with this mom, then they can’t step in with my family and say that we have too many kids.  There might be a family with a bigger house, more money, better private health care, and more family support that can take better care of my kids than I can.  If you let them step in here, when there is technically no abuse present, then they will eventually take the right to dictate my life as well.

I agree that if this young lady can’t pay for her kids, then she shouldn’t have had so many on a voluntary basis.  However, who is to say that if you have more than 1 child in 5 years and you fall on hard times, that the government, instead of giving you money and food stamps, won’t just take your kids and put them in the system because the feel they can better take care of them than you can.  You guys are walking on a very fine tight rope here.  As long as those kids don’t have bruises, aren’t being verbally abused, and are eating well and being nourished properly, let her raise those kids in private.  You might not agree with her, but is her right to do so.

Some of you are already saying that I am off my rocker and the government will never go that far.  CAREFUL!  They already tell your doctor how, when, and to what extent they can treat you.  They have set ridiculous limits on treatments recently that have severely limited my scope of practice in the local cath lab.  My patients are suffering embarrassing accidents and strained bladders due to the new restrictions Medicare has placed on health care facilities.  They are nit picking and not taking care of the pillaging that is going on in the financial side of health care.  They should be much more concerned with fraud than my capability to ease the discomfort of my patients while using proven methods that have works for decades and are very appreciated by my patients.

I promise you, you do not want the government stepping in any further than they already have!  As a matter of fact, I would love to see them step back.  If I think a bank or store is not being run improperly, then I choose to not give them my money.  That is the way to get rid of the badly run businesses.  Don’t ask the government to do it.  They evidently can’t pay their own taxes and figure out who is legal and illegal and can’t remember their own addresses and can’t stay faithful to their own spouses.  Why in the world do you want them taking care of your family and health care and your taxes and your paycheck and your retirement etc…

My husband and I are proud to announce the newest addition to our family should arrive the end of July.  Turkey Butt has decided that it will be another girl.  If not, we might have an issue because, once here, the new baby will not be going back in!  HAHA!

Just thought I would share the news.  Merry Christmas to us!

We redid our kitchen 4 years ago and have had the cabinets from our old kitchen sitting in our garage ever since.  I finally got tired of them sitting there and put them on Craig’s List yesterday.  I got 10 emails in less than an hour and I now have a check in my hand!  I even got what I was asking for them.  They didn’t even haggle the price.  I posted the listing exactly 24 hours ago.  I am SO HAPPY! Now we can use the money to fix up our next project to sell.

Earlier this week, I told you of what my local consignment store said about the new CPSIA law enacted to keep our kids safe from lead.  Then I got another email.  So I thought I would let you know what they said.

Dear Valued Customer,

We received great news from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), clarifying the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act  that goes into effect on February 10, 2009.    From the statement -

“The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.”

“The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold.  However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content…  Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.”

We always have been and will continue to be committed to buying & selling product that meets the standards supplied to us by the CPSC.  To continue to ensure the safety of your children, we will not buy or sell items noted in the statement -

“recalled children’s products, children’s products that will contain lead such as children’s jewelry, painted wooden or metal toys, flimsily made toys that are easily breakable into small parts and dolls and stuffed toys that have buttons, eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened and could present a choking hazard for young children. ”

We are thrilled that we will be continuing to provide you with an outlet to buy quality, safe, gently used children’s merchandise.   We are also committed to providing to you an opportunity to get cash for children’s items you no longer need, and the ability to trade for items you do need.

We are committed to buying & selling product that meets these standards, and as we always have, we will continue to closely monitor CPSC recalls and advisories.

Ok, so the movie is filth and sexually charged dealing with premarital sex, abortion, smoking, disobeying your parents, and cheating in school.  But to a 3 year old, it simply has TONS of music to dance to and they are dressed funny.

I’m talking about the movie Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.  I have always loved that movie and didn’t really realize it until I was way older that it wasn’t exactly the most Christian, wholesome movie to watch.

I must say that I am extremely sorry for the Travolta’s family loss and have chosen to let them mourn in peace.

So I am sure that DH will be THRILLED to know that Turkey Butt and I are watching Grease for the first time in her tender, sweet life.  WE have danced and laughed and had such a great time and we have only had 2 songs.  She doesn’t realize we I am destroying her fragile existence but I think she will forgive me soon enough

UNBELIEVABLE MATH PROBLEM

Here is a math trick so unbelievable that it will stump you.
Personally I would like to know who came up with this and why that person is not running the country. 
Grab a calculator. (you won’t be able to do this one in your Head)

1. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the Area code…) 
2. Multiply by 80
3. Add 1
4. Multiply by 250
5. Add   to this   the last 4 digits of your phone number
6. Add   to this  the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
7. Subtract 250
8. Divide number by 2

Do you recognize the answer ??

Whew!  My life has been crazy lately.  As some of you may know, earlier this year we downsized and sold a ton of stuff.  We moved in an apartment about 2/3 smaller than our house so that we could work full-time in a ministry for at-risk youth.  Life there was extremely hard and although we weren’t looking for employment, God provided a new opportunity for us.  Off we have moved again and hopefully, this time we’ll stay a while.  

Our house still hasn’t sold, so we’re paying a house payment and a rental payment.  Eeek!  Last week, we lowered the price on our house.  The market is pretty bad right now but I can’t be stressed about it.  I just trust that everything is going to be ok.

My hubby started his new job today and he’s really excited.  I got Alligator girl enrolled in kindergarten and I also found out there is a need for substitute teachers.  Given my teaching background, I decided to check on that today and next week I’m going to orientation.  It would be nice if I could get a few substituting jobs so that I can help out with the bills.

We don’t have internet at our house yet, but I’m borrowing someone’s at the moment.  :)  I hope to get settled soon so that I can get back to blogging and also working on the surprise that Kelly and I have for you. 

I hope ya’lls (grin) lives aren’t as hectic.  Hopefully this week I can find my way out of the boxes and get some internet out here.

Let us know how you all are doing.