100th POST (Maybe 101)

I have said it before and I will say it again- if you do not shop at garage sales and Goodwill you are insane!!! I frequent our Goodwill on a regular basis- Garage sale time is my favorite time of the year and I know when Target is marking 75% off- I am usually standing by the clerk. They know my name I know all of theirs. If I didn't show up for awhile I am very sure they would send someone to check on my well being. At garage sales, I am the person who gets there early and is waiting at your door. That is how I get the GREAT DEALS. When Ben announces in front of the church that his mom will find it at the goodwill, I am not embarrassed, I am proud. When I run into people"just dropping stuff off" at the goodwill, I make sure I tell them they should stay and shop- I am a regular. The following is a list of 100 deals I have gotten

1. This patio sectional(Sorry about the cushion mess, I do have 3 boys in this house with me.- I ordered it online for 340.00 and free shipping- not my best deal- but a steal in my eyes.

2. Pottery Barn Bedford desk collection- Goodwill 30.00. This is actually the only piece I have resold on Craigs List for 350.00.

3, Pottery Barn Jordan quilt Set new in package Paid 25.00

4. Blues Clues Chairs- I took these off a friends hands. These chairs are selling for 250.oo on Ebay- but I do not do ebay so we sit on them.

5. Pottery Barn wine Shelf-20.oo- Online for 69.00 each- I had been wanting these for a LONG time and Kevin said to me"Mary I have faith you will find them at a garage sale- he was right!)

6. Magnavox 19" LCD T.V- 20.00 I bought this without the cord thinking I would just go buy a cord at Best Buy- Well that's not how it works- I thought I would just return it to the Goodwill, but a week later they called to say the guy who donated the TV brought the cord. The fact that they knew I bought it AND they knew how to contact me disturbed Kevin greatly- but hey he has a great TV for the bedroom)

7. Fisher Price MP3 player Gabe LOVES

8. A whole set os Sausilto Pottery Barn dishes 20.00

9. EMU Boots 15.00

10. Another pair of Emu boots- different style 10.00

11. Black Uggs(new in box) 25.oo Hey- I like boots!!!!!!

12. Storage table

13. Plasma Car

14. Side tables for master bed set(Pottery barn)

15. Gears Set

16. 7 for Mankind jeans

17. Ellie Tahari jeans

18. Gold Sign jeans

19. Big Star Jeans

20. Joe's Jeans Yeah I like jeans too. All these jeans retail for close to 200.00 I never paid more than 10.00

21. Anthropologie Raincoat

22 & 23 J Crew Pea Coats One blue one black- A girl can never have too many!

24&25 LaCoste Polo shirts ( given to my sister)

26- Juicy Couture lounge wear(given to a friend- who said she would like to have it as long as Juicy was not written across the rear- I am with you!)

27- Land of Nod kids table and chairs

28- Ben's Game boy with a ton of games. He used to play with this at his shot clinic every Monday now it has taken a backseat to the new DSi for which I am very sure I will find games.

29. Legos- boxes and boxes and boxes of Legos

30-34- Columbia Coats for every member of the family

35. Gateway Flat monitor computer screen.

36. Pokemon Cards (we could end this list here if I counted those individually)

37. Bakugan- believe it or not I am already finding these treasures.

38. Screamin' Green Machine (Ben's only request last garage sale season- found at sale # 1- when I nearly shoved my neighbor Trish out on the sidewalk to claim it)

39. Littlest Pet shop and My Little Pony items galore(Ben says"these were of course for girl cousins")

40. Whole book collections(Boxcar Children, Magic Tree House. Garage sales are the perfect place to find these. Once my kids are done reading the book I will sell ours. Because of Ben's allergies I have to be very selective when it comes to books)

41. Quantum Leap Globe

42. Lego Train (Not available anymore- could retire on what it gets on e bay)

43. Pottery barn library Shelf

44. Restoration Hardware curtain panels (New in package)

45. Pottery Barn Kasey stripes Crib Set- (used for Gabe- sold for triple what I paid)

46. Prada purse

47- Kate Spade Purse

48- Coach purses(authentic and readily available at the goodwill here)

49- Leather Ottoman

50. 2 Storage ottomans(This was my craziest deal as I almost (I said almost) dove into a dumpster for them- Did you know stores throw NEW things away????

51-100

Now I know this last half is kind of cheating- but any of you who have been in my basement know there is way more than 50 items down there and unless they were a gift full price was paid for NOTHING!!!!

Now for those of you who are think I am a CRAZY lady who buys too much. I am not a hoarder, I have no attachment to anything- I have two garage sales every year. I make A LOT of money at my sales- I know- we kept track last year of spending and what I made from the items- It was SHOCKING TO SEE!!! Last summer we were able to buy a new 42" TV with money from the first sale- something we view as a luxury. For me- I have decorated my home, clothed my family, and laughed all the way to the bank!. I do not have to shop at garage sales and Goodwill (I am sure Kevin would like that to be said. He has a GREAT job and provides for this family beyond measure!!!)But he happened to marry ME- who loves a deal and doesn't care what people think as long as my family is happy and well cared for.

Happy 100th post to me!!!!!- I think I will go celebrate at the GOODWILL