Early Out/Early In

It's July and feels like it...hot, steamy, and, did I mention hot?! This is why yard sales start early in the South. There were 3 sales listed at 6am and I finished my "shopping" by 8:30. Just before the temps really started to rise. Whew! I was glad to get back in the AC, sipping my hot coffee (insert shrug here).


The hunt began dismally. There were not many sales listed: only 10 on my list (found on Craigslist and the newspaper) and only a handful of pop-ups. After walking back to my car empty handed for most of the morning or driving past a pitiful blanket spread out on a lawn, I thought I had wasted my time and gas. Still I had 2 more on my list as I headed back towards home.


No, wait, I did get more books for Grandma's library at one early sale.I enjoy Mercer Mayer books and no child's library would be complete without Where The Wild Things Are. (RIP Maurice Sendak). But still, only 3 books to show for my efforts?!

Books: 50 cents each

On my way I spotted a pop-up (my term for unadvertised sale) and pulled around to check it out. There I found several items and they came home with me.

The boxes below contain pens advertising a prescription. Nice pens, I don't care about the allergy meds. Our youth group always can use pens and for $1 for all of these (25 in a pack), I thought it was a good deal. The new with tags baby towel goes in "Grandma's stash" for grandson Nate visits.

Baby bath towel: 50 cents. Two boxes of pens $1

The outfit below, new without tags complete with hat, mitts and booties from FAO Schwartz in the pouch with the tag, was 75 cents. Nate will be sporting that but not for long as it is a size 1 month.

No, the lamp is not for me! I really bought it thinking of Brenna, my daughter. She had bought a smaller version of this style for Nate's nursery in a lime green. Asking price was $3 and I said yes. It is medium in height and I think would look nice in a different color but it would go with the color of the other lamps in her living room.

The lopper was $5. I wasn't sure, and was trying to check to see if the blades weren't warped from cutting a limb too thick. So when the seller saw me trying to see their condition, he offered to demonstrate and snipped off a branch of his shrub! Nice cut! Sold! Then he showed me the handles extend as well. So I think I got a good deal.

Having purchased my bargains, I moved on to the last sale on my list. Here were 2 college students with piles of stuff in the carport. Thank goodness for shade because the temps were starting to heat up. I spotted the cooler immediately and hearing $3 price I said yes and started my pile. Steve and I had bought (gasp, yes, retail!) one identical to this in NY a couple of weeks ago and paid $24. But it kept our food cold all day in 90 degree plus in direct sunlight, with ice cubes still intact. It is a medium size, very handy.

Next I put the box fan in the "pile" for $2 taking her word that it worked. I have already delivered that to my brother's home and the guest room where I stay. I do like fans when I sleep. They had so much stuff there, a mix of nice and ho hum. Then I spotted an air mattress with a built in pump. Holding it up it looked like a full size. The pump was battery operated and of course when we tried to turn it on, nothing happened. We agreed on a price of $3 since the pump couldn't be proved to work and then if it did, was there a leak (?).

I would like to have a full size air mattress at the family summer home for extra guests.

I paid up and as I drove off, I heard a weird noise in the back. It was the pump to the mattress! So I know it works but I had to turn it off quickly before the mattress inflated in my car!

I hope to test it out first chance I get. Will keep you posted on the condition!

When I spoke to Brenna and described the lamp she was very interested and reminded me of the second shade I purchased last weekend. Remember, 2 identical shades for $1? So I tried the shade on this lamp and it looks great. It has a new home at Brenna's and I don't know yet if it will remain the same color or will be spray painted. But for $3.50 she has a lamp and shade.

I called it a day and though not too many treasures were found, there were enough to make me happy. I headed to Morehead City to spend the weekend with my brother Sonny taking my "new" fan and the cooler with dinner prep in it. Perfect size for my needs. I love when yard sale finds get used immediately! The fan really came in handy that night since the AC upstairs where I sleep wasn't functioning very well.

The next day we used the cooler on the boat to keep the hotdogs in the buns warm for our lunch. Trick I learned helping out working concessions. You cook the hotdogs, put them in the buns and then put them back in the bun bag, closing it up and keep in a cooler. The dogs stay nice and hot with the steam inside the bag. This cooler was a great size for 2 bags of hotdogs in the buns and that way we kept them hot and seperate from the cooler for cold drinks. Again, so satisfying using a $3 item!

Had a wonderful weekend with my brother Sonny and was able to go out on a boat both days I was there. JOY!!! Even better was spending time with my niece and nephew and their families out on the water and at my brother's home at dinner. Yes, the temps were hot but that ocean breeze wind kept us very comfortable and made me wish I could bring it home to Greenville. Not much wind blowing there!

Kelley and Hugh now 2 years old!

Jon and Lindsey and little Beau

Ok, maybe Beau isn't so little! hasn't he grown! Almost 7 months old.

What a great way to spend a weekend and end a week! I feel very blessed with my family and extended family. Will have to wait until next month to visit again.

Hope you all have a great week and maybe found some trash treasures of your own! Until next week.

Thrifty Christy

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