Frugal Finds and Great Stuff At The Goodwill

This weekend I went to the Goodwill Memorial Day sale. I got there early and the store was already packed with shoppers.

If you are familiar with the Goodwill's ticket pricing, then you know that price tags are marked with a color. On Monday all pink ticket items were on sale for 99 cents. All blue and red tickets were on sale for 40% off. With prices already low, no wonder everyone's cart was piled high.

I bought all the items in the picture above for less than $25, and saved $40! I also had a great time looking at everything, and spent the afternoon there.

These jeans were in great condition and originally $8 each. But they were pink ticket items, so they were just  99 cents! One pair was Eddie Bauer, a favorite up here in the Northwest.

I'm a label shopper and I love J. Crew, but they are an expensive brand. I got these great J. Crew capri's for only $2. I love them and I'll get a lot of wear out of them this summer.

This is a cute Ralph Lauren summer top that was originally $4.99, but it was a pink ticket item and so it was only 99 cents. I love Ralph Lauren, and it's always a favorite brand to look for while shopping at thrift stores. Some of my other purchases were from Anthropologie and The Gap.

These sandals are almost new, and at $3, I couldn't pass them up. I don't usually buy shoes here, but these were in such great shape that I did.

Love these 99 cent pink tickets! I even got some pajamas for that price that were almost like new. I love having lots of cozy jammies, so at this price I can buy quite a few.

I even picked up this pretty white flower vase. It was 40% off, so it only cost $1.80. I now love shopping in thrift stores, and it's fun to make it a challenge to find things I really like.
 
My daughters love thrift store shopping too, so it's a great weekend activity for us. And with garage sale season just around the corner, I can see I'm going to be busy.

Happy Hunting!

Gardens, Kids and Dogs

Over Memorial Day weekend we decide we would build a raised garden bed and plant lots of fruits and veggies. We had a blast doing it (I will be sharing my plan later this week) but I did not realize the complications of dogs and kids lol. My son wanted to use every tool he saw, I was hit in the head with the rake, he wanted to throw dirt at everyone and wanted to pick the leaves off of everything. He had fun hes just a wild boy when it comes to new things. He called everything apples that were plants. The dog is something I had not considered being a issue. She has never been a digger, well until this weekend. The first day we put down the first level of wood and dirt and planted a few things. The next morning we woke up to holes in the garden, plants eaten and the garden soil we purchased all over the lawn! Oh my was it nuts. Plus she even decide to go on a doggy adventure when she spotted the garage door open. We got her back since she stopped on the next street over to sniff a pile of trash. Its been crazy trying to keep track of my son, the dog and plant the garden. But we had so much fun and made lots of great memories. I look forward to sharing our frugal garden plans with everyone.

Fisher-Price Giggle Gang Review and Giveaway

 Fisher Price is one of those brands you know right when you hear the name that you are getting quality along with years of knowledge on what babies love. Recently we were sent a few of the Giggle Gang buddies to play with! There are six different Giggle Gang friends to choose from and they recently added Curly.

Ashley with Curly and Fuzzy :)

Here is some info about the Giggle Gang from their site-

Add some sunshine to baby’s day with giggly fun, cuddly softness and touchable textures, too! Each member of the Giggle Gang has a unique giggle—and it’s fun to giggle together! Requires 2 AA batteries.

Develop & Learn

Sight, sound & touch
• Bright colors & patterns, fun sounds & textures promote sensory skills

Giggly rewards
• Responds to baby’s squeeze or shake, teaching about cause & effect

You’ve got a friend
• Laughter is contagious—a silly friend fosters a sense of humor!

The age recommendation is 6 months and up but my baby is 5 months and is already playing with her Giggle Gang buddy. They are plush and soft. I thought that I might get annoyed about the continuations laughter but I wasn't, they are so sweet sounding that I actually enjoyed listening to each unique laugh. A very sweet toy for you sweet little one. Shop Fisher Price by Age, Category or Brand/Character!

 GIVEAWAY

Win Giggle Gang Buddy for your little one.

 

To Enter This Giveaway: (mandatory entry before extra entries)



Which Giggle Gang Buddy is your favorite?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

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#Win a Giggle Gang Buddy from @fishertoys at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 6/12

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts May 28, 2012 and ends on June 12, 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. I was provided the item reviewed in this post for free by the company or PR company that represents them. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Happy Memorial Day

 

 Happy Memorial Day! Sincere thanks to all who have served and all who are serving. 

We appreciate our military families. Thanks to our love ones who have served recently, we love you!!

Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary

Today, May 27th 2012,  marks the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco CA. The bridge is an icon of CA and know all over the world. I love seeing it when we got to visit San Fran. I have beautiful pictures of the bridge from Chrissy Beach. Foggy or sunny the bridge is beautiful.

There is a Anniversary Festival going on right now. If you live near by like we do here in Sacramento Valley there is still plenty of time to drive out there and enjoy the day.

Photo by http://goldengatebridge75.org

Highlights 

• Fireworks, 9:30–9:50 pm.  Spectacular grand finale showcasing the Bridge, Bay and surrounding national parklands. Optimum visibility along the waterfront from Fort Point to east Marina Green. The hills above Marina/Cow Hollow also provide stunning views. Soundtrack aired live on KFOG 104.5/97.7FM. (Note: Fireworks will not be televised and will not be visible from Fisherman’s Wharf/south down the Embarcadero. Weather permitting, fireworks will be visible from PIER 39.)
• International Orange Artists’ Exhibition at Fort Point, 10 am–7 pm.
• Crissy Field Stage highlighting dance, music and local bands, 11 am–11 pm.
• Road Trip through History featuring vintage cars and motorcycles from 1937 to the present. East Crissy Field, 11 am–5 pm.
• Crissy Field Center Future Fair with activities and demonstrations showcasing sustainability technologies and innovations in the pioneering spirit of the Bridge. East Beach, 11 am–7 pm.
• Vintage Maritime Display and Historic Watercraft Parade with classic boats spanning 75 years.  St. Francis Yacht Club, 11 am–3 pm.
• Marina Green Stage featuring dance and music organizations and local bands.  West Marina Green, 11 am–10 pm.
• Marina Green, Crissy Field and Golden Gate Bridge Plaza retail outlets offering Official 75th Anniversary merchandise.  Various waterfront locations, 10 am-7 pm.