Goodwill

I feel like it's time to pay tribute. In Provo, I loved sneaking trips to the DI to buy shoes for Scotty and was rarely disappointed. I've known my entire life that the Ross closest to my parents' house is a new level of shopping mecca. I can almost always find a good deal on a kid or maternity essential at Kid to Kid. Since moving back down to AZ, I've found a new shopping haunt: Goodwill. Let it be stated that not all Goodwills are equal, but the one by my parents house (and conveniently close to where I pick up Eric from the bus) is well-organized, generally clean, and full of surprisingly nice treasures.

(front room rug in near perfect condition - $14)

(nicely framed print of Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, where I spent my 16th birthday)

(shower curtain for the hall bathroom)

I also love the color tag system they use. All donations are labeled when they arrive with the week of the year they arrive and tagged with the color for that week. After a few weeks, things of that color that are still out on the floor are half price. The best finds usually don't last long enough to go on sale, but there are always things in each section that are 50% off. If they make it to Thursday of their 50% off week, they get sold for $1. It's brilliant, I tell you! Also, every time you donate something you receive a coupon for 20% off a purchase of $10 or more (sale stuff not included) so any of my "big buys" cost me even less...

(Scotty's bookshelf, which only needed to be cleaned and not repainted)

(colorful drawers for more storage - $4)

I know some of you are weirded out by second hand clothes, and I can respect that. I find that the clothes here are in great condition and I always wash them before putting them on anyone. I haven't been brave enough to check out my own section, but so far I've had great luck with kids clothes and even found a great maternity skirt.

(I got two shirts, red Crocs, and this adorable dress for $8)


(Love that color tag--this dress was new with the tag and only cost me $1)

(this was a total impulse buy--normally I'm a girl on a mission to avoid coming home with bags of stuff, but I had just been thinking how nice it would be to have something that tied the sage green bedding we already had to the purple walls we just painted...and then I found this. Much cheaper than making a quilt myself!)

And yes, that's a hint of purple wall behind the changing table...pictures to come soon, I promise.

(I posted the same pic yesterday but it's all I've got--this skirt is actually Motherhood Maternity brand and should last me all summer. Glad I only had to pay $6 though...)

Anyone else have a favorite place to shop for great deals? Anyone local want to join me on my Goodwill adventures? I'm always up for bargain shopping...