It's time for many Seasonal Children's Consignment Sales. Consignment Sales are typically for one weekend only. They are a great place to shop for Fall/Winter clothing, find Halloween Costumes, get a head start on Christmas shopping, etc.
Starting this weekend, August 23, 2008 and continuing through mid-September, many seasonal consignment sales will take place. LocalKidFun.com has a list of consignment sales in the Fayette, Henry and Coweta County, GA on it's Consignment Page. You can also find the sales listed on LocalKidFun.com's Calendar Page.
If you have never shopped consignment, now may be the perfect time to try one out. We could all use a little extra cash in our pocket these days. Whether you're selling your items at the sale or buying clothes and toys for your kids at a fraction of their original cost, Seasonal Consignment Sales can help keep your wallet nice and thick. Kids grow out of their clothes and toys with the blink of an eye. Selling the clothes and toys that are clean and look almost unused is a great way to keep clutter out and make money for the new items your children will need. Most sales offer sellers and volunteers a preview shopping day. Often, the best items are sold in these preview days to other sellers who now need to replenish their growing child's wardrobe. Check each sale's website link or contact them to find out how to become a seller.
For shoppers, I found some great tips for consignment sale "newbies" at http://www.kidsconsignmentsales.com/sresources.htm. They give some clever ideas on how to best shop for clothes that will fit your child. This is important because sizes vary by brand and some clothing shrinks in the wash. They also recommend leaving children at home while you shop consigment. Great idea because these sales can get crowded and it is hard to keep an eye on wandering little ones while you shop. Many sales ask you to leave strollers at home.
One tip I would add is to make a list of what you need before you leave your house. These sales are often held in large venues and there are many items for sale. You can easily get overwhelmed and impulse shop. I learned that the hard way. I felt great one time leaving a sale because I found a bunch of adorable and inexpensive shirts for my child. The problem was, my child already had a lot of shirts in that size. The shirt drawer ended up being over-stuffed and I didn't have many pants, shorts, etc. that matched the shirts.
Good luck to all who will be selling and buying over the next few weekends. Happy bargain hunting! Oh, and when you are checking out please be sure to mention that you found out about the sale on LocalKidFun.com.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
"Imagination Movers" - New Show on Playhouse Disney
For the preschool group and their parents who may be looking for ways to entertain them now that the big kids are back in school, here is a little something. "Imagination Movers" will be premiering on Playhouse Disney at 10am/9am (central) on Saturday, Sept. 6th.
Kids are probably already familiar with the blue cover-all clad singing group from their videos that have been showing between shows on Playhouse Disney for a couple of years. The Imagination Mover's website explains the show will feature music performances, stories and skits. The skits and stories are designed to teach children problem solving skills. The band members will work hard to solve "idea emergencies" by brainstorming. They hope that brainstorming will become a part of your child's vocabulary. You can also download coloring pages and play online games at the For Kids section their site. The Playhouse Disney website also has "Imagination Movers" coloring pages and music videos. I personally liked the ones on Imagination Movers better.
If you want to hear a little bit about the background of Imagination Movers and about New Orleans where the show is being filmed, listen to the MommyCast podcast about their visit to the set of "Imagination Movers". Paige and Gretchen, hosts of MommyCast, tell how the band members of Imagination Movers felt there was a hole left in children's educational TV when Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo passed. They also talk about the bond between the band members and why the show is being taped in New Orleans. (To listen to the podcast, click on the MommyCast link. From there you can download it to your mp3 player or play it on your computer. You can also find all the MommyCast shows on iTunes. Look for show #319.)
Kids are probably already familiar with the blue cover-all clad singing group from their videos that have been showing between shows on Playhouse Disney for a couple of years. The Imagination Mover's website explains the show will feature music performances, stories and skits. The skits and stories are designed to teach children problem solving skills. The band members will work hard to solve "idea emergencies" by brainstorming. They hope that brainstorming will become a part of your child's vocabulary. You can also download coloring pages and play online games at the For Kids section their site. The Playhouse Disney website also has "Imagination Movers" coloring pages and music videos. I personally liked the ones on Imagination Movers better.
If you want to hear a little bit about the background of Imagination Movers and about New Orleans where the show is being filmed, listen to the MommyCast podcast about their visit to the set of "Imagination Movers". Paige and Gretchen, hosts of MommyCast, tell how the band members of Imagination Movers felt there was a hole left in children's educational TV when Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo passed. They also talk about the bond between the band members and why the show is being taped in New Orleans. (To listen to the podcast, click on the MommyCast link. From there you can download it to your mp3 player or play it on your computer. You can also find all the MommyCast shows on iTunes. Look for show #319.)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Back to School, Back to Work & Work from Home Tips.
For those of us who are lucky enough to have summers off, back to school also means back to work. Even if you are a full-time stay at home mom, back to school might mean volunteering at your child's school or working on some house projects you've been putting off all summer. I don't really have summers off from my home based business, LocalKidFun.com, but I did spend lots of time with the kids this summer so back to school means back to work for me too.
As much as I am looking forward to getting back to having more uninterrupted hours to work at home, I am also reminded that sometimes working from home can be lonely. Many people think working from home is a dream. It does have it's benefits, like being able to work in pajamas or in stinky work-out clothes, no commute, you can wash several loads of laundry while you work, etc. The main negative for me is the lack of human interaction. Even when I had a job where I talked to people all day on the phone, I missed having co-workers to chat with while getting coffee. You have no one patting you on the back and telling you what a great job you are doing. Many times you have to work twice as hard as people in the office just to prove that you are not slacking off at home.
If you think you would enjoy working alone and can be self-motivated, you still have to make sure that the actual work is right for you and your family situation. I once had a work from home job that wasn't a good fit because of the hours. In that job, I found my phone was ringing off the hook from people returning my calls while I was making dinner or helping the kids with homework. Spousal support was key in that situation, but eventually I ended up leaving that job for something that was less disruptive to my family.
While not every work from home job is a dream. I have learned several tips from my almost 7 years of working from home that may make it easier for you if you are considering that path. Please feel free to add more tips to the comments if you have them for the many people considering work from home situations.
Tip 1: Don't work near the kitchen. I actually just learned that one when I found out I gained a bunch of weight in the last year since I started LocalKidFun.com. Snacking is a big form of procrastination for me, so I need to put my work space as far away from the kitchen as possible. My husband works from our only home office so I have set up a desk in the corner of another room to keep myself away from the kitchen.
Tip 2: Know where you can find a reliable WiFi hotspot. My husband and I have both worked from our local library or a coffee shop when we just needed to get out of the house.
Tip 3: Set goals and write them down. It was easier to work from home when I had a boss or a team that made me accountable on those days where it's hard to be self motivated. Now that I don't have a boss to answer to, I hold myself accountable to my goals and give myself little rewards for reaching them. (Just don't make the rewards food related or you won't fit into your street clothes when you do leave the house.)
Tip 4: Make sure you have your own computer. I prefer my laptop, but a desktop is OK too. Just keep it away from the kids.
Tip 5: Keep a structured and reliable work schedule and communicate that schedule with family. If you do have to work outside of your normal work hours, make sure you're kids and family are aware of the change in advance so you won't get unexpected interruptions from them.
Good luck with back to school!
As much as I am looking forward to getting back to having more uninterrupted hours to work at home, I am also reminded that sometimes working from home can be lonely. Many people think working from home is a dream. It does have it's benefits, like being able to work in pajamas or in stinky work-out clothes, no commute, you can wash several loads of laundry while you work, etc. The main negative for me is the lack of human interaction. Even when I had a job where I talked to people all day on the phone, I missed having co-workers to chat with while getting coffee. You have no one patting you on the back and telling you what a great job you are doing. Many times you have to work twice as hard as people in the office just to prove that you are not slacking off at home.
If you think you would enjoy working alone and can be self-motivated, you still have to make sure that the actual work is right for you and your family situation. I once had a work from home job that wasn't a good fit because of the hours. In that job, I found my phone was ringing off the hook from people returning my calls while I was making dinner or helping the kids with homework. Spousal support was key in that situation, but eventually I ended up leaving that job for something that was less disruptive to my family.
While not every work from home job is a dream. I have learned several tips from my almost 7 years of working from home that may make it easier for you if you are considering that path. Please feel free to add more tips to the comments if you have them for the many people considering work from home situations.
Tip 1: Don't work near the kitchen. I actually just learned that one when I found out I gained a bunch of weight in the last year since I started LocalKidFun.com. Snacking is a big form of procrastination for me, so I need to put my work space as far away from the kitchen as possible. My husband works from our only home office so I have set up a desk in the corner of another room to keep myself away from the kitchen.
Tip 2: Know where you can find a reliable WiFi hotspot. My husband and I have both worked from our local library or a coffee shop when we just needed to get out of the house.
Tip 3: Set goals and write them down. It was easier to work from home when I had a boss or a team that made me accountable on those days where it's hard to be self motivated. Now that I don't have a boss to answer to, I hold myself accountable to my goals and give myself little rewards for reaching them. (Just don't make the rewards food related or you won't fit into your street clothes when you do leave the house.)
Tip 4: Make sure you have your own computer. I prefer my laptop, but a desktop is OK too. Just keep it away from the kids.
Tip 5: Keep a structured and reliable work schedule and communicate that schedule with family. If you do have to work outside of your normal work hours, make sure you're kids and family are aware of the change in advance so you won't get unexpected interruptions from them.
Good luck with back to school!
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