Ahhhhh, Spring!

(Apologies in advance to any readers still suffering through cold weather!)

Oh, I love this time of year! I love Spring and Fall becaue of the glorious weather. I love being able to fling open all the doors of my house and let some of the outside in. Not only because I’m ThriftyChik and shamelessly adore the savings, but I hate ‘tinned air’. I hate the horrible recycled smell and feel of heated / cooled rooms.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m from the South. I derive an almost sexual pleasure from that most marvellous of innovations: air conditioning. Stepping from the thick, humid heat of our summers into the crisp cool of air conditioning is sublime. When I bought my first (and only) brand new automobile, the salesman open his mouth to regurgitate the myriad of features available and I cut him off with four words:

“Does it have air?”

I also am deeply appreciative of cetral heat, although I confess to preferring wood heat. Heat from a wood stove feels ‘warmer’ to me. I know that sounds odd but it’s probably psychological. Either that or all that cutting, hauling, splitting and stacking that is required makes you more appreciative.

But I do love the brief seasons that don’t require any artificial environment. I like that my children can literally run in and out of the house at will, that they’re getting some sun (and more than a wee bit of dirt), and that the insects and poison ivy are yet to appear in force.

I’m flabbergasted at the number of folks (particualrly the modern PC, SUV driving suburbanite) who never open their homes to the outside air. They transition from heat to air and back. Home, car, work, car, home. They’ve never rolled down the window of their Lexus except at the ATM. On a blindingly gorgeous summer day they phlegmatically shovel their laundry into a clothes dryer (along with a sheet guarenteed to make their clothes ‘smell like they were dried in the sunshine!’ They don’t. They smell as if accidentally dropped one of those car deodorizers in your machine) .

It must be like living in an underground bunker or a cold and sterile laboratory. Then, of course, these types periodically do a clean sweep of the online camping stores and – girded with massive amounts of gear – set out for expensive holidays to experience ‘the out-of-doors”

Oh, well. At least there’s the trickle-down effect. The more crap a suburbanite collects the more chance of that golden opportunity – coaxed into being by a two car garage with no room for cars and the brilliant spring weather: the yard sale.

Yard sales are advantageous to me for two reasons. They’re beneficial in and of themselves, and what (usually) happens to the items that are not sold? They’re donated to thrift stores.

And I’m the Thrift Store Queen (well, maybe the thrift store princess until my Mum kicks it).

When I found out I was pregnant with my first late in 2001, I began to systematically hit the thrift stores (and to a lesser degree yard sales and flea markets). I watched for anything baby related that I could use. I decided what my preferred brands were and what I needed and kept my eyes open. If I found an outstanding deal, I purchased the item anyway – I could always re-donate it if it turned out to be unsuitable or I found a newer/nicer one.

By doing this I have amassed everything I will ever need for all of my children for less money than most folks pay for a crib. I have 2 well-made wooden cribs and one portable one, a toddler bed, a swing, 2 exersaucers, 2 bouncy seats, 2 double strollers, a johnny jump up, 2 snugglis, and more name-brand clothing than my children could ever wear.

I have not paid more than $1 for any item of clothing, $5 for any of the small baby gear, and $15 for either crib.

So, obviously. I’m a huge fan of yard sales. I can’t help but smile when I pass though a posh neighbourhood dotted with yard sales. I sometimes even stop, just for entertainment puposes. One incident in particualr leaps to mind. The woman who tried to sell me a several-year-old carseat* for $80 because: “I paid almost $200 for it but hardly used it because it didn’t match the upholstry in my new car”.

Well, who’s the idiot here?

So the season makes me blissfull for many reasons and I urge you to share in the feeling. Go throw open your front door! Sweep off your porch! Drag a chair out there and just sit, just enjoy the weather. Do some spring cleaning this week-end, gather up all that stuff you’re not using, have a yard sale, why doncha?

I’ll be by about 9 or so.


* Note: I never ever buy two things used: Car seats and matresses. Both of these items should always be purchased new for safety/health reasons .