Friday Finds

I'm so glad that school is back in session.  I feel like my life can normalize a little bit now. It has been hard to do blog stuff when we've been working through some medical stuff with 2 of the kids: including new braces, high BP medication, a previous undiagnosed congenital kidney defect, an angiogram/angioplasty, medication changes, a colonoscopy/upper endoscopy, ultrasound, HIDA scan and a couple CT scans on various body parts.  I feel like I've been a crazy woman running to this or that appointment and at times turning into the mean mother bear who wants answers about her cubs---NOW---and who wants them fixed and healthy. Fortunately for us at least one of the kids now has a plan in place and things are good.  Still working on the other one and have more appointments down the road.  I'd really like to find a solution for her...soon.

Anyway, I think one of the things that has helped keep me sane through this is my time being able to wander thru the aisles at the thrift store.  Yeah, I know, probably lame, but I like it.  And my kids usually don't want to go, so even better, I get to go by myself.

This is a partial list of some of the goodies I've found recently or earlier this summer.

• 2 yds. of very PINK swim fabric for $1.50.  Hello more baby swimsuits with ruffle bums!
• Porch swing for $30 that we hung on the swing set for all to enjoy this summer.
• Two Land's End swim skirts from the thrift store.  Both brand new (with the crotch lining protector still intact) in the style we love. Black one for $3 and turquoise one for daughter #1 for $3.75.  WooHoo!!
• Almost 10 yds. of 1 1/4 inch drawstring elastic for $1.87.  So happy about that one as I have a bunch of sweatshirt material for pants in the Fall for the kids....and me.
• Gorgeous navy and white swim fabric for under $3.
• Chicken wire and twig ball thingy that I want to use on a lamp somewhere for $2.24.  I actually got 2 of them on 2 different occasions.  Not exactly the same sizes, but close enough.

• Last week I found a Pampered Chef Apple/Peeler/Corer/Slicer for $4.50.  Retails new for $32.00! And it appears that it's never been used.  This find really makes me happy because my previous PC peeler is dead.  It is old and has served us really well.  The replacement peeler I bought elsewhere isn't as good.  So back to Pampered Chef we go.  Yeah!
• Sauce Master Food Strainer for $3.50 (minus 2 parts, but I can order them new for $10.)  This retails for $50 new.  I don't know that I "need" 2 of these, but seriously for this price it beats any replacement parts I may need to buy down the road.
• Just this morning I picked up another Kenmore sewing machine for $15.00.  It is super similar to this one that I got for free.  Same options, etc. though probably a slightly older model.  I think my friend Jenny is going to buy it from me as her machine is junk (really, it is) and she has the sewing bug.