yeah, baby!

The yard sale was AWESOME!!!!!

Awesome because:

• My husband woke up early and put up our sign at the ends of our road and helped us get the tables out of the garage and got the kids up and dropped them off at Grandma's.
• My mom watched my two kids and my sister Sherrie's four all day long so we didn't have to deal with child care. Let it be said, she is awesome! That's four boys ages 8, 6, 4, and 3, and 2 two-year-old girls. If we had had to take care of them, the day would have been impossible. Thanks, Mom!!!!!! (one exclamation point for each child)
• My mother-in-law was over on Friday, and she was a huge help setting up the tables and getting all the stuff on the tables. We would have been setting up much later into the evening if it wasn't for her help. She also brought food to eat for lunch on yard sale day, which was very generous and thoughtful. Thanks, Mom! (and you were our best customer!)
• It was crazy busy! I mean it. I am not exaggerating-- at one point we were both totaling up orders and taking money, with a line of five or six people waiting to pay. And that went on for a while. At this point I probably need to explain that most of what we sold was our (mostly my sister's) huge stockpile of drugstore stuff after a year of couponing, rebates, CVS ECBs, and drugstore deals. We had hundred of items for sale including hair care, dental products, shaving products, cleaning products, dish soap, make-up, otc meds, and more. We got the stuff for free or very cheap and then sold it at a huge savings from the drugstore price. It was a hit. We used the empty lot next door as a parking lot and it was full!
• Even though we had the lot full of cars, some people still parked on the side of the road (I live on a road that doesn't have sidewalks) and a township police officer came and warned he would ticket anyone parked with their tires over the side of the white line. So in addition to trying to keep up with all our customers, I had to be the parking police and keep people from getting tickets, and keep them off the front of my neighbor's lawn, and direct them into the lot or our driveway. No one got a ticket, and I think my neighbors understand we were doing the best we could.
• We had tons of customers with just a free ad on craigslist, and 4 road side signs. It was nice to not spend any money on a newspaper ad.
• At one point we were running out of plastic bags, and a customer jokingly suggested if he would have known he would have brought some along. I told him if he went home and got some bags I would give him a free toothpaste. About a half-hour later he was back with bags, and got his free toothpaste!
• At the end of the day, a huge majority of our items sold, so there wasn't too much to have to pack up.
• Someone stole a phone case and wallet I had for sale, but when we figured out our totals, there was more money than what our books showed. After we split it up, I made up the value of the two items. (Can you believe people steal at a yard sale? I mean, really! We will have to hire security next year.)
• When we figured out our totals, I was blown away by the success the day was for both of us. Praise the LORD! It was way more than I was expecting, and made all the hard work worth it.
• We had the most beautiful weather one could want for a yard sale.

I am so thankful, so very grateful, to the Lord for what a blessing the day turned out to be. And like Adam said, in the daily, everyday life of motherhood, it was fun to have a little crazy excitement. Also, I don't get to spend that much time with my sister, and even though we were running around like crazy maniacs all day, it was fun to be running around like a crazy maniac with her:)

So what to do with my cash.....Hmmm...I know it is early, but I have a big project I'm working on that should be ready by Christmas, so I think that maybe this and this, or maybe this will be a great way to spend some of that hard-earned yard sale earnings. What do you think?