My first garage sale
Yesterday I started sorting stuff and deciding what to actually get rid of. I found it was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. How do I know what to keep and what to sell? What baby toys might I want to keep around for when nieces/nephews come to visit? What baby things might I want to keep for grand kids? (OK- I know this is a stretch in my season of life, but my girls play with things at my parents house that my mom kept from when I was a kid). I tend to over think everything in my life, so why should having a garage sale be any different?!?
I've started going through and putting price tags on my daughters' clothes. When I came across my favorite baby outfits, all kinds of memories came flooding back. I never realized the emotional attachment I had with some of these clothes and I found it hard to place a realistic price tag on them. Part of me wants to keep them. I never, never thought I'd be that way about clothes! (I mean what am I going to do with a 3-6 month outfit... Frame it? Keep it in a box in the basement? Put it on the dog?) I've always taken a lot of pictures so I can remember my kids growing up, but I never dreamed that I'd want to hang onto certain outfits.... there's the little red flowered jumper that my oldest wore when she was dedicated, and the beautiful black and pink dress my blonde wore to her uncles' weddings, or the cream and black dress that my brunette looked so good in, and the pink onesie that made my daughter's blue eyes sparkle.... so many memories of precious babies who have grown up before my eyes.
I don't think we plan on having any more kids, but parting with many of my baby items makes it feel so final. Getting rid of my baby bath tub, swing, and exersaucer- all of my baby items. Am I ready? Some times I look at my girls and wonder; what would my next baby look like? Would she have the dark features of my oldest, or be fair like my youngest? Would he be as funny as my youngest, or as caring as my oldest? Or would she be nothing like my older two? I love my kids so much and I simply adore seeing how much they love each other; how much love could be added by having another?
Most of the time, I feel like our family is complete. And I also know how hard baby life is. Neither of my kids have been good sleepers and I'm pretty much a mean spirited zombie when I have a newborn. And I really enjoy the stages my kids are in now, as they become more independent life gets easier. So yeah, I feel like my family is complete, but I think I'll always wonder.
But back to my garage sale... I still have so many questions. When do I start actually moving things onto tables in the garage? How much change do I really need? Do I dare bring the stuff back into my house that doesn't sell? And how do I keep my kids from trying to keep the billion stuffed animals that are headed for the free box?
I have fretted a time or two about which toys are going to make the cut for the grandchildren. I am choosing ones w/out batteries. I think I am going to have a sale early June, try to pay for a little of my pool pass. Where are you getting tables?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to borrow tables from all the in-laws. We'll see if that's enough. Since I've never had a sale, I have no idea what to expect or how many I'll need. I may be calling everyone I know the Friday before trying to find more :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad to know I'm not the only one who thinks about toys to save for grandkids!!