Weekly Column: Outfitting Kids for School

Dress for Success: Outfitting Kids on a Budget

Although parents may not want to think about it, back to school is just around the corner. Putting off getting prepared, as in most things, might end up costing you extra money. The time to start watching for sales on clothing is now. But where to look?

Take Inventory

Go through your children’s closets. What do you need for shoes, boots and winter clothing? Do they need a few new things to spruce up their back-to-school wardrobe? Try to purchase a size up to account for sudden growth spurts. Make a list of what you are watching for and stick to your list.

Shop off-season

Just as your kids are busy wearing out their swim trunks, shorts and flip flops, stores are beginning to clear out their summer stock. Now is the time to watch for next year’s sizes at a reduced price. Yes, money is tight and you need to gear up for school. But you will be buying these things next year—don’t wait and pay full price if you can help it. Similarly, watch for winter boots and snow suits if you have no alternative but to purchase new. But remember, you must only buy what is needed.

Online, New and Used

There are great clearance deals to be found online. Factor in the cost of shipping, though, and consider if it is really saving you money. Could you support a locally owned business instead? If your budget is tight this year, use great discretion when shopping online. Wait a day before going through the virtual check out. You may find you are not as impulsive after a good night’s sleep.

Are you fortunate enough to be offered hand-me-down clothing for your kids? Have you shied away from accepting in the past? Look at it this way: most clothing is made in poor countries with dismal working conditions. But when you buy or accept used clothing you reduce the demand for more of it to be produced. You also delay that item being taken to a landfill. Sort through hand-me-downs; keep what you can use and either donate or give away what you can’t. If you have invested a bit more money in some items for your children, you might want to list them on kijiji or have a garage sale of your own to get some money back. Feel good that you are passing on some savings to another family while saving a bit for yourself.

Are your children fashion divas? This is an excellent opportunity to teach them about the value of money. If they insist on the brand name ball cap and shoes, let them see how much money there is per child for clothing this year. Allow them to help decide how that money will be allocated. Allow the child to perform extra chores and try to find a compromise between new and used that works for everyone.

Thrift stores, garage sales and second hand sites

For those not blessed with a large extended family or friends with older children, there are still many ways to save on kids’ clothes. Local thrifts stores like For the Interval Store, LABIS Second Chance Clothing and The Olive Branch all donate the proceeds of their sales to great local causes. You might need to keep checking back to find what you are looking for, but you are likely to save a bundle. The same can be said for cruising garage sales and online sites like kijiji or different Facebook groups.

How much is enough?

Having less money is stressful but it gives everyone a reason to examine their priorities. How much do we really need to be happy? How much, realistically, should we spend on clothes for our kids? If they are warm enough, clean, well fed and loved, are those brand name clothes going to make them better people?

Downsizing the budget for kids clothing doesn’t reflect on your parenting. Having a couple outfits for school and a set of play clothes to change into afterwards teaches kids routine, responsibility, and respect for their belongings. If kids learn to fold their once-worn clothing and put it away for tomorrow, parents might spend less time doing laundry—an added benefit. Is it really that radical to suggest that we buy our kids clothes only when they actually need something? Ask yourself this: would you rather your kids have designer name brand clothing now, or an education savings plan later? Is keeping name brand clothing on their backs threatening the roof over their heads? Having your children dressed stylishly in stain-free, good quality clothing can be done on a tight budget if are always watching for great deals. The more effort you put in, the more you will save.

A Lucky Find

Whenever I am in a thrift store I check for three things: real wooden furniture that I can paint or refinish, fabric (the more retro the better) and sealers. Recently I picked up a dozen quart jars (sealers) at the thrift store for $3. Compared to $12/dozen in the store it only makes sense. This morning I went to bring that box in from the garage and noticed one of the jars is a blue glass gem jar, made in Canada. 

Glass jars are hard to photograph. But I'm really happy with my morning's discovery. My new old jar now has a spot with some other favourites. 

Enjoy the day!

Bits and Bobs

I love thrifting. I wouldn't say that I am a shopper, most of the time, but I do love to find old treasures and bring them back to life. You can read more here, here and here.

On one of our trips to either the kids' specialist or my mom's eye doctor, I found a gem at the little thrift store in North Battleford, SK.

Old cupboard window: $10

It's been almost a year of checking other thrift stores, antique and collectible shops, hardware stores and the like, looking for the perfect hooks to complete what I have planned for the old cupboard door.

The other day I was able to use an old gift card to purchase the perfect hooks for the job.

I plan to space 3 hooks across the bottom of the old cupboard door, for hanging keys or hats. 

I think I will wait until Husband can help me drill the holes for the hooks and hanging the door, but I do believe this old $10 find would fetch me a good bit more if I sold it at next year's Christmas Craft Sale. I haven't decided yet, it will depend how it looks, but there is also a spot for it next to the front door if I decide to keep it.

Have you waited patiently to find just the right element to complete a project? Or do you use whatever is available to get the job done?

Company's Coming

We are having house guests in July. The first group: my friend's three sons (GULP!). The second: Husband's parents are coming from Newfoundland!

There is much to do.

In order to give three rambunctious boys some space and privacy, I want our basement as ready as possible before they get here. That space will also give the in-laws some privacy, so we might as well do as much as we can (for as cheap as possible) ASAP. Of course Husband is away working so I need to get busy while the weather is wet and I can't be outside. Here is a list to keep me motivated:

• doors for basement (bedroom, storage area, furnace room and bathroom)
• trim for around windows and doors, paint and install
• baseboards for entire basement, paint and install
• purchase a bed for basement bedroom (actually, a new bed for us. We will put the old one downstairs)
• return the too-small curtain rod and exchange for a new one
• hang curtains in basement bedroom, outfit the bed with sheets etc
• finish installing waterlines on fixtures in basement bathroom
• get floor mat and new towels for bathroom, possibly a shelf
• possibly set up a tv in rumpus area
• sand and stain stairs to basement and all stair railings
• hang some of our tin signs, art work and pictures down there

 A terrible picture of the sink we put in downstairs. I really like it though, especially since I got it for $100 on kijiji (still new in the box). We painted the bathroom a dark charcoal because I had leftovers from painting some old furniture.

I hung (hanged?) this wallpaper in the basement bathroom yesterday. It is a bold choice for me. I'm glad it is in the basement. 

Once we get a door and trim I will try for nicer pictures. But I'm down to taking pictures with my phone and emailing them to myself, blah blah blah. My old laptop won't take a memory card anymore and we had a 2 year fall down on the "good" laptop which was also 8 years old and had a virus. If I ever disappear from this blog completely you will know that we finally succumbed to obsolescence.

There is also a growing list of what I want to finish outside before the in-laws visit from across the country. That is for another post, however, since it has been wet and cold lately and I need to motivate myself to finish these indoor jobs ASAP. With that in mind, I better get crackin'!

A Room of One's Own

Virginia Woolf said, for a woman to write she must have 400 pounds a year and a room of her own (Not a direct quote. And I couldn't figure out how to make the sign for British money. I'm off to a poor start). I would agree with Virginia, and add that a woman needs a room of her own if she wants to do anything creative. I know, I know. I heard that J. K. Rawlings wrote Harry Potter on the backs of napkins in noisy restaurants. Clearly there are exceptions to the rule. But for me, I am loving finally having a sewing room all to myself. It is where I sew and write this blog, keep track of bills and banking, and I feel that more is possible now that I have a dedicated space for my hobbies. (Clearing the kitchen table to sew, then removing everything for sticky little fingers and snacks every few hours is just not an option anymore).

This room has been a dumping ground in our new home. We did not even have stairs to the basement until this winter, so many things that did not belong were being stored here for lack of storage elsewhere. As we have gained access to the basement and now have our garage as well, I am slowly clearing the clutter and making this room what I had imagined it to be.

I bought this old desk at a flea market. Love those sturdy legs!

I bought this old cabinet on kijiji. I love the glass doors--unfortunately we broke one when we put the shelf in. We don't talk about it--it's too soon.

I have finally organized my material so I can see what I have. I think it is pretty and cheerful behind the glass.

This little room had an elliptical trainer, a 10x13' rug, boxes and toys that have all finally found their proper places in our home. I am not expecting any major works of art to come from my little sewing room. We keep toys in here and it can get a little dusty in the corners. But now that I have a space of my own I hope to dedicate some time each week to my own creativity. When I do that I feel happier and more connected. I think Virginia would be proud.

Do you have a dedicated area where you can craft/ write/ create? 

First-Attempt Quilt

I have been trying to keep busy this winter. You might recall I found some fabric in a charity shop before Christmas. I added to that collection over the holidays and decided to attempt a quilt. After enjoying hours of looking at patterns, I chose one that I thought I could handle.

I have worked on it after the kids are in bed, and when Husband was home on days off. It is coming along nicely but I have not decided if quilting is something I will take on as a pastime. Once I saw all the squares lying out together, I thought I might like to try another and do a better job of it. Some of my squares are quite "out of whack" but others are surprisingly neat and tidy. I can understand why people love making quilts--it is very satisfying to see the work come out as planned.

the material I used was either free or purchased at second-hand shops.
I purchased the white material and the backing (below).

 Since material and batting are costly, I wanted to learn to quilt using inexpensive material. I am not a fan of purple, but in all the colorful material cost about $4. The backing cost about $7 on sale, and the white was $6. The other day I found batting for $13, which would bring the cost of making this quilt to about $30 Canadian.

 I've finished the quilt top and will leave the final steps until next winter. In the meantime, I've cut the material for a baby quilt (a post and pictures to come soon!)and would like to finish it entirely before the weather gets nice enough that I'm outside every day. It was -20C in the wind today--I expect getting the baby quilt finished in time shouldn't be a problem!

I used to work at the women's shelter in town. When women and children leave the shelter to start a new life on their own, the shelter gives them each a clean new blanket to take with them. For Christmas next year, I plan to donate this blanket to a woman leaving a domestic violence situation, and if I can get one done I plan to add a crocheted baby afghan to the donation. Have you attempted a new craft this winter?

Score!

Oh, I just love to find a good deal! I take my kids to see the specialist every three months. We drive about an hour and a half to get there, and across the street from the paediatrician is the Mennonite Closet, a thrift store. At our appointment in the summer I noticed this chair for $60.

Patience pays off. I loved the chair but hated to spend $60 when there were so many other things we needed more in our new house. We stopped by the store on our way to my brother's wedding and though it was still there the price had not dropped. Today I was amazed that the chair had not sold, and the price had been reduced to $40. We snapped it up and were thrilled when he sold it to us for $30. It has a new home in our master bedroom.

I always check the material bins when I am in thrift stores. You can find unique patterns of fabric that might be unavailable or just very expensive at the fabric store. Today I found 4 little bundles of material and the fellow at the store also reduced those prices.

We also got some wonderful old wooden skis that will add character to the bar-in-the-basement that we have planned. All in all, it was a nice day out as a family and the appointments for the kids went well. I hope you are finding ways to keep busy this winter!

Happy Saturday!

You gotta love it when a toddler accommodates you with a couple-hour-long afternoon nap. That, a three year old riding in the combine with Papa, and an early morning garage sale find adds up to a pretty great Saturday.

I got these fantastic chairs at a garage sale: chair on the left $15 and rocker on the right $25. They have lots of character and, although two of the spindles on the rocker are loose, I love them!

Now as the little man is sleeping I am hustling around dusting and organising. Excuse the poor photo, but the new-old chair is perfect for my entryway. Hope everyone is having a happy, productive Saturday!