Friday, April 25, 2014

TBT

A couple nights ago, I was looking through old pictures for a project. Ben and I had so much fun reminiscing about the last few years!

April 2014 - now
living in Cambridge, MA, exploring parks & growing a baby. 




April 2013 - 1 year ago
Ben and his brothers went to the Huskers' spring game 

Addie didn't get to go, but didn't stop her from dressing for the occasion. 


April 2012 - 2 years ago 
I finished my first quilt top. I took a free quilting class that met on a Wednesday morning at our church in Lincoln. I was the youngest in the class by about 4 decades. This quilt makes me dizzy... 

April 2011 - 3 years ago 
Celebratory dinner for my Uncle Jeff's birthday.

April 2010 - 4 years ago
I was teaching at Clinton Elementary School in Chicago, filling a maternity sub position.

We had decided my talented and creative cousin would arrange flowers for the wedding, & we were doing some experimenting... originally our wedding was planned for October 2010. Ben was studying in Costa Rica. 


But also in April, we changed our minds and moved the wedding up to July. So I scoped out venues and we decided to get married in my aunt and uncle's back yard. 



and just for fun because it is TBT after all, April (ish) 1988
blurry, but that's 7-8 month old yours truly with her dear uncle jeff. 


I love pictures. I love how they preserve a moment in time.
What were you doing 1,2,3,4, or 5 years ago? :)

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

WFMW no. 3 - buying on craigslist

This is the 3rd home we are furnishing and unfurnishing on Craigslist.
We are not in the season where it makes sense to buy 'forever' furniture, so what's worked for us the first few years of marriage is buying what we need for where we are and then selling it when we go somewhere else.
A friend of mine recently said, "hey will you find me such and such a stroller on craigslist because I like the idea, but we aren't craigslist people."
And it made me realize... Craigslist is weird and overwhelming, and I've learned a few tips and tricks along the way, so I thought I'd share them.

BUYING. Let's cover buying this week and selling next week. Baby steps, people, baby steps.


1. Look in advance When I know I have an upcoming purchase I might want to use craigslist for, I start looking before I need it. Craigslist isn't Amazon. You're more likely to find a great deal if you keep an eye out for a while.

2. How to search This is the home page for Boston. The tiny abbreviations next to "Boston" are more specific areas in Boston (gbs, nwb, bmw, nos, sob). For something like an end table, I might not really be willing to travel outside of my specific area, so I might click one of those to narrow the search. But for something like the perfect double stroller, I might be willing to drive 30 minutes, so I wouldn't click any of those.



I was looking for a double stroller for a while. So, I clicked the 'baby + kid' section under the for sale heading. This is the first thing I see. Again, you can see the narrower locations as tabs across the top. I'll keep it on 'all boston' for now.


In most of the categories, but especially in the baby + kids section, there is a lot of junk. Someone selling 5 rattles for a dollar or a random 6 month girls outfit. Now don't get me wrong, I am not above garage sale-ing anything for my kid. Almost every item I've bought for my kid(s) is used. But, I don't use Craigslist like a garage sale because it's not worth the hassle to me for the small stuff.  Anyway, moving on.
If you wanted to browse all double strollers, you might type "double stroller" in the search box. I was looking for a specific one - the Baby Jogger City Select Double. If you type all those words, it'll only pull up ads with all those words. This is a main thing to keep in mind because not everybody thinks like you. So even though, that is what I was looking for, I usually just typed City Select.  Baby Jogger is the brand, but this particular stroller is their City Select model. I didn't think everyone selling one would necessarily include the brand. I usually try a few different ways of searching if I'm looking for something specific.
Example: sofa/ sleeper sofa/ pullout couch/ hide a bed/ - all as different searches.
Example: end table/ bedside table/ table - all as different searches.

3. Making contact. Okay so, I've narrowed down my search by typing "City Select" in the search box. And this is what comes up.


I see the stroller I want in black for $450 (top middle) and in white for $400. I will probably contact both of those people since they're only $50 in price difference. People negotiate. We'll get there later.  I click the ad and it takes me to this page. See the tiny "reply" button in the top left?


Click "reply" and up pops this:


If you click the crazy email address listed under "reply by email," it will open your default mail browser, which is probably Microsoft Outlook on Windows (does anyone on the planet use outlook!?) or Apple Mail on Mac (which I equally dislike). I always click 'gmail' and it will open this page in a new tab:


This is a new-ish feature of craigslist and a big improvement, in my opinion. It's super nice that they plug in that crazy email for you (it's to protect seller's private email) and that they include the link to the product for sale in the email already. Way easier than copying and pasting all that, especially when you're emailing several people and spacey and pregnant :)
I usually write the following for my first email (and I write it above the link that's there already):

Hi, is your [blank item] still available? Thanks, Renee


I think it makes a slight difference to say "Hi," format your email like a letter, and include your first name in the signature. But that's just me. This will open an email exchange between you and this other person, but they will not have your personal email unless you give it to them.  In their inbox, your email will appear as a similarly crazy code email to hide your real email. But you will still be able to view this email in your regular gmail inbox. I like that feature too. Way to go, Craig.

4. Negotiating. Think about value for a minute. The value of an item is determined by what people are willing to pay for it. Therefore, a 'good price' is what 2 people agree on. If you see that ad and think "400" is crazy for a stroller and I see it and think it's a good deal, then you won't pay for it, and I will. And the seller will get her $400. It sounds simple, but it's an important concept in negotiating.

Check how long it's been for sale
Here's the ad again. See at the top where it says "posted: a day ago"?
How long it's been up might determine how willing or unwilling the seller is to negotiate the price. If it's been up for 1 day and she's gotten 10 emails from interested people, she probably won't go lower on the price right away. This is why I never mention price in my first email. I only ever ask if the item is still available.


Check out retail value.
She says this retails for over $800 new. I'm skeptical. Check a few websites and ad up the cost of all the parts she's selling. It might come in handy to know current retail value during your negotiations.

Check out comparable listings.
If there are 5 other strollers like this, all around $400, you could maybe swing a slightly lower price. If someone else was selling this for $350 but it was red and I wanted white, I might say at some point, "There is another one for sale for $350 that I would buy, but I like the white a little better. Would you take $350?" [Again, I wouldn't say this in the first email, only after I've heard back from her.]

Check out their selling time frame.
Sometimes people say, "moving, must sell immediately." Or something similar. Obviously, they are a little more likely to negotiate (in general).

Price firm?
Sometimes people specify "price firm" in the ad. If that is the case, I don't usually ask for lower. If it's too much higher than I'm willing to pay, then I don't contact them.  UNLESS the ad has been posted for a while (10 days or more) and it's still available... Then i know they might be more willing to negotiate even though they originally said "price firm."

Lowball offers.
I don't usually 'lowball.' Meaning, I probably wouldn't ask this lady if she'd take $100. That's less than half of what she's asking and it looks like it's in great shape. Plus, as she notes in her ad, the retail value of all that is around $800. If our email exchange led me to think I might have a shot at a crazy low offer, I'd probably do it like this:
[This is a screen shot of an email I received about a mirror I had listed on craigslist to sell. It's a decorative floor mirror, retails for $100 from Ikea, in perfect shape, I was asking $60. I've since changed my mind and decided to move it :) ]

I think, there's no harm in asking to go very low, but be nice and acknowledge that it's low and a slight explanation wouldn't do any harm in that situation.

Know when to negotiate
Lately, I almost always do the negotiating via email. Quite frankly, if that stroller is $400 and I'm not willing to pay more than $350, then I don't want to make the trip out there if she's not willing to come down on the price. So I ask before I go.
My personal rule of thumb is that if we negotiated the price via email, I do not try to negotiate again in person UNLESS the item is somehow different than described. If I'm buying a couch and we agreed on $200 and then I get there and it has some rips or stains, I would either ask for less or decide I don't want it.
Sometimes, it might just be more appropriate to skip negotiating via email and wait to see the item. Maybe if the pictures are blurry and they can't send any better ones but you think it might be worth seeing because you're really interested. Or with an electronic item you'd want to test first. Or with a used car.

5. Less is More.
Remember, you're on the internet. People are weird. They don't need your life story, your social security number, your last name, or your home address. Stick the facts, but don't be cold or rude.

6. Go with a friend.
I almost never go alone to pick something up unless it's at a public location. A recent exception would be buying a stroller actually. I found the double I wanted at a great price, exchanged several emails with the lady, and texted back and forth about her address. We agreed upon a time for me to pick it up and it had to be when it was just me and Addie.  I knew from her address that she lived in a 2-flat on a busy street in a busy part of Boston. She met me outside on the sidewalk with the stroller ready. (I would never enter someone's house alone.) She showed me how to work it, offered to put it in the car for me since I am quite pregnant, and I paid her the money and we left. It was cordial, but not too friendly. And really, still in 'public' because we were outside in front of her apartment building.

And just for some motivation, here are some finds I've had on Craigslist:

this dresser was two tone black and brown; some scratches too;
 $25 on craigslist. removed awkward feet, painted green (primer + 2 coats); replaced knobs 
frame/ gallery wall details here

I think we paid $100 for this desk and sold it for $150 when we were done using it for a year. the smokin' hot husband was free ;) 


Paid $130 for the whole set; it was almost brand new; we used it for 2 years and brought it with us to Cambridge. No room in our apartment for this table. Sold the chairs for $50 and plan to use the table in the next place. 

Bought this desk for $25. It came with a chair. Both were cream colored and fading; the upholstery on the chair was stained and torn blue velvet. I wish I had a better picture of the befores and afters. Painted all white, reupholstered chair, used for 1 1/2 years; sold for $100. Plus the lady who bought it paid me an additional $80 for a dresser we got for free and were selling. :) 

this little basket retails for $50 as a co-sleeper. we borrowed one from a friend with Addie and it was super convenient for bouncing all around with baby. Since we weren't sure where we were going to live and we are sure we'll be traveling some this summer, I picked this one up for $10 on craigslist for baby #2. It'll probably just be her bed for the first few months. Made the sheet with a 1/2 yard of discounted fabric that cost $1.50. Plus $1 for the elastic, bought with coupon.  


Phew. There you have it. I wish I had pictures of all the good finds I've come across on craigslist over the past couple years. But, maybe with this next place I'll remember to take pictures? (It's probably more likely that I'll be in a hazy-newborn-plus-17-month-old-we-just-moved-across-the-country-and-are-trying-to-find-a-dresser-and-living-out-of-boxes-eating-on-the-floor daze and won't take any pictures.)  

So, do you use craigslist? Any great deals you've made? Did I miss anything? What works for you? 


works for me wednesday at we are that family

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

and the winner is..........

remember when i opened an online shop? that was fun!
i announced a raffle for a $26.00 credit to my shop, and anyone who commented on my blog, facebook or instagram got an entry.

thanks to all of you who checked things out and for all of your supportive comments (and orders)!!

this is my first time hosting a raffle. i assigned a number to every entry & then used a random number generator to pick the winner.

and, the lucky winner from the first ever Tune My Heart raffle is...........

#4 - Brittany W.

Congrats to Britt.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

It'd be easier to skip the death part.

Easter is on Sunday. You probably knew this.
And Good Friday is on Friday. You probably knew this too.

You can't really have Easter without Good Friday. 

I mean, you could. But what's the point?

Because on Easter, we celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead.
[Don't let that just pass by you. Rose from the dead. The turning point in history. The event on which my eternity depends. Oh, that those words we hear so often would not just go in one ear and out the other...]

But He has to die before he can rise.
And He has to bear the weight of all my sin before He can conquer sin once and for all.
Before I can be forgiven.
And He has to be betrayed by Judas, rejected by God, and crucified... before we celebrate Easter.

How easy it would be to just skip Good Friday.
It'd be so much more pleasant, really... straight to the "Alleluias," the "He is risens," the ham and potato casserole and chocolate and egg hunts, right past the day Jesus died.
Isn't this often true in life? It feels easier to skip the hard part.
But we can't be "successful" without the hard work.
We can't have well behaved kids without the discipline.
You can't be a great musician without practicing.
You can't be a great athlete without training.

And you can't have an Easter where Jesus rose from the dead without a Good Friday, where Jesus died. 

In fact, I would go as far as saying, there's really no point in doing anything "Eastery" if we're just going to skip Good Friday.

So, whether you find a service or just take some time in your living room, stop. think. pray. reflect.
The blood, the shame, the torture.
He endured and He finished. for you. and for me.


p.s. This is a website I've been using to help me reflect this week.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

WMFW no.2 - Dinner in the morning

This is my second WFMW [works for me wednesday]. I probably won't keep up with it. Series-blogging isn't really my thing. But it 'works' for me now. :)

Lately, I'm tired. I mean, TIRREEEDDD by the end of the day.
It hit me a couple weeks ago - the physical exhaustion of 15 month old + third trimester. And for a few days, we just scrounged for dinner or ate takeout. Because every day I would have a meal planned (usually something easy) and get ready to make it around 4:30 or 5, but just not be able to. Too tired. And once I talked myself out of cooking and into Potbelly's, that was that. [I have craved good sandwiches both pregnancies. Mm. I want one right now.]

Anyway, after a few days of this, I decided to start making dinner in the morning. After breakfast. When I wasn't tired.
And, it works for me.
Then, when 5:00 rolls around, and I'm tired, I sit on the couch and read books to Addie.
When Ben gets home, we warm it up, and voila. Our tummies and food budget are happy.

A couple things about this strategy...

1.) It eliminates some meal options. Some things are meant to be cooked and eaten immediately. Like paninis. Well, I wanted to try this portabello pesto panini [did I mention I love sandwiches?]... so, I did the pesto ahead of time and laid out all ingredients that could be out. Then when it came time to eat, I was forced to make dinner because it was half started and it only took 10 minutes. Easy peasy.

2.) Sometimes I just do the prep work early. Fruit or veggie chopping, recipe reading, sauce making, meat cooking, etc... Things can be thrown together at the last minute.

3.) I usually make 2 days worth of salad when we have that as a side. Which is almost every night. (With feta and croutons, obviously.)

4.) If there are too many leftovers in the fridge, we eat that. Easier and less wasteful.

5.) Sometimes we order pizza.

6.) There is a once-a-day-pep talk that sounds like this: "you will not be pregnant forever. you will not be pregnant forever. drink water, sit down and rest. then keep going. you will not be pregnant forever."

Got anything that 'works for you' to share? :)


works for me wednesday at we are that family


 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

+worlds toughest job

Motherhood is on my mind a lot lately.
15 month old + 32 1/2 weeks pregnant (but who's counting).
85% of my friends are pregnant.
Mother's day coming up.
My mom is coming to visit soon.
And quite frankly, it's my job.

Anyway, I saw this video on facebook & I knew where they were going with it, but it still made me pretty teary. Chances are it's shown up on your news feed already, but if not, take a minute to watch :)

I'm not sure why this video got to me so much. I laughed out loud when he said the demands go up at Christmas & Thanksgiving, and then was crying by the end.

Maybe it's because we're in a new "season" with our first... figuring out toddlerhood. How to train, discipline, teach, love. All the while anticipating jumping back into newborn mode with number 2 - the sleep deprivation, the wondering what they need, the nursing around the clock.
Now, I know this is nothing new. Many of you have done this several times over & are old pros.
And I also know it's not going to last forever.

But right now, this is our day in and day out.
Learning to say 'no thank you' instead of 'nooooo.'
Learning to pick up the toys & be gentle with the paper books.
Learning to color on paper, not walls.
Learning to hold mommy's hand in the parking lot and be careful going down the stairs.
Learning to wait patiently when we want something.
Learning that it's okay to be disappointed when we don't get what we want, but it's part of life & tantrums aren't acceptable. (Let's be honest - we're all working on this one.) :)
Lots of falls and bumps and bruises & tears.
Lots of tickles and hiding games and giggles.
Physical exhaustion.
Learning to rest & slow & prioritize.
Learning to accept help.

Sometimes it's beautiful, rewarding, and full of laughter. And sometimes it's hard and full of tears.

Yes, motherhood is for life.
But also, for everything there is a season.
Right now, my season is young children & they won't be young forever.
I have been given, no, entrusted with, these tiny hearts to mold and shape and teach. Maybe you have too.
So, amidst the diaper changes and tantrums, amidst the peanut butter in the hair [anyone else's kids!?!?] and trying to sweep up rice and peas, let's cherish it. Because while it may be the world's toughest job, it might also be the world's best job.


p.s. this post was encouraging to me & good for a laugh.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Grand Opening!!

I recently wrote about tackling 4 major life events in 3 weeks.
A more appropriate title would have been either:
"5 major life events in 3 weeks"
                 OR
"4 major life events & 1 extra ''side'' project that is really awesome in 3 weeks."

So, it's official. Today's the day. April 12. Grand opening of The Tune My Heart Shop.


A few reasons I'm super excited about the shop:
1.) I love sewing & creating & now I get to share what I make with you. And have an 'excuse' to create mass amounts of fun products.
2.) I love running a business. Spreadsheets, lists, packaging, and all. Seriously.
3.) I love fun momma-kid stuff. Right now, the selection includes burp cloths, bibs, and blankets. But I have a bajillion fun other baby prodcuts & momma-gifts in my mind too. Sew much to create, sew little time :)

So, check it out. What's your favorite? If you had a gift card, what would you buy and who would you buy it for? By leaving a comment either on this blog post or on Facebook, you will be entered to win a $26.00 credit to my shop. You can leave as many comments as you'd like, but there will only be one entry per person.







Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Works for Me Wednesday: Night Time Clean-Up

One blog I read pretty frequently is We are THAT Family.
Her tagline is "you know the ones..." I gotta say, I can totally relate. That should maybe be another blog post in and of itself. Anyway, I appreciate her insight into life - it's practical stuff for every day... from a Christian perspective. God is real and he cares about the little things. And I like reading blogs that assume that to be true.

ANYWAY, she does something called "works for me wednesday," aka: WFMW.
And people 'link up' on her blog to their blogs with posts about what... works for them. (Shocking!)

Here is the original post with all the rules and guidelines (and the code for inserting the button below into your blog if you want to join).

Here is her most recent WFMW post.

And here's one thing that works for me that I wanted to share with you today.

Night Time Clean Up
There is probably not much explanation needed here, but at the end of the day, no matter how clean my house was at one point, it seems like there are things. Clutter.
Ugh. I hate clutter.
Clutter is inevitable. If you love clutter, or it doesn't bother you, I don't judge you for it. But it's hard for me to relax in clutter.
So, we've developed this habit... half of it was on purpose, and half kinda just happened.

Here's the deal. I used to do a 5-minute clean up. I'd just walk around while Ben put Addie to bed and put stuff where it goes - toys, books, clorox wipes, dirty towels from the kitchen, mail, etc... That is the part that kinda just happened. Ben was putting her to bed and I couldn't relax until I could see the floor, so I picked up stuff for a few minutes.

Well, Addie got old enough to learn how to pick up after herself. Our 800 square feet apartment doesn't include a playroom with a door to close, which is totally fine, then our living room often looks like this.

Since I can't go to bed with the house looking like that [OCD] & we didn't want her to think she just gets to take every toy out of every bin and throw them all over the house and the magic clean up elves pick it up every night, we started having her help. I don't really remember when or why or how it occurred to us that we should teach her to clean up. Maybe around when she was 11 or 12 months? Ben really is the one who taught her. She didn't get it at first, but we just started for the habit. Before bath time, he and Addie would go in her room and pick up the toys and clothes one at a time. It used to make me giggle, just standing outside the door and watching him help her learn to clean up the mess.

"Adelyn, put the blocks in the bucket."
"Good, now put this block in the bucket."
"Put all the blocks in the bucket."

And then on to the clothes.
"Adelyn, put the clothes in the drawer."

At first, there were lots of reminders and she maybe did 10% and we did 90%.
And there were some time-outs for not obeying. [Once she clearly understood what we were telling her - "put that book on the shelf" but looked up, smiled, and read it instead... as if to say "do you mean it?" then it becomes disobedience. More on that another time... maybe.]
But, it didn't take that long for her to 'get it.' Not that she cleans perfectly or always obeys when I say "put this away." But, she has learned what it means to "clean up the _______." And we all clean up for about 5 minutes at night. It's just part of the routine now. Honestly, I'm so glad we stumbled on this idea. I was so surprised that she could learn to pick up the toys so young, but hey, it works for us.

So, are you going to link up and join? What works for you?? If you want to (and I hope you do), click HERE for the original post and to grab a button like the one below & write your own WFMW post.


works for me wednesday at we are that family