one man's junk.....

....is another man's treasure. it was gray and gloomy this morning, so what better than to hit the neighborhood garage sale up the street...especially since it is the same neighborhood where i've scored many a bargain in years past. needless to say, we were not disappointed! i've had a mental list of a few items i hoped to snag throughout the course of garage sale season...if the price was right, that is!

well, last week i knocked one of those items off my list when i was driving through my neighborhood and noticed a Step 2 Easel for Two sitting on the driveway, calling out my name....for just $5! elizabeth was with me, but i didn't want her to see the easel, since we will save it for a special occasion gift for both girls...perhaps new entertainment for when the baby arrives and i am occupied with nursing, etc....so i stealthily paid the lady and promised to return in a moment once i could get elizabeth dropped off at home and sneak back around the corner to pick it up. elizabeth was also quite delighted by the strawberry shortcake nightgowns i was able to pick up for $.25 a piece...gotta love garage sale PJs!

anyway...today i was able to knock two more items off the list. kate has been enchanted by elizabeth's shiny tricycle...the one she received from GG and big bapa for her second birthday...but, alas, kate's little feet just don't come close to reaching the pedals yet. so i was hoping to find something more her size for riding outside. and in the back of my mind, i was also thinking that perhaps now that elizabeth has mastered the art of pedaling AND steering her tricycle she just might be getting close to having her very first two-wheeler...well, four when you count the training wheels...cause this mama is not crazy!

here they are on their new wheels...elizabeth's very first "big bike"...princess themed, with streamers and a matching princess helmet! i have a feeling we'll be removing the push handle from kate's bike, as she seems to do the pedals fine by herself.

elizabeth hopped right on...no fear!

not only that...but i found this box of four wooden puzzles for $1...and kate has already put them together and taken them apart at least 20 times. let me tell you...kate LOVES puzzles...and i never cease to be amazed by her puzzling abilities. elizabeth, too, is enjoying one puzzle in particular. can you guess which one?

if you guessed dinosaurs...you are right! she is particularly fond of the "poppy-saurus-rex" piece right in the middle of the puzzle...although she's had fun having me name each of the dinos and then repeating them.


we also picked up this super fun "movin' monkeys" gear constructing set for $1...which elizabeth and i broke out during "school time" once kate was down for her nap. what a blast...and a great combo for elizabeth....building, concentrating, and MONKEYS! :)


my mental garage saling list also contains a select list of more "classic" books...and today i was able to check this one off the list for just a dime...and enjoy reading it with the girls after lunchtime.


elizabeth also scored a pair of PJs...and then, i couldn't resist these sweet baby boy bibs that were in the "free" bin at one sale...no stains and they look like they've never been used...because, after all, who knows, perhaps this little one just could be a boy...i must admit that i perused several tables of adorable little boy clothing....clothing that made me kind of wish we'd found out the gender of this wee one. and i spent just as much time gazing at little pink sleepers and onesies...laughing all the while, because heaven knows, we have boxes and totes and drawers FULL of little pink clothes. but really, its always fun to look...right!?


my grand total expenditure for today's hunting was $16.60!