Freecycle!

A couple of months ago, Kathleen and Becky (dinner group friends) introduced me to Freecycle, a community of people giving away their things for free. They were stunned that a thrifty person like myself had never heard of it! Well, the next morning, I looked into it. I've been hooked ever since. I then told my neighbors about it, and they are just as hooked. I've gotten rid of many things that I never thought I'd find a user for. I had a really pretty rug, but since there were stains on the back, I didn't think I could sell it for anything much... we had accidentally picked up the wrong size of vacuum bags and went months without returning them... soup mixes from a school fundraiser that were WAY too complicated, needing 15 additional ingredients (?!!)... I had an odd number of glasses that were unused... outdated magazines... and more. I feel much better since these things didn't end up in a landfill (at least not directly from me).


The even better part is the neat things we've acquired... okay, it's an odd lot, but they were all free and just required me going to pick them up! I now have 2 pairs of Dr. Scholl's sandals, 2 new wine glasses, a pair of soccer shorts (for next season), and an Easy Bake Oven! (I would never have purchased that thing new... believe me!) I'm going out this evening to pick up a bag full of clothes for my oldest son, too... and maybe another bag full of shoes my size, if I get the address soon.

Now, despite my relatively small, humble finds (all free!!), sometimes you can score big. I tried to "win" a set of oak chairs to repaint for our dining room... but didn't get them. My friend Heather has gotten some good things... including an entire bedroom set for her two-year-old son. He's moving from the crib ... what great timing!

My experience has been that some freecyclers accept the first person that replies to their post. Others choose someone who can come quickly. Still others pick those that have a very good use for the item. And others choose people they know. (I've found probably a dozen or so fellow-church-goers also Freecycle, so I recognize their names in the posts and replies.) So, in addition to responding quickly, I also include when I can come and how I'll use the item. So far, I've probably only gotten less than half the things I've inquired about, but that's to be expected. When it's a good item and it's free, there must be many people wanting it.

Another feature of our freecycle network is that you can post "wanted" ads. For example, I'd love to find a used jogging stroller to try with my 3 year old on our morning walks... but I just can't see paying that money for something he may hate. I tried a "wanted" ad that time... but didn't get any bites. Oh well... at least that feature exists. I have heard of people getting kids' beds and costumes and other things that way.

To find a local freecycle, go to www.freecycle.org and plug in a nearby town or county. For example, ours is county-wide. Some require being accepted for membership; others are less stringent in their rules. Check it out... what's there to lose? It's free! And if you wind up with something not quite what you were looking for, then re-freecycle it!

Weekend Away

Last weekend, Mike and I had our annual weekend away (to celebrate our anniversary). This year we went to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Baltimore, to most people, may not sound like a romantic city to visit... but if you stay in the Inner Harbor, it's a lot of fun. We found a group of hotels named "HarborMagic" and chose the Brookshire Suites. Why? It was the cheapest. :-) The hotel was ok, but I'm willing to bet the suites themselves were nicer than our cramped regular room. Plus it was a little dated. But other than that, we couldn't complain. They offered shuttle service to take you to the other two hotels (one right on the water at Pier 5 was a contemporary, new hotel... and the other was in Fells Point in a historic inn), they offered free chocolate buffet on Saturday, free breakfast buffet each morning, and we even took in a free demonstration of how to make crab crepes. At some point, they may even update their website and show our pictures at these events.

We ate dinner at PF Chang's (wow... really nice place!) and a Spanish tapas bar/restaurant at the Harborplace. Both had a really great menu and "atmosphere". We lunched at ESPN Zone (nice, but we'd only return if there was a game to watch) and Phillips Buffet (not so great). Oh well, 3 out of 4 isn't too bad.

Our package deal even included tickets to the National Aquarium and dolphin show. The kids were bummed. Last time we went to the aquarium, we had to skip the dolphin show due to timing.

All in all, it was a nice time. Not necessarily quiet due to being in a city. But we did catch a few glimpses of the thousands of Baltimore Marathon runners from 13 stories up as they ran past the hotel. "Jellybeans with legs" as one lady behind us remarked. :-)

Glittery Pumpkin Centerpiece

I saw some neat pumpkin ideas this week at Michael's craft store and combined them into a cute centerpiece. You'll need one craft pumpkin, glitter glue, knife or craft knife, floral foam, fall floral picks, and fall-colored ribbon.

First, I cut a hole out of the top of the pumpkin... basically at a distance of 1/2" around the base of the stem.

Then, I cut floral foam into rectangles and shoved them into the hole to provide somewhat of a base to hold the floral picks in.

Next, I arranged an assortment of fall-colored floral picks (fall leaves, mums, mini pumpkins, whatever you like) into a bouquet in the hole of the pumpkin, making sure each was fairly secure in the floral foam.

After the arrangement is done, I brushed glitter glue all over the pumpkin. Ok... this step could be done first, but you'd have to wait until the glue dried before continuing on. (Actually, brushing didn't work... I accidentally poked a hole in the glue container and thus just smeared the glitter all over the pumpkin with my hand, making sure it was spread evenly and not totally caked on.)

Lastly, I wrapped a length of fall-colored ribbon around the base of the bouquet and tied a bow.

Wah-lah... beautiful centerpiece. Mine is sitting on a plate to avoid getting glitter on the table runner. Unfortunately in the photo you can't see how neat the glitter turned out. It has this glow that from a distance you would think it's a ceramic pumpkin. Up close it looks shimmery. This would make a really simple project for a housewarming gift or a special floral bouquet for someone special.

The Big Apple Circus

Well, we saw the circus! It was actually a lot of fun. I had my doubts as to how much I'd enjoy it myself (as compared to watching the expressions of the kids). It was a small one-ring circus, but in a real circus tent! No expo-centers or arenas here. We saw a lot of amazing acts: see-saw jumping on stilts, juggling, daredevil jumping and balancing, Grandma clown and wire-walking. I think the favorites of the kids was the dancing poodles and horses. No elephants, but I would've been nervous had a big elephant shown up in the ring! Just not a lot of room!

Some things we learned about going to the circus (since none of us had gone in almost 30 years)...

1. A souvenir cup for $5 is a good deal, but only if you don't mind beating the crowds at intermission for your refill.

2. Grandstand seating is okay, but mezzanine would've given us a better view. But at $30 a pop + Ticketmaster fees as it was, grandstand was perfectly okay!!!

3. There are a lot of kids, so don't get upset at the kicking of your seats and popcorn falling in your hair and breathing on your necks by little watchers. (I'm mostly talking to the poor people that sat in front of Tommy.)

4. Grandma Clown never "gets it". But she's lovable!

5. Bring an umbrella if you plan to sit in the front 2-3 rows. Don't say I didn't warn you.

6. Have the kids go to the bathroom BEFORE you arrive. Remember, it's a circus tent with porta-potties!

7. All souvenirs are cute and adorable, but the trendiness disappears quickly... as does the money that was once in your wallet.

8. No flash-photography allowed, so figure out how to use your digital camera in darkness BEFORE you arrive at the circus. (Yes, not many photos came out well at all.)

9. Cotton Candy somehow becomes REALLY, REALLY, REALLY sticky when your daughter simply licks it the whole time (not biting it!)

10. Foam clown noses tend to stretch out quickly and even rip in half if given to a 3 year old.