Thrift Store Thoughts

I've been a busy little bee working to get my house in shape for the holidays. For the first time ever, we're having Thanksgiving and Christmas at our place this year. I'm so excited to share my home with all of our family, but only if I can get it looking presentable.

Through my cleaning and dejunking I collected several bags full of things to donate to our local D.I. (Deseret Industries). Today I made the drive over there with every intention of unloading some extra clutter. I handed over about half a dozen garbage bags, drove the car around the back, and found myself parking in the front. Let's just take a look inside, shall we?

I can't resist thrift store shopping. There's something exhilarating about finding a treasure in the trash heap. Something enticing about giving discarded items a second chance to be loved, used, and appreciated. Today we found several toys in spectacular condition! I know Christmas is right around the corner but I just couldn't resist.

I purchased all of these and a few other items for about $15! With the help of some Lysol disinfectant wipes they are as good as new. In fact, if my children hadn't been right by my side finding these goodies with me, I could have used a few of these as Christmas gifts.

Only...when it really comes down to it...I just can't do it.

Used thrift store goods as Christmas presents???

I don't know. I can see the practicality and thriftiness in it. I know in a ever declining economy this would be a great way to make Christmas happen. But I just can't do it. It just seems so tacky to me. So...brutal. I can just picture it now: My children telling their therapists about their used Christmas gifts and how the downward spiral was perpetuated by the realization that they just weren't good enough for "new". And while I don't believe that my children are entitled to lots of big, expensive toys, I just don't think I could look them in the eye on Christmas morning knowing they just opened up someone else's "junk".

And for the record, I don't mean to sound like a snob either. While I get fidgety about gifting from the thrift store I certainly have no qualms about buying toys, clothes, dishes, and other goods for my self and my family from the thrift store year round.

I'm curious to hear what others think about this. Do you or would you buy thrift store items to give as gifts? Whether for children or adults? And in turn, what would you think if someone gave you a thrift store item as a gift? Like a wrapped "Here! I thought of you!" gift?

Don't be shy. Give it to me straight.

schizo

Remember when you were little and your mom was yelling at you for taking shortcuts on your chores or lying about watching TV before your homework was done or putting a worm in your little brother's mouth?

Remember how the phone would ring while she was all red-faced and yelling?

Remember how she could stop mid-lecture and answer with a cheery little "Hello!"?

I remember.

And I remember resenting my mom for that. I remember thinking how phony she was answering the phone and being all friendly and chatty and polite when she was being "like so totally unfair" just a minute ago. (Because that's exactly how I talked when I was younger... *shakes head*)

I also remember how I vowed to NEVER do that.

Ha!

I totally do it now.

Isn't it funny how we change ourselves according to the situation we are in?

I would hope that I am honest. That I am consistent. That I am the same person no matter who I am talking on the phone with or hanging out with or chatting online with.

"To thine own self be true."

But I'm not.

I know I change for people.

I know I speak quieter and more formally with the older ladies at church than I do with a group of my friends. All loud and obnoxious, maybe even a bit off-colored.

I know my writing takes on a different tone when I'm venting to my mommy group on Facebook than when I'm writing to my family.

We may have graduated from high school, but we all do this, right?

We change ourselves, maybe mute or amplify parts of our personalities, according to who we are with at the time.

I observe bloggers doing this all the time in their post comments. You see a blogger that leaves the sweetest, nicest comment on one blog, but leaves the wankiest comments on another blog.

(Is wanky even a word? Maybe I better make sure I understand what that means before I use it. It just sounds "right" right there. Attention: Make up your own definition for "wanky".)

I'll be frank...When I see other bloggers do this, it irritates me.

Wanna know what irritates me more?

It really irritates me that I am tempted to rough up or prettify my comments according to whose blog I am commenting on and probably have actually done so on more than one occasion.

(Tell me I'm not the only one who does this.)

Someday, my goal is to be the same person no matter where I am. I suppose that goal will be achievable when I a) accomplish one of my Thirty goals in not caring what anyone but God and myself thinks about me and b) become happy and content with who I am.

*wince* Tough order.

One of the things I love/hate about blogging is that you never know who is reading. Whatever I post on here might be read by my best friend, my new friend, my neighbor, the youth I used to teach in church, my uncle, an ex-friend, my mom, an old boy friend, a stranger in Australia, who knows.

I'm always shocked when I visit my hometown and am approached by someone I haven't seen or talked to in years and they say something like "I love your blog! I read it all the time."

Honestly, my first reaction to this is not to be flattered, but to be afraid.

You do??? Did I write something stupid or offensive or too revealing or pathetic or mean or sappy or too religious or not enough religious or too sarcastic or...or...or...???

Of course once I work my way past those few frantic moments, then I blush a bit with pure happiness that someone is actually reading my little ol' blog.

I hope they read because here is where I am ME.

I hope that I consistently write in Evelyn-ese. That what I say on here is what I would say to you in person (if I could only speak as well as I write) whether we were at church or at a party or at the grocery store bumping into each other.

So...Do you think you are a blog schizo or a Stable Mable???

Lend me your thoughts. Me, Myself, and I would love to read them!

The Name Game

Today Jeigh asked me if we could name the baby "Hiccup".

I like it.

Any other suggestions if the baby comes out not looking so much like a "Hiccup"?

Before you so willingly offer up your best baby names, here are the stipulations:

1. We need a name of the female persuasion as we are fairly certain she will appreciate not being named something like "Gordon" or "Hogan" when she starts high school.

2. A name that fits in with her siblings would be most...fitting. In case you were wondering "Dee", "Jeigh", and "Elle", and even "Joe" are simply code names I use to stave off perverts and weirdos. For the sake of finding the perfect name for number four, I am going to hope those kinds of people aren't reading this today and reveal my children's true names.

"Dee" is Deacon
"Jeigh" is Eliza Jane
"Elle" is Lydia

See how my code names are a phonetic play on their initials? I know, I know. My cleverness astounds even me.

So, we have good, old-fashioned, religious, southern, pioneer stock like names around these parts. And we'd like to keep it that way.

3. I am not fond of popular names. I want to avoid my child becoming Emma P. so as not to be confused with Emma T. The farther down the list of the Top 100 Most Popular names it is, the better. On the other hand, I am not fond of "weird", far-out names either. Picky, picky. But I am sure there is a nice middle ground around there somewhere.

4. This baby will have two older sisters whose names end in "a". It could be fun to stick with that, but certainly not necessary. Those two sisters also both have "l" sounds at the beginning of their names as we often call Eliza, "Liza". These similar name sounds make for lots of tongue-twisting trouble when we start calling for our children.

Bottom line: Names ending in "a" = good. Names starting with "l" sounds = not good.

5. Before we settle on anything, you can count on me looking up the name meaning. I have a thing for name meanings. I love knowing that my name means "the mother of all living". Fancy, no? My husband kind of got the bum-end of the deal where his name means "hills of clay". Poor guy. But don't feel too bad for him; he doesn't seem to lose any sleep over it.

So, there are my stipulations for our baby girl's name. Think I am making this far too complicated?

Maybe we should just go with "Hiccup".

Tag! You're 8!

I love a good tag, don't you? It's always fun getting to know others a little better and sharing a better little of yourself. Right.

Thanks to my BFF (BLOG Friends Forever) Sami for the tag. I am feeling the love, lady!

So! Here it is, quick and dirty. Eight questions for me to answer. With eight new questions for eight people I tag to answer at the end. Ready? GO!

1.Do you collect anything? What is it? If not, do you WISH you did?

Perfect strangers seem to feel the need to comment on my collection of children. I believe one woman's comment at a gas station in the middle of nowhere last week was: "Don't you have cable?". Yup. How do you think I entertain the herd when I need to take a shower?

Other than sticky fingerprints and cuddle sessions galore, I also collect picture frames. One might say it has become a sick addiction. Ahem--JOE! It just kills me to have them all still boxed away, but somehow I don't think my tin can walls are up to the task. I also love old books and would really love to collect editions of "Pride and Prejudice", my favorite classic novel.

P.S. I still have my rock collection from when I was a kid. Just can't seem to let it go. It has followed us over six moves in our married life. Maybe I just keep it for the laughs I get when some poor innocent moving volunteer hefts that box and jokingly asks, "Whaddya got in here??? Rocks?!".

2.What room in your house would you most like to remodel? Would your answer change if someone else was paying for it?

My dream is to walk away from this rented heap of a trailer whilst throwing a match over my shoulder in its general direction. In the meantime I have zero plans to remodel it. It probably couldn't take it anyway.

3.What is your LEAST favorite chore? Do you hate it enough to get a maid to do it, or are you too anal for that?

Sweeping and mopping. I think the summer I worked at a boy scout camp as the "lodge stewardess" crippled my sweeping and mopping skills for life. I would diligently work for hours sweeping and mopping all the dust and dirt out of the main lodge/cafeteria/meeting room only to have delinquent staff members track mud and junk all over it again and AGAIN.

There was this one time at boy scout camp (sorry...couldn't resist) when I had just--JUST!--finished the final mop swipe and two jerks who purposefully stomped through a mud puddle collecting as much crud as they could, barged into the lodge, running and sliding ALL OVER EVERY INCH OF MY CLEAN FLOOR! Right in front of my eyes and gaping mouth!! I couldn't even believe someone could be that cruel. Damaged goods. That's me when it comes to mopping. And yep, I would totally pay someone else to do it. Joe obliges sometimes. When he does he gets lots of free hugs and kisses and pumpkin bread.

4. Have you ever broken a bone? What, and how?

Nope. Always wanted to though. I was jealous of the special treatment those crippled kids got. Whiny little fakers.

5. Music. Do you have a go to album that you play to get you motivated, or do you just blare the radio, and pray that something peppy comes on?

I am too computer-impaired to figure out how to use an iPod or mp3 player. The best I can do is type in http://www.pandora.com/ in my search engine and click on my "Glee" station. In no time, my house practically cleans itself. Short of sweeping and mopping of course. Moving on.

6.How do you keep track of your schedule? Old fashioned calendar? Set alerts on your phone? Fly by the seat of your pants, and pray you don't forget a Parent/Teacher conference?

I like to use a carefully orchestrated combination of all three techniques. If I'm lucky the combo will get me where I need to go. If that doesn't work, I like to pull the pregnancy card. That placenta brain actually comes in handy sometimes. Why do you think I keep getting pregnant? It's not for collecting purposes, that's for sure.

7. Cooking, baking, or neither?

I never thought I was much of a cook, but these days I can't get enough of the Food Network. I always turn off the TV thinking: I want to do that! And oddly enough, in the midst of a pregnancy where it is typical to avoid food and food preparation, I am doing it! I have started trying new recipes and buying new ingredients and...it is fun! I've already asked Santa for a good set of knives and a food processor. {fingers crossed}

8. Are you brand name specific, or are generics just as good? What is one product you would NEVER replace with a generic brand?

I'll admit it. I am a white-trash, repeat-offender, loyal Walmart patron. No coupon clipping here. Great Value works great for me. EXCEPT for diapers. Walmart diapers are worth about as much as what they are intended to hold. Oh and cheese! Tillamook, anyone?

So, now it's your turn.

Here are the eight people I tag. (And it's not a rating, People. I love you all the same and there are only eight spots. If you want to play along, go for it! The more the merrier!)

1. Cannwin
2. Myya
3. Teresa with an apostrophe over the e! ;)
4. Kjerstin
5. Sarah C.
6. Katy R.
7. Lisa T.
8. Shortmama

And here are your eight questions to answer:

1. Did you swear you'd never do something when you became a parent and now find yourself doing? Fess up.

2. If you could only eat three foods for the rest of your life, what would they be?

3. Retell your worst dating experience.

4. What was the most recent thing that made you cry?

5. Favorite childhood memory. Go!

6. What piece of advice have you received that you will NEVER forget? Good or bad.

7. You're driving, approaching an intersection and the light is yellow. What do you do? Would your answer change if your kids weren't in the back seats? Would your answer change if your mother-in-law was in the passenger seat?

8. What do you do to keep your eye on the prize when it all just gets to be too much?

Can't wait to read your answers! Thanks again Sami!

Happy Friday everybody!