It's been a looooooong time in coming, I know !!!

I apologize for the long break in between posts but my personal life recently knocked me on my ass and I was a little distracted, but upwards and onwards we go!

Today I'd like to cheer, rant, then confess. Hopefully in that order. But you never know what will happen when I get going LOL

First I'd like to give a shout out to an entrepreneur, a company, a visionary, a man who is most importantly a humanitarian who is trying in his own way to reinvent the consumer/buyer relationship as well as the way a company spends it time and its' profits. It all started when a guy named Blake made friends with some kids in Argentina and noticed a way he could make a difference, and Toms were created and the one for one philosophy was born. I bought a pair of Toms and felt great about spending an average amount of money on a pair of cute wedge sandals knowing that I was buying a pair of shoes for a kid somewhere around the world. I admit I had visions of a pair of Toms flats sprouting wings an flying across the world until it saw the kid they belonged to. So let's all pretend that's how it happens. If you want the real story, which is only slightly less fantastic than my version, here it is.

 One For One Movement - A Pair Of New Shoes Is Given To A Child In Need With Every Pair Purchased | TOMS.com

I then spent the next few days wondering what if other companies did what Blake had done. What if Nike gave kids shoes instead of having them make them? What if for every notebook, winter coat, calculator, or bed we bought we could know that some amount of profits (if not the one to one model) went to outfitting children or families in need worldwide, including in our own back yard? Toms can't be the only one, maybe the only one doing it so equally in terms of buy one give one, but there must be companies out there with their heart strings attached to their wallet strings? If we are to become an enlightened society, a more equal society, does the bottom line still have to be the bottom dollar? Is it not enough to make a comfortable living, to do really well as a company and not pay your executives bloated 6 figure salaries, and demand bigger and bigger profits every year and never once pass that success down the line either to the employees or to people in need SOMEWHERE?? Does every CEO need million dollar homes, private jets and to have their housewives (or house husbands if reversed) on some reality TV show? Is it an impossible ideal to think that we as a society, as a first world nation could reinvent, and redefine success in the corporate world to make room for people?

So now it is confession time. Forgive me 2nd hand life for I have shopped. I swear it didn't mean anything, and I was thinking about you the whole time !! I feel dirty.....

 I needed a part time job over the summer and was testing the waters for a career change so I took a job at Pier 1 imports, once upon a time my favourite store in the universe. My living room looked like a  Pier one catalog exploded in it. I know this was a strange choice given my 2nd hand life commitment but a wise person once gave me some advice. If you see something you love in a store, namely clothing, try it on whether or not you plan on buying it, or if you feel like you can't afford it, try it on anyway. 9 times out of 10 it doesn't fit right, doesn't quite look like you had hoped or whatever the case may be. Then at least when you walk away you'll know whether it was right or not. We only regret the things in life we fail to try or do.So I tried it on, Pier 1, and it did NOT fit. At first I was overwhelmed with all the beautiful merchandise, flower shaped bowls, art work, measuring spoons shaped like lady bugs, SO cute. I bought a pair of earrings, some scented beads to mask the smell of my neighbours dogs, and some wine glasses (which I actually needed since so many of mine had broken). I did donate a ton of stuff in return but will admit I did not count to make sure it was 2 for 1.Then I did a pricing shift where we have to remove the US price tag and replace it with a Canadian one. I was SHOCKED at the price difference, in Canada we pay on average 20-40% more for the same merchandise. A mug that is $7US is $11CAN. That left a bitter taste in my mouth and started to dull the shiny patina and excitement of "new" things. Then after a few weeks it all started to look the same. Vintage has a feeling of history, a story comes with your "stuff", being pre-loved is a GOOD thing. Don't get me wrong, there are still many things in the store I covet and would be thrilled to receive as a gift but it lost so much interest for me. There is something lazy about wandering in to a store like Pier 1 to buy something versus the effort you need to search for the perfect thing on Kijiji, or in your favourite thrift store. For me it is much more satisfying finding something I want and buying it from someone who no longer needs it, something cyclical and reciprocal. I've said this before but it's like the circle of life, but with curtains and lamps. You are getting what you need and are freeing up space and money for the other person,  and no more "stuff" is made saving materials, energy, and often pollution in the manufacturing process. It makes me feel like I am get what I need and want without the high and often hidden cost of new things. So I tried it on and now I can walk away in a few weeks knowing that it just didn't suit me. Lesson learned, now onward and upward !

Christmas and BEYOND!!

Ok so I know this is way over due but here is how I did Christmas, and my first upcycling project!!

I didn't even try to buy 2nd hand gifts for my daughter for Christmas, all of her clothes, and most of her toys and books are bought 2nd hand all year so I figured some new things were in order. I did donate 2 boxes of clothes in return and am gathering another box of clothes and books from my closet to donate to ensure I keep up with the 2 item donated per new item purchased. I will comment on how it felt to be buying new, as I went through some interesting phases. Very similar to the 5 stages of grief.

I purchased most of my daughter's gifts online from Scholar's choice, the opposite of shopping at the BIG BOX store, I may have decided to buy new but I still have my limits and there are lines I will not cross. It was easy, a few clicks, an online coupon, 15 minutes and I was done. I also was able to buy a few extra things for my Mom to save her the shopping trip. It was so easy sitting in my living room and it made it feel less real. I wasn't shopping, I was clicking. It was convenient, and it was painless, and it was totally cheating on my plan but the benefits outweighed the cons. I told myself that 50 times and believed it about half of the time. I bought not one thing at a big box store and this made me feel principled, but in reality I was re-entering the machine, morphing back into a consumer cog. This was the denial phase. At first it was very uncomfortable, but it got easier.

For my husband I bought a WagJag Jaunt to Niagara which technically was not a thing so score one for the plan. Of course there was a stocking to be stuffed so off I went to a local bargain store because even though I was buying new I was trying to be as frugal as possible. At this point I entered the anger phase. I got angry as I was subjected to the holiday decor, impulse items and quickly wanted out of the store. I was frustrated with myself for caving even a little to the consumer pressure of the holidays. I was angry at the shiny decorations, the catchy advertising, angry at the pressure to "purchase" the best Christmas possible for my child and my family. Rudolph's nose might have well been blinking in morse code, buy me, buy me , buy me and buy a happy Christmas!!!

I also agreed to buy a few things for my husband on behalf of my mother and at this point I began to bargain. I bought a Groupon for a discount book store, $10 for $20 in merchandise at a  store that was already 20-40% off, so it was such a good deal it was OK right? I mean the prices were almost as cheap as 2nd hand and it wasn't a box store so it wasn't THAT bad right? Besides they had yummy hot chocolate, Michael Bublé singing carols and pretty candles.... I was weak, forgive me for being so easily misled? I mostly skipped depression, but there was a little sadness every time I made a new purchase. Although I wouldn't do too much differently I felt sad that I wasn't quite able to break away from the consumer Christmas as much as I had hoped.

Last but not least acceptance. I understood that I didn't keep to the plan as much as I had hoped I would but I accepted that I stumbled, and I felt the best way to deal with it with it was to get back up on the 2nd hand rocking horse and try again. I tried harder to keep in line with the plan when it came to gifts for family and friends. For my extended family I bought Heart and Stroke Lottery Calendars, I made some Kahlua (which got rave reviews) that I bottled for a few family members, and I made a Christmas vase for my mother in law! It was my first upcycling project from a vase and candle holder I bought 2nd hand , an some etching kit and some decorative sand from a craft store. Ribbon I had in my decoration box.

Just add a nice wreath of greens and voila! Centerpiece!

 By the time I was done with the holidays, and went to spend my gifts cards, I was numb to it all. I went into a mall and didn't cringe. I walked into Winners and spent every penny of that gift card without even wincing. I bout a yoga mat which arguably I would not buy 2nd hand anyway (sweaty 2nd hand? no thanks!) but I also bought a few things for my daughter and could feel my eyes drifting to the sweaters and jeans, looking longingly at the shoes and almost fell right off the wagon. So I shook the sales banners out of my head, dusted myself off and walked out of the mall with a reaffirmation to my 2nd Hand Plan. I hope you all had a great Holiday, and I will be posting about my daughter's 2nd hand birthday and why 2nd hand shopping is one of the best ways to stick it to Wall street.

The house that Kijiji built.

Ok, first sorry for the long break but I took a holiday home to BC and well let's just say that what happens in BC stays in BC (what shopping?!).......


I have also started my plan to go back to school and that has been tying up my time and my head, it's a big change and although it isn't a done deal yet, I am hoping that by January I will be going back to school !! And the 2nd hand plan will help us save some $$ as I will be working less, yet another way I am benefiting from the  plan.

So in my last blog I talked a lot about Kijiji and what a great service it is so I though I'd share some of the things I was able to get for my house from Kijiji and show you what great stuff there is out there to be had 2nd hand.

This is a picture of the sofa set I bought for $315, it came with a sofa, loveseat, chair and pillows. It was in great condition and easy to clean, very important with a toddler around!

Next is the Cd rack we bought for I think $15 or 20, mint condition and exactly what we needed. We sold our smaller one for $15 to pay for this one.

Next the kitchen, there is a small dining room table from Ikea that we paid around $70 for (in very good condition). We sold our other set as it was too big for our new place. I sold the teak table ,chairs and buffet I bought on Kijiji for the same price I paid for it and it was still a great deal for the people that bought it ($350).  The corner hutch I paid $20 for and it is solid wood and in mint condition.

Now for the little girl`s room. I bought this book shelf on Kijiji from a woman who bought old wood furniture and painted it with fun colours, the top of the book shelf says ``Books fall open and you fall in`` I love this piece as it is fun and one of a kind for $20.

This dresser I bought sanded and ready to be painted for $30. I threw on a coat of primer and a nice top coat and off we went. It came with the original hardware, pretty rose porcelain knobs.

We also bought or daughter`s double bed frame for $10 and a mattress from a spare room almost new for $40. I bought many other small things like toys and toy box etc for my daughter and about 80% of her clothes come from Kijiji, the rest second hand stores and gifts. Whatever I don`t sell on Kijiji I donate, and I feel good about both options.

Buying 2nd hand has saved us a ton of money and makes me feel good about shrinking my footprint on this beautiful planet of ours.

So my next blog will be about preparing for , are you ready for it?? CHRISTMAS!!!! I know it's early but December is incredibly busy for me so I aim to have most  holiday stuff done by December 1st. Ambitious? Slightly. Crazy? Definitely. Stay tuned as I aim to do my first upcycling project for gifts, as I hunt for charitable organizations to buy gifts from (some great links to come for this) and try my best to restrain myself from going crazy and spoiling my daughter with a ton of stuff that will be forgotten by Dec27th.
Sticking with the 2nd hand plan over the holidays is my 1st priority !!

Kijiji & Co.

Ok so I'll do my update first. This month was really good in some ways and I kind of got lazy in others.... So after we bought our new TV we tried to hook up our DVD player and unfortunately it turns out our DVD player is so old we would have had to get a special and expensive cable so we decided to get a new one. We purchased a Blu ray player and will be donating our DVD player this week.

We also cleaned house and got rid of a ton of baby stuff, change table, booster chair, and a ton of baby clothes. I would normally sell these things but I knew I would be buying a few new things so the Salvation Army got a big donation !! So now for the lazy bit. My daughter and I are headed to BC for 2 weeks and I wanted to fill her travel suitcase with new toys to keep her occupied as any parent who travels with toddlers knows, you need new and interesting things to keep you from being "that parent and kid" on the plane! I did look at a few 2nd hand stores and found one good toy and the rest I got new.  I know I covered my bases with all my donations ( as per rule #4)  but had I not left the suitcase filling to the last minute I would have been able to find more 2nd hand. The thing I find the hardest about the 2nd hand plan is that it takes a lot more time and leg work. I got lazy and didn't plan ahead so I filled her suitcase and my boots and my neighbourhood box store.

Now on to other topics. I donated most things this week but my daughter's crib set I decided to sell on Kijiji, mostly as it was expensive and it was in mint condition. I wanted to get a little $$ for it to help cancel out the new Blue ray player. This brings me to the main point and topic of this blog. What makes Kijiji such a great service and the other sites like it is that it allows people like me to sell things to other families who are also like me in the search for the 2nd hand deal. It takes out the middle man ( not that I'm knocking consignment because it is also a GREAT service) and allows us to help each other out face to face. I love knowing that I am selling a few quality items at a very fair price and saving someone a lot of money. Now as great as Kijiji is there are a lot of people who make it a frustrating, time consuming process. So here is some friendly and helpful advice, or maybe it's just a rant. You decide.

I listed the crib set a few months ago and got a few questions and offers immediately but most people made insultingly low offers, or asked to set up times and then never got back to me. All in all it took 2 months to set up a time with someone who was serious after the 3 who asked to set up times then bailed without so much as an email. So here are my top 5 Kijiji irks.

1. Post your items in the right category, and double check your listing for accuracy. Spell check anyone?!
2. Make sure you describe all relevant details. For example size for furniture, all relevant measurements, colour of items (photos are rarely accurate), and sizes for clothing/shoes
3. If you ask to see an item or ask to buy it , do not just bail, send a polite changed my mind email
4. Do not ask people to hold an item if you are not serious about buying it, be honest in your communication !
5. Respond to all emails, if you have sold the item DELETE THE AD !

So whether it is Kijiji, Craigslist, or whatever site your community uses be thankful for it, use it politely and  considerately . And remember there is a lot of good stuff on Kijiji, at your local thrift shops, and at consignment stores waiting to be given a 2nd life !!

Accesorize!

Update on the plan.... So our TV was about to die so we purchased a new one and donated two in return. We also bought a few things for a trip to the beach and I will be heading to donate a few decor items I have decided to pass on to someone new. So far I am having a good time with my 2nd hand mission, and other than one day when I was a bit crabby and wanted to shop mostly just for the high, not that I actually needed anything. I have had no problem sticking to it. I bought a dresser for my daughter on Kijiji that I am going to paint next week and am hunting for curtains for her room as well as a tricycle for her. I am loving the hunt for all the stuff I need, I spend more time on Kijiji than I am sure is healthy !

So my last entry was about fabulous ideas for upcycling furniture and home decor and the value in finding new uses for old things. The benefits to the environment, your pocket book, and the great feeling you get from knowing you have something unique are all reasons upcycling inspires me. I truly believe that the desire or the pressure to consume is just the other side to the shiny designer coin of conformity. Buy this, all the other cool kids have it ! I do not pretend to be crafty, ahead of any trend, let alone starting them, but I do appreciate the feeling of finding something at a thrift shop or garage sale that is unique, one of a kind, or so old and outdated it is in again. Shag carpet anyone?

I found a number of really awesome ideas for upcycling things into jewellery, clothes, and some great places you can go to get something unique of your very own.

First I'll start with a store here in Kitchener Ontario called Rare Funk. Tamara (the owner) has assembled a fantastic collection of vintage, funky, retro, and modern pieces and there is a little something for everyone. From funkified vintage ties, cool monster stuffies for the kids, glass tiled jewellery, and lace undies for the ladies (or boys, whatever floats your boat !...) the variety is amazing. So no matter your age, budgets, size or shape you'll find something either in store or in their online shopping gallery to help you get your funk on !
Visit the website at www.rarefunk.ca



Next I want to showcase someone I already have a link to on my blog but her stuff is really cool and I have already passed the site onto someone who will be purchasing some of her stuff very soon! Handsome and Lace makes old ties new again with vintage fabrics and they are lovingly hand stitched. She also has an incredible collection of bow ties, ankle bows, and hair accessories that would make heads turn !








http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandsomeAndLace?ref=top_trail , here is the link to her etsy shop and she also has a blog by the same name.


This is a link to another Etsy shop that I recently was turned onto by a friend and this will definitely be on my Christmas list, and the artist is from my home town of Victoria BC ! Vintage teapots and china turned into stunning earrings. I call them tearrings.... too much?






http://www.etsy.com/shop/2birdsjewellery?ref=top_trail

 These are just a few ideas of amazing ways to breathe new life into often forgotten things that may otherwise end up in our landfills, to turn something old into something beautiful, to appreciate our "things" once again. So look around your hometown or on the net and see what unique and funky upcycled item you can add to your collection !!