Thrift Store Finds

One of the things my kids wanted to do before they went back to school was go on a shopping spree. I had some money left in our "Summer Fun" budget, so I arranged for each of them to have $5 to spend at Deseret Industries (this is the thrift store run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - which serves communities around the world).

I tried my hardest to let my kids get what they wanted, but I had to sneak quite a few of Holland's selections back on the shelf (how many broken and dirty toys do we need?)

It was pretty fun to see what my kids decided to buy. Here are their purchases:

Nicky

My trick-shot obsessed, Fallon loving, chicken farming, 11-year-old boy bought a basketball game, a Jimmy Fallon book, and a singing Santa chicken (it works... unfortunately).

Earlier this summer, Nicky and I were talking about educational options for TV, and he said, "Jimmy Fallon is educational TV. If I didn't watch Jimmy Fallon, I wouldn't know that Beyonce is married to Jay-Z, and I wouldn't have been able to guess Jay-Z in CatchPhrase."

I was too speechless to argue.

Daisy

Daisy picked two fluorescent colored Easter bunnies, and a pair of footed penguin jammies. We later discovered that the pajamas have a hole in the crotch. It's nothing I can't fix, but I am reminded of an important thrift shopping rule: always check the crotch!

(How did I forget?)

Zoe

Zoe is obsessed with penguins, and she's been asking me to buy her some footie pajamas, so she was thrilled to find penguin footie pajama's (she and Daisy each found a pair of penguin jammies in their size). She also bought a stuffed owl, a knock-off My Little Pony, and a plush rose that probably fell of a giant Valentine's Day gorilla at some point (I took deep breaths and let her get what she wanted). 

Zoe also got a pair of Heelys. This put her over, $5, but I have an agreement with my kids that if we ever find Heelys in good condition in their sizes at DI, we will get them. We have found many pairs of Heelys, but this is the first time we've found a correct size. Zozo fell on her butt three times within the first few minutes of putting them on. 

Eva

Eva, who has no sense of money whatsoever, picked several things very quickly and with each item stated, "I always wanted one of these!" Now she has the Hello Kitty coin purse she's always wanted, the star glassed she's always wanted, the toy hammer she's always wanted, and the half-inflated balls she's always wanted. She also has a broken toy cell phone, a skirt for dance class, and a stuffed shark. 

Nicky loves chickens, Daisy loves unicorns, Zoe loves penguins, and Eva loves sharks. One day told Zoe told me that she has a penguin in her heart. Eva immediately said, "And I have a shark in my heart." She sleeps with a stuffed shark from the dollar store that she calls, "Sharky." Now Sharky has a friend, and I'm sure I'll have to take them both to church for the next five years. 

(Zoe also says she has kitties in her brain. I'm not sure what the symptoms are, but frankly, I'm not surprised). 

I didn't buy anything for myself at DI, but I have regrets. You see, I found a special treasure - a copy of Donny Osmond's book. My first thought was, "I'm totally buying this and mailing to to Shannon!" I picked the book up and thumbed through it, and you guys!!! 

It was autographed!

...to Sheila. 

Whose devotion to Donny is now in question. 

Something about it being written to Sheila made me decide to not get it. Then ten minutes after I left the store, I was kicking and scolding myself, "BRITTANY! You just passed on an autographed Donny Osmond book! What the heck is wrong with you?" If nothing else, it would have been an awesome white elephant!