Ms. Fashionista On A Dime

OH MY! Call me slow, but I just discovered the true joy of thrift/second hand shopping!

Mallory was in need of clothes. Big time. A friend of mine directed me to a place called "Once Upon A Child" in Twin Falls, ID.

The idea, bring in your gently used clothes and they will buy them off of you. Cash or store credit. They in turn sale those clothes for WAY cheap!

I know there are places like this all over the place. I remember Kid to Kid being a big one in Utah. Some stores a super picky about the clothes they will sale and others not as much. However, you are BOUND to come up with some serious finds for a very small amount.

Wanna see a few things I picked up?

(you will have to pardon the VERY poor quality of the pics below. RV lighting...not really ideal!)

I did splurge a bit on the boots...although I ended up taking them back. The boots were $25 at Target. Within a couple of days the covering was peeling like crazy! Maybe, for Mal, we will look elsewhere for shoes.

The sweater above is Gymboree. Never been used. I bought it for $4.50.

The skirt, the same. Gymboree, never used. Also $4.50.

HOW GREAT IS THAT?!

So cute, I couldn't stand it! :)

She liked it too!

Check out that "High Fashion" shot! Well, that or "Please stop taking pictures Mom!"

This cute little dress was in nearly new condition and I stole it for $3! LOVE THAT!

I LOVE this sweater on this little stinker!

Look how long that is!

Sweater: $3.50

Turtleneck underneath: $1.50

We also snagged this great sweater. I am not sure if it has ever been worn by anyone else, but I absolutely loved it on Mal. Warm and cozy! And only $4!

I picked up 4 church shirts for Jake. Not one of them over $4. I also snagged him a John Deere shirt, just to remind him of our WAY TOO MUCH FUN night out before school started this year!

Needless to say, I am converted! Between shopping the second hand stores for the perfect item and Old Navy's clearance racks, where I just picked up the cutest shirt for Mally for just $2.47, I can do a whole lot more shopping for kids clothes for a WHOLE lot less! Plus there is something so satisfying about saving a whole load of money, isn't there?!

Do you have a favorite thrift/second hand store in your area?

DO SHARE!

GO HERE to post the store name and the area! That way the other readers that live in your area can find the deals too! :)

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT.....a little something I can't live without!

My sister in law, Jana, whom I love dearly, emailed this recipe to me.
 I have to say that I LOVE IT!

I knew I couldn't go wrong when I saw the "Fels Naptha" I have been using this as a stain remover for about 8 years! LOVE IT! Not to mention this stuff comes with fabulous reviews from all the ladies in her ward and her sisters that have tried it!

I have now been using it for a year. I will not go back! WON'T DO IT, I SAY! I love this stuff!

I absolutely knew I HAD to make this when I found that your total cost on this stuff is $2 per 5 gallon bucket of detergent which does about 400 loads! SERIOUSLY?! I laugh at you laundry detergent isle! I will no longer spend $15 to do 36 loads! MWAH HA HA!!

Let me show you how it is done......

Get your self a clean 5 gallon bucket and all this fun stuff. (All will be found in your laundry detergent section of the grocery store. Your total cost will be about $7.50).

Grate up the bar of Fels Naptha. I loved this part! I am such a texture person. Mal kept telling me she doesn't like cheese. Looks like it huh?!


Now place the grated bar & 4c. of hot water in a pot and heat, stirring constantly over medium low heat until the soap is completely melted.

Fill your bucket half full (oh yeah, I AM that type of person) with very hot water.

Pour your soap mixture into the water.

Add 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Laundry Soap

Then 1/2 c. Borax

Now stir it up really good. You want all the powder to be dissolved.

Now fill the bucket the rest of the way and cover. Leave over night to allow it to cool & thicken.

Since I paid an arm and a leg for my last container of liquid Tide, I rinsed the container out really good and using a funnel, filled the container with my new improved detergent. You can use any kind of container you would like.

Now, just so you know, the smell of the Fels Naptha bar itself is strong. Don't let this discourage you. The final smell is a very clean almost lemony smell. I like it. You can, if you would like, add 10-15 drops of essential oil per two gallons once the detergent has cooled, if you would like to add your own scent.

Now, if you are using a top loading machine you will use 5/8 cup of the detergent. Front loaders only 1/4 cup.

If you want to get real fancy/thrifty you can also mess with your fabric softener. Here is the recipe for that:

FABRIC SOFTENER

1 BOTTLE OF YOUR FAVORITE LIQUID SOFTENER

2 BOTTLES WATER

2 SPONGES

Combine in a container of your choosing. Leave sponges in liquid. Ring out and throw in dryer with wet laundry. Works great.

And here is the recipe to the Laundry Detergent.

 LAUNDRY DETERGENT

4 C. HOT TAP WATER

1 BAR OF FELS NAPTHA

1 C. ARM & HAMMER LAUNDRY SODA

1/2 C. BORAX

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with the water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. Fill 5 gallon bucket half full of very hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per two gallons, add once soap has cooled. Top loading machine: 5/8 c. per load Front loading machine: 1/4 c. per load Makes approx. 400 loads

ENJOY!