Tag: shopping

Time to Declutter: MusicMagpie Helps Clean The House and Boost The Bank Account

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Jennifer Wolfe

Relaxing (Photo credit: Niels Linneberg)

It’s summer time…when most people are lounging by the pool, sipping a cool drink, reading that novel they’ve been putting off, and taking time to relax. Right?

Sadly, not me. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’ve never been able to sit around for more than a day or so…I like to be on the go. Doing things. Checking off my to-do list.

For me, summer is time to declutter. Sweep away all the leftovers from the school year, and prepare for the year to come.

When my kids go away to camp, I love nothing better than tearing up the house, digging into closets, sorting out the garage, painting furniture, and often completely changing the color of at least one room.

This year, my projects center around decluttering. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my kids are teenagers, and at least one of them will be moving out of the house in a year. This summer I’m all about purging.

I finally convinced my son that there is a whole lot of ‘stuff’ that he doesn’t need anymore, and he’d actually probably like his space a whole lot better if it was organized. Surprisingly, he agreed, and even thought it would be fine for me to start while he was away.

Maybe that was just a ploy to get me to do the work – what do you think?

The closet and dresser were easy – he’s grown six inches in the last year, and those shirts and shorts from last summer are way too small.

I’ve tackled his bookshelf, under his bed, and now it’s on to the CDs, DVDs, and the bane of every mother’s existence: video games.

Time to declutter those videogames! (Photo credit: Darren W)

After sorting out the grade-school discards, children’s movies and music that is so 2010, I wound up with a sizeable pile of ‘stuff’. I could donate them, sell them on CraigsList or eBay, but that’s so complicated and time consuming. Instead, I’m trying a new service to sell my old CDs, DVDs and games called musicMagpie.com.

MusicMagpie is a free service that involves scanning the item’s barcode to determine its value, boxing the items, taping on the free shipping label, and dropping it at a UPS store. Sounds simple? It is! When the box is received, MusicMagpie sends you a check.

Seriously – it took me about 5 minutes to scan the minimum 10 items with my smartphone. Within minutes, I received an email with the shipping label, I boxed them up, and dropped them at the store. Done. Free. There’s even an iPhone app.

And they send you a check.

But best of all, the clutter is out of my house, and not in the landfill.

So if you’re tired of lounging around this summer, give musicMagpie a try. It’s a perfect way to generate a little extra cash and clean up around the house.

Think about it: cold drink in one hand, smartphone in the other. Cash in your pocket.

What’s not to love?

This is a sponsored post, but all the opinions are my own.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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A Reminder to Breathe and Be Still

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Jennifer Wolfe

breathe

It only takes a reminder to breathe,

a moment to be still, and just like that,

something in me settles, softens, makes

space for imperfection.

The harsh voice

of judgment drops to a whisper and I

remember again that life isn’t a relay

race;

that we will all cross the finish

line;

that waking up to life is what we

were born for.

As many times as I

forget, catch myself charging forward

without even knowing where I’m going,

that many times I can make the choice

to stop, to breathe, and be, and walk

slowly into the mystery.

~ Danna Faulds

Jennifer Wolfe

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Prom Costs: What Do You Think It’s Worth?

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Jennifer Wolfe

prom costs

It’s prom season, and parents are feeling the pinch of financing the night of their high school student’s dreams.

In a recent study published by VISA, adding up the dress, shoes, makeup, nails, tux, flowers, dinner, limo and dance tickets totals an amazing $1,139,00 in 2013-far more than any teens that I know can afford.

So the question is, is it worth it?

Read more about prom costs in my article, “How to Avoid Overspending on Prom and Have Fun Doing It” and see what you think…is one night worth the cost?

Do you remember how much you spent on your prom? Has your child gone to prom recently? How did you handle the high cost of prom night?

Yahoo liked my article so much they added it into their feature, “Soaring and ‘genuinely silly’ prom costs prompt families to budget for big dance” on The Lookout Yahoo! News blog!

Jennifer Wolfe

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Bras, Boys and Down-Undies: Inside Gilly Hicks

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Jennifer Wolfe

True confession: I’m not much of a shopper. Malls make nervous. Walking around in circles without any true purpose, dodging strollers and aimless teenagers stresses me out. And of course, there’s the money issues. But even more crazy-making is the thought of my teens doing it without me.

I’m not big on just ‘hanging out’.

I know the trouble teens can get into.

Cam and bras So, being the mom of two teens-who-love-to-spend-money, and seeing that the great big Galleria was not completely out of the way to where our actual destination was, and knowing that my daughter would have to pay return shipping charges if we didn’t stop, I reluctantly caved in and with the caution we had to “make it quick”, walked through the glittering gates of doom.

Seriously, I dislike shopping. Especially shopping malls.

There is nothing that will age a woman quicker than entering the dark, labyrinthine teenage-girl-shopping-nirvana called Gilly Hicks.

Scantily clad teen greeters welcome us with message to be sure to “check out their selection of bras and down-undies.” What? I think I’m blushing.

My 13-year-old boy’s eyes widen. He’s about to learn a lot more on this shopping trip than I expected.

An intensely sweet odor overtakes our senses as we wind through the darkened network of aisles inside the store. Am I the only one bumping into racks of tiny t-shirts, and excusing myself as I walk into my own reflection in the fun-house-like profusion of full length mirrors? Those not nearly as advanced in age (in their first two decades) appear to navigate easily, jumping from rack to stack with the giddiness of one about to enter Disneyland for the first time. I have merely become the human shopping cart, arms full of nearly weightless tanks, Ts, and…down-undies?

Spinning around, I frantically search for a glimpse of him – he should stand out amongst the teenage females skipping around. I wander through racks and rows until suddenly, like the heavens parting, I see him: he has stopped dead center, like a minotaur frozen in his spot. He has found it: the wall ‘o bras.

Suddenly I realize I’ve lost the boy.

I see the look on his face. I imagine the thoughts spinning through his head as he takes in the floor to ceiling rainbow display. The colors glow through the darkness, towering far above my 5’2″ frame. Eye-level cups and colors of all sizes and shades boggle the mind. My brain clicks rapidly, searching for the right words. I stop, waiting for him to make the first move, ready for him to bolt to the exit.

To my astonishment, he smiles. “Mom, will you take my picture?” he asks with a grin.

I look into his eyes, and see the three-year-old I remember so well. But his face is longer, his body lankier, and I realize I’m in for far more than I imagined. His eyes are sparkling. He’s not squealing in disgust. He’s amused. He likes it.