Over The River and Through The Woods to Many Goodwills I Go

I had a fantabulous day today. I had a two hour class at work today, and because my workplace is nine miles away, I decided to make the most of this long drive.

And how do I make the most of driving all the way across town for a measly two work commitment?

Thrift stores baby, thrift stores.

After dropping checks off at the credit union, (I love my savings account so much that yes, I wish I could marry it!) I snaked my way across town hitting four different thrift stores as well as The Dollar Tree. Supposedly I was holiday shopping, but I found more for moí than anyone else.

The first thrift shop was a bust, but I struck gold at the Broadway Goodwill. I bought:

• A cool circa 1950’s bulldog cookie jar. (I have been looking for a vintage cookie jar as long as I can remember, and today was my lucky day.) $3.99.
• A tub of vintage marbles. These marbles could easily be sold for at least $50, so the $2.99 that I spent was a great deal.
• A $1.99 copy of Unplug The Christmas Machine, which I will use as a give-away on the blog.

I then walked across the street to The Dollar Tree store where I bought five bags of tortillas plus a jar of marinated red peppers. Tortillas at the grocery store cost at least $3, so $1 apiece is a great deal. The brand is exactly the same and it was nowhere near its expiration date. I threw them in the freezer.

I then drove across the river and hit up the West Burnside Goodwill store, where I scored:

• A like-new pair of boy’s Vans brand sneakers for $4.99. I was going to save them for Christmas, (as my son has been begging for a pair) but I decided to give them to him today as it occurred to me that a pair of used shoes that had the possibility of not actually fitting would be an extremely crappy Christmas present. Luckily, they fit.
• A large hanging canvas closet organizer for $4.99. I Set this up in the closet of our spare bedroom, which now means that towels no longer have to sit on a shelf, which frees up a whole big shelf for toiletries. (We have zero storage in our one bathroom and no linen cupboard, so keeping all the bathroom stuff organized is a challenge.)
• More wooden hangers for $1.99. Taking all our clothes off of plastic hangers and replacing them with sturdy wooden hangers has made me realize that I actually care more about have a pleasingly organized closet than I actually care about the clothes. Seriously.
• A small glass Pyrex bowl complete with snap-on lid for $1.99. Sweeeet!

• A Folkmanis brand $1.99 stuffed animal of a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly for my five-year-old niece. She was very clear during my last Seattle trip that visiting her without bringing a present is not acceptable. I will make sure that her holiday presents are without reproach.

The last stop on my journey was the William Temple House thrift shop. This store is in an area that can be near to impossible to find a parking space, but I scored a spot directly in front. (Yay!) I bought:

• A $1 drinking glass that completes a set we use. We were down to seven of these glasses, which was kind of annoying, as we often are serving meals for eight people.
• A $1 canvas tote bag, which I will use as part of a Christmas gift that I will be giving.

The best part of shopping here is that I have a gift certificate that I’ve been slowly chipping away at for two years. As of today, I’m down to $7.

The work class was everything I had hoped and dreamed. But at least I didn’t drive a long distance without anything to show for it. And yes, I stopped to buy lettuce and ginger snaps on the way home. Because what use is a cookie jar without the cookies?!

I do have to say that holiday gift shopping is so much more fun when it’s combined with the thrill of the hunt. I ♥ thrift stores so very much.

P.S. I did buy some actual holiday gifts, but I am unable to write about them because certain people have been known to read my blog.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

Tagged as: Thrift Stores