Discounts, Deals and Out Right Blessings!

Every time the seasons change and it's time for me to switch out Gianna's wardrobe I start worrying a little. Clothing and shoes are so expensive these days, even "good deals" aren't really good deals a lot of times. They might be better then what it is normally but still not a good deal! It's amazing how expensive children's clothing and shoes are. You can spend as much on a child's pair of jeans or shoes as you can on a grown adults! I want Gigi to be dressed well, adorably. But at the same time we can't spend a fortune on clothes for her. So I have learned to hunt for deals, keep my eyes open for sales and never pass up good, quality "hand-me-downs". I'm always afraid Gigi's wardrobe will be lacking or that I will have to spend a fortune to get her what she needs. I don't know why I do this because I see every season that Gigi has everything she needs and more! And it seems to just happen! Lol! I'm always scouting out thrift stores - and here's the thing, thrift stores have some nasty junk and sometimes I leave empty handed but I keep going back because every once in awhile you find something that's an absolute gem! I went into a thrift store while I was in Bama and walked out with an awesome back pack for Gianna - bigger then her tiny one that didn't hold anything but smaller then normal back packs, just her size! It carries her books and markers and snacks and she loves being able to carry her own bag around. I also went into another thrift store while I was there and walked out with a pair of Nike's for Gigi - almost in perfect condition! A spin through the washing machine and a little "spit n shine" and they look awesome! I got them for $4! I love finding a good deal, especially for her!

I've mentioned before that I was doing WeeRuns this year - I actually put in stuff to sell but I priced it all very reasonable hoping that maybe it'll help someone else out and maybe make me a few dollars in the process. But I also like shopping and finding deals for Gigi. They have two sales - the main sale and then a week later they do a big half off sale and everything that is left is half off! I went to both sales this year and got some great stuff for Gigi's Fall wardrobe. From both sales I ended up with:

3 pairs of shoes

2 pairs of Children's Place jeans in perfect condition

2 skirts (one from Old Navy, one from Children's Place)

3 shirts

1 sweater dress with matching leggings

1 "poofy" vest

2 hoodie jackets

1 sweater jacket

1 dress

And I got all of it for about $50 dollars!!! I was very happy with that - so tonight I decided to go through some stuff I have gotten from my aunt and some other stuff I had gotten here and there and put away for Fall. I was shocked at how much Gigi already has for Fall/Winter! 7 pairs of name brand jeans and pants, loads of jackets and long sleeve shirts and several cute dresses and great winter shoes including an adorable pair of brown fur boots!!! Basically all she really needs still is black winter boots and some bright, fun leggings to go with dresses and skirts. I am thrilled! And so very blessed! I get compliments all the time on how cute Gigi is dressed and most of her stuff I find at thrift stores and discount sales and most of them are NAME BRAND!!! It pays to look and search.....people who spend, literally, fortunes on clothes for their kids I just don't get. Don't get me wrong, I love buying Gigi brand new things and I do sometimes but I don't over do it because I know how quickly she outgrows them. I LOVE buying her shoes - she usually has quite the collection for every season but I rarely spend more then $10 on a pair of shoes for her. The most expensive pairs of shoe she has were a pair of Nike's I bought brand new at a Nike factory store on sale for $20! And then a pair of Converse's that we got on sale for $20! I am proud of how she looks and I'm even prouder that I can dress her so well on a budget! It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something!!!!