September, once again, went past in a blur. I was submerged in work as our fiscal year kicked off. It was calls after calls with the different country heads and then creating plans and putting up calendars.
Next, something even more challenging came about. This required planning too, but also physical heaving, cleaning, packing and labeling. It was our annual Twins' Club Garage Sale and because the venue we were going to use had to be shut down in a week's time for renovation, the sale was brought forward by two months.
Because I buy a lot, I need to sell a lot in order to create space... and peace at home. My Dad has minimized his complaints after knowing that there is such a thing as a market for secondhand children ware - equipment, toys, clothing and books. I buy, I sell, the kids get 'new'
toys and puzzles every year - a win-win situation. After they tire of a toy, I sell and buy something age appropriate that
grows with them.
This particular year, it is a big scale event for me because I offered to help three other girlfriends sell their wares. Not the easiest task but rather satisfying to know we are recycling 'junk' and someone else will be benefiting from buying a preloved item that will be useful and yet cheaper than market rate.
So, the sorting began and even the twins helped out. They helped to piece together the puzzles which they have outgrown. Then Ammi helped to pack them into transparent bags ( obtained from the magazines and newsletters I receive through the mail). Aidan helped to seal and label the prices. He was my pricing consultant - deciding how much he would be willing to pay for a particular item - until I decided that either he was a way too generous customer, or my sale items looked as good as new!
I went into panic mode last week as the 'sorting' room looked the same despite having things labeled and packed as we go along. More stock were coming in so we shifted the operations downstairs as the loading day drew near. The helpers have been really helpful, I put the success of this year's sale down to two main factors - their eagerness to get rid of as many things in the house (less to sort, pack and clear) and my great organizational skills in setting up a schedule for sorting, packaging, labeling and lastly, packing into multiple bags arranges by category.
Thanks to Hubs as he left the family 'van' on the critical day where I had to lug the goods down for setup. I even brought along a clothes rack to lend the club and that fitted in with no problem too!
The excel spreadsheet tells me that I have crossed the thousand dollar mark with this year's sale, together with the combine items from my girlfriends. Am happy with that achievement. It was also a good two days for me to catch up with fellow twins mums and work out as we labeled doorways, pushed tables around and displayed goods on the tables we rented.
I welcome October with open arms... That is, arms armed with pens, assessment books and highlighters. It is exam month for Aidan, a.k.a Mother-Son bonding time. But not before we celebrate his 9th birthday this Sat with a cosy sleepover party with his 3 best friends!
