Chalk and Cheese Chronicles

Cleaning Out My Garage for the Gemini Crickets Sale

I think I can do this. I think I can get through the boxes and boxes of well loved clothes my boys have outgrown. I've been going through these boxes all morning, sipping coffee and sorting through the memories attached when I come across certain items. Everything, except the memories, is garage sale bound.

While I love getting rid of stuff because I hate clutter and enjoy the extra cash to feed my Starbucks addiction, I'm not thrilled when people try to talk me down to a buck for things I paid a whole lot more for. I've got clothes from Baby Style, Tea Collection and even some Frenchie brands. No Circo! And I take care of my things. I'm OCD about that. I still have the manuals for most things. Some items fetch more money on Craigslist. When I tried to sell $25 Livie and Luca shoes last year for $4, people balked! I think it's just that they didn't know the brand. When I got home, I searched on Craigslist and saw Livie and Lucas shoes going for $15 and up! I ended up giving mine away. So while I'm excited that most of my stuff will be going to new homes (and hopefully to homes who have twins or more), I'm always dismayed that this sale has become such a dollar store fest! Great for buyers (who'll one day be sellers and tables will turn) and not-so-great from a seller's point of view.

Anyhow, I think I'll just be happy to come home to an empty garage. So here are the details:

http://tinyurl.com/3lscvq

On Saturday, October 11th, Gemini Crickets will be holding its annual Fall Garage Sale. We have two of these each year and it is a great place to find excellent deals on baby and kid items - clothes, equipment, bedding, toys, you name it. If you are expecting twins (or more...or less!), or if you have babies or kids, this sale is for you!

Come join us at:
Campbell Community Church
860 Harriet Ave, Campbell, CA
Saturday, October 11th, 8:30am - 11:30am

Note that this is a location change from our past garage sales and will be part of Campbell's Citywide Garage Sale.

** This is a PUBLIC event - You do NOT have to be a Gemini Crickets member to buy items at this garage sale. There is no entrance fee.

Locked Out of the House

A few days ago, Chalk Boy mastered the last of our baby proofing efforts, the chain lock on the front door. I was a little disheartened, but accepted that this would have happened sooner or later. Heck, I'm the one who bought my boys that Melissa and Doug Locks and Latches Box when they turned one. It's not that they didn't know how to unlatch a chain lock; it's more that the idea had never occurred to them before.

Yesterday, we pulled into the driveway after an afternoon playdate and hit the button on the remote to the garage door opener. The garage door rose about a foot and then fell shut again. Up, down, up, down, like at a game of miniature golf. Finally, I managed to get the garage door to remain open just a crack. The front door was triple locked. We were stuck outside, completely locked out of the house.

We all got out of the car to look, scratching our heads. The very enticing thought that we might get to crash a dinner party going on at Grandma's did enter my head, but as I looked at the 8" gap at the bottom of the garage door, I knew there was a way to get in.

"Boys, would you like to slide under the door and then use the key to get in?" I asked.

My boys nodded. They were up for the challenge.

I gave Chalk Boy the house key as he wiggled his body beneath the garage door. Cheese Boy followed. I grabbed hold of the bottom of the garage door, just in case it gave way. Soon, they were in the big, empty garage, two preschoolers all alone. Cheese Boy started to look through the buckets of sand toys, quickly forgetting his mission. But Chalk Boy was focused. Soon, he had the door to the house open. Success! "I'm inside!" he yelled heroically.

"OK you guys, now run around to the front of the house and open the door!" I barked. They'd have to stand on the Sit n Spin (which is all they've ever used it for) to unchain the top lock, then they'd have to unlock both the front and screen doors.

Within minutes, they threw the front door wide open, both of them grinning. Hooray!

"We saved you!" they said, beaming.

"Yes, you did! Thank you!" I replied, grateful that breaking and entering could turn out to be such a useful skill.

Original Chalk and Cheese Chronicles blog post.