A Busy Toddler

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I just recently finished my local mothers-of-multiples club's consignment sale, and thought I would jot down some things before I forgot!  (Most clubs have semi-annual sales, one in the spring and one in the fall.)

Here's my table!  As you can see, I didn't have that many clothes to sell this time, so I could get away with hanging them off the edge of a basket, instead of doing the clothing rack route, which I address below.

If you're selling:

• Keep seasons in mind.  If you're selling in the fall, it's true that you're probably trying to get rid of summer things, but most people will be shopping for winter gear.  
• $100 in change is more than enough.  You'll need a couple twenties, some tens and fives, and $20 or more in ones.  The ones and fives are what you'll probably need most.  You may not even need this much change, but better than running out!  Bring a roll of quarters if you're selling things for less than a dollar.
• Watch your items!  It saddens me to report that at this most recent sale, one mother had a very high-quality coat stolen from her rack.  It's easy to get into conversation with those around us, but be sure to keep one eye on your items.  If you leave your table/area to shop or go to the bathroom, take your money with you and be sure to have the person next to you help keep watch while you're gone.  
• Racks and hangers.  If you have a lot of clothing to sell, they go faster when hung up, and this is easiest to do with a clothing rack.  Ikea has them for $13 ($10 for a rack without wheels).  At first I thought this would be a frivolous purchase, but the racks really do attract more customers.  Also, a friend of mine uses her rack for guest's clothing at her home, year-round, so if you have no actual guest-room closet, this is a good solution.

  

  Image from Ikea.com

   As for hangers, not all stores allow you to take the hangers with you when you buy clothes, so it's easy enough to get a pack, such as these from Amazon (Just don't be like me and forget to take the hangers back when selling the clothing!)                                                                                                                                                                 
  
  
• Keep prices fair. When setting up the night before I took a lap around the room to get an idea of how other people price.  Then I had to adjust some of my things accordingly.  If you really want to just get rid of items, price them fairly.  If you need to make more money on things, go ahead and price it high and see what kind of offers you get.  Have a number in your head and stay firm.  (Perhaps something was more expensive, you bought it new yourself, or you never even had a chance to use something.)
• Be realistic.  You won't sell everything.  You'll sell some things.
  
  

  

  Image from memestache.com

  
  No, you won't make millions!  In my first sale I made $180, this time I made $160.  You could make more, you could make less, depending on what you're selling and how much traffic can be generated for the sale event.  
• Remember you can sell elsewhere, too.  If you haven't tried it yet, consider joining Facebook pages for local sales, or perhaps your local multiples club has a classifieds page for members.  Also, a friend told me you can often sell larger things well on Ebay.  If you offer free shipping, then factor that in when setting a price.  Take as many pictures as possible, and note any and all flaws!  If you are overly critical of the product, then you can avoid the scenario of a customer complaining that it didn't meet expectations.  
• Bags.  Bring plastic shopping bags for customers to carry around their purchases.  Most people won't remember to bring their own, and this will be an added, appreciated gesture.  

If you're shopping:

• Bring cash!
• Make a list.  Write down beforehand what you need, and then what you want.  If you're looking for big-ticket items, you may even want to look online to see retail value, so that you'll know what kind of deals you're getting.  Also, with a list, you're less likely to feel overwhelmed walking into a big venue, and more likely to stay focused and self-disciplined when it comes to spending!
• You can negotiate.
• Look first, buy second.  Circle the whole venue first, that way you can compare similar or even identical items.  

In case you missed it, I have another post on this subject here:  Preparing for a Consignment Sale.

Happy selling and happy shopping!such as these from Amazon.

More Tips for Feeding Two Babies

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Now we are two years past the time of nursing, formula, bottles, and all that goes with it!  But I am still learning so many things about that important first year of feeding.  Here are a few things I've learned from other parents of multiples.  (This is a continuation of my first post on the subject: Feeding Two At A Time.)

• One friend of mine said she would nurse one baby, while simultaneously bottle feeding the other baby, who was propped up on a boppy.  That must have taken some juggling skills!  But this way, you could take turns each feeding, and both babies would have the bonding of a nursing session, as well as learn to drink from a bottle if necessary.  
• One product that seems to be popular is the Table for Two, used for bottle feeding.  I've never used it, though I can see how handy it would be for feeding, impromptu naps, propping babies up to read to them, even for spoon feeding solids when the time comes (but not so easy to clean for that purpose).  However, the drawback for me is that this doesn't allow the caregiver to have any back support while feeding the babies.  It seems as though you have to sit criss-cross in front of the babies and may end up hunching over them.  Please comment below if you have used this product!    https://buytablefortwo.com/  

  
  
  

  Image from https://buytablefortwo.com/

  
  
• Next is a product that I did not have, but wanted to try, was the Bebe Bottle Sling!  This link, http://www.bebebottlesling.com/, will take you to their website, which also sells cute gifts for multiples.  The sling can be attached to a car seat handle, thus can be used for feedings on the go.   

  
  
  

  Bebe Bottle Sling Image from http://www.toysrus.com/
  
  

  
  
• A similar product is the Bottle Snuggler, found at www.bottlesnugglers.com, which props the bottle on top of the baby for feeding.  Lots of women of my grandmothers' generation seemed to suggest bottle propping, though I know it's been decried in more recent times.  But, when you have a bunch o' babies, you do what you gotta do...just use these products with your own judgement.  
• Another option is the Twin Z Pillow.  I've never used it, and haven't personally seen friends use it, but according to the website, http://www.twinznursingpillow.com/, you could use it for breastfeeding, bottle feeding, lounging, and tummy time!  I will say that, judging by pictures alone, this seems easier and more stable for the babies than the My Brest Friend double nursing pillow I had.  It also offers more back support, which is important after C-sections, when breast-feeding, etc.
• A product that follow your multiples for an even longer period of time is an adjustable high chair or booster seat.  You can strap the babies in and recline the back, and move the seats around wherever you are in the house.  Later you can strap them to chairs when they start to eat solids, or even remove the tray and use as a booster seat when they're toddlers (if the seat will fit under your table, depends on the height of your chairs and table).  We had the ones below, the Fisher-Price Spacesavers.  However, they're no longer in stock at Walmart, so one option is to order online.                                                                                                                                                                                      

Happy feeding!