Compassion International

Monday, June 27, 2011

Will Summer Ever Reach the NW?

I know y'all are burning up in the South, literally!  Not to be a complainer, but wow, would I love to have our weather meld with that of the South to get a little heat up here.  Y'all could use a bit of cooling off.

I still have plenty of great Mary Jane style shoes for your little girls.  I am ordering sandals this week and I think they'll be here in about 2 weeks, maybe a little longer.  Maybe by the time they get here it will be hot!

If you haven't ordered squeaky shoes for your little one just do it.  She will get such a charge out of the noise she can make.  Remember you can take the little squeakers out at any time with no hassle.

Email or call me today to order yours.

Happy Summer,

Tami

Friday, June 17, 2011

Preparing for the JBF Sale (Just Between Friends Sale)

I have over 20 years of retail experience in the clothing/jewelry business.  I was trained back in the "old days" by a tyrant district manager who insisted everything look perfect in our stores.  She drove us crazy but all that training has made me a much better retailer.  So I want to pass along some helpful hints to help you maximize your efforts so you can earn the most money.  I gotta say that I was shocked to see what people bring in to a consignment sale.  Things that were dirty, wrinkled, stained, smelly, worn out and just plain old!  I don't know if people don't read the FAQ on the JBF site to know what is acceptable or are people just ignorant?  Obviously you can tell I was much bothered by this so I decided I needed to blog about it.

If you want your goods to bring you the most money here's what you must do;
Toys;
1. Make sure they are clean, dust-free and if they require batteries they must have batteries that work.  You can get batteries at the dollar store.
Clothing;

1.  Bring all clothing clean and as wrinkle-free as you possibly can, if it's 100% cotton and you want top dollar, iron it.  Yes, I said iron!
2.  Make sure they are free of odors too.  If you smoke or you store them in the garage or musty basement then you need to store them in an air-tight container and put a dryer sheet with them.  Ideally you should wash them just before you bring them in, but I know that's not always possible.
3.  Make sure all clothing are current styles, 5 years old or newer.  This means it was purchased NEW in the last 5 years.  This doesn't mean new to you in the last 5 years.
4.  Clean shoes as well as you can and use a quick shine sponge on leather.
Hanging;

1. Use tubular hangers.  You can get these at yard sales or at the discount store.  Also ask friends if they are getting rid of some.  I always ask when I am shopping at the mall if stores have an kid size hangers they are getting rid of.
2. Do the best you can to get pants/skirts to hang well so they display well.  I'm working on a solution for this to help everyone.
Tagging

1. You can get a tagging gun from the fabric store or better yet, from a store supply store.  A tagging gun makes tagging clothing quick and easy.
2.  Use card stock to print your tags!  I don't know why people feel it's okay to skip this SIMPLE step.
Card stock, purchased at Walmart is probably less than $7 and well worth it.  You can't imagine how many tags come off due to the fact that they are printed on flimsy paper.

If you don't use card stock you are wasting everyone's time!  Think about it; you've taken all the time and energy to prep your merchandise. The JBF staff and all the volunteers have taken time and energy to help your merchandise sell but since you used flimsy paper your tag came off of your item and now it is unsellable.  This wasted everyone's time!
3. Make sure you have the right size on the tag if it's clothing.  If the size on your clothing says "18-24 mos" print the size on the tag as 18 months.  This way the item will go in the 18 month category and will have a better chance of selling.  If it's put in the 24 month category many would pass it up because there's not as much time for the toddler to wear it.

If you want something to sell, price it low enough that you would buy it at a re-sale shop.  I am amazed at how many name brands I see, new with tags, priced higher than I would find them on the sale rack at the mall!  Really people?

Don't get upset if the person checking you in gives you things back.  She knows if it's unacceptable.  It is not a personal attack!  I was amazed at how offended one woman got when I gave her things back.

If you are going to consign with any place where you have to do the hanging and tagging and you want to get premium money for your items you must remember that it needs to look as good as it can look.  There are probably hundreds of thousands of items at a sale.  If you want yours to sell it needs to stand out and look better than the rest or there's a good chance it will be passed up.  If something is wrinkled, dirty, or poorly hung, I don't even waste my time because there are thousands of other items to look at.

I'm sure I stepped on some toes but I just had to share!

Be blessed and happy tagging,

Tami Smith

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Sponsor A Compassion Child TODAY

I was listening to our local Christian radio station today, 104.9 (their website it PLR.org).  They play great music all day long.  This week they have been doing a Compassion International "campaign" to encourage listeners to sponsor a very needy child.  I have always intended to sponsor one but I just haven't gotten around to it.  Bella and I were driving to speech therapy and we stopped for lunch at Wendy's . It occurred to me that if the roles were reversed and my children were hungry and needed the BASIC necessities I would certainly hope that someone in a wealthy country, such as ours, would call and say YES! I will help your children!  Why do I take so much for granted?  We are so privileged here in the states.  We have such abundance and I know my children have such abundance.  The Lord pressed on my heart to sponsor two children today.  This is not because I'm so great, it's because these are HIS children and He has called us to show His love for them by sponsoring.  It is just pennies a day.

I chose two boys, both have aids and both have been waiting a long time.  One young man is 15 and may have lost hope in being sponsored.  The cost is just $38 per month, per child.  For $76 or the cost of ONE night out to dinner w/my family at a nice restaurant or cutting out 1 trip a week to a fast food restaurant.   I know that each of my readers and myself can make the tiny sacrifice to help one or more child.  I am challenging my readers to take the Compassion challenge and sponsor at least one child.  Go to their website where you can search for a child based on their birthday, gender, country, and lots of other details.  You can exchange letters and photos, etc.  http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm

This is from their website, I hope this is okay to share with my readers;

Sponsoring children in need is breaking the cycle of poverty  
Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training.
Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 26 countries.

Currently there are over 2700 children waiting to be sponsored.  YOU and I can make a difference.  Please post a comment when you have sponsored your child(ren) and PLEASE, challenge your friends to do the same!  The power of social networking could have ALL the children waiting sponsored TODAY!  Let's make it happen.

Too blessed NOT to share,

Tami

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Still Waiting On Sandals

I know for my southern clients you are waiting for sandals.  Here in the NW we still have cool weather so the Mary Janes are working fine.  I am still waiting for my supplier to get sandals in stock.  Thanks for being patient.


When you are ready to order just send me an email to let me know the sizes and colors you want and I will email you back to confirm what's in-stock.  Once we know what you are ordering I can give you a total and you can pay through my paypal account.  This protects both of us.  It assures you get what you order and it assures me that you are who you are.  Shopping through my blog and using paypal is how I can keep my prices super low.

Please email me with any questions.  Subscribe to my page so you will be the first to know when new shoes come in.  Please share my blog with friends who buy for little ones.

Thanks so much and many blessings!

Tami

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Everyone Loves Squeaky Shoes

Every time Bella wears her squeaky shoes she gets lots of attention and she LOVES it!  It amazes me how much confidence these shoes seem to give her.  It's like she is bolder, less shy and more animated when she wears them.  Maybe it's that she feels in control of her little noisy world, I don't know.

Tonight we went to the Just Between Friends sale in North Idaho.   There were tons of great bargains and we all had fun shopping for them.  If you have never been to a JBF sale, go to their website and find one in your area.  It's fun to volunteer and meet other moms of little ones.  Plus it's fun to find great deals.  If you volunteer you can get into the sale earlier than the public, which is well worth swapping time for, in my opinion.

Here's the link so you can find one in your area. 

http://www.jbfsale.com/default.cfm

Get your toddler in her own pair of squeaky shoes.  Email or call me with your order today!  Some styles and sizes are limited so don't wait!

Keep squeaking,

Tami ;  )

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Keeeping Tabs On Your Toddler

My husband and I were pulling weeds yesterday while we had some sunshine.  Out 2 yr old was running around all over the place.  I was so thankful she had on her "squeakers" so I knew where she was at all times.  I realized that was just one more benefit to the squeaky shoes.

I am still waiting for my supplier to get the sandals in-stock.  They had told me they would be here in May and now they are saying June.

I'll keep you posted!

I have a pretty good supply of the Mary Jane's right now.  Call or email to order today!


Squeaky, squeak,

Tami

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Squeaky Shoes+Toddler's First Steps = CONFIDENCE!

You will love watching your toddler's confidence grow with each step taken.  Be sure to get your video camera ready to record the big squeak!

Happy Easter,

Tami