Guest Blogger: Michelle Wiginton (www.jbfsale.com)

Living Green Amidst Pink, Blue and Purple Polka Dots

If you haven’t been bitten by the children’s consignment sales event bug, you might want to forego the OFF spray and check out your local Just Between Friends (JBF) event at www.jbfsale.com. Once you get the fever for fantastic savings on the best name brands for maternity, infants and children, you’ll find yourself making semi-annual treks along with most of the other moms in town to get your JBF fix!

Just Between Friends is the nation’s leading maternity and children’s consignment sales event franchise, with new sales starting every season. These semi-annual events offer local moms the opportunity to sell their outgrown and unused baby and kids’ clothing, toys, baby gear, books, etc. and make more than they would at a traditional consignment store, garage sale or even through eBay or Craigslist. Moms who shop JBF can expect to find tens to hundreds of thousands of new and gently-used children’s items at up to 90% off retail pricing and a wider selection of name brands than will be found at any mall.

Volunteers, who help run every aspect of each JBF event, are the lifeblood of Just Between Friends and they are also the first moms to shop the sale. Moms who volunteer a specific number of hours at an event, the average is four hours, also earns an extra 5% on their sold items. All volunteers and consignors get to shop the sale before the doors are open to the public.

So, if you are looking for bargains on a Jenny-Jump-Up, jump-a-roo or Gymboree outfit, check out the spring Just Between Friends event nearest to you. If you don’t have a JBF in your community, check into starting one yourself! www.jbfsale.com

Top Five Tips For Successful Children’s Consignment

1. As soon as your kids have outgrown or are no longer using items, resell them. Like everything else, clothes, toys, equipment, etc. lose their value over time.
2. Learn how to get out stains. Magic Erasers are great for plastic toys. Goo-Gone is super for stains. Tide Stain Pens are handy for your purse or diaper bag.
3. Don’t procrastinate when it comes to tagging. Everyone is busy, but moms who tag throughout the year are the ones who receive consignor checks for hundreds if not thousands of dollars each season.
4. Look for great deals and share those with other local moms. A bargain is a bargain. If you find an excellent garage or clearance sale, purchase items for resale and you’ll earn some extra money for just being in the right place at the right time.
5. Talk about saving money with other moms. Moms are smart. Talk to your friends and neighbors about ways you’ve found to save/make money and learn what they are doing to help increase their family’s bottom line.

Five Tips For Shopping the Best Brands in Children’s Consignment

1.                  Know your children’s measurements. Bargains are only wonderful when the items you purchase can be worn by your family. Take a tape measure with you to shop and jot down the measurements before you leave the house. Trace your kiddos’ feet and cut out the outlines to use when buying shoes.

2.                  Know what your kids NEED. Make a list of what your family needs before you go shopping. Shoppers can get overwhelmed by colors, fun fashions and the sheer amount of items for sale and walk out without purchasing the items their children really needed for the next season.

3.                  Know the value of the items you are shopping for. $15 for a five-piece outfit may seem high to some mommies, but when you know that ensemble cost around $75 new, you would be tickled to find it for such a great price. Likewise, a used item for $4 that you can purchase in the store for $4.50 may not be that great of a deal.

4.                  Free up your calendar to spend some time shopping. Because consignment sales events do not have limited numbers of a few items, but a few items of almost unlimited items, getting to each rack, table and bin can take some time. Try not to be rushed and, if at all possible, leave your children at home so you can enjoy your shopping experience.

5.                  Volunteer. Yes, volunteer at Just Between Friends and you will earn the privilege of shopping the sale before the public, with only a limited number of other volunteers. The more you are able to volunteer, the earlier you shop. Everyone is invited to volunteer.

Modern Baby Crib Options for the Modern-Day Parent

Some parents like a nursery with a traditional look. Others prefer a more contemporary design. For those parents, modern baby cribs are a must. While traditional cribs may feature curved lines and be quite ornate, modern baby cribs instead feature sleek, clean lines.

Below are a couple of other features you may find on a modern baby crib:

• Bedside Cribs: One modern invention moms love is the bedside crib. It allows a newborn baby to be close at hand with a crib attached to the bed, but offers the safety of a stand-alone crib.
  
• Eco-Friendly Materials: Some, but not all, modern baby cribs will be made from eco-friendly materials such as bamboo. This is in response to the fact that more and more people are trying to find ways to do their part to protect and preserve the environment.
  
• Colors: While traditional cribs were usually either white or stained wood, modern baby cribs come in a variety of colors including bright lime green and hot pink.

Manufacturers That Sell Modern Baby Cribs and Bedding There are a number of manufacturers that specialize in modern baby cribs. Some of the most popular include:

• Eden Baby When it comes to modern baby cribs, Eden Baby offers reasonably priced options. If you love contemporary furniture but have a tight budget, try Eden Baby’s offerings.
  
• Stokke Perhaps more well-known for their luxury strollers, Stokke also has a collection of contemporary baby furniture that will please even the most discriminating lover of contemporary décor. These are high end modern baby cribs, so expect to pay more than you might for a crib by another manufacturer.
  
• Dwell Studios Dwell Studios offers a number of contemporary crib bedding sets that will work perfectly with your modern style baby cribs. Dwell crib bedding is available at a number large retail chains as well as online through several online retailers.

Modern Convertible Baby Cribs Modern convertible baby cribs can be transformed into a toddler bed once your baby outgrows the crib. Some convertible cribs can even be converted into a full-sized bed which means this type of modern crib may be the only bed you will ever have to buy your baby.

Best Place to Buy Modern Baby Cribs Some higher end baby supply stores may have a small selection of modern baby cribs, but the choices are likely to be small. A better idea is to go directly through the manufacturer’s website or another online retailer that specializes in modern baby furniture. If you happen to have a furniture store near you that specializes in modern furniture, you may want to look there for modern baby furniture. The clean lines of modern baby cribs are appropriate for both a baby girl and baby boy, and plenty of other contemporary items, such as bedding and artwork, are available as well.

Guest blogger Robin Thering writes about the best baby nurseries and nursery decor at BabyNurseryRooms.com.