Op-shop until you drop

Let me just reiterate: I LOVE op-shopping. Adore it. I would much rather have $100 to spend in an op-shop than $500 to spend in "normal" stores. I love to put aside a whole day to slowly and carefully sift through racks and racks of pre-loved, and often shameful, pieces of fashion to find those one or two pieces (yes, I just called them "pieces") that make the last two hours of crap totally worth it.

Yes, it takes patience, and plenty of optimism. Often enough I will find something I think is brilliant, only to find I might have fit into it...oh...four or five years ago. D'oh!! But that's where it turns into an art form. If it doesn't fit me, it might fit someone else. And if I'm willing to pay $4 for it, maybe, just maybe, someone, somewhere (hopefully on Ebay) is willing to pay $8. 

I've had some awesome finds at op-shops. It has taken me a good three or so years to refine my op-shopping skills. There are plenty of op-shop finds that I thought were awesome at the time, that I've never actually worn. Like that crochet dress (yes, DRESS) that I thought might look good over something. Turns out I don't own that something that would make that dress look good, and therefore have never worn it. Oh well.

So what are my best finds? By far, the best one is a Dolce and Gabanna satchel (pictured) that I bought for $30 in an op-shop in Pakington Street, Geelong. It looks like it's from the 80s, and is really worn, but is still in quite good condition, which makes me think that it's actually real. It has a huge ink stain on the inside (which may or may not be my fault) and one of the handles had to be re-sewn because the stitching came undone (which may or may not be from shoving too many phones/cameras/diaries/books/keys/perfumes/moisturisers/nappies in it), but it's the one thing that people always comment on when I go out with it.

I've also found a huge burgundy Guerlain tote bag from an op-shop in Camberwell. Just recently I found a beautiful grey cotton Country Road t-shirt (pictured) that was in perfect condition, for $5 at an op-shop in Yarraville. And a really nice pair of metallic grey Esprit pants (pictured) that were also in mint condition. And the best thing about these pants was not only was it in my size, but they were also my length! Amazing! No matter how hard I shop at "normal" stores, I can never, EVER find a pair of pants that fit me as well as these ones do. I am a midget, and "normal" stores only cater for "normal sizes".

So, whether you're like me, a poor, job-searching student and mother who can't afford (or detests) shopping in "normal" stores, or just want to find those clothes that no one wears anymore, to make a unique statement, I highly recommend op-shopping. Yes, it's old news, but it never goes out of fashion.

Toys, clothes and cute stuff

If you're after presents for babies, toddlers and children, and are tired of boring stuff found in the major stores, I have discovered two adorable websites that have unusual, original, and just plain fun toys, games and clothes. Everything- toys, clothes, decor, furniture- whatever else you can imagine. I only wish I'd discovered it 3 years ago so I could have spent my money on CUTE things that are quirky and different, instead of the same old toys! So, I am sharing these websites with you in the hopes that you won't buy all the Egglings- I need some for Easter and an upcoming 3rd birthday party, so please leave me some!

Check out:
Cradle Rock
Kid's Got Style

Online shopping is frickin fantastic!

I have become addicted to online shopping. Not the dodgy kind that hits the tv at 3 in the morning, the "ring now and get two for the price of one" kind. No, not that one. More like the jump online to the Woolworths or Coles website, register, and do your grocery shopping from home. I don't know why I haven't done it sooner, it is an ABSOLUTE LIFESAVER! I have been raving about it to anyone who listens. Having just successfully received my third lot this morning (albeit 20 minutes later than ordered, but whatever) I thought I would jump on here and rave some more. It's AMAZING!! Let me list the reasons why:

1- I am a sucker for getting things that aren't on my list. If I see a bag of Doritos on special, I'll buy them (my butt hates me for it). If the blocks of chocolate are on special, displayed pleasingly at eye level, I'll buy some. I'm also a sucker for shopping while hungry, which often leaves me with a pantry full of stuff I'll probably never eat. And here's the thing- I'll definitely buy more stuff that's not on my list than the price of the cheapest delivery time ($9.45 btw 10am and 1pm). So it scraps the problem of impulse buying.

2- I am really bad at buying good quality meat, fruit and veg. I'll feel an avocado and think it feels good, but when i go to use it it's blacker than an over-ripe banana, and is stringy as celery. As for meat, I have this mind frame that meat is just too bloody expensive, and so I try to buy the cheapest cut I can find, which results in my husband complaining about its toughness/ fat content/ lack of fat content. But the brilliant thing about online shopping is that because they want to you to keep doing it, they pick the best quality meat, fruit and veg they can. The fresh food I've got from all 3 shopping experiences have been better quality than anything I could ever find, let alone pick, from the supermarket. I'd say it's also because it's fresher than the stuff that sits on the shelves at the supermarket.

3- Everyone has experienced that frustrating moment when you KNOW there's something you forgot to put on your list, but just can't remember what it is...so you don't get it, but remember the moment you get home anyway. Well, online shopping removes this problem for you. Woolworths kindly provided me with one of those shopping list books on a magnet that I can stick to my fridge and add to whenever I think of something. Then, I usually start making my list online on the Monday. If I can't think of anything, I'll walk around the house, looking in the fridge and cupboard to see what I need. That's the problem when you go to the supermarket, if you forget to check to see if you're running out of something, the fridge and cupboard just aren't there for you to check! A few times during the week I'll suddenly remember something and jump online to add it to my list (you can save your list, or even make a master list of stuff you order every week). Then, I'll put my order through on the Friday and have it delivered the following Monday! You can even put the order through on the Sunday and have it delivered on the Monday for the same price!

4- It's really for parents that have kids who aren't particularly fun to cart around the supermarket. It certainly removes the dread of taking your 3-year-old and 11-week-old to the supermarket, wondering what your toddler will demand this week, while wondering what isle your baby decides he wants to scream the house down. Now, don't get me wrong, my children aren't like that, thank goodness, but I never want to be in that situation to find out! So if you just don't have the time, or it's totally incovenient to do a weekly shopping, this is definitely the way to go!

5- Another great thing is that you can actually see how much your shopping is going to cost you before you buy it, and it really helps when you're on a tight budget. You can sort all the items by price, and see right there, in a neat list, which ones are the cheapest items. The specials show up in bright red, so all your specials are right in front of you too, you don't have to go searching for them. If you only have $100 for the week, you tailor your list to meet that budget, whether it's sacrificing those Arnotts Premium Choc Chip biccies for some bread, or only getting the essentials you need for that week. One of the things I hate about shopping is the part where I'm at the checkout and I have no idea how much it's all going to cost me, so I wait anxiously, watching the price go up on the register, hoping that I have enough cash on me and I don't have to break out 2 debit cards and pay for it in 3 bits. That's just mortifying.

6- You get freebies! Yep. F-R-E-E-B-I-E-S. Who'da thunk it right? A big corporate type giving away freebies. I still haven't quite figured out why yet. A little part of me is expecting a knock at the door from a collectors agency saying "you own us $3.45 for the 3 head of broccoli you got last week- pay up or we'll break your leg", but so far this hasn't happened. The first time I actually thought I'd been given the wrong groceries, when I opened up the first bag and say a bottle of lemon, lime and bitters and a bag of doggy biscuits I hadn't ordered. I admit, I was so upset that my first online shopping experience ended in disaster that I was about to swear off it forever before I thought I'd better check the rest of the shopping instead. And lo and behold, it WAS my shopping- ALL of it correct, with some freebies thrown in! What the??? So far I have received 2 bottles of lem, lim and bitters, doggy biscuits, 2 heads of broccoli, and a points card that tracks how much I spend and gives me points to discount fuel.

7- You can compare which supermarket is cheaper. Go to the Woolworths and Coles website, make your list of the exact things and see which one is cheaper!!

I can't think of more great reasons why it rocks right now, but I'm sure there are plenty, plenty, plenty! Of course, there has to be one bad thing about the experience, otherwise it's all just too good to be true, so the negative thing would be the amount of shopping bags they use to pack your groceries. Its really enough to make you think twice about online shopping. But I am going to take all my bags down to the supermarket or green grocers where they can use it instead.

Online shopping isn't for everyone. If it's only you, or you and your partner, and you have no real reason why you can't make it to the supermarket every week, then it's probably a waste of money. But if you're like me and just don't like taking your kids to the supermarket, or can't stop your impulsive buying habit, then this is definitely the shopping of the future! Tell all the mum you know!

For those of you in Australia, try going to the Woolworths or Coles website and see how you go!