Kissin' Frogs

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Sometimes you've got to kiss a lot of frogs, to find a prince"? This is a philosophy that I have adopted from my parents. In other words, some times you've got to go to a lot of yard sales or a lot of second-hand stores or a lot of clearance racks, to find "treasures"...oh, I mean "princes".

My family LOVES to find a bargain...maybe you could call us a bit obsessed. When we get together, we talk about what our latest bargains have been. We like to show our wares and say, "Guess how much I paid for this!" Growing up in it, I didn't give it a second-thought. When my brother-in-law Josh was married into the family, at first, he thought we were all nuts..or at least a little strange. Since then, he's been converted or should I say he's been turned to the dark-side?

My most recent "kissin' of frogs" has been at the Idaho Youth Ranch (Boise Headquarters). They have a big warehouse and yard that has TONS of stuff (either from their stores or donations that get sorted through to go to all their different stores). They have opened it up to the public to pick through and find "treasures". This warehouse experience is NOT for the faint-of-heart and is NOT for everyone. If you're worried about sanitation or getting your hands dirty, stay home. :o)

The drill: If you are a serious Youth Ranch shopper, you're there at or before the time of the opening of the gates. When the gate has been unlocked and pushed back, you run for the biggest shopping cart you can find. Then you rush inside and start picking, sorting, and rummaging through big blue bins, as fast as you can. There's a bit of competition and a bit of ellbow-throwing involved (believe it or not). --There are also "regulars" and my dad is one of them. The workers know him by name and he has made "friends" with some of his competitors. --When you have collected a cart full, then you go to your self-designated "spot". You sift through all the junk...I mean "treasures" and decide what to keep and what to throw back. Then if you're a real die-hard, you stick around for several more big blue bins to be brought out. This sometimes takes a few hours to feel like you've seen enough. Each time a bin is brought out, the "regulars" hover and swarm around them. A bin is "devoured" in less than a minute, usually. When you feel like you've had enough fun, you go to the register and have them give you your total. Usually the fee for a good cart full is from $3-$6. Yes, the WHOLE cart is 3-6 dollars! That means you're getting things for pennies on the dollar. Amazing!

Here is just a small part of what my dad and I have found at the Youth Ranch recently...




A HUGE box of Legos, with hundreds of pieces, characters and bases.











Lamps and almost brand new shades.








This now sits on my entry way table. I LOVE it!











Decorative glassware








Lots of Build-a-Bear clothing and accessories including; a cell phone, shoes, boots, purse and a bathing suit.









Lots of Build-a-Bear animals.







More fish food and accessories than we could ever use up.







Tons of like-new Play-doh and tools.









Holiday decorations galore.










Games, puzzles and art supplies out the wah-zoo.








We had a lot of games to begin with, but now have 2 whole closets FULL.









We've also found; cameras, cd/dvds/vhs and tapes, new chalk, bubbles, tons of different types of toys, yarn, thread, sewing supplies, pens/pencils/crayons, coloring books, bells, an old movie camera, brand new puppets, sterling silver spoons and much, much more! It's amazing what people donate or throw away. We've found a lot of things that are brand new with tags on... or many things that are like-new.

We don't plan on keeping ALL the stuff we get from the Youth Ranch. My dad has big plans for a Spring yard sale and we have been doing a little Ebaying too.

Sad sidenote: On Feb 14th the Youth Ranch warehouse began charging $.50 per pound. That's just WAY too much for us to frequent as often. My dad is more of a die-hard than me and still frequents the warehouse a few times a week. Now he only buys what's most valuable to him, instead of A LOT of extra stuff we couldn't use anyway. Whew!

What's the latest "frog" you've kissed??? I LOVE bargain stories!