Showing posts with label Skagit Local. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skagit Local. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

My summer + fall finds at Just Between Friends of Marysville - Mount Vernon!

Just Between Friends of Marysville-Mount Vernon
April 26-29, 2018
Skagit County Fairgrounds, Mount Vernon WA

Just Between Friends sales feature clothes, toys, furniture and any other gear that you'll need for your kids from birth to teens at truly fair prices.  I can always count on finding "the basics" of each season for my three children, but I always find something new and unexpected too! And the best part is while I'm saving money on my end, my dollars are also providing for another local family through purchasing their consigned items. Win-win! 

Today I got to shop at the exclusive pre-sale event (pssst! Did you know that consignors and volunteers get that special privilege? Sign up for the next event!) and even though I am now shopping for three kids, one of whom is a total fashionista and definitely has an opinion on style, it was not overwhelming at all. Each size is clearly marked off on the long rows of clothing racks. It's easy to peruse through everything all at once. My middle child, Ruby (age 4), is now coming of age where clothes are beginning to matter to her as well, so she can easily flip through the bottom rung of the rack and show me things that she likes. Pretty much all things unicorns and sparkles.



Skagit County is a close knit community and it was fun running into a few of my bestie mama friends, as well as see quite a few recognizable faces. That Mama Gretchen, a real life friend of mine, is also showing off her finds so be sure to pop over to her facebook and instagram! P.S. can I say how much I adore her? She brought her brood of 4 kiddos, plus Ruby ended up spending a lot of time with them as well! I obviously love her for more than that little tidbit, but I felt like it was worth mentioning because shopping with 4 kids is not for the faint of heart! 



So without further adieu, I will show you what you might find at the sale this week!

I spy a BOB stroller! Tons of options at different price points.


 Babywearing! Whether you are a seasoned pro or trying it out for the first time, always great variety. Including this adorable TULA!




 There was a change at this sale that I appreciated - boys and girls shoes were put together according to size. At previous sales you'd have a rack of boys stuff and another of girls stuff. But shoes can be so gender neutral sometimes! Including KEENS (which is what I snag for the kids every time, but this time - I got a pair for myself!!).

 Remember how I said Ruby wants "all things unicorn"? Too bad that these were just a tad bit too small! A few tears were wept and I promised that the child that would get them would love them as much as she would.
See what I mean about something unique? You never know what piece of furniture a family is moving on from! I personally love toddler beds. Our kids cosleep with us until about 18 - 24 months and then they are ready for the toddler bed.
 Oh hai! This is my Mr. Cutie. He's 10 months old and growing too fast for this mama.

 A completely separate rack for team attire!

 Anyone going to Disneyland anytime soon? A whole BIN of different ears to choose from!

Also, here's a few of my finds. 

 It wasn't entirely intentional, but clearly I've got a theme going! They are just so cute.

 These three spring and summer dresses were under $10 total!

 RompHIMs for Holden! Haha! Whenever he isn't going to be crawling around in a shirt and diaper, of course.
 A few shoes. I always check for KEENS, Crocs and galoshes. This time I scored a set of KEENS for myself! The little croc Crocs are so cute, I couldn't say no.
 I found a unicorn sweatshirt and a cute "back to school" outfit for Ruby. I can't believe she will start preschool in the fall!

This is my pièce de résistance for the sale. 6 sets of pajamas for Holden - $11. A few of them were seriously only marked for a dollar!

What is on your kids' summer wardrobe must have list? Don't miss the Just Between Friends of Marysville - Mount Vernon, at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon, WA.
Thursday, April 26th | Opening Day!
10:00a -7:00p • Admission $2/door, FREE/online

Friday, April 27th
10:00a – 6:00p • Free admission

Saturday, April 28th | Half Price Day!10:00a – 7:00p • Free Admission

Sunday, April 29th | Up to 75% Off Day!

8:00a – 1:00p • Free Admission

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Just Between Friends of Marysville-Mount Vernon. 
All opinions are my own. Please see giveaway rules for full details. 

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Bring on the savings! Just Between Friends of Marysville-Mount Vernon Spring Sale!



Just Between Friends of Marysville-Mount Vernon
April 26-29, 2018
Skagit County Fairgrounds, Mount Vernon WA

There are a few things that I really love about Skagit County in the spring. Firstly, the tulips. DUH. If you haven't seen it yet, you usually have the whole month of April. Come on an overcast week day for lower (or non-existent) crowds and seriously, you'll be in love.

Secondly, Snow Goose Produce, opens around the first weekend of March. This has become my family tradition to get us all out there for some humongous ice cream cones in celebration of my two daughters' birthdays, which are both in early March. Snow Goose is also a great place to get cut flowers and local produce throughout the rest of the growing season and can't miss stop if you're up here for the Tulip Festival.



Thirdly is that all of this gorgeous blooming and springtime weather gets me into spring time cleaning mode; which means cleaning out closets and purging forgotten toys and making way for bigger sizes and new gear for the spring and summer...all thanks to Just Between Friends!

I blog about JBF a couple times a year and it's for a good reason - I save so much money each time I shop and I also earn almost the same amount back by consigning. As a single income family, with three growing kids, that's kind of a big deal!

Just Between Friends sales feature clothes, toys, furniture and any other gear that you'll need for your kids from birth to teens at truly fair prices. It's a wide range of brands and styles that will catch your eye. I always find something unique that I wouldn't find at any old department store! And the best part is while I'm saving money on my end, my dollars are also providing for another local family through purchasing their consigned items. Win-win! Rather than doing online meet up shopping, where you never know if you'll get stood up or if the items are what you thought they were, shopping at JBF is great because you have the leisure to look around at thousand of items in each clothing size, comparing in pricing but also have a standard of quality that ensures what you buy is in great condition. Each consigned items is inspected for wear and tear, as well as recalls, so you can rest assure that what you get is priced fairly, in great condition and safe.

I'm excited to continue my partnership with Just Between Friends of Marysville-Mount Vernon, and Courtney (the owner) has offered advance ticket options for Pierogie Mama readers! Keep reading because we are also offering a pair of presale tickets for one lucky winner!
Thursday, April 26th | Opening Day!

Wednesday, April 25th | Presale Day! TICKET REQUIRED. Space is limited.



4:00p – 8:00p • Expecting Parents Shop 
4:30p – 8:00p • First Time Parents Shop
5:00p – 8:00p • Teachers and Military Shop


Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Just Between Friends of Marysville-Mount Vernon. 
All opinions are my own. Please see giveaway rules for full details. 

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Sneak Peek: Just Between Friends of Marysville - Mount Vernon consignment sale!

Remember when I told you that the Just Between Friends of Marysville / Mount Vernon spring sale was coming to Skagit County? Because of how much money I save by shopping at these events, and in turn consigning my kids' outgrown clothing, I don't have to shop at retail stores at all through out the year! Woop woop!  Today I spent **3 hours** pouring through the pre-sale to find the best deals on clothes for my kids, and tonight I'm going to give you a sneak peek at what you can find at the sale this weekend!



 Quite adorable! They staged a few different items to make it look like a nursery right by the cash register.

 Most JBF sales provide the big blue IKEA bags for you to use while shopping, but this time around JBF Marysville - Mount Vernon had shopping carts! Quite handy when you have a pre-schooler tagging along and you can (ahem) let then Netflix binge while you peruse the racks. No shame here.

 Sports apparel is always a favorite! I picked up Seahawks and Oakland Raiders sweatshirts.


 So cute! Tons of well made and like-new handmade items.

 Have your pick and find the best deal!



This may have been one of my best steals. 3 excellent used condition Bum Genius 4.0 cloth diapers with inserts. These retail for $20 each, and after 5 years of cloth diapering 3 kids, with many of my originals still in rotation, it was irresistible to snag a pack to freshen up the stash for Holden.

So what did I come home with? Even after shopping at these events for the last 5 years, I was amazed at how low the prices were.





There ya have it!


This sale is on now through October 1 at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon Wa. See full details here.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Just Between Friends of Marysville - Mount Vernon. 
No other compensation was provided. All opinions and photography are my own.

Friday, September 8, 2017

Meet Courtney, the new owner of JBF Marysville - Mount Vernon! (Giveaway)


Friends, did you save your back to school shopping dollars for the fabulous Just Between Friends consignment sale that is coming to Mount Vernon this month??! I am a huge fan of these sales, I try to hit up each one of them during sale season because you just never know what great deals you can find. The most local one to me, JBF Marysville - Mount Vernon, is coming to the Skagit County Fairgrounds this month and I am pumped to shop and consign!

In the last year you may have noticed that a new face is heading up this consignment sale. Let me introduce to you the new owner of JBF Marysville - Mount Vernon: Courtney Evans! Read on for the Pierogie Mama exclusive interview to learn more about the mama behind the scenes.

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The Pierogie Mama: Courtney, this the second sale you are hosting for Mount Vernon, but this is your second JBF business! Tell me why you love JBF and what made you want to add Marysville - Mount Vernon to your territory?

Courtney Evans: I started with JBF as a consignor. I was drawn to JBF because of the convenience and values each sale holds. I participated in a consignment event where we had to hand write all of our tags, and then for the register they took the tags and hand added it with a calculator. First it was the longest 2 weeks of my life having to write all those tags! Second, once I picked up my unsold items, I had no idea what sold and how much to expect in my check. When I found JBF I was amazed at how it was all online, easy to use, and I could track what was selling. Then one day I was playing around on the computer and read that JBF is a franchise business. I was talking to my husband about it and he was SO encouraging! He just kept saying, "You'd be great at that! You should do it! What are they going to say? No? Then you'll just keep consigning and doing what you're doing." So I took the plunge and pulled up the JBF application process, and you wouldn't believe who filled out most of my application... MY HUSBAND! I had originally applied to start the Marysville Mount Vernon territory, life had other plans for me and I ended up taking over the Issaquah territory in 2016. When I caught wind that Marysville Mount Vernon was up for grabs in the Spring, we jumped on it. I grew up in Marysville and worked in Mount Vernon for years, my husband grew up in Arlington and currently works in Mount Vernon. So we have a deep connection and ties into the area. Anyone up here can attest that the small town feeling you get when walking around town and chatting with members of the community, and that feeling is honestly the reason why I wanted to add the Marysville Mount Vernon sale.

TPM: That is awesome, Courtney! It's great to not only have your hubby behind your dreams but for it to work out so well for your family and timing as well. Since you already have ties to the area, give us some Skagit love - where is your favorite place to eat and park to visit? Is there somewhere you want to visit but haven't gotten a chance to yet? 
CE: I absolutely love to take my kids to Jungle Playland, especially when they have the spray park going! As far as parks, I haven't explored many yet.. If anyone has recommendations, I'll definitely take them! As far as places to eat.. there are too many to limit! I'm such a foodie, and a sucker for good sushi, Mexican, or pizza!

TPM: I have yet to visit Jungle Playland but I know it's a ton of fun. One of my favorite local parks has been Donovan Park off Old Highway 99 - it's just down the road from me and the perfect summer oasis for the wide shallow creek. But now that summer is at a close and colder weather is upon us - you'll find me and my brood at the Childrens Museum at the Cascade Mall more often! My favorite pizza place is (whispers) Costco. My middle child, Ruby, loves her some Costco lunch! ;) But if you were to ask me where I would want to go for lunch it would either be Calico Cupboard or BowEdison for a date night with the hubs. 

TPM: Ok so back to the sale - the JBF consignment sales are awesome because they are a franchise system so the formula is very similar across all of the sales.  As you mentioned before, the biggest difference you'll find with JBF from other consignment events is that when you consign your tagged items are able to be sold at any JBF event whether you're in Washington or Florida. Your sales are uploaded online and everything is super easy to track and that's what gave me the comfort of knowing my hard work and childrens items are going to be valued and taken care of by the sale I take them to. The JBF owners work with their consignors to help price items fairly to get the shopper the best deal and the consignor a great payout for their items. What have you seen as far as how much shoppers are saving and how much a consignor can expect to make?  

CE: My favorite part is checking out the receipt once the shoppers check out. At the bottom of our receipts there is a line that says, 'You paid x amount of dollars per item'. This is so fun to me, it's a visual way for shoppers to SEE the savings! As for the consignors, our average consignor check is over $250! I don't know about you, but there is A LOT I can do with $250..

TPM: I am pretty sure that all of my consignment check gets recycled into buying clothes and other items for my kids at the next JBF sale, which I absolutely love. I know that by closing that loop I'm saving myself money on what I buy but I'm also keeping those funds local by purchasing another family's consigned items. That makes a tangible differences versus taking our dollars to a large corporate store. 
TPM: What are some of the items that shoppers can find at JBF sales? For those families who are going to consign, what are items that shoppers always look for? 
CE: Shoppers can expect to find EVERYTHING they need to raise a kid under one roof. From maternity and baby equipment to Juniors and prom dresses. If there is something you are looking for, it'd be silly to pay retail, when the odds of finding it at our sale is HUGE! For the families that are tossing around the idea of consigning, if it's time to purge your house, do it! Make some money on those items your kids don't use anymore! We make it so easy to participate. We offer multiple consignor 101 parties on Facebook, that you can watch live or come back when it is convenient. These parties will take you step by step of the tagging process. If you find that you are stretched for time and just don't have a way to tag, we offer personal tagging. We have taggers that will do the hard work for you, and you STILL cash in! There is some cost involved with having a personal tagger, but in the end you will end up making money for less effort than trying to do a garage sale. 



You can find us on Facebook @ JBFMarysvilleMountVernon
and we are newly on Instagram @JBFMarysvilleMountVernon
When you shop at this event, be sure to track her down and say hi! Keep reading because we've got an awesome giveaway for ya... two prime time shopping passes to get in before the public on Wednesday September 28 from 3:00 - 8:30 pm! You can purchase these tickets as well.

Stay tuned for a follow up blog post showing you what I found at the presale and what you can expect that weekend!

Just Between Friends of Marysville - Mount Vernon
Fall 2017 Sale


September 28 - October 1
Skagit County Fairgrounds 




Entry-Form

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Just Between Friends of Marysville - Mount Vernon. 
All opinions are my own. See giveaway details for rules. 

Saturday, May 13, 2017

The Apothecary Spa in Anacortes WA

It's Baby Boy Pierogie's 35th week of pregnancy, y'all! As my time is drawing to a close my to-do list gets more and more intense. Prenatal appointments mixed in with my kids' appointments that I'm trying to get out of the way so that the next six months or so we don't have to worry, swimming lessons, end of school year stuff, consignment sales, you name it. And while things like baby showers are awesome milestones that mean baby boy is one step closer to being here, this mama is bone tired and sore at the end of the day.

So what is one of my favorite end of pregnancy must do? A prenatal massage, of course!

Tucked away on teeny tiny Fidalgo Island (Washington) is a little town that I love called Anacortes. Over the last 10 years I have visited often as my in-laws live there and it's just such a beautiful place. I honestly think that the weather is somehow always great in Anacortes; it's got to be the quickly changing pace of the winds of this little port town. From Anacortes you can take ferries to the San Juans and Victoria B.C. There are tons of delicious seafood joints, bakeries, thrift stores and antique shops to peek around in.

One of my favorite places to visit periodically has been the historic building of the Majestic Inn and Spa. Anacortes was founded in 1891 and the Majestic Inn, though it has had several job changes, remodels and restorations, brings Gilded Age beauty with modern luxury to 2017.  My husband and I have snuck away for anniversary lunches at their restaurant and my girlfriends and I have enjoyed lemon drops on their rooftop lounge. It's truly an amazing piece of Anacortes (and Skagit) history, but at the very least a beautiful building to look at.  A tidbit of information that I learned was that the whole building was relocated about 20 years after it was built by being rolled up the street on logs by a team of horses!

In addition to being a hotel and bistro, The Apothecary Spa is located on the second floor of the building and I have waited with so much anticipation for my chance to go experience what so many of my friends had told me to be "hands down the best spa ever!" That's a big pair of boots to fit into, don't you think? Let me tell you without a whole lot of gushy fluff (and quote me to your husband when he asks you what do you want for your birthday/Mothers Day/Christmas) - "The Apothecary Spa at the Majestic Inn in Anacortes IS the best spa ever!"

What are my qualifications? Well, I am no spa connoisseur (though I wish I could have a blog completely devoted to spa experiences) but I will say that my husband does the right thing and sends me for a massage or spa experience usually once or twice a year. I have maybe a dozen experiences to draw from, ranging from budget to swanky. However, The Apothecary Spa takes my #1 slot over several other very high quality (and more expensive) spas for a ton of reasons.

Let me give you a run down of my time there.

The Apothecary Spa encourages their guests to check in 15-30 minutes before their treatments to get changed into their robe and sandals, take a steam in their steam room (something I'll have to go back another time for, as it's not a good idea for us preggos), lounge in their sanctuary room and have a little snack and drink of various infused waters or teas. Which is exactly what I did!





The spa menu is vast; I will make note that although most spas offer a short list of "upgrades" such as paraffin treatments, choices of oils or different techniques, The Apothecary Spa had a robust list of enhancements that in my opinion fully rounded out my 60 minute massage. In addition to my massage I opted to add eye brow waxing, a honey glaze treatment for my dry hands and a nourishing scalp massage.

Prenatal massages can be hit and miss. I've had a few massages in previous pregnancies where they were called "prenatal massages" but unfortunately they really didn't know how to arrange a very pregnant mama or how a woman's physiology changes and that it's a very different experience to get massaged late in pregnancy versus earlier on. My massage therapist, Cynthia, made sure that I had everything I needed to be supported while being massaged on my side and when I switched to laying on my back she adjusted the table to be tilted so I didn't feel the full weight of my belly pressing up onto my lungs. Her massaging technique was gentle but confident; there wasn't any hesitation or uncertainty of the elephant in the room and she very effectively massaged my whole body without the impression that she was afraid of my belly. When we chatted before my massage I asked for a full body massage with the focus on my back (as that is normally what aches most during pregnancy), but as she got to work I realized that really what I loved was getting my legs and feet rubbed - and she very fluidly switched to spending more time on that. Both of my girls were born in March so I guess I've never really had issues with swelling at the end of my pregnancy, but this time around I have definitely noticed the cankles making their appearance and Cynthia had the perfect technique of gently massaging those areas directly with oil and later switching to massaging over the draped blanket. I really want to go back just for that part!

Towards the end of the massage she let me know that she would be starting my honey glaze hand treatment followed by the scalp massage. She massaged my hands, applied the glaze and wrapped them in warm towels. While the glaze soaked in she started my scalp treatment. I'm a believer of the amazing uses for coconut oil, and have heard about using it as a hair and scalp treatment but have never done it personally - and Lordy I am hooked on this as well. She poured coconut oil along my hair line and then spent the next 20 minutes or so working it in through my whole scalp and base of my hair. Then she cleaned off my hands, gave me a whole decollete, arm and hand massage and finished off with another glaze on my feet and more massaging! Cynthia knows how to treat an expecting mama right!



After my treatments I was invited back into the sanctuary where I attempted to come down from my post-massage giddy high with a shred of maturity with another glass of cucumber + blueberry infused water. My experience was the perfect storm of truly needing some end of pregnancy pampering and an amazing spa staff. On my way home I called my mom, whom I would say probably is the closest person I know to being a spa connoisseur, and told her that I kind of need to get gift certificates for all my friends and family to go because there is no way you can go through life without experiencing this. There goes my attempts at quelling that "post-massage giddy high with a shred of maturity" spiel. But it wasn't said in haste - seriously. Go. Do it.


419 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes, WA

Disclosure: I received a complimentary massage in exchange for my honest review. 
All photography and opinions are my own. In case you couldn't tell, visiting The Apothecary Spa was the highlight of my third trimester and I can't say enough lovely things about it! 

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Just Between Friends of Marysville-Mount Vernon Presale Sneak Peek!

This weekend is the Just Between Friends of Marysville-Mount Vernon consignment sale! Would you believe me if I told you that I shop for my two daughters' clothes just twice a year? It's true! The Just Between Friends consignment sales are all I need because there are literally thousands of items in all kids sizes that I can choose from in one place at amazingly low prices. Plus, I get to unload our outgrown clothes by consigning them as well!

So you can easily scan my blog to find out all the reasons why I love JBF, and one of my favorite things to do is make sure I get to shop early at the presale event by consigning. But don't worry - even if consigning isn't on your radar, the public sale is chock full of great stuff. Let me show you!

But first; my ever so sweet Ruby. Isn't she just darling? She admired herself in front of this vanity for a few minutes.

Tons of great babywearing gear at this sale! MeiTeis, a few woven wraps, Beco, Moby stretchy wraps and others.

And a kids wrap! Because babies wearing babies is the cutest thing ever.

Sorting through the books is one of my favorites. I always find something super old from my childhood and I feel like I need to rescue it.

Sports fan gear..need I say more?

And the girly stuff. Swoon! My wedding anniversary is on the 4th of July so I am always on the look out for cute patriotic outfits for the kids.

So many summer items. Mostly boys bikes this time, but I also snagged a plastic pool (you know the kind!) for my kids and their cousins to "whirlpool" in this summer.

So as you know, I have two daughters aged 5 and 3 and then baby boy is on the way for this summer. My 3 year old is lucky enough to get all of her sister's handmedowns from last summer, so I did very little shopping for her. My focus at this sale was bigger sizes for the 5 year old and adding to our growing stash of boy stuff.

One of my favorite things to do after a presale shop is to compare what I would have paid for my items if I had bought them in store and what I paid for them at JBF. It's ASTOUNDING.  I'm a fairly frugal person at heart, so spending a ton of money on kids clothing is really not my thing anyways, but I always give myself a pat on the back after shopping at JBF. Buying used clothes is important to me not only because of the cost savings, but because of the environmental impact as well. Think of all the resources we are using up because so few clothing items are passed on. And trust me, I'm a mom of almost 3 kids, I know that some clothes just can't be passed on. They've had a good life. And that's what textile drives are for! Most thrift stores that you can donate clothes to have an outlet for where their "unsellable" items get sent to and that includes textile recycling.

Anywho....

Taking a look at all the brands that I bought and running a comparison online, these same items for my 4T/5T daughter would have cost me $114 retail. Instead, I paid a whopping....


And SQUEEE! I got to venture into boy land for the first time ever! Our little Pierogie Boy has been immensely blessed by handmedowns from two families and our baby showers, so again, I don't have a ton of shopping to do for his arrival! But I had to pick up some cuteness at the sale.


The boy clothes blew me away.. $142! A few of the items I picked up were retailed a little pricier than I imagined.


And there you have it! So much to stock up on for this upcoming summer and beyond.

April 28 - 30, 2017
Skagit County Fairgrounds, Mount Vernon Wa
Find out more details on the full sale schedule here

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Just Between Friends of Marysville-
Mount Vernon. All photography and opinions are my own.

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