Shopping Second-Hand for the Holidays...

Benefits of Buying Second-Hand:

1. Economic – Generally at least a 50% savings over new for you and 100% of your purchase price stays to support the local economy and not sent to China or a corporate out-of-state headquarters.

2. Environmental – No packing material to add to the landfill and continued demand for re-used items means they don't end up in the landfill either.

3. Charity – Even if you can afford to buy everything new, what's left over in the budget for supporting your local church or charity?

Every gift-giving occasion, as parents, we've all remarked on it: the kids enjoy playing with the box more than the gift! But yet, we all want the world for our children, especially around the holidays. How do we do that while still maintaining the family budget?

Answer: Shop Second-hand!

As our country's economy continues it's malaise and with the increasing emphasis on protecting our environment through the motto "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", shopping second-hand has lost its negative stigma.

Just how cool it is to get great deals is evidenced by the success of "Plato's Closet." Ranked 102 by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2010 on their 500 Fastest Growing Franchise list, Plato's Closet caters to teens and 20-somethings with the latest, though gently-used trends in fashion. If teens will buy second-hand, it must be cool! (BTW, a Plato's Closet is now in Frederick!)

Other great places to shop include thrift shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army or consignment and resale shops that specialize in bringing you the best nearly-new stuff around. Look in the phone book or the internet under the headings "thrift", "consignment" or "resale" to see everything that's available locally.

So if many folks buy used for themselves and their children at other times of the year, what's the big deal for the holidays?

Answer: We don't want to be seen as cheapskates.

With the kids, generally more is better. Toddlers will never know the difference between new and used. So what's the point in spending $50 on one toy when you can get five for the same price? School age kids will be more aware, but you can start showing them the value of the dollar by comparing how many more chores they'd have to do to earn some of the new things they want versus second-hand.

When shopping for other folks' kids, most people welcome the thoughtfulness of a truly unique gift. Anyone can buy the latest fad toy at Walmart. The time is spent in line, not in the search. But finding an original Star Wars Millennium Falcon or a vintage Fisher Price Castle – that's a gift they'll remember!

Approach the people who usually buy gifts for your family and let them know you want to help them stretch their budget and would appreciate unique and thoughtful second-hand gifts.

Not only will the kids have fun with the greater abundance of gifts to open, but you'll enjoy the search and you won't fear the credit card bill that follows.

Choosing a Diapering System:

What kind of diapers to use is not just a choice among Huggies, Pampers, and Luvs. The new generation of Cloth Diapers adds a whole new dimension to your diapering decision. There are three main reasons today's parents are choosing cloth over disposables:

1. Increased Savings.

2. Better Health.

3. Reduced Environmental Impact.

Increased Savings:

As any new parent can tell you a baby uses A LOT of diapers especially in the first few months. The cost of diapering a child in disposables for the first six months of life is approximately $270. That may not seem too bad until you realize that you will be diapering your child until they are at around 3, which will cost approx $2675, or if until age 4, then $ 3540. Now that is A LOT of money.

To cloth diaper a newborn with infant prefolds and covers for 3 months is approximately $117, diapering for 3 years with prefolds and covers costs $330, and for 4 years it’s only $390. Other types of cloth diapers, such as "All in Ones" or the "Pocket Diapers" will cost more money than prefolds and covers, but they still save money over disposables and add convenience over the prefolds.

Better Health:

Many children suffer from diaper rashes and allergic reactions to the gels used in disposable diapers that make them absorbent. Some diapers are so absorbent they can cause babies’ skin to dry out leaving it sore and tender. The plastic covers don’t breathe, creating an environment where bacteria can thrive, and the leg casings can chafe and cause irritation. Cloth diapers are made from many different materials, and in many different shapes and styles, so it is easy to find ones that won’t irritate babies’ skin.

Reduced Environmental Impact:

Reusing cloth diapers that can be made from materials that are naturally or organically grown such as cotton, hemp, or bamboo keeps millions of pounds of paper waste and chemicals out of the landfills and waterways. While you'll use water, detergent and energy to wash them, most agree that this has less impact than the manufacturing and disposal pollutants of disposable diapers.

Making Sense of Cloth Diapers:

There are many cloth diapers on the market today. While there are many brands of diapers out there they all are one of the following types:

1. Flat or Prefold Diapers.

2. Fitted Diapers

3. Pocket Diapers

4. All-In-One Diapers.

Flat or Prefold Diapers:

This type is simply a rectangle of cotton or hemp material that can be folded to fit most any baby. Prefold diapers are thicker in the middle while flat diapers are one layer of material throughout. These are the cheapest diapers to use and they wash and dry easily. They come in different sizes from preemie to toddler and are used with diaper covers or pants. Some people use pins or snappies (a small plastic gripper) to hold the diaper on the baby, while some people find a snug cover to be enough. Many people find these are easy to use and good for at home and when baby is little and needs frequent changes. You can also keep a supply of prefold or flat diapers to use as doublers or stuffers for other styles of diapers to customize the absorbency levels.

The following diapers come in a range of sizes from preemie to toddler, or you can purchase what are called one-size diapers that have different snap settings and a roll down waistband to fit babies from 8-35 lbs. All of these diapers also have a choice of snaps or velcro type fasteners.

Fitted Diapers:

These are like prefold diapers in that you need a cover to make a waterproof system but they are cut to fit a baby’s shape better without the bunching that can occur with rectangular diapers. These can be made from different fabrics and are easy to wash & dry.

Pocket Diapers:

These are our most popular style. They have a waterproof outer layer with usually a fleece inner layer and an opening at the back of the diaper to create a "pocket" between the layers. This allows the parent to add absorbent inserts to customize the absorbency level depending on the age and size of the child. The outer pocket and inserts come apart for easy washing and quick drying. Many people like these for naptime or overnight use and they can be convenient for daycare or a short trip.

All-In-One Diapers:

Known as "AIO" on the message boards, these diapers are the closest to disposables in terms of convenience and ease of use for most people. These diapers have a waterproof outer cover and an inner layer of absorbent materials. These diapers are ready to go with no stuffing or folding. Some people find them not quite as absorbent as they would like, but you can lay a prefold diaper or insert into the all- in-one to add absorbency if you like. Many people like these for daycare, the sitter, or traveling as there is no prep work — you put it on and go. They do take a little longer to wash and dry since they are thicker, though some styles have liners that can separate to speed up the process.

Most people find that a combination of several of the above types of diapers works well. Prefolds and covers for around the house, pocket diapers for naps and nighttime , and all-in-ones for daycare or trips. Enkore Kids carries a wide assortment and offers discounts on larger purchases. This will allow you to design the cloth diapering system that works well for you without a huge upfront investment.

Cleaning Up the Mess:

Washing diapers is something that many people seem to fear until they learn just how simple it can be.

After dumping any solids that you can into the toilet, place the diaper in a ventilated pail or bag until wash day. Keeping diapers in a closed container creates odors and can breed bacteria and yeast.

When ready to wash, put diapers into the machine and run a small cold rinse or prewash cycle with no soap. After the rinse cycle, gather the rest of baby's laundry, add your detergent and run a normal wash & rinse cycle. Most diapers can be washed in warm or hot water and also machine dried. Some covers need to be line dried so check the labels. If you notice staining, line drying them in the sun wll naturally bleach out stains.

There is no need to buy fancy detergents. The more basic, the better. Avoid: Enzymes, Softeners, Fragrances, Bleach, Optical Brightners, and Soap. All of those can leave a residue that can harm baby's skin and make the diapers less absorbent. Also, use 1/4 to 1/2 the recommended amount to prevent buildup.

A note for high efficiency washers - adding a couple towels to the load helps to get enough water in the load to get everything clean.

Maybe not quite as easy as throwing the mess all away, but to save money, reduce allergic reactions, and produce less environmental waste, we hope you'll give cloth diapering a try. Plus, many cloth diapering systems have a great resale value!

By Susan McCarthy & Jennifer Guenther

Co-Owners, Enkore Kids, LLC

Cleaning Kid Krud

We all know kids are messy but that doesn’t mean your house needs to be or that their clothes and toys all need to be stained forever. With a minimal amount of time and a few basic tools you can keep your kids’ stuff looking great for passing down to friends and family or getting the most money back through resale.

Keeping Home Clean:
Kids have a lot of stuff but you can minimize clutter and chaos by sorting through them on a regular basis. Medium sized bins labeled with pictures of the toys and clothes that belong in them let even the littlest ones help clean up at the end of the day. Once a month, set aside a few minutes while the kids are napping or playing happily somewhere to weed out broken toys and separate the others into a keep and “to pass on” pile. Do the same with clothes every couple of months. Box up the outgrown stuff and pitch the stuff that’s too stained or worn. After sorting, call your favorite kid’s consignment or resale store to make an appointment to resell. They may not accept everything, so plan on taking a trip to Goodwill or the Salvation Army to donate what is left over.

Keeping Clothes Clean:
Kids are rough on clothes, that’s for sure but you don’t need a whole laundry mats worth of stuff to keep them clean. Most kids stains are organic in nature- grass, blood, food, etc. Pre-treating stains as you undress your kids for bath time can save many an outfit from ruin. Dish soap works well on all food stains especially the greasy ones. Baby shampoo is great for ring around the collar or sweaty armpit stains that your teen brings home from sports practice and a good detergent with enzymes such as ERA or TIDE works wonders on grass, blood, and dirt. Soak clothes in a full washer of cold water overnight then run your wash cycle as normal. Line drying also cuts down on the number of baked in stains.

Keeping Toys and Equipment Clean:
These take a beating from daily use but even just a simple wipe down with a baby wipe (one of my favorite household cleaning tools) each time you take baby out of the highchair or exersaucer can prevent icky stuff from getting dried into cracks and crevices. Magic eraser is also a useful tool for removing crayons and markers without chemicals. They can pose a chocking hazard, so keep out of reach of small children. A damp micro-fiber cloth may also remove most marks more economically. Most non-electronic kid stuff is durable enough to take out in the yard and hose off after a quick spray with some diluted dish soap. If the weather is bad, try your shower. Check bigger items that take batteries once a month or so to prevent corrosion or leaks. And as soon as your child outgrows it remember to wipe it down remove batteries for storage until you can get into your favorite resale shop to resell it. A moment or two it takes to wipe off messes now will mean a higher resale value later.

By Susan McCarthy, mother of two (ages 7 and 5) and co-owner of Enkore Kids.

How to Hold a Yardsale

1. Decide on a date: A deadline will motivate you.
2. Cut through the clutter: Sort to keep, trash or sell.
3. Price to sell: Avoid bringing back inside later.
4. Advertise: Use newspaper, Craigslist, and online community calendars.
5. Signage: Be consistent and be bold!

1. Deciding on the right date is crucial for a good yard sale turnout. After the long, hard winter, folks will be anxiously awaiting a good yard sale. If you live in a community that has an annual or semi-annual yard sale, it’s easiest to wait until it is held. That way, most of your promotion work and signage to the community will be taken care of for you. However, if your neighborhood doesn’t hold a mass sale or you don’t want to wait, schedule as early in the season as possible. By holding ours the first weekend of March last year, many folks found us simply because there wasn’t much competition. The 45 degrees temperature that day didn’t seem to matter, but rain will definitely put a damper on things. Plan a rain date and include it in your ads.

2. Going through your things is more fun — and productive — with a friend or spouse not emotionally attached to the items up for consideration. What you use often, or means too much to you to part with, put in the “keep” category. If broken, stained or recalled, you should “trash” or recycle. Shred any unneeded sensitive paperwork. Outgrown or otherwise no longer needed items which are still useful, go in the “sell” category. Deciding whether to sell on eBay, consign or yard sale, depends on the next step — pricing.

3. Yard salers are looking for deals. Unless you are willing to let everything go for a dollar or less, you will need to spend some time researching current retail or secondary market values for your treasures. This allows you to price them to your advantage, while still offering too-good-to-pass-up values for your visitors. For items still being sold at retail stores, use a price comparison website like shopping.com or a big online retailer like Walmart.com. You should price items that are in excellent condition at no more than a quarter to a third of new value. Even if you are offering a never-opened item, you can’t offer a return policy or a warranty, so do not expect to get anywhere near retail prices.

For vintage or other discontinued items, compare to completed auctions on eBay.com. Identify items that deserve some special attention. What routinely sells on eBay for more than half of what it was new, consider trying to sell there. Or, you can consign with a shop that specializes in those particular items. If you want to try to sell these items at your yard sale first, remember selling through eBay or a consignment shop will have additional costs. Be willing to negotiate lower than what your research showed, and you will still come out ahead.

4. Promote your yard sale effectively using your area’s "goto" classified section as well as free online classifieds. The newspaper is costly, so be brief, but hit all the key information including: address (w/ cross street or community name), date (and rain date), a few applicable keywords (tools, antiques, toys are always popular) and contact info (phone number, email or, even better, a website). Post a list of your best items, including pictures, using Craigslist.com and other websites.

5. Poor signage can sabotage the hard work you have invested, so allot enough time to do it right. Make your signs using a bold, black magic marker and thick poster board or cardboard. All signs should look similar, so people following them will know they are on the right trail. The signs are NOT for details. A simple “Yard Sale MM/DD” and an arrow pointing the way is all most drivers will be able to read in passing. Put them out up to five days before your event. If it rains, check to make sure the signs are still legible the day before. Be sure to collect them right after the sale is over.

On the day of your big event, be sure to have enough change and some recycled plastic bags to hold purchases. Be willing to negotiate. Too low an offer first thing in the morning? Ask for a phone number in case you don’t get closer to your asking price by the end of the sale. Remember, you want to sell the stuff, not bring it back into the house.

What to do with the inevitable leftovers? Donate — some charities will even pickup! For the more valuable items only, set up an appointment with your favorite consignment shop.

This article written by Jennifer Guenther, co-owner of Enkore Kids, was originally printed in Child Guide. She and co-owner Susan McCarthy will be contributing an article to Child Guide each issue, so be sure to pickup your copy either at Enkore Kids or your local school. Additional locations are available at http://www.childguidemagazine.com/.