Ghost of a chance...

For some reason, I am out of steam with this project. Not the actual practice of buying second-hand, just the writing about it. I really thought I could make the year, and initially had little "aha!" moments daily that I would get inspired to blog* about. Not so much now. It seems like the same cycle of perceived need, attempt to rein in baser buying instincts, moderate compliance and occasional acting out. So consumer patterns are like any other human behavior, somewhat variable but always operating within individual parameters we're not aware of until we bump up against them...

* not an actual verb

I still struggle with the social pressures of consuming - and these most often come from social obligations and cultural traditions (eek! Halloween and Christmas). Hence, the birthday party gifts that I need to be more creative and proactive in obtaining through second-hand shops. That, in and of itself, hasn't been a challenge; thrift stores are treasure hunts for me. What I am having a hard time doing is letting go of the critical voice that reminds me how much better and more thoughtful a _____________ would be for darling _________.


Last weekend was a very cool birthday party at the U of MN Raptor Center, for X-man's buddy Will. Thumbs up on the emphasis on experience and education, not to mention supporting this really neat community resource! I planned to respond in kind, with giving Will a "coupon" good for an outing: lunch and shopping at the Mall of America. Not just any shop, but the hallowed halls of the Lego store, where you can buy wheels and windows in bulk!!! And like any 5 year old boy with a younger sibling prone to put small, chokey-type things in his mouth, Legos are the preferred medium for hours of creative enjoyment. Maybe it's the age, but I am acutely aware of how easily kids are disappointed - and opening a gift certificate pales in comparison to an actual rip-open-the-paper gift. Between that and a bit of a time crunch, I lost faith. My default setting - a quick trip to the Salvation Army.

For a measly $10, I found a brand-new-in-(somewhat crumpled)-box amphibious remote control vehicle. The exact one that the boys were fixated on LAST fall, in the deluge of Christmas catalogs. What are the chances? Quite the find, so I snapped it up. But my dilemma
wasn't over, as this would have been a great Christmas present for X. And to be brutally honest, I really wanted to play with it. After bitch-slapping my inner toddler, I resolved to make sure it found a home at Will's, and to include batteries. (Oops.)

They had a last-minute cancellation and were kind enough to invite L, so the kids proudly wrapped the present themselves. For some reason it also required a gift bag, so of course the one they picked out had a cartoon figure defecating with the word "Poo!" in cheery letters. Pretty darned appropriate for a 5 year old boy... sigh. It wasn't until after the party that X said how much he wanted to keep the toy himself. He didn't dwell on it, though, just consoled himself with the (errant) knowledge Mom could find another one by Christmas.

They really do believe we have superpowers. Humbling, isn't it?

But now I have a more pressing feat of derring-do - finding a skeleton costume. I KNOW I COULD MAKE ONE. Strangely, I'd rather take a nap. In desperation, I put out my plea as my Facebook status today: "Karen Mae Barnes is seeking a skeleton costume, size 6ish. Will see your skeleton and raise you a Supergirl, Batman, Jasmine, knight, fairy or Nascar driver."

So far I've struck out at Unique, Salvation Army, Savers and Craigslist. And I believe the time crunch puts Ebay out of reach. And yes, I will feel lame grabbing whatever I can find at Target. I guess that puts me in need of a black sweatsuit and some glow-in-the-dark paint. And some sort of amphetamine.

Gone crazy, back later.