Free Admission - National Park Week

This week (until April 29), you can get into almost 400 national parks for free. Here is the LINK to read more about it and there is a list below to see what parks are in your state.

Alaska
Denali National Park and Preserve

Arizona
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Grand Canyon National Park
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Petrified Forest National Park
Pipe Spring National Monument
Saguaro National Park
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Tonto National Monument
Tumacacori National Historical Park
Tuzigoot National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Wupatki National Monument

Arkansas
Fort Smith National Historic Site
Pea Ridge National Military Park

California
Cabrillo National Monument
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lava Beds National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument
Pinnacles National Monument
Sequoia National Park
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Yosemite National Park

Colorado
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Colorado National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Hovenweep National Monument
Mesa Verde National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park

Florida
Canaveral National Seashore
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades National Park
Gulf Islands National Seashore

Georgia
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Fort Frederica National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument

Hawaii
Haleakalā National Park
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park

Idaho
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Yellowstone National Park

Indiana
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial

Maine
Acadia National Park

Maryland
Antietam National Battlefield
Assateague Island National Seashore
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Fort McHenry NM and Historic Shrine National Monument
Fort Washington Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Mississippi
Gulf Islands National Seashore

Massachusetts
Adams National Historical Park
Cape Cod National Seashore

Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Minnesota
Pipestone National Monument

Mississippi
Vicksburg National Military Park

Missouri
Harry S Truman National Historic Site
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

Montana
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Glacier National Park
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Yellowstone National Park

Nebraska
Scotts Bluff National Monument

Nevada
Death Valley National Park
Lake Mead National Recreation Area

New Hampshire
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site

New Jersey
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park

New Mexico
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
El Morro National Monument
Fort Union National Monument
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Pecos National Historical Park
White Sands National Monument

New York
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
Saratoga National Historical Park
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

North Carolina
Wright Brothers National Memorial

North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Ohio
James A. Garfield National Historic Site
Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial National Memorial

Oklahoma
Fort Smith National Historic Site

Oregon
Crater Lake National Park
Lewis & Clark National Historical Park

Pennsylvania
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Steamtown National Historic Site

Puerto Rico
San Juan National Historic Site

South Carolina
Fort Sumter National Monument

South Dakota
Badlands National Park
Jewel Cave National Monument

Tennessee
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Texas
Big Bend National Park
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Padre Island National Seashore

Utah
Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Hovenweep National Monument
Natural Bridges National Monument
Zion National Park

Virgin Islands
Christiansted National Historic Site

Virginia
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Assateague Island National Seashore
Colonial National Historical Park
George Washington Memorial Parkway's Great Falls Park
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Petersburg National Battlefield
Prince William Forest Park
Shenandoah National Park

Washington
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Lewis & Clark National Historical Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Olympic National Park
Whitman Mission National Historic Site

West Virginia
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Wyoming
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Devils Tower National Monument
Fort Laramie National Historic Site
Grand Teton National Park
Yellowstone National Park

My decision about the recent job offer...

I told you I would share my decision about the recent job offer this weekend.

If you don't know the back story, here it is. My hubby & I were laid off of our job in the middle of December. It was unexpected and right before the holidays. I started selling on ebay again (I have been doing this on & off for the last 8 years or so) and the hubby is taking care of his father who lives by himself and is elderly.

So last Sunday a fellow church member came up to my husband. The man and his wife own a financial planning business that does rather well in our area. They were adding another member to their team and had heard good things about me. I was in the nursery and so I didn't get to speak with him that day. I called and spoke with him regarding the possibly job and interviewed this past Tuesday.

He offered me the job and asked me to let him know my decision by Sunday (today). The job would be stable, offer a good salary and be within a 15 minute drive from my home. It would also be working in Christian environment and be completely flexible. If I needed off due to illness or a doctor's appointment, I could simply take off.

So I had a decision to make. Well...I turned down the job.

There were a few reasons for turning down the job.

1. The first is that I felt a hesitation in taking it. I realize that my (few) blog readers don't really know me but let me say that I have loved every job I have ever had. If someone mentions a job, I want it. I have been a cake decorator, have sold BMWs, have ran retirement communities, have been a waitress and have worked at a day care. And of course I now sell on ebay. Each job was different and I loved every one.

For some reason I wasn't sure if I would like this job. It would require sitting at a computer analyzing numbers for most of my day. I love numbers but something about not working with people made me hesitate.

2. Since the couple was going to spend 3 months (and a lot of money) getting me trained and licensed, they wanted a true commitment. This wasn't something I could try for a few months and then quit. They were looking for a person to work long-term. If I could have tried it out, I may have taken the job.

3. The job didn't have benefits. Right now I am paying for benefits and they are expensive. I am only 32 years old but I have had a lot of odd things wrong with me over the years and have needed those benefits. I would have to keep paying out of pocket and that really cut into my salary.

4. I would be working in a Christian environment with almost all Christians. Don't get me wrong - I am a Christian myself and I love following Christ. But I am not sure I would want to work in a place that didn't allow me to interact with the world.

5. After the interview, my hubby encouraged me to send my resume to a lady we met while his father was in rehab. I did it and I had someone from a staffing agency call me the next day. She was interested to see if wanted to work with seniors again (ummm...YES!) because they may have an opening for a management position in one of their offices close by. We spoke for about 20 minutes and she will call when the position is open.


I told the gentleman today. He seemed to understand but I was very nervous in telling him that I would not be taking the job. I think this may have been the first time I have NOT taken a job when one is offered to me.

So...I will continue to sell on ebay. Thankfully it has allowed us to pay the bills. I will pray that something else comes available since I do miss working with actual people (sorry blog readers but I don't actually know most of you).

Feel free to comment and let me know if you think I made the right decision.

Recent Ebay Sales

Here are a few things I have sold over the last 2 days or so:

1. Nice & Easy conditioner. These come in the boxed hair dye kits. I use the hair dye and then sell the tubes of conditioner. Sold for $27.

2. Free People jeans. Sold for $29 within 24 hours of listing.

3. Citiknits "slinky" skirt in a size XL. Sold for $12.65. Since I pay just $1-$2 for skirts, I made about $8 after ebay fees.

4. Ann Taylor skirt. I do fairly well with Ann Taylor skirts and dresses. This one went for $19.

5. Talbots skirt. Talbots is still doing well for me. This skirt sold for $29.

6. J. Jill top. I am in love; thankfully it wasn't my size or I would have kept it. It sold for $27.

7. Alfred Dunner doesn't have a huge following on ebay. Lower end department stores sell the items for about $20-$60. I went to a bag sale where you could stuff a bag for $2. This was one of the last pieces that went into the bag and so I paid almost nothing for it. I listed it for a cost of 20 cents in ebay fees and it sold for $7.
My profit was about $6. Not great but when you consider I probably stuffed about 20 items into the bag, it is pretty good.

8. J. Crew summer skirt, sold for $17.

9. Ralph Lauren wool blazer with the most wonderful ruffle down the front. Sold for $31.

10. Another of the bag sale items. Ann Taylor mini skirt, sold for $6. Again, not a great sale. But my profit was about $5.

11. Marimekko has sold crazy & wonderful prints. They did this tote for Avon a few years back. I purchased it for 25 cents and it sold for $20.

12. Talbots skirt, sold for $17.

13. Tori Richard silk wrap dress. Wrap dresses almost always bring about $20 - even if they are not a wonderful "brand name". This one sold for $22.

14. Calvin Klein dress. This one fit me so perfectly and I was tempted to keep it. However, I have about 6 dresses in my personal closet and I never have a need for any of them. It sold for $32.

15. This was another bag sale item. Juicy Couture summer dress. Juicy doesn't have that great of a following unless you find something that reads "Juicy" across the butt (and actually want to buy it). This dress sold for $20.

16. Soft Surroundings dress. Soft Surroundings makes super comfortable pieces and actually has a following on ebay. This wrap dress went for $22.

I paid about $35 total for all 16 of these items. They sold for $335. Ebay & paypal take a combine total of about 20% ($67) so I made a profit of about $233 for the last two days. This is about $100 a day.

Of course I don't make $100 every day but some days I make more so it all evens out in the end.

I don't want anyone to think selling on ebay is super easy. Selling on ebay is tough - you have to buy items that sell, bring them home and wash them (ebay requires this) and then list them. And of course there is the packaging. But I love setting my own schedule! And for now it is paying the bills.

Look what I made!

Last night we had 3 other church couples over to our monthly game night. We had a blast and I stayed up way past my bedtime....10:30pm! Ha-ha. I am going to be tired today. But I only ate two small pieces of pizza without the crust and I am proud of that.

I had someone recently give me about 100 cookie cutters. I kept my favorites and I am donating the rest to our church yard sale next month.

Last night I made owls, squirrels and mushrooms. The owls are for my children's church class on Sunday (I always bring a snack & an ice cream float) and we had the squirrels and mushrooms last night.

I also made chocolate covered potato chips and strawberries. These went FAST!

I cannot remember if I posted a photo of the ottoman my husband & I re-covered a few weeks ago. We got it for free (and a matching chair and a half) while on vacation in Lancaster last year. We loved the large size. My husband put it on wheels and we recovered it in a gray upholstery fabric. Here is the original fabric (on the chair) and the upholstered ottoman.

Of course that fabric only lasted about a year since we eat at the ottoman almost every night.

This time I wanted something that would wipe off easily. My husband wanted something "rock and roll" and hip (if you know me, you will easily know that I am NOT hip in any way). Here is what I came up with:

This time I covered the entire ottoman with a vinyl cover I made. I'm not sure you can see it but here is the ottoman with the cover:

I had some left over fabric and I made these two pillows for the bed.

And something I am in love with right now (but of course I didn't make)...Dandelions! I know that people hate these but I love them. I love the yellow brightness and then when they turn into big puff balls. Our 2 acres are covered.

Ebay Sales: KOI edition

What is Koi? Koi, by Kathy Peterson, is a brand name of scrubs. And for some reason they do well on ebay. The bright colors, great fit and the fact that they have limited pieces that sell very quickly all help make this a fairly good seller on ebay.

Here is a piece by Koi that I sold this past week for $31! I was able to identify the type of fit by the style number inside the label.

I can usually buy "uniforms" for $1.99 a piece so this is a great profit.


This isn't my sale but here is a lot of 14 Koi pants that sold for $225! LINK

Here is a top (again, not my sale) that went for $48. LINK

Not all of them do as well. Look for the bright, funkier patterns.

This one sold for $14.99. Still not a bad profit in my eyes!

Here is what the label looks like:

I hope you find lots of Koi!

_______________

On a completely different note, my knee surgery is one week from today! I am having arthroscopic surgery which is where the doctor will go in and "clean up" everything in my knee. They aren't sure of what is wrong yet so it could be as simple as a stitch or two or fixing a tear. I could be back on my feet the next day or walking with crutches for a few weeks. It is a quick 45 minute surgery but thankfully I will be put under for it.

I went for my pre-surgery exam last week. My blood pressure was low (I couldn't believe it - even after a week of eating ham!) and everything was fine. They are going to take my hemoglobin level before the surgery. I have Thalassimia Minor and so that is something they do to make sure I won't need a transfusion after the surgery.

I am very excited to have this surgery since my knee has been hurting from simply walking on it for weeks and even months now!

Recent Ebay Sales

Selling on ebay full-time is a bit of a scary thing. My husband & I are relying on ebay to pay most of our bills. Thankfully I have continued to do well with ebay over the last few days.

During the next three days I must decide if I want to continue to sell on ebay full-time OR take a full-time job that was kind of dropped on my lap. The job is close to home, is full-time, has a 401K and is something I know I could do. It would be working in a small, Christian family owned financial planning company.

I am quite good with numbers but it would take a lot of (paid) training. And I'm not sure I would like the work. I have loved every job I have ever had. But something tells me that this may be different. The company is looking for someone who would stay with the company for a long time since they are sinking a lot of training and money into the person.

And there are no benefits. I have to decide by Sunday which leaves me only a few more days. Ugh. I almost always know exactly what to do when a job comes available but this one is giving me hesitation.

Anyway....

1. Tahari green dress. This sold for $46.00. It had the original tags.

2. Eileen Fisher vest & capri pants set. I love selling Eileen Fisher. This set sold for $50.

3. Ralph Lauren hot pink pants & jacket suit in a size 14. This also had the original tags. I find pieces with the tags a lot at the thrift. Sold for $71.50.

4. Tadashi dress. "Bandage" dresses go for a decent amount on ebay. Sold for $44.

5. I purchased this set of used Mikasa dishes for $4.99 for the set. Yard sales, estate sales and thrift stores all sell used china. I used my phone to research this set while at the thrift and found it sold for a decent amount. Sold for $40. China is hard to ship and I package it with a TON of bubble wrap & used (clean) egg cartons.

6. A vintage Gucci suit - sold within a week of listing for $125.

While sleeping last night, I had four sales...

One of the many things I love about selling on ebay is waking up to sales! I have an app on my phone (which I turn off at night) that chimes when something sells. Last night it would have been going off like crazy.

Here is what I sold while sleeping:

1. Eddie Bauer dress, sold for $17:

2. Chico's linen skirt, sold for $11:

3. The Limited Wrap dress, sold for $19:

4. First Class Amenity Bag from the airline Envoy, sold for $6.54:

___________
Here are a few more things that sold within the last day or two:

1. St. John Evening suit, sold for $187:

2. Alberto Makali twinset, sold for $37 (within a day of listing):

3. Chico's Tank Dress, sold for $27:

4. J. Crew "mod" print mini skirt, sold for $14:

Nail Polish

I was reading a few of my reading a few different blogs from the list of bloggers that follow me.

I came across Cindy-y and she has a blog called "Square Polish".

She inspired me to pick up a different color of nail polish. I usually wear a pale pink when I paint them at all. I also have coral for when I go on vacation.

At Rite-Aid today I picked up a bottle for $1.99. It is wet n wild in the color "I need a Refresh-Mint". I was pretty pleased it how it turned out. This was after just one coat.

In addition to the blue nail polish, I found a bottle at the thrift for 99 cents in green. I may save this one for the holidays but I wanted to put a heart on one nail in the green. It was Sinful Color's "Show Me The Way".

I am loving the new look.