Goodbye, clutter; hello, cash

With baby's arrival inching ever nearer, Scott and I have gotten on a big organization kick. Now, for him, that's not such a huge character stretch, but when I'm the one pushing to go clean out a closet, it makes you peek out the window to see if pigs are soaring past. We've been organizing and straightening some things and clearing out and getting rid of others. It feels rather gratifying to see a once jumbled closet become easier to use or see a cluttered pantry get the amazing overhaul Scott did a week or so ago.

To get rid of the excess we've accumulated as well as put a little money back in the bank account, I've turned to a local Facebook garage sale page. People post pictures of what they're selling and others comment to purchase. Then you set up a time and place to meet and swap your old picture frames or bedding for cash. It's great if you have stuff you'd like to get rid of but don't want to have a full on garage sale of your own. (Plus, this way you don't have to deal with those early birds who show up in your front yard at 6 a.m.)

While I have had success in the Facebook group in selling home goods, I have had little to no luck selling my clothes. I found myself with a stack of clothes in my closet floor and no idea what to do with them.

But then I found Twice. It's a website where you can purchase name-brand clothes secondhand for much less and where you can sell your own used clothes and get paid upfront. After reading about how to sell your clothes, it seemed easy enough, so I thought I'd give it a try. I requested the free prepaid bag to send my clothes to them, but you can also print a prepaid label and send your clothes in whatever box you have lying around.

My sorted stack, ready to go// With nothing to compare it to, it's hard to tell, but it was a big bag!

When the bag arrived, I sorted through my clothes to see what qualified to send. Twice only takes clothes that are less than five years old and are on their list of accepted brands, so a few of my Target pieces didn't make the cut, but a number of my sweaters, jeans and tops qualified. I ended up with a little more than 20 items to sell. I stuffed them all in the bag, sealed it up, and took it to the post office. It was really easy, and I didn't have to set up to meet someone I've only contacted through Facebook or meet some consignment shops crazy standards just to sell with them. (I just finished preparing some of Preston's old clothes for a children's consignment sale here in town. I had to get plastic hangers, specific little white price tags, and safety pins and have everything lined up just so. To top it all off, it seemed the sale had caused a run on all safety pins because there were none to be found. This was much easier.)

Once Twice gets my shipment, they'll send me an offer, which I can either accept and get the amount sent to me in a check or deny and get my clothes back for $5 shipping. Since I just sent in my clothes, I can't speak to how happy I am with how much Twice pays out, but the note that came with the bag said that the average seller sends in 18 pieces and gets around $50. If that's how it plays out with me, I'll be very pleased.

So, here's to clean closets and a few more dollars in your pocket. What are your organization tips or suggestions? What do you do with your extra clutter?

Gift ideas for mom

Mother's Day is fast approaching. For whatever reason, this holiday always has me scratching my head about what to buy. What do you get the woman who not only woke up at all hours of the night to feed you and made it through the ages of 2 and 12-18 without shipping you to the zoo but also came to stay with you for two weeks after you've had a baby and listened to whatever problem (real or imagined) you brought to her over the course of 28 years? While one gift might not say all of those things, here are a few ways you can tell your mom thanks for being your mom.

1. How cute is this set of pears? I love the sweet, simple sentiment and can see them easily fitting in to any mom's decor. This is a great gift if you happen to live far away from your mom because they would be such a nice reminder for her to glance at every day when she might not see you as much as she likes.

2. Of course, every mother needs a Mother's Day card, and I love everything Rifle Paper Co. does. This card is great for when you can't get your mom an actual trophy but wish to express that feeling just the same.

3. A stack of these dainty initial bracelets would make any mom proud. Get one for each of her children's (and even grandchildren's) names. They'd make a great conversation starter, and what mom doesn't want an excuse to gush about her kids?

4. My parents always request pictures of Preston when I ask them what they want for any gift-giving occasion. One of my favorite places to go for everything photo is Shutterfly. They offer tons of wall art options to display those timeless memories. I love the look of the mounted wall art, but they also offer canvas, wood, acrylic and even metal prints, plus cute decals. With all of the choices, it's easy to find an option that fits your mom's style and features her favorite face for all to see!

5. Buying scents for others can be tricky, but this Nest set of five offers the recipient a variety to choose from. And with such beautiful packaging, these bottles would look lovely on your mom's vanity.

6. My collection of recipes derived from my mom, grandmothers, great-grandmother and mother-in-law. It's such a neat collection of generations of special women. This vintage-feeling recipe tin would be a great gift to keep all of those treasures in one place.

I hope this helps you on your quest to celebrate all of the mothers in your life!

H&M online

Is it sad that I audibly gasped when I read that H&M had opened online shopping to the U.S.? They offer some really cute items for not too much money. You would gasp, too! I've only been to an H&M once when I was in New York and was so happy when I heard my hometown of Nashville had recently gotten one, but there's something so satisfying about being able to browse online and not have to make a pilgrimage to a big city when you want to shop.

As a sign of where my head is at now, I first went to the baby clothing tab to see what they offered for the little guy. I love all of the cardigans and stripes for fall and the bright chinos, keeping Preston comfy and cool. The also had the cutest little mittens and hats for when it gets colder, plus suspenders (suspenders!), for a price that keeps you from feeling like you're flushing money down the toilet. I mean, he'll have grown out of them by tomorrow. (And leave me weeping as I the too-small clothes in the outgrown box. Every time.)

Striped sweater, striped tee, chambray shirt, cardigan, chinos, socks, and sneakers

Of course, I had to peek and see what I liked for me. I loved the jersey dress, which would look great with belt and necklace — my standard as it seems. I wear a dress/belt/necklace combo at least three days a week. The polka-dotted tee is a step up from a typical basic, and the hunter green dress would be a great transitional dress from summer to fall. The bright blue shoes and bracelets would be a fun touch to any outfit.

Jersey dress, polka-dotted tee, sleeveless dress, heels, and bracelets

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an online shopping cart to fill.

The magic of online shopping (and saving)

I love online shopping.

Since I live an hour from my favorite places, being able to virtually browse and bag my favorites from the comfort of my own couch only to have it show up 5-7 business days later on my doorstep is an excellent alternative. Plus, my feet don't hurt as much afterward.

Most of the time, though, I just "imaginary" shop online — fill my bag up but don't check out in the end. On the off chance that I do click the "proceed to checkout" button, I visit a couple of other websites to make sure I'm saving as much as possible because, while it might start as imaginary shopping, it costs real money.

The first place I go is Ebates.com. Now, you've probably seen the commercials for Ebates with people holding up their big fat checks talking about how they made money shopping online and thought, "What's the catch?" I mean, there has to be a catch, right? Well, having used it a few months now, I've yet to find one. Once you set up an account, you just have to go to the Ebates site, find the site you're wanting to shop at (for instance, J.Crew). Beside the store name, you'll see what percentage cash back they're offering (6% at J.Crew right now). Click on the store, and that's it. Shop and check out as usual. Once your payment has gone through (about 2-3 days), you'll get an email from Ebates telling you how much cash you'll get back. They send you a check every three months with your savings.

As an added bonus, when you sign up and make your first purchase, you get a $10 gift card from one of a selection of various stores (Target being one of them). They'll also send you emails with coupon codes or when stores are running double cash back. It makes me feel especially frugal when I buy something at double cash back. If they sent the savings back in gold coins, I'd dive in them a la Scrooge McDuck. It'd be a shallow pool, but still.

My second stop is RetailMeNot.com. I do a quick search for where I'm shopping to see if they have any useful coupon codes or free shipping. (Continuing the example, with the code "SUMMER" at J.Crew, you save 25% site wide ... I think I need to do some J.Crew shopping now!) You don't even have to sign up with them. Other users provide feedback to let you know if the code works or not, so you're not left sifting through a bunch of duds.

While I'm not much of a couponer (although I'm working on it), this is definitely something I do every time I'm shopping online. I save money, and I get new clothes. It's a beautiful thing.

*Full discloser: If you follow the Ebates links, sign up, and make a purchase, Ebates will add $5 to my savings. It doesn't affect your savings or cost you anything, though.