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chicken lady
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| Posted: July 04 2007 at 9:05am | IP Logged
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OK you all have me on the Montessori kick, your enthusiasm is contagious. So I thought I would share what I found at a Goodwill last night.
a balancing beam (solid wood) gorgeous
wooden lacing cards in a lovely wooden box
wooden geometry solids
2 mats
silver child size cups
3 small wooden trays
All of this for under 20.00! I LOVE thrift stores 
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Eleanor
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| Posted: July 04 2007 at 10:10am | IP Logged
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That's great!
Our Goodwill stores, like so much else around here, are very pricey. Even beat-up trays, in need of repainting or refinishing, are at least $3 each. We have to get pretty creative to find bargains. In addition, since I usually have little ones "helping" me to shop, I really really really need to bring a list to jog my memory.
Here's what I'm on the lookout for at the moment; perhaps it will give someone else an idea.
- An item of clothing with multiple matching buckles
(to make a dressing frame)
- Mounted posters or hard cork-backed placemats, at clearance prices
(to use as backing boards for various projects)
- Old magazines or damaged books with large, beautiful pictures of life in other countries
(to cut out for the continent folders)
- Photo souvenir books in good condition, from any country
(for the geography area -- I've found some excellent ones at yard sales)
- Small- to medium-sized drawstring bags
(for storing materials... takes up less space than boxes, and adds variety)
- Salvageable fabric in patterns that relate to a classroom theme or activity, e.g. stars, music, ocean life
(for card pouches or boxes; inspired by Montessori by Hand)
- Tiny realistic toys and miniature items
(for sound pouches and cultural activities)
- A small set of shelves that slope to display items at an angle, or could easily be altered to do so
(for the metal insets... I once saw a rubberwood shoe rack that would have been fine, but I decided to wait and think about it, and it was gone when I returned)
- Pairs of small knobs, in various shapes, sizes, and textures
(to make a tactile matching game like the Grippy, from Nienhuis's "educational toys" line)
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 04 2007 at 10:31am | IP Logged
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chicken lady wrote:
OK you all have me on the Montessori kick, your enthusiasm is contagious. So I thought I would share what I found at a Goodwill last night.
a balancing beam (solid wood) gorgeous
wooden lacing cards in a lovely wooden box
wooden geometry solids
2 mats
silver child size cups
3 small wooden trays
All of this for under 20.00! I LOVE thrift stores |
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I am beyond jealous!! Can you send a little of your thrift store luck my way Chicken Lady? Our thrift stores are good, but not that good!!  What a great start you've got there - add or make a moveable alphabet and you're set. I just love thrifting!!! So much satisfaction in the purchase of something lovely for next to nothing! Ooh - I'm all excited about my planned trip out this Thursday!!
I always have a general idea of something I might really be hunting for (practical life materials mostly or trays - I can find lovely trays,) but have you guys found that you never find what you're looking for when you're looking for it? So I'm always excited about the finding of something unexpected that I didn't think I would find. I bet you didn't have a Montessori balance beam on your list when you went out! 
Thrifting yumminess 
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 04 2007 at 10:39am | IP Logged
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Oh - Had to post again.
Eleanor - look in the ladies mu-mu (am I spelling that right? is it moo-moo? you know the big half nightgown/half dress thingy) section! I have found tons of great stuff there - buttons, zippers, etc for dressing frames. The fabric is usually a bright cotton, and there's plenty  of it for cutting up portions and stapling to a frame. And I've bought several to cut up and sew from because they are often in pretty themed patterns that work well for small sewing projects.
The books are a good idea - I get all of my art appreciation pictures from old books that I cut up and laminate. I'll have to be on the lookout for old books with a geography slant.
I'm totally psyched to head out looking now!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Kristin
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| Posted: July 04 2007 at 2:54pm | IP Logged
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Chicken Lady ~ It sure sounds like you had some FANTASTIC finds! Don't you all agree that one of the best things about thrifting is the mystery of not knowing what "treasure" you might find?
One of my favorite thrift store stories happened last summer. DS has always "loved" anything to do with cooking and I got wind of this neat idea: a small wooden table-top "stove" that he could use for spooning activities, etc. The idea of such a thing had never occured to me; I had never even seen one before! We were out at the thrift store one Saturday right around the time I was hoping to find one of these things.
I had been up and down the aisles once already and came back to one particularly congested shelf to look more closely. I shuffled through a couple of items, one of which was actually a little stove, but it had an oven too so I decided it wasn't really what I was looking for. At the bottom of the shelf, previously covered with other "stuff", what should I find there but exactly what I was looking for!?!?!! It was a simple, wooden stove-top with two burners that sits directly on the table with a lip that "hooks" onto the edge of the table! I just about fell over in amazement! 
With the help of St. Anthony, you may actually find the very thing you're looking for! The best part was that it was right there under my nose and I almost didn't even see it!!!
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Bunch 'o Honey to my Honey Bunch and Mama to five - Noah 10y  , Rose 8y  , Dominic 2.5 y  , Oliver 16m 
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lapazfarm
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I LOVE good thrift stores, too. I always find the neatest things!
But I also have to be careful, now that I am on a simplification binge, not to buy unnecessary items just because they are cheap. I am a sucker for trays and baskets, but really, how many do I need?
I'd really like to find a balance, though! That would be neat!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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chicken lady
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| Posted: July 04 2007 at 3:30pm | IP Logged
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Thrift shopping is my form of entertainment! I have many nice Montessori items from when the girls were young, ie pink tower, moveable alphabet, brownstairs,etc but now I have a renewed interest, who knows I may just implement some of these things into our unschooling days
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Meredith
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| Posted: July 06 2007 at 5:12pm | IP Logged
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I LOVE all your thriftiness and finds here! How wonderful and we're so glad you are inspiring us to be thrifty as it is invaluable in a home educating Montessori environment!! Thanks for sharing and for being here with us
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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SeaStar
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| Posted: July 07 2007 at 12:16pm | IP Logged
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I got lucky today! I found a set of nine rectangular wooden trays (oak) with handles that stack on each other. The stack fits onto a rolling base with a handle. I couldn't believe it- all for $5.99. I had been lacking in work trays, and these are perfect- exactly what I was looking for.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Kristin
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| Posted: July 07 2007 at 1:45pm | IP Logged
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That is so awesome! God provides!!!
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Bunch 'o Honey to my Honey Bunch and Mama to five - Noah 10y , Rose 8y , Dominic 2.5 y , Oliver 16m
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 07 2007 at 3:36pm | IP Logged
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Sweet! I found a neat Chinese-motif black enameled tray!Perfect for cultural stuff!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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SeaStar
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Thrift stores are so much fun, aren't they?
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 07 2007 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
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SeaStar wrote:
| Thrift stores are so much fun, aren't they? |
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Yep!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Erin
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Wow!! I can't believe the sort of things you are finding. When I read the heading I was thinking more of MOntessori type materials you were adapting. To actually find Montessori materials....I am astounded. 
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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chicken lady
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LAst month I found 4 community toy trucks all of them for 10.00! Keep looking, go once a week that is the secret! HAve fun the thrill is in the hunt 
Molly who is SLOWLY recovering from a wicked stomache bug 
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Land O' Cotton
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| Posted: July 23 2007 at 5:35pm | IP Logged
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Just bumping this up this afternoon to post about my finds at the thrift store!
* 8 Hasko floral trays for 50 cents each -- these are so beautiful!
* ceramic creamer and crystal sugar bowl for pouring exercises for 20 cents each
* Usborne
Round the World Picture Word Book -- 50 cents
* Childcraft How and Why Library book "About Us" which has lots of pictures and stories from around the world--for 50 cents, this is a bargain! (1982 Edition)
This would be a great add-on for geography boxes, as it has pictures and stories about people's homes, how they live, go to school, what they eat and what they wear
Just had to share, 'cause I knew ya'll would understand my exuberance!
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Vicki
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chicken lady
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Land O' Cotton wrote:
Just had to share, 'cause I knew ya'll would understand my exuberance! |
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You betcha
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lapazfarm
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Woo hoo! Terrific finds, Vicki!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Angel
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Can I ask a question? How close are your thrift stores and do you go with all the kids?
Our community wide garage sale is this weekend, and I hope to do some poking around.
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Eleanor
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We have a few thrift stores within a 10-minute drive (one is within walking distance). I try to go without the children whenever possible, but have been known to stop in for a quick look when we're out doing errands. If the children are with me, I'll usually just stick to looking at the books, as it's the most straightforward undertaking. While I'm going through the shelves, I make a pile of all the children's books that look reasonably decent, but that don't quite make my "must buy" list. They each get to pick one book from the pile, to take home (contingent on good behavior, of course!).
I'm not officially "allowed" to go to yard sales at the moment, but we'll sometimes pull over if we pass a particularly promising-looking one while we're out for a drive. My husband usually waits in the car with the children. This way, I'm not distracted, but I'm also not inclined to waste time and money on things we don't absolutely need... as I might, if I were by myself. (I just can't resist those cute little nearly-new baby sleepers, even though we already have enough for triplets! )
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Thrift store Montessori
