In the mean time, it’s the holiday season for Lisa and I, and we’re busy getting ready for time with our families.   In the spirit of the happiness, of the season, we are offering a contest – with a category for everyone.  We’d love to see entries on facebook (make sure and tag us) but we also will accept entries by email.

So here it is:

Send us your stories, pictures and videos in the following categories, all around the theme of holidays or the winter season.  Every entry must include an item purchased at Half-Pint (any year!  Think winter coats while sledding, gifts opened for Christmas or Hanukkah, etc.)

1.  Funniest Holiday/Winter moment

2.  Happiest  Holiday/Winter moment

3.  Best Holiday or Winter Half-Pint find (include the price you paid, if you remember!)

Deadline:  January 7, 2011.   We will pick our favorites in each category, and then post them on facebook for you to see.  The entries with the greatest number of likes/votes will receive a $50 Half-Pint gift certificate.

If you aren’t already a friend of Half-Pint’s on facebook – we recommend you do so stat!  It’s the best place to find out what is going on.  Plus, we like to post thrifty tips to help you make the most of your pennies and time.

 (We reserve the right to repost or use your entry. Please also include your full name and phone number, as well as the names of the people in the picture).

Season’s Greetings and White Winter days to all of you-

EC and LS

We’ll also have a holiday contest coming your way, and goodness knows what else. 

Thanks for all YOU do to keep things local and green.  We’re so proud that you are our comrades.   

-EC and LS

This coming weekend is the 8th annual Half-Pint Resale, the area’s largest (and entirely local) children’s consignment sale.  With only a few days left before the sale, we hope you’ve got your resuable bags ready and your cheat sheets complete.

Here are a couple of other things that might help you with your shopping extravaganza:

1) Volunteers will be wearing black and will be wearing nametags.  They are here to help you!  There are a couple of volunteers with special duties that will really help you out:  Volunteers with a GEAR VOLUNTEER sign on their backs will help you purchase large items in the gear room/area so you can easily purchase them without hindering the rest of your shopping experience.    (For at least Friday, Gear will have it’s own special room off of the front lobby, so watch for it!)  Volunteers with a ASK ME ABOUT BABY CARRIERS sign on their backs are ladies who know a TON about baby carriers and will be hanging around in that area during a few hours of the sale to help you try carriers on and learn about what will be best for you and your baby.    We hope that these folks will help make your shopping experience better.  As always, we’d love to hear if it was a help!

2) Who are those folks selling delicious food/coffee of hot coffee outside our sale doors and in the Cafe on the other side of the Goodman Center building?  Why, it’s the ever delicious and socially conscious Ironworks Cafe. Trying to decide to buy or not to buy?  Just remember that every purchase helps teens learn important skills regarding running a business – or perhaps is even making a future chef!

3) Parking! We talk about alot about parking because it isn’t plentiful at the Goodman Community Center.  However, the staff there are truly fabulous and have worked with other businesses around the area to have overflow parking.   You’ll want to take a look at this post and map, but also be watchful for signs as you get to the center, as there may be signs out leading you to the jewel of the parking world.    And please, we are begging you NOT to park in anything labeled “fire lane”, “seniors only”, or  “no parking”, and in the Madison Kipp lot that is right across the railroad tracks from the GCC lot. (Danke!)

4) Spend some time reading through our Shopping Tips.   There are a few things to highlight…

5)  Strollers are NOT allowed during peak shopping times (anything before 5pm on Friday).   It gets so crowded and it would be unsafe for everyone.   We also highly recommend you not bring children.  We know – sometimes you have no choice!  But we’ve had several kids get lost (think kids shorter than the racks and at some peak shopping times, several hundred people packing the space).    Finally, Children of any size that are WORN in a carrier are ALWAYS welcome, anytime!  If you do bring kids, please make sure that they aren’t playing with the toys or sitting in the gear.  We’ve had kids break things which they become unsellable.  Thanks for understanding!

6) Like the last sale, there will not be an Express Lane at this sale...  I don’t imagine there are too many people saying boohoo because for those of you who have waited in that Express Lane earlier in the sale when the lines are longer, you know that it didn’t actually get you through any faster and was hard to manage.   We will continue to manage lines as best as possible and think you’ll find our new bagging system swift and our hard-working volunteers fabulous.

7) Check out all of our tips about holding items on our shopping tips page.  Remember that items can stay on the Hold table for one hour maximum.  PLEASE!  Don’t abandon items on this table!  Shoppers and consignors alike miss out!

8) Finally, don’t forget to bring a donation for the Goodman Community Center’s Fritz Food Pantry.  Thanks again to the Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, everyone who donates will be entered to win ICE CREAM FOR A YEAR.    You will find the donation box in the Lobby of the Gymnasium (the location of the sale) Thursday – Saturday.

And last, but not least, We only take cash and check!  Keeping consignor checks as high as possible and keeping as much money  in the community as possible.  Thanks for understanding!

Looking forward to seeing you:
Friday, September 8- 2pm-9pm (new longer hours!), and Saturday, September 9- 9-Noon, and 1pm-5pm (when everything is half off!)

-Ellen and Lisa

PS If you haven’t seen it yet – make sure you check out the VIDEO of the last fall/winters sale in action!

Anothering that that we love is how so many businesses and groups come together to help make Half-Pint happen.  These are places that offer much needed services in this community – and in turn, they care enough about Half-Pint to help us make it happen.  So take a gander through these amazing folks, and the next time you happen into their business or non-profit, thank them!

Mother Nature’s Diaper Service – Little bums love keeping the environment clean, and Mother Nature’s Diaper Service is here to help!  They deliver clean cloth diapers right to your door – Sounds dreamy!  They are sponsoring the diapering area at the sale.

Holy Cross Lutheran Preschool – And little minds need great schools and teachers!  Holy Cross offers a robust 4Kprogram that might be just right for you.  Located on Milwaukee Street (just down the road from the Goodman Community Center) their programming includes everything from spanish, to music and science,to  reading and religious education.

Midwest Clay Project – We just can’t get enough of this place.  We posted about this amazing community resource awhile back, and we’re still just as in love.   Your kids will never tired of learning and making and building and sculpting.  Peak in, you won’t regret it.  (They have just as many opportunities for adults, too – from playful to serious.  Get in on the fun, just over on Willy Street).   All ages and abilities welcome!

Tenney Nursery and Parent Center - TNPC is a preschool and parent cooperative that offers several preschool classes and a parent/child playgroup (a great way to get introduced to this creative and play-based center).  Due to the cooperative nature, parents work closely with the staff and ED and help mold their child’s education.  Visit and see it in action!

Belly – Oh!  To have a massage when you are pregnant – And to have a massage from someone who understands pregnant and post-partum bodies is heavenly.  Where can you find such magic?  At Belly Massage!  Each massage is tailored to meet your individual needs and will provide you with that little bit of extra peace that you deserve.  Perfect gift for soon-to-be mommas!

Swim East – My personal Swim East testimonial:  My son went from being afraid to jump in the water to being a safe but determined swimmer within a single session.  A year later the little dude could swim across the pool, and less than two years later he’s jumping off of the diving boards into 12 feet of water.  The lessons are That good.  New to Swim West (or their newer Swim East location)?  Get a free lesson to try them out!

Madison Children’s Museum – I know you’ve heard of them.  But have you tried them out yet?  Better yet, have you become a member?  We’ve found the ability, because of our membership, to get discounted parking at the museum and to pop in and out as we please to be worth our membership’s weight in gold.   We love the museum year round, but as we’re heading into the winter months, I feel less panicy about the impending weather knowing we have the perfect place to go on a bitterly-cold day.

Liberty Mutual - Giveaway time!  On Saturday only, they will be handing out free Child ID kits!  They will also have information on how you can protect your family through the ever important Life Insurance.  Representative Julie Sternal (a friend of Half-Pint) will be there to answer your questions.

The Little Gym - Little people need a gym all their size – that is where the Little Gym comes in.   They encourage playful development, and non-competitive serious play.  A perfect way to start an active life.  They are sponsoring our new GEAR room!

Yum Tum Delivers - We love mom grown businesses!  Two moms with a passion for healthy tasty food are now delivering fresh baby food – They can fulfill all of your beginning eater’s needs (6 months +) and deliver nutrient packed baby food to your door every week!  They even have toddler snacks (couldn’t we all use a fresh dose of those!).  Delicious.  Check em out on Facebook, too!

Local Madison Midwifery Practices - We’re excited to have local midwives represented at the sale.  Check out your shopping bag for more information on home births!

Kindred Kids – We’re once again partnering with one of the greatest kid-focused non-profits around.  An organization that strives to let kids help kids, Kindred Kids is worth the drive to Columbus, just to hang out and be around these amazing people (which is something you can do!)  ”We chose the name “Kindred Kids” because there are commonalities shared by all kids. They really are all Kindred. Their differing abilities may make some of their needs different but their needs as children are the same.”  Find out more about them at the sale.

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream – ooooooooh, DELICIOUS!  Can you believe that we lucked out to have a sponsor like the best ice cream on the face of this earth?!    That is extra good for you because they are giving away Ice Cream for a Year.  Check out our blog to find out how!

-EC and LS

(-mommas, daddy’s, babes and kids in this community thank you-)

Are you consigning next week?  Take a picture of the your favorite items that you are selling.  Post them on facebook and tag us (and remember to make your picture public).

Not consigning, but are a past shopper?  Post a picture of your favorite Half-Pint purchase.  (And follow suit:  tag us, make that picture public).

New to Half-Pint?  Browse through the pics and LIKE away!

CRAZY FORTS! The best thing we've ever purchased at Half-Pint. Whoever sold these last year, we hope you bring more! We want an entire Tent City for our friends!

Everyone who ‘posts’ or ‘likes’ between 12:01am Friday, September 2 and 11:59pm Monday, September 5, will be entered to win a $20 Gift Certificate for the upcoming sale!

so, POST UP!

-EC

It’s time for out with the old, in with the new, and a major inventory on all of the stuff you Totally DO NOT have for fall.

It’s a good thing Half-Pint is around the corner!  I don’t know about you, but I almost headed to a store this week in panic and bought things at – gasp – full price!  After my momentary panic, I pulled out Half-Pint’s cheat sheets and started making a long list of what to look for next week.  I even made my kid stand on a piece of paper and traced his feet so I can confidently by him shoes and boots (which I think are always sized strange).

Top of my list?  Snow pants and jeans.  And some good gifts to squirrel away for Christmas.  Oh, and a Wolverine Costume.

What are you looking for?

-EC and LS