Consignment Sale

I went to the biannual LA Kids Consignment Sale in Van Nuys yesterday, which was enough of a clusterf*ck in and of itself that it probably deserves its own blog post. But I'll just sum up here that, while insane and crowded and noisy, there were many good deals to be had.

If I'd been smart I'd have brought my own shopping basket like a lot of the more experienced people had with them. But since I just had my own two hands and Sadie strapped into the Baby Bjorn, my shopping potential was inherently limited. Fortunately they had a hold area for the bulkier items so you didn't have to lug everything around with you up and down the narrow, crowded aisles.

Sadie handled the experience remarkably well, considering she'd decided to skip her morning nap for no particular reason, and was already tired and cranky by the time we arrived. She stared, wide-eyed, at the spectacle around her and then after about 30 minutes fell asleep in the Bjorn and didn't wake up until we left. Must be nice to be a baby.

I picked up several new books for her library, some rainbow stacking rings, a little Winnie The Pooh activity table for $18 (retails for $43), and best of all, a child carrier backpack. I didn't even know I wanted this until I saw it and then I was like, "MUST HAVE." I bought it for about $60, and when I got home I researched it, and, jackpot. This is, as I explained to Scott, the King Shit of baby carrier backpacks. It's got a sunshade and tons of storage and a steel frame so you can prop it up on the ground and carry on a conversation with it, if you so choose.

We've been wanting to hike more, but it's always been a misadventure trying to negotiate strollers up dusty, pot-holed hillsides (see previous entries). Even with the jogging stroller it can be tough, especially with this past wet winter having worn deep grooves in all the hiking trails we frequent. This way, not only can we hike without the stroller, we can pack everything we need into the backpack and leave the diaper bag at home, too. I'm pretty psyched about this purchase and look forward to the first time we get to try it out.