Gifts of the Heart Exchange/blood bath.

Around here at BYU there is a huge event called, Gifts of the Heart Exchange. I had only found out about it a maybe a year ago. It's an activity students put together for student families in the area. You can go early to drop your unwanted items off and then come back to pick up whatever it is you need! Literally. Whatever it is you need. They have everything from baby gear (New strollers, car seats, bath tubs..) to house ware, clothing, toys, books etc. In the past when I've attended I've gotten a bag of clothes for Haddie, maybe a few pieces of clothing for Emmett and myself and maybe, if I was lucky, some other random piece of awesomeness. Like a mixer. I got a mixer last time.

Well last time I got there half an hr early and the line was already wrapping around the building! I brought two small bags and that was it. I remember seeing people walking out with bags and bags of stuff and strollers full of house hold items and things I know we could have really used. So this time? This time I went in with a game plan. Muahahaha! I scrapped myself up out of bed early, threw my hair up into a messy bun, and called it good. Well, I did get dressed, c'mon who do you think I am? I hauled our big stroller out to the car, in the snow, and went on to the church building it was being held at. I was an hr early and freezing my tookus off. I felt well prepared for this event this time around. I felt almost too prepared so I left our big stroller in the car and brought our small one. I couldn't look like I had been to too many of these now could I? I was 6th in line and so proud of myself. Until the frost bite started setting in and my toes felt like they had broken off inside my boot somewhere only to fall out once I took my boots off. (They aere still attached-don't worry). After an hr of waiting they finally opened the doors and that's when the blood bath started.

Ok so there wasn't really blood all over but if you've ever seen the Hunger Games, I picture it much like that. Everyone like wild animals pushing and shoving to get in, to get to the best stuff, to find the latest and greatest. Good thing I had my stroller and a game plan. (And my toes).  While in line I saw a lady walk in to donate a kids potty. Hadds has been showing lots of signs of being ready to potty train so I thought it'd be good to get one for her to see and get used to for a while before we started. Anyways, that was my go-to item. I dashed to the baby gear room and snatched that thing up like it was the last bag of apples in the arena! While there I found an uber nice-working-printer for Emmett and a lovely set of MATCHING salt and pepper shakers. That's a big deal, people. Now the room with all the stations set up with clothing are like the cornucopia. If you dare go in there you best watch out for hungry baby-clothing-wanting-momma bears ready to take anyone out who gets in their way. You might think I'm kidding but I'm beyond serious. They look like this:

And that's scary. But they were like 10x scarier. 

Well anyway I walked out of there weighed down in clothing, and good quality stuff we needed of freeeeeeeeeeeee ninety-nine!! And it was awesome. Happy days!