As the little ones grow, they leave behind mounds of clothing, some of which has been barely worn and is perfectly suitable for reuse. Parents find themselves asking, “What should I do with all of this stuff?” Due to the fact that clothing a child can cost a small fortune, one of the most popular solutions is to have the dreaded yard sale.

So it begins. At first you’re enthusiastic; planning is going well, the date is set and you have made signs and pricing labels. Then come the annoyances that you’ve somehow forgotten since the last yard sale. You have spent hours upon hours organizing the sale. Before you’ve even began to set up tables, strangers are parking in places they shouldn’t be parking, watching you to see what kind of deal they may be able to score. Professional yardsalers are a force to be reckoned with as they bargain for a better price on a $1 item.

At the end of the day, after all your valuable time and effort, you’re still left with boxes upon boxes of stuff, which most of us pack into the car and donate to the thrift store, thinking that’s what we should have done in the first place. In my opinion, yard sales stink! That’s why I was so excited when a friend informed me of the Mommy Mart Mid-Ohio Valley Fall & Winter Children's Consignment Sale. The sale will feature fall and winter infant and children’s clothing, baby equipment and nursery furniture, boutique and maternity clothing, children’s bedding, sports and dance, video games, CDs and DVDs and more! This is a great opportunity to unload unwanted items and shop for new ones! If you consign, you receive 65% of your decided selling price. There is a $15 fee to consign, which will be reduced by 50% if you choose to volunteer at the sale for four hours, the fee will be completely waived if you volunteer for eight hours. Check out the website, http://www.mymommymart.com/ for more information. The website is extremely informative and even has photos of past sales.

Dates for drop-off are September 20-23 at the Jr Fair Building at the Washington County Fairgrounds. The sale begins September 24 and continues to the 27th. Keep in mind that if you miss the fall sale, there will be a spring sale next year!