Thrift Store Finds

 Do you ever get that really excited feeling when you walk into a thrift store and see something that you cannot believe you are actually seeing with your own two eyes?   And then you see the extremely low price and your eyes instantly dart around to make sure no one else is spotting what you have just spotted?  And then you panic because the item is too big to carry, you are towing 2 small children with you and you can't find a sales person to help you claim the item?  Yep...that's what happened when I spied these adorable, yet tacky, rocking chairs.  Chairs = $11 total...the look on my student's faces the following morning = PRICELESS!

And then...there's the gumball machine.  Yes, a real live, heavy duty gumball machine for $8!  So I get it home with a new stash of gumballs and the darn thing doesn't work.  Boo Hoo!  My dad was excited to pull it all apart to try and fix the gears and such inside.  He couldn't fix it and had to order some pretty pricey replacement parts on-line and gifted it to me for Christmas.  Why are school related Christmas presents always the best?  My kiddos thought they had died and went to Heaven the day it arrived in our classroom!  In order to earn a gumball, they have to fill up half of their mini incentive sheets with 10 point stickers.  They earn the stickers by turning in homework, being caught doing nice things for others, working quietly, etc.  The easiest way for them to earn points is to bring in Box Tops or Campbell Soup Labels because they get a point for each one.  Let me tell you...we have won every Box Tops and Campbell Soup Label contest this year because of the gumball incentive!  I even have a kid who makes his mom cut off the labels from the soups before they even eat them!  Too fun!!!!