Beauty and the Budget

All Things New: Part III (Swap Parties)

So, swap parties are pretty much the greatest thing ever dreamed up!

Have you heard of them or attended one? If not, I suggest you get on top of planning one immediately.

Following suite in Beauty and the Budget’s ‘trash to treasure’ series, we wanted to share with you some photos and tips from our recent ‘Swap Party’ in Oxford.

Swap parties are incredibly easy to set up, a great excuse to play dress up and the most rewarding way to ‘shop’ imaginable.  It’s also a perk seeing that top you never wear turn out looking fantastic on a friend!  All you need is a space large enough to host at least ten guests and room to spread out clothing and accessories for viewing.  We did our swap the simple way.  We divided up all the clothes into small, medium and large sections and basically had a ‘free for all’ and let everyone shop all at once, but you might choose to draw numbers or give guests tickets when they arrive to break it up a bit.  Everyone who attended our swap took home something new to add to her wardrobe and no one spent a single pence (or penny)!  I even took home a pair of Joe’s (designer) jeans that fit me like a glove.  Trash to treasure!

Here are some great links to get ideas on planning your own swap party.  Here, here, here, or here.

Happy Swapping!

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Monday's Food for Thought

Monday’s Food for Thought: The Little Free Library Movement

As the wife of an academic, and a voracious reader of a lot of books, I came across this website, and immediately fell in love.

If you haven’t heard of The Little Free Library movement, please go check it out.

The free book exchange concept, called a “movement” by most stewards, began in 2009 with a single mini-library in Wisconsin, and has since spread all over the world, with libraries registered in 45 States and over 20 countries.

The founders, Rick Brooks and Todd Bol, would like to have 2,510 libraries established – which would be more than Andrew Carnegie endowed.

There are countless stories on the web of how this movement is impacting communities and neighborhoods.

What could you do to further their mission in your neighborhood?

-Mandy

Wednesday's Weekly Tip

Wednesday’s Weekly Tip: Get a Free Book Today!

I couldn’t help but share a fun tip for all the Oxford readers out there.  I don’t know if you have ever been to Barefoot Books (the new children’s bookstore in Summertown), but you should, and you should make today the day to visit!  We go for the story time there from time to time and to be honest I have never actually bought a book, due to the somewhat high prices.  Hard to pay £10 on a paperback when I know I get them at the library book sale for .20p each.  Anyways,  when we went in today I was asked to fill out a ten minute survey and along with that I could choose any book for FREE!  I completed it in 5 minutes and picked up the jungle boogie book that my daughter loves, along with the music dvd included in the flap, for nothing!  So, head over to Barefoot Books and ask for the survey and free book. Even if you don’t have kids, pick one up for a friend and enjoy a delicious latte in their storyteller’s cafe while you are there.

Other readers not in Oxford, do you have any tips you could share about local deals in your neck of the woods?!  We’d love to start sharing them on our Wednesday Weekly Tips!

-M.C.