Kids Exchange Day 1

Last night I decided to that I would try going to the Kids Exchange this morning... with Jude. I had a few things in mind and a very tight budget. I brought $20 cash and wanted to look for diaper covers, mom books and toys. I spent a little more time than I wanted but less money so I guess we'll call it even. I didn't find any great deals on diaper covers but that was sort of a long shot to begin with. However, I did get 2 great breastfeeding books, Little People Noah's Ark Set and a Luke Skywalker action figure for toddlers.

I'm still debating as to weather or not I will go back for 1/2 price day on Sunday. 

Kids Exchange 50% off Day

So yesterday I decided to brave the crowds at the NC Fair Grounds for the Kids Exchange. It actually wasn't too crowded in the building but the parking lot was crazy due to the Flea Market and Bead Expo.
The Kids Exchange is a bi-annual event where moms bring their kid stuff to sell and other moms com to buy that stuff. I went to the one in January on Saturday and got some good deals on toys, baby gear and clothes but the crowd was crazy and the line was pretty long. So I hadn't planned on going this time but last minute I changed my mind and went on the last day where everything is 50% off (except items written in red).
Most of the toys and good baby gear were pretty picked over but the clothes still had a decent selection. If you saw something that was really nice chances are it was priced too high and wouldn't be 50% off. Last time I never made it into the book and DVD room but this year I looked around a bit, they should have named it the VHS room. Seriously who even owns a VCR anymore. (Ok we have one but it's not hooked up.)
Toward the end of the day the line was pretty short and moving really fast, I think I only spent 20 min in line.

Here's what I got for Jude:
2 Guitar t-shirts (1 long sleeve and 1 short)
1 Gap Sweet pants
1 Batman PJs
1 Cute Jacket
1 Pair Jeans
1 Pair of Green Pants
and 1 Firetruck book.

I spent $11

Babies and Shopping

Saturday morning Andrea and I went to the Kids Exchange. There were alot of great deal but I had to stick to my plan and budget. I went in with the mindset that if it wasn't a great deal I wasn't going to buy anything. However, I found several things on my list and stayed within my budget.

I bought:
Safety 1st Table Edge BumperNIB - Paid $10
Fisher Price Monitor - Paid $5
Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders: Musical Fishbowl - Paid $6
LeapFrog Baby Counting Pal - Paid $4
2 Shirts 12mo - Paid $2
Freaking Cute Baby Flip Flops - Paid $4

Andrea got a few baby items and a play mat. We did alot of walking and I think that helped her get labor started as she went into labor that night.

So today we celebrate the birth of baby Updyke.
Oscar Lawrence Updyke
11lbs
22inches
15inch head

WOAH big boy!

Kids Exchange Response

Here's the email from the Kids Exchange



Thank you for your email with concerns regarding our ‘spouse only’
entrance to the Kids Exchange during the Work Exchange sale. For a
while now, we have been considering a change in this policy to better
serve single parents and military families as well. We appreciate
you bringing your concerns to our attention. Starting with our July
2009 sale we are considering a new policy. We will be polling our
current work exchangers to see which of the following options they
prefer. We will implement the one with the highest votes.

A.) Work Exchanger ONLY with no guest, no spouse.

B.) The Work Exchanger will be allowed to bring one ‘helper’. The
helper must be shopping with the work exchanger for the same family
(honor system), and must checkout with the Work Exchanger. Only Work
Exchangers (wearing the entrance sticker) will be able to pay. The
helper will not be able to checkout separately. The Work Exchanger and
their helper will only have one order, not separate orders.

Our goal and focus have never been to discriminate in any way. We ask
that you circulate this change in policy in the same way the negative
information was prematurely sent regarding the Kids Exchange owners on
both a business and professional level. We personally are very upset
that our sellers and work exchangers would circulate such information
about us before we were given a chance to officially respond to their
concerns. We have both friends and family that are gay and in no way
sought to discriminate against anyone. The policy has been in place
for many years. We have always been very firm even regarding single
parents, widows and military families. Our firm stance on our
policies was not anti-gay nor was it created or implemented against the
gay community. Again, please circulate this change in policy which
will take effect at our next sale in July.

*Our policy of 'spouse only' has been an ongoing policy since the
inception of Kids Exchange. This policy is clearly stated on our Website
and also in emails sent to all Work Exchangers prior to the sale. This
entire situation could have been avoided if we had been contacted prior
to the sale date. We work with over 500 people in a very short time
and this simply was not an issue that should have been discussed or
brought up at the front door of the sale. Each Work Exchanger devotes
countless hours for their right to shop early at the Exchange. To allow
non-Work Exchangers admittance would be unfair to the Work Exchangers
and serve as a disincentive to these workers. We never meant to
embarrass anyone. We wish that the family involved would have
contacted us to clarify their questions beforehand and this may have
been resolved before the hectic environment of the sale. We cannot
change an ongoing policy, on the spot as the person requested us to do,
without thoughtful consideration and deliberation among ourselves and
our volunteers, who are the lifeline of the Kids Exchange.

Thank You ~ Kids Exchange

Kids Exchange Discriminates

This is an email I received earlier today as part of an online mother's group post I'm a member.

Let me know what you think.



Greetings Triangle Families~

I just had to send a post after a negative experience with the Kids
Exchange sale in Raleigh today. For those of you who don't know
about the Kids Exchange, it's an event that takes place twice a year
at the raleigh fairgrounds where people can consign and buy used
baby/kid stuff. I've gone twice a year for the past six years for
great bargains and to consign so it is with GREAT disappointment that
I send out this email.

My partner was a part of the super volunteer exchange for this sale
(which works 3 shifts -total of 11-12 hours) in exchange for being
able to shop early at the sale. If you are a super volunteer you can
bring your kids and your 'spouse' to shop early with you, but not
friends or others. The thought behind that (per the website) is that
they only want people shopping for their children (one family) not
shopping for kids of people who were not volunteers. So as we entered
for the super volunteer sale today we were questioned at the door
going in...and I said we were partners...that the 2 children are
ours...we were their parents. They started to not let us in, but then
one of the ladies knew my partner and waved us in...amongst some ill
looks. It was when we paid that i got pissed.

As I handed the check to Doris (remember this name...she's the head
honcho....write to her/call her...PLEASE! ) She looked at us and said
that the early volunteer sale was for spouses only. I explained that
we are domestic partners...the 2 children with us are OURS, we are the
parents. She again said in a snotty voice, that it was for spouses
ONLY, but since we had already gotten in, she'd 'let us pay for our
stuff' this time but that it would not be permitted again. My partner
then said, 'you mean husband and wife only? Man and woman
only?'...and Doris continued with her snotty voice and said yes.

So, please keep in mind that no 'proof' of marriage is required when a
man and a woman go into the sale together. No questions asked. It's
just one man and one woman....and that is acceptable as long as one of
them was a volunteer. It seems that gay parent volunteer hours aren't
the same as straight parent volunteer hours....any man and woman can
enter the sale early if one is a volunteer..for all they know they can
even be strangers. But as a gay parent, we are NOT ALLOWED the same
benefit of shopping early with our partners since we're the same
gender.

Please take a moment to send an email to Doris and the others who
'run' the Kids Exchange to let them know that this type of
discrimination against our families is not fair. If we are
volunteering our time and resources we should be entitled to the same
privilledges as straight families (or even a man/woman non-related or
strangers) for that matter. If they want to enforce the sale as being
for married couples only...then require a marriage certificate. What
about non-married parents? THIS IS DISCRIMINATION OF OUR FAMILIES!!!!
!

Please feel free to circulate this e-mail to anyone you know who will
spread the word and contact the Kids Exchange, Media or other outlets.
This type of treatment of our families in 2009 is not acceptable and
unless we make our voices heard incidents like this will continue. I
appreciate you taking the time to read this, and please follow up with
an email to Doris and the Kids Exchange organizers listed below to let
them know this is discrimination.

Doris@KidsExchange. net

Julie@KidsExchange. net

Amy@KidsExchange. net

Amanda C.P. Lenhart