2012, Table Contract - Page 4 - PRINT THIS OUT AND SEND IN

2012, Table Contract - Page 3

2012, Table Contract - Page 2

2012, Table Contract - Page 1

2012 Mom 2 Mom Sale

2012 Sale - Saturday, April 28, 2012 - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Cornerstone Baptist Church
121 N. Nelson Road.

Happiest Mommies & Friends, Ltd, is pleased to announce that District Health Department #10 Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) is the beneficiary of the 2012 Ludington Mom 2 Mom Sale. The BCCCP offers free cancer screenings to un- and under-insured women ages 50 – 64. Because of recent budget cuts, the BCCCP had to change the age requirement for the cancer screenings from 40 – 64 t...o 50 – 64. BCCCP will use the funds from the sale to screen and service women ages 40-49. As well as offering the screenings, the BCCCP will assist women with a positive test result in getting a subsequent biopsy and funding for medical care. For more information about the BCCCP program, please visit www.dhd10.org. The Ludington Mom 2 Mom sale will take place on Saturday, April 28th from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, at Cornerstone Baptist Church, in Ludington. The sale will offer at least 40 tables of gently used baby and children’s clothing, toys, books, equipment, etc., as well as a large item area featuring strollers, high chairs, bouncy chairs, etc. Tables and hanging rack spaces are available for rent if you or someone you know would like to sell your children’s items. For more information, please join our Facebook page at “Ludington Mom 2 Mom Sale” or e-mail us at mom2momLud@hotmail.com. All table rental fees, admission charges and other monies raised will be donated directly to the BCCCP. The BCCCP will also be collecting donations of gently used baby & children’s items, including clothing, toys, books, large equipment, etc. Donations can be dropped off at the office of Dr. Andrew Reisterer, DDS, 902 E. Ludington Avenue. Monday – Thursday 8am – 5pm. For the most up-to-date information, please join our Facebook page at “Ludington Mom 2 Mom Sale”.

Tell Your Friends!!!

This Saturday is our third Mom 2 Mom Sale in Ludington!  I want to clear up a couple of things for those of you who might be wondering...

What is a Mom 2 Mom Sale?  

I am going to quote www.mom2momsalesmichigan.com, as this site defines it well:

A mom to mom sale is a large indoor sale where moms can rent tables to sell their children's outgrown gently used items to other moms and dads.  They are a great place for new expectant moms to find maternity wear, baby carriers, baby gear, cribs, bassinets, bouncers, and much of their needs for baby. . . and for seasoned moms to keep up with their growing children's clothing, toys, and furniture needs.  Often children outgrow their clothes, shoes, toys and equipment before it can be worn out and replacing those items can become costly.  Mom 2 Mom sales are a great way to save money and get the items you want for your baby and children through age 12 or so (some sales are specific only to size 8 clothing) at a fraction of the cost!  Often times you may even be able to find an item that is new with tags.  

Some Mom to Mom Sales are organized to benefit a church, school, child care center, municipality, or other non-profit organization.  Other Mom 2 Mom Sales are organized by for-profit businesses to give moms the opportunity to sell at a large sales event.  Each venue can have a different set of rules.  Some sales allow moms who sell new products, crafts or services to rent a table.  These moms are usually classified as vendors.  Other sales only allow moms to sell resale items.  Many Mom to Mom Sales have a limit of new item vendors to keep their mom 2 mom sale as a place where moms come to sell what their families no longer need and purchase what their families need now.  

Many Mom to Mom Sales have large item rooms or big ticket rooms.  These rooms are filled with large items for babies through teen such as strollers, travel systems, cribs, bassinets, bouncers, exersaucers, swings, ride on toys, as well as items that are too big to fit easily at seller's tables such as desks, play yards, play structures, play kitchens, play workbenches, furniture, and other large toys and gear.   

Is the Ludington Mom 2 Mom Sale just for families with babies?  

No!  :)  Our sale will offer items for kids size infant to 12 years.  While we cannot promise that you will find items in every size for every sex, we can confidently say that we have a large amount of the "kid population" covered.  Whether or not you find the size you need or the specific item you are looking for (although chances are you will!), you can walk away knowing that you supported a really great organization that helps kids -- Campus Life.  We hope you can say that you had a good time, too!

SEE YOU SATURDAY!  Don't forget to tell your friends!

The Finish Line is Near...

After months of planning with a team of nearly twenty organized, zealous moms, HMF is nearing the finish line.

Last week, we decided to hang a "sold out" (of tables) sign on Facebook.  All 57 tables were spoken for before the contract due date!  (This year's sale will hold 17 more tables than last year.  Wow!)

Now we are gearing up to paper the town pink with fliers advertising our sale.   We are also working to collect donations for Campus Life's tables at the sale.

Patti Klevorn wrote a lovely article in today's edition of The Ludington Daily News that supported our current efforts.  She did a great job of describing how Campus Life, this year's beneficiary, will use the sale's proceeds.

In case you are visiting this site to find out more about donating, here is some information directly from Klevorn's article titled "Campus Life to benefit from Mom 2 Mom sale":

The community can help by providing donations of gently used baby and kids’ items (clothing, furniture, toys, books, videos, accessories, etc.) to be sold at a special booth at this year’s Mom 2 Mom Sale.


The center’s teens will help go through the donations and work at the sale.


Look for an HMF container in Ludington at the office of Andrew Reisterer, DDS, 902 E. Ludington Ave., or drop off items at the Center for Youth, 605 N. Rath Ave., during weekday afternoons.

You may also drop off items in the fellowship hall of Cornerstone Baptist Church, 121 Nelson Rd., Ludington, the week before the sale beginning Monday, May 2nd.

The finish line is near, and we hope you'll help us cross it by donating your gently used items and/or shopping at the sale on Saturday, May 7th, from 8 AM--1 PM!

Seeking Donations for Beneficiary Table

Happiest Mommies and Friends Ltd. (HMF) is seeking donations of gently used baby and kids' items (clothing, furniture, toys, books, videos, accessories, etc.) to be sold at a special booth at this year’s Mom 2 Mom Sale.  The sale will be held Saturday, May 7, 2011, at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Ludington.  Proceeds from this year's event will benefit Campus Life Center for Youth, which will use the funds to provide its free summer breakaway program for kids ages 9-19.

Look for an HMF container in Ludington at the office of Andrew Reisterer, D.D.S., 902 E. Ludington Ave.  For more information, call Tara Autrey at (231) 690-1343. 

Going, Going...Almost Gone!

Hurry!  Only a small handful of tables are left for rent.  (YAY!)  The deadline for getting in a contract is April 7th, but it looks like we'll be sold out before then.  Get your table before they are all gone!

Contracts Due SOON!!! (Is Yours in Yet?)

Happiest Mommies and Friends Ltd. (HMF) is planning Ludington’s third annual Mom 2 Mom Sale to be held May 7, 2011, at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Ludington. This year's event will benefit the Campus Life Center for Youth.

HMF is seeking vendors who wish to sell their gently used baby and kids' items, including clothing, maternity wear, toys, furniture, etc. Tables may be rented for $20 each. Participants may also rent space in the Large Item Area for $1 per item. Contracts to participate in the sale are due by April 7th.

HMF is also seeking donations of gently used baby and kids' items to be sold at a special table for the Campus Life Center for Youth. Donations may be dropped off at the office of Andrew Reisterer, D.D.S., 902 E. Ludington Avenue.

For a copy of the rental contract and more information, e-mail HMF at mom2momlud@hotmail.com, visit our Facebook page at Ludington Mom 2 Mom Sale, or call (231) 690-1343.

2011 Contract Now Available!

Here is a link to the 2011 contract.

GO HERE

You can also contact us at mom2momlud@hotmail.com, and we'll send you a digital version of the contract ASAP!

Happy selling!

HMF Seeks Non-Profit to Benefit from Sale

Happiest Mommies and Friends (HMF) is currently seeking a beneficiary to receive the proceeds from HMF’s 3rd annual Mom-to-Mom Sale to be held May 7th, 2011.

The 2010 sale brought in more than $2,500 for the Great Start Parent Coalition. Non-Profit groups interested in becoming the 2011 recipient are asked to send a letter to: Katie Sailor attn: HMF 417 N. Roberts Street, or email @ mom2momlud@hotmail.com by Feb. 17th stating who they are, how they benefit the residents of Mason County, and what they would do with the funds. The chosen organization is also asked to provide at least 10 volunteers for the sale.

Contact Joy Reisterer at 231-233-3707 for more information.

2011 Sale Date and Location Set

Great news! We have received confirmation that Cornerstone will welcome our group to hold its sale there again this year! Our sale date has been set for Saturday, May 7th, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. We plan to offer 40 + tables of gently used items again this year. New this year -- an expanded large item area! This popular area will have its own space downstairs in Cornerstone's large classroom area. Stay tuned for more exciting details...Let the planning begin!

Radio Interviews and More

Colleen and I (Tara) will be advertising the sale on the radio tomorrow and Friday morning. You may tune in to listen to us on WMOM at 9:15 tomorrow (Thursday) morning and then go to 94 K-Rock at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning.

Don't forget to look for information in the paper too! A Bulletin Board article was in today's Ludington Daily News, we should be listed in the Community Calendar of events over the next couple of days, and Jo Kalchik will hopefully be featured in the "Notable" section regarding the sale on the front page tomorrow or Friday.

You might also want to check out the half-page article about the sale on page eleven of this month's Women's Lifestyle Magazine. You can pick it up for free at most area grocery stores, restaurants, hair salons, and other businesses.

Thanks to everyone who is supporting the sale by spreading the word! You are helping the kids in Mason, Lake, and Oceana counties who will eventually benefit from the sale's proceeds.

Final Count-Down

Four of us finished more than 100 signs tonight. Woo-hoo!

And the town is nearly papered pink with sale flyers.

AND...Did you see the cover of the paper today? Patti Klevorn wrote a lovely article about the sale and HMF. We are so grateful!

The closer we get to May 15th, the more I reflect on last year's sale--Ludington's first Mom 2 Mom Sale. I made $600 that day, and I made several new friends that I know I'll now have for life. In addition, by being part of the sale I helped build the Women's Imaging Center at Memorial Medical Center. In fact, every person who walked through the door and gave his or her dollar now has "ownership" in the life-saving location.

So many wonderful things came from that special day in August. So much more will come from this year's sale.

Seven days till the big event! Will you be there?

Two Weeks Till the Big Day!!!

Mom 2 Mom Tubs Save Bed!

So I have this dog (weimaraner, horse, what have you...), Stitch, who LOVES to sleep on furniture...couches, beds, etc. You should see my living room; it's covered in aluminum foil! (Unattractive, but it works. No dog hair on my living room furniture right now.)

I'll tell you what else works: tubs and tubs full of clothes for the Mom 2 Mom Sale!

I have started taking all of my kid stuff out of storage to begin organizing and pricing it. I must have stacked six tubs so far on my guest room bed. Tonight, shortly after I went into the family room adjacent to the guest room, I heard a loud "THUD!" I could have sworn that Stitch had stars swirling around his head as he swaggered out of the guest room after a failed attempt at jumping on the bed. Poor guy! However, I was certainly happy that the tubs saved my new comforter from Stitch hair.

What about you, Vendors? Have you started gathering and organizing your goods?

And Shoppers, how about you? Have you begun making your list of what you'll be looking for? Whatever you might need -- I bet we'll have it, or at least something pretty close. (Just plan to get to the sale first; someone else might have the same item on her list!)

No, I won't be permanently storing Mom 2 Mom Sale tubs on my guest bed. Too bulky to move when guests come! But how about saran wrap? Any other ideas? :)

Photo courtesy of www.breederretriever.com/.

Vendor Tips from Bethany Monson

Here is a list of ideas from one of 2009's successful vendors, Bethany Monson. Beth is a professional photographer and will be holding a drawing at her table this year for a free photography session. Be sure to stop by her table, whether you are shopping OR selling! Thanks for sharing your tips, Beth!

Last year I was very successful at the Mom 2 Mom Sale. I brought a few large items and rented one table. At the end of the day, all of my large items had sold, and I only had about ½ a tote full of items left from my table. I walked away with about $200 after my rental expenses!

Here are a few tips to help your sale be successful, too:

• Make your table presentable. Don’t pile stacks of clothing sky-high; make it easy for your customers to quickly browse through. They have a lot of tables to cover during their visit!

• If at all possible, get a standing rack to hang clothes from. Clothing that was meant to be hung naturally looks better hung up, and it’s much easier for your customers to look through. As you sell items from the rack, it’ll free up space for you to hang items that are on your table.

• Buy a plastic tablecloth from the Dollar Store to make your table look a bit more “put together”.

• Use tablecloth clips/clamps (found at the Dollar Store or Just Bargains) to hold down your table cover. You can even hang items off of them from hangers!

• Unless you want to haul everything back home, price it to sell. If you’re unsure how to mark it, get some input from a friend or relative on what they’d honestly pay for the item.

• You won’t be present in the large item area for customers to “haggle” with, so again, if you don’t want to take it home… price it to sell.

• Make sure everything is CLEAN. Mr. Clean magic erasers go a LONG way on items such as high chairs, tables, toys, baby gear, and even shoes. Hang as much clothing as you can and make sure it’s not wrinkly.

• Be choosy about what you put on your table. Customers are much more likely to sift through clothing that is all in really good shape. If it has a small stain or tear or even if it’s really well-worn or has lots of pilling… don’t bring it. Inspect each item in a well-lit room. Ask yourself if YOU would want to purchase each item.

• Bring a lint roller to use on items that get a little fuzzy while packed.

• One table fills up much more quickly than you’d expect. Last year, Jo gave me a great tip – bring your items in Rubbermaid totes, then turn the empty totes on their sides and stick them out from under your table for “shelf” space.

• Have LOTS of change and plenty of bags. Don’t lose a sale because you don’t have change for a twenty!

• Make signs advertising what type of items you offer, such as girls’ or boys’ clothing, what sizes, maybe even what brands are included in the mix.

• The girls’ clothing outweighed the boys’ at last year’s sale. If you have boys’ clothing, definitely put up a sign saying so.

• Be friendly! People are much more likely to visit your table if you appear approachable. Besides, the Mom 2 Mom sale is a great way to meet new people. Don’t think of it as an obligation/commitment… think of it as a day of fun and socializing!

• Decide beforehand if you’re going to accept personal checks. If you are in favor of it, bring a pen!

• Also decide beforehand if you’ll allow price negotiating on items, and how far you’re willing to go down. This way, you won’t seem unsure or indecisive if someone asks you to lower a price.

• Have your prices marked clearly on each item. What I like to do is buy small white hanging tags from any office supply store or Wal-Mart/Meijer, then hang them on the clothing tag by a tiny safety pin (Dollar Store) or loop the string around a belt loop or button. This way, you don’t have stickers coming off and sticking to everything else, and it looks a little more “polished”.

• If you have a big enough tag, such as what I described above, write pertinent information on it – brand, size, price, and if it’s new and never been worn… say so!

• If you’re selling an item with a lot of pieces, put them in a plastic bag and write on the outside what is included.

• Sort your items on the table so they’re easily recognizable. Separate boys’ and girls’ clothing if you’re selling both, and then sort by size. Again, make it quick and easy for customers to browse through your items.

• Make sure you bring some spending money to the sale, because you’re sure to find a few things you want… especially the wonderful baked items that benefit the cause!

Table Rental Contract Deadline Extended

Who knew that spring break was going to be this week? Oops! Not me! Very few members of HMF were aware of the school schedule because most of us have very young children.

We recently decided that April 1st is probably not the best deadline because most people are thinking about the sun--bathing in it somewhere warm, in fact--rather than thinking about whether they want to have a table at our sale.

Thus we have moved the deadline to Friday, April 16th. Tell your friends! (When they return from Florida...)

Did we mention that you can make money by renting a table? (See below!)

Twenty-four!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Twenty-four tables have been spoken for as of today. Very cool. Let's rent all 40!

Our region REALLY needs those baby pantries that will be supported by the Mom 2 Mom Sale, as was evidenced by a story Colleen Unsal (Great Start Parent Liaison) shared at MOPS yesterday. She said that a local librarian talked with an area mom who was quite distraught about the school year ending. You see, this mom has several children, and the only meals her kids get are at school. They have little to nothing on the weekends and in the evenings. She doesn't know how she's going to feed her kids when the school year ends.

Imagine...If a mom like the one above can't feed her family, then what about basic things like diapers? Wipes? Feminine products for Mom?

Please support moms like the one from the library by participating in the sale. Rent a table, or come and shop. You will be helping other moms get the items they need to care for their children.

Below, two volunteers finish their shifts by shopping at the sale. They found great clothes for their grandchildren!