Ginger Garrett

Want to recession-proof your closet? Read on…. 

When I was in Orlando last week introducing my new book to retail stores, I ran into a friend who shares my same passion for fashion–but we put a twist on it. You see, we both love designer labels and unique pieces, but neither of us pay fullprice. We both buy our clothes at thrift stores such as Goodwill. My friend Candis was wearing $60 shoes that she bought for $2 when they were new with the tags still hanging on them. I was wearing a $300 suede skirt that I had paid $4 for. But it’s not good fortune that brings us these deals: it’s having a few insider tips.

Here’s how we do it:

1. When you see an item that appeals to you, check the label. The label will tell you several things: not only will you get a rough idea of the size (more on that later) but how the label is constructed will tell you how expensive the garment originally was. Labels that have been printed are generally from inexpensive brands. Labels that have sewn or embroidered lettering represent expensive items. Having the label’s lettering sewn on adds cost to a garment, and this cost reflects a designer brand that knows it will recoup its investment from consumers.

2. Don’t put down an item because it is one or even two sizes off from what you normally wear. Every designer sizes garments differently. Some designers go for “prestige” sizes–as in, their garments are sized quite small, so even if you’re a size eight, you have to buy a size twelve. It creates a mystique around the brand, as if only very special women can get into a size six in that label.

Strange, but true.

3. Check for fatal flaws: tears in the fabric that cannot be repaired without obvious damage and stretched stitching on the seams.

Some experts will tell you that you shouldn’t buy garments with broken zippers, missing buttons, or stains. They’re wrong. Thanks to the internet, you can learn how to treat almost any stain. I once bought a high-end designer business jacket for $2 because there was a grease stain on the lapel. For $2, I was willing to take a chance–so I tried the old trick of using WD-40 on the grease stain. It worked perfectly. I still own the jacket–it’s gorgeous!

Broken zippers can be fixed by any dry cleaners that does alterations. Buttons can be easily replaced, especially if you remove a button from somewhere on the garment where it won’t be missed.  (Many shirts have extra buttons at the bottom, where the shirt will be tucked into the pants.)

4. For children’s clothing, the most frequent reason a garment ends up at a thrift store is that the child never wore it, or grew so fast that (s)he never got to wear it much. Kid’s clothes are a great buy.

There are two times when you can get great deals on kid’s clothes:

After major holidays, check for fancy dresses and outfits which were worn once for a photo. These outfits can’t be saved for the next season, since the child will grow during the year, so they often end up at thrift stores.

As school gets closer in July and August, the children’s racks are often overflowing. Moms have gone through the closets and realized there are clothes the kid has outgrown and will never get a chance to wear. They need to make room for new items, so great clothes get sent to thrift stores. Jeans are often the best buy. I can buy new, unworn jeans for under $3 a pair. (and with boys, you know the jeans were unworn….because if a boy ever wore them, they are typically destroyed!)

5. Men’s clothes are also a great deal. The most frequent reason for a man’s shirt to end up at a thrift store is that the man never wore it. Think of it this way: a lot of men never choose their own clothes. They get clothes as gifts and their wives do the shopping at other times. A lot of expensive clothes get sent to thrift stores just because the man didn’t like it, and didn’t want to hurt his mother in law’s feelings by asking for a return receipt. So do your part and make everyone happy: give the designer shirt a loving home.

And finally, you can visit a thrift store at any time during the week for great deals, but the best days are often mid-week. Donations come in all weekend, and often a store will have its employees put out the large, space-eating pieces first: furniture, household accessories, etc. Clothing takes more time to get ready for the floor, as it must be pressed, put on a hanger, and a price tag attached with a pricing gun.  

And before I close, I know there are some of you who might be a little shy about putting these ideas into practice. The best tip I ever received about learning the fun of thrift store shopping came from a local church. Before an overseas church mission, every participant was asked to go to a thrift store and purchase their whole wardrobe for the trip. They were asked to pack only 1 outfit of their own clothes. At the end of the trip, every member donated all their “new” clothes to the local people, and wore their last outfit–their own clothes–home. I’ll never forget the joy of the women tearing through the racks at Goodwill, delighted every time they found a great bargain, because they knew someone around the world was going to be blessed.

So even if you only buy a few items at a thrift store, you can save enough money to make the rest of your budget stretch much further. And if you have a heart for blessing others, you can stretch that budget to include those in need.

Happy shopping!

The day before my triathlon, I went to a seminar presented by Polar Heart Monitors. The company rep had me convinced that I needed a heart monitor for my training. He said it would revolutionize my workouts. I’d see faster progress than ever before. I’m a sucker for a great salesman and a slick new gadget.

I began wearing a Polar heart monitor that very night. And you know what?

He was right. In fact, he might have understated the benefits. I’d been training since January for the triathlon, but still hadn’t broken through my final “baby weight” plateau. A bad thyroid made it worse. But I had packed on muscle and felt great, so I was patient. And then I discovered Polar. Within three weeks of working out with my monitor, I had smashed through the plateau. I felt even better than when I was working out harder, and more often. So I am sold: Polar heart monitors will revolutionize your workouts. You’ll always know how to give your body exactly what it needs in order to feel your best.

The next trend I adopted was switching from sipping plain water throughout the day to mixing in a little whey protein. (I buy mine at Wal-Mart. Vanilla flavor tastes great when mixed with a packet of EmergenC vitamin powder.) The benefits of whey include:

1. Protects lean muscle, which boosts metabolism

2. Encourages your body to burn fat as a fuel source

3. Satifies your hunger pangs, stabilizes your blood sugar, and turns off the enzyme that fuels fat cells

Plus, drinking a whey protein powder shake before exercising will help signal your body to burn fat as fuel during the workout, leading to a leaner body with more muscle. The research coming in on whey now is really encouraging. We’ve all thought that eating right meant lots of preparation and hassle. Now we can make one small change at a time and get great results.

Hi friends,

The link to my how-to video has changed. You’ll find the new link below. Whether you’re teaching history, hosting a party, or looking for a fun bookclub party after reading In The Shadow of Lions, this video will show you how to host a medieval feast that’s fun and easy.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbq4uB_8T_s

 Enjoy!

Hi friends!

I’ve been gone this week, debuting my new novel In The Shadow of Lions at the International Christian Retail Show. What a great week it was, meeting with my wonderful publisher and friends. We got a lot of work done–but I really fell behind on my work here on the website.

The good news is, I have a new video available on YouTube. Think of it as the Food Network meets the History Channel: I show you how to create an authentic medieval feast based on recipes that date back to the Middle Ages.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVwH6iwRBCY

I’ve updated them with modern ingredients and made cooking a breeze for you. Whether you are hosting a bookclub for In The Shadow of Lions, celebrating the new season of The Tudors on Showtime, or hosting a medieval party, this is a fantastic way to entertain.

This week I will be loading the Reader’s Guide, complete with recipes and insider info. Sorry I am running late–I’ll be hiring an assistant as soon as I can find my checkbook…which I think is buried somewhere under all my mail.

I’ll also be giving preview copies of the novel away.

Order yours today: last Christmas both my novel and Beauty Secrets of the Bible were sold out and no one could get them. It was complete chaos with frantic readers trying to get copies. I can’t answer all the frustrated emails again this year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVwH6iwRBCY

Have a tension headache?Place two bath towels in the dryer on High for 5 minutes. While you wait, saturate your hair with conditioner and cover with a shower cap. Wrap a warm towel around your hair and another around your shoulders. Rest. The warmth will bring blood flow up to your head, neck and shoulders to relax you, and your hair will receive a luxury conditioning treatment.  

Are your feet hurting? Christian comedienne Anita Renfroe shared this tip with me: pour very warm water into a foot bath and add one full bottle of SeaBreeze Facial Astringent. Soak your feet until the water is cool. The astringent will freshen your feet and the water will help blood circulate throughout your foot, revitalizing it. When you dry off your feet, prop them up and rest. Your feet will tingle and feel better than you can imagine! 

Tense?Have a cup of tea. We don’t think of caffeinated tea as a good choice for relaxation, but it is. Tea contains theamine, which promotes a feeling of relaxation and stress relief. When drunk daily over a period of several weeks, tea has also been shown to reduce cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone our bodies produce when we’re under heavy stress, which leads to excess fat storage around the stomach and a host of physical symptoms.

The International Christian Retail Show will be in Orlando, Florida next week. If you’ll be attending, stop by the David C Cook booth at 10:30am Monday morning, where I’ll be signing the new novel, In The Shadow of Lions.

The advanced copies of this novel showed up on my doorstop over the weekend and they are truly magnificent. Writing a novel is a very humbling experience when you finally hold the book in your hands. You realize how much the team contributed and are filled with gratitude for everyone who pursued the project with excellence.

This weekend I also filmed a video for the novel: An Evening With the Tudors: How to Recreate a Medieval Feast in Your Home. Filmed in my own kitchen by Matchlight Productions, I walk you through a typical medieval feast, with recipes that date back to the Middle Ages, but updated with modern ingredients. Best of all, I make it incredibly easy for you!

I’ll also be posting a written copy of the feast guide with all the recipes, and both should go live on this site by July 15. But since I’ll be traveling that week, I might be a few days late. Bear with me! Deadlines are more like suggestions, anyway. A famous pirate once said something to that effect I think…

I can’t wait for you to see the video! What a fun night you can create for your bookclub or friends. I feel like Christmas is approaching, as I see the novel being packaged to go out and pre-orders starting to come in. (Don’t forget to order one as soon as you can. Last Christmas, my books were sold out. I literally had people driving to my house to see if I had any extras!)

Bless you in your journey today.

I finished the triathlon! If any of you have a chance to participate in an IronGirl event, I recommend it. The race was a magical experience. Then I was off to Nashville for a DVD photo shoot. Chris Coppernoll of Soul2Soul Radio is partnering with me to create a new DVD. If you know Chris, you love him. If you haven’t heard or seen his work, you’ve got to try his romantic novels. Nicholas Sparks has nothing on this guy.

This week I’ll be playing catch up on emails, posts, and writing articles for CALLED magazine. For the August issue we’re doing a special on summer hair repair plus global beauty products that support women and families in impoverished areas.

 Here’s one trick I learned which has been a gem for my days at the pool: saturate hair with a conditioner before going into chlorinated water. This will seal the hair shaft to prevent the chlorine from damaging or coloring hair. My favorite conditioner to use is coconut oil. Since I’ve been swimming so often to prepare for the tri, this tip has saved my hair.

Back later this week with some cool news and tips!