Smarty Guide to the CMOMs Sale This Weekend!

By Claire Bingham, Charlotte Mothers of Multiples

That little tiny taste of spring we had last weekend has got me looking longingly at my sandals and Bermuda shorts that are stuffed in the back of my closet. I am ready for warmer temps and sunny days! Ready to dig my freshly pedicured toes in the sand of a nearby beach. Or at the very least, ready to lug my three children, their towels, sunscreen, picnic lunches, and toys to the Harris Y pool and plunk myself down in a lounge chair with an icy cold Diet Coke and my newest copy of “People” magazine. My kids are too; however, they may have to resort to wearing brown paper bags as their sundresses and shorts have gone from “getting a little too short” to “scandalously short when worn without leggings”. Even my beanpole-thin son has started complaining that the little buttons inside his waistband, the ones used for cinching the elastic as tight as humanly possible so that they don’t fall off his narrow hips and booty, are starting to dig into his sides. So we’re talking new spring/summer wardrobes all around. And sadly, my money tree is not putting out any new shoots.

Luckily there is a thrifty option to finding all the kids clothes and gear you could possibly imagine, and it is coming up this weekend! The Charlotte Mothers of Multiples (CMOMS for short) will be hosting their Spring Consignment Sale on Saturday, February 27th. The sale is held each year in the spring and fall at the Charlotte Metrolina Expo Trade Center on Statesville Road. This is seriously the mother of all consignment sales, since almost all the sellers have multiples! This means that generally every seller has two of everything to unload – onesies, jeans, dresses, toys, sippy cups. You name it, they have it for sale in duplicate, sometimes triplicate or quadruplicate!

The Charlotte Mothers of Multiples organization has over 500 members, and many members participate in the sale, since it is such a fantastic way to shop for twins without breaking the bank. This makes for a tremendous amount of baby and children’s stuff – it FILLS a warehouse-sized building at the Expo from end to end. But you do not have to have twins to shop! The Early Bird sale begins at 7:30 a.m. and costs $2 to enter. Entry is free at 8:30. They will also mark items down for a half price sale from 12:30-2:30pm.

Here are a few Smarty tips to keep in mind when shopping:
1. Bring your own bin or bag to carry purchases. NO ROLLING CARTS or STROLLERS are allowed. A great way to keep your hands free for shopping but get all your stuff around is to bring a laundry basket with a belt attached so you can drag it along behind you (feels a little silly, I know, but all the cool kids will be doing it).
2. There is a High End Boutique section for swankier clothes. Smocked dresses, john johns and more can be found in this roped-off section. You’ll have to pay for these items separately at the High End register, but you can score some excellent deals on higher end children’s duds.
3. The sale is CASH-ONLY! So make sure you bring more than you think you’ll need! There is an ATM nearby should you need more dough for all your purchases, but who wants to pay a surcharge?
4. Be sure to check out the awesome vendor area located just outside the sale building. This is usually chock full of vendors with more cute kids stuff, Pampered Chef, Storybooks, Tupperware, and more!
5. There will also be a raffle to win a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC!

If you need any more information about the sale you can visit www.cmoms.net. There you’ll find directions to the sale, as well as more info about sale sponsors, and a sale timeline. Happy shopping, Smarties!