HLR -- Eastern Iowa, summarized

Julia and Cathy had a pleasant time meeting people in Coralville at Home Learning Resources -- Eastern Iowa. We were wowed by the great door prizes our vendors donated. You can sort of see the prizes in the photo to the left. They exceeded our expectations. We gave out seven bundles of door prizes. The average retail value of a door prizes bundle was $30. Just for walking in the door. We love feedback, so if you have a comment or constructive criticism, let us know. The topic can be anything -- door prizes, road signs, traffic flow around the tables, physical space, vendor selection, etc.

Our vendor links at our website will be active for a couple weeks yet. The sidebar here on the blog will be rearranged right now, and de-hyperlinked in a couple weeks.

We are still accepting vendors for Home Learning Resources -- Des Moines, on June 7, 2008. We still have some room. We love to have vendor ideas sent our way: see3sis@yahoo.com

Home Learning Resources hits the road

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Julia McGuire

Three Sisters
515/988-1828

FAX 515/267-0655

http://www.geocities.com/see3sis/

Home Learning Resources hit the road

West Des Moines, IA April 21, 2008 Three Sisters will present a sales event outside of the Des Moines area for the first time this week. All the elements of a Three Sisters event will be there – free admission, friendly vendors, and fun door prizes. Join us:

Home Learning Resources, a home school sales event

Saturday, April 26

First Christian Church

900 Lincolnshire Place, Coralville, Iowa

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Committed Vendors, hometowns, and descriptions (hyperlinks in the sidebar):

The Curriculum Coop, Monticello, used and new curricula and books;

Simply Fun, Fredericksburg, educational games and puzzles;

Open Door Book Store, Algona, used books and curricula;

Precept Marketing, Wapello, products from BJUPress, Rosetta Stone, Passport Learning;

Usborne Books, New Sharon, Learning Wrap-Ups, books, kits and activity packs;

West Music, Iowa City, early childhood and general music supply;

Handstamped by Love, Lacona, greeting card kits and lap book kits.

Door prize agreements:

three handstamped cards and envelopes from Handstamped by Love,

one book from The Curriculum Coop,

one card game from Simply Fun,

one $15 gift certificate from Open Door Book Store,

three $10 gift cards from The Learning Ladder located in Marion,

one instrument from West Music,

one copy of Grounds for Belief from Ed Dickerson.

Displays: HAIL, state-wide; and Otter Side of Nature, McGregor.

In Des Moines, Home Learning Resources will be a stand-alone shopping event, held on Saturday, June 7, 2008, at the Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave.

For information: http://www.geocities.com/see3sis/

Contact: see3sis@yahoo.com

Phone: 515/988-1828

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Evidence

Yes, the Home School Stuff Sale (HSSS) was in the paper. No, no one can find it on the Register's website. Yes, we now have a scanned copy of it. Check it out here.

Almost Famous

Yes, the Des Moines Register had a photo from our sale in the Johnston/Urbandale/Grimes neighborhood section. You are supposed to be able to find the "article" and photos at www.desmoinesregister.com/photos, but Julia hasn't been able to find it.

Here is our own photo, courtesy of a vendor's camera. Part of the room was for socializing and resting, part of the room was for shopping -- there was a LOT of stuff to sell and a LOT of people out to shop. The sale was a little like a home school party -- lots of talking. Thank you for your business.

Update on Home Learning Resources -- Eastern Iowa: Barefoot Books will be present, as will Vowel-etics, a new phonetics product.

HSSS Thank You

Thank you to everyone who braved the weather to sell and shop at our Stuff Sale!

Most people found great deals to take home. Some people had to come back twice. A few people asked about a next time. We will assess the event in the days to come and post our discoveries here.

Keep your eye on the Des Moines Register. A photographer was snapping pictures about an hour after the sales started. You could be famous for shopping at a Three Sisters event!

We wish we could have greeted each one of you who passed through the doors. The place was so crazy for a while. Please leave a comment here to say "hi" if you came today.

Stuff Sale Reminders

Get ready for our Stuff Sale:

Bring cash.

Bring bags and boxes to take your things home.

Have fun.

Look for our signs. They have three colorful squares. It's our logo.

Attended children are welcome.

Strollers and wheelchairs are welcome.

The restrooms are nice.

There are no stairs.

Leave all food at home.

Come at noon to set up if you are vendor.

Come at 12:30 if you are a shopper.

Be aware that vendors may tear down their tables and start packing before 4 p.m. You can finish dealings out in the parking lot.

Everyone must leave the building by 4 p.m.

Smile.

Stuff Sale Update

Home School Stuff Sale
Friday, April 11, 2008
12:30 - 4 p.m.
Johnston Lions Club
6401 Merle Hay Road
Johnston, IA (Des Moines area)

What to expect:

Mott Media’s hardback McGuffey Readers with the Parent/Teacher Guide for $65.00. (Brand new retail price $109.99)
Cuisenaire Rods
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia (brand new retail $43.50), recommended by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer in _The Well-Trained Mind_
preschool-k phonics items, puzzles, lots of workbooks (barely used and unused)
Storybooks for fun!

Look for our colorful "HLR" signs by the road!

Stuff to expect -- updated on April 7

To the loyal readers of this blog, here is a small preview of what kind of stuff will be for sale. Thank you for supporting Three Sisters.

Saxon Math 1 and Math 2 Teachers Guides; MCP Map Skills workbooks levels A and B; Learning Language Arts Through Literature Teachers Guides for levels Green, Tan, Purple; a Talk to Me ABC butterfly; materials related to Calvert curricula; Sing, Spell, Read, and Write K/Level 1 combo kit; McGuffey Readers complete with teachers guide; Critical Thinking Press workbooks; the Phonics Game and other videos, jigsaw puzzles, and games for all ages. Please note that Sing, Spell, Read, and Write and Critical Thinking Press products are harder to acquire than they used to be until recently (as in the beginning of 2008 for Bright Minds, the home sales division of Critical Thinking Press).

A more complete list will go out next week.

Fill 'er up!

We have 8 tables rented for the Home School Stuff Sale (HSSS). We had MANY requests for a deadline extension on Monday. Yes, we are still entertaining applications this week, until April 4, 2008.

The tardiness of forms seems to come from lack of communication flow. Julia will change the wording in all future info releases to clarify that passing our info around is permissible and encouraged. Hopefully, this will increase early and timely communication flow.

Julia's "stuff pile" is growing by the minute. How did she ever think the kids would use all that stuff?!?

Look for the HLR signs with the colored squares that you see above (and the concrete lion) next Friday to find us.