sweatshirts-428607_1280 We can now say spring is officially here! Spring usually means a lighter jacket, short sleeve T-shirts, capris and maybe even sandals.

For me at my house with three daughters, it means putting away the winter clothes and pulling out the spring and summer clothes. It’s also the time when I get to see what our oldest, 7-year-old McKenzie, has grown out of and what now gets handed down to my middle daughter Gracie, age 5.

Last, I get to pull out the old hand-me-downs that have been saved for my youngest daughter Zoey, age 1. It’s also a great time to sort out the clothes we no longer want so we can do a little spring cleaning. After clothes have been sorted, we can now move on to the next step of buying what the girls need.

Shoes are always a must. The shoes never seem to make it through our hand-me-down system and usually are very worn after one daughter wears them. Next we buy the oldest the size she needs, and a few outfits for the younger ones too. With three daughters this can be very expensive, and I would say that is true for most people — but I go shopping at My Mommy Mart.

It is very inexpensive and I am able to get everything I need: shoes, clothes, pajamas, swimsuits and dresses.

Now I bet you may be wondering, what is My Mommy Mart? My Mommy Mart is a children’s clothing consignment sale. It happens two times a year, once in the fall and once in the spring.

It is held in the Junior Fair Building at Washington County Fairgrounds, Marietta, Ohio. This event usually has over 30,000 items. Cash and credit/debit cards are accepted. This event starts on a Thursday and runs until Saturday (this year: April 9-11, 2015).

Thursday afternoon is what they call a Sneak Peek Pre-Sale, and it starts at 3:00 p.m. To get in you must have a sneak peek pass or pay $10 at the door. The $10 goes to local charities and allows moms to get first dibs on the items. Thursday evening (7-9 p.m.) the sale is open to the public for shopping.

There is no entrance fee to get in. Lots of items are usually left over — after all, they usually have over 30,000 items in the beginning. Saturday (9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.) is the last day for the sale. This is still open to the public and has no entrance fee. Many items will be half price on Saturday, which is my favorite day to go. Even better, you can also become a consignor and sell your items at My Mommy Mart.

All you have to do is sign up and learn how the tagging and pricing system works, then you drop off your items and they can handle the rest. You can volunteer as well.

Once the sale is over, you have the choice to pick up the leftover items up or give to a local charity.

For more information visit www.mmmsale.com. For other local places you can donate your used clothes, check out these places: Belpre Area Ministries 2310 Washington Blv. Belpre, Ohio 45714 (740) 423-2069 www.belpreareaministries.com/ Gospel Mission Food Pantry 309 Lancaster St. Marietta, Ohio 45750 (740) 350-4415 Goodwill 1303 Colegate Dr. Marietta, Ohio 45750 (740) 373-1304 Salvation Army Thrift Store 570 5th St. Parkersburg, WV 26101 (304) 485-3654