My basket replacement.
Last week on my 365 blog, I showed you my basket and promised to show you what I'd replaced it with.
The replacement is this little leather ottoman, which I got from Goodwill (of course). I see these every now and then at my Goodwill, but most of the time they are ripped or torn somewhere.
This one was in near-perfect shape, though, and was $25. That's more than I normally spend on something at Goodwill, but I've been wanting one of these for a long time, and I knew they cost a LOT more new.
(more specifically, $70 at Target)
So, I brought it home, and have been very pleased with it. Not only does it keep the basket contents out of sight (which makes my minimalist-leaning-self happy), the ottoman is also really useful.
It makes a lovely foot rest, of course.
But the really delightful thing is that the top flips over, and the underside is a tray-like surface, which is perfect for our coffee-table-less living room.
It's good for holding drinks.
And it's the PERFECT size for a Scrabble board.
Or a Chinese Checkers board. Or a Candy-Land board. 😉
And even though it's not from Ikea, it matches our living room furniture pretty darn well.
Oh yes. I love it.
I haven't decided for sure what I'm going to do with the basket, but if no inspiration strikes me, I'll take it to Goodwill or Freecycle it, because I think it's still got plenty of life in it.
P.S. If you want to see some of the other stuff I've found at Goodwill, the Goodwill category is the place to go.
Today's 365 post: Clickety-Clack
We have the exact same ottoman (though we bought ours new at Target), and I LOVE it. We use it to store all of our board games/card decks/etc, and it's positioned between two cozy chairs in our family room as a sort of "game area." I love hidden storage.
Nice find! and extra seating if needed!
Now THAT is a Goodwill find!
Great goodwill find! We have a double one we bought new. We use the tray for puzzles.
I love thrift stores, and Goodwill is always a good one because I love knowing that the money I spend goes to actually help people! I need to figure out which one you're going to though (I think at one point you mentioned it was pretty large) because the two I've found are fairly small. But they are excellent for clothing I normally can't justify the cost of (like Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and J. Crew).
Love your ottoman!!! I don't sweat paying $25.00 for it. It is in such good condition that it didn't require extra money to repair it (which is what I find is a problem with a lot of thrift store finds). I love our local Goodwill. You have converted me to switching out my plastic storage containers for glass. Last week I got beautiful (6 cup) glass storage jars for $1.00 each. Hooray I was able to switch out two more containers, and now I have a great place to store my granola. Now I want to hit my Goodwill again today to find some more "treasures". LOL! 😉
I chuckled to see this, because you and I have the exact same chair (Ikea) and now matching foot stools as well ... though mine is overflowing with yarn at the moment, and doesn't have a nice tray like yours 🙂
SCORE! What a great find.
Well done. They could have been made to go together.
It matches perfectly! I love thrift store finds, but I find it hard to resist the urge to tell people that I went there. For example, I have gotten a few cute clothing pieces from the thrift store and when people compliment them, I just have to exclaim where I got them and the price - haha.
Yes, $25 is a bit much for a Goodwill item. But when something is so multifunctional and exactly what you want, it's a bargain!
Scrabble on, baby. Scrabble on!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"
Great find Kristin, It matches you sofa so well.
I received several cash gifts for my birthday. I keep the gift money in an envelope in my purse that I use only & specifically for the things I see at a thrift store that I would like but feel are more expensive than I want to spend. Recently I bougth a wind chime for $10. It makes a lovely sound in the breeze on my back porch. When I got home I looked it up on the computer and found it retails for $100 (that made me feel less bad spening $10 on it). I have a great gift. I didn't blow my budget and I still have more money in that gift envelope. It will be fun to see just how far I can make it go and what treasures I find.
Hi -- I just wanted to say how much I love reading your blog. It's in my top 10 favorites -- not a week goes by when I don't read it! You have a great attitude and outlook on life, and I love hearing about your family (and Goodwill experiences too!).
Aww, thanks so much for the encouraging words. I'm so glad my blog is blessing you. 🙂
That ottomoan is what I need! I have the same basket as you with the books popping out of it lol...
WOW!!!PERFECT!!!! MAKES ALL THOSE TRIPS TO GOODWILL REALLY WORTH IT!! IT WAS PROBABLY SITTING THERE WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!!
Patience certainly pays off! Good find :0)
Awesome find! I have never gone to goodwill. I really must change this soon.
Wow what a great find.
Really like the new ottoman! I'd never think to look at Goodwill for something like that! How do you like your Ikea furniture? I've been looking at buying a couch from Ikea, because it's really affordable and I have small children so I don't want to pay for something super nice that may get ruined. Is yours holding up well?
KRISTEN!!! I literally just got back from our local Goodwill store and couldn't wait to post this:
They had THIS EXACT item at our Goodwill, too!! In *perfect* condition - but it was priced at $34.99. See, your Goodwill store really is the best in the nation, I guess =P I didn't buy it, because it doesn't match our furniture (and I don't have $35 to spare at the moment), but it is so cute!
Good find for your family 🙂
Oh, that's so funny! Maybe one day they'll have one that matches your furniture. 🙂
Hey Kristen.... if you haven't done anything with the basket, I'd be willing to take it off your hands 🙂 Always looking for baskets to store my yarn in.
And that ottoman is really nice. I've seen ones like it at normal price, and they can get quite expensive!
Great find! I'm needing to hit Goodwill soon, too! But, I have a brand-new 2 week old son here to take care of, so Goodwill has to take a back-burner! WAY too cold to take him out shopping! (-1 here right now! BRR!) And, I can't drive yet, due to a C-Section. Just wanted to let you know that I LOVE your blog! My husband and I are discussing me cutting back to part-time when I go back to work, so you inspire me to continue my journey to stay frugal!! We are LOVING saving money and finding tips to do so!! Keep on blogging!! 🙂