Joel and I love books. We're usually pretty good about going to the library so we don't accumulate more stuff, but once in awhile we like to buy items that we either plan to keep or donate to the library when we're done.

Half Price Books is one of our favorite used book stores. The one we go to is in Cedar Rapids. It has an amazing selection and the books are as good as new. They also have music as well, which is where you'll find Joel during the bulk of our visits!

We took an impromptu trip to Cedar Rapids last weekend and paid it a visit. Here are some of the items I picked up:

This is one of my favorite books. It is great for reflection and meditation. I gave my last copy away to a friend who I thought would appreciate it, so needed to get another copy for myself. 

This is a book on tape (CD) that I bought to listen to in my car. There are six discs and it is read by the author, Shonda Rhimes (if you live under a rock, she's a powerhouse television writer - Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, etc.). It is SO GOOD! I'm already on disc two and I've loved every minute of it. If you are like me - an introvert to the core with anxiety, social anxiety and/or "stage fright" - read (or listen to) this book. She gets it. And she finds a way to overcome it. It's pretty powerful.

To be honest, I was initially drawn to this book because it was hot pink! But after flipping through, it looked like just what I needed at this time in my life. Earlier in the day I had told Joel that life's about having grace on ourselves and others, so it was quite ironic that this book fell into my hands. I've committed to reading one chapter each night. I don't (can't) speed through personal development books. If I try, I lose interest. It has been a pretty easy read and I enjoy the author's point of view. It can also act as a workbook, leaving blanks for you to answer questions along the way to help you check-in with yourself. I reflect vs. writing my answers down because I want to give this to the library so someone else can benefit from it when I'm done!

Yes, I still buy CDs. I was thrilled to find these albums from two of my favorite riot girl bands - Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. Always a punk girl at heart, baby!

Lastly, here's us, happy to be together for an entire day with no other commitments, wandering as we pleased. Doesn't happen at all anymore, so we definitely made the best of our time with each other!

I continue to try getting rid of our stuff, one item, one box, one car load at a time. Most of it goes to a local non-profit or Goodwill, but there are some items that have some value that we feel bad just giving away.

A buying and selling platform I really like is Let Go. It offers both a website and app option. I personally use the app. It is very user friendly and you can easily snap a photo, add details and upload your item for sale.

I have also purchased home decor items from Let Go. The experience has been really positive. You can communicate through the app with the seller about pick-up details and any delays that come up. I bring Joel with me because I'm a paranoid person, but all transactions have been pleasant. 

The prices are usually pretty reasonable, they have many categories to choose from and there is also a free section that sometimes has some good items.

I also like this site as a source of inspiration. There are several people that sell unique handmade items like the bench below that I want to duplicate immediately after seeing.

The format reminds me a lot of Pinterest. Just what I need - a second Pinterest to consume all of my time! 

​Happy buying and selling! With hopes of more selling than buying, at least in my case!