Lawn Happening!

I've wanted to blog about this for awhile, but thought it best to wait until I actually have one. Essentially, a lawn happening is a yard sale where you don't sell anything, you just give it away. It's a great way to clear out your junk, generate some awesome karma, and eliminate the middle man of thrift stores. It's also a fabulous reason to make and serve little cinnamon rolls and coffee.

This is not a new idea. Culture Jammers have talked about this redistribution of stuff in Adbusters Magazine for years. It's a great idea, not because it "shocks" people in reevaluating their place in the consumer culture but because it makes economic sense.

Back in the day, the old man and I would have yard sales and we did all right. We'd make enough to have a nice lunch somewhere, have a little walking around money, and maybe rent some videos. But when you stop and think about it, it's a big expenditure of time and energy to get a yard sale together. You have to sort stuff and price it and there is an expectation that you'll have everything organized and ready to go at 7am or whenever you decide to open for business.

A lawn happening eliminates so much of the pain-in-the-butt-ery that accompanies the yard sale enterprise. You go through all your closets and other dark corners of your house, throw all your junk (and, let's be honest, a lot of the stuff you put in a garage sale is really junk) into a big pile, and then spread it out on sheets and tarpaulins the day of the sale and people can pick through it at their leisure. When it's all free you don't have to sort anything, I say! And, all that energy saved can be used for making cinnamon rolls and coffee to serve at your happening.

Our Lawn Happening is happening this Saturday from 7-11am. Hopefully, we can get our house cleared out enough to actually have a small potluck afterwards!