Thanks to One Week Boutique for sponsoring today’s Chambana Mom to Know!
Sunny McMurry is a clinical experiences specialist for early childhood and elementary education programs at the University of Illinois, where she works with students who strive to be teachers.
But twice a year, McMurry becomes even busier, helping to run the amazing children’s consignment event, One Week Boutique. (The latest event takes place this week.)
Sunny and husband Jim have been married almost 13 years and are blessed with three awesome kids: Olivia (11), Henry (7) and Genevieve (3).
See why we think Sunny McMurry is a Chambana Mom to Know
Q: Give us a behind-the-scenes look at sale week for OWB. What is your biggest challenge, stress, and what is the reward?
The biggest challenges for me personally during that week is managing my family and other obligations while being at the sale. I would never be able to help run the sale if I didn’t have the support of my husband, our moms and our sitters. Between all of us, we figure out who will be where to pick up, drop off, transport, feed and care for our three kids while I am gone. The stress for me usually kicks in during the sale when something unexpected happens, which it always does! One sale, the whole register system went down while we were ringing up customers. Thankfully, it only took a reboot of the wi-fi to get it going again. Another time, we had a lightning storm during set up, so we couldn’t carry in the metal rods we use for the racks from the trailer to the building, which then pushed back the entire set-up time frame.
The rewards are huge though. I probably shouldn’t share this, but helping at OWB is kind of like a mom-cation. I get to hang out with a whole bunch of other moms (and some dads) while my kids hang out with family and friends — I get to let go of some of my mom responsibilities! I love catching up with our consignors and volunteers whom I see only every few months, even though we all live in the same area. I am a people person, and being around all these amazing, high-energy people just fills me up. As a staff, we joke that when we get home we can’t fall asleep right away, even though we are completely exhausted. The sale is just so much fun!
Q: What are some of the best bargains you’ve ever scored at OWB?
I have been shopping at OWB for a long time (since our oldest was 1), so my deals cover a wide range. One of the mot recent deals I found was a like-new Maclaren stroller that retails for $200 for $40! My favorite clothing buy was an adorable little pink trench coat from Janie and Jack that still had the tags on it! I also love finding our girls’ Christmas dresses for a fraction of what I would pay at the store!
Q: I’ve heard you’re a big saver, not just in consignment. What tricks can you share with us on saving money?
I am kind of a dork about finding deals. I hate paying full price for anything. Before I went back to work full time, I would price match like crazy at Wal-Mart and clip coupons with the best of them. Since going back to work, though, my time is a little more limited, so I need to be strategic with my time and our finances. So, for groceries I will get all of our basics at Aldi, and then head over to Meijer where we buy the rest of the non-Aldi items. I use the Meijer m-perks app, which saves us quite a bit of money, and it has electronic coupons, so we don’t have to worry about clipping paper coupons every Sunday. I am also a big online shopper for everything else, especially when free shipping is included. I will shop through websites that offer cash back if you buy something from that store through their website. We also limit our extras at home, like opting for Apple TV (which I bought from a friend for half price) instead of cable or satellite, since it saves us money.
Q: You are a former teacher who now teaches teachers. How would you describe that journey?
After teaching in the local public school for several years, I was struggling to find a balance between teaching full time and my commitment to my family. I would get to school around 6:30 a.m. and leave around 4:30 every day, and then would spend a large portion of my weekends either in my classroom or at home grading papers or prepping for the following week. During my first several years of teaching, I was also completing two advanced degrees at the U of I, one in Curriculum and Instruction and one in Educational Administration. I knew something had to give. The breaking point came one evening while I was making dinner; our oldest (who was then in preschool) was crying and tugging on me and I was pregnant with our second when my husband walked in the door from work and asked me a simple question and I lost it. I had given all of my patience and energy to the sweet kids in my classroom that I had nothing left to give my family. I knew I needed margin if I was going to be any good to anyone. Shortly after that we made a financial plan that would allow me the chance to work less and be home with my kids more. After I resigned from my teaching position in 2008, an opportunity to teach students at the U of I fell into my lap. It has snowballed from teaching one class a semester to now serving as the Clinical Experiences Specialist for our Early Childhood and Elementary Education student teaching programs.
Q: What’s your dream family vacation?
My dream family vacation would be to go to Disney World in Orlando, Fla. My family’s dream vacation would be to go anywhere with water (pool, beach, water park) and adventurous rides (roller coasters, extreme go carts).
Q: What would you love to see in C-U that we don’t already have?
Portillo’s and Trader Joe’s! Of course, if we had Portillo’s I don’t think it would be such a treat for our family. 🙂
Q: What’s your favorite thing about C-U?
I love the small town feel while being close enough to big city attractions and amenities. People in Champaign-Urbana are inherently nice.
Q: Tell me something most people don’t know about you.
I only planned to stay in C-U for a couple years after I graduated from U of I before I moved back “home” to the Chicago suburbs. Here I am 16 years later … with absolutely NO desire to move back north. 🙂