Over the weekend I had big plans to sit around the giant bonfire in the county that we have been building for over a year. It's huge and will take all day and night to burn. The rain had other plans and left the bonfire too wet, and even if we got it going, there would be no fun in standing around in the rain cooking damper on sticks.
Instead, in the brief moments when the rain stopped we picked the citrus. The trees are loaded with oranges and grapefruits, the cumquat tree is just ridiculous. Really, why is it that a tree can bare so much fruit, yet be a fruit that no one wants to eat as is?
The lime trees have taken seven years, but they have finally decided to go crazy and their little branches are aching, begging for someone to start drinking mojitos, and fast.
Back to burbsville and we had way too many bags of fruit for four people.
Who wants to have a shop I asked?
Moments later Immy was up and at the front door, she had a sign organised and she had delegated advertising signage to Miss 8. Initially she thought she would sell everything for $16.00 a piece, I discussed that $16 for a grapefruit was a lot of money and that the 50 cent piece was her favourite coin so maybe we say that one.
Once she was set up, all was very very quiet for some time.
She got out the colouring pencils and then after the bus driver gave her a wave she decided to just try and get the cars driving by to wave to her. This was her best marketing tactic. Over the next hour five cars pulled over and bought her wares. The first sale was two grapefruits and it was such an exciting moment that Miss 8 all of a sudden wanted to join the citrus shop too.
It got so much fun that it was only the rain and the promise that we can open up again another day that got them inside.
Having a shop was a really great thing to do. Both the girls really enjoyed it, from sign writing, to setting up, to counting their profits (a full $10.50) and talking to people going past. A truck went by and blew the horn and even that was exciting.
The Citrus Shack will be opening again soon if the weather allows it - and the fruit is still good (and the Mum hasn't consumed all the limes in her drinks).
Too cute!
ReplyDeleteSeriously they are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWe had a mandarin tree in the back yard and there was too much fruit to eat and even give away!
BEST kid shop idea ever! Most kids want to sell lemonade (yuk) or cupcakes (SO much work for mum) and this is practically labour free!
ReplyDeleteIf I was around your neck of the woods I would totally take some of those limes off your hands. And a couple of mojitos.
Oh my goodness this is the sweetest thing EVER! Reminds me of when I was a little girl. We lived at the end of a very rural road, 40km from the nearest shop and so we could never sell anything or have a roadside stall. BUT at school we tried to tell lemon squash that mum and my sisters made at home... bless my mum for doing this, as she would have known I would not sell a cup... What a fab mum you are!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great fun lesson in business for them.
ReplyDeleteThis is SO cute Claire! Your girls did a brilliant job and I bet they were so proud of themselves. And that is a good looking citrus tree right there too x
ReplyDeleteOh me oh my that is too cute. Sadly we live at the dead of a dead end street so I have no wisdom to share, but I would stop and buy in a heartbeat x
ReplyDeleteThis is fabulous! And I just love her little cash register :)
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