FREE Avent Sippy Cups

Avent had a full page ad in the Ottawa Sun today.

If you call 1-800-843-2174 they will send you out a FREE BPA-free sippy cup.

It takes a few minutes on hold, but worth the wait I figure!!

They will ask where you "saw" the ad, but it doesn't matter where you live.

Crest Spinbrush Giveaway

Arm & Hammer and Crest Spinbrush have 3 gift baskets to giveaway on Canadian Parents.

The baskets include: 2 Crest SpinBrush for Kids,2 Crest SpinBrush Pro Select, 2 Arm & Hammer Complete Care Gel, Hand towel, Face towel, Soap Dish, and Toothbrush cup.Approximate value: $70.

To get an entry you must blog about it in April and send an email to tracy.keheler@rci.rogers.com with “Crest SpinBrush” in the subject line. Make sure you include the url to your blog post.

I Did Win Something

I was started to get a little discouraged that I didn't win anything in the Bloggy Giveaways. With several hundred giveaways open to Canadians, I thought for sure I could win something.

Well I did! Here it is from Rebecca :

It includes 6x6 album, 24 sheets of patterned paper, some alphabet stickers, die-cuts, floss, and some ribbon. How nice! I am excited to have some new supplies in my house.

This weekend was a busy one!

For starters, Phantom was absolutely PHENOMENAL!! I loved it so much. I really get caught up in the emotion of it all. I even was teary-eyed in a few places. We were in the third row so we were really up close in the action.

If the tickets didn't cost so much, I would probably want to go again. Even John said it would be nice to go again. Oh I would really love to go again. The only reason we won't is this:

We put a deposit down on this beautiful piano. It should be in our house in a couple of weeks.

I am completely THRILLED!!

Since forever I have wanted to play the piano. We actually had a lovely yellow piano when I was quite little. Unfortunately my mom had to sell it and certainly couldn't afford to pay for lessons. I still remember the day I came home for lunch and she told me. I was very devastated.

Anytime I would go to a friend's house (who had a piano) I would spend hours fiddling around on their piano, sounding out songs until I got the notes right. My poor friends thought I was coming over to play with them, but really I used them for their pianos. How sad is that?

I know that I have a good ear for music. I remember in grade 5 when they did the musical aptitude test I was told that I could play just about any instrument I wanted. Instead I chose one 0f the typical girly instruments: a clarinet.

I wish I could go back in time and challenge myself to try something more difficult and something that I would have wanted to play for more than 3 years. Ah well...can't change the past.

So instead I am moving forward! I will be signing both Brie and myself up for lessons in the fall. I don't know who is more excited. Honestly. I am as giddy as a school girl!

John says he is waiting for the day when I can play songs from The Phantom of the Opera. This may be at least a few years away, but I did see a book for easy piano. Hmm...gift ideas for him maybe?

On a completely different note, we got a message on Friday (after we had left town) from the Superintendant of the School Division. We called him back this morning and we are not very impressed.

He has no interest in discussing getting Brie into school this fall. All this because of 2 days. Our only option left is to appeal to the Director of Education, but our understanding is that he was at the meeting when they "discussed" our situation. I'm wondering if we weren't specific enough in our letter, but we wanted to remain professional and not just bragging about her, as parents often do. Bragging isn't a bad thing, maybe we didn't do enough of it. Agh. I just don't know. We probably will appeal, but at this point I don't think either one of us is hopeful. Any advice is very welcome!

Bloggy Giveaways Winner

A winner was chosen out of 71 entries!

Nicol: What a beautiful photo album! I have some pictures that are needing a home and this would be perfect!

You can find her blog at http://classyandsophisticated.blogspot.com/

Congratulations Nicol!!

Getting Very Excited!!

Unlike previous seasons of American Idol, I haven't been obsessively watching the shows each week. I rarely get to watch the performances on TV but I have taken to looking them afterwards up on You Tube to see who is good and who sucks.

This week the featured artist was Andrew Lloyd Webber. John and I are going to see The Phantom of the Opera in 3 days!! After watching the performances online last night around 11:30 (Ella wasn't sleeping so there was no point in going to bed) I am extra pumped for this weekend. I think ALW is such a fantastic composer and his songs create such emotion.

These 2 videos were my favorites from last night. Yes, they are conveniently both from Phantom. It's the best!

I think that one of these guys will probably win in the end.

Kids Do Say The Darndest Things!

Last night I was out at a Parent Meeting for preschool, raced over to catch the end of a Dance Meeting (and to sign up for a job at the recital) and then out for coffee with a couple friends.

I'm glad that the preschool meeting went well. We were all a little worried how people would take the news that we are retendering the Teacher position. Since it is a 1-year contract position, and many other reasons that I won't get into here, we felt that it would be good to see who else is interested in this job. Anyways the news went well. We will wait to get all the kids' pre-registrations in over the next few weeks and see what will happen for the fall.

This morning John wanted to relay a conversation that he had with Ella last night. I don't remember it all but this is the best part anyways!

E: Daddy, does God have any swings?
J: Uh....maybe he does....
E: Does God have alligators?
J: Well, who made the alligators?
E: God did! He drawed them!
J: (Silent chuckle) He sure did.

There was something else in there about God being scared of the alligators but I won't get it right so I'll just leave that out.

I love having conversations with Ella! She transitions from topics so quickly and she talks so fast that it is sometimes hard to keep up. However she is very entertaining and fun to listen to.

The poor girl is feeling very lousy today. She woke up about 3 times last night and this morning she woke up with a very bad fever. No other symptoms. Just the fever. She even napped today! And yesterday!! Definitely shows she feels awful. She is clingy and whiny but I love snuggling with her. So I'm not getting anything done today, but it's very windy and blowing snow outside. Good thing I don't have much to do anyways!

Saving Money at London Drugs

One of my favorite shopping trips in the city is when I go to London Drugs.

Of all places, why would this be my favorite? Their prices certainly aren't any cheaper than anywhere else. In fact they are probably higher in most cases.

Unless you have coupons!!

As you see from my picture, I have 5 different coupons, all for Downy fabric softener. All coupons are valid and expire in May or June. The total for all of them is $4.00.

If I took all 5 of these coupons to London Drugs, I can use them all on 1 bottle of Downy. So a $6.00 bottle of fabric softener now only costs me $2.00! Yippee!!

This is called "stacking". Essentially you are stacking several coupons on one item. The only way you can do this is to have different bar codes on the coupons or different expiry dates. There can't be any duplicates of the exact same coupon. (As you will see in the above picture, no 2 are alike)

I started stacking when I was buying diapers, pullups, baby food/formula, wipes etc. As any parent knows, it gets very expensive. So I gave stacking a try!

The first time is very nerve-wracking. I have heard from other stackers that they too felt like they were almost stealing. Like a "start the car" moment at Ikea. However it is legit and it works!

So where do I get these coupons? Mostly from save.ca and the newspaper. Any big newspaper (not the Wynyard Advance unfortunately) will have regular issues of coupon booklets, such as the Clip N' Save or the Brandsaver. I used to actually trade with other couponers on frugalshopper but I found that it was sometimes not worth the effort to type up my list of stuff to trade. You can often find coupons at grocery stores in the aisles too.

My best ever experience at LD was a purchase that totalled $150 before coupons. After coupons it was about $50! So I saved $100. The customer behind me in line actually gasped loudly and asked how I did it. It makes me proud!

I don't go every month but I go when I have a good sized stack. I encourage you to give it a try, if you like to use coupons and/or save money!!

Bloggy Giveaways: My Turn

Edited: We have a winner!! Nicol at http://classyandsophisticated.blogspot.com/ was #20 out of 71 entries. Congrats Nicol.

I want a turn too!

Bloggy giveaways is hosting a carnival of giveaways on various blogs. Anyone can participate with a giveaway so I decided to participate too. There are already over 300 giveaways posted. Check it out by clicking on the button at the top! (Just make sure, if you from Canada, to only enter contests that are open to Canadians)

I am giving away this cute mini photo album:

It opens up like a box and has sleeves to protect your valued pictures inside. Plus you get to display a favorite pic on the front.

This giveaway is open to everyone. Please leave me a comment with your email address so I have a way to reach you.

I will draw the winner's name on Sunday April 27.

Good luck to everyone and thanks for looking!

My House Meme

I wasn't tagged for this meme but I really like this one and I wanted to do it. Maybe it breaks the rules for doing a meme, but so be it!

1. Step out your front door and take a picture.
2. Step out your back door and take a picture.
3. Put them on your blog, along with the rules.
4. If there are things in the photos that you particularly like or dislike, you can point them out, or just explain what we are seeing. Maybe changes over the seasons or some junk in your neighbour's yard that drives you nuts.
5. Tag as many or few people as you like - preferably at least one though.
6. Do it again next month if you like.


This is a view from my back door, looking onto the right side of our deck.




Here's the left side of our deck (ugly and stripped of its paint). The "greenish" looking field is actually my ugly garden. I haven't cleaned it out or tilled it yet before I want to plant soon. You can also see a church behind us, unfortunately it gets used only about 3-4 times a year.

Here is my greenhouse. It is old and very makeshift (an old pharmacy door makes up one of the windows on the side) but it works! The left patch of grass is where my cats leave their mice for us. How lovely. (Side note: Jessie has caught 2, Bailey has 1 already)

My carport entrance. We always use this door since the van is parked right there.

The real front door view, looking at our beat-up road on our cul-de-sac. The street cleaner just came by the other day and it looks like the edges of the road were tilled.

Side-view from the front door.

Well that's all! Thanks for looking. I'm not going to tag anyone, but feel free to participate in this one too.

Not Much New

Well I've been too busy playing outside with the girls to really come up with anything "blog worthy". We have been outside a lot each day. Playing in the backyard, going to the park, at least 2 walks per day and helping Brie learn to ride her bike. I'm having so much fun being outside again!! Unfortunately the weather forecast this weekend looks absolutely awful. I'm going to stay indoors and pretend I am sunning myself on the deck with a good book. Absolutely no looking outside. Those are my rules!! Maybe I should add some wine to my rules. Heh heh.

We are anxiously waiting to hear from some members of the school board regarding a letter we wrote to them this week about trying to get Brie into Kindergarten. John and I spent about 3 hours one morning pouring over this letter, until we got it just the way we liked. I'm hoping it sounds very professional and, although of course we are biased, not "our child is so great because...". Since she is reading and misses the cutoff by 2 measly days we decided to pursue this in her best interests. It is not going to be easy to convince the "powers that be" that she deserves to get in, however we need to be the best advocates for her. If we don't speak up for her, who will? If the poor girl has to wait another 18 months before K starts, she will be completely bored and uninterested in school. Enrollment cutoff dates vary throughout the province, which hardly seems fair to families that move around, like we will. Some people may not agree with our decision to push for this but they are not Brie's parents. We know very well just how ready she is. End of story.

The Board was supposed to be meeting today on this, and we are supposed to hear back early next week. I have no idea if they are going to give a cut and dry answer, or if they will want to meet with us to discuss in person. I really hope they will want to meet with us. We even said we would be willing to have her tested by a professional. It is almost completely covered through John's benefits (which we learned from a good friend!) and if this is what it takes, we are ready.

But, if she gets in to K, I will be a little sad. My little girl...who isn't so little anymore. She zips up her own coat, brushes her own hair, pretty soon she will be driving her own car and getting married. SOB! I'm not ready to have a school-aged child. Help!!

Step 2 - Part 2

5 Minutes for Mom has another Step 2 toy giveaway today. There are 3 choices if you are the winner.

-River Run Water Park with umbrella

-Sand & Water Cart

-Fun Flow Play Sink

My favorite is the River Run Water Park! This would be great for the girls on those days when it's not quite warm enough to be in the water, but they can still play with it instead.

Head on over there and check it out!! You don't need a blog to enter, but you get extra entries for blogging about it too.

Step 2 Canopy Wagon Contest

5 Minutes For Mom is hosting some great giveaways right now!

Today's giveaway is for this awesome wagon with a canopy built in.

Since Ella has decided that she doesn't want to wear a sunhat lately, this would be perfect for her fair skin and hair. I really don't want my little girl to get a bad sunburn!

If you want to enter this contest, click on this link and/or blog about it on your own blog, leaving a comment at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Pinecone Research

Do you like to try new products?

Do you often share your opinions with others?

Would you like to get paid to share your opinions?

I am a panel member of Pinecone Research and I get paid $5.00 for each survey that I complete.
Usually the surveys only come about once a month and take 15-20 minutes to finish. You can choose to get paid by cheque, or as I prefer, in my Paypal account. (gotta feed my Ebay addiction somehow!) Occasionaly Pinecone also sends out samples of products for you to try.

Pinecone is a highly coveted program to get into. They only take new members by word of mouth from existing members, and only at selected times. Right now they are taking new members. If you are interested in joining, click here.

WWW Observer Contest

I have a problem.

An Ebay problem.

I love to browse Ebay.

Which usually means that I want to bid/buy stuff off of Ebay.

But it all costs money.

Good thing that WWW Observer is giving away $100 to a Paypal account.

I could buy a LOT of stuff with that win!!

Oh, I'm already thinking of the possibilities....

Ah, the sights and sounds of spring are really here!!

Today was a great day to be outside, I think we got up to 26 today!! WOOHOO!!

John cleaned out the van and thoroughly washed it, inside and out.

Meanwhile I was working hard cleaning up the front yard. I filled 3 garbage bags of leaves and miscellaneous dead plants from my flowerbeds. I just can't seem to get it all done in the fall. Mostly because fall is somewhat depressing because it means that winter is coming. So I do a small clean up and leave the remaining stuff to have a long rest in the yard.

Spring, however, is completely different for me. I feel motivated and excited to be outdoors.

This little guy was in my yard to greet me today. A very stealthy frog, if you can call them that. He kept trying to hide under the old leaves, and with his coloring he was quite successful at blending into his surroundings. Almost like a chameleon.

Anyways, I took a picture of it because it's strange. Last year we found a frog in our backyard, in the middle of the grass. The cats were very entertained by this hopping creature. They would sniff it, and paw at it, and then freak out and jump backwards when the frog would try to escape. I thought it was a one-time experience last year, but apparently it must be common to see frogs in one's yard here.

Speaking of my cats, Jessie is at it already.

It is springtime which means one thing for her.

Catching mice.

She left us a "present" in the backyard yesterday.

I am not suprised at all.

Last year she left us at least 3-4 dozen. I didn't actually count because I was too grossed out at the decapitated, disembowelled creatures lying all over my deck and yard. Somedays there are multiple "presents". I really wish she would enjoy eating them so I wouldn't be constantly cleaning them up. It's gross. Especially when there are wasps trying to eat the dead rodents. Very disgusting. We try to clean them up quickly so the girls are not playing with the disgusting things, but sometime Jessie is quicker than we are.

I really am proud of her for being such a good mouser. She is an overweight, ungraceful cat at times. Apparently these things do not slow her down in the hunting season.

Bailey, our other cat, is the slender, more attractive looking of the two. He has reflexes like no other, but he lacks the stealth needed in hunting. (Maybe he should talk to the frog!) Although he catches some birds and mice, it's nothing like Jessie.

So the cleanup begins.

Should I keep a tally of dead rodents this year?

Part of me is morbidly curious as to how many "presents" we will receive this year.

One down, X to go.

Actually I quite like most yard creatures. Today we were already enjoying seeing some butterflies.

For the last couple of years I have been buying perennials to attract more butterflies and hummingbirds. It has been quite successful so I am looking forward to what this year will bring. I'm hoping to get another hummingbird feeder and place it on the opposite end of the yard. Maybe I can get more than one bird a year then!!

Cupcake Courier Poem

Mommies United is giving away 12 Cupcake Couriers in 12 weeks.

The challenge for this week is create a poem with the letters in the word cupcake. Here goes!!

C reamy Icing

U ltimate treat

P ampering myself

C alories uncounted

A ppealing to the eye

K eeping them in my new Cupcake Courier

E veryone is happy.

Rough Layout

Please tell me what you think! I only set out as much as would fit on my table but I plan on making it bigger yet. I have lots of extra squares and way too much fabric. I guess this is how I learn though. I do realize that the 3rd row from the left has 2 of those paisley-type fabrics. I switched one to be the dotted design instead, but I just didn't bother with another picture.

Should I do one or two borders around the edges? If so, what color/colors would you recommend? Once I have this all sewn and pressed I can pick out a nice flannel for the back.

Getting Started

Well as I mentioned in a previous post, I am starting to work on making a quilt for Brie. I have been busy ripping seams from some old pants. I bought some fabric (gasp!). Today I started cutting.

So far I am quite pleased with the swiftness of it all. I actually bought a quilting kit off of Ebay for a reasonable price. It included a rotary cutter (sure beats scissors), a square ruler and a cutting board. I got to use it all today and I really like it all.

What does this say about me? I am enjoying QUILTING.

Well I guess technically I haven't started the actual quilting part yet....but it is going to happen.

Eventually.

You see, I have a very bad reputation for starting projects that are over my head/expertise and then I never finish it. I try one very small project and think I am a pro.

My niece is turning 11 this weekend. When my sister was pregnant with her I decided to start a cross-stitch baby announcement. I worked so hard that entire spring and summer while working at camp trying to finish the darn thing.

It never happened. I got tired of it and pushed it to the side, never to pick it up again.

I still feel bad.

It's been 11 years!

I don't think I should bother finishing it now.

Good thing I don't have a deadline for this quilt. Hopefully I will have it finished by the time she graduates school. Hopefully her favorite color is still red.

So Worn Out

Agh!

This is how I feel today. Just AGH!

I cannot wait until preschool is over and I don't have to deal with the politics and non-paying people anymore!!

Why do people think they can put their kids in for free? It's already a great deal, works out to be about $2.00 an hour.

Seriously. If you bounce a cheque...(and it can happen to the best of us) don't ignore it and pretend it will go away. Please!!!! Clear it up promptly. Is this asking too much?!?

I've been harrasing one particular person from last month. Today I got another NSF notification from that person, along with another one from someone else.

As a former banker, I may be slightly opinionated in this matter. However, you can easily check your account history online. Take the initiative! Call me before I have to harass you and kick your kids out of preschool! I've already kicked one kid out (and I hated it, because Brie still talks about him 4 months later) and I would rather not have to do it again.

Thank you.

Is Spring Here?

Finally, it looks like spring may be here.

The wind has picked up and the snow is drying quickly. Just yesterday my front lawn was still mostly covered in snow. Today? It is almost gone. Hurray!!

These are some pics of our wonderful walk yesterday. There aren't too many places in town to walk around so we usually go either to "the bridge" or to the traintracks.

Here's the girls on the walk to the bridge. Always 6 steps ahead of me, which isn't good when I'm taking pictures and there are no sidewalks!!



Ella quickly picks up her speed once we get to this spot:

Wynyard's "mineral water":

This is the best shot I could get of Ella. She ran through "THE puddle" for at least 10 minutes. Her jeans were completely soaked through. So were her rubber boots!

Enchantaland

Yesterday the girls and I made it to Saskatoon for a fun-filled day! We spent time with the in-laws in the morning and after lunch we met up with my sister and 2 of her kids at Enchantaland. The girls had an excellent time! I was very impressed with the setup there! As we've been to The Fun Factory before, I went into this thinking of comparing the two play centers. However they are both very different from each other. The Fun Factory is larger and designed for an older age of children. Although they do have a toddler section, that side is too "young" for my girls and yet the bigger section with the tunnels and ball pits is too intimidating for Brie.

She loved Enchantaland! For those of you who have never been, there are lots of tables and chairs for the parents to sit (and drink coffee or order off the menu) around the entire room. There are lots of Little Tikes play centers to climb on and slide down. Also lots of the Coupe cars to drive around on the "road" too. We stayed for about 2 1/2 hours but we definitely could have stayed longer. I also like the stamp cards, pay for 10 admissions get 1 free. My only complaint would be the cost of their snacks. I purchased 3 very small treats, 1 for each of the girls and 1 for my nephew. They were each about the size of a mini oreo. The price? $0.50 each! Ouch. Next time I will bring my own snacks, as is mentioned on their sign that this is okay. We missed the puppet show (online it says twice a day but they didn't have one after lunch?) so hopefully next time we will catch it. We will definitely go back!!

Another Tag

Well I have been tagged again. This is a really nice one about our husbands from Amanda. I just couldn't pass it up but I won't bother tagging anyone this time since most people don't do them anyways. (Sob) (Sniff) Just kidding!

How Long Have You Been Together?
This summer will be our 9th anniversary but we will have been together for 13 years.

How Long Did You Date?
We started dating in August of 1995. I used to joke...we started dating August 1, engaged August 24 and married on August 28. All of which is true, it just took place over 4 years!!

How Old Is He?
John is turning 31 in a few weeks.

Who Said "I Love You" First?
John did, but it was definitely on my mind too.

Who Is Taller?
John is 6'2" and I'm 5'7".

Who Is Smarter?
Really it depends on the category. We are each smarter in our own ways!!

Who Does The Laundry?
Both of us, but I'm the only one that folds.

Who Does The Dishes?
Usually John does. I hate washing dishes, although I did some this morning actually.

Who Sleeps On The Right Side Of The Bed?
John does.

Who Pays The Bills?
Me. I fear that John would get many notices after forgetting to pay them all.

Who Mows The Lawn?
Usually John. I enjoy gardening, not so much the "work" involved with it.

Who Cooks Dinner?
Since I am at home every day it is usually me, although John helps out when he works nights or has days off sometimes. I really like when he cooks!

Who Is More Stubborn?
Again, it depends on the topic. Most people would probably answer that it's me though.

Who Kissed Who First?
I did! I was tired of waiting after 3 months.

Who Asked Who Out?
John asked me.

Who Proposed?
Definitely John.

Who Is More Sensitive?
Me. Definitely me.

Puddle Jumping

Today the girls and I went outside for some much needed fresh air. The weather outside is beautiful and we certainly didn't want to waste it indoors. We have been inside for too long and are all anxious to get outside. Silly me forgot to take the camera, but hopefully tomorrow is just as nice and we can get outside again for some photo ops.

I love watching my girls in the outdoors. Brie is getting more comfortable in her own skin and she often runs ahead of me now, instead of sticking by my side and insisting that I hold her hand the entire time, like she used to. Ella is always running. It's almost like walking isn't in her vocabulary. So I have to speed-walk to try to keep up with her. I am successful only some of the time. Which is scary in a small town that only has sidewalks in 1/15 of the streets. So I am constantly watching for cars and trying to keep reins on the girls before they dash out onto the street for another puddle.

Ah the joys of puddle jumping. There is something so innocently beautiful about kids jumping in puddles. They don't worry about the cold temperature of the water through their boots. They couldn't care less about the fact that their clothes are getting wet, or dirty. They don't care about the depth of puddles, only that there are many to choose from. They only know that puddles are fun.

Tomorrow I MUST remember my camera!

Playing Catch Up

Well after being sick for so many days now I am finally starting to feel slightly normal. My ear is still severely plugged but I can tell that everything else is getting better. Today I have only had 2 Tylenol 3s so that's a big sign of improvement!!

I have been feeling rather guilty for neglecting my house while sick. (Isn't this dumb...we as women can't just be sick but we still have guilt chasing us around every day) So today I cleaned the bathrooms, washed floors, made supper with veggies that are about to go bad, and made some cards. Very productive day for still not feeling great!! I am exhausted but it is so nice to have a clean house and a new supper in the oven.

I must add, John is a great husband to have around when sick. He washes dishes, he cooks, he does laundry. He is wonderful and I love him lots. It certainly helps me to get the rest I needed this week.

Hopefully in a few days I am taking the girls to Saskatoon for a fun-filled day together. Playing, visiting, shopping....what's not to like? Poor Brie has been waiting (not so) patiently for me to get better. Last week with spring break she didn't get to go anywhere so she was THRILLED that yesterday she had dance and this morning was preschool.