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A lobster a day keeps the doctor away!

My first lobster off the truck!

Turns out this is actually true but I’ll get into that a bit later.

I’m currently in beautiful Nova Scotia visiting my husband’s family and introducing them to our little guy for the first time.  I’m always super excited to go back East to see everyone but I’m also very excited to come visit when it is lobster season (strange how we always seem to visit during lobster season, hmmmm???? lol.)  As all of you West Coasters will attest to, lobster is considered a rare treat for us as it is super expensive from where we come from.  But on the East Coast, lobster is just a regular, every day dinner like having chicken breasts or ham.  In fact, during lobster season, it actually costs less to buy a whole lobster than it does to buy the other meats!  Crazy, I know!

Seriously!! I'm not lying!

And the best part is that they have trucks on the side of the road that sell it even cheaper than in the stores…I’m talking $5.99 a pound! So this trip I made a promise to myself that I would eat at least one lobster every day I’m here to make up for the fact I usually eat none in a year. So far I’m managed to keep my promise but not without a few hiccups.

On the first day we arrived, we were supposed to arrive in Halifax at seven and then drive an hour to New Minas where my husband is from. Unfortunately our plane was delayed over three hours ( I will refrain from naming the airline but will give you three guesses!! Here’s a hint: it rhymes with hair planada!) so we didn’t make it till after 10:00pm.  Then of course the rental car we got had some issues so we were late leaving Halifax making our arrival time in New Minas just before midnight.  I was so sad that I already broke my promise to eat my lobster for that day but then suddenly my luck changed; I looked up and there on a sign under the big yellow arches I read “The McLobster is back!”  What?  A McLobster?  What is this magical sandwich?  We pulled into the drive thru and ordered two and sure enough, it was a sandwich filled with lobster meat and weirdly enough it cost the same as a Big Mac! It was delicious and a great way to start the trip.

The next day I spotted the truck on the side of the road so we pulled over with my mother-in-law to help us pick the best lobsters as she grew up in Hulls Harbour and is an expert in lobster selection.  Interesting tip: the smaller lobster taste much better than the big one.  So when choosing lobsters, only buy ones between 1 lbs and 1-1/2 lbs as the meat is more tender; those 3 lbs or more fellas way look cool but they are way too tough.  We bought eight whole live lobsters and only paid $67!  I mentioned to the guy that for that price, I’d love to have a bunch shipped to Victoria and he replied that maybe this could be arranged…maybe I could open my own lobster shack in Victoria. I’d make a fortune!! Okay, back to reality. We made hot lobster sandwiches  that night and then I continued to have them for breakfast for the next two days.  Delicious! Definitely a breakfast of champions (and celebrities which is how I felt!)

My mother-in-law picking out the best fellas for us!

Eventually I ran out so I went back the next day to my favorite lobster truck man to stock up but to my dismay, he wasn’t there. Panic began to sink in but I calmed myself and asked my sister-in-law Nancy if there was any other places these magical trucks hung out.  She pointed me to the next town over so I hopped in the car and went treasure hunting for my favorite crustacean. No luck there and neither at the adjoining towns on either side.  I guess Tuesdays are the days they actually go out and catch these wonderful creatures.  So I had to resort to buying my lobster of the day at the local grocery store. It cost me $8.99 instead of $5.99 which was still an amazing deal, just not as amazing as the truck deal.  This time I cooked it up the old-fashioned way and just dipped it in melted butter…It was absolute heaven and worth every penny!

It's good luck to kiss a lobster, right?

I’ve only got 3 more days here so I intend to hunt down my favorite lobster man tomorrow and make sure to stock up until I leave…don’t want to miss out again! My husband’s family think I’m absolutely nuts but they enjoy watching me deshell these little critters each day…I’m definitely improving with each lobster.

Oh, and back to my original point, turns out that lobster is actually super good for you and even healthier than having a chicken breast or egg.  It’s low in calories and is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.  Who knew?

Lobster educational reading for you

Guess I won’t be getting sick on this trip!  Okay well maybe I might considering how I’ve actually been cooking my lobster so far…you see I may have omitted the fact that the hot lobster sandwiches consist of melting several sticks of butter in a pan, then sauteing the lobster meat in it for several minutes, THEN adding about 2 cups of heavy heavy cream into the mix.  Once it’s all hot and lobstery, you pour it over two slices of toast to absorb all the fatty, creamy, buttery, lobstery goodness – not exactly a healthy way to eat it, but OMG it is the best thing you will ever eat.

I’ll update you all next week on whether I managed to keep my promise but right now, I’ve got to run…I’ve got a date with a lobster man to discuss shipping half of his truckload to Victoria. Mom, if you’re reading this, a few very small guests may be arriving at your doorstep soon so I hope you don’t mind entertaining them till I get back home.  Thanks. 

Magic Kingdom made my money disappear: Tips for saving money in Disneyworld

We are currently on our first family trip with our little boy Grayson and are fortunate enough to be spending it in beautiful sunny, Florida. Actually ,I should say beautiful, ridiculously hot and sunny Florida as I didn’t actually check ahead what the weather would be like in June. Turns out, this is the hottest time of the year and the temperature has been fluctuating between 36C and 40C for the past few days, making it a bit difficult to enjoy the sunshine. But, I promise you I WILL have a tan by the time I return to rainy Victoria! (and yes, I will wear my sunscreen at all times too!)

We’re staying in Orlando, so of course we had to go to at least one park at Disneyworld even though our ride options were limited with a one-year-old.  I admit I am a hypocrite as pre-child, I used to judge those parents who would bring babies to amusement parks thinking, “What’s the point?  The child won’t remember anything and are they really even going to enjoy it?” I will officially eat my dish of crow now because I can honestly say that our little guy had an absolute blast at the Magic Kingdom, especially when he met Mickey Mouse. I actually teared up as he started squealing and grinning from ear to ear as Mickey Mouse gave him a hug. Absolutely priceless!

What isn’t priceless is the cost of visiting this family holiday destination of the world. I assumed that things like food and entertainment would be cheaper as usually this is the case in the States. I was really wrong. Things are about the same price in Orlando as they are in Western Canada if not more, specifically when it comes to food and tickets for the attractions. Turns out they call it the Magic Kingdom because it magically makes your money disappear! Luckily I’ve learned some ways to save money here so I thought I’d pass on these hints to you in case you’re planning a trip to “the happiest place on earth.” Hopefully they’ll help make your trip even happier than happiest (if there is actually another level of happiness that’s higher than “happiest”…how about happiestest?” Okay, obviously I’ve been out in the sun a bit too long!)

If you are able to rent accommodation with a kitchen, do it!  Food costs can make up for half of your total vacation budget.  Think about it… A family of four spends an average of $100 a day eating out while on vacation so that comes to $700 spent on food in one week. We’re renting this beautiful townhouse and on the first day we arrived, we stopped off at a grocery store and stocked up. By eating our meals at the townhouse rather than out, we’re saving over $600!  Plus, I don’t know about you but I get sick of eating at restaurants really quickly when it’s for three meals a day!

Of course, it is nice to go out every once in a while and take a break from cooking because, let’s face it, you’re on vacation and you want to relax. Before you leave for your trip, do some research and try to find coupons for local restaurants close to where you’re vacationing and print them off before you go.  It’s amazing how many of places offer you free meals for your first visit just by signing up on their web sites and online newsletters.  For instance, I signed up for IHOP’s loyalty club and they sent me a coupon for a free breakfast.  Two other restaurants did the same thing—plus, I scored coupons for free appetizers, desserts, drinks and money off our bill. This has definitely helped with our vacation budget.

Lastly, we tried something that I swore I would never do….we went to a timeshare pitch in order to get discounts on our Disneyworld tickets!  I know, crazy right?  Well actually I have to say that the experience wasn’t all that bad and we saved about 50% off of our park passes which is substantial as it costs $100 a ticket per person!

Basically, we went to this resort where they gave us this buffet breakfast (not that great but was still a free breakfast) and then this nice guy named Dale showed us around the property to entice us into purchasing a time share property.  The spiel took about 90 minutes and then afterwards he showed us the prices of the condos and wanted us to sign on the dotted line right there.  The hilarious part about this (besides the fact that they think you will make such a financially huge decision in two minutes!) is that the price decreased by 75% by the time we finished saying no about 10 times.  At first, the price was $29,000 and we said no! Magically the price dropped and we could purchase the same condo for $14,000…and yet we still said no. Finally, he tells us that his manager wants to speak to us and this smooth talking guy comes over and explains that he is authorized to give us an even better deal because, and I quote, “We don’t just give this deal to anyone. For instance, we don’t give this deal to people from Alaska because we can’t get the same referrals from them as we can get from people in Canada!”  Okay, what the heck does that even mean??? Do people in Alaska not have friends or something?

Anyways, suddenly the last price is only $7000 for a condo although this will be a different one than the one we say but he swears it’s beautiful and can show us the pictures on his iPad. Really?  Do people actually fall for this? As my mother taught me, if something is too good to be true, it probably isn’t true!

But after the song and dance, we wound up with awesome discount passes to the Magic Kingdom and it only cost us a couple of hours of our time and the learning experience of finding twenty different ways to say no to a person without being completely rude and losing it!

Hopefully these ideas can help save you a few bucks on your travels…although realistically you’ll probably end up spending all your savings on Mickey Mouse apparel for your kids. Boy, did Grayson get spoiled but that’s what us parents do, right?

"Whose party is this really for?" Our baby’s 1st birthday party

Don't you just want to give him a big kiss??

As I had mentioned last week, I was getting ready to survive our son’s 1^st birthday party.  I’m happy to say that it was a complete success…the children laughed, I cried and my son ate an adult size worth of chocolate cake in record time. There were tons of people here to celebrate along with at least a dozen walking, talking toddlers who turned our house into what looked like the aftermath of a tornado within minutes of arriving.  I tried my best to follow the survival tips that I mapped out last week and in hindsight, even came up with a few more regarding some ways to plan your child’s birthday party with minimal stress and minimal funds (as I have official started my second year on maternity leave without any pay!…really I can’t complain though, can I?)

The morning of the party did not start off stress-free at all and this was my own fault as I assumed that Grayson would go down for his nap at the usual time, sleep like an angel for two hours and then wake up refreshed and ready to party.  But of course, instead he decided to fuss for over an hour and a half before actually falling asleep for only about an hour.

Tired but still ready to party in his best outfit!

We had accounted his nap time for our prep time so suddenly we had less than an hour to decorate the entire house and prep the food.  Luckily, I was able to call my parents over to assist and we amazingly got everything done before the guests arrived (I even had to send out my dad to the grocery store to pick up a box of teddy graham cookies as I suddenly remembered I needed two more bags for the goody bags…whew…disaster averted!)

This taught me that it would be wise to start decorating your house a few days in advance so you don’t run out of time due to unforeseeable issues.  And really you don’t need to go crazy with the decorations as your child will have no clue what he is looking at anyways.

Which brings me to my next light bulb…you don’t need to go all-out crazy for the 1^st birthday party unless it’s something you would normally do for yourself because let’s face it, this party is really for the parents and not so much for the child.

All I can say is "Wow!" Looks like the party faery threw up here!

Yes, of course you are celebrating your child’s first milestone and you want them to have as much fun as possible but when it comes to the food, goodie bags and decor, only go nuts if you love doing this kind of thing. Your little one will have fun just as long as you are there to laugh and smile with him.

If you are not a party planner by nature, don’t beat yourself up if you decide to have a small affair with simple appies, a few drinks and minimal decorations. Being a parent means you always want the best for your child but if planning an extravagant party turns you into a big ball of stress, you won’t be at your best and be able to simply enjoy the wonderful experience.

Fortunately I am one of those crazy people who love to throw parties but I am also someone who loves to throw a great party on a dime.  So my advice to anyone planning their child’s first or fifth birthday party is to visit your local dollar store.  You will be amazed at what they sell there these days and I guarantee you’ll be able to find most of the items you will need.  We put together our teddy bear picnic basket goodie bags with almost everything coming for the dollar store and they looked awesome! Check’em out!

And depending on what you are doing as a theme for the party, you can also find great decorations at either thrift shops or on used sites.  Since our theme was Teddy Bear’s Picnic, I scoured the local thrift shops and UsedVic and ended up getting a ton of teddy bears for practically nothing!  This could work for you where your theme is monkeys, princesses, or trucks…the possibilities are endless.

Here are some of the "friends" I found!

As for food, I would highly suggest pulling out that slow cooker in the cupboard and putting it to good use.  We made pulled pork sandwiches for our party and everyone raved about them (because basically anything you put in a slow cooker and cook for 8 hours will turn out delicious!) plus it saved so much time on food prep and was easy on the wallet.  If you don’t own a slow cooker, a simple do-it-yourself sandwich platter filled with deli meat, cheeses, and veggies also works great and won’t break the bank.  Some people mentioned we could do a bbq but I wouldn’t recommend this as most likely your hubbie will be in charge of this and end up being stuck cooking the entire party rather than enjoying himself with everyone.

Easy but yummy food...my mom made those adorable bear cheese sandwiches!

I still really can’t believe my little guy is already one and I’m the first to admit a few tears were shed (okay a lot were shed!)once the party was over and I realized that my little baby is becoming a little boy. I’m so thankful for him and can’t wait to celebrate his next birthday…I’m thinking Pirate Party complete with pirate ship!…would love to hear some of your ideas on how to pull this one off!  Happy Birthday Grayson!!! Mommy loves you! Xoxo

Coupon Tip of the Week:  I was curious what the best things were to buy in June as I always try to get things when they are the cheapest of the year and here are a few items you should stock up on next month if you are in need: Men’s suits and tools( because stores put them on sale for Father’s Day), gym memberships (because people are planning to work out more outdoors in the summer months), paint (because no one wants to paint in the scorching heat) and champagne (because of wedding season….yippee!!) Happy shopping.

Survival tips for planning your baby's 1st birthday party

This past long weekend we were fortunate enough to celebrate not one but two 1^st birthday parties for our friend’s children. The 1^st birthday of your child’s life is a big event and both my friends threw fabulous parties that were super fun. Of course the main event is always standing around the birthday baby waiting for him or her to dive into the giant piece of cake put before them for the first time.  And neither baby disappointed this weekend.  Both children were covered head to toe and were beaming from ear to ear!

Our beautiful  little boy’s 1^st birthday is this weekend and so I paid extra attention at the parties for ideas I could use for our party that would make things go as seamless as possible and make it lots of fun as well.  Here are a few tidbits I picked up that maybe you can use:

Serve booze- Trust me, this is necessary to allow you and your adult guests to survive the dozens of screaming, sugar-rushed children running around your house and destroying everything in their path (even though best bet is that one or two of them are theirs!) I’m not suggesting getting drunk but a nice glass of wine or beer should help everyone relax for a couple of hours, including you.

Keep the children entertained:  make sure to have some sort of activity for the older children who can walk and talk so that they aren’t left to their own devices. Again, trust me the old saying “idle hands are the devil’s playthings” is definitely true in this scenario. Bored children at a party equal property damage in your home. My one friends’ activity was finger painting which I thought was a smashing idea…for the most part (one small child did decide she’d rather paint her entire arm bright blue then the paper).

Moms, don’t wear white:  You will coo over how cute your little one looks all covered in chocolaty cake goodness and this will temporarily distract you from the fact you will eventually have to pick them up out of that high chair to hose down.  When you do this, all the cake that is covering your precious baby will suddenly transfer to you and whatever fabulous outfit you picked out weeks ago to showcase as this momentous occasion.  My suggestion is that if you are serving chocolate cake, a dress in an espresso or mocha color would work best.

Ask for Paparazzi: As the parents, you really don’t want to miss any moment as your little one tastes his/her first sugary treat so ask your friends to take the photos to capture every hilarious moment.  That way you won’t be distracted if your own camera starts acting up or maybe the flash stops working (we seem to be cursed with this happening every time we’re about to take a great photo!) Leave those stresses to your friends and just sit back and take it all in…Remember there is only one 1^st birthday!

We’re doing “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” as a theme for Grayson party this weekend so I’ll make sure to update you next week on how it went and what were the highlights of the day.  And to our guests, don’t worry; we will be passing out glasses of wine at the door!  LOL

Coupon Tip of the Week:  Our BBQ is almost on its last legs so my husband started to look in the flyers to buy a new one, showing me all these supposed great deals. I did a little research and found out that May is the worst month to buy bbqs as you will pay way more money than any other month for one. If you can wait, buy a BBQ in July and you will save a lot of money!

Tips for Buying Used Pet Items

My beautiful dog Indie

Owning a pet is such a rewarding experience but it can also be an expensive one. After buying food, treats, beds, leashes, cages, kennels, toys and those dreaded vet visits, you’re lucky if you have enough money left over for groceries for yourself!  And of course, your pets are part of the family and so you want to spoil them but not go bankrupt in the process. I know this first hand as we have a 100 pound Rotti X AND a 22 pound orange tabby cat (he’s not fat…he’s just big boned!).  Looking at their food bills each month, you’d think we have a teenage son living in the house (although you would probably wonder why someone would be feeding their 15 year old son kibble but you know what they say…teenage boys will eat anything!)

Obviously you have to buy food for your pets but for the other necessary and not-so-necessary but fun items why not try buying them used?  You’ll pay a fraction of the cost on items that are usually very expensive! Now I know what some of you are thinking…”How do I buy something that was previously used by another animal? Won’t my pet avoid it or possibly “mark their territory” on it?” This is a valid question. Yes there are some pet items that I wouldn’t recommend buying or selling used but most items, if cleaned properly, can easily be reused by another pet.

I work for UsedVictoria and my task this month was to find some fabulous prizes to give away at the Vancouver Island Pet Expo on May 26th. I quickly came to the conclusion that there are a lot of great pet items you can buy and sell used that will help you save money AND still spoil your beloved pets. I also concluded that buying used pet items is an entirely different “breed” of second-hand shopping (LOL…sorry, I had to do it!)  So here are some helpful tips for buying used pet items, what you should avoid buying or selling used and how to sell your items quickly so you have money to buy more pet food!!!

1.  Throw out the pet mattress! Unfortunately, if you have a dog or cat, you know firsthand that their mattresses are usually the first thing they pee on in order to mark their territory (and possibly yours if you let them on the bed!)  Not to mention, because they sleep on them most of the time, they usually wear quite quickly and end up covered in pet hair, dirt and other unmentionables.  I wouldn’t recommend selling used fabric dog or cat beds as it’s very difficult to completely eliminate the pet odors and dander, making it a prime target for the next Fluffy or Spot to pee on.  But the plastic dog beds or cat beds that you put the mattresses in are great items to buy and sell used as they are super easy to clean. This actually goes for most other pet items, so just make sure to give them a good wipe down with some soap and water before selling.

2. Bundle it: When I was buying prizes for the Pet Expo, I had a great experience that struck me as a perfect way to sell used pet items.  I went over to this woman’s house to purchase a brand new cat scratcher.  I told her that I worked for UsedVic and was putting together some prize packages for the Pet Expo and she gleefully replied that she had a bunch of other cat items that she hadn’t had time to post on the site yet.  I ended up leaving with the cat scratcher, a cat carrier, a mouse laser and some cat toys!  So if you have several pet items you want to sell, you should consider selling them as a bundle. I’m sure someone who has recently brought home a new dog or cat would be elated to purchase their pet items all at once at a fraction of the cost!

3. Fido the Fashionista  I can’t believe what you can actually buy these days for your pets, specifically dogs.  It used to be that all you needed was a dog bowl, a leash and a collar and you were set.  Now you can buy all types of clothing for your dog like hockey jerseys and designer t-shirts.  They have collars with Swarovski crystals on them and high-end designer purses to cart the small dogs around in. I found tons of these items on UsedVic and while I’m not one to buy designer clothes for my dog, you can at least justify having a little fun and buy  some cute outfits for Fido with all the money you’re saving by buying used.

I hope these tips will help you navigate through the world of buying used pet items. I promise you will love saving all that money! And some of the items I mentioned will be in our prize packs and door prizes at the Vancouver Island Pet Expo so make sure to look for me in the UsedVic coveted purple tee and angel wings (you’ll have to ask when you see me) and be sure to enter our prize giveaway draws!  Can’t wait to see you all there and till then, happy shopping!

Throw a Successful and Hassle-free Garage Sale

Awww the sunshine is finally here and that means it’s the season for one of my favorite pastimes: Garage Sales!!!  I’m one of those fanatics who can’t resist stopping everything I have planned as soon as I see one of those cardboard signs pinned up on a telephone pole. This drives my husband crazy as I’ve yet to convert him.  I love the thrill of the unknown as to what treasures I might find or weird items I may discover.  Plus, garage sales are the best place to get really cheap deals because people usually just want to have their junk gone!

Last weekend I wound up having my own garage sale to get rid of the basement full of crap I unearthed while spring cleaning.  If you recall from my last post, I found some rather strange items like heart-printed toilet paper, a neon unicorn and a giant martini glass. Well, I ‘m happy to report that both the neon unicorn and giant martini glass were sold for a profit of….$0.75!!!  Woo-hoo!  A little girl pleaded with her mother for the unicorn stuffy and the martini glass went to a guy who plans to give it to his mom for Mother’s Day (he told me that she loves margaritas so he’s planning on making her a giant one in the glass…now that’s what I call a great Mother’s Day present!!)

It had  been a while since my last garage sale and from this most recent one, I’ve come up with some helpful tips that I thought might be come in handy for any of you out there planning on purging your houses this summer and hosting your own.

1. Don’t price your items:  This sounds strange as you would think it would be best to price everything so people know right away what you’re selling an item for.  Trust me, it’s so much more hassle than it’s worth.  You’ll spend hours putting price tags on all your items and only 25% will actually sell.  Plus I’ve realized that it’s human nature for us to overprice items that we personally own as we are attached to them. So, when you put a price tag of $5 on the ugly candle stick holder that your grandma gave you, it’s not going to sell. It’s better to make up a sign that says “Make me an offer” so that you can barter with people.  Example:  When someone asks you how much the candlestick is and you say five dollars, you’ll quickly realize that the price is too high and then can ask them how much they would like to spend.  This brings me to my next tip.

2. Don’t overprice your items:  As I said, it’s human nature to feel that your personal items are worth more than what most people would pay, but remember you want to get rid of all this junk!  I fell victim to this at my own garage sale: a woman asked how much this poster was and I came back at her with a price of $10!  By the look on her face, I suddenly realized that I was asking way too much for it and had to remind myself that I actually wanted all of this stuff out of my house.  Plus, the game plan was to donate everything left over to good will, so getting any money at all was a bonus. I asked her what she wanted to pay and we agreed on five dollars….poster gone!

3. Make a free box:  One of the best ways to get rid of a lot of stuff is to put some of it in a box labelled “Free Stuff.”  People can’t resist the word free and will gladly take these items off your hands, lightening your load to good will!  We had a funny thing happen at our garage sale.  This lovely older couple were shopping around and had purchased several items from us.  The woman noticed that my friend Caron had a large free box at the end of the driveway.  She asked how much she was allowed to take and Caron jokingly replied that she could take the whole box if she wanted to.  A few minutes later I noticed that the box had gone missing and asked Caron where it had gone.  She pointed to a car across the street and said “I believe it’s now in that couple’s trunk!”  They took the entire box!! We killed ourselves laughing and I was kicking myself for not putting some of my items in it earlier. As the old saying goes, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” I’m guessing that couple thought they had found a treasure chest!

4. Donate it ALL:  Once the garage sale is over and you’ve made a few bucks to go towards that road trip this summer, make sure to just pack everything up into the truck and drive directly to the Salvation Army to donate it. DO NOT start going through all the items again thinking that you might actually use them again one day.  This defeats the entire purpose for having held a garage sale in the first place. Remember, you want to get rid of all this stuff otherwise you wouldn’t have had the garage sale!  You will be tempted to keep some items so my advice is to invite some friends over for beer in exchange for them helping load up the truck so you don’t even see what’s being taken away. Plus, maybe they’ll want some of your things…my girlfriend stopped by and wound up leaving with a water bottle, a camping lantern and some clothes!

All in all, our garage sale went really well and I managed to make $79.25 to go towards our trip to Halifax this summer to see my husband’s family. Plus, I followed my own advice and donated everything else as soon as the sale was done. My house is finally clean and uncluttered…now the only dilemma is stopping myself from re-cluttering it with items from garage sales this summer!  It’s a vicious cycle I tell ya!  Lol.

What’s hiding in your house? 5 Bizarre Spring Cleaning Discoveries

I found enough junk in my house to fill our entire downstairs suite!

For the last two weeks I have made it my goal to search in every cupboard, drawer, closet and shelf in my house in order to clean out items that we no longer need or use.  This is necessary now that we have a son as we need to start making room for all of his things (which there is a ton of already and he’s not even a year old yet!!) Plus, we are heading back east next month so I thought we could maybe make a little extra cash selling all this stuff at a garage sale.

One important truth I have discovered is that the more places you have to store stuff, the more stuff you end up storing. The old adage “out of sight, out of mind” is very true and becomes dangerous as you end up hiding away all this useless junk that just sits there collecting dust and cluttering up your living space. I’m not saying I’m ready to be a guest star on Hoarders yet or anything but after finding some ridiculous things, I am realizing I may have some trouble letting things go.

Now in the past, I admit that I’ve been TOO lenient with these items, making excuses as to why I need to keep them. The main reasons I’ve wound up keeping things is because I’ve convinced myself that I’ll need them someday or that they hold a special memory.  Here are some of the stranger things I uncovered while searching my house, the possible reasons I kept them in the past and why I don’t need them now! (I just realized how this sounds…like something a therapist would tell a hoarder!  Lol. I promise I came up with this all on my own without any professional help!)

1.  A Giant Martini Glass: I brought this back from Vegas four years ago except when I bought it, it was filled with 10 ounces of liquor! I wound up finishing it that night, so really I can’t use the excuse that I’m keeping it because I have any memories of it!  I previously kept it because I thought that someday I may want to have a second go at trying to finish a 10 ounce drink, but now that I have a baby, that idea sounds both painful and wrong!

2. A Make Your Own Bath and Beauty Supply Kit:  This may not seem like such a strange item except that I remember my parents giving this to me as a birthday present when I was SIXTEEN years old.  With each move, I have lugged this kit along with me with the intention of one day opening it up and making myself some bath salts and lotions. The problem is, since it’s now sixteen years old, I’m guessing the all natural products are probably rotten or would burn when they touched my skin. This may just have to go in the trash rather than be donated or sold…I don’t want to harm anyone or be sued!

3. A Leopard Print Hat Box:  I believe this was given to be about 10 years ago and I thought I should keep it as it was a funky box that could be used to store more stuff!  But with my new goal in mind, obviously keeping this item defeats the purpose of trying to stop placing things in boxes and forgetting them for years! So, bye-bye funky box!

4. A Neon Unicorn:  I mean who doesn’t need one of these in their house? I recall that this was won for me at a local fair by a boy when I was around 22 and I kept it as a memento while we were dating.  Once we broke up I recall crying and cursing his name as I threw it in a box, no longer being able to look at it (But to be honest, can you even really look at it now? It’s so ugly!!!)  Another “out of sight, out of mind” discovery that needs to be sent away…I do hear that neon is back in style now so maybe someone will buy it as an accessory and carry it around like a purse!

5. Heart-Printed Toilet Paper:  Huh??? Who in their right mind would purchase such an item or keep in their house for five years? Um, that would be me!  I recall that I bought this as a stocking stuffer for my hubbie as a joke telling him that everytime he used it, he would think of his love for me…I know, I really didn’t think that one through, did I?” Anyways, I thought I should keep it just in case we ever ran out of toilet paper and this could be our reserve roll…not a bad idea except I’m guessing the dye from the hearts would transfer.  Looks like I’ll have to flush this one down the toilet too…hahahahahaha…sorry I couldn’t resist!

I challenge all of you to take a couple of hours this week and really dig deep into your homes to pull out all the junk you no longer use. Purge your house and I promise you will feel like a weight as been lifted…literally as you won’t have to lug around 100 pounds of junk next time you decide to move!  I’d love to hear what strange things you uncover!

Coupon tip of the week:  Each store has their own set of rules regarding what types of coupons they accept and if they allow stacking. I highly recommend reading up on their policies before going to the store as this will save you alot of headaches and possibly arguements. As well, it’s a good idea to print off the policies and bring them with you just in case you are dealing with a newer employee who may not know all the rules yet.

Dreams of a Short Girl Come True: My First Modelling Gig

-photo coutesy of Derek Ford Photographer

I’m sure many of you gals out there who are 5’4″ and under can relate when I tell you that I never imagined I’d ever get the opportunity to model. Growing up as the second shortest girl in class in elementary and high school, (at least, I could always feel tall standing next to ONE other person)  I was always picked last (well, second to last) playing basketball or volleyball and when the school put on spring fashion shows for grad, I automatically counted myself out as a candidate.

Us short girls have all secretly dreamed at one point of walking down a runway (in 6 inch heels to make up the height requirements) strutting our stuff and wearing fabulous clothing but for most, this has just remained a dream. Now I’m not saying I ever wanted to be a model professionally (nor do I have the looks, body or bone structure to actually be one!) but the opportunity to pretend to be on Canada’s Next Top Model for even a day was always something secretly hidden away on my bucket list.

(Insert Carly's photo here) Hahahahahaha...just kidding!

Well, two weeks ago this short girl’s dream finally came true! While attending a pre-launch party for the Breathe Now Conference in Victoria, it was announced that they were looking for people to model in their fashion show during  the conference’s after-party.  At first, the short girl from elementary school inside me said “don’t even bother asking. No one wants a 5 foot 3 (and three quarters!) girl as a model.” But suddenly the thirty two-year-old mom I am now, replied, “Why not just ask?  You’re not getting any younger, lady!”  Luckily thirty-something Mom won out and I timidly raised my hand asking if they’d want someone short like me to model.  And to my amazement, the answer was yes!!!

Over the next week, I made appointments (or go-sees as they call them on ANTM!) with all sorts of different designers to be fitted for my modelling debut!  Now I should note that I’m the type of person who usually buys most of my clothing at thrift shops and Costco so putting on dresses and jeans worth over $200 a piece was really exciting and a bit intimidating. I was told that I should bring along a couple pairs of flats and a couple pairs of heels to the go-sees! Uh oh!  Problem here….I don’t know how to walk in heels!

Looking at these is like watching a horror movie!

I’m not joking!  I literally own two pairs of heels that I purchased on a whim in hopes of one day learning how to walk in them. Even my husband will attest to this unattractive inability. I’ll get all dolled up in a fancy dress and heels for a hot date night but as soon as I start walking, the illusion is gone and I suddenly turn into drunk looking horse! It’s like being Cinderella only in reverse where after trying on the glass slipper, I turn into a pumpkin instead of a princess…Oh wait, she doesn’t turn into a pumpkin, the carriage does… anyways, you get the point!

And OF COURSE when given the option, four out of the five designers decided that the outfits I was modelling looked much better in heels…my worst nightmare now coming true!  For a week, I practiced and practiced wearing my heels in hopes of not falling on my face at the show.  Luckily, on the night of the event, my practice paid off and neither I nor any audience members were hurt.  As for how I looked strutting down the runway in heels, I was told that I actually looked human instead of equine which was a pleasant surprise!  Whew!

-photo courtesy of Derek Ford Photographer

It was just like a real runway show. After we walked down the aisle, we would dash backstage, whip off our outfit and have just enough time to put on clothes before we were sent back out. We even had people helping us dress!  Not to mention, we had our makeup and hair done which is a rare and wonderful treat for any mom out there.

Getting ready backstage before the show- photo courtesy of Derek Ford Photographer

After the show, when I got home, I pulled out my bucket list and triumphantly crossed off “model in a fashion show!”  A triumph not only for me but for all those short ladies out there with the same dream. Hopefully this inspires you to also ignore the elementary school short girl inside you and raise your hand next time!

***A special thank you to designers/boutiques Mangos Boutique and Smoking Lily for their beautiful and generous thank you gifts.  So sweet of you!

Coupon Tip of the Week:  When teaching others to coupon, I’ve found the best way to get started is to ask them to write down a list of everything they purchase on a weekly and monthly basis.  Ask them to be specific if they will only use one type of brand of an item I.e. Tide Detergent or just detergent if they aren’t picky.  After they’ve completed the list, have them pass it back to you and then tick off every item you are aware there are coupons out there for.  Trust me, they will be amazed at how many items you can use coupons for and this will definitely get them excited to learn how to coupon!

Breathe Now and Forever Hold Your Peace

Me and fellow UsedVic blogger Amber at the Breathe Now Conference

This weekend I was reminded of a very important thing that I haven’t done in a really long time…I was reminded to breathe!  This may seem like such a simple concept but it’s not as easy as it sounds and we rarely stop in our busy and hectic lives to just sit and take in how great it feels to breathe. Especially as women, we feel we have to take on so many different roles in life: wife, mother, co-worker, business entrepreneur, chauffeur, chef, entertainer etc. etc. and somewhere in the middle of all of this, the act of the breathing gets lost or forgotten…and it’s the most important thing we NEED to do!!

The UsedVic Lounge Area at Breathe Now

I was fortunate enough (thanks to UsedVictoria who were also there providing a relaxing lounge for people to breathe in) to attend an amazing conference held in my hometown Victoria and the event, fittingly enough, was titled “Breathe Now.”  Over the two day event, women from all walks of life came together to focus on themselves and learn ways of breathing more in every aspect of their lives. Not only did I learn some valuable information to help balance my life and live in the moment but I also got a free day pass away from dirty diapers, cleaning up messes and chasing my very mobile son around for hours on end (I’m not saying I don’t love all these things…I do!  But as most of you moms out there will agree, sometimes you just need a day or two to recharge and take time for yourself as an adult!)

So what did I learn this weekend at Breathe Now?  Well, the first workshop I attended was titled “It’s Okay…to Dress for Success” where fashion consultant Bonnie Pollard taught me how to finally reorganize my wardrobe and purge my closet of everything that no longer fits or that I simply don’t wear. I’ve been wanting to do this forever!

Now I’m sure we can all take a look in our closets and find several pieces of clothing that we never wear but swear we someday will.  Like the pair of neon orange hammer pants from 1991 that we’re so sure will come back in style again soon or the lumberjack shirt from our grunge years that is just soooo comfy and brings back wonderful memories of listening to Nirvana and judging society every time we wear it.  I’m sorry, but you need to let these items go! Turns out that when it comes to clothing and putting together outfits, less is more!  (I know you fashionistas and shopaholics out there are gasping and shouting, “that is sacrilege” but it’s true)  Bonnie taught us our lives will become much less complicated and getting dressed will be less stressful if we narrow down our wardrobe to a few pieces that can be worn in many different ways. Her philosophy is the less clothing we have in our closet, the better chance we will wear clothing that actually fits us and makes us feel good about ourselves.

Here’s the challenge she gave us:  Take EVERYTHING out of your closet and divide the items into piles such as tops, pants, cardigans etc.  Then go through each pile and throw out anything that you haven’t worn in a year or maybe have too many of. Nobody needs six black cardigans which is what I found in my closet this weekend! Next, organize the piles in your closet by these categories so you actually know what you have to wear.  I’m telling you, I did this a couple of days ago and I could feel oxygen filling my lungs with each hanger I freed up!  Plus, it’s so much easier to get dressed now that I can actually see what I have and know that it actually fits me well.

Rita gave these out for us to wear...so cute!

Another inspiring workshop I attended was called “It’s Okay…to Create Your Own Destiny” in which Rita Chand told us about her inspiring journey of she hugging a different person each day for 365 days!  This challenge forced her to get out of her comfort zone and actually live in each moment because no matter how she was feeling, she had to make sure to complete her goal each day and approach someone for a hug. This really got me thinking about how much time we spend either thinking of the past or planning for the future (particularly making lists in our heads of things we need to do…I am notorious for doing this all the time!) and never really taking time to actually live in the present and take in what is actually going on around you right now.

I was at boot camp yesterday morning (at 6am!!! Ouch!) and as we were lying on our yoga mats doing stretches, I consciously decided to just look up at the sky and take in the beautiful morning as the sun peeked through the clouds. Normally I would use this time to figure out my day and the million things I NEEDED to get done that day but instead I just looked and breathed and I’m telling you, it was soooooo wonderful.  I felt refreshed and it gave me the recharging I needed to actually tackle the daily chores.

Me, my friend Liz and Bif just before her speech!

The highlight of my weekend was hearing (and meeting) Canadian singer Bif Naked give a keynote address. Like the other workshops I attended, she spoke about really taking time for ourselves in life and connecting with others in a positive way. My favorite point she made is that everyone is born into the world optimistic and that somehow we lose this pure optimism as we get older. It made me think of my 11-month-old son and how I find him in his crib every morning grinning from ear to ear and ready to start the day, filled with excitement over the possibilities of the day. I want to try to be that way every morning too! (Well, at least after I’ve had my cup of coffee…I’m sorry but that’s just never going to change. Those who have seen me pre-coffee can attest to this.)

I think it’s important to be reminded of the little things in life that really make us feel happy and at peace with ourselves and this conference was exactly the kick in the pants (don’t worry, no one actually kicked me at the conference…I go to boot camp for that! lol) I needed to regroup, reorganize and take time to breathe and take life in as it happens. I hope passing along what I learned this weekend will also help remind you to breathe…How about giving it a try right now?

Coupon Tip of the Week:  I want to remind everyone to try to wait on using coupons until the item goes on sale so you can get the best deal or even get the item for free. I almost made this mistake this week.  I had two coupons I could stack which totalled $8 but the item wasn’t on sale and cost $12 so I would still be paying $4.  Since my coupons don’t expire until July and I really didn’t need this item right away, I suddenly realized it would be best to keep these coupons and wait until the item went on sale, saving me more money.

Turning Trash into Cash: A Tale of a Teen Who Bought a House

A fourteen year old girl bought this house thanks to other people's trash

What did you want most when you were fourteen? I remember I had a paper route and saved for months and months to buy my very first stereo system (complete with dual cassette tapes, thank you very much!) in order to blast Tonight by New Kids on the Block fifty times a day…Oh what fond memories! (And if you’re curious, Donnie was my favorite!)  I remember the feeling of saving MY money, the money I worked so hard for and walking into that A & B Sound feeling like such an adult that I could purchase such a big ticket item without any help from my parents.

I always thought of myself as a pretty money savvy teen who put her money to good use, creating goals and putting each pay cheque in the bank rather than just spending it on frivolous things like friendship bracelets and Pop Rocks candy….that is, until I recently saw Willow Tufano interviewed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.  You see, this fourteen year old girl from Florida also had a goal, only hers was slightly larger than a stereo system…she bought a whole house! Really, I’m not kidding about this.

Willow (far left) with her new tenants

This amazing and extremely savvy teenager saved for over a year and managed to purchase an entire house for $12,000 (a very low price due, unfortunately ,to the real estate crisis in Florida.)  Originally priced at over $100,000 at the peak of the market, this two bedroom, one bathroom house succumbed to foreclosure and was left with a price tag of only $12,000. Willow saved $6,000(which is incredible) when she approached her mom to ask if she would go in on the house with her.  Parents, can you even imagine your teenage kids coming up to you one day and asking, “Hey mom, I really, really want to buy this house so do you mind going in halfers with me on it? I promise to keep my room clean for a whole month!!! Please Mom!! Pleeeeeeeeease!!”  Luckily Willow’s Mom did agree and together they bought a house, fixed it up a bit and are now renting it for $700 a month.  So, not only is this fourteen-year-old girl a home owner, she’s also a landlord!  Now, if this isn’t a story to tell your kids in order to teach them about the value of a dollar and setting goals, I don’t what is!!!

So the million dollar question (or rather $6000 question) is how the heck did she save over $6000 in a year at the age of fourteen? Well, she started by finding items at garage sales, on the side of the road and even in the trash and turned around and sold them on classified sites for a profit. She’d see people just throwing perfectly good items away and realized that they were actually worth something if she put in the time and effort to sell them.

Most people just see trash...Willow saw dollar signs!

Now I know everyone has seen that perfectly good computer desk or coffee table just sitting by the side of the road but most of us just think, “I don’t need this for my house” and so we simply drive by.  When Willow saw computer desks or coffee tables abandoned on the side of the road, she saw dollar signs and a chance to not only make some money but also save more items from finding their way into the landfill.  She mentioned on Ellen that she couldn’t believe what people were lugging to the side of the curb on trash day as they were perfectly good items that someone else might be able to use.

This smart teenage girl saw an opportunity that most adults never see and became an instant role model to kids everywhere. As she told ABC News, “If there’s one thing I want people to know, it’s that your age does not matter. If I can inspire another person my age, younger, that would mean the world. Whether it’s buying a house, buying a car, or whatever. If you really work for it and put your mind to it you can do what you want to do.” Boy, don’t you just love this kid? I sure do!

So next time your son or daughter complains they don’t have any money or can’t seem to save enough, I’d simply show them this video of Willow and hopefully they can see that it actually IS possible to make money at a young age if you have the drive and the passion…and maybe also some storage space in your parent’s garage or basement to house all the used finds until they are sold.  A small price to pay to teach your kids the importance of saving money and having goals I say!

I challenge all you kids out there to take a page out of Willow’s book and the next time your parents are getting ready to throw out that perfectly good coffee table or small appliance, convince them to keep it, snap a quick photo and post it on your local UsedSite. You never know what someone might pay for it, getting you one step closer to your own goal, whatever it is. I’d love to hear your stories if you do!

Coupon Tip of the Week:  Here’s a simple suggestion to help you save money and avoid buying something just because it seems like a good deal.  For instance, you see that a grocery store has Kraft Dinner on sale for $1 each. That sounds like a great deal so you go and buy ten of them. Later you find out Costo has them on for $7.99 for ten suddenly turning your seemingly great deal into a bust. To avoid this from happening again, I suggest doing some research and creating a spreadsheet with all of the items you normally buy when grocery shopping and their regular prices in order to determine if something is a good deal or not. This can save you lots of money in the long run.