UsedEverywhere.com

A Rookie's Lessons in House Hunting

I learned a hard life lesson last week. My husband Mark and I began the hunt for our first home a few months ago. We’ve been pretty open in terms of what we’re looking for. Assuming there’s room to have a few chickens and space to expand our family by one someday, we’re pretty flexible.

And then it happened. Our realtor sent us the listing and it was love at first site: a beautiful little bungalow with an ocean view on an acre of land. We went to see it and it was even more amazing in person. The house was modest, but had some upgrades and looked to be in great shape. The ocean breeze smelled fresh, the seagulls sang and out front the “Sarah Michael” fishing boat was docked, saying, “Welcome to the neighbourhood, friends”. We made an offer, the sellers accepted and I shouted from the rooftops that we were homeowners and happily shared pictures of our little paradise. Emotionally, I was vested. In my mind, I was moved in. I had even mapped out the route to our daughter’s future elementary school. I was in love. The only hurdle was the inspection, but how bad could that be?

Well… the answer is bad. Very bad. The first indicator was the “grey-water” line from the sink routed to the ditch by a fire hose “secured” with electrical tape. Funny, I didn’t notice that the first time with my rose coloured glasses. Or maybe the illegal wood stove they’d configured in the garage that was adhered to the wooden frame with duct tape. Melted duct tape now. Fire hazard? These were signs of disrepair. Unfortunately, the owners had not taken very good care of this little ocean beauty. But, it was the foundation that was the deal breaker as we discovered it was being washed away by the day and needed extensive work. It was devastating. We just couldn’t take on the huge tasks needed to make it work.

As a result, I took a few weeks off from house hunting to get over the tragedy of my “first love” and now that I’ve had time to reflect, I thought it might be worthwhile to share a few tips for others who’ve begun their hunt for the perfect house.

Find a Great Realtor

We went to see the first house on our journey without a realtor, and met a realtor who was everything that is wrong with realtors. He assured us that we didn’t need a realtor; he could just handle it for us. But after spending five minutes with him, it was clear that he did not have our best interests in mind. When we asked where the property line went to, he said, “ummm, back there somewhere.”

Lesson learned. Invest the time and find a good, experienced, knowledgeable realtor. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with them and counting on their expertise, so be sure to find a good match. Don’t just go with your cousin’s friend who is new and needs the commission. Unless, your cousin’s friend is an excellent realtor.

Get Mortgage Pre-Approval

See your banker and make sure that you know your budget so that you’re not falling in love with houses that are out of your price range. If you know you’re pre-approved, you’re able to act faster when you do find “the one.”

Be Prepared

Do your research as you go. Line up that house inspector, insurer and lawyer before you get into the heat of the hunt. That will take some of the stress out of the scramble once you’re ready to make an offer. Everything happens fast and it’s a business of quick turnaround, so do what you can to be prepared in advance.

See It Twice

It’s really easy to panic and get caught up in the excitement of buying a house. A house might make a great first impression, but once you go away and come back (with less emotion) you’ll probably be able to look at things a bit more objectively. Take your time looking at the house. Open the cupboards and lift the rugs. It’s likely the biggest investment of your life. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest bringing the most critical person you know along for the second viewing.

Sleep On It

Give yourself a little time to think things over. In some markets you might not have the luxury to wait and sleep on it (and I suppose there’s no harm in making an offer) but make sure you don’t rush into the purchase. If you can, give it the night. Everyone feels more prepared to make a big life decision after a good sleep.

I wasn’t expecting it to be as emotional a process as it has been. I guess I fall in love easily, so it has been a good learning experience for me. I’m not yet wise in the ways of the homeowner but hope that over the coming months, I will be.

5 Unexpected Ways to Use Coconut Oil

Last week, my 7 month-old broke out with her first diaper rash. It was sore and inflamed and I couldn’t seem to get it under control with normally suggested methods. Several moms in my mommy’s group recommended coconut oil. I was skeptical but feeling desperate so I gave it a try and to my surprise, it worked. Her rash cleared up in a matter of days. My husband later informed me that I am late to the coconut oil party, but I’m here now and I’m on board!

As it turns out, you can use coconut oil for just about anything beauty and health related (cooking is a bonus). Here are five uses for coconut oil that I found especially interesting.

1. Diaper Rash Cream

Make sure that the baby’s bottom is clean and dry. Once the area is prepped, you can just warm a little solid coconut oil between your fingers and rub it on. The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory components of coconut oil help sooth and heal the rash.

2. Eye Make-up Remover

Warm up coconut oil in your hands, rub in a circular motion gently on your eyes and wipe with a cotton pad or ball and off comes your make-up. Once you’ve removed the oil, you can rinse with warm water, and then re-apply a little coconut oil as a moisturizing under-eye cream.

3. Cold Sores/ Lip Balm

Coconut oil smells great and is extremely moisturizing, so it works great as a lip balm. You just need to cut off a small solid piece and find a nice container with a re-sealable lid, pop it in your bag and you’re good to go! It is also believed to be helpful in curing cold sores because of its antimicrobial properties. The research is still out on this one, but it can’t hurt to try.

4. Deep Conditioner

Coconut oil is a natural, deep conditioner for dry hair. Apply on damp hair and leave in for 20-30 minutes and then wash out. Remember, it’s oil so you don’t want to get it on your clothes. It also works wonders on detangling hair (and it smells so yummy).

5. Body Lotion

You can use coconut oil on any part of your body as a lotion. A spoonful goes a long way, so no need to overdo it. And don’t worry, the oily feeling goes away quickly once it absorbs fully into your skin. If your feet are dry and cracked from a long winter, you can slather them up, slap on some socks and let the oil do its job. 

You can pick up a container of virgin coconut oil in the natural section of just about any grocery store but there are two things you need to look out for.

First, you want a virgin coconut oil as you want to make sure it is unrefined and has not been hydrogenated, bleached or deodorized. Secondly, you want to ensure it is cold pressed (instead of a heat-based extraction) because if coconut oil is heated past its smoking point, it can lead to the formation of carcinogens.

The Minimalists Guide to Baby Essentials: The First 3 Months

A close friend recently told me she was pregnant. After sharing her exciting news, she told me how she just had a little breakdown because she was feeling overwhelmed about everything she needed for the baby. I, coincidently, had this exact same experience when I was pregnant and since she asked for advice I thought I would create a minimalists guide to baby needs: For people who want the baby, but not all the ‘stuff’ that comes along with them.

Obviously, every baby is different, so my bare bones list might not work for everyone but I do think it’s a useful starting point. Every essentials list for babies I found when I was pregnant was ridiculously inflated. In what world is a wipes warmer a “must-have”? My whole philosophy is based on buying items as you need them and getting rid of them when you’re done.

I suggest you buy used items whenever possible. If you are buying used, you will get a great deal, be able to use it for a few months and then hopefully sell it back for close, if not the same, as you bought it for. Then it’s really more like borrowing! And that way you don’t need to worry about storing stuff for future babies because you can just buy another round of used stuff.  So with that, here’s my list: 

Food

• Breastfeeding- assuming you can master the art; it is the easiest of all the baby food options. It’s always with you; it’s perfectly warmed and requires no prep.
• Lanolin nipple cream- you’ll want it for the first few months.
• Nursing bras- I just bought two cheap ones.
• Breast pump- it was essential for me because I’m working, but I have lots of friends who breastfeed and don’t have one. I’d just recommend doing some research on this one because it’s a lifestyle choice.

If you change your mind with breastfeeding, formula and bottles are readily available. Don’t worry about buying them for back up since you may never need them.

Clothing

• Diapers- cloth or disposable, your choice. Only buy one box pre-baby, because you don’t know how large your baby will be. Again, they are readily available to pick up as needed.
• A few sleepers- wait until you know what you’re having and then buy some cute used stuff. Sleepers are the easiest.
• Clothes- you can buy EVERYTHING second hand. Or, borrow from friends/family. A friend once told me to never pay more than $10 for one piece of baby clothing. It was great advice!

Shelter

• A “bed”- If you’re up in the air about your sleeping arrangement (crib or co-sleeping) and you’re short on space, consider a used playpen. You can use it for travel if you decide to get a crib down the road or if you decide to co-sleep. Also, lots of playpens now have a handy change-table and bassinet option.
• A few blankets- my daughter loved to be swaddled but not all babies do.

Transportation

• Car seat- this is the one item I would recommend buying new. It’s impossible to know the history of a used car seat and you can always get a new car seat on sale.
• Stroller- this is a decision that really depends on your lifestyle. If you live in the country or enjoy walking on trails, you’ll have different needs than a city dweller. Give some thought to where you’ll be using the stroller.
• Wrap or carrier- I use my carrier all the time, so this is a must have for me. I find it easier to pop a baby in a carrier most of the time.

Toys

• Babies really don’t need toys for the first 3 months. You are the most interesting thing for them to look at it. You can just show them stuff around the house.

Nice, but not essential

• Breastfeeding pillow- buy used and sell when they grow out of it.
• Swing- buy used and sell when they grow out of it.
• Vibrating Chair- buy used buy used and sell when they grow out of it.
• Baby Bag- buy used or use a bag or backpack you already have.

Don’t bother

• Grooming kits are a waste of money. The only useful thing is the nail clipper, but for the first 3 months it’s safer to just chew their nails off.
• Baby thermometers- they are a fortune (especially the ear ones) and you can just use an oral digital one that you would for an adult.
• Baby towels – regular towels are way better.
• Baby bath- you just put the baby in the tub with a little towel under their head.
• Baby plates/spoons- adult stuff is fine. Just use a teaspoon.
• Baby monitor- if you live in an apartment- you will hear your baby. No need for a monitor.

If you start with these few essentials, you’re sure to save lots of money and probably your sanity. You can put your pregnant nesting desire into looking for great used deals on our site instead! With enough lead-time, you should be able to find everything you need for baby.

Milk Sharing

Becoming a parent has been such an education. I had no idea how much I didn’t know until I became a mom. To be fair, it’s mostly stuff I would not have been interested in knowing prior to having a baby. My most recent lesson was about breast milk banks and donating human milk; the fact that they exist (in some places) and how to get involved.

I’m not going to focus on the breast milk vs. formula debate because it’s a personal choice. However, if you are a breastfeeding mother (or plan to be in the future) this post is for you!

My lifelong best friend recently gave birth to triplets at 33 weeks. The babies were all in great health but had some growing to do. While her plan was to use formula prior to having the babies, once they were born she decided she wanted to breast feed them all (and give them only human breast milk instead of formula). As she worked on building her supply, there was a bit of a shortage in how much she could produce (there were 3 babies after all). Enter, the human milk bank.

There are only two official human breast milk banks in Canada. One in Vancouver, BC, based out of the women’s hospital, and another based in Calgary, AB. They both provide screened and pasteurized donated human milk to babies in need (receiving milk from these banks requires a prescription from a doctor). They will ship milk across Canada and the recipient is responsible for a processing fee as well as the cost of shipping. If you live in either of these cities, you can go through the screening process and become a donor quite easily – if you’re in good health. It’s a rewarding, free way to give back.

For those of us living outside of Calgary and Vancouver or with babies who do not have a medical condition but are still in need of breast milk, there are some other options. One way is to connect with women looking for a donor, or looking to donate through a network called Human Milk 4 Human Babies. They have community Facebook pages set up for most major cities across Canada. The concern with these networks is that you are responsible for screening your donors. If you are accepting milk from a family member or close friend, who you know is in good health, there’s less of a concern about the spread of disease (most pregnant women undergo a host of blood work to confirm they are in good health).  At milk banks, women are screened for multiple diseases: HIV, Hepatitis B & C, HTLV and Syphilis.  However, if you’re connecting with someone you don’t know, you will need to use your own discretion.  In a lot of cases, you can find one donor and have them screened and use their milk for your baby’s needs if you’re not able to produce enough milk of your own.

While it’s not the right fit for everyone, it’s something to consider if you’re a breast-feeding mama. It’s another way to give back to your community and help a baby grow strong and healthy.

Five Uses for Wine Corks

Last time I blogged about the versatility of the mighty toilet paper roll. As it turns out, it’s not the only item you can use for countless other purposes. Another very useful little gem is the humble, yet steadfast wine cork. I actually don’t drink a lot of wine, but after seeing the possibilities with wine corks, I might have to pick up the habit – or at least have my vino-loving friends start collecting them for me.

Here are just a few fantastic things you can do with a wine cork:

1. The Jewelry Wall

Forget that crowded, disorganized jewelry box. What you really need is a jewelry wall; an easy way to hang and organize all your earrings. Even better?  You can add corks that face outwards to hang your necklaces and bracelets.

2. The Heart Stamp

You can make adorable stamps from wine corks. Since Valentine’s Day is creeping up, making a heart might be a fun idea but really, you can make almost any simple shape. A little creativity and just five minutes with a box-cutting knife will do the trick.

3. The Bath Mat

Useful and beautiful, this wine cork bath mat is apparently super absorbent and naturally resists bacteria and mould growth. Here’s a tutorial for how to make one. It requires 500 wine corks, so you’d better get drinking. Or, if you know someone who works at a bar, that might be a faster route.

4. The Bar Countertop

You can use corks to convert an old dresser to a wet bar. Just glue the corks directly to the top of the dresser and you have an interesting and appropriate little wet bar.

5. Wall Art

Do you have a big empty wall you’d like to fill? Why not get creative with your wine corks and conjure up some unique (and free) wall art. Here’s one example of what you can do, but just use your imagination to create a one of a kind art piece.

These are just a few uses for wine corks, but I have come across many, many more. Have you ever used wine corks in an upcycling project? Please share!

Valentine's Idea: A Year of Dates

As far as Valentine’s Day goes, my husband and I have never really celebrated it. I suppose there was that one year when Mark bought me a couple of baby guinea pigs because I said I wanted a real, human baby. But in general, we’ve always let V-Day pass on by, perhaps because Mark and I have always made a habit of doing regular date nights. Though now that we are new parents and have not had a date night in six months, Valentine’s Day seems like a good excuse to force a date! Even more importantly than that, it is an opportunity to think about our relationship (read: appreciate our relationship) and make spending time together a priority.

Just recently, I read a great idea about pre-planning one date per month. The idea behind the article was that quality is better over quality, and that if you take the time to plan a no-babies night, you can actually make it happen! So here’s our year of dates at a glance. I did my best to make sure they weren’t too expensive either and that a few were home based so we won’t always have to get a babysitter:

February- A Romantic Dinner

Mark and I have been dying to get back to a lovely little downtown French bistro, so we’re going to spend our first date night going for dinner. We are planning our date for Valentine’s weekend, but not actual Valentine’s day so it will be less busy, crammed with other young lovers, and (hopefully) less expensive!

March- A Hockey Game

We’ve been wanting to check out a Halifax Moosehead’s game all season, but we haven’t gotten around to it yet. Last year, we went to a few university games and had a great time, but they’re not quite the same as an arena packed full of thousands of fans.

April- Try a New Recipe

Our New Year’s resolution was to expand our cooking repertoire. I thought it would be fun to make a date of choosing and preparing dinner together from start to finish – after the baby goes to bed, of course.

May- Visit the Art Gallery

Another thing I’ve wanted to try out for the past year. Our art gallery has free admission on Thursday nights, so I would love to spend an enriching evening strolling through the art gallery, holding hands and maybe stealing a kiss or two.

June- Make Ice Cream

It’s summer! And we have an ice cream maker we bought over a year ago that’s just sitting there, collecting dust in our cupboard. It would be a great summer treat to make ice cream together. Maybe we could even compile all our favourite foods. Peanut butter, chocolate, coffee, cinnamon ice cream, anyone?

July- A Late Night Picnic & Star Gazing

Every time I visit the country, I just look up in wonder at the stars. I thought a romantic and cheap date night would be to head out for a late night picnic and some star gazing. We can have a friend come by once the baby is already sleeping!

August- Play Catch

When we lived in North Vancouver, we used to make a point of getting out once a week to throw a ball around. Actually, we started with badminton, but I was so terrible that we moved onto baseball. It was a lot of fun and would be a great to make it a date for this summer!

September- Test Drive Nice Cars

Mark loves cars and we had a great time test driving cars when we were looking, earlier last year. However, the Kias and Hyundais we were considering were far from exciting to take out for a spin.  So I thought, why not head out one evening to test drive cars priced out of our range? Sounds like fun, right?

October- Visit the Bookstore & Have a Hot Drink

This is another one of our favorite activities that has fallen by the wayside since we’ve become parents. A great fall date is heading to the book store for the evening and strolling around with a nice hot bevie. The smell of new books and coffee mixing together and the quiet that tends to surround books, makes for a nice, relaxing environment.

November- Games Night

Mark loves video games but he rarely has a chance to play them. I thought it would be fun to have a games night with him. Even though I’m terrible, it should be good for a few laughs. If we’re feeling really adventurous we can play online and have eight year olds smack talk us all night long.

December- Drive and Look at Christmas Lights

This is a date we could even bring a sleeping baby along for. One of our favorite Christmas activities is to go looking for Christmas lights. There’s something about listening to a Christmas tune in a nice warm car, surrounded by sparkling lights that’s super romantic.

Now all I have to do is line up a semi regular babysitter and my year of dates is complete! Do you have a regular date night with your significant other? What are some of your ideas?  Please feel free to share as it’ll help get started on an entirely new list for 2014!

5 Uses for Toilet Paper Rolls

The toilet paper roll. Who knew this little household leftover could be so useful? In our home, the only function for the tp roll, is a guinea pig toy (does that count?) Yes, one of our guinea pigs loves to dip them in his water dish and munch on the sloppy aftermath.

Oh, and I suppose I used them once before, on a budget Halloween when a judge’s wig was concocted from months-and-months of saved rolls. That was pretty good too.

But there is more to a toilet paper roll than meets the eye. It appears to be the perfect little device for upcycling. Here are five craftier uses for your toilet paper rolls.

1. The Heart Stamp

Here’s an easy arts and crafts project. You just bend the tp roll into the shape of a heart, wrap it with tape to hold it in place, dip in red paint and you have the perfect little heart-stamp. Your kids can help you out with this year’s Valentine’s Day cards!

2. The Cord Organizer

I love this one. For quick, easy, organized storage, roll up the cables you aren’t frequently using and stuff them into a toilet paper roll. Even better, you can write what the cord is on the outside of the roll.

3. The Musical Toy

Tape one side of the toilet paper roll, add something dry (I used popcorn kernels), then tape the other side and you have a homemade maraca! I used duct tape so it was waterproof (read: slobber-proof). Simple.

4. The Fire Starter

A toilet paper roll is the perfect fire starter. Just stuff it full of dryer lint (cotton lint, not polyester); light it up and you’re got the beginnings of your next bonfire. Start collecting rolls now to use them the next time you head out camping.

5. The Art Piece

Apparently people are using this nifty little item to make some pretty incredible wall art! The sky’s the limit and thanks to pinterest, there are lots of inspiring ideas.

So, there you have it. Five interesting or useful things to do with your toilet paper rolls instead of recycling them. Is there anything you do with toilet paper rolls?

Out With The Old, In With The New: Donate Your Gently Used Stuff

Another Christmas has come and gone. You’re happy, stuffed full of turkey and enjoying the chaos that fills the house with the bounty from the holidays. The kids of playing with their shiny new toys and you’re enjoying your new gifts. Ah, life is good.

Then, as you wake up on Boxing Day, you realize you have more stuff than you know what to do with. There isn’t room for it all! Well, good news. There are many places that would gladly take your gently loved stuff as you fill your home with your new treasures.

Here are some ideas for where to spread the holiday cheer.

Your Local Hospital

Most hospitals will accept gently used plastic toys that have been cleaned or books.

Brody from UsedRegina did a blog about this exact topic earlier this year.

Your Local Sports Club

Example: KidSport, Winnipeg, MB

KidSport is national charity administered by Sport Manitoba that helps to remove barriers and assist less fortunate children participate in sport – so all kids can play. They will accept new or gently used sporting equipment. There are organizations like this in most major cities. A quick google search will help you locate the one nearest to you.

Your Local Women’s Shelter

Example: Victoria Cool Aid Society- Victoria, BC

Most Women’s Shelters will accept used or new items: household items, like dishes, pots and pans, linens and towels; small household appliances like toasters and microwaves; computers; and office equipment or supplies as well as toys.

Big Brothers & Big Sisters

Big Brothers & Big Sisters is a national organization that will come to your home and pick up gently used clothing and small appliances.

Canadian Diabetes Association

100% of net proceeds raised by Clothesline® directly support the Canadian Diabetes Association and world leading diabetes research, education and advocacy.

Moores Clothing For Men

Moores Clothing hosts an annual suit drive to collect business clothes for unemployed people looking for work. They have yet to announce their 2013 dates yet but if you have a donation, you can just put it aside.

Usedeverywhere.com

Lots of people comb our site for freebies. If you there is stuff you’d like to pass along to another family that might not be accepted by a charity (furniture, large toys etc.) feel free to list it on our site. Our “Community Angels” also gather free used stuff on the site to help families in need. Here’s what our Angels have been up to this holiday season.

These are just a few ideas of how to pay-it-forward this holiday season. There’s no better way to teach your kids about the holiday spirit than by sharing with others. And, it’s a great way to clean house and get a start on those new year’s resolutions. A real win-win.

The Holiday Card Dilemma

It’s the holiday question that haunts me every year: Christmas cards, or no Christmas cards? Wasteful or nostalgic?

I love receiving mail. Wedding invites, letters, cards – really anything other than bills. I keep a scrapbook of all the baby announcements and wedding invites I’ve ever received. For a while I even kept greeting cards, but they really started to clog up the keepsake box, so that had to end. I didn’t want to end up in an episode of ’Hoarders: Card Edition’. However, I know that I may be unique in this love. I’ve watched my father glance at a beautiful wedding invite and immediately toss it. I’ve also received cards with just a signature and I’ve thought, why bother? It’s nice to know people are thinking of us but unless there is some effort involved, I say save your money and do the trees a favour.

So this year, I considered sending an e-card to avoid the whole hassle. That’s hip and modern, right? Fun for the kids? In fact, I already do an annual JibJab.com Christmas ‘card’ for my friends’ kids and they love it! But, that really wouldn’t work for my technology-delayed aunts and uncles. Creating multiple versions for different people seemed like it would make the Christmas card tradition feel like a real chore.

After procrastinating for weeks, I had a flash of brilliance. If I created a photo card, I could print and mail a few but I could also email it to people. There are countless sites online that have photo card templates and will do all the work. The only thing needed is the photo. In fact, when Maggie was born, I looked into getting these nifty photo birth announcements made but when I received a quote of over $100, I decided to see what we could mock up with Photoshop. It was simple, but I saved a bundle and I was really happy with them.  If I could do it for a birth announcement, why not do it for a Christmas card?

It was settled then; I would make a DIY photo card for baby’s first Christmas.  Now, all I have to do is find the perfect moment for a family photo… and soon, as Christmas is nearly upon us!

 Do you send cards or a holiday letter?  Or does your family have a unique holiday tradition?

DIY Holiday Idea: Activity Advent Calendar

My husband Mark absolutely loves the Christmas season and everything that goes along with it. He was brought up with the most elaborate Christmases you can imagine. I recall the first year we spent Christmas together; his father dressed up as Santa and handed out endless presents from his little red sack (important note: this was an adults only Christmas – no kids to be seen). I have to admit, I used to be a bit of a Grinch, but his enthusiasm and yearly cheer eventually warmed the cockles of my heart.

Last week Mark kicked off the Christmas season by bringing home Christmas mums ‘from’ my baby daughter and an advent calendar full of tasty chocolates. And with that, the holiday season had arrived! Though I’m not very crafty, the advent calendar inspired me to make something original for baby’s first Christmas. I logged on to Pinterest and started searching for a DIY advent calendar. The ideas were endless!

I loved this one! It is a bunch of little individual decorated tins filled with M&M candies.

Make Your Own

The next one I really liked was a little matchbox Christmas tree. You could put anything you wanted inside the little boxes.

Make Your Own

And then it dawned on me that a food based advent calendar wouldn’t really work if I wanted to involve my 3-month old daughter, Maggie. So instead I would do an activity advent calendar (note: I thought this was THE MOST BRILLIANT, original idea in the history of ideas. However, a quick Google search will show you I was not the first.) So it was settled, I’d do a family advent calendar. TA DA!

Make Your Own

Many of the activities I included are yearly traditions, but there are some general holiday ideas as well. So here’s a sample of my 24 days:

1. Roast chestnuts
5. Sing christmas songs
15. Drink eggnog, eat fruitcake
18. Go for a walk to smell pine trees
22. Tell the story of your best gift

There’s still time to create your own DIY advent calendar before the Christmas season kicks off. Do you have any special yearly DIY traditions?