UsedEverywhere.com

Used Tips: Tell Us Yours

My friend Deanna inspired this post. I joked recently about buying her some Used angel wings. Seriously, this woman finds everything on UsedVictoria.com. If you need something, just ask Dee, she will find it for you on a Used site. Anything you want. Just ask. It’s kind of a running joke with our friends, but it’s also really useful!

So I checked in with Dee to see what her tips are and I’ve added some of my own. I am guessing everyone uses Used in a different way, so please share your tips with other bargain hunters and environmentally responsible shoppers:

• Bookmark it baby – Dee has UsedVic bookmarked and centre on her favourites tool bar. I thought this was strange, but it turns out about 90% of my friends have the same thing
• Search – it’s an obvious one but remember to search in different ways. One person’s patio set might be one person’s garden furniture set. If you want something specific, be specific. Search for Nissan, but if you know the model you want, search Nissan Altima. Use the advanced search option to narrow down to area, price and types of sellers
• Alerts – You have to have an account to sign up for alerts, but this really is the smart way to use Used. This way you can save yourself the trouble of the refresh button and let those ads come to you. Alerts go by category and can either be sent to you via text or by phone
• Account – Sign up for an account and have access to more special features, such as the alert service explained above. If you are a frequent seller, an account makes everything so much easier, no need to add contact info each time you sell, it’s all set up for you already
• Barter – Dee always barters. Always. I however do not and I should. The worst people can say is ‘no’ and then it’s up to you how much you want the item in order to pay the asking price
• FREE – The Sunday just gone, Dee alerted me to a free ladies’ bike and a free car bed (any mom of a two-year-old boy can likely tell you how coveted these twin beds are!). There she was at home riding that free button and I know she wasn’t the only one, because despite emailing both sellers minutes after their ad went up, I was next in line for both! For tips on finding only free items on Used, check out this interview with Karen Bragg,  a local Victoria woman who renovated her whole property for free! Karen talks about etiquette, which can go a long way with being a successful Used user as well as offering other insights into being a pro searcher on Used
• Wanted – A wanted ad may just catch the eye of the person about to upload an ad for exactly what you are looking for
• Help – Hit the help button if you want to know how Used can work for you. There are lots of tips and FAQs covered on this page
• Social Media – When it comes to interesting and unusual finds, curiosities and collectibles, you can bet your dollar, that our Used team has scoured their home site and will post their finds on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If you are a serious collector, this is a great way to have an extra alert

How to Spend $1000? Invest in Yourself!

What would you do if you suddenly came into a thousand dollars?

When I was a kid, I used to think a hundred dollars was a big deal, never mind ten times that amount. Now that I’m an adult however, a ‘cool grand’ has lost a bit of its lustre. Don’t get me wrong, a thousand dollars is still a nice amount of money, especially if one finds themselves the sudden recipient; it just doesn’t seem as infinite as when I was a child.

In fact, with credit card bills, utilities, car payments and rent or mortgage amounts due, a thousand dollars can come and go in the blink of an eye. In fact, one can spend a thousand dollars so inconsequentially that just a few years later, it may be difficult to recall exactly where the money went – a sad state of affairs for an amount of money that used to ‘razzle-dazzle’ me as a child.

Now, if you have reckless tendencies like me, you might make the suggestion to go ahead and “Treat yourself! Buy something nice!”. A new iPad? Perhaps a high-end handbag? Maybe even a glorious full-package deal at a spa? These are all fantastic but the joy will most likely be fleeting and again, in a few years, it’d be difficult to recall exactly how that thousand dollars was spent.

Investing is always an option. It’s super easy to funnel a thousand dollars into retirement savings, a children’s education plan or even just a tax-free savings account. Doing any one of these things is a smart move but again comes up a bit short. Inching one’s retirement savings from, say, $28,000 to $29,000 hardly qualifies as fulfilling, memorable or exciting.

Sticking within the realm of investing, the option to gamble on the stock market is always there. This approach is risky but can yield much higher returns on an investment, which definitely ups the excitement factor. However, what I personally found out this year is that a thousand dollars is kind of a lame amount to invest. I made a thousand dollar stock purchase and saw my money grow by about 15% in just a few weeks, providing a pretty good return on investment. What soon became apparent is that in actuality, this meant I only gained $150, which winds up being about half that after taxes are applied. The lesson here is that the stock market is designed, more or less, for those wishing to invest much larger sums of money.

So what to do with a thousand dollars?

Just recently, I came across an article in MoneySense Magazine that asked this very question. While it covered several different approaches, one suggested action really stood out: Invest in yourself. The gist is that should a person ever come into an unexpected thousand dollars, an intelligent use of that money would be to spend it on increasing personal knowledge, abilities or skillsets with the goal of being able to use the newly attained qualities to generate income. For instance, if you’ve always had an interest in woodworking, then you could enroll in a part-time course that teaches cabinet making, birdhouse building or even something unorthodox like intarsia.

The opportunities for investing in yourself are vast and varied. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia and in just a few minutes, I was able to come up with a handful of self-improvement courses and workshops that suit my fancy. Here are just a few examples:

• Learn How to Keep Bees, $225 
• Photo Manipulation with Adobe Photoshop, $397 
• How to Bake Wood-Fired Bread, $500 
• SCUBA Diving Open Water Course, $350 

While the above are local to Halifax, opportunities like these are almost always available in-and-around towns and cities across Canada. Apart from investing in yourself being a unique approach to spending a thousand dollars, it can also provide an actual return-on-investment. By investing in a skill, while money is initially lost, over the long run a person can actually earn that money back (and then some) by turning the skill into a small business. This can also be a big benefit when one retires, as having the ability to self-generate income helps with financial security in old age. Lastly, apart from the practical aspects of acquiring a new skill set, the other bonus is that investing in yourself guarantees that you’ll never forget when and how you spent that extra thousand dollars.

So, how would you invest a thousand dollars in yourself?

Keep Your Basement Dry This Spring

Why basement flooding happens:

In spring, melting snow and early rains can cause basement flooding – either via cracks in the foundation, leaking window wells or other structural issues. Sometimes a sump pump can fail, or a sewer can back up due to issues with the public sewer system.

Consequences:

Water in a basement has all kinds of negative consequences. Besides the immediate mess and damage to belongings that can be an irritation and expense to clean up, there can be damage to walls and flooring that require insurance claims and renovations. There are long lasting effects of mold and mildew if water seeps in and is not discovered right away. Insurance rates can go up, and property value can suffer if it goes on too long.

What you can do to avoid flooding:

• Shovel snow away from exterior walls if you get a late snowfall or are having a late melt
• Clean out your gutters – this is a chore not to ignore!
• Clear out window wells and check for leaks
• Check your foundation for cracks that may need further inspection or attention
• Direct downspouts away from your home, and add extensions if necessary
• Watch your landscaping and grade – are there issues? Anything you can fix or remedy?
• Check your sump pump to be sure it is working properly, and have it checked periodically

Be prepared:

• Check your insurance policy – what’s covered? What’s not? Do you need additional coverage? Now is the time to ask, not later
• Check your storage and belongings – what do you store in your basement? Is there a better place for these items? Paperwork, memory boxes, keepsakes, important documents – all of these should be safely stored above the reach of potential water damage. Move or rearrange your storage in case the worst happens
• Keep contact numbers handy. Having a recommended plumber’s name and number at hand will be a relief, as will having your insurance documents and contact information close at hand. Don’t be trudging through water to open filing cabinets to look for this info. Put them in your phone or put the wallet cards in your wallet – whatever system will work for you
• Keep an inventory of your belongings, especially the most valuable or expensive. A list of what you own, the value of each item and the receipts for the most valuable would be immensely helpful in the event of an insurance claim

What else can you do?

If you live in a very flood-prone area, you could carefully consider the furnishings you choose for your basement as an extra precaution. If you build a home or develop the basement, choose flooring that can be easily cleaned after being wet. Ensure that furniture has legs or some elevation to keep your belongings off the floor. Build shelving to keep your possessions from getting soaked every time water seeps in.

Consider rallying with friends or neighbours in flood-prone areas. Let people know you are willing to help out or come to their aid if the worst happens and ask if they will do the same for you. If you end up with a wet basement, wouldn’t it be great to have a few people to call who can help support you, bring supplies and assist in the clean up? Or at the very least, if you have kids, take them off your hand for a few hours while you clean up and deal with the water? In this day and age, it’s easy to forget to be neighbourly…but having friends and family to help in a crisis can make all the difference.

Have you ever trouble with water in your basement?

What caused it? What did you do? Any tips to add to our list?

My Garbage Chair

I’ve always loved the idea of finding great furniture in the dumpster (although, still not sure why people don’t list the items for free on their UsedEverywhere.com city site). For so many years I’ve seen chairs and stools and tables rescued from the curb and made into something spectacular. I’ve always been a fan of the people who pull over and take someone’s junk to make it useful again. I have just never felt comfortable doing that myself.

So, when I saw this chair on the top of a large pile of discarded household furnishings (someone moved out) I drove around the block to take a better look. Then I drove around again, wondering if I should stop and get it. Then I kept going and got almost home, but turned around and went back. I drove past reeeal slow. I felt like a stalker. I pulled off on a side street and told myself I was being ridiculous and garbage day was the next day and it would get crushed up for no good reason. So, I went back. I pulled into the driveway and took that chair and put it in my car. Of course neighbours were out raking and getting their mail and they totally stopped and looked at me (and in my head they were judging me something fierce) but I had my prize and I took it home and looked at it for a while. I am so glad I stopped!

The chair is a mid-century piece but it’s a knock off of a designer chair. Not the best quality. However, under the fabric that had been nailed to the legs, was the original cushion (orange. So perfect) and it was FREE. It was missing a leg support and the finish was cracking all over but these were easy fixes. I sanded it down all over, just a quick sand but I paid attention to the rougher spots. I got a 3/4″ dowel and cut it to size, glued the ends and put it between the legs where the old one was cut off. Those got a nail in each end. Then, I painted.

A paint that I find really useful for these kinds of projects is Tremclad. They have a paint that’s for wood and metal, and it comes in flat, gloss, and high gloss. I used the regular gloss because that is what I had at home already. It dries quickly and has a really great sheen on it. It is also water soluble so it’s easy for clean-up.

For the cushion, I used a remnant I had picked up at the textile store a few months ago. It cost me a whole $1. I put it right on top of the old cushion, as it was clean plus I like to keep old fabric underneath when I can for someone else to discover somewhere down the road. I always like finding the original fabric on something! Staple guns make this kind of job much easier. I use a hand powered one, not an air compressor or electric one. One day I would like to get a fancy staple gun, but for now my father-in-laws will do.

So, that is really all that it took to take a $1 chair from the garbage back from the brink and into the modern world. I really love this chair, and am glad it was an easy fix. Sometimes a coat of paint and a piece of printed cotton can really work wonders. I am definitely stopping to pick up treasures again.

UsedEverywhere.com is encouraging it’s users to snap pictures of discarded future-treasures and post the pictures to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ShouldaUsedOttawa (#ShouldaUsedVictoria, #ShouldaUsedVancouver, or #ShouldaUsedRegina etc. – depends on the city you live in of course). It’s much easier to find free stuff on a UsedEverywhere.com site than driving around searching for unloved items that could already be damaged by the elements.

Has anyone else rescued something from the curb and put it to good use?

Top 5 Uses for Coconut Oil in Your Bathroom

Coconut oil is one of the most talked about oils to cook with but did you know it’s benefits for your skin, hair and teeth?  If this is the first time you’re hearing about coconut oil health benefits – it’s because of the fatty acid composition; the oil contains a high concentration of medium-chain saturated fatty acids like lauric acid. These are easily digested and fight bacteria, viruses, etc. To fully reap the benefits of coconut oil, select unrefined oil to bypass chemicals in the processing. Unrefined oil is processed by mechanically pressing the coconut meat soon after picking so it retains the compounds naturally present. Once you have selected an unrefined coconut oil – here are my favourite five uses for personal care:

Makeup Remover

Coconut oil magically melts away stubborn mascara and makeup. Add coconut oil to a dry cloth or Q-tip and remove makeup.

Facial Wash

When I ran out of store bought face wash last month I decided to try coconut oil to wash my face. I mix my coconut oil with a bit of baking soda to give it some abrasion then I apply with dry hands to my face and wash clean with water. I’m completely hooked and love how soft my face and lips feel after using! All store bought facial cleaners contain water and therefore require preservatives to ensure shelf life. Avoid these chemical preservatives with using this technique to wash and moisturize your face.

Tooth Polish

Have you heard of oil pulling? It sounds complicated – don’t let that stop you. All you need is a spoon and coconut oil. Think of it as oil swishing! You put approx. 1 tablespoon of coconut oil on a spoon, put inside your mouth, wait for the oil to melt into liquid form, then swish through your mouth (mixed with saliva) for 20 minutes. Don’t swallow the oil, swish for 20 minutes and then spit into the toilet. I promise you’ll feel like you just got home from the dentist. I’ve incorporated oil pulling into my morning routine and love how it whitens my teeth and removes plaque. Other benefits with dental care is coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, so it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay and whitens teeth.

DIY Deodorant

Aluminum-based compounds are used as active ingredient in antiperspirants. So I set off to make my own deodorant many years ago expecting it to be difficult and expensive. I was wrong and have used this 3 part ingredient recipe every since.

Ingredients:

5-6 Tbsp Coconut oil
1/8 cup baking soda
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Combine equal portions of baking soda & arrowroot powder. Then slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a spoon until it maintains the substance you desire. I keep the ball of deodorant in a sealed jar, wrapped in parchment paper so I don’t get my hands sticky when applying. Store in a dark cool area of the bathroom so it won’t melt on hot, sunny days.

Hair Conditioner

Do you have dry ends or dry scalp? Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. Adding coconut oil to the ends of dry hair produces a beautiful shiny effect. It is effective in reducing the protein loss for hair and it’s my favourite part of maintaining long hair. After my hair is washed and dry, I add a quarter sized amount to my hand, rub into liquid form and add to hair ends. It can also be used as a slicker for fly away pieces of hair.  Also when your scalp gets itchy from dry skin – rub coconut oil into your scalp before bed. It will sooth itching and heal dry skin.

The best part of starting to incorporate coconut oil into your personal care regime is you’ll keep finding more ways to use it. It’s also very empowering to replace store bought products with ones you can make yourself because it ensures you know the ingredients you are applying to your family’s skin and body. A high quality unrefined coconut oil is pricey, but one jar goes a long way so the cost savings long-term are significant.

Get a Head Start: Starting Seeds Indoors

Spring is a funny time of year in Canada. Some areas enjoy early warmth and see grass greening up and flowers in bloom very early. Others wait, usually impatiently, through cold temperatures and even snow until April or May. Conversations between these two groups are often spirited and filled with teasing. Who doesn’t love to talk about the weather?

If you are shivering in the cold, you may not realize there are those getting a head start on their gardens by sowing seeds for some plants inside. Yes, if you check your reference guides, starting seeds indoors can begin as early as February/March in warm areas and in April/May in cooler climates.

What a great way to start getting excited for spring and put the winter behind us!

Starting seeds indoors:

In cool areas like the prairies, now is a great time to start seeds indoors. How to know which are good choices? Look for vegetables that can tolerate transplanting, and that might benefit from a longer growing season. You can also start annual flowers from seed as well, while perennials are trickier and need a couple of seasons to establish and bloom. Try vegetables like: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, onion, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes, celery, and eggplant. You could also try flowers like: nasturtium, lobelia, nicotiana, and cosmos.

Sowing seeds directly in soil:

In temperate areas like Victoria and Vancouver, it is already safe to be planting seed directly into the garden. In cooler areas such as the prairies and more northern cities, it is best to wait until early May before sowing seeds in the ground. This type of sowing is best suited to vegetables like: peas, beets, greens (spinach, lettuce, mesclun), carrots, garlic, turnips, rutabagas, kale, parsnips. These are all vegetables that can tolerate the cool soil, the cool temperatures and are often more successful sown directly in the soil than transplanted.

Supplies and equipment:

You probably have most of what you need to get started in your garden, and anything you are missing can be purchased at your local home centre. If you are just starting out, check your local UsedEverywhere site for deals. You might find someone clearing out their garage or garden shed – a great opportunity to save yourself some money. In the spring you may also find people giving away seeds they have collected, or even selling young plants they have started themselves. This can be a great way to add interesting plants to your garden. You’ll need simple garden tools, seeds, potting soil, peat moss, other amendments, peat pots or seed trays, and a sunny spot if you are starting seeds indoors.

Resources:

It is easy to find information online to guide you in your gardening plans. Here are a few links to get you started, but you can search for planting information in your area, or on specific plants/seeds:

Farmer’s Almanac – Frost Chart for Canada

Planting dates for Victoria, BC

Planting dates for Calgary, AB

Planting dates for Saskatoon, SK

Planting dates for Toronto, ON

Planting dates for Charlottetown, PEI

Now go start planning how to get a little green going in your life!  It’s a great way to enjoy spring even in the very early days, and you’ll be pleased later when your garden benefits from your extra efforts.

Do you start seeds indoors? Wait until you can sow them outside?

What has given you the best results?

Bubble and Squeak and Other British Delights

When I saw my fellow blogger Carly’s last post on leftover veg, I was pretty excited. ‘She is going to mention bubble and squeak’ I thought, but of course there was no mention of this British dish! I’m sure most Canadians have never even heard of it!

I call bubble and squeak a delight because I can’t call it a delicacy! Bubble and squeak is a dish made from leftover vegetables, specifically from a traditional English roast dinner. You fry up your veggies with mashed potatoes or crushed roast potatoes and usually serve with breakfast or brunch. The name bubble and squeak comes because the dish does just that as it is fried up.

In the earliest know recipes bubble and squeak was fried up with either leftover meat or whatever meat you were planning on having for breakfast, but nowadays this isn’t the case and your meat is always on the side.

Here is a simple bubble and squeak recipe for you to try, but to be honest, this really is as easy as throwing everything in a pan with some butter:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• Any leftover vegetables, cabbage, swede, carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
• ½ cup onion, diced
• Leftover mashed potato or roasted potatoes crushed up
• Salt and pepper

The Homemade Kitchen: 5 Things to Make from Scratch

Many of us were raised in kitchens where convenience was king (or queen.) Many common recipes had a can of soup tossed in, or a soup packet sprinkled over, or some other shortcut involving a can, packet or bottle.  In many ways, the way we eat has been changing – it’s different in every household to be sure, but many of us are looking for ways to cut processed foods. If we can make something from scratch, we have more control over the health and flavour of each dish and meal. We can source ingredients that we feel comfortable eating or serving to our families; in some cases this may mean organic foods, looking for vegetarian options, or accommodating food sensitivities.

And let’s face it, there’s something satisfying about being able to create something special with just a little time and effort in the kitchen. I always feel like I am taking a little better care of myself when I take the time to make something myself rather than buy the commercially prepared version. Do I avoid all processed foods? No, not all, and there are some occasions where sanity screams for a shortcut. But when time allows, I love the idea of taking simple ingredients and making things from scratch.

Here are five things that you can learn to make from scratch that are easy and offer a lot of reward for your efforts. They’ll bowl you over with their simple goodness, spoil you with flavour and ruin you for commercially prepared versions. Some of them allow you to cook once, and save extra portions for future use.

Five things to learn to make from scratch:

Homemade butter

Homemade whipped cream

Homemade stock:  vegetable, chicken, beef

Homemade tomato sauce

Homemade salad dressings

They’ll also make you look like a hero to anyone lucky enough to share your kitchen or dinner table. Planning a dinner? Whip up a salad dressing or two ahead of time. Dessert? A generous serving of homemade whipped cream gives a rustic charm to any sweet treat. Any muffin or sweet bread recipe would be immediately lifted by the addition of homemade butter. Tomato sauce and stock can be used in many meals, saved in the fridge or freezer, and added to other recipes.

Are there certain items you insist on making from scratch in your kitchen? Are there some things that you prefer to buy premade? Why?

What would be the first thing you would try to make on your own if you were to make the switch?

Donor Breast Milk Needed In Vancouver

Sometimes you read a post that makes your own problems diminish – POOF! This happened when Vancouver’s Prenatal Coach, Crystal Di Domizio posted a plea to Vancouver moms asking for donor breast milk for a local mom starting chemo treatments to fight breast cancer. While mom undergoes treatments she wants her three-month-old baby Linnea to receive donated breast milk nourishment. The goal is to get baby to six months of age exclusively breast fed. Here is what the result of local hero moms donating their milk looks like (image belongs to Prenatal Coach):

After reading a plea like this, you experience tunnel vision because even without having breast milk to donate, anyone can help by reaching out via social media or to community partners. UsedEverywhere.com has smaller chapters in most Provinces of Canada and if you aren’t aware, has a wonderful Community Angel program. When people in the community need help, Community Angels are there to assist. I am lucky enough to help with the role of Vancouver Angel and write this article to ask for your help if you have breast milk to donate. I’m thrilled with the help already received from UsedVancouver and our partner in kindness SPUD Vancouver because these two companies are now supplying the family with eight weeks of organic food boxes. We have no doubt that trying to manage high quality nutrition while receiving treatments for cancer is important, not only for mom but the entire family. Dad responded to our news with “We are humbled by this generous gift by SPUD and Used Vancouver to make life easier during this challenging time. Thank you so much!!! ” We also wanted to bring attention to the issue of donor breast milk. The well-documented benefits of breast milk consumption in early life are present in all human milk but when a child is unable to thrive solely on the milk of their biological parent, human milk is available as an alternative. Crystal recommends checking out milk sharing groups like Human Milk for Human Babies for more information.

Checking in with Crystal today, she reports they have approximately one week of donor milk left in hand for the family to use for baby Linnea. It takes a lot of milk to give a baby continual support of donated milk. We ask if you live in the Vancouver area and can deliver donor milk to Crystal (drop-off downtown), please get in touch via email crystal@cultivateyourhealth dot com. Our community is lucky to have Crystal with her obvious devotion to prenatal wellness. When Crystal is not collecting milk for a special mama and baby in need, you can find her mentoring pregnant women through their journey to motherhood. She is passionate about helping women have easier and more comfortable birth experiences through Hypnobabies Childbirth classes.

Community connections keep the light in our steps as we navigate through darker journeys. It is very reassuring as a Vancouver resident to know that UsedEverywhere Community Angels, SPUD Vancouver, and Crystal are keeping a watchful eye out. Sometimes feeling the warmth on our backs from unexpected acts of kindness makes all the difference in times of need. We hope this article gives the topic of community support and donor breast milk more light.

Related Articles:

Our own Used blogger Erin wrote about her personal experience with milk sharing; read her article here.

Talking to your kids about the news

It’s been an emotional couple of days and our thoughts and prayers are with the community of Boston and the friends and families of those affected by recent tragic events.

The news coming out of Boston has been awful, and if you’re a parent you are probably fielding all kinds of questions from your children.

There’s an image going around on Facebook with a quote from Mister Rogers that I think is good to remember during times like this:

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

I like this, don’t you? To focus on the helpers – the police, the paramedics, the fire fighters, and the bystanders who risk their own lives – reminds us that there is much, much good in the world. I don’t think we should ever lose sight of that. Remembering that there are good people out there gives us hope… and this is something we all need.

It’s tempting to shield little ears from bad news, but they are likely going to hear about it anyway. They may overhear you talking at night, or something in the schoolyard. It’s best that kids hear bad news from their parents. That way they’re getting the facts, and the much-needed assurance that it’s very unlikely to ever happen to them.

What I wouldn’t do, is search the web for news about bad news with kids by my side. Many of the articles online are accompanied by very graphic imagery, which I don’t think is helpful for anyone.

If you’re looking for some ways to help talk to your kids about news, check out this helpful tip sheet at MediaSmarts.ca. (Full disclosure, I write for the MediaSmarts blog.) What this tip sheet doesn’t mention is how to answer the question WHY. WHY did this happen?

I don’t have a good answer – it’s an impossible question – but I will say this, there are bad people in the world, but so many more good people. And that’s what we have to focus on right now.