Five Years as an Honourary Glengarian!

Five years ago today we moved to our new home in the Glengarry. It was a freezing, clear day and we had the help of many friends and family to make the move as smooth as possible.

I'll never forget how excited and nervous I was - I had moved many, many times in my *single life*, but when we built our house in Aylmer, we though it was for keeps... so this move was bitter sweet. With my family in tow we bid farewell to our old house and embarked on a new journey.

I loved the house here in the Glengarry and felt quite lucky to have found a brand new home to move into. I was nervous though, because I really didn't know a lot of people and because I was going to start to work from home, my social life was going to take a back burner.

The kids started at the local daycare centre and settled in beautifully. I got into a great routine working from home. We actually got to see Hubby during the week. Things just seemed to fall right into place...

When you're born and raised in a small town, you are christened with a community bond - I feel so blessed to have had that kind of childhood. And now, I'm thrilled that my kids will also have that same connection to a community.

To all of the locals that have been so kind and took me under their wing - thank you! Even though I wasn't born and bred here in the Glengarry, I'm proud to be an honorary Glengarian! It's a great place to call home.

Wishing Beanie were here...

Five years ago today, I had my last conversation with Blaine. If I had known it would be our last, I would taken all of the time in the world to chat and listen and laugh, but as we all know, hindsight is 20/20.

IF I had known that he was in such a dark place, I would have done everything to assure him that nothing, absolutely nothing is worth losing your life over.

It`s hard to believe all of the things I`ve learned as a result of Blaine`s death - that there are real issues that people are struggling with - everything else gets lost to unimportant!

I`ve also learned that I would like to live my life as Blaine did - with a smile and a wave, and a joke and laugh, and caring for people whole-heartedly...never judging, never angry nor mean, never deceitful nor dishonest. These are the things that made such a good man! The kind of man that you are proud to call your brother. Some may say that he lived a simple life - and I agree completely...we could all learn from how he approached life - he didn`t care where you lived, or what kind of car you drove, or what label was on your clothes. He cared that you treated him (and others) with respect and dignity. I wonder if I failed him in that regard - I was so wrapped up in my own life, my own issues, that I didn`t see how he was struggling.

These last five years have been a real eye-opener for me. I do my best not to judge, nor to treat people differently as a result of their status - not everyone has had it easy. I am so very thankful for all of the good I have in my life - and I do my best to take the time to stop and remember...in any given instance, your life can be changed forever. Five years ago tomorrow, my life changed forever... My heart will never heal. My memories are still sharp, but time is starting to fade the `little things` - the sound of his laugh, his cordial wave, and his wittiness. We were so blessed to have had him in our lives.

Apparently only the good die young...

Rest in peace, Beanie. I miss you every day. I would give anything to see your smile and hear your laugh - just one more time.

Cheers! xo

Some days I swear I am a maid!

Am I the only one who follows the littles around the house, outside, and into the car in a bent walk because I have to pick up the million and one things they leave behind? I didn't think so!

Some days it doesn't seem so bad, but other days, holy Toledo it gets on my nerves! So, in lieu of raising my blood pressure any higher, I started the littles on a chore chart - of course I have to pay up to get them to participate, but it's a small price to pay for my sanity!

I found this great chore chart online that you can personalize and print - I recommend it to all of my fellow maids who need a hand:

http://www.dltk-cards.com/chart/

I get the kids involved by helping define the chores and then they can pick the icon for the chart and colour it in... they love it! Well, what they actually love is getting some cold hard cash for minor little chores! I pay them each $7 a week (i.e. $1 a day) IF their chart is complete - if they miss doing even one thing they automatically lose a $1. Their allowance is to be used for their own "play money" - they buy stuff like candy, toys, junk at the dollar store, etc. But, they have become really good savers too and have bought big ticket items (i.e $100-$200 price tags).

Other references:

As you know, I love Gail Vaz-Oxlade and believe strongly in her theories around money management. She has a great blog where you can search for kids & money. Here's one to get you started: http://gailvazoxlade.com/blog/archives/category/kids-money.

Good luck and let me know how you make out... any tips/suggestions are appreciated! xo

Hi, my name is Sylvia and I am a crack addict!

Unfortunately for me, there are no group sessions to help me with my addiction. Therefore, I just keep at it and hope that one day the grocery store will run out of ingredients. Yes, I am a crack addict - CHRISTMAS CRACK - not the kind you're thinking of!!!

Once you've tried this recipe, you will find yourself hiding in various places around your house trying just one more piece before the kids or hubby find out! You tell your kids that it's no good - made with cauliflower, kale, spinach, broccoli and other things you know that they won't touch - only so that you can eat it all yourself!

Enjoy!

Christmas Crack

 

• 1 sleeve of salted crackers
• 1 cup of butter (the real stuff!)
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)

 

 

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
• arrange crackers salt-side up
• melt butter in a pot
• stir in brown sugar (with the melted butter) until melted and smooth
• bring to a boil, whisking, for about 2 minutes
• pour mixture evenly over the crackers
• bake for 5 minutes
• sprinkle chocolate chips evenly and return to oven until melted (about one minute)
• smooth chocolate with a spatula
• place the pan in the freezer
• once frozen, break into smaller pieces and put in a Tupperware container
• return to freezer
• try and control yourself

Caveat: I am not responsible for any weight gain, sugar rushes or other issues related to the overindulgence of crack! xo

School's out...how to prepare for fall!

The kids came home with OODLES and OODLES of classroom work - time to sort through....what to keep and what not to keep:

• at the dollar store pick up a Bristol board, fold it in half, and staple the edges to make a huge envelop.
• mark the outside of the envelop with the child's name and the school year.
• sort through what is "worth" keeping and recycle the rest.

Next, wash book bags and lunch pails, hang to dry and then put the lunch pails inside the book bags and hang in the back of the kids closets for the next school year.

Scrub both pairs of running shoes and put in the book bags, if your child doesn't need them for the summer.

Keep your eye out this summer for good clothes sales - I always pick up some "out of season" clothes (summer) for cheap and then they have new clothes to start back to school (a couple of years ago I bought all fall/winter stuff for back to school - didn't work out so well in 30 degree weather!).

Try to set aside some time this summer to come up with new lunch/snack ideas - there are tons of websites out there that can help. I also plan to visit new grocery stores to see if I can find some "magic" in the snack aisles!!!

Enjoy your summer with the littles - before long they'll be headed back to school! xo

Being a working Mom... the ups and downs...

I have recently returned to work after having back surgery that didn't go so well. During my time off, I really got a chance to see what it would be like to be a stay-at-home-Mom (SAHM).

I have always been a working Mom - dropping the kids off at daycare and picking them up...racing to the office...cursing traffic. But, somehow I always managed. I was tired, but I managed. That exhaustion was what lead my hubby and I to sell our *dream home* and move 1.5 hours from the city to our little piece of current paradise. I needed balance - and my hubby home more often than just for a kiss in the morning and a kiss at night. When we moved, I was so fortunate that I was able to "bring my job with me" and work from home. But, the routine didn't change in that I was still running my kids to daycare and racing to pick them up the whole while thinking that I SO wanted to have them home with me...time is so precious. However, once I was done feeling sorry for myself, I started to think of how fortunate I was to have a good job and only be a hop, skip, and a jump from the kids school.

When I was off (and unable to drive), I really enjoyed being able to put them on the school bus, and waited anxiously every afternoon to see the nose of the big yellow bus coming down the road. Those days are gone now...back to the hustle and bustle (yes, I am feeling sorry for myself again - and I'm entitled to it! :)

Before hubby and babies, my career was my driver - I worked long, hard hours and took many, many risks to advance my career...but I made it. And, I'm exactly where I want to be in my career - I love my job and enough years under my belt to allow for as much time off as needed to balance out my personal life.

So, I guess the question begs - would I want to be a SAHM, and the answer would be ABSOLUTELY! In. a. heartbeat! And when I win the lottery, I plan to do just that. Until the next 649 draw, I'm back to the daily grind - and amazingly, everyone is adjusting just fine! The guilt we put on ourselves as Mothers is sooooo draining. I think that what we need to do is the very best we can, and the rest is just horse-manure!

I guess the point of this post is for ALL of the Moms out there - the most important thing about family is finding balance...and everyone's balance is different. Do what you have to do to make the best of every day - love your babes up while you have them, work hard when you don't... and in the end, your children will grow up happy and balanced (please don't come back on me if they don't! :)

~While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about~ Angela Schwindt

Making your own laundry soap - cheap AND easy!

Last fall I started making my own laundry soap - and boy oh boy, what a difference it makes in my weekly grocery bill! At my house, it's not unusual to do 3-4 loads of wash per day. This recipe costs so little to make and it works out to literally pennies a load!

Tools:
-1 large stock pot
-1 cheese grater
-1 wooden spoon
-1 measuring cup

Ingredients:
-1 bar of soap (I've used Sunlight and Lynda's)
-1 cup of Borax
-1 cup of washing soda

Directions:

• Pour 4 litres of water into your pot on high;
• Grate your bar of soap and add it to the water;
• Once the soap is dissolved, add the Borax and washing soda;
• Bring to a boil (it will coagulate);
• Take your pot off the stove and add another 4 litres of water.

Stir every half hour or so, and once it's cooled, it should be smooth and ready to use! I keep the pot right on top of the dryer and use the cap from an old Tide bottle as my quantity for each load.

*I've starting adding Downy Unstoppables to the load (only use 5 or so little capsules per load) because I found that the laundry didn't have a real smell to it...

This pot of soap usually last at least a month. Because it's so cheap and works so well, I actually don't mind doing laundry anymore!!!

I also had a clothes rack built and use that to hang most clothes to dry. By making my own laundry soap and hanging the clothes to dry, I figure I save about $50 alone in laundry costs... well worth it!

 

 

Details on how to build this cutie:

http://cdn.homedit.com/simple-ladder-laundry-rack/

Do you have any household saving tips to share? xo

Community Spirit!

This past weekend our community held a fundraiser for new playground equipment for our school. There were numerous volunteers who put together an amazing evening. The weather wasn't so cooperative, but that didn't seem to matter - hundreds and hundreds of people showed up with their littles in tow. There was a silent and live auction, a BBQ, and tons of fun stuff for the kids to do.

Coming from a small town, I understand the importance of community spirit, but I have to say that I have never witness such an outpour of support as I did this past weekend. It was amazing!

Living in a small community means that you can be assured that you'll run into someone you know at the general store, the post office, or the library. It's such a comforting environment.

Before we had the littles, hubby and I agreed that our kids should go to a small country school. We both did and have carried friendships through the years. We feel so blessed to raise our children in a community that cares about one another. Our teachers are our neighbours, you know your kids friends parents/grandparents/aunts & uncles...what a blessing!

Be glad there's one place in the world
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to go where people know,
People are all the same;
You want to go where everybody knows your name.

Thank goodness for country living! xo

The Littles Have BIG expenses!

Like most parents, we want our littles to participate in all activities at school.

Sometimes it feels a little financially overwhelming because there is so much going on... so, I started a "kids at school" money jar that covers most of those extracurricular things (i.e. pizza day, school trips, etc.). A couple of times a week I empty out the change pocket of my wallet and put all of the loonies and twonies in a jar. It certainly doesn't take long for the jar to fill up - and that way I'm not dipping into the "family fund" for school activities.

Also, it's great because I always have the money on hand and don't have to write a cheque (don't get me started on cheques!!! I had to order some not long ago and they cost about $1 a piece - and then of course if you write too many, there are bank charges, etc. - not a fan of cheques!).

Give it a try and see how it goes!

Do you have any "kids funds" tried and true secrets? Do share! xo

Hail to Gail!

Those of you who know me well, know that I am by far Gail Vaz-Oxlade's (money guru) biggest fan!

One of the things I adore most about Gail is her no nonsense approach to money - very simply, don't spend what you don't have!!!

Her life pie is a great way of breaking down all of your expenses to make sure that you aren't overspending in any area.

Definitions:
Life: this includes food, personal care, diapers, etc.
Housing: this includes rent/mortgage, land/school taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, etc.
Debt Repayment: this includes lines of credit, credit cards, student loans, etc.
Transportation: this includes insurance, gas, oil changes, upkeep, etc.
Savings: this is what it is...
*everyone should have an emergency fund (i.e. as little or as much as you can) in the event that something goes terribly wrong in your life: job loss, illness/disability, or your roof caves in.

Although it takes some time and effort to break down your monthly budget into the categories and do the math to see where you're at, it's so so worth it! And the best part of this breakdown is that you now have a monthly budget listed out.

IMHO, the easiest way to track a budget is:
1. buy yourself a notebook at the dollar store;
2. write down all of your expenses (AND BE HONEST!) - from mortgage/rent, utilities, car payment, gas allowance, food, haircuts, etc. and beside each of those categories, write down the dates the payments are coming out of your bank account (do this for each month - don't forget that some months you will have three payments on certain bills);
3. on the opposite page, write down exactly how much NET money you (and your partner, if applicable) make;
4. at the end of your monthly exercise, see if you have any money left over - if you do, apply it to your debt (if you have any) or increase your savings. DO NOT BUY ANOTHER SHIRT!!! :)
If you are in the negative, you will need to start to cut back somewhere (and that doesn't mean getting another credit card).

Good luck! xo

Gail posts fabulous information to her blog everyday - it's a quick read: http://gailvazoxlade.com/blog/

Caveat: I'm not a financial planner or expert by any means, but this is a great start to preparing a tracking system.

Remembering Stu

Today is the 8th anniversary of Stu's death.

It's so hard to believe it's been that long - sometimes I can still hear his laugh, see his strut, and see how desperate he was to live...

I find this year especially difficult - maybe it's because I just spent an evening with his three beautiful/amazing/brilliant/kind kids and think it's so sad that he didn't have the chance to watch them grow up - one off to University this fall, and the other two so athletic and sweet young men...Stu would have been so proud!

Maybe it's because I'm inching ever so closely to my 40th year and can't imagine having such little time to absorb everything about my kids - place it somewhere in my mind that even death couldn't take away. Maybe it's because young people shouldn't lose their lives - that's not the way it's supposed to work out...

May you rest in peace - we miss you every day! xo

A Tribute to all Mothers!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the  wonderful mothers out there!

Every day we are faced with new challenges as mothers, but in the end they are all worth it! There is nothing more rewarding than unconditional love - we are acutely aware of how lucky we are. My babes were SO excited this morning to give me all of their arts/crafts that they made at school - these are the real treasures. The new Bogs were a nice touch.

Enjoy your special day, Mothers. xo

Today is my first day testing out the blog world. I've always loved to write...and I wanted a space that I could call my very own. I follow quite a few blogs that inspire my creative side - I will be sure to share them with you.

On this blog I hope to post a number of things: how to live life on the frugal side (various homemade recipes, money tips, where to catch a sale), living life as a Mama (what works and what doesn't at our house!), and any other ramblings that may or may not impact anyone else.