Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
It's 2012!!!
This year has had it's share of ups and downs! From me being sick from January 'till May, to having received an autism diagnosis for Patrick to Patrick starting school and Robert working from home, it's been a little crazy! SO many things have changed. But mostly for the better.
Between the last time I wrote and now, not that much has happened. I went back to work 4 days a week (went up 1 day a week) and that has helped our financial situation greatly. My 1 day a week means an extra 800$ a month clear. That money is the difference between us not being able to eat and pay for our house to living a comfortable (although still modest) life.
Christmas came and went and we got one of the best gifts. My mother is moving back! Robert and I always felt weird having a full apartment going to waste in our basement. This combined with my mother always being tired, exhausted actually and practically killing herself out in Orléans, I was hoping she would move back. At least now, she won't have to work like crazy just to barely scrape by life. She'll be able to enjoy it.
Myself and the boys have also started seeing a naturopathic doctor. She's really nice and has the same beliefs as us - that the body can heal pretty much anything if it stays in good shape. The boys needed a few "boosters" to keep them healthy through the winter months and I needed some too. But I'm mostly going for my psoriasis. She also gave me a few tips on what to eat when to see if it would help my metabolism. She said that by just changing a few little things, the fat might just melt off a bit on it's own! We'll see!
I'm writing today because I have to continue this blog. I like to put my thoughts on "paper" and this is the perfect way.
Since this blog is not only about my life, but also saving money, I have a great tip for you! Usually, people talk about coupons. I have heard a lot of negativity about coupons concerning the fact that they're usually for unhealthy stuff. It's true, that a lot of them are. BUT, I do have a lot of coupons that are for necessities! For example, I have coupons for 1$ off milk (I think they expired though), I have coupons for yogourt (plain, that I can get for free) and every few months, for fresh produce, meat or chicken. This week, I will be able to pick up 2 free tubs of yogourt and 2lbs of beef for FREE! It's not going to save much, but every little bit counts! There's also price matching which helps a lot and doesn't use up much of your time. If you're like me and always read the publi-sac (flyers) just to see the specials, then it's not much work! Just go to a store that price matches (Walmart, Maxi) and bring the flyers with you! They'll give you the advertised prices!
My tip for this time of the year are to watch for deals for things you were going to buy anyways. For us, this mean buying gift certificates. For Christmas this year, we asked for money to the boys to buy them annual passes to Cosmic Adventure. This costs 100$ for the first child and 90$ for the second (I think 10$ less per other children you have). So 190$ plus taxes = 215$. WELL, Cosmic had a promotion: Buy 50$ in gift cards and receive a 10$ gift card for FREE! So we paid 200$ to get 240$ worth of certificates! SO we paid 15$ LESS than we would have PLUS we got an extra 25$! We were able to give the extra money to a good friend as a gift to her and her family! How can you beat that!
I have to go now since Anthony has decided that napping isn't fun half the time. So 'till next time! Hopefully sooner than 4 months from now!!!
Between the last time I wrote and now, not that much has happened. I went back to work 4 days a week (went up 1 day a week) and that has helped our financial situation greatly. My 1 day a week means an extra 800$ a month clear. That money is the difference between us not being able to eat and pay for our house to living a comfortable (although still modest) life.
Christmas came and went and we got one of the best gifts. My mother is moving back! Robert and I always felt weird having a full apartment going to waste in our basement. This combined with my mother always being tired, exhausted actually and practically killing herself out in Orléans, I was hoping she would move back. At least now, she won't have to work like crazy just to barely scrape by life. She'll be able to enjoy it.
Myself and the boys have also started seeing a naturopathic doctor. She's really nice and has the same beliefs as us - that the body can heal pretty much anything if it stays in good shape. The boys needed a few "boosters" to keep them healthy through the winter months and I needed some too. But I'm mostly going for my psoriasis. She also gave me a few tips on what to eat when to see if it would help my metabolism. She said that by just changing a few little things, the fat might just melt off a bit on it's own! We'll see!
I'm writing today because I have to continue this blog. I like to put my thoughts on "paper" and this is the perfect way.
Since this blog is not only about my life, but also saving money, I have a great tip for you! Usually, people talk about coupons. I have heard a lot of negativity about coupons concerning the fact that they're usually for unhealthy stuff. It's true, that a lot of them are. BUT, I do have a lot of coupons that are for necessities! For example, I have coupons for 1$ off milk (I think they expired though), I have coupons for yogourt (plain, that I can get for free) and every few months, for fresh produce, meat or chicken. This week, I will be able to pick up 2 free tubs of yogourt and 2lbs of beef for FREE! It's not going to save much, but every little bit counts! There's also price matching which helps a lot and doesn't use up much of your time. If you're like me and always read the publi-sac (flyers) just to see the specials, then it's not much work! Just go to a store that price matches (Walmart, Maxi) and bring the flyers with you! They'll give you the advertised prices!
My tip for this time of the year are to watch for deals for things you were going to buy anyways. For us, this mean buying gift certificates. For Christmas this year, we asked for money to the boys to buy them annual passes to Cosmic Adventure. This costs 100$ for the first child and 90$ for the second (I think 10$ less per other children you have). So 190$ plus taxes = 215$. WELL, Cosmic had a promotion: Buy 50$ in gift cards and receive a 10$ gift card for FREE! So we paid 200$ to get 240$ worth of certificates! SO we paid 15$ LESS than we would have PLUS we got an extra 25$! We were able to give the extra money to a good friend as a gift to her and her family! How can you beat that!
I have to go now since Anthony has decided that napping isn't fun half the time. So 'till next time! Hopefully sooner than 4 months from now!!!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
How to save money and the planet!
A post on Mrs January's Facebook page made me think of this post.
She asked what people did to save money. Well, for me, it's not to waste.
So here are things that I do for us to save money on things that would otherwise be thrown in the garbage.
1- Use cloth diapers
There are SO many kinds of cloth diapers these days that I'm convinced that there's a kind for everyone! For my first born, we used prefolds. The come in 2 sizes and have 3 rows, with 4 layers of cotton (or bamboo if you choose) on either side and 6-8 layers in the middle. You just put one end on the change under the bum, then fold on top and fasten with a diaper pin or Snappi. You then add a waterproof diaper cover and voilà!
Here's what a prefold diaper looks like:
And a prefold with a snappi (instead of pins - super quick and safe to use!)
Here are the cute covers you put on top:
This worked well, but my second son has extremely sensitive skin prone to eczema, so prefolds didn't work. We had to use a all-in-one. And since we were dishing out money for all-in-ones, we figured it was best to get a one-size-fits-all all-in-one diaper!
Here's what we got:
The prefolds cost about 150$ in total for everything (including all sizes and covers). This was for 36 diapers and 6+8 covers. I sold them for 75$. So it cost me 75$ to diaper a child for 2 years.
The one-size all-in-one cost quite a bit more, but worth it! It cost about 500$ for 25 diapers. They will have lasted 2 months shy of 3 years. I will change the velcro and they will look as good as new! And they work perfectly! I can then sell them for about half of what I paid. So it will have cost me 250$ to diaper a child for 3 years. GREAT in my opinion! I also use cloth wipes (just plain baby wash clothes - we got tons at my baby shower, so that was free). I just add a few drops of Tea Tree oil or Lavender oil and wet the wipes and they're good to go and disinfect! I also use 2 cloth wet bags for dirty diapers (one for home, one for the diaper bag). That's about it!
While I was saving money and the planet with the kids, I decided to do the same for us. We compost and recycle for the earth, but I also grow a garden for fruits and vegetables in the summer. We don't use paper towels. We just use a cloth and wash everything once a week. For cleaners, we use natural products like vinegar.
On a feminine note, I have found a great product! It's a cup that holds all the flow and you can use it for about a year or even sometimes more. It's not dangerous like a tampon (because it doesn't soak up natural fluids) and it's super easy to know when to change it (you feel it).
Here it is:
We also try to use as many reusable containers as we can.
So that's about it for now! I might think of more ways to save money, so I will let you know if I find more!
She asked what people did to save money. Well, for me, it's not to waste.
So here are things that I do for us to save money on things that would otherwise be thrown in the garbage.
1- Use cloth diapers
There are SO many kinds of cloth diapers these days that I'm convinced that there's a kind for everyone! For my first born, we used prefolds. The come in 2 sizes and have 3 rows, with 4 layers of cotton (or bamboo if you choose) on either side and 6-8 layers in the middle. You just put one end on the change under the bum, then fold on top and fasten with a diaper pin or Snappi. You then add a waterproof diaper cover and voilà!
Here's what a prefold diaper looks like:
And a prefold with a snappi (instead of pins - super quick and safe to use!)
Here are the cute covers you put on top:
This worked well, but my second son has extremely sensitive skin prone to eczema, so prefolds didn't work. We had to use a all-in-one. And since we were dishing out money for all-in-ones, we figured it was best to get a one-size-fits-all all-in-one diaper!
Here's what we got:
The prefolds cost about 150$ in total for everything (including all sizes and covers). This was for 36 diapers and 6+8 covers. I sold them for 75$. So it cost me 75$ to diaper a child for 2 years.
The one-size all-in-one cost quite a bit more, but worth it! It cost about 500$ for 25 diapers. They will have lasted 2 months shy of 3 years. I will change the velcro and they will look as good as new! And they work perfectly! I can then sell them for about half of what I paid. So it will have cost me 250$ to diaper a child for 3 years. GREAT in my opinion! I also use cloth wipes (just plain baby wash clothes - we got tons at my baby shower, so that was free). I just add a few drops of Tea Tree oil or Lavender oil and wet the wipes and they're good to go and disinfect! I also use 2 cloth wet bags for dirty diapers (one for home, one for the diaper bag). That's about it!
While I was saving money and the planet with the kids, I decided to do the same for us. We compost and recycle for the earth, but I also grow a garden for fruits and vegetables in the summer. We don't use paper towels. We just use a cloth and wash everything once a week. For cleaners, we use natural products like vinegar.
On a feminine note, I have found a great product! It's a cup that holds all the flow and you can use it for about a year or even sometimes more. It's not dangerous like a tampon (because it doesn't soak up natural fluids) and it's super easy to know when to change it (you feel it).
Here it is:
We also try to use as many reusable containers as we can.
So that's about it for now! I might think of more ways to save money, so I will let you know if I find more!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Today was hard...
I know I haven't had a chance to post about Patrick's birthday yet. I will get to it soon! This week has been a busy week! We have been running around trying to find all the school supplies before they run out and my youngest Anthony has decided that he doesn't want to wear diapers anymore. So let's just say it's been "busy"!
But today was the summit of hard. The boys have been OFF for about a week now. Oldest is stressed about school, is jealous of the little one potty training (and us making a big fuss every pee & poo), is regressing, being clingy, etc. Youngest is better, but he's hard-headed and has an attitude.
So this mixed it to everything else plus the boys making mess on top of mess on top of mess and not taking care of their toys was driving me CRAZY!!!
SO, after the boys almost completely destroyed a super nice and expensive Playmobil set that I spent 2hrs assembly that Patrick got for his birthday, I shipped them both outside and I put ALL their toys away. Now my first floor is bare. There's nothing left except a few books. I can't stand it anymore!
And of course they come in and don't care. Ugh... Hopefully they'll care soon enough! But I think I will only bring 2-3 things in at a time and see how they act with it.
Thankfully they were cute at lunch and we talked and then Anthony went to bed like an angel. And when he wakes up we're heading out to pick up Robert (husband) and then we're going swimming with my future sister-in-law & my nephew and then the boys are going to have supper at their grandparents while WE shop - ALONE!!! That will very nice! I NEED that break!!! Poor little things of mine. I love them to pieces, but they can certainly get to me sometimes!
But today was the summit of hard. The boys have been OFF for about a week now. Oldest is stressed about school, is jealous of the little one potty training (and us making a big fuss every pee & poo), is regressing, being clingy, etc. Youngest is better, but he's hard-headed and has an attitude.
So this mixed it to everything else plus the boys making mess on top of mess on top of mess and not taking care of their toys was driving me CRAZY!!!
SO, after the boys almost completely destroyed a super nice and expensive Playmobil set that I spent 2hrs assembly that Patrick got for his birthday, I shipped them both outside and I put ALL their toys away. Now my first floor is bare. There's nothing left except a few books. I can't stand it anymore!
And of course they come in and don't care. Ugh... Hopefully they'll care soon enough! But I think I will only bring 2-3 things in at a time and see how they act with it.
Thankfully they were cute at lunch and we talked and then Anthony went to bed like an angel. And when he wakes up we're heading out to pick up Robert (husband) and then we're going swimming with my future sister-in-law & my nephew and then the boys are going to have supper at their grandparents while WE shop - ALONE!!! That will very nice! I NEED that break!!! Poor little things of mine. I love them to pieces, but they can certainly get to me sometimes!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
It's been a while!
With my oldest's son birthday party yesterday, I have been busy with preparations! We were over 30 people and there was 12 kids aged 1-6. It was SUPER fun and my son loved it! I'm happy.
During that party, my couponing came up a few times and even though some people are pretty impressed, a lot of people had negative things to say about it. So I will take this opportunity to make a few things clear.
First, if I happen to find a good deal and it's for things I don't need a lot of, I will donate the stuff to everyone I know and if no one takes it, then I will donate to shelters.
Also, I don't spend TONS of time couponing. It takes more grocery shopping planning, but I used to do that anyways, so it only takes a few more minutes to iron out all the details. It's that simple!
Anyways, that's all I have to say for now!
I will be back with details of yesterday's party!
During that party, my couponing came up a few times and even though some people are pretty impressed, a lot of people had negative things to say about it. So I will take this opportunity to make a few things clear.
First, if I happen to find a good deal and it's for things I don't need a lot of, I will donate the stuff to everyone I know and if no one takes it, then I will donate to shelters.
Also, I don't spend TONS of time couponing. It takes more grocery shopping planning, but I used to do that anyways, so it only takes a few more minutes to iron out all the details. It's that simple!
Anyways, that's all I have to say for now!
I will be back with details of yesterday's party!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
My biggest little man...
Today, I woke up happy. Yes, I was tired from waking up 3 times during the night because of the kids, but happy. At 4am, my oldest, Patrick, woke up. He walked to our door and knocked. He wanted to be put back to bed - by ME. This hardly ever happens! Because of his condition, he has a hard time showing emotions towards people. That combined with the fact that he's a 5 year old boy wanting his independence makes me feel not very loves sometimes! I know he loves me, but when you have to pin him down just to get a hug or to give him a kiss on the cheek, it's hard! I'm not his #1 anymore (like when he was a baby), now I'm #2. Which is fine, but it makes me sad.
So this early morning, when he woke up and asked for me, I was happy. I laid down next to him and he turned around, gave me a hung, touched my arm and fell asleep. It was the cutest thing! I stayed there a few long seconds just enjoying the feeling... He woke up again half an hour later, so I realized something must be wrong (since he wouldn't talk) and I realized he had eaten a few bites of a sausage at 6pm and hadn't eaten a thing since 2pm. He hardly ate all day because he was too anxious about his birthday and starting school. So I brought him a big glass of milk to fill his empty tummy 'till morning and he fell asleep and is still asleep now - at 9am! Poor little thing.
So for now, we're going to lay off with the school and his birthday. We're trying to get him excited for it (because we are!), but he's just getting more and more anxious. When a going-to-be 5 year old refuses to go to a party store to buy stuff for his birthday, there's definitely something wrong!
Here's my cute biggest little man:
So this early morning, when he woke up and asked for me, I was happy. I laid down next to him and he turned around, gave me a hung, touched my arm and fell asleep. It was the cutest thing! I stayed there a few long seconds just enjoying the feeling... He woke up again half an hour later, so I realized something must be wrong (since he wouldn't talk) and I realized he had eaten a few bites of a sausage at 6pm and hadn't eaten a thing since 2pm. He hardly ate all day because he was too anxious about his birthday and starting school. So I brought him a big glass of milk to fill his empty tummy 'till morning and he fell asleep and is still asleep now - at 9am! Poor little thing.
So for now, we're going to lay off with the school and his birthday. We're trying to get him excited for it (because we are!), but he's just getting more and more anxious. When a going-to-be 5 year old refuses to go to a party store to buy stuff for his birthday, there's definitely something wrong!
Here's my cute biggest little man:
Monday, August 8, 2011
My "extreme savings" of yesterday!
As you saw on Saturday, we saved a lot. But the Walmart in Orléans didn't have everything we wanted.
So, we decided to go look at the Walmart in Hull since I was babysitting my little nephew for the first time yesterday since his parents and my mother were painting their new house all day.
At this Walmart, they had everything we wanted and more! I didn't even have enough coupons!
So we bought:
24 cans of Campbells soups (all kinds)
4 Listerine Zero bottles
6 boxes of extra strength Aspirin
2 Meow Mix cups
1 La Coupe mousse
Total: 12,15!!!
I also scored myself 18 free Smart Sources from the dépanneur in the town next to where we live (3 min. away from here). They've accepted to give us all the old Sunday newspapers on Monday morning! YAY! We will buy 5 just in case they have none (the owner said that it does happen sometimes). So I now have 23 Smart Sources to clip! I know what my evening will look like!
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