And the Blessings Keep Coming!

Whether you believe in a higher being or karma or whatever it is amazing the blessings that come into your life when you are trying to better yourself or your situation and when you least expect it.

As you know I am really refocusing my efforts to become more organized in my life. This includes in my financial and household aspects. While being very much in the third trimester has slowed down some of my household efforts of getting organized (though I am okay with where I am) financially I am on the ball. I established my slush fund and it is working. My spreadsheets are working and keeping me on task and within budget. Right now we have a relatively healthy savings account (thank you tax return).

So things are looking up, but we knew we would have some unexpected expenses. Like a new bike for Miss G. The bike we had that was her size we bought for Miss V at a yard sale a couple years ago but it has ceased to work. And though my husband has looked at it and researched possible ways to fix it we just could not get it going. (Though why it is still sitting in our garage I will not know! I think I need to get him on the letting go of junk bandwagon.) So, a new bike was needed. We had gone around to a few yard sales and couldn't find anything. We were thinking we would have to buy new, which considering it would be for 3 kids wouldn't have been the worst thing, but it would have definitely been more expensive.

Here is where the blessing came in. We had decided that last weekend we would go out and buy a bike. It would eat into some of our savings but this was something that we needed. So I went grocery shopping in the morning, my husband went to the park with the kids and then in the afternoon we were going to go find a bike. Well, call it luck or divine intervention a school mom friend of mine happened to be at the playground at the same time as my husband. He happened to ask her if she knew of an economical place to buy kids bikes. And she said, "my shed". She had the exact size of bike we were in need of, and was about to get rid of it herself. She refused payment and we walked away with a great looking bike that is going to last us for a while!

Another thing I had to do was get some more summer clothes for Miss G and Miss P. I had been putting it off because I have so many appointments and by the time I got home I just wanted to relax. Well the same day as the bike miracle this same friend dropped off a huge box plus 4 bags of clothes that were the exact sizes and seasons I was looking for! So the majority of the shopping I was needing to do for the kids was done. There are a few things I still need to supplement but not much.

These two experiences has reaffirmed a few things. One, people are generous. We all want to help each other out. If you let people know what your needs are it gives them an opportunity to help out. Sometimes we feel we need to do everything ourselves or slog through things on our own. But, when we open ourselves to others magical things can happen.

Two, when you are trying to better your situation things work out to help you with that. I call it my righteous desire. When I am working towards a righteous desire things will conspire to help me in that. You may call it something else, but the principle would be the same.

This is not meant to be a braggy post about my families good fortune. It is more one of gratitude. It is one that shows when we are trying to do the right things we get blessings to help us with our goals. It is one to show that when we have a generous spirit generosity is given back. And it is about humility. When we are willing to humble ourselves great things can happen.

Have you ever had a time when you were supremely blessed with exactly what you needed?

A Busy Start to the Summer

The past two weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster, hence no posts


Schools done which is awesome! For being on summer vacation for just two weeks we have done quite a lot. We have gone on a mini-road trip up to my mom's. I love going up to Bancroft, ON. It means I am super close to one of my happy places. It is a store called "The Shed" and it has the awesomest stuff. It has cool handcrafted furniture. It has awesome art work and the coolest wooden flowers. Each time I go up I buy some more flowers to grow my year round garden.

here are my latest purchases

On Canada Day we went to the movies (which is a rare occurrence for us), we got to splash around in a friends pool and then the older girls and my husband went to watch fire works. I stayed home with Miss P. and went to bed at a reasonable time.

Then on the weekend my church had a BBQ and then we went to some other friends new property and swam in their pool. (I don't think we will have to worry about not having a place to swim this summer!)

Then on Monday we went to Kiwanis Park to swim. Tuesday we went mini-golfing. Wednesday we went for a bike ride. Thursday we went to Music and Movies in Waterloo park. One of our favourite local entertainers, Erick Traplin, was the musical presenter. We always enjoy his sets. And the the movie we watched was Sponge Bob... definitely not my first choice, but the kids liked it.

Miss V waiting for the movie to start

There have also been trips to the library, the optometrist, other errands and hanging out. What a busy time!

the supersquad

Now we are trying to turn our focus to building the girls a little play house in the backyard and refinishing a part of the basement to make it our office/craft room. I will definitely have more posts on that coming up.

What fun things have you been doing this summer.

Region of Waterloo Eco-fest

Yesterday I had the priveledge of being a parent volunteer for Miss V's field trip to the Eco-fest. It was a the perfect day weatherwise and the exhibits were very cool.

What is eco-fest. It is an awesome hands on experience for kids and anyone to learn about water and the importance of keeping it clean. They learned about how watershed work, how water contamination can be caused and dispersed. They learned about water cycles, aquatic animals and the importance of keeping foreign species out of our ecosystems. And there was much much more. We weren't able to do all the stations because there was just so much to do! It was a great day and the kids had so much fun. To learn more about eco-fest you can click here. If you are around the region you can check it out tomorrow. Admission is free and it is well worth going.

I liked the day because no one sounded too preachy and it helped the kids start to think about how their daily actions could affect others. Sometimes it is hard, especially as kids but even as adults, to think about what ripple effects our actions have on those around us. Quite often it is out of site out of mind. It is so easy to just toss something or throw something down the drain and then not think about it anymore. Probably if we were all more cognoscente about what happened after we got rid of something we would be more careful of how we dispose of things, and try to use reusable things and limit the amount of waste created.


I am so grateful for the time I got to spend at eco-fest and for the time for inner-reflection I was able to have about my actions. There are little things I can do to help the planet be more sustainable. I am looking forward to the challenge.

5 Ways To Do What You Want Without Going Broke

How has your first full week of 2015 been? Are you still excited about the upcoming year? While, I am still excited and feeling optimistic, I am starting to come down from the euphoria of the the new year and settling in to the work part of it. It is great to dream and scheme, heck I do that all the time, but, to actually see those dreams become a reality, that takes work. Work! Ah man!!! The more in dream world you remain the more frustrated you will be when you come out if it and see that nothing has changed in your reality.

This year one of the key things on my list of must do better at, is the budget. I usually am good at setting out a budget and tracking my expenses. I even can quasi follow my budget if I do those two things. But as said in the last post, For the last third of the year I just didn't. I didn't even look a the numbers, it wasn't on my radar. Luckily we didn't do too much damage, but I know we can do better. So while this will definitely be a more austere year, pinching pennies, tightening our belts and purse strings, it doesn't mean that we can't have fun or success in some of our other goals. If you are too glum and sacrificing, you aren't going to want to stick to anything.

So here are 5 ways you can do what you want without going broke.

from http://www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Broken-Piggy-Bank.jpg

1. Get movies from the library.

It is pretty thrilling when you get to see the latest block buster in theatres. Sitting in the stadium seating is amazing and the sound quality is awesome. But it costs an insane amount of money. Over the holidays we took our family to the movies. We rarely go and it had been a while since we had gone. My husband and I were shocked at the end of it when we saw how much we spent. We went to a matinee which is already cheaper, we shared drinks popcorn and nachos (this was our healthy lunch for the day) and the grand total was $55. WHAT?!?!? And that was with paying admission for just four as we don't have to pay for Miss P. yet. If we hadn't gone during lunchtime hours I probably wouldn't have ordered the nachos, but still, it is crazy. No wonder we don't go very often.

At the library you can get out movies for free. The loan period is usually a week, unless you have a new release then it is four days (at least this is how it is at my library). They get all the major movies, plus some fun artsy ones and foreign films, if that is more your thing. While this means waiting until the movie gets released on DVD and BluRay, you can still see have a movie night, without the cost. Just think of how much popcorn you could have then!

There are also the RedBox movie rentals. These came to Canada a couple years ago. They are at most grocery stores. You can usually get a code for a free movie night. Without the code the cost to rent the movie is a dollar per day. While that is a pretty good deal, it is still a dollar a day, so you would want to return it pretty soon.

For me, I would rather get it for a week or four days for free, then have to remember to return the movie the next day. But you are guaranteed the new release while at the library the number of copies of the movie can be limited. There are ups and downs to both systems, but the bottom line is both these options help your bottom line.

2. Get Awesome Work Outs Through YouTube

This year I really want to get fit. I am already on my way to getting there, but, I still have a long way to go. As our budget is tight a gym membership is not going to be happening. Although, my friend volunteers at the daycare of her local gym in exchange for use of the equipment, so that might be an option for you.

Since going to the gym isn't going to work and it is winter time, so I don't really want to be going for long walks or runs outside, YouTube is a great option. Last May I found this awesome series on YouTube. It is called Bikini Body Mommy. You can view the website here. I love these workouts. Currently she has two complete 90 day challenges, her original and her 2.0. I have done the 2.0 and I loved it. She is huffing and puffing along with you. You know she knows exactly what you are going through as she has gone through it and is going through it herself. I haven't done any of her meal plans or anything like that but her workouts are awesome and you don't need any fancy equipment or lots of time. All it takes is 20 minutes and you feel like you have worked for hours. It is the perfect workout to fit in during naptime, as that is essential for me. She is currently releasing her 3.0 challenge. The first day was January 5th. I have been doing them and they are awesome too! You can check it out here.

There are other workout videos on YouTube. There are  learn to dance videos, zumba videos etc. Find something that works for you and have fun! Your body and wallet will thank you.

3. Get Your Books From the Library

While this seems like a no brainer, it is sometimes overlooked. I can't remember the last time I bought a book. Seriously, I am looking back and looking back and nope. I have no idea. It is also convenient because most libraries have a hold feature, so you put a hold on an item and then the people who work at the library walk around finding your items instead of you. It is a real time saver, and I normally have a runaway toddler on my hands so, it is a sanity saver too!

Now you might be saying, but Meredith, I only read ebooks now, hardcopies are so yesterday. Well, the library can help you there too. While many ebooks are not as expensive as the real thing, they still cost money. At the library you can borrow ebooks. You are given a limited amount of time for them to be on your device/computer, usually three weeks, but they are free to borrow, always. You can also download audio books as well. Super awesome and super cheap.

Since the library is funded through the city, you are already paying for its service through taxes or your rent, so you might as well take full advantage of what they have to offer you. (Check out their programs too. At my local library they are teaching soldering 101. I think I might get my husband to check that out.)

4. Create Restaurant Style Meals at Home

I like eating out as much as the next person. Knowing that I don't have to cook anything is bliss and worth almost any price. But eating out can also be pricey. In comes the genius of many people on the internet. While you still need to cook the food, you can now usually find recipes for your favourite restaurant meals online that will cost a fraction of the price and, in most cases, taste even better. To make it less drudgery on you have it be a family cooking night. Everyone helps out and is part of it. That way you at least can relax a little.

Some are recipes might even be good to keep in the freezer, so that way you can have a restaurant style meal that needs no prep for those nights when you really don't want to cook. So google and pinterest away and see what restaurant inspired meal you will have this week!

5. Use Your Points

***This is only good if you pay off your credit card every month and are still responsible in your spending, otherwise not worth it***

I use my credit card to buy basically everything. I rarely carry around cash, except for my monthly allowance money that I can blow on whatever I want, but when it's gone it is gone. My particular credit card allows me to collect points to spend at a nationwide grocery chain. I can either use my points to buy groceries, which can help cut down on the grocery bill, or I can use my points to get gift cards that the grocery store sells. These are gift cards to restaurants, home improvement stores, clothing stores, gas stations, etc. This is how I bought most of the materials for the Christmas presents I made. I also was able to treat us to a meal out New Year's Eve by using my points to buy a restaurant gift card.

I usually try to hoard my points until we are wanting to go out to eat, or if we know there are birthdays coming up so we can do that for as little money as possible.

I know there are other credit card reward programs out there that can help you with air travel or pays back a certain percentage of purchases. So, if you like using your credit card to make your purchases you might as well get a card that does some work for you. Do some research and get on that fits your style and make sure it is a free card. There is no point in paying for a card just to get points or premiums when there are free cards that let you do the same thing. And make sure that if you do collect points with your card, you use them.

Fall Fun

Well, the weather is getting cooler. The nights are getting darker earlier. I can definitely say that we are for sure in fall.

I love fall. I love seeing the leaves change. I love making big leaf piles. I don't like it when neighbours rake their leaves to the side of the road making it impossible for cars to park on the street. But other than that, I love fall.

I love the orange pumpkins, the red leaves and the brown memories of summer fun. I love the smell of foods being baked or roasted in the oven. I love the sound of the furnace turning on in the morning to heat up the house. So far that is the only time we have needed it on. The house has been able to maintain a decent temperature throughout the day which will be very nice for our gas bill.

This past Sunday we all went out and raked the leaves that were littering our driveway. I am not sure what type of tree is out there. I really must get serious and find out, but I think it might be part of the willow family... but it could really be anything. It has a billion leaves on it. They are slender and longish and when one falls, they all seem to. One morning we left for school and there was a few leaves on the ground. When we were walking back six hours later, you could barely see our driveway it was so covered in leaves. The girls thought that was pretty awesome.

Well as I stated before, on Sunday we all went out and raked leaves. We made a very large pile. All of us girls ganged up on my husband and threw leaves at him, and he got us back. My 19 month old rain along our neighbours front yards... about four houses down and when I was looked to see what she was running to I had to laugh. It was one of those little tykes cars that are yellow on top and red on the bottom. It was sitting out at the end of their driveway with some other junk they were putting out for garbage day. By the time I caught up to her she had already settled herself in and was excited at the prospect of the drive. So, I started to push the car back to our house where it has a new home. There wasn't anything wrong with it, just a bit cobwebby. The girls had a blast pushing their sister around and pushing each other into the leaves.

the oldest and the youngest going for a ride in the car

I think the highlight was when we buried the middle daughter in the leaf pile. She thought it was hilarious. I did too. What a fun afternoon.

she was dressed up like a witch so you can see the tip of her hat and the points of her shoes

That sense of family togetherness, adventure and joy has buoyed me up all week. I am so glad that we have those special moments. Those moments, when there is no squabbling, there are no dishes or other household chores to worry about. We are all working together, laughing together, and having fun together.

Sometimes those moments are organic, like this Sunday seemed to be. Sometimes they need to be a bit more contrived by the parent. And you know what, that's okay. I think the important thing is that we contrive and then let it develop into an organic feeling. The kids don't know or care if some activities are planned or not, what they care about is feeling loved and happy. They want to feel those feelings, and if they feel it through something that you planned out, that is great. And if it happens all on its own, that's great too!

What do you like to do for fall fun?

Happy Thanksgiving for all those in Canada!

Awesome Activities at Your Library

During the summer I try not to over schedule or have set committed activities. You never know what the weather will be like or what will be coming up last minute (you can't always plan a beach day), so it is nice to have your days free, thus making everyday a kind of adventure.

With that in mind there is still one constant that we have and that is our library. We go at least once a week, sometimes more, to get books, movies, and listen to stories or do other activities. This year at our local library, and probably most libraries across the country, they have a summer reading club. Each child is given a passport to write down all the books they read. Each time they go to the library they show the passport and they tell about one of the stories they read and they are given stickers, ballots to win weekly and the grand prizes, and other little prizes (like a coupon for free ice cream). The kids are excited to share what they are reading about and are excited to choose new books.

kids reading during the first warm day this spring

Along with the reading portion, the library hosts different activities. There is the usually story time and craft time but there are some other fun options. At our library for instance, they are doing lego building, robot programming, learning about animals and their habitats, making LED jewelry, marshmallow catapults, make your own lip balm and more. And the best thing about these programs is that they are absolutely positutley FREE! Isn't that amazing?!?! (For info at what is happening at Waterloo Public Library reading club click here) I can't wait to go to some of the programs, mostly because I want to learn about them too, hopefully my kids do too! By the end of the summer the librarians and other staff at the branch we go to usually know our names very well. It is always nice when the kids go into the library and the staff welcome them by name. It makes it a special place for them and they are excited to go.

For more information about summer reading clubs or to see if your local library is doing it check out this website (for Canadian libraries only, though it has some cool activities to do and gives you some book ideas). If your library isn't doing this, ask them if they will. Be an advocate for your kids and community. Libraries are to serve the community and are not just about books anymore. It is truly is a learning centre.

So happy reading, and happy exploring you local library. If you don't know what to read, head on over to my other blog. There should be something that piques your interest. What free things are available in your community for your kids to do?

March Break!

Here in Ontario it is March Break. The kids have a week off school. It can be a busy time of traveling, doing interesting things and visiting with family. This year we just stayed at home, but we definitely haven't been bored. It is amazing the fun things we can do, that aren't that expensive, if we really put our minds to it.

We have a yearly family pass for our local museum. Right now they have an exhibit on about shipwrecks. My husband took the kids to see it, leaving me time alone to get things done around the house. It was so nice and the kids had a blast. There were pirates there that put on a show, they got to enter a hurricane tube that showed them what a category one hurricane felt like. They got to see real treasure from real shipwrecks. It is pretty amazing.

We are lucky this winter to have lots of outdoor ice rinks. The past few winters it have been too warm for outdoor ice rinks. We went to one at city hall and we went to a neighbourhood one. It is amazing how the kids skills have improved this year, even though we have only gone skating a handful of time. I am hoping to go one more time, maybe tomorrow. We would have gone skating today but it is too cold. Tomorrow looks much better.

We have had some fun times playing with friends. It is nice when kids have good friends and they get along so well. It is hard when they have arguments and fighting amongst themselves. So, when they play for four hours and have fun and are happy and being kind for that long, man, it's magical.

Today we are going swimming at our local pool. It is nice when during holidays and breaks they make extra swimming time available. We went on Tuesday as well and the kids had a blast. I love seeing them being brave and exploring the water. They are now willing to try new things in the water and actually put their face in without fear or trepidation.

So that has been our March Break. The house work has been put on hold and the family time has been ramped up.

What do you like to do during school breaks or holidays?

The Awesomeness of the Library

I love to read! The house could be falling down around me, but, as long as I have a good book I'm fine. I love the way a book feels in my hands, the smell they have and the satisfaction of turning the page. Books are wonderful.

When I was newly married I would run out and buy books brand new. I was impatient to read the stories and the library was not yet part of my life. Growing up in rural Ontario, the closest library was 20 minutes away, by car, and was really puny. My house basically was a library. Books lined the walls and their was actually a room that we referred to as the library. There was so much choice, I had no need for any other kind of library. So when I started living in the city I never really thought about the library, or at least not the public one, I lived in the university one for much of my undergrad.

When my husband and I got serious about budgeting I was gobsmacked to learn how much I was spending on books. Especially when I would read them once and, for the most part, never read them again. That is when I got a library card and a whole new world of FREE awesomeness opened up to me.

Libraries are no longer places to sit quietly and be shushed by a matronly librarian. They are truly a gathering place, a place of discovery and fun. Through the library you can download free ebooks and audiobooks. You can learn how to use various technologies in workshops. There are children's programs that are fantastic and all FREE! You can get movies, c.d.s, magazines as well as books. I discovered lots of books with great ideas I could incorporate into my so called simple life. You get to meet people of similar mindset at the library book clubs (where I met 3 of my best friends), children's concerts and more.

It used to be just me and the kids that would traipse into the library every week. Now my husband joins us, usually checking out what action flick is available. It is nice to go as a whole family, to share in the joy and excitement of the library. It sure beats buying our own books and movies and adding them to our already overburdened shelves. There are some books that I have bought after I got them from the library. That's o.k.. I'm not saying you have to go on a book buying hiatus, but, there are some books we don't need everyday and those are the books we can get from the library. As well, it always nice to peruse something before buying.

I do like a look of books on a shelf and I do have an attachment to the written word, but I bit the bullet and got rid of books I absolutely didn't love or books I could easily get at the library. Less stuff to worry about.

So if you haven't been into your library recently, GO! If your library isn't meeting your current needs, get involved, make suggestions. The library is there to serve you and they have the resources and ability to run the workshops you need and get the books you want.

The new library is truly for everyone.