not me monday

- When Husband and I went out to dinner with the baby on Saturday night afternoon, we weren't the youngest people in the restaurant by ... oh, about 30 years. At the age of 26, we haven't embraced our place in the early bird crowd.

- I would never wave a butter knife in Husband's direction in a less-than-joking manner. He did not suggest that I include this alleged "incident" in my Not Me Monday post this week.

- I don't forget to record Jacob's milestones for days weeks at a time and then have to rack my brain to fill in the gaps in his baby journal.

- I'm not one of those people who shoves miscellaneous crap in the closet when company is coming over. Our walk-in closet is perfectly neat and organized at all times.

my frugal new year: pinching pennies

Uh oh. Dropped the ball on this one. Here's the second instalment of that budget series I promised you ages ago.

This post was originally going to be about budgeting, but I realized that we all do that in our own individual way. Who am I to tell you how to manage your money? I don't know how much you earn or how much you spend. Instead, let me share some of my favourite ways to get things that I want or need for cheap or free. And no, this isn't another post about couponing.

Don't be afraid to haggle: You won't know unless you ask. I like to shop around for any significant purchase to ensure I'm getting the best deal. Like recently, when we decided to switch cable providers. I found out what the competition was offering, and called our then-provider to let them know that I could get a better deal elsewhere. They had the opportunity to counter with a slightly better offer, but it still didn't match the competition, so we swapped (and no, I didn't just randomly go searching for fun, we had to change one of our services, so I figured it was a good time to scope out the options).

It pays to belong: Collecting points is worth it if you're loyal to specific stores. I collect Air Miles, Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum points, PetroCanada fuel points, RBC Visa Reward points and also belong to a bevy of punch-card clubs. Some of these programs take a while to accumulate points, but once you're there, you usually get something for free. How easy is that? In the last six months, I cashed in on $170 free from Shoppers (yes, I'm a points hoarder), $150 in Sobey's gift cards from Air Miles, and a $100 gift card to FutureShop using RBC rewards. Yes, my points balances are all quite low now, but they'll grow again. I'm always amazed when I hear people in check out lines tell cashiers that they don't collect store points.

It can't hurt to ask: I recently discovered a forum on Smart Canucks about contacting companies regarding their products. So during Baby J's nap one day, I Googled a bunch of websites for products we use regularly. I took about two minutes per website and sent a note to tell the maker how much we enjoy their products. Since then, I've received coupons and product vouchers for products including General Mills, Johnson & Johnson's, Jane's, Huggies and Chapman's. From what I've read, some companies will send product samples too, if you're interested in trying something new.

None of this is revolutionary, but hopefully some of these little reminders can help you get into the saving habit.

3 years

Three years ago today, my life changed completely.

With my degree in journalism tucked under my arm, I snagged an internship at The Daily News, one of two daily newspapers in Halifax. I slowly worked my way up the ladder from intern to part-time reporter, then from full-time copy editor to permanent special features editor. It was a dream job.

My career was still shiny and new ... my health plan hadn't even kicked yet ... when a last-minute staff meeting was called at 10 a.m. on February 11, 2008.

"Today's issue of The Daily News will be the last, ever."

Laid off.

As one of my journalism professors wrote, following The Daily News' closure ...

Don't it always seem to go,

that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?

They paved paradise,

and put up a parking lot.

The perfect world I'd worked so hard to achieve — the dream job, the amazing work friends, my future in journalism — was slipping from my grasp.

I was one of the first in line to walk into the editor's office, which had been taken over by an HR rep with a box full of severance packages. I was in survival mode — Could she get me a job elsewhere in the company? I need a job. Where do I go from here? And then it hit me. "I'm getting married!" I cried and burst into tears, realizing how hard it was going to be to pay for a wedding of 150 with no job.

More than 90 people lost their jobs, their careers, their livelihoods that day. A set of parents, both sent away jobless with a young baby at home; dozens of talented journalists who would have to leave town to find work; an editor who had his birthday thoroughly ruined that year. (Thankfully, the parents both got jobs at a new newspaper, the journalists all eventually found work in a variety of industries, and the birthday boy went on to write two books.)

I've always believed that everything happens for a reason. In this case, I'm not sure I've totally understood the greater purpose, but with each year, the sadness fades, making way for new optimism about my career. Since then, I worked freelance for nearly a year before getting a job at an advertising agency just a week before our wedding. I got married, started this blog, worked on some award-winning advertising campaigns and widely expanded my skill set, had a beautiful baby boy, and am considering the possibility of going back to school.

Losing a job I loved was an incredible learning experience. I know now to be prepared for every possibility, not to take anything for granted, and make the most of every opportunity, whether good or bad.

full circle

To celebrate my blog's second birthday today, I thought I'd go back to where it all began two years ago ...

This chair:

I picked this simple chair up on Kijiji and made it my first blog DIY project. Here's how it turned out:

Now, two years later, the fabric is getting a little dingy and tired. Time for a re-do! That's where you come in. I need your help deciding which fabric to use. Here are your choices:

Fabric #1: A soft, flannel cross between a plaid and houndstooth.

Fabric #2: A smooth cotton with a bit of stretch.

Fabric #3: Unfortunately, the flash doesn't do this sample justice. A soft, light blue/grey colour with a subtle ribbed texture.

Fabric #4: A heavy beige cotton with white floral pattern.

Please take a minute to vote in the poll located in the right-hand navigation ——>

I can't believe it's been two years! Thanks so much for reading!

try it tuesday

In my efforts to try new things in the kitchen, I made my first batch of ginger molasses cookies recently. And my first thought? Why the heck haven't I made these before?! They're soo easy!

Giant Ginger Cookies

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

4 1/2 cups flour

4 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves (I didn't have cloves, so I used all spice)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

3/4 cup sugar (This is for rolling the cookies before baking. I didn't need this much. I'd say use a little at a time as needed.)

Combine together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds to soften. Gradually add the 2 cups granulated sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture.

Shape dough into 2-inch balls (this is flexible; you can make smaller cookies and bake less time accordingly). Roll balls in the 3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar (I used regular granulated sugar but next time I think I'll spring for the coarse stuff to make them prettier).

Bake at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes (10 minutes in my hell fire oven) or until cookies are light brown and puffed.

The key? Definitely don't over-bake. If you do, you'll have ginger snaps on your hands, though admittedly there are worse things to have than ginger snaps.

Now all you need is a scratch and sniff computer screen. Mmm ...

what a sin - day 7

To wrap our week of sins, we have lust. The task: list seven love secrets. Hmm ... I'm not sure how to interpret this one. How about secrets of love? With almost eight years together and nearly two and a half years of marriage behind us, Husband and I consider ourselves very lucky to be so in sync with each other. But really, we don't have any secrets to making it work. Lots of elements of our relationship come easy, but there are also lots of things that we work at to keep everything going smoothly. I'm not sure we have one thing that keeps us on track, but here are a few ideas we came up with ...

1) Be thoughtful. Sometimes this means romantic gestures, other times it's thinking of the other person before yourself. I love when Husband does or says something sweet and unexpected that reminds me how well he knows me, and I love returning the favour.

2) Appreciation where appreciation is due. Husband and I like to thank each other for the littlest things ... for taking out the garbage, for changing the baby's diaper, for making a simple meal, for turning the light out before hopping in bed. Usually, it's the little, everyday things that count the most.

3) Respect each other's time and space. Everyone needs a break now and then. If I want to spend a couple hours with girlfriends, or Husband wants to get out for a round of golf (or watch it on TV, since it's February), we give each other the freedom to do so as much as possible. If I'm busy with a project, Husband jumps in to take over with Baby J, and visa versa. We can't function as a couple if we don't take time for ourselves as individuals.

4) Be each other's No. 1 supporters. When it comes to jobs and goals and dreams, we're behind each other 100%. Even when it comes to the baby, we both have our own methods for everything from diaper changing and dressing, to soothing and cuddling. We do our best to respect and encourage each other's methods. Parenting is the ultimate teamwork, after all.

5) Admitting when he's we're wrong. I kid, I kid. We have differences of opinions all the time. It's healthy. I would hate to be with a partner who had the same thoughts as I do. When disagreements arise, we try our best to fight fair. Hear each other out, provide constructive criticism when needed, and be able to apologize and forgive.

6) Find our best time of day and enjoy it. Since Baby J arrived, Husband and I obviously have less alone time, which we're OK with; it's what we signed up for. But we take what we can get and the hour or so before we go to bed has turned into some really great quality time. Usually it consists of watching a show on the DVR or chatting about our days, followed by teeth brushing and reading or talking some more in bed. We value that time together so much these days.

7) Looking ahead. Our schedule is key to keeping our day-to-day lives running smoothly. We have a whiteboard calendar on our fridge where we write down everything that's coming up. It's the only way we can both stay organized and remember what each other is up to. By taking into account the other person's schedule, we can usually avoid squabbles about time conflicts and make the most of the time we have together when things get busy.

These are just a few things that make us tick. Have any love secrets of your own to share?

***

Here's what you've missed:

Day 1 - Pride. Seven great things about yourself.

Day 2 - Envy. Seven things you lack and covet.
Day 3 - Wrath. Seven things that piss you off.
Day 4 - Sloth. Seven things you neglect to do.
Day 5 - Greed. Seven worldly material desires.
Day 6 - Gluttony. Seven guilty pleasures.
Day 7 - Lust. Seven love secrets.

Check out what Amy and Heather are posting, too!

snow days are for ...

... baking!

Last week when we got more than 30 cm of snow over a couple days, and Husband got two days off school, so I handed him the baby and dove into the kitchen. When it's chilly outside, I love warming up our home with delicious smells wafting from the oven.

Muffins are one of the easiest things to whip up on a moment's notice. We always have the basic ingredients — flour, milk, eggs, sugar — and just about anything works for a mix-in. This time I used frozen blueberries. Sometimes I use mashed bananas, chocolate chips or cinnamon topped with streusel crumble. A friend brought cranberry orange muffins over last week, which was a really tasty combo, too.

I caught an episode of Eat, Shrink and Be Merry the other day all about muffins. The ladies made Little Miss Muffin Tops using special pans. These are definitely on my list of must-try recipes.

Hungry yet? Here are a couple tips for your next batch of muffins:

— Fill the cups nice and full. The recipe I use is supposed to make a dozen muffins, but I only make six. I like nice, big, crispy tops.

— Not sure if the muffins are done? I have that problem with pretty much everything I bake because our oven has really weird heat. The trick: poke the muffin top with your finger. If your finger indent stays, they're not ready yet. If the muffin bounces back, they're om-nom-nom ready.

— Don't mix too much. Over stirred muffin batter makes tough, chewy results. Combine your wet and dry ingredients gently until just moistened; it's OK if it's still a little lumpy.

— A little tip from my Mum: If you're using a 12-cup muffin pan to make six muffins, fill the remaining cups half full with water. This will keep the empty cups from scorching in the oven and will help the muffins bake evenly.

what a sin - day 6

Don't forget to let me know if you're playing along in our little Seven Deadly Sins game so I can link to your blog, too.

We're on to the second-to-last in our countdown: Gluttony. List seven guilty pleasures. Since traditionally gluttony refers to the overindulgence of food and drink, I'm going to stick with that theme. Have you ever watched The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network Canada? That show would definitely give you lots of great ideas for this post. Speaking of TV, you'll also find some exemplary gluttony on Man vs. Food.

1) My favourite meal: homemade baked beans, Maritime brown bread and ooey, gooey mac and cheese.

2) Mounds of salty hand-cut, deep fried French fries and Heinz ketchup. Only Heinz.

3) A big turkey dinner with all the fixins, minus the turkey. Smooth, whipped potatoes, sweet potato pie, green bean casserole, squash casserole, stuffing and Lady Ashburnham pickles.

4) The grilled cheese sandwich at The Knot in Lunenburg.

5) A Mexican fiesta fit for a queen. Veggie tacos, rice and bean burritos, loaded nachos and lots of guacamole.

6) While we're talking national cuisine, let's go to Italy. Fettuccine alfredo, veggie lasagna, garlic baguette and hand-tossed pizza loaded with fresh toppings.

7) I'll top it all off with my favourite desserts: pecan pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, warm chocolate chip cookies, turtle cheesecake and strawberry shortcake.

Pardon me while I go get a snack.

***

Here's what you've missed, and what's to come:

Day 1 - Pride. Seven great things about yourself.

Day 2 - Envy. Seven things you lack and covet.
Day 3 - Wrath. Seven things that piss you off.
Day 4 - Sloth. Seven things you neglect to do.
Day 5 - Greed. Seven worldly material desires.
Day 6 - Gluttony. Seven guilty pleasures.
Day 7 - Lust. Seven love secrets.

Check out what Amy and Heather are posting, too!

what a sin - day 5

It's day 5 of the seven deadly sins series: Greed. Today, we list seven worldly material desires. Hmm ... well I sort of listed some of my worldly material desires in my Envy post, so I'm going to use this post to dream really big ... like genie-wish big.

1) More time in the day. Who wouldn't like an extra hour or two each day to spend relaxing, laughing with friends and loving with family? Save the chores for the first 24 hours.

2) A big lotto win. OK, I know it'd be pretty impossible for me to win the lottery since I never buy tickets, but maybe I could miraculously find one on the sidewalk with all the right numbers?

3) A private jet for all of my luxurious, jet-setting adventures. You can come with me, though; I'm not that greedy.

4) Personal hair stylist and make-up artist who would come to my home each morning and make me look polished, fresh and ready for anything.

5) A walk-in closet full of designer clothes and shoes that all fit me perfectly.

6) Unlimited access to the freshest ingredients, gadgets, cookbooks, and all the time in the world to cook and bake for friends and family. I get the hostess gene from my Mum.

7) Lastly? I'd like more wishes, of course. This is all about being greedy, right?

Here's what you've missed, and what's to come:

Day 1 - Pride. Seven great things about yourself.

Day 2 - Envy. Seven things you lack and covet.
Day 3 - Wrath. Seven things that piss you off.
Day 4 - Sloth. Seven things you neglect to do.
Day 5 - Greed. Seven worldly material desires.
Day 6 - Gluttony. Seven guilty pleasures.
Day 7 - Lust. Seven love secrets.

review: fisher price precious planet jumperoo

I think this picture says it all ...

When CSN Stores approached me to do a product review, I was thrilled that we could try out the Fisher Price Precious Planet Jumperoo. After several hours of fun, here are my thoughts:

Pros:

- It was pretty simple to assemble.

- I was told it would arrive by February 4, and it was here on February 2.

- I love the colours, lights and sounds. It's very interactive.

- It's more compact than I expected. It only takes up as much space as the Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle 'n' Swing. The Jumperoo was the perfect next-step for Jacob's development, now that he's uninterested in the swing.

- Jacob loves it! Even though his feet barely touch the floor on the lowest setting, he quickly learned how to hop around to make the fixtures light up and the music play.

Cons:

- The base didn't come together evenly. One side of the triangle-shaped bottom is higher off the floor than the others. We put the Jumperoo on foam play mats to help keep it flat which corrected the issue, but now we're going to need to buy more play mats for when he's playing on the floor.

I'm very happy with our decision — the huge grin on our little dude's face as he bounces and plays tells me he approves, too.

what a sin - day 4

It's the fourth of seven days in the fun and trivial seven deadly sins series: sloth. The task: list seven things you neglect to do. Oh, this is easy. I have millions.

1) Keep Baby J's scrapbook up to date. Oh, I hate this one the most. I used to be such a diligent little scrapbooker. Lately, I just can't be bothered to take out all the supplies and make the big mess that will inevitably need to be cleaned up.

2) Fold clean laundry. Right now, as I type in bed, there are about three loads of clean laundry piled high in a basket staring at me from across the room. I know, it's shameful.

3) Fill up the car with gas. Oh yeah, I live on the edge. I see that gas light go on and it's almost like a challenge to see how far I can go. Believe it or not, I have yet to actually run out of gas (knock on wood).

4) Walk/run as much as I'd like to. I know some extra cardio could really help give the leftover pregnancy weight a run for its money (pun totally intended), but I'll let myself off easy and blame the fact that it's February in Canada, which equals minus zero temps and ever-rising snowbanks.

5) Complete to do lists. I usually get all of my tasks done eventually, but I almost never finish one list before starting another. I simply take the remaining items from list A and dump them over onto list B.

6) Water my plants. The two that have survived are succulents. That's the only reason they've survived.

7) Make our bed. Husband doesn't do this one either. It's easier to ignore the problem if you share the blame with some else.

Here's what you've missed, and what's to come:

Day 1 - Pride. Seven great things about yourself.

Day 2 - Envy. Seven things you lack and covet.
Day 3 - Wrath. Seven things that piss you off.
Day 4 - Sloth. Seven things you neglect to do.
Day 5 - Greed. Seven worldly material desires.
Day 6 - Gluttony. Seven guilty pleasures.
Day 7 - Lust. Seven love secrets.

Check out what Amy and Heather are posting, too!