The Table Is Mine!

Guess what's sitting in my garage right this minute?

If you guessed a filthy dirty, scratched up, colored on, marked up old table, you would be right!

I had third dibs on this table, and somehow I ended up being the lucky buyer! It's just what I have been looking for and I can't wait to get started on refinishing it. I'll share the details along the way.

In other house news, Brook's bedding arrived and we have her headboard built and will be building the footboard tonight. I cannot wait to get her into her new bed!

Thrifty Threads

I found this little denim dress at the thrift store last weekend. It was too cute to pass up! It has a subtle mandarin collar, giant buttons, and an adorable cinched waist. We added some black tights and black patent shoes she already owned.

 

We had a Saturday afternoon date with Grandma at a local tea house for her first ever "real" tea party, and she had told me earlier in the week that she needed to wear a "pretty sess for da tea pawty." I didn't want to put her in any of her satin party dresses because I knew she would probably be getting messy, so this was the perfect (read: washable) alternative, while still looking adorable!

Dress - Joe Fresh, $4.99 from the thrift store

Black Tights - Joe Fresh, $2.99 marked down from $5

Black Patent Bow Shoes - Joe Fresh, marked down to $6.99

Praying For A Table

I'm dreaming of a new kitchen table.

We have the Liatorp from Ikea. Cute, right?

No. It's horrible. The quality is absolute crap. The finish is all chipped off, so now the cheap pressboard it is made out of is starting to bubble and swell. If someone sits at the end of the table and dares to put their elbows on it, the whole thing comes THIS close to flipping over. It stains every time someone drops a piece of food on it.

It just all around sucks and is in terrible shape. And we've only had it for about 4 years! The chairs are holding up well - a few scratches and they need to be tightened sometimes but they're perfectly fine.

I'm dreaming of a new pedastal table. I love the look of them, this one just didn't work out because of it's poor quality. Oh, and the fact that I am always gasping and grabbing the table if anyone leans on it for fear that the other end will flip up and hit them in the head.

I've set my heart on getting an older, solid wood table and painting the leg white with a dark stained top.

And of course, just the other day I found the perfect used one for sale, for a great price!! And I don't want the chairs, but I found someone else who will buy the chairs and let me have the table, which means I will get it for even CHEAPER!

The only problem? Someone else already has dibs on it. Is it terrible that I am hoping they hate it ? I want it so bad! I have to wait until the weekend to find out of it's mine or not and it's killing me.

Come on table, we were meant to be together!

from here

from here

January Favorites

This whole month has been kind of a hard one. We've been sick with everything under the sun, all three of us. Add in a frozen pipe that burst and soaked my daycare floors, some money stresses, and a frustrating personal situation and we've had a pretty rough time of it. But we made it through, and I did discover some great new things this month . . . .


I feel bad including this one, because I just bought it three days ago but it's THAT GOOD.

Chocolate Rocket tea from David's tea. I had a gift certificate and wandered in to the store on Saturday to try some new teas. The sales girls there are always awesome but this time the girl was whipping down teas faster than I could smell them; I love getting to smell all the teas, but I feel bad standing there and asking over and over for them to bring tins down off the wall. LOVE it when the sales girl seems cheerful and keeps bringing me more! I bought this one because it smelled amazing and it tastes so good too! My new favorite tea for sure!


Gap Long and Lean jeans.

I am one of those girls who buys the $20 jeans at walmart because I'm trying to "save money", wears them for 2 months and they are worn out and destined for the trash. Lately I have been trying to give myself permission to buy quality clothing, because I seem to go through clothes so quickly (Mostly due to the fact that my job is pretty hard on clothes). I am beginning to learn that if a $60 pair of jeans will fit way better, make my butt look good, and last 4 times as long as that cheap $20 pair of jeans I am actually saving more money than buying all those pairs of cheap jeans.

I got a pair of Gap Long and Leans online, during a sale. I only paid $30 some dollars for them, which is a-ok in my book, and wow. I put them on and could not stop commenting about how soft they felt. "This fabric!" I kept saying, and rubbing my legs. My husband keeps laughing at me but this is the first pair of nice jeans I've owned since high school!



Lush snake oil.

I have such dry skin, and in the winter its so dry I can't even begin to describe it. My entire face flakes and gets red, I exfoliate daily and slather on thick face creams twice a day. It hurts when I smile or raise my eyebrows because the skin is so tight. But the worst part is it creates dandruff. It's not technically dandruff, since it's dry skin and not caused by a fungus..but it may as well be.
The skin around my hairline flakes like crazy, just like my face. But it's pretty hard to moisturize your scalp! I've tried dandruff shampoos, moisturizing shampoos, hair masks. I've tried hot oil treatments, mayonaise treatments, and once even pureed bananas. And yes, I spent an hour picking out chunks of banana from my hair and swore to never try that again.

My usual treatment is to slather the skin around my hairline with vaseline before bed and deal with having greasy hair framing my face as even shampoo can't get rid of the grease that stuff leaves behind. So when I went to my Lush store and saw Snake Oil, I grabbed it and prayed it would help.
And it does! It definitely has cut down on my itchiness and the flaking! Not 100%, but a lot! The only downside is it is really awkward to apply...I usually end up just taking the bar and scrubbing it into my hair all around my face, and then massage it in with my fingers.



Orzo.

Until this week I had never tried orzo before. I've heard of it, but never seen it at my grocery store and it's not something I've ever seen on a restaurant menu. What can I say? I eat out only on rare occasions, and even that is usually a piece of pizza at Costco or a sandwich at the local fast food restaurant. I happened to see it on my last trip to the grocery store - I'm not sure if they just started carrying it or if I have been blind for the last 7 years, but I got some. I made this recipe for dinner and it was really good! I still prefer risotto but this is definitely less fussy to make so I'll be keeping a bag in my pantry from now on.


An Adiot Abroad.

I was working on a project in the living room one Sunday evening, with the tv on for noise in the background. This strange travel documentary came on and I was about to change the channel when the guy said something so funny it made me laugh out loud. I looked at the program information to see just WHAT sort of weird show I was watching, and saw that Ricky Gervaise was producing it. I immediately turned it up and called my husband to come and watch, and for the rest of the show we sat on the couch howling with laughte and slapping our leg(me) and snorting (him). It's now been added to our PVR schedule and I look forward to it every week. We're a season behind on the channel we catch it on, but I've seen previews for the second season and it looks even better than this one!

If you haven't seen this show, here's a clip of the episode that got us hooked! It's definitely very irreverent and raw . . . just FYI.

Bits and Pieces

-I got Brook's room painted, curtains and chandelier hung, and took the front off her crib. Still haven't started on her bed but I ordered her bedding! Our first night with the crib front off was not good. Let's just say that it resulted in Brook's dad getting out a socket wrench and putting the front back on at 2am. We now are borrowing a bed rail from a neighbor and it seems to be working!

-I am sick with my 4th cold in 2 months. I feel completely worn down.

-Half my town is on Visalus, including most of my friends. Can't log in to Facebook without seeing someone asking people to join their team or posting their weigh in, or raving about their yummy shake they are drinking...I am tempted to try it to boost my weight loss, but I feel like it's a gimmick and I can't find the ingredient list anywhere of what is actually in the powder. I think if you replaced 2 meals a day with a healthy shake of any kind you would lose weight, I'm not convinced this magic powder does anything good. And I'd rather keep teaching myself portion control and healthy choices than live off of shakes and one meal a day. But everyone has such great success it's hard not to be jealous and think it would be an easy way to speed things up.

-My energy has been incredibly low lately, as has my mood. It probably has to do with being sick so often, but I just feel so tired all the time and can't seem to have energy to get the things done that I usually do in a day.

-I am going thrift store shopping and out for lunch with Brook on Saturday and I am looking forward to it so much, even if she will fuss and make every stop take twice as long as it would alone. Girlie time!

-I've been painting signs and making chalkboards like crazy....loving having another way to make a bit of extra money, even if it's not very much. It feels good to be creative again!

-We got our new phone books delivered to our door the other day. I say books because we got 3. Why 3, I don't know as all our neighbors got 1. I had to laugh when a friend knocked on my door for a visit and handed me 2 phone books that were sitting on our step, and as she did so a delivery boy walked up and tossed another on onto the porch!

Room Tour Before The Makeover

Pink, Pink, and more Pink

I am beginning Brook's room decorating tomorrow and I could not be more excited! It's like Christmas around here!


We still haven't built her bed so she will stay in her crib for a little longer...her crib is black and her new bed will be white; her entire room will be a complete different style than her nursery so until the bed is finished I am sure her crib will stick out like a sore thumb, but it's a beautiful crib so it could be worse.

Here's the plan...

-Paint the walls the softest ballet pink

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-Hang a new chandelier

-New drapes and a blind.

-A collage wall of frames and butterflies

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-A white farmhouse bed, made up in all shades of white, cream, and pink

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-A home made toy storage shelf

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I'll share photos along the way as we turn her room into an adorable little girl's space!

Give More At The Grocery Store

Ever since I decided to Give More this year, I have been thinking about how I need to include Brook in this. She's only 2, but I think that she's old enough to understand the basic concept of giving things to people that need them as long as I can illustrate it in a simple way.

I was trying to think of some way I can start having her participate in giving. Sure we're always teaching her to share her toys and to give hugs and kisses, but I wanted to find something her and I could do together that would be a great life lesson.

I struggle with being generous and giving with my finances . . . call me a scrooge, but I'm being honest. It's hard for me to donate money without grumbling. I think if I had practiced it more as a child and a teen, it would be more natural for me now instead of like pulling teeth. I hope to change that in myself this year, and also to raise Brook in a way that she will be a naturally giving, generous person.

So we've incorporated a little giving into our weekly grocery shop.

Every week when I take Brook grocery shopping, we pick out 2 or 3 items to donate to the food bank. I usually choose a bulk box of pasta, or a bag of rice, sometimes canned vegetables. Brook chooses something "Fun" that is a rare treat around here like chocolate covered granola bars, fruit gummies, or flavored instant oatmeal.

I've found it works two-fold because if she sees a brightly colored, cartoon festooned box and starts up the "Mommy I want that!" chorus, I can talk to her about choosing that item as something to give to the boys and girls who don't have enough food to eat. She is thrilled to hug the box as we wheel around the store, and equally as thrilled to toss it into the donation bin at the end of the grocery tills. We talk about giving the food to some boy or girl whose Mommy doesn't have any yummy food to give them, so we can help by giving them this yummy treat. That way she feels like she "gets" some of those sugary items without actually taking them home and eating them, which makes me happy too.

I know donating sugary snacks and treats may not be the most healthful choices to be donating. I do. Which is why MY choices are always healthy, and she gets to choose 1 junky/kid food to give. My logic is that those foods tend to be status foods around the lunch table at school and on the playground. I remember when I was a kid being so jealous of the kids at school who had things like Gushers and Dunkaroos,

and on the rare occasion my mom would put them in my lunch how proud I was, and what a big production was made of pulling them out of my lunch box and enjoying them noisily in front of all the kids who only had homemade cookies as their treat.


Anyway . . .

I can still remember who the "poor" kids at my school were. And I mostly remember that because of the fact that they brought their lunches in a plastic grocery bag, and they usually had a sandwich and an apple while everyone else was eating granola bars, cookies, and cracker sandwiches filled with fake cheese. Their lunches were different than everyone else and in the lion's den that elementary school tends to be, those little differences were all it took for someone to be labelled "poor" or" uncool".

I know everyone needs good nutrition, but if I can give some little girl a pack of Dora gummies to take to school for the first time ever, so she can be proud to show off the contents of her lunch box, then that's what I'm going to do. And I'll throw in some green beans and pasta for mom :)

I Paint-a The Walls

 

When we moved in about 6 weeks ago, most of the house was painted this bright yellow including the living room.

It's a very nice yellow. It is. (Can you hear me trying to convince myself here?)

But it's definitely not for us.

Imagine having a bright yellow kitchen, a bright yellow living room, and a bright yellow hallway. Oh and add in a bright yellow stairwell too, just for kicks. And then in the middle of all that yellow add in a cranberry red dining room. 

I am SO not a bright colors type of girl. I love beachy, cottagey spaces that feel soft and light . . . this yellow is not doing any of that for me.

I lived with paint swatches and chips plastered around the room like this for the last two weeks.

And I finally picked a color! I painted the living room this weekend, with a very adorable two year old "helper" who followed me around trying to pick up the brush and running her fingers along the "Shiny" walls, all while chanting "You paint -a the walls mommy?" She loves to add "a" to every verb . . .  "I eat -a my food!" "You brush -a your teeth, mommy?" "I love-a you!" We call her our little Italian baby, haha.

And I love it! Except we can still see so much yellow from the living room that I am still irritated by it. I cannot wait for the day that I can look around and not see any bright yellow on any walls. Soon. Very soon. Next weekend I hope to tackle another yellow room, which would only leave 3 more yellow spaces to paint.

Mustard yellow paint, your days in this house are numbered!

What's In My Bag

I'm an avid Youtube watcher, and I always love the What's In My Bag, What's In My Fridge, or What's In My Closet type of videos. Call me snoopy, but I love to see the more private but mundane parts of other people's lives.

So here's my version of What's In My Bag

1. My wallet. It's Jessica Simpson brand and used to have her signature in silver metal on the front. It fell off and I like it better this way anyway :) I bought it at Winners and I love it because it has tons of room for cards and receipts

2. My phone. Plain jane, no frills aside from a slide out keyboard but I love it. I have an Ipod touch so I have yet to fall into the camp of Iphone owners, I just carry both around with me. When either of these devices bites the dust though, I'll probably be getting one but hopefully it won't be for a long time.

3. Chequebook.

4. Revlon Superlusterous lip gloss. Best. Gloss. Ever. I have about 4 of them in the color Nude Lustre, I just feel compelled to buy one every time I go to Walmart as I wear this stuff constantly. This one is the color Cherries In The Snow, and I so wish I had stocked up on it. It was a limited edition color and I love it so much, a beautiful cherry red that goes on sheer.

5. 3 pens. I'm shocked there weren't more as I am a serial list maker and writer.

6. A random quarter

7. Burts Bees cuticle cream. Good stuff, but I much prefer the Lemony Flutter from Lush

8. Old school Polly Pockets from when I was a kid. Lifesavers for entertaining Brook during church or while running errands

9. A smashed-to-smithereens Nutrigrain bar, which is also intended to be a Brook distraction

10. Hair elastics because I can't stand having my hair down

11. An earring. No idea where the other one is

12. Bobby pin for hair emergencies


My bag was a gift, I love it! It's big and slouchy and holds notebooks, paint swatches, diapers and anything else I decide to haul with me. Being a germaphobe, I also like that it's wipeable because the bottoms of purses gross me out big time. Ick!

I also use this little Guess purse when I just want to carry my wallet and phone. I got it at a thrift store for $6 - can't beat that!

Bits and Pieces

I spent most of the weekend sick as a dog with the flu. Not fun. I still feel like I have been punched in the stomach but otherwise am back on my feet.

I missed my dad's retirement dinner that I planned because of being sick as a dog. I totally cried over it too. The first opportunity for a night out that involved getting dressed up and going to a restaurant in a LOOOOONG time, and I was home wearing pyjamas instead of the outfit I had laid out on my bed, and puking into a bucket while my husband was enjoying a baby free evening eating steak and prawns. I would give just about anything to have a nice night out some time... I freely admit I was pretty bitter to miss it.

My living room is spotted with paint chips and swatches. I am forcing myself to just pick a color already and get started on this house, because all the mustard yellow is driving me nuts! Photos to come!

I sold my first handmade piece this week! David and I have been building chalkboard, shelves, and other wooden decorative items to start raising money for our kitchen renovation. I sold a chalkboard and got an order for a second one on our first day! So encouraging!

My deoderant shattered on the floor two days ago. I haven't made it to the store to buy more, so I've been using a spare one of David's. I HATE smelling like a man all day and have probably been overcompensating with liberal squirts of perfume, but did I go to the store today? Nope. MUST remember tomorrow.

Weekly Menu January 9-15

Monday - Cheesy Baked Spaghetti, snap peas and baby carrots sauteed with garlic butter

Tuesday - Herb and parmesan crusted halibut, quinoa, caesar salad

Wednesday - Ginger pork with oyster sauce from So Tasty, So Yummy

Thursday - Breakfast for supper; scrambled eggs, toast, and orange julius style smoothies

Friday - Baked salmon, potato wedges, and salad

Weekends are a free for all around here, meaning we eat leftovers or easy things like sandwiches or canned soup.

Went Out For Milk, Came Home With An Owl

I was looking through my pinterest boards, going over all my inspiration for Brook's room when I saw this photo the other day.

At first all I could look at was the flying angel cat, hung mid-pounce over the bed. It's absolutely adorable but I don't think I could sleep under that without waiting for the cat to land on my face, ha ha.


Ok now if you can look past that flying feline. . . .

You see an adorable owl pillow perched on the bed. I love it! I remember seeing them on Pottery Barn's website a while ago so I went back to check it out.

Not only are they super cute, and really big, but they actually aren't even TOOO terribly priced. Imagine me saying that while cringing and shrugging my shoulders, because that's how I said it. I can never bring myself to pay Pottery Barn's prices, especially since it seems like most retailers don't even design things anymore they just rip off Pottery Barn at a fraction of the price.


Sure enough, I found an adorable ( I'll admit not as cute, but for the price I paid I can forgive the fact that my owl is like the Pottery Barn owl's ugly cousin.) knockoff tonight.

I bet all you American readers will never guess where I got it, and all my Canadian readers are already saying they know where I found it! The most awesome Canadian store ever, that is quickly becoming our version of Target. Superstore, baby!

Yeeep. I got my owl at the grocery store. If you haven't been to Superstore/ Extra Foods you are missing out. It's a grocery store that also contains the Joe Fresh line (which just launched in the US, by the way!) and the President's Choice line of home decor, furniture, and just general home goods like workout equipment. I love them for their super cheap prices, and I love them even more for the fact that they are one of those retailers who love to knock off tons of Pottery Barn stuff.

When I found the owl, it was mixed in with a bin full of tweed yorkie puppies wearing red scarves leftover from Christmas. It was the only one left, and I couldn't find a price anywhere.

Another thing I love about Superstore is their awesome customer service - people in my town love to grouch about their long lines and crappy service but I actually find them to be excellent 99% of the time! Tonight was no exception - it wouldn't ring up at the till and the stock boy could not find a price on the shelf either. So I got it for .44 cents!

A price that great sure takes the sting out of the fact that my owl is only the ugly cousin knock off of the real deal. And really, it's not ugly at all . . . I think it's pretty darn cute!

To Do List

The list of things to do around here seems endless. It always does when we first move into a new house (this is our third in 7 years) because I usually want to change just about everything. Thank goodness I have a husband who is not only handy but who also understands design and doesn't roll his eyes TOO much when I replace every single light fixture, plug cover, paint color, and window covering in the entire place.

It seems overwhelming when I gaze around and begin adding up how much everything will cost. I sometimes feel panicky about what to tackle first when it seems that absolutely everything needs doing, and one project won't even make a dent in the amount of work it will take to make this house ours.

I'm breaking it down into what I think we will be able to accomplish this year. Most of these are simply based on budget and what we can reasonably afford. Our kitchen needs a complete gut, as do both of our bathrooms but we know none of that will be happening any time soon. I HATE our exterior but new siding and trim is definitely going to be a way down the road project ( I do have a plan to spiff up the outside of the house on the cheap though!) . . . and on and on until the list of upgrades are narrowed down into what's left that CAN be done.

I am so excited to dig in and get started on this place. Our last two homes were temporary spaces, that we knew we would not be in for more than a few years and so a lot of my decisions were budget based, rather than what I really wanted. This time we plan to do it right, choosing the finishes and fixtures that we truly love even if it means waiting longer to do projects so we can save up the money to splurge. It's going to be beautiful someday.

Ok, enough blathering. On with the list!


2012 To Do

-Build Brook a bed, a toy storage unit, and decorate her room
-Paint the entryway and living room the perfect greige
-Finish the living room photo wall
-Paint the front door
-Paint the dining room
-New window treatments in the living room and dining room
-Start landscaping and put in a garden outside
-Build new bedroom side tables and a headboard
-New bedding for us


I hope next year I will be able to say I have crossed all of those things and more off my list!

Brook''s Room Inspiration

We moved into our home a month ago, and so far I haven't done much by way of decorating. We had a tight budget this month so there wasn't extra for purchasing non - necessities, and I was busy hosting Christmas and dealing with a personal crisis.

Now that all of those things are over with, (well we still have to work with a budget but I have some moolah at least now!) I am super excited to redo Brook's room! Her closet is slowly filling up with my pile of things for her new space . . . I have an adorable chandelier, paint, some frames and random decor things. Her bed is being built next week by my husband, and after that I just need to purchase her mattress and bedding and figure out a window treatment. I can't wait to get started!

I've been collecting inspiration pictures for a while. I want something adorable and girlie, but something that is not babyish and also has a lot of my style thrown in so the room flows with the rest of the house.

This room from Jennifer Johner is my favorite!

Loving the embroidery hoops with fabric . . . from here





So pretty!

I'm currently testing out this wall color in my living room, but love the photo for nursery inspiration to!

 

Definitely doing my own version of this cute print!

December Favorites

1. Puppy Chow. I make it every year at Christmas, but this year I was trying to be cheap so I added popcorn to the bowl as the cereal was almost $6 for a small box! It was even better and I will definitely do it again next year!


2. David's Tea. I've been a fan for a long time but I received some of their holiday teas as a present and I am loving both Sleigh Ride and Snow Bunny. I also got Hot Toboggan but to be honest I'm sort of meh about it.

3. My burlap stockings from the Ruffled Daisy on Etsy. She was a pleasure to work with. My stockings were custom made for me and in the mail in only a couple of days, and they are beautifully made! I picked her in the first place because her burlap stockings were the only ones on Etsy not wayy overpriced but I think I was very lucky to have chosen her! Highly recommend this seller and I'm planning to order a burlap table runner from her next year!


4. Revlon Colorstay Foundation. I've been using this foundation for a few years and I have always liked it, but I never realized how truly great this foundation was until I strayed. It's almost $20 a bottle which seems like a lot for drugstore makeup so I cheaped out a while back and bought a $12 Covergirl foundation that had been a favorite in high school. It had almost no coverage and was so watery, I hated it and went back to my Revlon. I had a Maybelline foundation kicking around my purse from a while back and tried that one for a few days too and absolutely hated it. Nothing compares to my Revlon! It's thick and creamy which means it has wonderful full coverage which is great for me since I have a ruddy complexion. It has great staying power and doesn't have any weird smells or shimmer, which I hate more than anything in the world. Seriously why do they put shimmer into foundations now?

5. The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall. I got it for Christmas and I am only about halfway through but really enjoying it. The last few books I have read have been total duds and I was starved for something, anything well written.

6. Lush Ocean Salt and Lemony Flutter.
The staff used this combo on me last time I went to the store....I already use both products but have never used them together like this before. I got new pots of both products for Christmas, hooray! It's the BEST for dry chapped hands. You must try. Seriously. Next time you see a Lush store go in and ask them to do this for you and you will be in love! Here's a Youtube tutorial on the treatment.

Spend Less, Give More

Of course I found this on Pinterest . . . so fitting!

Spend Less, Give More

I've never really done New Year's Resolutions before. Oh sure I've decided I wanted to lose weight, or set "goals" like buying a house or getting pregnant  . . .but usually things that were already in the works or I had been preparing for a long time already. I'm in the camp that New Year's resolutions are mostly hokey and something that no one sticks with anyway, so why bother?

But this year, I have a definite New Year's resolution. Well, it's not really a resolution as much as it is a phrase . . . maybe I should call it a motto? Or maybe I should go with Ali's idea and just say it's my word for the year?

It all started a few weeks ago when our pastor did a sermon on spending less and giving more this holiday season. I'm sure pastors everywhere gave similar versions, as did many grandmothers and moms and teachers . . . I think spending less has become something of a motto itself around Christmastime now.

But he said something that really struck a chord with me. It was something along the lines of "We were MADE to serve and to give, not to consume." I could not stop thinking about that. And the theme of "Spend Less, Give More" was carried on at church leading up to the holidays, each week speaking to me more and more. That phrase was rolling over and over in my mind all month long. The Mister and I talked about it and found some ways to give - we donated a little money here, dropped cash into the pots of the bell ringers outside of Walmart, helped an old lady with her groceries.

On Christmas Eve our church set a goal of raising $10,000 to drill a well in Africa for a village without clean drinking water. We gave cash; maybe not much to some people but it was a lot for us and our budget. As we watched a video showing children in Africa dancing and splashing in the spray of clean water after receiving their well I felt really good that I was helping such a great cause.  I would even go so far as to say that I was feeling pretty good about myself.

We had a lovely Christmas and both gave and received all sorts of stuff that we didn't need.

Today I went shopping. The week after Christmas is like Black Friday in Canada, full of amazing deals you will never see again all year. I had been saving some money I had earned by selling things I didn't want anymore on a local swap site, and so I bought some new clothes at %70 off, and used gift cards to get a pretty light fixture and paint for my daughter's room. I was really enjoying an afternoon out to myself when I pulled into my favorite store.

Winners.

Winners is one of those discount department stores that has designer brands and great stuff, all at discounted prices. I LOVE to shop there, it's where I buy most of my home decor and a lot of my cosmetics and clothes.

I pulled into the parking lot, pull out my wallet and  felt that little butterfly feeling of excitement that I get when I am on the hunt for great deals. I opened my car door, and I saw it.

Giant red signs, plastered in every window of the store.

And on those signs the words "Spend Less, Give More"


This year I have decided to make that phrase my resolution. I'm not saying that I won't ever spend money on frivilous things or that I planning to give away all my posessions. But I feel like I need to work on being less selfish and have my eyes opened to more ways that I can help and serve others.

Here's to a year of giving more and spending less!

Bits and Pieces

 - Yesterday was my last day of work; I'm closed next week, partially due to the fact that I only had 3 children schedule to attend, and partially due to the fact that I really need a break. I am so excited to be able to leave the house next week while it's still light out! Usually when I have time off I spend as little of it as possible at home. We'll be out shopping and visiting and going for walks for the next 10 glorious days!


 - Brook said "I love you" properly for the first time last night. And it was to her grandma, which made it even better. She's almost two but has still been saying  "I shoo shoo" for some reason. Last night clear as a bell it came out "I luff you". As soon as she said it everyone cheered which made her say it again 3 more times! Most wonderful sound in the world.


- Today I'm baking muffins and breads for Christmas morning breakfast, grocery shopping, wrapping the last few presents, and going to finish decorating and deep clean the house. Whew!


 - The Mister and I opened our gifts last night. The last few years we have done it on Christmas Eve after going to the Christmas Eve service, because we usually have company for breakfast on Christmas morning and like to do it privately with just the two of us. This year we are going to a party before AND after the service, so we decided to do it on the 23rd. It felt weird opening gifts so early but it was so fun and always a special time for us. We sit in front of the tree with Christmas music on and get to relax and open our gifts with no distrations or commentary from the audience who would be watching us if we waitied for Christmas morning.


- We moved into this house almost a month ago and I still cannot find my bread pans. I had to bake my banana bread as muffins which annoyed me because I was picturing a plate of nice bread slices on the table Christmas morning.

What To Get Your Daycare Provider or Child's Teacher For Christmas

I run a daycare in my home now, but previously I was a preschool teacher, a daycare worker in a large center, and a nanny.

I've gotten many, many gifts from grateful parents over the years. Some, amazing and memorable. Others...donated to the goodwill. Sorry....I winced as I wrote that, but it's the truth. There's only so many Dollar Store Christmas mugs one woman can keep!

Teachers and daycare workers are so hard to buy for, I get it. You don't really know them...you don't see a lot of signs about their life or their personal taste when you get 5 minutes with them each day in the context of their workplace. But yet you want to get them something they will love, and that will convey the message that you appreciate all their hard work!

ANY gesture is much appreciated, whether we find the gift useful or not . . . just knowing that you thought enough of us to do something nice is enough to make me feel really special. EVEN if it's another Dollar Store Mug, haha.

So what do you get? Here are my suggestions from years of experience and dozens of gifts opened!





1. Cash. Cold hard cash. I ONLY recommend this gift if this is a person whom you "pay" and can just add in a little bonus. Handing Johnny's third grade teacher a 20? Not so cool, and awkward too. But tacking on a little extra to your daycare provider's cheque is a really lovely thing to do.


2. Gift cards. Honestly, even if you only have $5 to spend, I'd rather get a small gift card to a store I like than another cheap box of chocolate. My favorites to receive are gift cards to coffee shops, a gourmet tea store nearby, book stores, or even good old Walmart! Don't feel bad that you can't afford a $25 card and worry that you will look cheap by just giving 5 or 10 dollars on a card. Something thoughtful and useful is so appreciated, regardless of it's $$$ value.


3. Cards and letters. If you can't afford a gift but want to do something, do this. Save the money you would have spent on that little chocolate or the dollar store mug (what is it with the dollar store mugs, anyway?) and buy a card. Or just let your kiddo color on a sheet of paper and write on top...

I have received some lovely cards over the years and I still remember how they made me feel and which parents wrote them. Hearing how appreciated you are is amazing..it brings me to tears when I read that you loved the last art project I sent home or that you are grateful for the field trip I took them on last fall. Take the time to write a few paragraphs and I can guarantee they will be thrilled, whether or not a gift comes along with your note.


4. This one is more pricy, but I have received it a few times and it's always been thrilling! A gift certificate to a salon or a spa. I opened a card once and found a gift certificate for a pedicure inside and almost cried right there. I was so tired, so burnt out, so overworked...to have a parent pay for me to be pampered like that was really moving.


5. Something your child has made. I have two artist canvases hanging in my daycare. Both were painted by children I had taught in preschool a few years ago and I treasure them still. Their mom wrote their names and the date on the back and I proudly display them! I had a wooden frame on my desk for a few years that was painted by a child and adorned with foam letters spelling out my name...I put a photo of my class inside and it was truly loved.


6. Candles, home decor items (I've received a board with my last name painted on it, some willow tree figurines, Christmas decorations, tree ornaments, and a cookie jar) GOOD chocolate, plants, bouquets of flowers, a pretty scarf or mittens.


If you have several (Or a LOT) of people to thank and they all work together, consider a group gift. Have your child give each of them a thoughtful card, and then arrange something for everyone to enjoy together. Bring a tray of cookies. Buy a fruit basket or edible arrangement. A round of drinks from Starbucks. A box of donuts. Basically food, haha. You could ask the director or principal if there is anything needed for the staff room...a new tea kettle or coffee pot perhaps?  Arrange for chinese food to be brought in at lunch time on the last day before the holidays...that one was a HIT at my school a few years ago.


Things to steer away from . . .


These are all perfectly nice gifts. If you choose to give them, I am sure they will be appreciated and received gratefully. These are just the things, in my experience that are given en masse and I usually end up overloaded with and receive duplicates of.

1. Mugs. Mugs with stuffed animals in them. Mugs with hot chocolate powder in them. Empty mugs. Mugs with chocolate in them. Mugs with a plant in them. Mugs with chocolate covered spoons in them. Mugs mugs mugs.


2. Chocolates. Now, I appreciate GOOD chocolate or a really nice little gift basket of treats. And I LOVE homemade treats if they are from a parent I trust...homemade anti pasta, salsa, cookies..mmmmmm. But the $3 box of generic brand chocolate that when I open it will be all white with age and taste like wax...seriously save your money because I just feel like a jerk tossing it away and all I really wanted from you was a sweet card and a hug!


3. Bath products. My bathroom looks like Bath and Bodyworks exploded in it after Christmas. Not that I don't like me some bubble bath, but there can be too much of a good thing sometimes. And when I get 10 of the same gift, I forget who gave what rather than your gift being memorable and making me think of you every time I use it. If you want to give me something to encourage me to pamper myself, get me a gift certificate to a spa or salon. $10 towards getting my hair cut is awesome!



And if none of these suggestions appeal to you, then purchase something for your child's classroom. A couple of new books with an inscription inside, a basket full of glue sticks, pom poms, and pipe cleaners, or a bag bursting with new supplies for the teachers' desk like post its, white board markers, pens, and highlighters. Even daycare teachers use a lot of these things!

Happy Holidays! And don't forget to thank the special people in your child's life!