Homemade Activity Books

Growing up we had this fun activity book from Disney.  I am not sure the exact title but it was something like "Sick Day activities".  I believe it was my older sister’s book at some point but my younger sister and I used it.  We only pulled it out when we were at home sick, so the novelty never wore off.  If the child is too sick to do much, but well enough to colour or do puzzles and activities then I think this is a worthy project!  Essentially that’s what this book was, a colouring book and an activity/puzzle book.  So simple in concept, and so handy!  I always like to visualize that when I have children I am going to get a binder and print from the thousands of websites that cater entertaining children, colouring pages, puzzles, games and activities and label it the “Sick Book” They only get to use it when they are sick so that it is a bit of a novelty.  I know, I know, lots of the parents out there might be laughing at my naivety to the fact that I will have time to make this book, but I can dream can’t I?

Grant it colouring books and activity books can easily be purchased at the dollar store and kept on hand in the same format.  In theory this can be made for free, (Of course there is the factoring in the cost of printer ink and paper) but if you have these items readily available it can help make a child’s sick day a little bit enjoyable.  I always remember the book and it stood out in my mind so I guess that would make it a potential hit for children and I was just thinking it would be fun to custom make a book for your child.  It could also be fun if you have more the one child, to have them make a book for their siblings ahead of time (frees up your time and gives them something to do.)  Binders or duo tangs can be purchased inexpensively on sale during Back to School sales or at the Dollar store.  If you like the idea don’t stop just at “Sick Book”, you can have a “Travel Book” or a “Rainy Day Book” or a “Waiting in a Waiting Room Book”  or seasonal “Christmas Eve Book” for when it’s a really long day waiting for the big night!  Just make sure you have crayons or pencil crayons on hand!  Just don’ let them be allowed on a regular basis (create a special book for that), keep them for the specific occasion so that they don’t get bored of them!

Backyard Camping

Growing up we always went on a yearly family camping trip, sometimes to Algonquin Park, sometimes to Parry Sound; wherever my parents could get a good deal.  I was flabbergasted when I saw what campsites in Algonquin Park currently cost, still cheaper then a hotel but not really price friendly if you are on a super tight budget.  I would love to go camping and I am sure there are other family oriented campsites around that are far more pocket friendly.  Until I can locate them I thought I would mention how my Mom used to have campouts with my sister, me and our faithful dog in our back yard.  Convenient as no long car ride (save on gas!), and you have running water, flushing toilets and showers just steps away; and best of all it’s FREE; one of my favourite ways to camp! 

We had one tent (and a camper for when we actually went somewhere) but the tent fit three people (and the dog!) perfectly.  My Mom would make the tent very cosy with lots of sleeping bags, blankets and pillows (as most of the camping took place in the summer we usually slept on top of the blankets as makeshift mattresses) and there were lots of treats: popcorn, smores, and fun candies.  We always had a little camp fire in the middle of the field that my Dad grew vegetables.  When we got to be teenagers, my mom used to allow us to camp in the backyard with our friends as well.  With her bedroom window open she could hear any goings on.  (We grew up in a small town, where people barely went down our street)   

Don’t have a tent?  Borrow one!  Don’t buy a tent unless you are anticipating using it on a regular basis.  If you buy one try to find one on clearance at the end of the summer season.  As this is more of a warm weather outing, you may be more comfortable camping in the summer, we did have a few camp outs heading into the fall, and we slept with toques, and sweatshirts and HAD A BLAST!

Always Remember:

Check with your local by-laws as lots of municipalities doesn’t allow camp fires.  If you are allowed fires keep children, pets, bedding and tents away from the fire.  Always keep a bucket of water near by and don’t have a fire on windy days!  Never leave a fire unattended!  Fire safety is so important!

Remember the bug spray!

Fishing

Growing up in a house with an avid outdoors man as a father (my Dad is awesome!), my Mom (who is also awesome!) and my two sisters and I were often encouraged to go camping, hiking and fishing.  Now fishing can add up to be quite pricey if you don’t already have the tools, borrow from a relative or a friend!  You don’t need the best of the best in fishing poles; seriously, a fish doesn’t care what is holding the line.  My family is fortunate as my Dad has collected lots of fishing gear over the years, therefore we don’t need to spend money on equipment.  We always fish with live bait and harvest the worms from our own garden the evening before.  (Let the hose run for 20 minutes or so in one spot and leave the ground for about an hour, when you come back there are usually a lot of worms to choose.  Make sure to store in a cool area in a container with air holes and dirt.)

Every adult requires a fishing license, an Outdoors Card, to fish in Ontario.  (Take this very seriously as the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has the right to impound your car if you are in violation of your license, amongst other punishments!)  All visitors to Ontario require an Ontario fishing license to fish.  You can purchase yearly or temporary Outdoors Cards, through the internet or at your local Canadian Tire or Outdoors Store.  http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_165301.html  Children under 18 and adults over 65 do not require a fishing licence.   For 2012 a one year Conservation license for an Ontario resident is $15.90.  If you plan to go fishing multiple times throughout the year this is a good deal as it’s a one time charge for the year and it can potentially bring home your dinner!

There are many bodies of water in Ontario, with lots of opportunities to fish at no cost.  Check out your local body of water to see if fishing is allowed in that area.  Sometimes the Ministry of Natural Resources prohibits fishing in certain areas for safety or for ecological reasons.  Around the Niagara Region, we always do catch and release.  The fish in this area are not safe to eat in large quantities (again check with the area you are fishing in to see if they recommend eating the fish or not.) 

One might ask, why catch and release, it’s pointless, but ah, it’s the “Going Fishing” that is the fun part.  We would get up early (apparently fish like to eat earlier in the day) pack a picnic lunch and have a quick breakfast, load up the car and head to one of the local docks.  It can be incredibly relaxing and cathartic.  The sun on your face, a cool breeze rolling in off the lake, its nature at it’s best.  I think back to the days when we went fishing with my Dad, sometimes we would all laugh and joke around, sometimes he would tell us stories or sometimes we sat quietly and enjoyed each others company.  We learned a lot and got to see some interesting animals and creatures roaming around early in the morning. 

This is one of my goals this year (it was also last year but we didn’t get a chance to go) I want to get my license and go fishing with my Dad.  Now that he is retired, he has a lot more time on his hands to relax so I don’t feel bad about making him get up early on a Saturday morning to go fishing.

RULE:  If bringing small children or inexperienced swimmers, bring a life jacket!  In fact bring life jackets for everyone regardless if they are a good swimmer or not and wear them!  An accident can happen in the blink of an eye, use common sense near any body of water!

Wear sunscreen, the sun reflects off the water and comes at your skin with a force.

Bring your camera to document your catches!  In true fishing fashion, no one believes the fisher person unless there is evidence of the catch! 

Baking – Gifts and Hostess Gifts

I am not a professional baker but I LOVE baking!  I love the idea of creating something from scratch and LOVE eating the results!  The hardest thing about baking sometimes is picking a recipe as there are millions of recipes to choose from.  You can pick from your own collection of recipes and cook books or peruse your public library’s cook book section or use the internet which has a wealth of recipes at your finger tips.  People seem to really LOVE receiving a homemade baked good.  It shows thought, effort, love and tastes awesome!  A yummy treat can be made inexpensively if so desired, and can be gussied up in a beautiful presentation or be left simple with it’s own attributes left to be the presentation.  I am not the most artistic person in the world, but don't worry as rustic looking baked goods help let everyone know they weren't store bought!  Here are a few treats I have whipped up over the year for special occasions.  (You don’t need a special event to bake, have a special day of baking just for fun!)

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows and Peanut Butter Balls for a "Clue" Games Night with friends

Easter Cupcakes for my family and for my in-laws (Vanilla with vanilla icing, chocolate with peanut butter frosting and peanut butter macaroon nests on top)

Raspberry Chocolate Mother’s Day cakes for my Mom and my Mother-in-Law.  (Clearly I am not a professional baker, but it tasted good!)

Cheerleading Sugar Cookies for our Hockey Team. (Technically these were made from a mix but shh... it's our secret!  Everything else was made from scratch!)

Mini Baked Tolberone Cheesecakes for Christmas Dinner with my Family and with my In-Laws: (HUGE hit!)  (Also made some for New Year’s Eve at our friend’s house)

No Bake Cheesecake for New Year’s Day Dinner at my parents’

Ghost Tours

We love spooky fun!  As we are surrounded by amazing historical spots, it’s not hard to find a spooky fun Ghost Tour.  Some of these tours are a bit pricey and some of them can get very busy around Hallowe’en, but if you can afford to go, they tend to be historical, educational and creepy!  They will make for an interesting and eerie way to spend the evening!  Some of the following run all year or all summer as well as October.  Check out the websites for more details!

Fort Erie All Hallow’s Eve Ghost Tours http://blog.niagaraparks.com/events/enjoy-ghostly-good-times-at-niagara-parks/

Fort George Ghost Tours http://www.niagaraghosts.com/

Niagara-on-the-Lake Ghost Tours http://www.hauntedhamilton.com/ghostwalks/ (I know it says Hamilton but they put on the NOTL tours as well)

Niagara Falls Ghost Walk http://www.niagaraghostwalks.com/

Drummond Hill Cemetery Tours  (Only runs during October ) http://www.niagarafallshistorymuseum.ca/index.php/whats-going-on/events-3/

Hermitage Ruins Tour (Ancaster) Tours http://www.hauntedhamilton.com/ghostwalks/

Hubby and I went on the Haunted Hamilton Tour of Niagara-on-the-Lake and of the Hermitage Ruins.  Both tours were lead by a guide dressed in period costume and with creative characters and voices for the stories we were told along the tour.  The Niagara-on-the-Lake tour was through the streets, the Hermitage Ruins was through a conservation area (hard to navigate if you are with a cane or a walker) For the Hermitage Ruins walk we had a very convincing and wonderful guide who was so amazing in his character that we were immensely entertained! 

Hubby and I also went on the Niagara Ghost Walk of Niagara Falls, it too was lead by a guide in character, it was interesting as a lot of the history steamed from the early 1900’s where the other two tours we went on were based more around the 1800’s. 

As you will see from Haunted Hamilton’s website they have quite a few interesting tours, we have always meant to go back when they have a special event at the Scottish Free Masonry building in Hamilton as it looks like a spectacular old building and I would love to hear the creepy stories it must have.  I have also always wanted to go on the Drummond Hill Cemetery Tour in Niagara Falls but have yet to as it only runs in October it’s harder to plan! 

Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight for every member of your party!  It’s at night so it’s dark, and for every tour we went on it rained!  (Don’t be afraid of a few rain drops, adds to the ambience!)

Leave the puppies at home and young children may be scared on these walks. 

Fort Erie

I never have the chance to explore Fort Erie fully, at least not the historical area.  This year I want to do two things:

1. Go to the Fort Erie Friendship Festival:

http://www.friendshipfestival.com/index.html

I have never had the pleasure of going and this year I want to make sure I hit it up.  I don’t know if or what the costs are associated with the festival, I will have to keep watching their website to see when they post the costs.   

2. I also want to go to the Old Fort.  I have been to Fort George numerous times, and once as a child my parents took my younger sister and I to Fort Niagara across the American border, but I have yet to ever visit the Old Fort Erie Fort.  I know they have their own interesting events throughout the year and I would LOVE to go on their Guy Fawkes day as I have yet to ever go to a Guy Fawkes bonfire celebration.  (November 5^th)  Fort Erie, like Fort George, has a haunted Fort and Ghost Tour setup during October.  I want to see their All Hallow’s Eve celebration!

http://blog.niagaraparks.com/tag/all-hallows-eve-old-fort-erie/

Fort George and the War of 1812 Bicentennial

If you are a history buff you will enjoy the upcoming events in the Region for the War of 1812 Bicentennial.  Fort George and Old Fort Erie are hosting a pile of events, check out their respective sites:

http://www.niagaraonthelake1812.ca/2012-s13330

http://www.friendsoffortgeorge.ca/

 The children will enjoy this as will people of all ages!  It’s fun AND educational!  Nominal fees apply.

 

 

Check out Fort George anytime, not just during bi-centennial celebrations!  It’s a fun and educational look at life during the 1800s and during a war.  Many historical artifacts and buildings to peruse, with volunteers dressed in period costume to give life to the Fort!

Make a historical day and hit up the NOTL Museum and McFarland House!

For those who like a spooky event to attend near Hallowe’en, Fort George hosts Ghost Tours!  Check out their site for more details.  I have yet to go on the tour, but have always wanted to! 

http://www.niagaraghosts.com/

Snow fun!

With this wacky weather we are having I have yet to partake in a fun filled day of snow activities!  Not just for the young, but for the young at heart as well!  I work during the weekdays and really only have the weekends off, and the last few weekends I was either getting over my cold or there was no snow!  I love snow activities!

Rule #1 – Dress warmly!

Rule #2 – If you bring the dog consider dressing them warmly too and don’t leave them in the car!

Rule #3 – Hot chocolate and cookies are an absolute essential post-snow activity snack!

Rule #4 – A standing rule of mine: Bring your camera!!!  Snow makes for the best pictures!

Rule #5 – When playing in the snow, snow angels are a must! 

The simplest being: build a snowman!  One of my Mom’s favourite type of Christmas decorations are snowmen (mine too!) we both leave our snowmen decorations out for January and February long after all the Santas and Christmas Trees have been put away.  Snowmen are just so sweet looking and really are the picture of innocence.  Every year my Mom would help us build a snowman.  When we got older as teenagers and as young adults we would surprise her with mini snowmen built on the window sills or a full sized snowman adorning the front yard.  My younger sister thinks its great fun to make atomically correct snowmen for everyone’s viewing pleasure.  (Not suitable for young audiencesJ)  Be creative!  Some people even go so far as to use Kool-Aid or food colouring to give their snowman an extra pop.  And who’s to say the snowman is a man?  Perhaps the snowwoman would like to wear a feather boa or carry a snazzy purse.   

Sledding is next on my list.  Last year Hubby and I went snow tubing on our anniversary in February.  We budgeted and saved and splurged on a weekend away in St.Mary’s and went tubing.  It was so fun!  But pricey!  I can’t wait to grab our toboggan (we bought at a garage sale) and go flying down a local hill, for FREE!  (Make sure there are NO trees around the hill or at the bottom, so many serious injuries can be caused by an out of control sled and trees.  If you bring a small child consider having them wear a bicycle helmet as they may not be able to roll off to safety in time if an emergency arises.  You may be laughing or scoffing at this but I know of a few very serious injuries and it’s always better to be safe then sorry.)

The next: a walk in the falling snow!  So simple and yet I have yet to do this (I rang in the new year with a bad cold that seems to have just started to clear up).  I LOVE SNOW!  Winter is my favourite season; our wedding was even snow themed.  I want to go for a romantic stroll with my Hubby in the falling snow.  Two walks!  One in the day time and one at dusk, I love the snow so much I couldn’t choose from seeing it fall under a street light and seeing it fall in daylight.  Take the camera! 

I wanted to go ice skating outside too; unfortunately the local outdoor skating rink is $8 a person which seems really expensive to me, so I have to find a friend or relative who may have an outdoor rink to have a skating party J

Photo Shoots and Photo Album Memory Lanes

Almost any outing that you embark on you should be able to and should bring your camera.  You never know what kind of memory, what kind of landmark you can record or what kind of beautiful scene you may be able to capture in time. 

Like many of my passions, I definitely developed my love of snapshots and cameras from my Mom.  My grandparents gave my Mom her first camera when she was a teenager.  My grandmother said my Mom loved snapping pictures at a young age.  Her favourite subjects are without a doubt her family.  (It’s my favourite too!) She has a floor to ceiling book shelf packed full of photos albums documenting my sisters’ and my childhood.  Really, it’s one of my favourite things when we go to my parents’ to pull out an album and reminisce.  My love of photos must shine through me as my mother-in-law has named me the keeper of my Hubby’s family shots.  I am very proud of this and look forward to sharing both my Hubby’s family photos and my family’s photos with my children one day.

A picture is worth a thousand words.  As I am a sentimental fool I love looking at photos and picturing what is happening at that moment.  (Easier to remember when I was there at the time the photo was taken)  I love looking at photos of ancestors, before I came along and think about what the subject was thinking at the time, what was happening that day that brought the photo to happen, who took the photo; in the old days when photography was very rare, I like to think, did this cost my family money to have this photo taken, what inspired them to have the photo taken.  My Dad’s Mom passed away when he was a young boy; we have only two photos of her: The first one she is healthy and vibrant, the second she looks emancipated and sad.  The first one makes me happy; the second one breaks my heart.  Such moments frozen in time can be deeply touching to the viewer, especially future generations.

You don’t need a fancy camera or be a professional photographer, obviously having fancy tools and skills will increase the chances of a perfect shot, but don’t worry about it, you can still achieve a decent shot if you try.  The greatest thing about digital cameras is that you can instantly see how your picture turned out and pick and chose what not to develop.  Gone are the days of wasted money on thumbs in pictures or terrible lighting.  Once when I was a teenager my parents bought me for Christmas a film camera that could take panoramic shots.  I was so excited.  I took pictures all day long and used up two rolls of film, only to discover upon developing the photos that something was wrong with the camera: all of my Christmas family shots turned out with a weird black cloud, shaped much like a tornado that took up the top right hand corner of all of my photos.  Gah! 

As I mentioned, my Mom LOVES photos of her family.  Over the years my sisters and I surprised her with photos of the three of us blown up.  Sometimes the photos were taken professionally; sometimes they were causal, candid shots and others where we planned an outing with a friend to have them try their hand at being a photographer.  An inexpensive, unique gift that means a lot; a fun day out; a creative outlet: plan a day to have a photo shoot!  Bring a tripod if you don’t have someone to snap the camera for you, lots of cameras has timers.  Bring snacks and beverages!  If you decide an outdoor scene is perfect for your photo shoot think about going to a park or conservation area with a bathroom!  If you plan on taking the afternoon you will need one!

Here are a few shots I grabbed over summer and fall, some in my own backyard and randomly around.  (I have about a million family and pet shots too) I know they aren’t great but I had fun taking them and I rather like them myself.  I am not a professional nor do I want to be, but I enjoy snapping a camera.  (My Mom did the flowers in the antique teacups at every place setting, first for my birthday and then for Lil'sister's birthday.  So adorable!)   (Oh and I LOVE using a simple mason jar as a vase.  I have tons of vases but I use a mason jar 99% of the time)

Christmas Parade

We had a super busy December with Christmas and family festivities.  We hit up the local Candlelight stroll as usual (see previous entries) and had a super fun time as we arranged for a bunch of friends to meet us there.  It was fun as usual, even with no snow this year, but the atmosphere as a whole made up for it. 

My other favourite Christmas tradition is going to the local Christmas Parade.  Now mostly every city has a parade.  Parades are typically free, however, depending on your city you may have to pay to park.  To get in the festive mood head down to the parade!  Pack a travel mug of hot chocolate and some cookies (usually there are vendors out trying to sell refreshments as well, but it’s always cheaper to bring your own) and bundle up the kids, the siblings, the spouse, the parents, and the dog, whoever is around to join the fun! 

In years gone by my Mom took my Lil’sister and me every year.  Over time my Mom stopped going (she has arthritis so the cold doesn’t agree with her) but my Lil’sister and I try to go every year together.  In the past my Hubby joined us but this year he had to work.  Lil’sister, Dawg and I met up with our Older Sister and her hubby and watched from under a pile of blankets.  Again, no snow but the bitter temperatures made snuggling under the blankets together quite fun. 

Dawg doesn’t mind the parade so much.  I bundle her up in her sweater and winter coat and she sat perched on my lap to enjoy the show.  The parade always has lots of people so only bring your dog if they are used to crowds.  It can get very loud with marching bands so stand back a bit and try to cover the dog’s ears to help them out. 

Bring your camera!  Nothing is cuter then pictures with cute hats and scarves!

Work Parties

This December we went to my work Christmas party, now I know this may not be available to everyone, Christmas parties or just Employee appreciation parties in general, but if you have access to the party you should really consider going!  We were lucky and my bosses put on the party free of charge to the employees and significant others.  Take advantage of these nights!  It makes for a nice date night (and free!) and allows for you to mingle with co-workers, network and enjoy a night out on your employer.  A work party is a nice way for the employer to say thank you to their employees.  I feel if you work hard, you deserve the meal your employer puts on for you, so don’t sit at home all anti-social!  We were also quite fortunate that there were a lot of door prizes and fun little games.  My Hubby participated in some games and won me a spa treatment!  I won a door prize of a wine gift pack!  Not bad for a free party!  (Any party you may go to, showers, stag and does etc. participate in the games!  You may walk away with a fun prize sometimes for doing something as simple as playing pin the tail on the donkey!)

Edit: Last night I won a Starbucks gift card at our Hockey league for submitting a suggestion!  It pays to participate in fun games and stuff sometimes!

Groupon!

Groupon.com is great when you have a bit of extra cash and want to do something fun but not at full price.  Groupon posts daily deals that run the gamut of discounts on store gift cards, inexpensive services, restaurant deals and outings.  I have seen wine tours, Zoo passes, Ghost tours and tons more!  Everything is at least 50% off, sometimes more!  I caution you; once you start Grouponing it’s easy to become addicted!  The cool thing is you can buy them as gifts for people and email the Groupon to the recipient as a surprise!  So far I have purchased a massage as a gift for my sister at half price, an Old Navy gift certificate I paid $10 for $20 which I put towards my Christmas shopping, and I purchased a furnace inspection at a third of the cost (which is when our furnace became red tagged, causing us to purchase a new one.  As hubby pointed out, at least we didn’t die due to our furnace.  Ever the eternal optimist my man is J) 

Groupon has some cool tours and events and restaurant deals.  If you know you have a special occasion coming up start watching Groupon a month or two in advance.  The deals are changed daily and are usually up for one day so you have to act quickly, but it’s fun to see what shows up each day. 

They even have a section of getaways that can be anywhere in Canada or the United States.  I saw one that looked beautiful: a 3 night stay at a beautiful Inn in Vermont and they were charging $250 I think.  If you consider 3 nights at a cheap hotel is around $100 a night and a really nice hotel is anywhere around $200 a night (or more!) this beautiful Inn deal was truly a good deal for a weekend getaway.

A lot of the Groupon purchases have to be used during a specific time frame.  The Old Navy gift certificate had to be used in the next 2 months.  Always read the fine print before you purchase!  If you have any questions about a deal they have a question spot on Groupon and they are usually pretty speedy at getting you an answer within the hour. 

Enjoy Grouponing!  (Also check out Wagjag or Dealfinds or Living Social!  All have interesting deals!)

COUPONS!!!

With the purchase of the new furnace and air conditioner money definitely got tighter.  I started watching TLC’s show “Extreme Couponing” and I got hooked!  Now grant it, couponing in Canada is not the same as couponing in the United States, we definitely don’t get the same selection or volume of coupons as our American neighbours do.  But I took a stab at it, and became addicted. 

I follow a few different coupon blogs but my absolute favourite is MrsJanuary.com.  She regularly posts links to coupons that pop up on different sites.  She has some great how to articles and lots of links to helpful advice and links to printable coupons! 

There are coupon sites that will mail coupons to you: Save.ca, Brandsaver.ca, Websaver.ca and Gocoupons.com.  These coupon sites are chalked full of helpful coupons for running your house hold. 

I started actively collecting coupons in November.  Using the helpful hints from MrsJanuary.com and other sites I have been successful in saving a fair bit of grocery money.  People have started to ask me how much I have saved so far, it’s hard to say as in the beginning I would just use one or two coupons here or there.  Zellers had a great promotion on during December and I had to prepare extensively for it.  If you spent $40 they gave you a $10 gift card.  With price matching, sales, coupons and the gift card (that I used on a second purchase right there in the store) I spent $50 on $125 worth of stuff.  That was the biggest haul to date that I have achieved. 

I register for coupons for my Mom (as my parents don’t have a computer) and every time I have coupons sent to me I log into a second account and have them sent to my Mom as well.  We share the coupons as we don’t always buy the same stuff.  I now register for the freebies I see posted on line.  This past December my Mom called me up and told me that UPS just dropped off a box full of Kellogg’s products.  Much to my delight, I thought I was registering for coupons, she received (I received almost the same box the following week) 3 Full sized boxes of cereal, a box of Rice Krispie squares and a box of snack bars; all of Kellogg’s newest products.   Added bonus there was a book of really good coupons included!  Using coupons has helped to stock my cupboard which makes me feel good.  We aren’t completely destitute but it is nice to keep a bit of extra money in our pockets while keeping our bellies full.  And who doesn't like free stuff?!?!?

It’s has almost become a game to try and find the best deal.  Some people may think Coupons mean cheap or poor, but I think it’s just common sense.  If a company wants to give you a deal, why not use it?  Better in my pocket then theirs!

Favourite Tree – Memory Lane

Two of my favourite cousins inspired this next one.  I was talking with my cousin and she was telling me that she was surprising her sister with a picture of her favourite tree for Christmas.  I giggled and was a little in disbelief “She has a favourite tree?”  My cousin laughed and said yeah, her sister has a favourite tree.  Up until then I never thought about whether or not I had a specific favourite tree.  My cousin made a special trip out to the middle of nowhere to hunt down her sister’s favourite tree, took a picture of it, blew it up and framed it for her sister for Christmas.  (My cousins are awesome!) I haven’t seen the tree my self but my cousins now both agree that this tree is beyond superior compared to all of the other trees. 

I went home and a few days later mentioned it to my Lil’ sister.  She and I both giggled at first and I said “I think if I were to pick a favourite tree I would pick the tree that Mom took us to in the park behind our house growing up for picnics.”  (We were very fortunate to have a municipal park back onto our back yard growing up.) The park had tennis courts and a playground at one end and a giant soccer field at the other end.  The tree I am talking about stands all by its lonesome at the far end of the park by the soccer field.   Lil’ sister agreed to this immediately, that too would be her favourite tree. 

We spent many afternoons under that tree with a simple picnic packed by my Mom.  With books and toys and trips to the playground part, it’s some of my favourite moments thinking back at it.  I am now surprised I never made that grandiose of a statement before that it was in fact my favourite tree, it’s stunning and jammed pack full of memories.

This Fall Lil’ sister and I went back to the tree for a visit.  It’s funny as the tree and the park seemed massive when we were little.  The park itself seems to have shrunk (I know it’s more that we have gotten bigger, but I’d rather think the park shrunk) But the tree did not disappoint.  It is massive.  Standing all by its lonesome at the foot of the park, its branch span is utterly massive.  It takes both my sister and I to put our arms around the trunk as it’s so large.  I could be wrong but I believe it’s an Elm Tree.  Lil’ sister and I solemnly swore that we would make the trek down to see the tree throughout the years to get a picture of it during each season.  We got our picture during early Fall before the leaves started to change colour.  I can only imagine how amazing a picture would be when the leaves actually have turned and how beautiful and alluring it will be bare and with freshly fallen snow. 

Lil’ Sister and I decided that 4 pictures of the tree during different seasons blown up and framed with make for interesting and fun art work for the walls!  (And it could be done inexpensively!)

Road Trips down memory lane are typically free (of course there is gas involved though) and packing a picnic lunch for a specific memory lane road trip could be a lot of fun!

If you enjoy nature hiking/finding your “Favourite” tree would be fun too! 

Always bring your camera!  You never know what fun shots you may get along your way! 

Knitting

I have the fortune of having my Mom’s parents still alive (My Dad’s parents passed away before I was born so I never had the pleasure of knowing them.)  My Nanny and Papa BOTH knit.  My Grandmother taught my Papa to knit after he retired and the two of them knit every one of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and all the significant others slippers for Christmas.  (I think we are close to 50 now) Every Christmas everyone looks forward to their Nanny and Papa slippers.  One time when I was about 8 years old my grandmother spent the day with us and showed me how to knit.  I never actually created anything usable while knitting, until this summer.  This summer I made a scarf!  I remembered how to start the knitting and I bought some yarn on clearance at Michaels and I attempted to knit every night while watching TV.  In the beginning it took me a lot longer then I expected but once I got the hang of things I was able to speed along.  I was so excited when I completed the scarf!  I tried to make a thin, long scarf that would be perfect for Fall time before the super cold weather set in.  This project is fun for numerous reasons: You can find someone to teach you to knit and make a day of it; Grandparents are great for this (if they knit!) Crocheting would be fun too!  It’s nice to spend time with your family and learning to knit from a matriarch allows for great story telling and makes for a wonderful way to spend the day.  (If that’s not your bag YouTube has some great instructional videos.)  It’s fun to make something useful all on your own.  It took me one spool (not sure if that is the technical term) of yarn that I bought on clearance for $1.  The knitting needles cost me about $4 as I couldn’t find the ones I had as a child.  It was very cathartic and gave me/my hands something to do other then mindless snacking while watching TV.  Now that Winter is finally upon us, I am hoping to attempt another scarf and then maybe a baby blanket for my favourite cousin who is having a baby girl late Spring! 

Garage Sale Projects

As I have mentioned before I LOVE Garage Sales!  One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!  This past summer I was fortunate enough to hit up a few garage sales!  I bought brand new loaf pans, never used, good quality: $1 each! (I used them to make some tasty banana bread!)  I also bought a standing bathroom towel rack.  The reason I needed a bathroom rack is ours broke when a painting fell off of the wall and smashed into the towel rack; the nail just gave away, the picture was fine but the rack didn’t survive.  We had yet to replace it.  The towel rack I bought was originally brass toned and had some flaking metal in a corner, but otherwise was in good shape.  I bought the rack for $1!  As soon as I laid eyes on it I had planned on painting it white.  While telling my Mom about it, she had leftover white metal spray paint, so she gave me the remainder of the can which I used to spray paint the towel rack after I scrubbed it up.  I regret not taking a before picture but here is the after:

Not bad for $1 and free spray paint!  Don’t dismiss something just because of the colour or texture, perhaps a quick do-it-yourself project can turn a mediocre item into a perfect fit for your house!

Lil’ sister and I found this trolley one time.  Grant it, it looked really bad before hand.  But with some scrubbing, sanding and painting, it turned out alright.  I used it this year for Christmas to help clear the table and bring the dirty dishes to the kitchen.  I don’t know why I wanted the trolley so bad but it just kind of spoke to me.  Unfortunately, my parents didn’t have black spray paint so I actually had to buy it this time, but still not bad for a useful piece of furniture.  I think with spray paint the whole project cost me $8.

In the past my parents have bought a book shelf and a really cute solid wood makeup table and scrubbed them up, sanded and painted them.  No one would know that they cost next to nothing!  Except now that I am bragging that we saved huge by buying the items at a garage sale! Haha!

UPDATE:

I have been busy this past Fall, so I neglected to up date as I would have like to. 

Let’s see: my hubby and I started playing in a co-ed hockey league.  Grant it, it cost us money but we saved and budgeted and now have a fun activity for Saturday evenings. 

I became slightly addicted to Groupon which is a fun way to find some good deals on fun things to do.  I found a Groupon for Curves the all women gym which I joined for the Fall time which took up a lot of my time.  I was trying to be healthier and exercise more and in all from my healthy eating, Curves, walking and hockey I lost 18 pounds over the course of September, October and November!  Yeah me!  I hope to keep working at this as I have always carried extra weight on me and am hoping to lose some more to get towards my healthy, target weight. 

Late Fall, we found out we needed a new furnace and air conditioner.  Now granted an air conditioner is a luxury and we could technically go with out, as we were spoiled and the house had come with A/C we were certain we didn’t want to give it up.  I have a very hard time with the absurd humidity in this area, which resulted in us replacing the air conditioner as well as the furnace.  So this was a huge unexpected expense that we took on.  Luckily we had already paid for hockey so from here on in we have to be even more frugal with our money, not that we weren’t before, I feel like we are always pinching pennies, but now we really have to have a firm grasp on the bank account and be even more creative with our outings.