2009 - You Gotta Have Faith

    My birthday (which happens to be tomorrow) falls in that mellow, post-Christmas/pre-New Year group of days that tend to blur together and be less than memorable. I typically get all melancholy, reflecting back on the past year and contemplating the year to come.
     I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions as they tend to be forgotten by mid-January. Honestly, I think the only people who benefit from these resolutions are gym owners, who get a pile of new sign-ups and hope to heck they'll never show up at the gym from February onwards.  I prefer, instead, to set sail into the year with a few intentions which I tweak and adjust throughout the year.
     This past year has been about faith. As I sat on a Mexican beach a year ago tomorrow, contemplating my 40th birthday and my barely pregnant belly, I set the intention to be kind to myself and others throughout the year, but to be especially kind to myself (and not get stressed or ill) during my pregnancy.
     I realized I would have to have faith in myself, others, and God to see me through. It wasn't easy and there were plenty of lapses but somehow, I managed to have faith that it would all work out alright for everyone, during what turned out to be a pretty challenging year.
     I kept the faith through my high-risk, miraculous pregnancy. I leaned on it through downsizings at work, and during times when I wondered about the security of my job. When we had a genetics scare for our unborn baby, I clung to the faith of friends who held steadfast while I was wavering. I survived a high-stakes professional game of "chicken" in the workplace because I had faith that it would be a win-win for everyone, and it was. I had faith in the safety of my brother who did significant business travel around the globe this year, and his trips were successful, interesting experiences, and thankfully safe ones. I had faith that loved ones who passed away this year (and there were quite a few, unfortunately) had gone on to a better place and that somehow, their survivors would find comfort and peace. We are still struggling through these losses, but with faith are managing somehow. I had faith my work would be covered off successfully during my maternity leave and it seems to be going just fine, better than expected, actually.
     The big one for me was having faith in Lauren's safe arrival. I had to believe it was all going to work out, that it was really going to happen for us, despite all kinds of nasty medical situations in the past, some of them quite harrowing. It took quite a bit of faith to be cautiously optimistic rather than pessimistic and scared. As the weeks passed and the danger-zone of 32-33 weeks approached, I braced myself and kept the faith. Those weeks passed without incident. At 38 weeks, Dr. Nick joked with me I'd be begging for induction, and I started to wonder if I'd be able to cope through labour, having had a c-section with Austin. 2 days later I felt the dreaded symptoms of HELLP syndrome and as we headed for the hospital, I held onto my faith that it would all be fine and both Lauren and I would be safe.
     On July 26, at 10:24 a.m., Lauren arrived via c-section, a healthy, gorgeous little girl. It was truly a "moment of being" as Kim would call it and my life changed in that moment. Despite my dangerous medical condition, I did well, recovered, and bounced back surprisingly quickly. All, I believe, because I had faith.
     The balance of the year has been a blur but full of minor faith-testing moments. Helping Austin through little challenges. Getting through the sleep-deprivation phase of post-partum recovery. Dealing with bureaucracies in government and the Catholic church to resolve issues. Staying involved at work without getting too involved. Watching my bank account dwindle but knowing maternity leave is a once-in-a-lifetime-never-to-be-back-again thing. Growing in faith through joining the moms' group at church. Helping friends and family through tough times. Reaching out to others, with the faith of "being a friend to have a friend." Starting my blog. Dear reader, while you've only been along for a short ride with me, I hope 2009 was good to you and during the tough times you managed through it just fine too.
     Next: Looking forward and setting intentions for 2010.

Love The One You're With

     In an effort to shed my honorary title as Queen of Clutter, I've been systematically going through our house and sorting through stuff. I've pulled open drawers, closets, boxes, fridges, and freezers. In the process of discarding, giving away, and reorganizing, I've discovered all kinds of things I'd forgotten about and have received some pretty good insights into my habits and personality.
     In addition to discovering we'd been hanging onto quite a bit of useless stuff (or useless to us but useful to someone else), I've also found there are useable things that we've forgotten about and in a lot of cases, purchased duplicates of. For example, food in the pantry and freezers, a whole range of skincare products in the master bathroom, and a whack of travel-size amenities pilfered from hotels were among the trove of found treasures. The odd duplicates collection includes multiple half-used bags of chocolate chips, several bags of rock-solid brown sugar, and more nail polish than at the local Vietanamese nail palace.
     For the sake of not being wasteful, as well as for saving money and actually using/enjoying what we've got, I'm making an effort not to buy more stuff til I've pretty much depleted our current "inventories". In the Purchasing & Logistics world, that's called "FIFO" (first in, first out) versus our recent "LIFO" (last in, first out) approach.
     In terms of food items, my rifling through the freezers has yielded some interesting meals. Hot Italian sausages  were broiled and tossed with some pasta. That was interesting in a good way. Frozen chopped ham was thrown into a batch of French Canadian pea soup. Unfortunately, this was "interesting" being used as a polite term instead of what Cam and Austin really thought. Sadly, I found numerous packages of expensive but freezer-burnt boneless, skinless chicken breasts. What a waste.
     The chest freezer in the basement is nearly empty, the freezer in the kitchen fridge is less packed, and the freezer in the garage "beer fridge" is still in the early days of exploration. Key learnings from my freezer diving (upscale dumptser diving?) have been:

1. Have a good look in the fridge, freezer, and pantry before going grocery shopping.
2. A suggestion from my friend Mimi in Montreal: Keep an inventory list of what's in the freezer, to save yourself from having to rifle in the cold.
3. Use stuff up. It's a complete waste of money and freezer space to buy food and then let it get freezer burnt.

     As for personal care products, at a recent spa visit, when asked "And how are you for skin care products?", rather than be tempted (or strong-armed as some spas do) to purchase something new, be it a tube or an entire product line, I laughed and politely declined, saying I had pretty much every skin care brand represented in my bathroom cupboard. And so, I am now systematically using, enjoying, and using up the products I've got. Just finished a jar of Yves Rocher night cream and have launched into a collection of travel/trial sized Sothys products given to me by my friend Victoria, who swears by this brand. Next stop will be the collection of Avon skincare products stashed in my drawer.
     I normally stretch my shampoo and conditioner dollar by alternating salon brand (I am keen on the Schwartzkopf brand) with really creamy, oopy-goopy drugstore brands like Pantene and Dove. Having discovered Cam's serious haul of hotel mini bottles of hair products, I am working them into the rotation as well. I draw the line, however, at only using name-brand shampoos and conditioners out of those little bottles, and the shampoos have to be of the creamy variety. Otherwise, you're pretty much washing your hair with dish soap. Steer clear of product that is only labelled with the hotel name, unless it's a high-end hotel. For example, Hyatt has a pretty good ginger shampoo and conditioner, but heaven help you and your bad hair day if you dare to dip into Days, Holiday Inn, or Comfort hotels' "private label" products.
     I've heard it's fun to "shop your own closet" and find new clothing combinations. Haven't tried this yet, and am a bit concerned that it will be the blind leading the blind, considering the wardrobe consultant and the shopper are one in the same person. Will report back on this in future. 

  

Holiday Outfits - a quest

     It's that time of year again, when there are plenty of social occasions (too many, it seems sometimes) and nothing to wear. Every year I have fantasies of a Christmas social season that resembles the lovely gatherings depicted in magazines and store flyers. You know the ones - women in fabulous cocktail dresses, men in tuxedos, and children in their finest. Champagne is flowing, conversation is witty, and the children are behaving. 
     The kids in Childrens' Place ads are so well-dressed and none of them have food down their fronts nor smeared on their faces. The women in the Vogue holiday editorial spreads are a bit surly looking, perhaps in need of a drink, and their dates are very attentive and not even hammered. Not that I'd wear a $3,000 couture gown to a holiday event. Heck, I wouldn't even shell out for fancy children's clothes for my kids, because I know the realities of how little wear the clothes would get and how destroyed they'd be in one wearing.
     At any rate, the reality is that the events I will attend are more GAP/Old Navy holiday parties than even the ones in the Sears catalogue. I'm not saying we'll have a Griswold Christmas, but I don't foresee strapless gowns, champagne flutes, and Cameron in a tux. I'll be amazed if he even has a suit in his closet that's wearable.
    With visions of holiday insanity kicking off next week, I started thinking about what I'll wear to my company's holiday lunch and Cam's company's Christmas dinner/dance. Keeping in mind they're both corporate events, I rifled my closet and ruled out pretty much everything. Too much skin. Too dressy. Wore it already. And, most importantly, I am at that wacky post-partum stage of "I hate my clothes, nothing fits, and I don't want to buy anything new until the baby-weight is all gone."
     The only solution was to head out to retail. Not wanting to spend a fortune, I figured my best bet was to find something lovely, designer, and second-hand at a consignment store. Stopped in to Consignorita, a local consignment store which I'd not visited yet. Surprisingly, there was very little in terms of consignment items (one rack), and everything else was brand new. It struck me as an odd business plan, to market the store as consignment but try to sell new stuff, especially as the new stuff was high-end and fairly casual. Also, it's a bit of a shock to expect consignment prices and be presented with full-priced designer gear. Maybe a margarita before shopping at Consignorita would reduce sticker shock.
     The sales person was super nice, very helpful and did find me a lovely-yet-funky v-neck, wrap, purple and leopard print  Frank Lyman dress, which looked great on, but I wasn't keen on spending close to $200 for a dress that I probably wouldn't wear very much. Call me cheap, but I was looking more for a dressy blouse or top to get some wear out of.
     I knew it was time to hit up my favourite haunt for treasure hunting. Armed with a sense of humour, a bit of determination, and Lauren as my co-shopper, we headed out.

Ajax Value Village

     Value Village isn't just for kids' clothes, although we warmed up our shopping muscles by looking for dress-pants for Austin,. Scored some for him for $4.99. I decided to rifle through the dresses but only found strapless, summer, outdated, or downright hilarious frocks. I moved on to the blouses and yes! I found a gorgeous sheer black, ruffled, FMX Design Studio blouse which I'll wear with a fabulous micro-fibre camisole I found for $4.99. I can wear these with black pants or a skirt, and a nice pair of heels. And the blouse was only $7.99. Awesome. 

Blouse with cami layered underneath.

     So let's do the math. I could have spent around $200 for the Frank Lyman, but spent only $13.00 plus tax on myself instead. I'm thinking with the savings, I could go nuts and get my hair done, mani/pedi, etc. Or, of course, get some nice bottles of wine and some steaks. I think, however, this time, I'll mentally file the savings for when I get my post-Xmas Visa bill, and be glad I didn't spend the money this time. Of course there are always the January sales to look forward to...

Thanksgiving Sentiments

     It can be quite surprising where we find our moments of calm in this crazy, mixed-up world. Today, after a whirlwind of household tasks, phonecalls, banking, and bill paying, followed by heading out for a drive-clean test for my car and a trip to the DMV, I arrived home. (Or rather, we did, as Lauren was along for the ride.) After shutting off the car, rather than run into the house, I did something I never do - I sat in the car, enjoyed the calm, and just breathed in that paused moment.
     For a half a second, I had a "if anyone sees me they'll wonder what I'm doing" thought, but since it was raining and I was in no hurry, I flushed that thought and just sat. Sitting parked in the driveway felt like being at the drive-in for a reality t.v. show, although there were no signs of activity in our neighbourhood. There was just the rain on my sunroof, surprisingly soft for November rainfall. Lauren was sleeping, silent but for a "sniff, sniff, sniff, haaaaah" breath taking her deeper into whatever it is that babies dream of. My next-door-neighbour Allison's snapdragons were taking a last shot of gaiety, completely disregarding the dead leaves and naked shrubs around them. "Good for them", I thought, "Do not go quietly and all that."
     Our patio, made for us by Kim and Chris' landscaping company. The mulch - brown not the orange Cam and I had argued over. The Christmas ornaments on the porch. The urn that had summered full of flowers given to us by a grateful acquaintance, for rescuing her lost cat. The Christmas wreaths on the doors, that I'd made last year when I was newly pregnant. Our house, when a roof over our heads is a dream-come-true for others during these tough times. Our neighbours, our friends, the community, family...my people.
     A sense of gratitude washed over me as I just stopped and observed and breathed. Who'd have thought that sitting in the car in the driveway would lead to, as Kim would call it, a "moment of being?" So much to be thankful for.
     So, on the eve of Thanksgiving in the U.S., may I offer my sentiments that truly, the best things in life are free and we should be thankful for our people who surround us and for the blessings we've been given. To all my American friends, family, and colleagues, have a Happy Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble!   

Wild turkey wandering in our 'hood last summer.

  

Grocery Budget Challenge - helpful tips

     Last week at MOPS mom's group we had our final discussion on grocery budgeting. It was interesting to share tips and to find out what others were doing.
     We divided into discussion groups based on how much we spend weekly on groceries. There was a small table of $75 and under, another small table of $150+, and the bulk of us were at the $100-150 per week tables. I chose my category based on spending nothing one week, and several hundred another. I figured my inconsistencies averaged out to around $100-125 per week.
     Our group discussed tips and challenges and I got some good ones. I would have been interested to hear what the under $75 group is doing. The $150+ group was mainly ladies with large families or who do a lot of entertaining.
     Some of the tips I learned:

• Buy meat the day before grocery store sales go into effect, to get discounted items (usually stickered "50% off" or whatever percentage discount it is.) It is important to check the "best before" date and you will most likely need to freeze the items for later use. Meat is typically marked down on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Plan your weekly menu around what's on sale that week, and when reviewing the flyers, the best sale items are on the first and last page.
• Chicken thighs are way cheaper to use in stews, soups, stir-fries etc. than chicken breast
• You can make lasagna and not spend a mint by making "poor man's lasagna". I will have to Google and investigate this one.
• Entertaining doesn't have to be expensive. You can serve pasta, lasagna, etc.  (Let me add my 2 cents here: you can build a freezer stash of good cuts of meat bought on sale for company; while I agree you don't have to go all-out when entertaining, I do like to treat my guests well.)
• Use your crockpot regularly. Cheaper cuts of meat become super tender and tasty when slow cooked.
• When making spaghetti sauce, buy the huge containers of crushed tomatoes rather than multiple cans of them. Again, I will have to investigate, having never noticed such huge cans. ("My what huge cans you have!" "Why, thank you!")
• Make your own applesauce (especially when you have a ton of apples hanging around) using cinnamon and brown sugar. Make it chunky ('eat with a fork') and the kids will love it.

My tips:

• Buy store-brand products whenever possible, so long as the quality is there. We save a fortune on diapers for Lauren. A big box of President's Choice diapers for her is $17.00, while a similar package by Pampers is $34.99. The savings is a nice bottle of wine, half the cost of a pedicure, lunch out at a restaurant...you get the idea.
• If you bought fresh vegetables or fruit and you won't use them before they go bad, wash and cut them up and freeze them for later use. Items like green beans can go straight into a freezer bag. Items like strawberries have to be frozen on baking sheets first, then throw the frozen berries into a freezer bag.
• When cooking dinner, make a little extra so you have leftovers for lunch or as a component for another dinner.
• Make at least one meatless meal a week, since meat is usually the most expensive ingredient. (unless you're cooking with saffron, pine-nuts, etc...)
• Don't deprive yourself. I still say a good meal at home is cheaper than a meal out at a restaurant. Life's short so sometimes you have to belly up to the bar or buffet and just dig in.

Champagne Taste...on a vacation

     This week Cam, Lauren, and I are on vacation. Austin is at home with grandparents at our house, since we didn't think it wise to pull him out of school. We are at the lovely Massanutten Resort near historic Harrisonburg, Virginia.
     About 10 years ago, Cam and I purchased a timeshare at Horseshoe Valley, with the specific intentions of trading weeks to stay at different resorts. We bought 1 week every other year, and we've really enjoyed having relatively inexpensive holidays in nice condos at deluxe resorts. So far we've been to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, Orlando (Disney World), this resort twice, and we've given a couple weeks to my parents and Cam's parents. I can't recall where Cam's parents went, but mine had a nice trip to Palm Beach.
     Although it seems counterintuitive to go away on vacation when I am on maternity leave, we had a timeshare week that was due to expire this year and it would be a complete waste of money not to use it. We decided to travel to a resort that was drive-able, so as not to spend additional money on airfare. The drive had to be reasonable with Lauren, so anything in the warm zone like Hilton Head was out of the question to drive with the baby. Our drive to this resort was 10 hours, which included 2 comfort/feed-the-baby stops. Totally do-able.
     We took a 2-bedroom condo at this resort, which is perfect for us. We love having a condo versus a hotel room when we go on vacation, because we can make a lot of our own meals. We both like to cook and we like checking out different grocery stores in different places, and cooking different things than at home. And, the grocery budget on vacation can be a little more relaxed, as it is cheaper than eating out in restaurants all the time when on holiday.
     What's funny about our particular condo unit is that someone (the interior designer) applied Champagne Taste principles in a wackadoo way with the appliances and amenities. We have what's called a "partial" kitchen, which means we have full-sized appliances and everything you could possibly want, except for a stove. No stove. Seriously. However, to compensate, there is an electric griddle (sometimes referred to as a "breakfast nook", which makes no sense to me, but whatever), an electric fry pan (remember those from the 70's?), and a 2-burner range (I call it a hot plate.) This works for us and has made no difference to us in our meal preparations, whatsoever.
     What's totally bizarre, however, is that in one of the bathrooms, they've put the world's biggest jacuzzi bath-tub. This thing is about the same size as a hot-tub. I suppose the thinking was along the Champagne Taste style of "let's scrimp on a stove and give people a big-ass tub instead", because it makes a nice treat while on vacation. However, for us, it's all about food and drink, so we would have spent the money on a stove instead. But no matter, it's not impacting us at all. If there'd been no coffee-maker or no cork-screw, we'd be snookered.
     Ah this is the life. Cam's out playing another $5 round of golf at one of the resort's multiple courses, Lauren's asleep in her bedroom, and I'm chillaxin' while the people in the unit next door ("full" unit with a stove) try to contain their rambunctious kids, who sound like they'll come through the wall any minute. All I can say is they better be enjoying their stove.

Balancing the Budget

     At my moms' group last week, we saw a presentation on budgeting. The two moms who shared their methods and ideas were both stay-at-homes, on tight but successfully-managed budgets. Both of them gave some ideas about little things we can do to save money in our household expenses.
     One suggestion was to share a magazine subscription with a close friend or neighbour. It was also mentioned that for Rogers subscribers, you can get any of their network of magazines (such as Chatelaine, my favourite), for $1.00 per month and it is just billed on your monthly Rogers bill. Not bad!
     Another suggestion was to check out the "free" sections on Craigslist, as well as to peruse Freecycle. I'm going to add Kijiji to the list, because I had a really positive experience a few months back, when I needed an infant car seat. Having discovered the seat we intended to use (Austin's old one) was "expired" (per road safety standards), I started looking on Kijiji for a new or gently used one at a cheaper-than-retail price. I totally lucked out in finding a used one for free. Yes, for free!
     The infant car seat was free because it will expire in April 2010, and Lauren will be long out of it by then. Christy, the mom who was giving it away knew she wouldn't be able to sell it to anyone, but since it still had a little use in it, why not bless someone with it? It was a double win-win because the seat was a 2004, still old enough to be compatible with Austin's stroller. The newer seats no longer click into place on the older strollers, so in addition to saving money on an infant car seat, I didn't have to buy a new stroller. However, with my savings (a couple hundred bucks at least), I know I have the money to replace the stroller if I need to, or if I want to upgrade to a sports/jogger model when Lauren is older.
     I didn't feel comfortable just taking the infant seat so I took a bouquet of flowers to Christy. I am a believer that in any deal, both parties need to get something out of it. The flowers brought a smile to Christy's face and brightened her home. Win-win for everyone!
     The other idea I picked up on from the moms' group budget presenters was to rip baby wipes in half. Initially I thought "gee, I'm not going to scrimp and only use half a wipe on Lauren." Over the past few days, though, I noticed I was going through a lot of wipes because I tend to ball them up and only use a little bit of the surface, due to the ick factor. So, yesterday I ripped one in half, used it to mop Lauren, and then used the other half to finish the clean-up. It actually worked way more efficiently and I didn't use as many wipes as I normally would. Hmmmm....we're onto something here!
     The 2 moms also showed us Excel templates of their household budgets. They were very detailed, down to every possible spending scenario. Excellent for the highly detailed and for those with the time, energy, patience, etc. to manage. Me, not so much. The level of detail, for my family, would cost more in divorce lawyers' fees.
     I can see how it could be critical to track ever possible expense, both anticipated and actual.  However, tracking Cam's business travel expenses for him, to ensure no reimbursement is overlooked, would be a challenge. First off, he would be reluctant to hand over receipts, most likely for fear I'd lose them. Secondly, he manages his expenses just fine already and we don't view them as part of our household budget, but rather, part of his employer's budget. And last but not least, taking on responsibilities as Cam's EA is not in the cards for me at all. Right now I do that for my kids and for our household, and that's more than enough.     
     It's really about striking a balance in managing a budget and what works for each unique family situation.

Meat Muffins

     I'm back after a few days' hiatus, due to a cold that showed up at our house and sapped all our time and energy. We all got something but Cam and Auz were hit worst. Austin had an ear infection and Cam's cold was so bad he got desperate enough to try a neti-pot.
     Last night I cooked Speedy Mini Meat Loaves, which we christened "meat muffins". I had found the recipe in a People magazine from September, and the recipe was printed there as an excerpt from Paula, Jamie, and Bobby Deen's cookbook, The Deen Bros. Take It Easy.
     Captioned as "Dinner For Four Under $10" and touted as fast and easy to prepare, I was game to give it a try, although I typically don't get my recipes from tabloids. Apparently tabloids aren't just for gossip, because the Mini Meat Loaves were actually darn good and everyone enjoyed them, including Mr. Picky Eater (Austin.)
     Here's how to make them:
1.5 lbs ground beef (I would use lean or extra lean)
1 cup plain unseasoned bread crumbs (I would be game to use seasoned ones if that's what was in the pantry)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp. milk
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (I put 2 in)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I chopped mine chunky, so Austin could pick the onion out)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme (no thyme in my pantry so I used herbs de provence instead)
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. ketchup
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard (we only had the grainy kind, so I used 1 tbsp. grainy and 1 tbsp. prepared mustard)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I shook in more)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, garlic, onion, salt, thyme, and pepper.
3. Divide the meat mixture among the 12 muffin cups, pressing firmly into the pan.
4. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet (in case of grease/meat overflow) and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the meat is almost cooked through. The loaves will be firm when pressed lightly but not set.
5. While meat is baking, whisk together the ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire. After baking, remove the pan from the oven and brush the tops of the loaves with the glaze (omit glazing meat that your picky child will be eating), and return the pan to the oven. Bake 10 minutes more or until glaze has thickened and the meat is completely cooked through.
6. Run a spatula or knife around the edges of the muffin cups and pop out the meat loaves. Serve hot.

I served these with mashed potatoes and carrots & peas. I actually think the meal came in well under $10. Enjoyed the leftovers for lunch today too, so that was definately a thrifty meal and it was great comfort food for people suffering from colds.

Grocery Budget Challenge - week 2 update

     I'm well into the 2nd week of the Grocery Budget Challenge and it's going pretty darn well, thankya very much. In week 1, I spent $26.00 and Cam spent $38.00. The $75 I had allocated was for myself, so I'm quite amazed as a team we came in at $64.00.
     This week, Cam was away on business for a few days, so all his meals were covered. It would be easy to suggest more business travel for Cam to reduce personal spending on food, but what we'd save in groceries would be spent on alcohol for me to keep my sanity. Anyone with a 7-year-old who argues like a lawyer will know exactly what I'm talking about.
     This week I've yet to hit the groc shop, but the $375 I spent on tires certainly took a bite out of my wallet. Made a trip to The Shwa (that's local lingo for Oshawa, a town just east of Toronto) this morning to exchange some baby clothes for Lauren that are brand new and too small.
     Straight exchange at Carter's for a bigger size of sleepers and onesies. Had to get a totally different outfit at Please Mum because for the fabulous fleece vest and matching cords we were returning, there were none left in a larger size. Dang. So, we got a yoga outfit instead. It's not just moms running around in yoga pants, no sirree. Tiny little girls wear them too, apparently. Spent all of $0.02 because I returned $34.98 worth of clothes and bought $35.00. Gave them my 2 cents worth, as it were. 
     On my way through Chapters to the parking lot, I noticed a cookbook for homemade baby food. It's Blender Baby Food by Nicole Young. If I can eliminate or reduce the cost of jarred baby foods and cook something healthier for Lauren (when she starts eating solids), then I'm all for it. Austin, as a baby, ate several jars per meal, and the grocery bills were definately higher while he was in his jarred food phase. And, since  I am an absolute junkie for cookbooks, any opportunity to pick up another cookbook is cool by me.
     As I stood in line to pay for the book, I was eyeing the cds displayed for sale. Picked up the new Michael Buble one. Put it down. Picked it up. Had an argument with myself, along the lines of, "Oh it's a treat. No, you can't afford treats, you spent $375 on tires this week!" Finally put it down with the resolve to put it on my Christmas wish list instead. Spent $15.08 for the cookbook and left. This demonstration of will-power and resisting a drive-thru at lunchtime has definately earned me a glass of wine tonight. Is it 5:00 yet?

As Requested - Baby Gear Tips

     Yes, I take requests! This one goes out to Shawn, Leigh, and baby Gavin, who's brand new. I was sharing some tips with Shawn this morning and he suggested I post something on baby stuff.

In no particular order:

• Store brand is your best bet for baby basics. Diapers, baby wash, wipes, etc. One exception - the smallest size (Newborn) is not available in store brand so you'll need to buy Pampers for that mini size.
• Try the different stores' baby products to see what you like. We are huge fans of  Teddy's Choice  (Loblaw/No Frill/SuperCentre/Zehrs) diapers, at under $8.00 a pack compared to at least $13.00 for brand names.  Everything store-brand we've bought at PharmaPlus (Rexall brand baby wash, wipes, even soothers) has been great and a huge savings over brand name products. So far, the only store-brand disappointment has been Sobeys' wipes, which are a bit rough in my opinion. But shop around and figure out what you like, or more importantly, what your baby likes.
• When diapering a baby boy, pull the front of the diaper up a tiny bit higher than level with the back. Boys saturate their diapers up front (how's that for diplomatic?) so you can avoid leaks by tweaking the waist-band height.
• Don't waste your money on a changing table. Use a bureau-top or a bathroom counter. Or the kitchen table, the couch, your bed...you name it, just make sure you never leave the baby un-attended. (my legal disclaimer!)
• My friend Sarah, who makes amazing baby quilts and is an amazing mom, gave me a great tip yesterday. Use an exercise ball to sit on and bounce/rock baby to sleep. I tried this yesterday and not only does it save your back and arms, but you can incorporate a little core muscle strength training while you're at it, if you want.
Here's a picture of one of Sarah's quilts. Very hip!
• Go "gently used" for baby and kids' clothes. Once Upon A Child and Value Village have quality brand-name gear for a couple bucks an item. The money saved on clothes alone can nicely fund a college education account.
• Baby and kids' clothing sizes are weird and unpredictable. My experience has been that the size listed on baby gear is the "best before date". For example, a size "3-month" sleeper will be too small by the time baby hits 3 months. Older kids' stuff (size 3 and up) tends to be "if your kid is 3 years old, they will most likely be wearing size 3".) 
• Most importantly, the sleep deprivation phase is temporary! Take it easy, enjoy your little one, and sleep whenever you get the chance.

Don't Tempt Me

     Today I bought 2 much-needed new tires for my car. I had replaced the other 2 about a year ago. Much as I love the service and staff at my local Volvo dealership, I knew that I'd pay less for tires at a tire shop. Having checked out prices and availability in advance, I had an appointment at noon, at Active Green & Ross  Sounds like a law firm but no lawyers, just tires.
     I knew this lunch was going to be expensive, in the neighbourhood of $375 for tires, labour, tire disposal fee, taxes, and all, everything but an actual lunch. Initially, I had thought I'd grab a fast food lunch in the adjacent shopping centre and then do some browsing, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I am lousy at window shopping. I'd wind up being tempted to shop as a time-filler, and the total cost of my trip to the tire shop would grow well beyond the tire bill.
     Although it felt kind of lame to pack a little lunch, I actually enjoyed my peanut butter sandwich, banana, and water in the customer lounge. It felt kind of like a school lunch, what with my water in one of Austin's water bottles (Olympic hockey themed, no less.) Of course you aren't allowed peanut butter in school lunches any more, so I could pretend mine was an illegal sandwich. Lauren had her lunch there too, and we both enjoyed a bit of t.v. while we waited. I also chatted with an 80-year-old man and a 2-year-old girl.
     When it came time to pay for the tires, somehow it didn't seem to sting as much, knowing I hadn't spent any more than just on the tires. Much as I'd love to imagine I could reallocate my saved money to something fun and 'champagne-y', I am also due for a visit to my Volvo service friends in the near future. Wasn't tempted today because I outsmarted myself. And I've got a fine pair of Michelins to show for it.

Diggin' the Dollar Store

     There is nothing like shopping at a dollar store to stock up on essentials at a fraction of what you'd pay elsewhere. I'm not suggesting you do all your shopping at the dollar store, but you can find a lot of basics and even some treasures if you dig around a bit.
     The dollar store is great for greeting cards, giftwrap, party items, holiday decorations (Christmas, Halloween, Easter etc.), stationery basics, and health & beauty basics. It is also the best place to buy panty-hose, so long as you're not looking for designer ones which rip even faster than regular ones do. But don't get me started on my panty-hose conspiracy theory.
     Not everything is great quality, so my philosophy is if it's something you'll use up (like cotton balls) or don't expect it to last, then $1.00 is more than reasonable and you're getting what you paid for. If it's something you want to last longer, like a kitchen gadget, then you'll get what you paid for if it's $1.00. Just like the can opener I bought, half opened a can, and then the opener fell apart in my hands. I think the can actually opened the opener. Buyer also beware with respect to dollar store pregnancy tests.
     The bigger stores (such as Dollarama and Dollar General) have an amazing selection, and while there can be a lot of junky junk in the smaller independent stores, sometimes the little guys have unique items. For example, there is a small dollar store near my house that carries a good selection of British food items, and there is nothing like tucking into a packet of Hobnobs after a trip to the shops on the high street.
     Let's crunch some numbers. On a typical trip to the dollar store, my haul might be a box of cotton swabs, a bag of cotton balls, a pack of 25 facial wipes (make-up remover wipes), 2 birthday cards, 2 birthday gift bags, 1 pair of panty-hose, a box of thank-you cards, a 3-pack of Christmas tree ornaments, and a 2-pack of lipgloss. Eleven items, each a dollar, that's $22.00 plus taxes.
     Looking at the cost of these items elsewhere, I am going to use average prices, although any of these can be bought anywhere from Wal-Mart to Holt Renfrew, depending on how organic, designer, or fancy you want to be. Or not.
     Let's assume normally you'd pay $4.00 for a box of Q-tips, $2.00 for a bag of cotton balls, $5.00 for facial wipes, $3.00 each for 2 birthday cards, $4.00 each for 2 gift bags, $6.00 for panty-hose, $8.00 for a box of thank-you cards, $10 for the tree ornaments, and $14.00 for the 2-pack lipgloss (although you could easily pay $25 for a lipgloss at the cosmetics counter.) That's easily $63.00 plus taxes.
     Serious savings are found if you buy the basics at the dollar store. I'm not going to get into percentages to demonstrate the savings because that's not where I'm going with this. Tweaking the numbers a bunch of ways to make a point is not my thing.
     Really, truly, in the spirit of champagne taste on a beer budget, the $41.00 (or potentially more) saved can now be used guilt free for some great wine, or good eats, or some other kind of treat for yourself or anyone else. Say it with flowers. Or in Cam's case, say it with steak.  I'd probably spend it on a nice bottle  or two of a big red wine.  Based on this philosophy, I think it's no coincidence that LCBO outlets are often within a stone's throw of a dollar store.
     Cheers!
   

Interview with a Carnivore

Today we're talking meat with Cam the Carnivore. He believes a meal is just a snack if there's no meat.

Elaine: You've just returned from Sal's , our local butcher/grocer.  What did you get?
Cameron: Mushrooms and 2 striploin steaks. I went there to buy t-bones, but I didn't like the cut of them so I got the striploins instead.
Elaine: What's the difference? I know I'm not the only one who gets confused when buying steak.
Cameron: A t-bone is double-sided. It has a piece of striploin in it, and a piece of filet. Striploin is just striploin. When I looked at the t-bones, I noticed Sal had chopped off too much of the filet, so since they were mainly striploin at that point, I just bought striploins. No point paying extra for filets that aren't really there.
Elaine: When buying steak, how do you know what to get? What are your thoughts?
Cameron: With steak, you should spend the money to make it worthwhile. If you're in for a penny, you might as well pay for the pound, as the expression goes. A lot of people buy sirloins that aren't a very good cut, and wind up with a less flavourful and sometimes chewy piece of meat. Shop around, buy good steak when it's on sale, since one of the grocery chains will always have something good on sale.
Elaine: What cuts would you recommend? What's good?
Cameron: T-bones and striploins. Filet's good but it can be pricey. Have filet when you're at a corporate event, ha ha.
Elaine: I've seen you get a roast and have it cut into steaks. What kind of roast is best for this?
Cameron: Rib roast. Just ask the butcher to cut it for you. Or cut it at home. Presto - you have rib steaks.
Elaine: What about steak for stir-frying or for fajitas?
Cameron: I personally like using good steaks, because of the better taste. If you're on a budget, use the "stir fry steaks", but sometimes they are a gamble because they can be tough or not have great flavour.
Elaine: Can you freeze steaks? If you find a good deal and stock up, what are they like later?
Cameron: I think they are not quite as tasty frozen then thawed, but if you got a good deal, then it's still worthwhile.
Elaine: So basically, go for the "champagne taste" in terms of buying the good cuts of meat, but look for ways to lower the cost when buying it.
Cameron: Exactly.
Elaine: By the way, what did your Sal's trip cost?
Cameron: $1 for the mushrooms, and the steaks were $3 apiece. Pretty good deal.
Elaine: Bargoon! Thanks, Cam.

It's A Team Effort

     It's amazing how much easier things are when you have the support of friends and family. We had a wonderful surprise this morning at Austin's music lesson. (Austin is learning electric guitar at Creative Math & Music) One of his neighbourhood buddies has been paired up with him in his class, and this is going to be a win-win for everyone. Auz is psyched to have his friend learning with him and I am hoping the kids can practice and jam together to keep the enthusiasm going. We already see other friends and their kids at the music school, and I am looking forward to the circle growing further.
     The Budget Challenge has brought out a team effort in our family as well.  Cam is on board with the idea and I was so impressed to hear him say to Austin a few times, "We're on a budget now, Auz." I'm surprised Austin didn't ask what "budget" meant, considering it's never been uttered in our household before.
     Today we took our steely resolve to retail and didn't do too badly. I hit Wal-Mart while Austin was at music class, not only to make good use of my time but to avoid additional "Please, Mom?!" spending.  I picked up the Halloween candy, toothpaste, 2 toothbrushes, and a pair of pyjamas for Austin. Not sure if any of this qualifies as "groceries", but for the sake of the challenge, I am going to call everything you could find in a grocery store a grocery item. Total spend at Wal-Mart was $36.02, and deducting Auz's $10.00 p.j.'s (not a bad price, eh?), we'll call it $26.00.
     Next stop was Value Village for Austin's Halloween costume. We perused the "Previously Enjoyed" rack but no luck unless he wanted to go out as a princess or a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. We settled on a Ninja costume and bought a kids' novel for him to read, ringing in for a total of $15.72, but none of this qualifies as "groceries" for the challenge.
     The amazing team effort warmed my heart when Cam read the grocery store flyers and made a list of what deals were where. His focus was mainly on meat, which is usually the big ticket items during our groc shopping. His pre-shopping research really helped and made me proud that all of us were on board. We hit up No Frills for a few items and Cam later went to Sobey's. A trip to Sal's is in the works tomorrow, for t-bones for dinner. Cam spent $13.02 at "the Frill" and $18.19 at Sobey's, for a pretty good haul of salmon filets, cheese, fruit and veggies, cookies and yogurt.
     So in terms of the challenge and tracking the numbers, when I budgeted $75/week, that was what I was going to stay under, as Cam and I both make separate groc trips throughout the week.  How it all adds up thus far: I have spent $26.00 so far for the challenge this week. For curiousity's sake, Cam has spent $31.21 on groceries, but his spending is not part of my $75 goal.
     So far so good - way to go, team! Now I need to get Auz off to bed in his $10 pyjamas...

My son, the starving artist

     Last night's low cost dinner got mixed reviews. I was happy because it was super easy to make. Cameron ate it without a complaint because there was meat in the meal (ham in the soup.) Also, the beer before dinner mellowed him out a bit.
     Austin, however, was another story. Initially, he picked the ham out of the soup and ate that. Sweet potato - nuh uh, no way, not even with maple syrup. Sliced red peppers? "I'm not eating tomatoes!!!" Even his favourite cole-slaw was deemed tainted, as the other vegetables had touched it.
     I was out for the evening at a Parents' Council meeting (aka PTA) and when I came back, Cam recounted Austin's further reaction to the meal. After much complaining and refusing of the meal in front of him, Austin was sent to his room by Cam, to have "quiet time" (ie: colouring or reading, no DS) if he wasn't going to eat. When it was time for bed, Austin was knee-deep in drawing pictures, and they had a bit of a discussion:
Cameron: C'mon Austin, time to wrap up and get ready for bed.
Austin: Awww....Dad....I'm busy colouring. I'm not done yet. I want to finish my art.
Cameron: You can work on your art tomorrow.
Austin: Tomorrow? Why? What's for dinner tomorrow night?

Grocery Budget Challenge

     The gauntlet was thrown down at my church's "moms' group" yesterday, over the next month to stay within our grocery budget and spend a bit less.
     This should be an enlightening experience for me, as I don't really budget. I have a general idea of what things cost on an item-by-item basis, but that's the extent of it.
     So the challenge is to pick a dollar amount per week to stick to (I'm taking a stab at $75) and to record how much I spend, as well as noting down helpful hints, problems, etc. At our November 18th moms' group, we're going to report in and discuss how we made out. I will definately share comments, suggestions, ideas etc. from the group, in a post here.
     The timing of Grocery Budget Challenge couldn't be better. I am currently off work on maternity leave and while my husband, Cameron, is still bringing home a paycheque, we are having to watch our spending. And, considering we like to eat well, my challenge is going to have to be not only to stick within a budget, but also to satisfy the tastes of Cam, and my somewhat choosy-eater son Austin, plus myself. The baby, Lauren, hasn't developed a taste for fine dining, although breast milk might be considered fine dining by babies' standards, despite its low costs. (feed mama, baby eats!)
     My gameplan is to throw some low-cost meals into the mix, as well as to discover what goodies are hanging out in our pantry and freezers. The anchor for tonight's dinner is French Canadian Pea Soup made from dry mix from Bulk Barn, with some frozen chunks of ham thrown in to spruce it up. Hopefully it won't taste like an anchor! Salad and sweet potatoes will round out the meal.  Since everything was already in the freezer/fridge/pantry, I haven't spent anything on groceries during The Challenge, per se. Brilliant!