He is the Rock! His work is Perfect.

Swagbucks for FREE gift cards!

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:28:00 +0000

I joined swagbucks a while back and never really did anything with it. I decided to look again and saw that they had a sale on PayPal $5 USD gift cards so I used my bucks to buy that. It came!! $5 USD is in my PayPal account. Later I realized that the Amazon.ca gift cards are actually a better deal (cost less points for $5CAD). I don't actually have them yet at they are sent out on the first and sixteenth (I think) of the month.....but based on things I have read and the fact I received the Paypal one I am sure I will receive it.

To get these swagbucks I do a few searches (apparently you can only win on your first 20 searches of the day and not more than 2x in an hour or something like that) but while I am doing other things online I just type in random search words or instead of going directly to facebook (for example) I search it. You don't win Swagbucks for every search but for random ones...you can win anywhere from 1 to 5 swagbucks for a search. The highest I won was 2 swagbucks.

Since I redeemed for my second Amazon.ca card I already have 12 more swagbucks. So that's 4 earned per day.

You can also win more from referrals (up to 100 swagbucks per referral) for each swagbuck your referral wins you also win one.

There are more ways to earn than just that but thought I would share that I am finding this worthwhile and I am hoping to earn enough to get some extra things for next Christmas.

I signed up under my friend Taunya and hope that she's also able to get lots of gift cards!

If you want to sign up it would be really appreciated if you can sign up under me :)

Lovable Labels coupon code

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:45:00 +0000

I have a coupon code here for 10% off your entire order* of Lovable Labels products!
No products are excluded!
Simply enter the coupon code: 9942 in the coupon code field upon check out and 10% will be deducted from your order. *Minimum order of $50. Expires December 25th
Not sure if it will work with fundraisers but the school's fundraiser site ...is http://stccs.lovablelabels.ca or mine is http://sylvia.lovablelabels.ca
Thanks so much!

PS: If you scrapbook I also own ScrapbookingOasis.com and if you place a $20 label order through my site or the school's site I will send you a coupon code for 10% off ScrapbookingOasis.com...just send me an e-mail or PM after you place your order.

Wow

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:53:00 +0000

They say it takes 30 days to make or break a habit.

Well I have given up coke for 26 days! 4 more days to go and I have hit my 30 day mark! There are still days that I miss it though!

We also gave up eating out for supper. It was to be for one month but I mentioned it to my cousin and we made a pack to not eat out for April either. So since we had already not eaten out for 30+ days (I say + because I wasn't sure when the last time we ate out was and it was for sure 30 days in March), we decided we would eat out on March 31. Took the kids to Burger King, not our unsual choice, but the playplace is much less crowded (and restaurant in general) and probably not quite as addictive at McDonald's. DS fell asleep on the way there and didn't wake up so he missed out (don't think he would really notice) but DD1 throughoughly enjoyed herself. She even ate her entire meal which is unusual for her.

I don't think I have really noticed the benefit on our bank account but we also had some big unexpected bills.

Hopefully these bad habits will stay habits of the past.

Well it's almost 2 weeks..

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:03:00 +0000

since I had any coke (coca cola that is). Today is 13 days without it! Well coke or pepsi (I just prefer coke). Pop was my way of getting caffeine. Many days I desperately want it but I'm staying strong. Mostly just thinking of all the money I am saving (granted we are going through a lot more juice and milk though!) helps the most.

I am also happy to say we have not eaten out (well except my mom treating at Adventures on Wonderland) for at least the month of March (actually I can't remember the last time we ate out but I know for sure we haven't for March). For those who know our family - we have a bad habit of eating out too much. The kids haven't even seemed to miss McDonald's. I haven't either really.

I would like to be able to say that not drinking coke (or pretty much pop in general...had maybe 3 non-caffeinated pop since I quit) and eating out that I've lost weight but I haven't been so lucky there.

Not Me Monday

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:07:00 +0000

Dh did NOT hit a deer with his truck a couple weeks ago. The truck did not have $$$$ worth of damage. Cailyn and Jared were NOT with dh when this happened. Jared did not sit on the deer when dh and a neighbour put the deer in the back of the neighbours truck. Cailyn did not freak out when she was shown the deers face and it's tongue was not hanging out. DH did not bring the kids home and then back to the neighbours to get some deer meat. I do not have deer meat in the freezer as I type this.

I did not have this conversation with my Cailyn last week. DD "What's that?" Me "pork" (I was making supper). DD " Who gives us pork?" Me "Pigs" DD "Who hit a pig?" DD did not ask who hit a pig because I have deer meat from the deer dh hit.

I did not brave taking 3 kids to get immunized at once. I was not totally happy dh could come to help me (although it was not planned for my mom to come help). Addison did not coo and smile at the dr until she was immunized. Cailyn did not ask to go last offering up her sister to be the first to have her needles. Jared did not scream and cry from his needles. Cailyn was not totally scared of getting her needles. She did not end up being very brave and she did not stay dry eyed. I did not bribe her with McDonald's prior to the appointment.

Gerald did not have training on Thursday for plowing and got called out already on Saturday. I am not secretly wishing we get a decent amount of snow so that he gets a decent amount of work.

I did not type this before Monday and set blogger to post on Monday....

I never knew....

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:11:00 +0000

I would have company in the bathroom and not mind.....

I would have myself, my husband, and both daughters in bed at once and all fit!...

I would sing itsy bitsy spider in the car with actions....

I would consider any time out without kids my night/day out.......

I would let my son wear pink dora shoes....

I would get sick of Kraft Dinner....

I would have art work all over the house.....

I could function on so little sleep....

That sleeping in would mean 8am...

....Until I became a mom

See more "I never knew" blog posts here:
Everyday Blessings
My Everyday Life

Freebie Friday

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:34:00 +0000

Yes I went and looked for a few more freebies to share.

50 free 4x6 photos from Walmart (new accounts)
http://www.walmartphotocentre.ca/home.aspx

Don't have a photo account yet? Create one today!
Create an account today and receive 50 bonus prints!

http://www.walmartphotocentre.ca/account/register.aspx

IMPORTANT: Your 50 free prints will not be available until you confirm your account from our welcome email. This email will be sent to you shortly after you've completed your registration.

For those having Babies:

When you sign up for the baby bag from Heinz for a limited time they are also offering free formula
http://www.heinzbaby.com/english/newsletter/

Sign up for Free Dove body wash here. You will get an e-mail with a link to Save.ca and you can order other coupons with it.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:50:00 +0000

Remembrance Day

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:29:00 +0000

Not Me Monday

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Cailyn did not have a good time at the fall fair. She did not follow up talking about the fall fair with "and Linda didn't take me". She was not totally excited that mom was there at the fall fair with her. I did not then feel bad because Linda takes her to do the 'fun' stuff.

I did not buy more Enjo at the fall fair. It definitely was not my husband who called and asked I bought the outdoor enjo kit. My husband did not spend the afternoon cleaning with enjo on Saturday. I did not totally enjoy coming home to a clean house.

I did not feel bad when Cailyn asked me why I didn't give her money to go in the can for Sunday school! I did not feel even worse when she informed me she was the only one who didn't have money! I did not feel like a complete idiot that I have never given her Sunday school money. I do not know any better that kids have a collection for Sunday school. No Not Me!

I did not then question why it's always Mom's fault. Gerald did not then snicker because it was always mom's fault. I do not secretly wish that it would be dad's fault.

Freebie Friday

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:04:00 +0000

Free 2 count Bounce Dryer sheets

Free Make up Sample

Use the coupon from Save.ca and get a free tolberone when you buy the small one at Walmart (haven't tried it but apparently there is a $0.99 tolberone you can get).

Reminder - set up a gmail or hotmail account when filling these out in case they spam.

Also if you are in the US reading this there are a LOT more free offers out there for the US.

Where do I find these? I registered at Smart Canucks message board and then I just check new posts and see what new freebie posts are listed that interest me.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:58:00 +0000

Not Me Monday

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:50:00 +0000

I did NOT lock myself in the bathroom last week to enjoy a hot bath without kids. In fact I rather enjoy my kids coming in the bathroom with me at all times. I do NOT tell them to stop splashing the water at me and rather enjoy it that they insist on dumping their toys in.

I did NOT bake the yummy apple pie my sister-in-law gave me. I also did NOT eat at least 1/2 of that pie. It was NOT delicious and I do NOT want another piece right now as I type this. NO NOT ME!

Addison did NOT sleep 10 hours on Friday night. She never sleeps well for me. I really enjoy it that she does NOT sleep well at all. In fact her NOT sleeping 8 hours last night was just wonderful.

I do NOT think that 3rd babies need to be easy babies. I would NOT enjoy an easy baby. I much prefer the challenge of a baby like Addison.

I do NOT enjoy this new posting on Monday that a bunch of us ladies are doing. I do NOT find it amusing to read all the posts. I definitely do NOT enjoy the honesty in the posts. I does NOT make me feel better that other people don't do the same things as myself.

Cailyn did NOT tell me today she was cold. I definitely did NOT tell her to put clothes on. She of course immediately listened and is fully dressed. Jared did NOT run around in his diaper all morning and definitely is NOT napping with just a diaper.

I am NOT doing laundry again!

I am NOT secretly wishing that Cailyn falls asleep watching Franklin as I type this. I would NEVER let my daughter lay down on the couch watching TV.

And I definitely did NOT take the time out to take pictures of Addison in her cute dress Sunday morning. I did NOT get 3 kids ready for church while Gerald was at church for doing sound.

25 Ways I Save Money

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:37:00 +0000

Saw this on another blog and thought it was neat:
What are 25 ways you save money?

1) Use CFL's in most light fixtures in the house
2) Buy meat when it's on sale (preferable 50% off 'quick sale')
3) Stock up on non-perishables when they are a really good price
4) Meal Plan
5) Shop with a LIST!
6) Wash in cold water
7) Use a front load energy efficient washing machine
8) Use VOIP for our phone
9) Use points programs to my advantage
10) Cloth Diaper
11) Cloth Wipes (most of the time I try at least)
12) Used the AC as little as possible this summer
13) Pay a higher deductible on insurance so our premiums are lower
14) Don't have credit card debt
15) Buy used (vehicles, furniture, clothes)
16) Run the dishwasher only on full loads
17) Don't use the drying cycle for the dishwasher
18) Use coupons (only for items I would buy anyways)
19) Rarely wear make up (therefore don't need to buy more)
20) Save leftovers and eat later
21) Clean with enjo (used to be vinegar)
22) Only develop the pictures I plan on scrapbooking
23) Use credit cards that give rewards
24) Try to do only full loads of laundry
25) Turn lights off when not in room (or not necessary to be on - kids like to turn lights on during the day).

So know what are yours..............

For those who love Freebies

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:28:00 +0000

Free Schick Razor

Free Carnation Instant Breakfast sample and coupon Received this in the mail today.

Free Campbell's Healthy Request soup

Free Head and Shoulders sample

Not Me Monday

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:06:00 +0000

So the Not Me Monday does NOT look like it's a lot of fun. I'll just try a quick one.

I am NOT meal planning and we are definitely NOT staying home to eat more. Of course we are NOT saving money by NOT staying home.

I do NOT let my kids run around in diaper/undies during the day at home. My oldest does NOT ask where we are going when she is NOT told to get dressed.

I do NOT leave the same hairstyle in Cailyn's hair for as long as it does NOT look good.

I do NOT enjoy it that Cailyn goes to school 2 days a week.

My son does NOT bite other kids. He also does NOT go up to them and push them over.

My baby does NOT wear the same sleeper for a couple days in a row.

I did NOT start cloth diapering.

I do NOT need a nap right now. I did NOT lay awake while my baby was NOT sleeping for 6 1/2 hours straight.

I am NOT posting this on a Tuesday.

Home again

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:28:00 +0000

We had a great vacation. Cailyn loved the beach, park boat etc. Jared loved the park. Didn't care for the water but was pretty good in the boat.

Cailyn absolutely adored seeing the twins each and every time!

She went swimming off the boat and did really well (I was told - didn't go with)

Then she got to 'drive' the boat.

Where they went swimming there was a rope swing - Cailyn didn't go off it though.

At the beach

Jared got to drive the boat too

And liked to pretend to drive Uncle Harry's golf cart

At the park

Now the unfortunate part......we came home to a nice clean house (Thanks Cor) but we came home also to a tripped breaker (the one our deep freezer is on) and about $200 in food that had been thawed for a week. Fortunately, the freezer wasn't full and the stench from the rotten meat appears to be out of the freezer.

Also before we left I knew something wasn't right with our washing machine. Well the drum is loose and therefore the washer is broken! Gerald already fixed it once this year (2 separate problems....the one problem would cause it to run our well dry...great for low water usage). He doesn't feel like trying to fix this problem and also thinks that the drum is quite a bit of $$$ as he knows someone else who also replaced their drum (but they got it for free).

At least I had some meat upstairs in the freezer too so I don't have to go out and buy a lot of meat. So it's not an expense I have to worry about right now.

The washer - well we are looking at buying a new one - any suggestions for a front load high efficiency washer would be appreciated. We will NOT buy a Kenmore again!

For the grocery budget - I was doing so well! But then Gerald took a trip to Costco so I was about $80 over budget. I make it so that any over or under budget goes to the next week. Currently, I am $38.78 over budget.

Grocery Budget June 27-July 3

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:12:00 +0000

Stayed $4.18 under budget! Which will be carried over to next week. Not needing milk helped a lot.

Since we do school grocery day and it was 2 months of groceries I divided the total I had to pay by 8 and subtracted that amount off for the next 8 weeks.

For Entertainment budget - past 2 weeks, I did some estimates and I was less than $1 over budget. We have eaten out a lot less than usual which helps.

For clothing budget - I needed a bathing suit for holidays so I bought a tankini and bought 2 different sized for tops so I can wear it when I am not pregnant too. They were 40% off but it still made me about $10 over budget. (Which gets subtracted from the following week). But I used my gift card from all the baby bottles I returned.

Grocery Budget for the week of June 20-26

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:28:00 +0000

Well I had already spent $67.23 at the Real Canadian SuperStore on friday.

I needed milk and Shoppers Drug Mart (cheapest place to buy milk) was offering 15x the points if you spend $50. Since it's not a 20x day I tried to keep it close to $50. The Nativa products were also 20x the points if you spend $10. Since I never tried this product before I picked up 4 different items totaling $11.46

I picked up pull ups and good nights because although I don't need them they were on sale and there were in store coupons for $2.50 and $3 off. I only picked up one pack of each.

DD came in with me and I gave in and let her get Oreo cookies - so possibly the major over priced item of the evening!

My total with tax after coupons was $59.76. So I am over my $100 grocery budget for this week. The milk will last us into next week and I have deducted my 'over spending' from next weeks budget. Which means I have $73.01 for next weeks grocery budget.

But on the bright side I earned 11540 in points which brings me closer to a better redemption level for bonus redemption days!

FREE Milk

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:05:00 +0000

Coupon for FREE milk
http://www.dairy-oh.com/saavymom/index.cfm

Points Programs

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:15:00 +0000

There are quite a few points programs out there. I have an HBC card but have never redeemed, have an optimum card (redeemed quite a few times), airmiles (never redeemed and rarely shop at stores with it), collect PC points and Canadian Tire Money.

I think I did my math right for this.....but I am in no way a person who is great with math (but when it comes to money I am usually pretty good!)

So I was looking at what it costs for what you get....

Shoppers
Shoppers gives 10 points per $1 spent.
Minimum redemption buying without bonus points: You would spend $350 to get enough points to redeem for $5 off. Sounds pretty crappy, BUT if you are patient you can redeem for more.

20x the points day (usually min required to spend is $50) and redeeming when they offer more money off for the points redeemed. The highest redemption level is 75,000 points for $150 off. Normally, you would need to spend $7500 to get that many points, but on a 20x day it would be $375. (This doesn't have to all be spent on a 20x day either).

When they offer bonus for redemption generally it is 75,000 points for $200 off.
So if you shop on 20x days and redeem on bonus redemption.....you pay $375 and at a later bonus redemption date can get $200 off. So that's $575 of product for $375.

You can work the system better when you also use coupons that you have to pay tax on. Why? From what I understand you still get points for the dollar amount that got deducted because you have to pay tax on it still. This would mean spending less money and getting the same.

For those who are also participating in the Gift Certificate program where we will be sending our kids to school. Shoppers gift cards give you 2% back towards tuition costs. Not a lot but every little bit counts!

HBC (Zellers)
HBC gives 50 points per dollar spent.
Minimum gift card redemption on their website is 200,000 points for a $25 gift card (although there was a spot that said you can also redeem for $10 gift cards).
You would need to spend $4000 to receive $25 back. There are ways to get more points: HBC credit card and sometimes they offer bonus for credit card users (and I think rarely offer for non-credit card users). I don't want another credit card so I just stick to buying things I need from Zellers (since I prefer to support Zellers which is a Canadian company over another Box Store).

From what I can figure - Shoppers is a better deal for the points program but also doesn't carry lots of items Zellers has.

If you participate in the school gift cert. Zellers is also 2%. (Whereas the 'other' box store is only 1% and doesn't offer any type of points program)

PC Points
10 points for $1 when you use your PC mastercard
5 points for $1 when you use PC debit
20,000 points is worth $20. $2000 or $4000 (depending on what you pay with) would be spent to redeem that amount. Everyone needs groceries so either way not a loss.
I don't know if they are still offering it, but if you use the cloth PC bags you get 50 points for each bag used. Use the bag 400x and get the $20 off. If you think of how many bags you take home from shopping it adds up quick! The bags fit a lot of stuff too and we use them for lots of other things too.

We actually opt for using Gift cert through the school where you get 4% towards offsetting tuition costs. $2000 equals $80 and $4000 equals $160.
When I remember to take my cloth bags and ask about the points I will pay most of my bill with gift cards and then ask them to charge a small amount. This way I also get the points.

We receive points from other things as well on our card and since we started (about 7 years ago....the year before we got married). We have redeemed $587 worth of points for groceries and also a tympanic thermometer, kitchen scale, photo developing and I think that's about it.

Canadian Tire Money
I don't know what the reward offer exactally is (can't find it on their site) but I can say we have redeemed a lot.

The gift cert program is 3% but since the frequency of shopping at Canadian Tire varies so much I generally do not buy the gift certificates.

Win Free Groceries for a Year

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:12:00 +0000

Well with all this grocery and saving talk. I noticed this little contest from PC.

http://www.fillthebasket.com/Enter.aspx

Complete Financial Challenge! and grocery update

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:29:00 +0000

1) $100 a week groceries
2) Eat out MAX 1x a week (we go out a lot!). When we go on vacation it doesn't count because I am on vacation too!
3) Cut down on other entertainment expenses

Goal is to spend $450 a month less than last year in the following areas:
Clothing
Entertainment
Groceries

I have my monthly averages from last year so I will base it on that to see how I saved.

Ok - for today's grocery shopping. I under estimated some items...over estimated some too (but most definitely under estimated more than over).

Didn't end up buying apples because none looked good and didn't buy a couple other items on my list. I also added a bunch of items to my list, either on sale (that we use) or items that I thought about in store.

The original list would have been about $78 based on my estimates. Actual Grocery bill $67.23. I didn't buy milk as we still have lots, but will need to get more sometime this week.

How to get the Grocery Bill to $100 a week!

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:50:00 +0000

Well after a short discussion about finances I thought…hmm could I do $100 a week for groceries. It would definitely be difficult since we have the tendency to buy ourselves treats and have 2 animals to also feed. So this is my plan of action:

1) Take inventory of food I have
2) Meal Plan (based on current food in house and sales)
3) Start a Price Book so I know what a good price is.
4) Shop Sales. Decide what’s the MOST I will pay for certain items.

I have always included cleaning products, diapers, personal items in the cost of our groceries, so that makes it more difficult. But I have started cloth diapers for Jared (just at home) because of overnight leaking issues, and since I’ve invested in 12 diapers I figured I will also use them when I am home from work. So I only need diapers for when we are out or he is being watched by someone else.

I have a pretty good stock of shampoo, conditioner and cleaning supplies. I am also trying to use more natural products for cleaning since we are on a septic system and we are 99% sure ours was not properly installed by the last owners (it’s a straight long run instead of rows) so I really don’t want to aggravate the system at all since it would cost a lot to replace. I also bought a box of diapers last time they were on sale and goodnights/pull ups for Cailyn last time they were on sale.

1) Food Inventory: Well I have on hand probably enough meat for 3-4 months. I have some side kicks and rice packs…not a lot. I have a few bags of pasta. So our food needed right now is mostly fresh items (fruit, bread).
2) Meal Plan: Meals will be based on what meat I have and what’s on sale. Since I work 12 hour shifts I don’t plan a meal for days I’m working. It’s hit or miss whether Gerald is the one feeding the kids, and I know from past experience he’s not likely to eat anything I have prepared for him. So if he has to feed the kids he can resort to KD, hot dogs or grilled cheese (all things the kids will eat!).
3) Start a Price Book: I have NO clue what prices are. Usually if I see a good price and know it’s good it’s because someone else told me! So I glanced at a few bills for meat prices. Boneless chicken breast I paid 8.55 KG, Pork Schnitzel 12.10 KG (but paid 50% of the sticker price), Pork 8.80 KG….and that’s all I know right now. So if any of you wise shoppers out there know better prices – let me know.
4) Shop Sales: I am already ok for this for some part. I’ll stock up when I see certain items are on sale (that can be frozen). Like hot dogs and pizza pops. I know not healthy but quick and easy for if I’m not cooking.

I have started my grocery list for this week and my ‘meal plan’ for the days I am home (4 days). So far barely under $100. We go through at least $18 in milk a week though! And I go to Shoppers which is the cheapest. Of course this doesn’t include buying meat or food for the cat or dog (since we have lots right now). We shall see how this goes....

Any suggestions?

noreply@blogger.com (G&S) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:22:00 +0000

We had Jared's appt with Dr Brydon yesterday. The main concern was that one eye would be weaker than the other - so far so good. Go again in Sept (or if I'm having the baby finding someone to take him).

If anyone wonders whether there is improvement....here is a picture I found from before the sugery. (Sept 2007 - surgery was in December)
So yes the surgery did help.

I was going through pictures for the upcoming crop and found one of Cailyn's long hair from last summer. I think this was probably the longest it ever was.