He is the Rock! His work is Perfect.

Swagbucks for FREE gift cards!

2009-12-10T21:28:00.003-05:00

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

2009-12-02T21:45:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-02T11:53:00.002-05:00

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..

2009-03-20T13:03:00.003-05:00

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.

Got lots done!

2006-12-02T01:06:00.000-05:00

This isn't everything I got done - but it's actually MOST of the scrapbooking I finished today. (I guess yesterday now).

Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet

2006-12-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

My mom gave us a call when we were on a way to Chatham to tell us Sinterklaas was at the Dutch Market. So we stopped by for a visit. Cailyn would not sit on Sinterklaas' lap but when Zwarte Piet asked if she wanted to sit on his lap she hopped right on.

She does have good moments

2006-12-05T19:07:00.000-05:00

While I was reading everyone's comments on Cailyn's bad behaviour day - Cailyn asked me for help. She wanted help to give baby a bath. So I let her pull up a chair to the counter, put some water in the baby bathtub and let her have a little soap. She started to wash her doll and even got the washcloth wet and squeezed over the dolls head - like what I do to Jared. It was so cute.

Diva and Drooler

2006-12-06T23:31:00.000-05:00

Had to share a picture of my little diva.And since I haven't posted one of Jared for a while - he's become a terrible drooler! So most pictures have wet spots on his clothes.
These pictures were taken at my neice Maya's birthday party this past weekend. She turned 4. Cailyn loves playing with Maya...even though they often end up fighting.

On this cold and snowy morning

2006-12-07T08:47:00.000-05:00

Cailyn woke up in a great mood and when she saw the snow she was so excited. Yelling "Snow - I play in snow." So I got her dressed and bundled up warm. Couldn't find her good mittens, so put on a cheap dollarstore pair, hopefully warm enough for her hands.

Went outside with her to take a few pictures and then came back in the house. She's out there playing on the deck. I am lucky to have a big deck that has gates on it so I can lock her in there....and enough windows so I can see her. Gerald is also just in the garage. Still waiting on my fence, got the posts in the ground this summer (before I was put on bedrest) but of course, just like anyone who is married to a tradesperson - your place is the last one to get the work done.
Well she decided when she was out there (with Gerald) to take off her mitts and throw them in the house. He grabbed her and put her in the house but before he got to her she nicely put her hands in the snow. So her hands now hurt. Must be instinct because we didn't tell her to do this, but she immediately pulled a chair to the sink and put her hands under running water.

At least she had fun.

We made it!

2006-12-07T23:14:00.000-05:00

We made the trip to Chatham this evening for visitation for Mrs Schouls at the funeral home. There wasn't too much snow here when we left. Well once we got off the 401 there was more and more and more snow. By the time we hit our road we were following tracks to see the road.....then we hit the fork in the road - tracks are gone...snow's coming up the windshield and blocking our lights. Gerald stops and opens the van door and scrapes snow......

So I call my mom to let her know we got home ok - she informs me that the snowplow is going by her place plowing the 1/2 inch of snow that they got.

So I haven't attempted Cailyn's bedtime tonight - yes it's after 11pm! We didn't get home till 11 and she's all hyper from seeing the snow - so I am letting her unwind watching Diego.

Gerald had also told my brother this evening that the driveway doesn't get shoveled until he can use the skid steer and there needs to be a foot of snow for that....well he can use the skid steer.The snow infront of our van....the snow it plowed

Really Gerald's truck is there

Of course the trees look beautiful

How much snow do you have?

2006-12-08T08:03:00.000-05:00

Well it continued to snow a lot - Gerald measured 2 feet. He's was using the skid steer to clean some of it up, but he blew a hose and it's broken...so he ventured out to see if any place was open so he can fix it.

Here is our deck - you can see Cailyn's car buried.

Gerald took this picture , not sure where - I think also on the deck.
Our van - see the before pic in the snow post below

Our Mailbox

More Snow pictures

2006-12-08T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Big Tree in our Front Yard

Getting ready for more shoveling
Little Helper

I'll dig my way out instead!

Festival of Lights

2006-12-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

On the 9th we went to see the festival of lights (we were "allowed" to because there was snow). Gerald and I have gone every year since we've been together. Cailyn liked looking at the lights so that was really nice. Hard to get a decent picture of them, but this is the best one.

Princess for a Day

2006-12-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Cailyn wanted to wear her princess dress today. She's been running around for a few days in her dress up shoes, crown, scepter (wand), and purse. She wasn't giving me a thumbs up in the picture, she just took her thumb out long enough to say cheese! She also lined up her bears along the couch....the cats beside here are her "puma's."

Thumb Sucker

2006-12-15T07:53:00.000-05:00

I have 2 thumb suckers now...Jared has been trying for a while, this is the best he's done sucking his thumb. It will be nice to not have to look for soothers!

PlayDough

2006-12-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

Cailyn really likes playdough, so when I saw that the Canadian Tire gas coupon was for playdough..I couldn't resist to get it for her. She spent the entire morning playing with it. And hey, who doesn't love playdough...we both had fun together playing with it.

Christmas Gatherings

2006-12-23T21:53:00.000-05:00

We started our Christmas gatherings on the 16th and will be finished on the 26th. Here are a few pictures from the parties.Grandma and Grandpa VMS party was on the 22nd. The kids got spoiled by Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle "Chunk" and Tanta Cor.

At the "big" Koomans party on the 16th Cailyn got a Dora Treehouse play set....which as you can see in the picture she staked her claim on it by sitting on it. And Jared got the Fisher Price roll around balls.
We opened our gifts tonight (after Cailyn had a shower....that's why her hair looks like that). Cailyn enjoyed the fact she also got to open all of Jared's gifts, but was nice enough to show them to him before she started to play with them. She also tried to open the gift for Jordan and was very upset when we told her no.
We had also bought the Word Whammer which didn't work. The batteries that came with it were dead, so brand new batteries were in it. The first letter would be whatever letter was in it first, unless you turned it off and on and put a new letter in - it would be that letter until you turned it off. One of the little sensors were pushed down and stuck. I returned to to Zellers without a problem (and no receipt) and got a new one (that works).

Trying to get a picture of the tree with lights on at night. It's hard to get a picture that does justice to how pretty a tree is lit up.

We have the Groenenberg party and Koomans party tomorrow, dinner at my brother's on Christmas day and last the "big" VMS party on Boxing day.

Almost done the parties!

2006-12-26T14:37:00.000-05:00

We had Gerald's mom's family party and my family party on Sunday. Dinner at my brother's yesterday and Gerald's dad's family party this afternoon. We had the stomach flu in our home and managed to survive (well Cailyn is questionable whether it was the flu or from her really bad cold! I think it was more her cold).

Attempted picture of all the Great Grandchildren with Grandma and Grandpa....as you can see some didn't really want to stay! There is a picture of Cailyn sitting better, but Jared was covered up by the ball Seth is holding.

Gerald and Cailyn. Cailyn was sick at 3am that day and then wouldn't go back to sleep. She ended up having a very late nap and we woke her up for presents (so she's eating some supper and was really sleepy still).

I LOVE this picture of Jared laughing for Grandma! It's so precious (I know I am biased).

When Daddy Supervises

2007-01-07T22:32:00.000-05:00

I think the pictures explain it all!Look Mom!
I Coloured!
Really I'm innocent!

Attempted Photo Shoot

2007-01-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

Well I didn't have a nice white blanket...and honestly, I'm not sure where my white tablecloth is. So I used a bedsheet. Gerald took the pictures. We will have to do it again since he took them too close up and they are next to impossible to crop out the background. The lighting in the room is also bad...there is just one ceiling light in our great room which doesn't give off the best light. So I think I will attempt this again sometime during the day. So many times I had Jared's hands nicely propped under his chin, but we didn't get a single picture of it because as soon as I backed up he lifted his little head up. I'll have to work on hiding the drool too....maybe I will have to search for my white tablecloth...it may not show the drool as much.

I included this upclose picture because it's another "love it" picture for me. Definitely going to scrapbook this one!

Edited

2007-01-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

I edited the one picture - just coloured in the background. I don't have the good photo editing program on here (hint hint Gerald if you are reading this put it on this computer!).
Not bad for colouring with a mouse.

Bowling

2007-01-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

We all went bowling on December 30 for Gerald's dad's birthday. Cailyn got to bowl too...well until she got bored.

Aren't the shoes so cute! She had to go a size bigger than her normal size in bowling shoes. The smallest they had was an 8 which is what she wears for regular shoes. It was cool that they had ones that fit.
Waiting for her ball to reach the pins....slooowly. She did knock some pins down also....I think it was a total of 5 pins down....and she maybe threw for about 5 frames. She was even tied with Uncle Kevin at a point!
This ball didn't make it to the end.

Jared 4 months

2007-01-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

This is his 4 month picture (4 months on Christmas). Doesn't he look like a typical man stuffed from a big dinner! Just had his 4 month appointment yesterday. He is now 6.9 kg...which is about 15lbs 3oz. He's 25 inches long...so YEAH he hasn't outgrown his carseat yet!

Guess what!

2007-01-09T18:01:00.000-05:00

This is the pictures our camera took before we sent it away............
We had decided not to fix our camera because of how much it was going to cost, definitely NOT worth the money. Anyways we asked for the camera to be sent back to us. When it came back the lens was in (it was out when we sent it away). I had told Gerald (before the camera came back) that my mom had sent her camera away for the plastic cover to be fixed on the date/time part (not a digital camera) and she said no to fixing because of how much it would cost and her's got sent back and the plastic piece was put back on.

Well guess what...our camera works!!!!! Gerald commented on the delay, but I said it's probably because we are used to not having any delay with our new camera.

Here is a picture from our old camera (right after I gave Jared his medicine....which explains the yellow).

Layouts

2007-01-15T00:18:00.000-05:00

Some still need "something" just haven't figured out what. So this is what I got done at the last crop. I added titles at home.....since I forgot to bring what I needed for them.