January - Found solace in our cozy little apartment, providing comfort from the miserable weather and unpleasant work situations.
February - Splurged on cable to watch the Olympics and first learned of a job opportunity out west.
March - Eagerly anticipated the arrival of Spring and continued pursuing the dream job.
April - Made the first of many 3000 mile cross country treks to visit the west and accepted the job.
May - Resigned, packed, moved, celebrated our first anniversary, and bought a new car. It was insanity.
June - Homeless and transient, we crashed with family and put 9000 kms on our little car.
July - We arrived! Set up house and celebrated life in the west. Fitz loved every moment of the new job.
August - Spent lazy Sunday afternoons on the lake and celebrated the marriage of S-Kay and Dan.
September - Lou visited for Labour Day and I celebrated my 24th birthday.
October - Celebrated Thanksgiving with our west coast family and settled into the school year routine.
November - All focus turned towards the impending holiday season and Fitz started his countdown to Christmas.
December - Worked hard, played hard, and celebrated our first west coast Christmas.
Friday, December 31
Tuesday, December 28
in the mountains
Fitz and I went sledding this afternoon with the boss's kids (and the boss).
Please excuse Fitz's hat hair.
Saturday, December 25
Friday, December 24
merry christmas eve
The last ornament is hung and the presents are wrapped...
(Can I justify the extravagant amount of presents by saying that most of them cost less than $10?)
...Christmas breakfast is baked...
...And I'm rocking my new, fancy cowgirl shirt for Christmas Eve service...
It is a wonderful life.
Merry Christmas Eve.
Tuesday, December 21
Thursday, December 16
the evolution of fitz's facial hair
It's only been two and a half years since I saw him clean shaven... since before we were married!
Saying good-bye to the beard.
Trying out the gotee. I voted no. He looks 30. And creepy.
Saying good-bye to the beard.
The mustache.
This is where it ends for tonight. He promised the kids a mustache for the youth Christmas party tomorrow.
I cannot look at him without laughing. Ridiculous.
Wednesday, December 15
pink sky in the morning
I should have known it was going to be a bad day.
Our super top secret mission was to petition CIC for a religious work visa... but it was denied. I'm disappointed, but what can ya do.
Tuesday, December 14
you asked for it
Have you ever wondered just exactly what fruit Adam and Eve ate in the garden?
Do we still eat it today?
Can you buy it at the supermarket?
Is it extinct?
Is extinct the right word or does food do something else when it ceases to exist?
I torture myself with unanswerable questions. Now they can torture you.
On a completely different note, I'm feeling lotsa better. This morning I went on a mad cleaning spree and over did it and had to rest for a while, but just getting out of bed/off the couch was a huge improvement over yesterday. I'm annoying to be around when I'm not feeling well. Just ask Fitz.
Fitz left the germy house and did nerdy boy things with JF today. JF had a broken xBox 360 and they wanted to tear it apart and fix it. I was skeptical, but indeed, it is good as new. It's now in our house because JF has a working xBox and Fitz doesn't. I'm told it's going to live at the office eventually, but again, I'm skeptical. I just don't know why we need more gaming systems than people in our house.
Fitz and I are going on a top secret mission tomorrow morning. Whee! I'll tell you about it when it's not so top secret.
Do we still eat it today?
Can you buy it at the supermarket?
Is it extinct?
Is extinct the right word or does food do something else when it ceases to exist?
I torture myself with unanswerable questions. Now they can torture you.
On a completely different note, I'm feeling lotsa better. This morning I went on a mad cleaning spree and over did it and had to rest for a while, but just getting out of bed/off the couch was a huge improvement over yesterday. I'm annoying to be around when I'm not feeling well. Just ask Fitz.
Fitz left the germy house and did nerdy boy things with JF today. JF had a broken xBox 360 and they wanted to tear it apart and fix it. I was skeptical, but indeed, it is good as new. It's now in our house because JF has a working xBox and Fitz doesn't. I'm told it's going to live at the office eventually, but again, I'm skeptical. I just don't know why we need more gaming systems than people in our house.
Fitz and I are going on a top secret mission tomorrow morning. Whee! I'll tell you about it when it's not so top secret.
Monday, December 13
one of my favs
Photo Credit: S-Kay
Before Fitz and I were married.
And let me tell you, the northern Atlantic is cold in January.
smart shopping
It's no secret that I love to shop. I mostly prefer in store, in person shopping simply because I find the mall an enjoyable place to be, but lately I've developed an appreciation obsession with online shopping.
I bought a $40 jacket for $0.99
I bought a 6 oz. tub of body butter and a facial brush for $2.
I nearly bought a pair of $25 slippers for $0.99, but waited too long.
I bought the complete box set of Harry Potter blurays (6 disks) for $28.
I bought two movies and a roll of packing tape for $0.49.
I bought a year's subscription to Rachel Ray's Everyday magazine for $3 and Women's Day for $4.
The Christmas season and all of it's shopping glory really brings out the best deals, but you can find them year round if you know where to look.
Slickdeals.net - a constantly updating list of daily specials. This is where I find most of the $1-2 items. The website shows what store has a super clearance sale, if they have coupon codes available, and then tells you how to use the coupon codes. (Sometimes there is a trick if you want to use more than one, but Slickdeals walks you through the process. It's foolproof.)
Retailmenot.com - coupon codes and printable coupons. If you know you're making a purchase online or in store always search here first. All current promos - free shipping, % off, or money off - will be listed and again, it tells you how to use the coupons to maximize your savings. This site is great if you know you're shopping at Michael's or another store that regularly has a 40% off coupon and you've already tossed the latest flyer because you can print a new coupon. The site also has grocery coupons.
6pm.com - name brands, discount prices. They have a great selection of footwear, clothing, accessories, bags, and luggage. The discounts get better over time (newer items on the site are usually 10% off MSRP, but there is always a huge clearance section with 70-90% off). Slickdeals and Retailmenot will let you know if there are additional promotions running for 6pm.
Swagbucks.com - Swagbucks is a search engine, like Yahoo or Google, but by searching the internet through their site you earn "swagbucks" which can be redeemed for gift cards or anything in the "swagstore". Fitz and I have been accumulating points since July and we just cashed in for Amazon.com gift cards which paid for Christmas presents for my parents (the movies and packing tape that cost $0.49 out of pocket.)
It's free. And legit. And it's something Canadians can do because you can get Amazon.ca gift cards!
Amazon.com - Just want to highlight "free super saver shipping" and Amazon Prime (especially for students and parents). If you buy $25 worth of eligible items you get free shipping. Simple as that. (The two movies I bought for my parents came to $22 so I needed to spend ~$3 to hit the free shipping, otherwise shipping would have cost $5.95. A roll of packing tape was the right price and an ever practical gift that only my mother would be excited to receive...)
Amazon is usually cheaper than MSRP on any item, sometimes by half, so always check there before buying elsewhere.
Amazon Prime offers free two day shipping. Memberships for students (with college ID) and moms (or dad's) are free for one year. Amazon Mom offers discounts on diapers and wipes (usually 30% off). A Prime membership for everyone else is $79/year... a little pricy, but if you do a lot of online shopping you will save over long haul on shipping fees.
Those are my current favorites. They keep me occupied while I'm in bed or on the couch pretending that I don't have the flu (if I believe hard enough maybe it will just leave?). They also keep my parent's mailbox full. Sadly, the best deals are not in Canada.
I bought a $40 jacket for $0.99
I bought a 6 oz. tub of body butter and a facial brush for $2.
I nearly bought a pair of $25 slippers for $0.99, but waited too long.
I bought the complete box set of Harry Potter blurays (6 disks) for $28.
I bought two movies and a roll of packing tape for $0.49.
I bought a year's subscription to Rachel Ray's Everyday magazine for $3 and Women's Day for $4.
The Christmas season and all of it's shopping glory really brings out the best deals, but you can find them year round if you know where to look.
Slickdeals.net - a constantly updating list of daily specials. This is where I find most of the $1-2 items. The website shows what store has a super clearance sale, if they have coupon codes available, and then tells you how to use the coupon codes. (Sometimes there is a trick if you want to use more than one, but Slickdeals walks you through the process. It's foolproof.)
Retailmenot.com - coupon codes and printable coupons. If you know you're making a purchase online or in store always search here first. All current promos - free shipping, % off, or money off - will be listed and again, it tells you how to use the coupons to maximize your savings. This site is great if you know you're shopping at Michael's or another store that regularly has a 40% off coupon and you've already tossed the latest flyer because you can print a new coupon. The site also has grocery coupons.
6pm.com - name brands, discount prices. They have a great selection of footwear, clothing, accessories, bags, and luggage. The discounts get better over time (newer items on the site are usually 10% off MSRP, but there is always a huge clearance section with 70-90% off). Slickdeals and Retailmenot will let you know if there are additional promotions running for 6pm.
Swagbucks.com - Swagbucks is a search engine, like Yahoo or Google, but by searching the internet through their site you earn "swagbucks" which can be redeemed for gift cards or anything in the "swagstore". Fitz and I have been accumulating points since July and we just cashed in for Amazon.com gift cards which paid for Christmas presents for my parents (the movies and packing tape that cost $0.49 out of pocket.)
It's free. And legit. And it's something Canadians can do because you can get Amazon.ca gift cards!
Amazon.com - Just want to highlight "free super saver shipping" and Amazon Prime (especially for students and parents). If you buy $25 worth of eligible items you get free shipping. Simple as that. (The two movies I bought for my parents came to $22 so I needed to spend ~$3 to hit the free shipping, otherwise shipping would have cost $5.95. A roll of packing tape was the right price and an ever practical gift that only my mother would be excited to receive...)
Amazon is usually cheaper than MSRP on any item, sometimes by half, so always check there before buying elsewhere.
Amazon Prime offers free two day shipping. Memberships for students (with college ID) and moms (or dad's) are free for one year. Amazon Mom offers discounts on diapers and wipes (usually 30% off). A Prime membership for everyone else is $79/year... a little pricy, but if you do a lot of online shopping you will save over long haul on shipping fees.
Those are my current favorites. They keep me occupied while I'm in bed or on the couch pretending that I don't have the flu (if I believe hard enough maybe it will just leave?). They also keep my parent's mailbox full. Sadly, the best deals are not in Canada.
Sunday, December 12
umm, day one hundred and two
Yikes. A whole week off. In my defense, nothing interesting has happened around here since Monday.
Unless you count the fantastic cinnamon rolls Fitz and I have been making. Fitz counts them. He ate half the pan on Thursday night.
We've been swamped with Christmas parties and band practices (Fitz) and fighting one illness after another (me).
I'm taking a strong combination of flu meds and heading to bed. See you tomorrow!
Unless you count the fantastic cinnamon rolls Fitz and I have been making. Fitz counts them. He ate half the pan on Thursday night.
We've been swamped with Christmas parties and band practices (Fitz) and fighting one illness after another (me).
I'm taking a strong combination of flu meds and heading to bed. See you tomorrow!
Monday, December 6
days ninety-four, ninety-five, ninety-six
To make up for the lack of posts as of late, I'll give you ten things since last Thursday.
1) I finally bought boots. They are beautiful. I should take a picture just so you can admire them with me.
2) While I was buying boots Fitz was checking out the clearance shoe section and found a pair of Sperry's (think old man leather slip ons). He's been wanting them forever, but at $80-90 they weren't exactly deemed a priority purchase in our budget. When they rang up at $25 there really was no option to put them back (I am so my mother's daughter) so Merry Christmas to Fitz.
3) I finally got a check from our old cable/internet company for the $28 credit in my account. I've only been after them since July.
4) We promptly spent the check on Friday night on wings and pachos. 2 for $10 apps and good friends are the best way to wind down the week.
5) I really want to own the game Carcassonne. We played it with the crew again Saturday and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
6) I spent Sunday afternoon baking and subsequently throwing mini-cupcakes in the garbage. I tried three batches and all of them failed. Mini-cheesecake was also a fail. Needless to say, it was not a happy day in our kitchen. Fitz was a trooper and stuck with me, washing dishes and offering helpful solutions to issues I was having.
7) The first of many Christmas parties on Sunday night was fabulous. T initiated a Wii Curling competition and our resident Olympic gold medal curling champion (no joke - we have a decorated Olympian in our church) was more than happy to coach those of us who were less than educated about the sport. It was so much fun.
8) Lately, I spend my mornings scouring the internet for almost freebies that I can order for my parents (since shipping things across the boarder make everything NOT cheap). I should start linking all the sweet deals that I find, especially when yearly magazine subscriptions are offered for $2.
9) I have spent the entire day on the couch. I'm not sure if I'm just exhausted from all the activity of the weekend or if the bug that is going around is finally hitting me. Let's hope it's the former.
10) I hate being hungry, but nothing in the house sounds appetizing. If the local (really expensive) grocery store weren't closed, I'd seriously consider wandering around until something jumped at me.
1) I finally bought boots. They are beautiful. I should take a picture just so you can admire them with me.
2) While I was buying boots Fitz was checking out the clearance shoe section and found a pair of Sperry's (think old man leather slip ons). He's been wanting them forever, but at $80-90 they weren't exactly deemed a priority purchase in our budget. When they rang up at $25 there really was no option to put them back (I am so my mother's daughter) so Merry Christmas to Fitz.
3) I finally got a check from our old cable/internet company for the $28 credit in my account. I've only been after them since July.
4) We promptly spent the check on Friday night on wings and pachos. 2 for $10 apps and good friends are the best way to wind down the week.
5) I really want to own the game Carcassonne. We played it with the crew again Saturday and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
6) I spent Sunday afternoon baking and subsequently throwing mini-cupcakes in the garbage. I tried three batches and all of them failed. Mini-cheesecake was also a fail. Needless to say, it was not a happy day in our kitchen. Fitz was a trooper and stuck with me, washing dishes and offering helpful solutions to issues I was having.
7) The first of many Christmas parties on Sunday night was fabulous. T initiated a Wii Curling competition and our resident Olympic gold medal curling champion (no joke - we have a decorated Olympian in our church) was more than happy to coach those of us who were less than educated about the sport. It was so much fun.
8) Lately, I spend my mornings scouring the internet for almost freebies that I can order for my parents (since shipping things across the boarder make everything NOT cheap). I should start linking all the sweet deals that I find, especially when yearly magazine subscriptions are offered for $2.
9) I have spent the entire day on the couch. I'm not sure if I'm just exhausted from all the activity of the weekend or if the bug that is going around is finally hitting me. Let's hope it's the former.
10) I hate being hungry, but nothing in the house sounds appetizing. If the local (really expensive) grocery store weren't closed, I'd seriously consider wandering around until something jumped at me.
Thursday, December 2
Wednesday, December 1
day ninety-two
1) On the first day of December... we get to hang our first ornament on the advent tree! I've been counting down to December 1st just so we could count down to Christmas. Yay!
2) I've been watching Youtube videos of flash mobs all day. Makes me wish that I could sing and dance - I'd love to be part of something like that.
For reference, one of the most famous flash mobs: T-Mobile in Liverpool Street Station.
3) For the youth Christmas party, Fitz is having an ugly/creative sweater contest. He bought all the supplies to create an awesome advent sweater... we'll see how it turns out in the next few days. I have a good feeling about it.
2) I've been watching Youtube videos of flash mobs all day. Makes me wish that I could sing and dance - I'd love to be part of something like that.
For reference, one of the most famous flash mobs: T-Mobile in Liverpool Street Station.
3) For the youth Christmas party, Fitz is having an ugly/creative sweater contest. He bought all the supplies to create an awesome advent sweater... we'll see how it turns out in the next few days. I have a good feeling about it.
from the bff
The best friend is a substitute teacher and she is always bringing home hilarious stories from her students. This one is too good not to share...
Today in First Grade we talked about how different countries use different kinds of money and how in each country money has a special name. I passed a Loonie around the room and even explained how the Canadian dollar coin got its nickname. Everyone got a kick of the the coin's silly name and I thought I had done an excellent job teaching the lesson until someone asked me, "Mrs. Martin, what's a Canada?" Oops.
Today in First Grade we talked about how different countries use different kinds of money and how in each country money has a special name. I passed a Loonie around the room and even explained how the Canadian dollar coin got its nickname. Everyone got a kick of the the coin's silly name and I thought I had done an excellent job teaching the lesson until someone asked me, "Mrs. Martin, what's a Canada?" Oops.
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