Today's Flower......

Dh bought me a bunch of flowers at the beginning of the week, so nice to have fresh flowers in the house. Makes this winter almost bearable!

For more Today's Flower photo's please click on this link

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I was not a happy Camper......and other stuff!

On Saturday we went down to Mississauga to do some shopping.  Where we were going we had to sort of go past our old house.  As dh had not seen it since we had moved we decided to go round that way.  BIG, BIG MISTAKE!  As you can see by the photo below I tried to keep the outside of the house tidy.  We paid a lot of money to have the curbs and the footpath installed.  We put in a sprinkler system in the lawn and planted a lot of plants and trees etc.  When we went past on Saturday, there was a car parked across the front lawn.  What the heck?????  Dh will confirm this I was lost for words, then I was so bloody angry that they would do that.  Goodness knows what happened to the tree, as the car was parked over that piece of garden???

As dh said its not our house anymore, but even so why would someone do that???

Anyhow, we carried on our merry way, me complaining for a while about what jerks we sold the house to.  Dh took me out for lunch and that shut me up for a while.  However why is it that when you go to a place that is a help yourself buffet, you have to stuff yourself senseless and then waddle out of the place with a rotten stinking bad stomach, and every place you visit after that you have to use the bathroom?  Or is that just me!!!

The reason we went to this particlar shopping mall is that they have a store called Solutions and they sell storage equipment, and closet organizers.  So we wanted to price out a closet organizer for our new closet.  They plan it all out for you and sell  you everything you need.  We have used these people before and the quality is awesome; plus at the moment until February 14th there is a sale on closet organizers.  To fit our closet out is going to cost close to $500, but it will be well worth it and it will take advantage of all the space.  So dh just has to double check the measurements and then we will order that next month.  Dh put another coat of mud on the closet on Saturday morning, we should be at the sanding stage by the beginning of next week I hope.

While we were in the store I noticed a line of items called Piggy Wiggy, and picked a couple of these mini whisk's.  One for me and one for dd......yes dd this is the surprise gift I got you!!  Piggly Wiggly is also a chain of grocery stores in the States, funny name for a grocery store isn't it!!

We went to Homesense and I picked up a new teapot as dh broke the lid on ours.  I thought it was quite cute and for $12.99 pretty cheap as well!

I also picked up this metal piece that I am going to put on the house wall outside.  It was on clearance for $11.00.

Went to Roots and picked up a couple of things that included this hat. The proceeds from the sale of this hat was donated to the "Right To Play" organization.

On the way home we called into Fortino's close to where we used to live and met up with Rupa our next door neighbour from the old house.  She has just come back from India and Cambodia, and she brought me back this silk scarf from Cambodia.  It is beautiful and so soft. 

I have to say we had a good day out other than the time we went past our old house.  I got new running shoes, or should I say trainers, as hell will freeze over before I run anywhere...LOL  My old ones were dropping to bits, and dh got new work boots, as he says his are letting in water..........

Now today is the last day of the month, did you remember to put your money in your pot for the Daily Savings Club?  How much did you end up saving?  Are you going to keep it in there for another month and carry on doing this?  I managed to save $41 this month, so am pleased with that.

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Install a programmable thermostat. These devices regulate the temperature in your house automatically according to the schedule that you set. Thus, when you’re not home, it allows the heating or cooling to turn off for several hours, saving you on your energy bill. A programmable thermostat can easily cut your energy bill by 10 to 20%.

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Fishcakes and other stuff.........

LOOK AT HOW COLD IT IS FOR US HERE, IT'S NIPPY COLD TODAY!

Next time you make mashed potatoes, make too many, then you can make fishcakes with the left over mashed potatoes.

What you need are mashed potatoes, a couple cans of salmon, or tuna fish, or even some fresh fish. Seasonings of your choice. Breadcrumbs and an egg.

Mix your fish and mashed potatoes together, you could add a chopped onion to the mixture, or even some peas or corn. Season, I use fresh chopped parsley when I have some on hand.

Then put your breadcrumbs in a bowl and crack the egg into a bowl, add a little water and whisk together.

Dip the fish and potato cake in the egg using one hand, and then roll it in the breadcrumbs using the other hand. So one hand is your wet hand, the other your dry hand.

Fry in a little vegetable oil until nice and crispy on the outside and warmed in the centre.

You can freeze these fishcakes uncooked no problem.  I enjoy these with salad, which is how we had them on Friday night.  You will never buy bought fishcakes again, as these are super simple to make. 

I did not give quantities as I just eyeball it.

Did you notice my playlist/music?  Are you finding it annoying, I tried to choose music that I both liked but was more on the mellow side.  I didn't think the more rock and roll, and loud type songs were appropriate.

Did you remember to put your money in you Daily Savings pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Check the reduced produce section when you are in the grocery store.  Reduced apples are great to use in an Apple Crisp, or to make apple sauce, same with pears.  I picked up a cauliflower last week half price, other than a couple of small blemishes it was great.  Got mushrooms this week as well.  If you get peppers or onions reduced, and can't use them right away, chop them up and pop them in the freezer for later use.

I am sure you can give me many more tips on how to take advantage of produce in the reduced section?

Oh, I'm back to reading again, so I haven't had time to visit anyone's blog, sorry!

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Bathroom habits........and other "stuff!"

I know bit of a strange thing to talk about, but something is puzzling me and has been for quite some time now.

Do you have magazines and books in your bathrooms?  The reason I ask this is, when I go to use the toilet the last thing I think of doing is reading a book or a magazine.  If I want to read a book, I prefer a more comfy seat.  Also when I go to the toilet I am in and out in as short a possible time.  Why do some people like to hang about in the bathroom for half an hour at a time?

The guys I worked with used to take the newspapers into the bathroom and you wouldn't see them for half an hour.  What on earth were they doing for half an hour????    Is this a man thing only?

I got a number of books in the mail on Thursday from a new to me online store, called Christianbookdotcom  It's an American site, but for us Canadians they ship out of Canada too, the warehouse is around an hour from where I live.  Great service, super prices and a good variety.

I paid $40 USD for all those books and the Waltons dvd, that includes $7.50 for shipping and 5% GST.  They were mainly 99 cents each, including the dvd.  I did pay $9.99 for the Kim Vogel Sawyer, "Sommerfield Trilogy" which of course is for three books!!

I will of course donate the books to the local library when I have read them, like always.

Did you remember to put your money in you Daily Savings Pot today?  We are nearly at the end of January so don't give up now!!

Today's Money Saving Tip:

If you are part of a book club, take at look at these tips on this link  These tips are also handy for any reader....

I do this every year: Ask for book tokens or bookshop gift cards as birthday and Christmas presents

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Skywatch Friday

I took these photos at around 4pm on Wednesday January 27th. It was cold around -12oC with the windchill and there was some light snow falling. However the sun was attempting to peek through the clouds. A typical winter's day here in Southern Ontario.

For more Skywatch Friday photos, please click on this link

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Keep Calm and Carry On, or better still put the kettle on!!

I just love this, it's so British. Now I know it's generally "Keep Calm and Carry On," however I saw this on Smitten By Britain's blog.   Basically in my mind this says it all, as the first thing we do in a crisis is put the kettle on as a cup of tea solves all the problems in the world!!

There's even a website that carry these items, here is the link I love the apron and tea-towel I must look into how much shipping costs across the pond.

Did a bit of sewing on Tuesday and here is the results. The "Fair and Square" block in the black, white and red colourway, and as its a quilt as you go quilt, it's already quilted. However when I finally find my free motioning foot which seems to have sprung legs and walked off somewhere, I want to do some free motioning (squiggly lines) on the grey and black borders. I know it has to be in one of the boxes, but I just can't find it!!

Here is the front:

Here is the back:

Wife in the North is a blog I stumbled upon, and Judith has written a book about her experiences.  It looks like a good read.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Clean your car’s air filter. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 7%, saving you more than $100 for every 10,000 miles you drive in an average vehicle. Plus, cleaning your air filter is easy to do in just a few minutes – just follow the instructions in your automobile’s manual and you’re good to go.

(Now my dad is probably rolling around in hysterics at the moment, saying, "She can barely put gas in her car, and here she is telling everyone that cleaning your air filter in your car is an easy job, I bet she has no clue where her air filter is in her car?" 

I so hate it when my dad is right, it is so bloody annoying...LOL)

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A bit of excitement and a song filled with memories.....

First the bit of excitement I am now writing a weekly column for the Eden Valley Messenger, which is an online newspaper from where we come from in Britain.  I mentioned the other day I had been asked to do it, and my first column was published on Monday.  Here it is, let me know what you think, leave a comment on the page, and I'd really appreciate it if you would pass it on to everyone you know, only if you want to!!

The hardest thing about writing this column is keeping it under 300 words.  Infact I think this weeks was closer to 350, it was originally closer to 400 words.  As you know once I start rambling on I don't know when to stop...LOL 

When I met dh he was and still is a big fan of Meatloaf.  Prior to meeting him I didn't really know much about Meatloaf, but the more I grew to love dh, the more I loved Meatloaf as he was always playing it on his tape deck (long before cd's were even invented!!) in his car.  When I popped over to Rob-bear's blog Meatloaf was playing on his playlist.  He has a great blog, but his playlist is even better!!

I don't have a play list on my blog, as what one person likes in music may not be another's taste.  I am one of these people I like most types of music, as long as I can hear what the words are!! 

Anyhow here is one of my favourite Meatloaf song's:  "I would do anything for love"



If you have another eight minutes to spare, listen to this one, "Paridise By the Dashboard Light."



Do you have a favourite Meatloaf song?

Did you notice I have taken that horrible photo of me down and replaced it with a graphic someone designed for me.  Do you like it?  It's different and cheerful.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip and in this case a losing weight/diet tip as well:

Drink more water. Not only does drinking plenty of water have great health benefits, water drinking has financial benefits, too. Drink a big glass of water before each meal, and not only will you digest it better, you won’t eat as much, saving on the food bill as well. You’ll also find yourself feeling a bit better as you begin to get adequately hydrated (most Americans are perpetually somewhat dehydrated).

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I deserve a medal you know, or at the very least an award......

What for........for keeping the mouse and vole population alive and well fed throughout the winter season.....

I know, what the heck!!!  It turns out I have been keeping the mouse and vole population alive and well through this cold season.

The basement in the new extension is a walkout basement with patio doors.

On Sunday Molly spent most of the day sitting in the front of the patio doors.  I couldn't understand why.  Finally after standing there for a while I saw what was interesting Molly.  Little brown furry voles scurring back and forward eating the bird seed that the birds have discarded on the deck above. 

So it seems the more I feed the birds the more I am feeding the mice and voles.  Who knew I was such a humanitarian to all wild creatures!!!  I personally don't have a problem with mice and voles as long as they stop outside and don't decide to move in with us.

I could have taken a better photo, but then you would see what sort of mess there is down there, despite the fact I have just tidied it up!!  And do I really want the world to know what sort of mess there is down there.....NO!!

Did you put your money into your pot today for the Daily Savings Club?  We are on the homeward stretch now of the first month!!

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Turn a critical eye to your “collections.” Most people collect something – what do you collect? Is it something that consistently brings you joy? Or is it something that you just do out of habit at this point? Does the collection itself have value? Could you perhaps “trim the fat” from this collection by getting rid of duplicates or getting rid of the items you no longer use? Also, could you perhaps cut down on your spending on that hobby? Focus on trimming the things you don’t feel strongly about – if you dig into things that bother you, you’re going to eventually relapse.

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Do you believe in your "gut feeling?" And a recipe for Cheesecake...

Ds went to look at a house on Saturday, he is looking to purchase a house this year.  He has got a real estate agent looking for a house for him, and if any house comes up that he thinks ds would like he lets him know.  So this house has come up and its a foreclosure and from the photos it looks great.  Ds went to look at it and for a number of reasons, including his "gut feeling" he doesn't think he'll go for it.

As I said to ds I think if your "gut feeling," is telling you no then that's good enough.  I personally swear by my gut feelings, as if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.  Also with buying a house, you have to have that "right" feeling other wise it won't work.  Ds didn't like the layout of this house, and as he said he would only live in it while he was renovating it and then sell it again.  As he is an accountant, now through the end of April is his busiest time of year, so he also doesn't have time to renovate a house in a couple of months ready to put it back up for sale again.

Without making out that ds is the most perfect child in the world........okay he is....LOL  He does possess his father's skill for diy, and his mother's instincts for knowing when something is right or not and her vision for seeing through dirt and horrible decor to see what a house could look like.  Dd is also perfect.......had to write that otherwise I would be in big trouble!!!

I also rely on my gut feeling when meeting new people.  I was forever telling my boss at work I wouldn't trust so and so with a ten foot barge pole.  Nine times out of ten I was right.  So something has to be said about that gut feeling of yours.

I made a Sour Cream Cheesecake on Sunday using this recipe  the good thing about this recipe it makes a lighter cheesecake as instead of using 3 packets (1 1/2 pounds) of creamcheese it used only a pound and a tub of sour cream.  I had a can of strawberry pie filling that I used for the topping.  It was as good as it looks and that will be our dessert for the rest of the week.  If you haven't got sour cream, substitute creme fraiche.  This is a really easy recipe, make it first thing in the morning and you can have it for dessert at night.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today.

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Skip dessert at a restaurant, and eat it at home.  It generally costs around $5 each for dessert in a restaurant.  I worked out that the cheesecake cost me less than $10 to make and we have enough dessert for the two of us for a whole week, which is fourteen portions, at less than $1 per portion.  Something to think about......

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Today's Flower

This is another photo from the archives.  I can't for the life of me remember what this plant is called, I though it was part of the primrose family?  I had this growing at the other house, wish I had transplanted it and brought it with me.

For more Today's Flower's photos, please click on this link

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Photos and other stuff, including a rant about screwdrivers!!!

I've come to the conclusion I like the word "STUFF." No idea why just like the sound of it when you say it..STUFF....

Anyhow on Saturday afternoon, I made up this month's quilt block for the block of the month club. Its called Fair and Square and for the first time ever, I actually followed the pattern, without running into a problem? So there is hope for me yet!! Planning on getting the black, white and red one done on Sunday.

Now one of the things dh is busy with is building a closet in our bedroom.  The photo below is the before photo, actually at this point he had pulled off the crown molding on the ceiling and pulled all the baseboards off.

He had got the framing up and all the drywall up.  We now have to tape the edges and mud over the screw holes etc and sand it all..icky!!

We are putting in sliding doors that will be in solid pine, and I will stain and varnish them to match the other doors in the house.  Quite excited to think we may have a proper closet by sometime in February.  Mind you not sure when we'll get the doors as depending on whether we get three or four doors, (can't remember what was decided in the end), it will cost between $400 to $500 just for the doors.  However it will look as though it has been there since the house was built when we get it finished.  I'm of the view if you want something to look right, 1. get my dh to do it (he's very, very picky and everything has to be just so), and 2. do it right, don't be cheap.  In this case we could buy cheaper doors, but they wouldn't look right with the rest of the doors in the house.

Did you put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?  I did, got my money put in for the month and a bit more.  So I am just going to keep putting more money in there, the more the better, don't you think?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Do It Yourself:

What's wrong with trying to do things yourself  around the house?  Of course rewiring or replumbing your house may be out of the question, but painting a room, installing some laminate flooring, even doing some landscaping yourself is a great way to learn a new thing and save you money.  If you're not sure how to do something, like changing some taps, ask someone at the store, or even better go online there are how to's on there.  Or if you know someone who is handy around the house, get them to come over and show you what to do, you may have to feed them, but its a great way of getting together with people and maybe you have a skill that you can barter with them.

I know I am going to try and do drywall taping for the first time today with the help of dh, when he comes in from work.  I figure putting drywall plaster stuff over the screw holes and imperfections will be just like icing a cake, so it can't be too difficult????

I do have a confession though......I am just plain useless when it comes to using any type of tool, though I did use a screwdriver on Saturday changing the needle in my sewing machine!!!!  Also I have no idea what so ever what tools are called.  Those different heads on screwdrivers just baffle me, and I hate it when dh or my dad ask me to get the "Whatever" screwdriver; what they should say to me is get the one with the criss-cross on it, or the square thingy on it, or the straight edge thingy on it, but no they insist on using the name and I have no idea which one they are talking about.

Whoops, that Money Saving Tip turned into a rant didn't it!!

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It must be a British thing?

We have just subscribed to Setanta Sports as dh is football mad, especially Carlilse United, I suppose someone has to be a fan of theirs...LOL  Anyhow he was watching the game the other day and the soccer fans were doing all the chants, including Que Sera, Sera, and then the music came on and one of the songs was Status Quo's "Rockin" All Over The World"  Now if you're British and grew up in the 70's there is nothing quite like Status Quo?  Mind you everytime I think of Status Quo I think of Les Battersby on Coronation Street, as he was a big fan.

Here is Rockin All Over The World:



Now my favourite Status Quo song is "Caroline."



Has anyone seen them live in concert as I see they are still touring?

By the way my all time favourite football anthem that gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it is:



I don't support the team though!!

Health wise, my mouth is no better, talked to the dentist and may have to go and see him next week if it doesn't get any better.  Only got a mild headache now so that's good, it hung around a long time though this time.

This blog has been mentioned in the Eden Valley Messenger..YEAH!!!  So if any of you know anyone from the Eden Valley in Cumbria, or in Cumbria in general, pass on the site to them.  Karen has asked me if I want to write about my life in Canada, or my memories about living in Appleby for the site, so its something I am considering.

Did you remember to put your money into your Daily Saving's Pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Instead of throwing out some damaged clothing, repair it instead. Don’t toss out a shirt because of a broken button – sew a new one on with some closely-matched thread. Don’t toss out pants because of a hole in them – put in a patch of some sort and save them for times when you’re working around the house. Simple sewing can be done by anyone – it just takes a few minutes and it saves a lot of money by keeping you from buying new clothes when you don’t really need to.

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Oh no I'm in trouble again!!!

So on Thursday I had to take Molly to the vets to get her blood taken for her allergy testing, $410 later!!  Anyhow they weighed Molly and she has put on 6 1/2 lbs since we got her.  She is now 45 lbs, and she has to lose weight.  The problem this to my mind she is always hungry, and  I have started making her the chicken breast, with brown rice and veggies, which she adores.  She gobbles up her breakfast and supper in minutes, so I have been giving her a little more to eat.  As its cold she's not out as much and not getting the exercise, so all this adds up to her putting on weight.

So she is going to go back on the bought food as I can monitor how much she eats better, and I know she is getting all the nutrients she needs.

I still have a horrible headache.  I have never had one this bad in a while.  I am blaming it on the fact that I have been varnishing part of the floor in our bedroom, on Monday through Wednesday.  I went to bed on Wednesday night at 7pm and slept right the way through until just after 5am on Thursday morning and as I am writing this on Thursday night at 6pm I am so tired and could go to bed now.

Also my mouth isn't healing properly from last week.  I have ran out of antibiotics, and have got a blister on the inside of my cheek.  I have been rinsing out my mouth with warm salted water, but it still stings like crazy when I drink anything too hot or too cold.  Orange juice about kills me with the stinging.  I will see how I feel after the weekend, if I am no better then I'll have to go to the dentist again.  Where they pulled the tooth that seems fine, its all around the tooth, the gum and my cheek which is still so sore.

That is also the reason I haven't been visiting anyone's blogs, as I my poor head is killing me.

Did you put your money in your pot today for the Daily Saving's Club?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Trade Plants with Friends and Neighbors. One of the best and cheapest ways to get plants that you know will do well in your area is to trade with nearby friends, relatives, and acquaintances. Many species, such as iris, daylily, and hosta, can (or even need to) be divided periodically, while you can collect seeds or start cuttings from others.

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Skywatch Friday

I took these the other morning, such pretty clouds in the morning.  I don't remember if the day was lovely or turned bad, as "Red sky in the morning, Shepherd's warning"

For more Skywatch Friday photos, please click on this link

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Reading, wildlife and other stuff

Took a couple of photos showing you the vole tracks, so no doubt what grass we have will be all dug up now!!

I have been busy reading, so of course nothing else has been getting done.  Anyhow "won" this book through Chatelaine Magazine, and it was so good.  Marian Keyes, "This Charming Man."

It didn't take me long to get into it, and it was interesting, as I learned a lot about domestic violence, which is a theme which is intertwined throughout this story.  Also I love the Irish expressions used in this story as well; ones that I hadn't heard in years.  As you know I rarely read a book twice, so I will be donating this to my local library.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot?
Today's Money Saving Tip:

Sign up for every free customer rewards program you can. Even if you rarely shop at that place, having a rewards card for that place will eventually net you some coupons and discounts. Here’s the basic game plan for maximizing these programs: create a Gmail address just for these mailings, collect every card you can, and then check that account for extra coupons whenever you’re ready to shop.

While writing this on Wednesday night I have to the worst headache ever.  So not doing much of a post tonight, sorry.

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Shock, horror a chocolate crisis and other stuff!

I first read this over at Cambridge Lady's blog, its a bit of sad news for everyone, especially those of us who are chocolate addicts.  It seems that the Karft Company in America is taking over Cadbury's in the UK, read about it here  Now why that should upset the chocolate addicts amongst us, is that its a well known fact that all American chocolate tastes like cheap cooking chocolate (sorry but its true you guys), so if they play around with the formula or even worse make the chocolate bars in the States and ship them back to the UK all will not be good.

If I am buying imported chocolate it has to be made in the UK.  There is a difference between the taste of Cadbury's chocolate made in Canada and made in the UK, and the UK winds hands down.  It is one thing I do believe that the UK does better than us North Americans, and that is make half decent chocolate.  I was talking to a guy who works in a chocolate factory and he was saying that they have brought out Dove chocolate over here based on British chocolate, as its a lot creamier than the American rubbish.  Again not a huge fan of Dove chocolate, but won't say no to it.

Now on a more serious note with this, as per the news release the people are worried about losing their jobs in Britain as Kraft is known for cutting jobs and saving costs, so need to be aware of that as well......still worried about how my beloved Cadburys chocolate will taste though?

I was watching Breakfast Television on Tuesday morning, while I was doing my ironing and this week they are featuring You Tube videos of local people and they featured this lady, who has a spectacular voice.  I can see big things for this lady, where are you Simon Cowell!!


On Tuesday while I was taking the garbage bin out of under the sink, the phone rang.  So I left the garbage bag in the middle of the kitchen and went to answer the phone.  Stood talking on the phone for ages in teh family room, and heard Molly pottering around in the kitchen.  She had got into the garbage and I had, had soup for my lunch on Monday and it come in a bag, so Molly was licking out the bag, and it resulted in Molly having an orange face!!

Molly is not going to be happy on Wednesday morning as I am putting her in the shower with me!!!

Did you put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

For organic weed control, use regular black and white newspaper, 5 sheets or so thick, and lay it over the garden and then dampen with a hose. The paper will break down and add organic material to our clay soils that will make it easier to dig in as well as a happier place for the plants to grow. You can start a garden with this same theory by just weed eating the grass down to almost nothing and laying the paper over top of the freshly "wacked" area, wetting and then cutting a hole in the paper to plant!

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Videos of where we used to live, and other stuff!

I have discovered a web site from where we used to live in Britain called The Eden Valley Messenger  I personally find it interesting as it tells us all the news of where we used to live and occasionally it talks about people we know.  She also does some neat videos, here are three, all are short and the music is soothing:

November 2009

Same place in January 2010, just over a month later.  We were married in the church.

Here is another one showing places around Appleby, including the primary school I went too, girls went in one door, boys in another.  The railway station, we used to live close to there. 


I read a book earlier in the month by a new to me author called Dixie Cash.  The book was called, "my heart may be broken, BUT my hair still looks great."

It was a fun book, that of course I couldn't put down, but what's new there.  It was one of those books where you wanted to see what happens next.  I must keep my eyes out for the other books by the same authors.  I just love the titles of their books as they are so catchy.

Did you put your money in your Daily Saving Pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Use your local library.  If you read a lot, it saves you money hands down, by borrowing books, rather than buying them.  You can also borrow magazines, rather than buying them.  You can rent or borrow dvd's for a nominal cost, some are even free.  They often hold courses for nominal fees.  For children they often have story time or crafts at little to no cost.  Our library will order books from other libraries if they don't have it.  I use our library a lot, and the people who work there are a pleasure to deal with.

I should mention, I donate any books I buy and read to the library.  As I have mentioned before, I do buy books from Book Close Outs as they are a great price.  They have a 99 cent Health and Fitness sale at the moment.

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Dollars for gold.......and other stuff!

In Canada and the States, there are a lot of adverts on the tv for selling your old broken gold jewelery for cash. I have watched these with interest for a while now; then on another site I go on there was a thread all about this and how a member had done this with great results. Infact she had taken hers to a jewelery store in Canada and they had offered say $200 and when she sent it to this company in New York she got $400.

So I decided to clean out my jewelery box and see what I had laying around and here is what I found. The two larger chains I had, had been repaired before and they were just not worth while repairing again. The two smaller chains were just cheapies and not worth repairing.

All these earrings were either broken or missing their mate; and as I am not one to go around wearing odd earrings, they were no good to me.

I sent these by airmail via Canada Post on January 4th, at a cost of around $8, and that included the cost of the bubblewrap envelope. I put on the customs paper, costume jewellry for repair, as putting gold jewelery to sell wouldn't have been a good idea..........right!!!

I got a call from the company on January 11th and they told me it was worth just over $300 USD and was I happy. I was very happy as it was worth nothing sitting in my jewelery box. I got the cheque on Friday 15th of January and put it in the bank on Saturday. We put a hold on it until Friday 22nd of Janaury just to make sure it will clear. There should be no problem, but thought we had better make sure just in case. Other people who have used this company have had no problem.

Blogger turned my photo for some reason?

So if you have old jewellry laying around and want some money this may be worth your while. Now with everything in life, you do it at your own risk. This has worked for me, but may not for you, so do your own research first. All I can say I am happy with the results and this is the company I used.

I ordered some bulbs and flowers online on Sunday at Vesey's  I have ordered from them before and have had good luck with them.  On the north side of the house, I wanted to make a hosta garden, and so I ordered these  I bought the 8 pack.  I also bought four different varieties of Gladiolus, as I have never grown them before, and thought if they did well I may be able to sell some as well.  I got this one, this one, this one and this one.   Finalkly I got these Dahlia's, again it's a flower I have never grown before.  From now until March 10, 2010 if you order $50 from the catalog, you get an additional $25 off, the coupon code is: SA251  Now not sure if it applies to all the things online as well, but you could try?

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Start a garden. Gardening is an inexpensive hobby if you have a yard. Just rent a tiller, till up a patch, plant some plants, keep it weeded, and you’ll have a very inexpensive hobby that produces a huge amount of vegetables for you to eat at the end of the season. I like planting a bunch of tomato plants, keeping them cared for, then enjoying a huge flood of tomatoes at the end of the summer. We like to eat them fresh, can them, and make tomato juice, sauce, paste, ketchup, pasta sauce, and pizza sauce. Delicious (and very inexpensive)!

(Not sure if you have clicked yet, but I didn't write all these tips that I keep posting, and this is one I didn't write, as the regulars will know I don't grow many tomatoes myself, as I am the only one that eats them!!)

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Today's Flower

I found these two photos in a file, they were taken at the last house years ago, they are Anemone "De Caen" they're really pretty aren't they?  They can also be known as "Showy Windflowers," and they bloom between June and August.

For more Today's Flower photo's please click on this link

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Alive and well, and other things......

I'm feeling a lot better as I am starting to whine again.  So I will get the whining over and done with first.

Why is it dentists always want you to answer questions when your mouth is full of instruments, and then get ticked when they can't understand you????  Hello.......my mouth is full of stuff.......

Must say I am grateful I went to an oral surgeon, as this tooth didn't want to leave my body without a struggle and he had to get the old drill out to break it up, so no tooth fairy money for me {{SIGH}}  The two roots had "bulbous" things on them, as per the dentist and they were hanging on for grim death.  Due to that he had to slice open my gum and then stitch it up.....oh with only one stitch........but I'm looking for sympathy here, so have to make it sound worse than it is....LOL

Despite the fact I was told no dairy products at all, I ended up having a cup of lukewarm tea with milk in it and a banana pudding as I was starving, and I am still here to tell the tale.  I bet you're all muttering to yourself, thank god she doesn't have that much wrong with her!!!  By the way my knee is fine again, go figure.  Mind you as I said the other day, I can only concentrate on one thing at a time!! My mouth is feeling good and is on the mend.

This "song" and notice how I put it in quotes, will no doubt be a hit!!! I love American Idol by the way, especially the auditions, as some of them are just so very funny.



Now my dad has been busy making birdhouses.  Here are three, just need your opinions, would you buy one (don't worry I am not selling them to you...LOL) and if so what would you pay for them?    I think they are for specific types of birds, but don't remember, and as my dad and step-mum are on their way down to Alabama for two months, lucky ducks, so until I hear from them I can't ask them.  I am sure the top one if for a wren though.  No idea about the other two.  I'll post some more tomorrow. 

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot?  Can you believe we are half way through the month already?  Let me know how much you have saved already? 

Today's Money Saving Tip, and it's a good one I think:

Buy appliances based on reliability, not what’s cheapest at the store. It’s worth the time to do a bit of research when you buy a new appliance. A reliable, energy efficient washer and dryer might cost you quite a bit now, but if it continually saves you energy and lasts for fifteen years, you’ll save significant money in the long run. When you need to buy an appliance, research it – start with back issues of Consumer Reports at the library. An hour’s worth of research can easily save you hundreds of dollars.

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I'm still here.......

minus the one tooth

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doped up to the eyeballs

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feeling miserable and sorry for myself, as no one in the world has ever been through this much pain!!!!

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oh and starving!!!! only clear liquids for 24 hours, what the heck!!! I can't stand chicken noodle soup, so eating Jello/Jelly

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back to normal service tomorrow and thanks for all your good wishes.......

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Am I the only one who doesn't do well with pain?  Goodness knows what I would do if I had a "real" problem!!

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No money saving tip or anything today, sorry

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I am in so much pain........

Back in December I mentioned I had been to the dentist and I wrote about it here  The dentist thought it was a sensitive tooth and to use a sensitive toothpaste.  Well things have been going from bad to worse, and my poor mouth has been throbbing, especially around that tooth.  I have been taking advill like candy to try and stop the throbbing.

So on Thursday morning I went back to the dentist and he took x-rays again and he thinks its a cracked tooth.  There was a couple of options, he could put in a temporary medicated filling????  He could do a root canal at a cost of around $3,000, or he could send me to a specialist to have the tooth pulled.  Not 100% sure why he couldn't pull the tooth, however I have an appointment on Friday at 8:45am to have it pulled.  Not overly happy about the situation, but I am in so much pain with this tooth, something has to happen.  He gave me an antibiotic to make sure if there is any infection this will fight it, and Tylenol 2 for the pain.

Then just to add to it all, do you remember back at the end of the September when I fell and twisted my knee?  If not read about it here  Well I have my good days and my bad days with this knee, and on Thursday it was a bad day, as that was also throbbing.  Now I don't know about you, but I can only concentrate on one thing that is wrong with me at a time.  So its all very confusing me having a throbbing tooth and a throbbing knee at the same time!!!  You know how things happen in three's?  I wonder what my third thing will be!!

Oh and the warmer weather has arrived, thank you Carol for that.

Did you remember to put your money in your pot for the Daily Saving Club?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Try generic brands of items you buy regularly. Instead of just picking up the ordinary brand of an item you buy, try out the store brand or generic version of the item. Likely, you’ll save a few cents now, but you’ll also likely discover that the store brand is just as good as the name brand – the only difference between the two, often, is the marketing. Once you’re on board the generic train, you’ll find your regular grocery bill getting smaller and smaller.

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Skywatch Friday

We have had such overcast days this week its been awful. So I found these two photos from my archives. I love the depth in the second photo.

For more Skywatch Friday photos, please click on this link

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A bits and bobs sort of a day....................

I bought a new ironing board cover on the weekend, so while I was changing that, I figured I would do some sewing while I had the ironing board out.  I sewed the borders on the pink and cream quilt blocks.  This one has brown borders.  I am not going to do quilt as you go I don't think with this one, as I want to put some borders on it.  In fact looking at this photo a cream border will make it pop don't you think?

While I was sewing I had the radio on through the computer, never done that before, it helps if you have good speakers and we seem to have pretty good ones.  Anyhow this song came on, "Lay It On The Line," by Divine Brown, it's another one to ask dd to put on my i-pod before gardening season.  Do you listen to the radio through the day?

My mother rang me on Wednesday and we were talking in general and I was saying that I had been busy washing the kitchen floor by hand.  Its not something I do very often, I generally use a mop and bucket.  However what we were both saying is that no one would notice if I wash it by mop and bucket or by hand, and sure enough dh never noticed I had washed the floor!!!  Still it felt good to give it a good clean.  I moved the fridge and stove out and gave that a good clean behind there.

It was super windy on Wednesday as well.  It calmed down a bit by mid-afternoon so I went outside to snow plow.  First I had to shovel in front of the garage door as there was a huge snow bank in front of it.  I was pooped by the time I had shoveled that.  It was higher than my knee.  I had to shovel it out of the way before I could get the snow blower out of the garage.  One good thing though, I didn't have to kick the door to open it today.

Our driveway is a P shape, and due to the high snow drifts that blew in on Wednesday the curve of the P is no longer usable.  The snow drifts are too high for our snow blower to go through.  Luckily the straight side of the P is clear so that's good.

Did you remember to put your money into your pot today?

Today's Money saving tip:

Clean out your closet. Go through your closets and try to get rid of some of the stuff in there. You can have a yard sale with it, take it to a consignment shop, or even donate it for the tax deduction – all of which turn old stuff you don’t want to use any more into money in your pocket. Not only that, it’s often a psychological load off your mind to clean out your closets.

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I love you just the way you are.....

Thank you for all your input over the past couple of days. You've really been a big help. Do you remember in the movie, "Bridget Jones's Diary," when Mark Darcy says to Bridget, "I love you just the way you are?" Well I think I am thinking that about my blog, I love it just the way it is. Other than some cosmetic changes I think it will be staying the same.

I spent part of Tuesday doing some sewing, and the results were these three blocks are now quilted and sewn together.  There are still another 9 blocks to do, and we get one block pattern per month, so its a work in progress.  I am thinking of doubling up and having a 24 block quilt, I'll see.

This is the back, as you can see its very basic quilting nothing fancy. The backing is a good quality white muslin.

This is not a great photo, but I had never seen this type of bird before, it was a lot bigger than the usual birdies.  I think it was a Grey Jay.

Did you remember to put your money into your pot today for the daily savings club?

Today's Money Saving tip:

Write a list before you go shopping – and stick to it. One should never go into a store without a strong idea of what one will be buying while in there. Make a careful plan of what you’ll buy before you go, then stick strictly to that list when you go to the store. Don’t put anything in the cart that’s not on the list, no matter how tempting, and you’ll come out of the store saving a bundle.

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A busy day and another question for you.........

Monday was such a busy day for me, as I am writing this on Monday night I am pooped.

Got up did my usual of having my breakfast while I checked my emails, blog, got my morning swag buck and whatever else needed done on the computer.  Had a shower and then cleaned the bathrooms.  Put a load of laundry in the washer.  Rang Linda at work to go over some stuff.  Cleaned out some of the ashes in the fire.  Took them out, brought in some logs, rang dh to see how he was.  Hung the clothes on the clothes horse to dry, and did some tidying up.

I went to get the car out of the garage, which is always a joy, as the door sticks when its cold, so kicked that a few times.............it's truly the best way to get it open and it gets rid of some frustration!!!  Had to shovel in front of the garage door first as snow had blown in front of it.  Warmed up the car ready to go to town.  By this time it's 9:30am.

Went to town had to go to Shopper's Drug Mart as there is a referral event on until Wednesday.........if anyone wants a referral just let me know, you get a bonus 5,000 points when you spend $20, which believe me is simple to do.  Make sure you also purchase a $25 gift card if you do decide to do this, as you will get an extra 250 points.  Then I headed to Zehrs to pick up some groceries, and then to First Choice to get my hair trimmed.  I was back at home by 10:45am.

Put all the shopping away and put on some eggs to boil.  Hunted out all my stuff for my quilting class.  Washed the dishes in the kitchen sink and did some more tidying up.  Had lunch, hard boiled egg sandwiches, and watched Eastenders at the same time.  As soon as that was over, headed for my quilting class.  The class was on how to quilt as you go.  Basically you sandwich together your block, batting and backing and quilt it all.  Then there is a neat way of stitching them all together. 

Had to put gas in the car, as it was on empty.....$50 later :0O it was $1 a litre.  Called in the vets to pick up some more pills for Molly.  Headed home unpacked the car, had to put winder washer fluid in the car, its a job I can actually do on my own.  Put the car in the garage, and no I didn't kick the door to shut it...........maybe I should and finally sat down for a bit. 

I don't feel as though I have stopped all day.  I have no plans on moving from the house over the next couple of days as the house is dust city, so want to get some cleaning done.

Did you remember to put your money in your pot today for the Daily Savings Club?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Cut back on the convenience foods – fast foods, microwave meals, and so on. Instead of eating fast food or just nuking some prepackaged food when you get home, try making some simple and healthy replacements that you can take with you. An hour’s worth of preparation one weekend can give you a ton of cheap and handy meals that will end up saving you a lot of cash and not eat into your time when you’re busy.
Now for the question (s).  As I said I am thinking of doing some changes to the blog and wanted your opinion on something.  What do you think of ads on blogs?  Are you more inclined to visit a blog if they have a giveaway on it?   Do you prefer blogs that deal with one subject, like cooking or gardening, or do you like blogs with a bit of everything on it?  Would you like to see some more 50 + 1 recipe threads, and if so on what?

A fellow blogger and I are brainstorming on how to reach out to a wider audience without losing our appeal.

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Bitter cold again..............

It was blowing a gale force wind on Sunday which in turn made it feel freezing cold outside.  However that didn't seem to stop the snowmobilers and there seemed to be plenty of them out and about on the trails.  Its not something I have ever done is snowmobile, as I am not big on outdoor activities when its minus 100 outside!!!

I was talking to my mother on Sunday and she was telling me all about the going's on in Britain with the rotten weather they have been having.  It seems to me a lot of problems stem from the "Health and Safety" issues, maybe someone from Britain could explain it better than me.  What we both were saying that people have gone soft.  My mother was telling me when she was born, she was born at home and her god mother made my mother her first snowman, out of the snow that has blown in through the crack in the bottom of the window panes the day she was born.  Yes it was a minature snowman, but the windows were that drafty and old.  No one had central heating like they do now, and the year she was born was a bitter, bitter cold winter.

We lived in the country and very rarely were the schools closed.  My mother was saying the city schools are closed, as some teachers can't get to work.......so why close the school, get teachers to take extra pupils in their class.  Over here if its too cold to let the kids out at recess/playtime, they have indoor recess, where the teachers do something fun with the kids.  Things are a changing as they say and I don't think for the better do you?

On a more positive note when we were out on Saturday I picked up a couple packet of seeds.  A packet of cress, as I love egg and cress sandwich.  Over here parsley is the garnish of choice, but quite often in Britain its cress (please correct me if I'm wrong.)  So I have a craving for an egg and cress sandwich, so plan on growing some.

  I also picked up a package of heirloom sweet peas. 

Now granted our risk of not having frost will not happen until after May 24th, I can dream what my garden will look like and there is nothing more lovely than a bunch of sweet peas.

Did you remember to put your money in your pot for the daily savings club?

Today's money saving tip:

Turn off the television. One big way to save money is to watch less television. There are a lot of financial benefits to this: less exposure to guilt-inducing ads, more time to focus on other things in life, less electrical use, and so on. It’s great to unwind in the evening, but seek another hobby to do that.

I want to make some changes to my blog, is there anything that you would like to see more of?  Or anything that you want to see less of?  Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated........

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