Trip to the Post Office

Went to put stamps on the Christmas cards to mail them. Took me forever to remember where I had actually put the cards, only to discover I had three stamps and four cards....LOL

So had to go to the post office to buy a book of stamps, which should last me well into next year.

Of the four cards I mailed, two were in Canada and there is a good chance that will be the last time I am sending them to those folk.  The other two were to family in the UK; I was short an international stamp.

Cost over $18 for a book of six international stamps.  The lady at the post office was telling me that there hasn't been an increase in the price of stamps since before COVID?  I don't remember do you?

Other than immediate family, I would think I am down to giving Christmas cards to a handful of people.  Do you send out a lot of cards?  I think it is a dying trend.

I do this every year

I had collected all my Christmas cards and placed them beside our desktop computer.

As every year, I write down in an Excel spreadsheet who I got cards from.  If there was a note in the card or a letter.  Minus the grandchildren we got a grand total of 10 cards this year.  I am sending less and less each year.  I add a new page to the spreadsheet each year, and refer to it when I start to write the Christmas cards.  I haven't bought regular Christmas cards in years, still using up my stash.  I am a huge fan of Papyrus cards.  I buy family cards from the dollar store.  

I did buy a lot of cards in the UK as their cards are a whole lot nicer and cheaper than ours here in Canada.  Below are my two favourite cards that I received this year and both are from the UK.

Do you send Christmas cards?  How do you keep track on who has sent you and who you send too?

Do you think sending cards, whether it is Christmas, birthday, anniversary is a thing of the past?

Christmas shopping........

Well I have started Christmas shopping as there was a segment on the radio the other day, that was saying there could be shortages this year due to problems in the supply chain.  Now this is not the first time I heard this.  "R" was telling me there was talk at her work that the staff who buy in all the Christmas stuff were concerned about delivery; despite them ordering everything in February for Christmas.

It doesn't help that there is such a tight window for retailers to sell things for Christmas.  Saying that I am seeing email flooding in with adverts for all sorts of Christmas items.  I also heard and was told, that getting deals and bargains will be also difficult.

The grandkids are all getting Lego in some shape or form (other than the baby) this year, and trying to find a deal on Lego is difficult.  I ordered another lot from Chapters/Indigo, where I get Plum points.  I ordered online, so I get Swagbucks and put it on my credit card, so get PC points.  So all in all, I did pretty well with the order.

For the adults, I generally send out a group text telling them I will get them a gift card and where do they want it from.  The reason I send out a group text, is so I know I will get a response from them all!!  However, it then turns out to be a long winded affair, as my son thinks he's a comedian😏

Again this year, there will be very few Christmas cards sent out; postage is too expensive.  A lot of people have emails, so would rather hear from them via that.

Have you heard about the shortages and have you started your Christmas shopping?

This is what I bought and why..........

Do you ever wonder why people buy what they have in their grocery carts when you're in the grocery store?  I do, so I thought I'd do a post of what I bought and why when I popped into Zehrs yesterday morning.

When shopping at Zehrs we get points and they are called PC Optimum points.  Those points you can use to pay your groceries among many things.  My goal when going to the store was the pick up the frozen fruit and the crackers, but then I got a deal emailed to me and I could earn another 3,000 points by spending $30.  With the price of groceries I knew that wasn't going to be difficult.  I have lost my receipt but ended up spending just under $32 and earned I think 4,200 points which is worth $4.20.  Below is what I bought (all prices in Canadian Dollars):

 I bought the potatoes as I find it super simple to give either a baked potato or potato wedges to dh with the salad and main we have on a night.  They were on sale for $2.99 for 10lbs.  The Ranch flavoured croutons were $2.79, I like a handful of those on top of my salad sometimes.  The rice krispie squares were on clearance for under $1 per packet and thought I could add one to dh's lunch everyday for a change.  I generally make one quiche per week, and prefer to use a pre made pie shell.  This package of two was $2.99.  The ground turkey in the photo above was on for $3.00  with the 50% off and the Greek flavoured pork loin was on for $4.50 with the 50% off.  Both went into the freezer for future meals.  We eat very little meat, but I thought the pork loin would go well with salad and potatoes and the turkey would make a veggie shepherd's pie with a root vegetable mash on top of it.

 These are the items I wanted in the first place.  I got four packages of rice crackers at $1 per package and the large package of frozen blueberries for $9.99.  I will say I wanted the mixed fruit blend as I like that the best, but there wasn't any.  I like the no name brand the best for frozen fruit and they are normally $11.99 a package, so saved a couple of dollars there.  I use it on my overnight oats.

Everyday for lunch I have half a package of rice crackers, with the small tub of hummus.  I buy the hummus at Wal-Mart and you get 12 small packages for $6.  Dh also takes half a package of crackers and hummus for part of his lunch as well.  I have worked out the difference of buying regular containers of hummus and the smaller ones, and this is a better deal.  I am not a fan of making my own hummus, it never tastes as good.

While I was checking out, I saw another lady buy some Christmas bags and they were only 54 cents each.  That is a good price, so I decided to go and pick some up.  I bought three of the large bear bags and one large llama bag (there were no more larger bags left).

 I bought a 12 pack of Christmas crackers for $4.14 and two each of the medium bags.

All in all 12 git bags and the box of Christmas crackers came to exactly $12.  Very happy with that deal.  I am now sorted for wrapping paper, gift bags and Christmas cards for next year.

So there you are, why I bought what I did!

Christmas Cards...........

It's that time of year again, and as always I am torn...........I have also just let out a big sigh.

I have cut way, way back and will again re-evaluate who I will send too this year.  I personally don't see the point of sending someone a Christmas card if the only contact I have with them is once a year through a Christmas card?  

Remember how I used to agonize over the yearly Christmas letter, when most people couldn't be bothered to write a letter back?  Why should I bother if they can't be bothered?

Then there is the postage, it just goes up and up.  I was fortunate this year, as I was able to send my immediate family's cards through a free mailer that Canada Post was doing, so saved a little money there.

In this day and age of social media and emails, I know I can reach out to them if I want, and they can reach out to me, but will admit I do miss getting and reading a newsy letter.

Yeah or nay with Christmas cards?

Made a decision..........

cutting back on mailing Christmas cards this year.  Mainly cutting back on the ones to Britain, but cutting back all the same.

And you know what..........it feels good and well overdue..........

How about you?

It's been a few days since my last blog post, hasn't it?

Last week was a busy week and in all honesty this coming week isn't looking much better.  Will say though I am very pleased to announce that I have all my Christmas cards written, the dreaded Christmas letter written and everything is ready to mail out for tomorrow.  Here's hoping I get change out of $40 for mailing just the British Christmas cards.  I'll let you know.

On Wednesday I went down to dd and son-in-law's to do some batch cooking for them.  Also to have some Nora time!!!

She seems to be doing fine, not that I had much conversation with her as she was asleep most of the time.  However she did let off the biggest fart for such a small baby.  All her newborn clothes are still too big, but she is feeding well and has plenty of dirty diapers, so that's a good sign, right?  She also had her first "photo shoot," as her parents wanted baby photos taken of her.  She slept right through the session.

I will be seeing her on Wednesday when I go down again.

We didn't go this weekend, as we had things to do to get ready for winter, which included putting up the snow fences.  As it was it was a heck of a shock to get up to all the snow we got overnight on Saturday.  It took dh an hour and a half to blow out the driveway.

One thing we have going on this week is I have arranged for two real estate agents to visit the house on Thursday and Friday to see what they say about the house and any suggestions they have.  Also I want to see what they can offer us and what their plan of action would be for our house if we signed with them.  I am favouring one agent as I have met her and talked to her.  The other lady (both are women) is a lot younger and maybe not as experienced in this area.  Regardless I'll give both of them a fair shot and see who we like better.

So it will be a major cleaning and tidying up week for me.  I also have a few little jobs that need to be accomplished in amongst hands.  Dh got a number of little jobs crossed his list this weekend so that is good.

Look out for a before and after post tomorrow!

Follow up on last week's challenges:

Financial Goal Week One: Instead of buying something you need this week, find a way to "make do". Do you grab a coffee each day on the way to work? can you brew at home & use a travel mug? Run out of an ingredient for a recipe? Can you find a substitution? There are many ways to "make do" each & every day... track how much you would have spent.

For this I am going to skip grocery shopping for a week. There is plenty in the house to eat and we'll make do with what we have on hand.

I did end up buying some ground beef and three cans of tuna which cost $13.  I normally spend $75+ so I am going to say I succeeded here.

Decluttering Goal Week One: What "thing" clutters up your home the most? Is it clothes? Toys? Books/magazines? Kitchen Stuff? Knick-Knacks? Find a way to get rid of some of these items! Be sure to snap a pic of your declutter!

Here I am going to clean out the Christmas Decoration Boxes. We have enough decorations to sink a ship. The only down side of this, is I will be packing them away to either sell or donate later in the year, as no one wants to either buy or accept Christmas Decorations this time of the year. They will be boxed up though ready to go in November of 2013.

Now with this there was a slight change of plan.  It has to do with my hands, which I'll explain more about tomorrow.  So my challenge was changed to sorting out the Christmas cards.

From the pile above I am left with this below, which are the letters, notes and photos.

I input all the info into an Excel spreadsheet, so I can see who sent me what for next year.

Will say after the letter I sent everyone, I did receive more letters and emails than the year before.  I am still going to prune more down though.

Finally I would like to thank Freya101 for signing up under me at Swagbucks.  No idea who you are, but if you have any questions, please let me know?

A funny, car, Christmas and youtube video

I wonder how many people have actually done this?

Wednesday I was out in the roads by 8 am; wished I had stayed home though, as the roads were treacherous with black ice.  I had to go to the garage however, as my low tire pressure indicator light had come on.  Turns out I had a nail in one of my tires.  Cost to me ZERO!!!!  Turns out I have tire guard on my tires, which means I can get repairs done for free, and if they can't repair my tire they will replace it for free.  It comes with the purchase of the car and lasts for 60,000 km or three years.  In my case it will be three years, as I have a grand total of 9,000 km's on my car.  I had no idea about this prior to this visit, so Merry Christmas to me I think!!!

Started to wrap presents on Wednesday afternoon, so now the living room looks as though a bomb has dropped in there!!  I am having a good clean out of the wrapping paper bag, as it's like the bottomless pit in the bag.

I have had an "incident" regarding a Christmas card or lack of in Britain, and truth be told, this may be the last year I am sending anyone Christmas cards, as I am fed up of the whole thing.  My brother doesn't send cards, he donates to a charity instead, and I think I may go that route myself in future........... :0(  

This is a very beautiful rendition of "O Come All Ye Faithful,"

New tea pot and other things

I bought a new teapot the other day.  It's the Aspen teapot from Tea Forte.

I wanted a teapot with the option of using loose tea or tea bags.  This one comes with a removable filter.

The other day when I was in the city I had a few minutes to spare so I called into a thrift store that I have been too before.  As I was parking the car in the car park, a woman driving a newer model Jaguar pulled in beside me.  The woman got out and was very well dressed.  She followed me into the thrift store and I saw her looking through the clothes rack's.   This thrift store does not have good quality items to my mind, and found it surprising that someone who obviously had money would shop at a thrift store?  Though maybe that's why she does drive an expensive car, as she saves money by buying clothes at a thrift store?  By the way I spent a total of 57 cents for a brand new Christmas mug to add to a gift.

I managed to get all my Christmas cards written and all the international ones mailed out on Thursday.  I did have a parcel to mail which was just over $17, but the stamps itself for the cards came to $40.  Now I will have a couple of local stamps left over, but overall I used them all.

I have nearly finished the Christmas shopping.  I ordered some more things from Amazon as all my Swagbuck's Amazon gift cards came through.  I had $40 this month, and with what I ordered, I only had to put just over $4 to the total.

On Wednesday night I went to "Ladies Night," at our local Home Hardware.  I actually thought it was just a figure of speech, but they really meant it was Ladies only and turned away men.  I picked up some things, all Christmas gifts and my scratch and save card was worth 10% off, so that was better than nothing.

I can't believe it is Friday already.  I am determined I am NOT leaving the house today, as I have been out of the house every day.

I will probably tick some people off but....

I have to do something.  I talked this over with Jane and she agreed with me.  

Every year I mail out Christmas cards to various people and more than half are to people in the UK.  Now granted a lot are family, but some are to friends and acquaintances in the UK.  I was looking through my list of who I had received cards, letters, notes and photos from last year.  I received only a couple of letters from people. Remember the majority of these people I don't talk to from one year to the next.  

Due to the lack of communication other than a Christmas card, it makes me wonder if they actually want any contact with us, and only send us a Christmas card because I send them one?  So this year I am giving them a "way to get out of sending us a Christmas card ever again card."  I composed my annual Christmas letter on Monday and mentioned that due to the cost of postage for us and how busy everyone else is, that if they wanted to stop sending us a Christmas card that was fine.  If they wanted to just send us email greetings, I have included my email address.  The choice is theirs; as to my mind if they can't even be bothered to include a few lines in a card I am quite sure they won't care one way or another if they mail us a Christmas card?

I am sure this will tick off some people, but I am also sure some people will be thankful that they don't have to trail to the post office for an international stamp.  Is there anyone else that feels this way?  I plan on having at least the Christmas cards with UK addresses on sent by the end of the week.  Stay tuned to see what happens.  By the way I asked dh about this and as he pointed out if it was up to him, no one would get a Christmas card!!!

Thanks to the temperatures being warm still on Monday I also managed to get some of the Christmas lights hung up on the deck, so another job out of the way.  Just as well as by Tuesday am it was flipping cold and after the rain we had late on Monday I now have an ice rink for the birdies:

Have to say there have been a few close calls when the birds come in to land!!

Are you making plans for Christmas yet?

I have started thinking and buying things for Christmas.  We are cutting back major though this year with everyone, as things are iffy financially, so we don't want to go overboard.  I did use a big chunk of my Christmas pot on a house repair, which isn't helping the situation, as I do put $20 a week away year round, but I think with cutting back and careful shopping we should be alright.

Me and my mother were talking about Christmas cards and we both were wondering how long it would be before people stopped sending cards at Christmas?  The price of postage is crazy and more and more people are just sending cards through the Internet.  I do however love to receive cards myself, just like I do like to read a book or magazine, rather than look at it digitally.

I am planning on sewing a couple of things to give as gifts and using up points and gift cards to buy presents for people.  I ordered some gifts on the Internet today, using a promotional card I bought through Kijiji.  I have scoped out other gifts and trying to buy them at the best/cheapest possible prices.

I think with a little thought we will have a decent Christmas, maybe not as many presents under the tree, but given with the same amount of love; and that's a good thing.....right?

Christmas Cards and a book review......

***THE HEADER PHOTO IS THE BRIDESMAIDS BOUQUETS***

I had a funny sort of day on Monday.  One where it set off looking as though I wasn't going to achieve much.  However it all turned around and I got all sorts done including sorting out my Christmas cards.  I have a folder on Excel, where I list who we received Christmas cards from.  I also note if we got photos, letters or a note written in the card.  Must say only two people sent letters this year.  I am beginning to think Christmas cards will be things of the past very shortly.  I did a post way back when about recycling Christmas cards, here

Do you do anything with your Christmas cards?

"The Rose of Winslow Street," by Elizabeth Camden

In the small town of Colden, Massachusetts, Libby Sawyer leads a quiet, predictable life. Yet beneath the surface, she is haunted by a secret.

Newly arrived on American shores, Michael Dobrescu is far from predictable, and his arrival in Colden is anything but quiet. Michael's shocking claim to be the rightful owner of Libby's father's house immediately alienates him from the appalled citizens of Colden.

Despite her own outrage, Libby is unwittingly fascinated by this enigmatic man who seems equally intrigued by her. As the court's decision about the house looms and the layers of mystery surrounding Michael's past are unveiled, Libby's loyalties are tested in ways she never imagined.


Must say I wasn't too sure when I started this book, however by the second chapter, I was sucked right in.  Loved the main character Libby and you can't help but love the description of Michael, a typical hero in a romance novel!!!

There is enough mystery and intrigue that keeps you wanting to read what happens next.  I didn't guess the mystery of the house and thought the story was going one way, but then it veered off into another direction.  That made the story even more interesting to my mind.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5  The start was a little weak, but once the story got going it hooked you.  One that is definitely worth the read.


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Dear daughter's Christmas cards......

Oh to be as talented as dd!!!  Here are the cards she made this year:

A whine about the hydro/electric bill, a question and other stuff........

I got our hydro bill in the mail yesterday and it was $140.38 for the month.  So what you ask.......well of that $140.38, the actual hydro we used was only $54, that's it, the rest were miscellaneous charges.......it cost us $59.35 just to get it "delivered" to us.......what the heck.......


It wouldn't be so bad if we were frivolous with it, but I don't use our electric dryer to dry the clothes.  I switch lights off whenever possible.  There is only the two of us in the house.  If I use the dish washer once a month, I do well.  Obviously the a/c wasn't on.  I'm not sure what else to do to bring it down.  When we lived at the other house it was generally around $75 a month, but the "delivery" charges were a lot less and we were taxed less.  And now as per this news report, by 2030 our hydro bills will be twice as much as we pay now????


Is it as bad where you live?

I went to the post office on Wednesday to mail my Christmas cards to Britain........just under $60 later..........now granted $24 of that was for a couple of parcels, and there was one card to the US, but even so that is just crazy.  So there is going to be a different plan of action for next year.  I still have the Canadian cards to mail.  It is $1.70 plus tax per card to Britain now.  I will mail the Canadian cards next week.

I have been busy reading a book over these past couple of days: Sandra Dallas "Alice's Tulip."  It was about two of my favourite subjects quilting and history.  The book is in the form of letters from Alice to her sister, so a bit of a different way of story telling.  It was still really interesting and there was a little "blurb" about different quilt blocks at the start of each chapter.

Finally the question.  Do any of you have a Wii.  If so do any of you have Just Dance or Just Dance 2?  Are they worth getting?  Also are any of you getting Michael Jackson, The Experience?  They look like fun and thought I may use some of my Swagbucks to buy one.........

Photos from dd and she needs your opinions.....

Dd made Halloween cupcakes for her work and her boyfriend's work.

The mummy one is cute isn't it?

When we were at the Creativ Festival show last weekend, we both bought rubber stamps.  She bought Christmas ones as she wanted to make her own Christmas cards.

These are her first attempts and she would like your suggestions, opinions especially if you are a stamper.

I like the little jewels she got for the top of the Christmas trees.

She used a full background stamp on this one.

I think I like this one the best.....

Also a quick reminder if you haven't already entered my giveaway time is running out, here is the link to it.

Just thinking out loud.........

Saturday morning, I was doing a few bits and bobs which included doing up an Excel spreadsheet/making a list of who we got Christmas cards off and whether we received a note written on the card, a letter or photos from them.  I was quite disappointed to discover that very few people put letters in with their cards, the odd one or two did a note in the card itself and only three people popped in a photo.

When we came to Canada I was forever writing letters to people.  I suppose this was before email became popular.  I now write to only one person regularly.  Most people in Britain I "talk" to once a year when I send my Christmas letter in with my Christmas card.  Most only send a card back.  It's got me thinking as to whether or not I am wasting my time writing and including a Christmas letter?  Also why don't people send me notes/letters on how everyone is doing?  I am thinking of mentioning this in my letter next year if I do one, that I would love to hear everyone's news.

For those of you who do include Christmas letters, do you think it is worthwhile, or are you thinking of not doing it?  By the way I do the list, as there is no way I will remember who I got Christmas cards off come November!!!  Also I found it interesting to see what people wrote in their cards and letters, as I had forgotten what was what.

By the way I didn't make anything with my cards this year, as I still have enough gift tags from last years cards.  However if you want to reuse your Christmas cards I did this post last year on the subject.

Had a busy day on Saturday went shopping!!  We went to the mall as I had to change a Christmas present I got.  Also good excuse to pop into Home Sense, I can never remember what they call that store in the States; I think its HomeGoods.  Anyhow I picked up a Henkels knife to match my set, and a Laura Ashley ironing board cover.

I then went into Chapters (book store, like Barnes and Nobles, or WH Smith's) and got a book and a neat magazine, which I'll talk about tomorrow.  Its called Permaculture and its a British magazine.

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

Here is today's money saving tip:

Utilize online bill pay with your bank. This serves two purposes. First, it keeps you in much closer contact with your money, as you can keep a very close eye on your balance and be in much less danger of overdrafting. Second, it saves you money on stamps and paper checks by allowing you to just fill in an online form, click submit, and have your bill paid. Try it out – and take advantage of it if you’re not already.

Oh and yes I'm still tired..........

Still managing to hang out my laundry and Christmas...

despite it being November. I think I have managed to get laundry dry outside right into December over here before. I still haven't purchased a second drying rack for indoors, its something I need to do shortly, as I really want to use the dryer as little as possible, as our hydro bill is too high as it is, without using the electric dryer.

Gave dh a hand with the insulation in the attic. We are getting there and should be finished it within a week or two. This weekend is a total write off, as we are celebrating dd's birthday today (Saturday), although her birthday isn't until the 10th. Then on Sunday dh has to work, so there will be no more work done in the attic this weekend.

My mother called me to say the postal strike is over in Britain, which is good. I should start buying stamps for all the cards. I think I have at least 25 cards to mail to Britain, and probably the same again for Canada, so it's not going to be cheap. Oh and I must remember to to get the photo of the house developed. You know I must write myself a list of what's to do for Christmas, that way I know what's what.

Talking of Christmas isn't it crazy how many Christmas advertisements are already on the television? All the flyers are full of Christmas things, and I am guessing all the stores are full of Christmas things as well. I haven't been to a mall in a while so haven't been shopping. No wonder we get "Christmased out" by the time Christmas actually arrives......

Found it.....only took six months.....

On Sunday I decided to tidy up in the living room. Our living room is one of those rooms, where it ends up being a dumping ground. So I gave it a half decent clean, and decided to unroll the living room rug and put it down. As I unrolled it, inside of it was the front hall rug from the last house.

When we moved in we looked high and low for that rug and couldn't find it. We actually thought we had left it at the old house. I wonder what else we will discover over the next few months?

I really enjoyed my Sunday, as I pottered around the house all day just doing bits and bobs of jobs. Dh spent the morning up in the attic, his home away from home!! He has more or less finished insulating the ceiling and has now got to only insulate behind the knee wall. Which may not seem like too much, its fiddly and will take time. I have to say it's made a difference so far, the upstairs of the house is a little warmer already. So the more we do, the warmer it will be.

He then went to get the last of the insulation, so we can now send away for another rebate, every little helps!!

Not sure if I mentioned it the other day, but I wrote all my Christmas cards. However I have ran into a bit of a problem, it turns out there is a postal strike in Britain at the moment. So I need to hang onto them until my mother tells me the strike is over. Not that I was mailing them until the third week of November anyhow. Fingers crossed they go back to work before then. I wanted to get them sent off a little earlier than normal, as with moving house a lot of people who I only "talk" too once a year, will not have our new address.

My mam and step-father's Christmas gift(s) I will order them from a British website and get them to deliver it (them), it's a lot easier than trying to rely on Canada Post or the Royal Mail.

Recycling your Christmas cards

As mentioned in this post back in December, I asked you not to throw out your Christmas cards as I wanted to show you some ways of recycling them.

The one thing I do is cut them out to make gift tags. I use pinking shears which are scissors with zig-zag blades to cut out the tags on front of the cards. I punch a hole in them to tie them onto the presents using curling ribbon. I haven't had to buy gift tags in years and they are always unique.

Before:



After:



Another way of reusing them, is to make Christmas cards with them. Here is a link showing you how. Now you're saying to yourself what about the envelopes, well if you go to your local Hallmark or card store, they have surplus envelopes, and all you have to do is ask nicely. They generally get more envelopes than cards, and are generally more than willing to part with a bundle. That way you can make the cards to fit the envelopes. One cheap way of getting card stock paper, is buying Bristol Board the type of paper the kids buy at the dollar store to use for projects in school.

Another idea is to make a box so you can put a gift in it for next Christmas, here is the link to that.

Of course there are the usual, place mats, coasters, use for scrap booking, use as postcards and make a Christmas ball. Here is a link explaining how to do those crafts. Here is a how to on how to make the Christmas card ball.

You could also donate your used cards to local charities, where they recycle them. Check out your local charities for more information.

I hope this has given you some ideas? Also make sure you write down who you got Christmas Cards from so you know who to send to next year. If you can, buy your cards and wrapping paper in the sales, so you are all set for next year. Got no room to store them, place them in a garbage/bin bag and put them under the bed. Write down on your 2009 calendar that you have bought them so you won't forget.

Don't forget that 25 cents for your pot today!