Quiet

     Abigail has the stuffiest of noses, is losing her sweet little voice, and coughs like an old smoker. A tooth is also breaking through. Poor girl isn't having the best March Break ever.

She still looks like this though:

I love those blue eyes so much.

Feel better soon my little lady.

Grocery Shopping on a Budget

I made this costume from a thrifted teddy bear toddler cosutme and an old orange t-shirt. We save all over the place. Abby the Ewok, October 2012.

     Recently, Mark and I have been pulling out all the savings stops to lower our weekly grocery bill. I budget for around $100.00/week but really hope to be under that. We save quite a bit using a few tricks I've learned online and through friends.  We shop at Walmart because we've found it to be most convenient. There are quite a few grocery stores  and pharmacies that have similar rules though!
Here's what we do:

1. Meal Planning: Not only does this step save us money, but it saves us time and effort too. After going through the store flyers to see what's on sale for the week I decide the menu for seven lunches and dinners. I try to stay away from doing a Monday thru Friday list and stick to a 1-7 instead so we can switch things up and keep options open depending on time and how we feel that day. We try to do a variety of chicken, beef, pork and vegetarian recipes but the sales really dictate how we eat unless regular prices aren't that high. 
     Now that we've been doing this for a while, we have a list of favourites that we rotate. We both love to cook too though, and often use Pinterest and cookbook or magazine recipes when something catches our eye. We try it out, and if we like it, it gets added to our favourites rotation.  Having all the ingredients on hand, knowing the steps to prepare the meal and knowing the yield is very helpful when you have opposite work schedules and a five month old baby. 

2. Ad Matching:  Because we shop at Walmart, we look through all the Ontario store flyers for sale items. Walmart will price match just about anything, and our experiences have always been positive. If you're like me and fear the worst (21 questions with the cashier) then definitely take a look at their corporate website page for the coupon and ad matching policies. We've price matched cheese for a month now, and I don't think we'll ever pay over $4.44 again.  We've also price matched chicken, spinach, pasta sauce, frozen pizza, peanut butter and a variety of other items. 
     It may be somewhat time consuming to start, but it's actually become a weekly routine for me, and I love finding great deals. We've currently got enough meat for the next two weeks and cheese for the next three weeks in our fridge,  and our total grocery bill was still only $112.00. I use the flyerland website to navigate sales ads, it saves me time at the register too since we don't get paper ads in our building.

3. Coupons: Walmart will also take coupons, even after a price match- which can save you TONS. In some cases you're getting money back. I use a few websites to collect coupons, but you can also clip them from magazines, newspapers, flyers and product packaging. Keep an eye out for manufacurer offers and rebates online too. Have a staple or favourite product at home? Email the company and ask if they have samples or coupons, and that you love their product. I've done that a few times now and have received great coupons! For print at home and mail order coupons try the following sites:
mrsjanuary.com
websaver.ca
save.ca
pgeveryday.ca
smartsource.ca 

And if you have a smartphone the app Check Out 51 is great! They partner with companies each week to send rebates when you send them a picture of your receipt for one of the featured products. Once you've reached $20.00 in rebates they actually send you a cheque. We've used this a few times already, on sale items too (making some of them free). All the small things add up after all. 
     I'll do another post on freebies and samples for expectant mothers too, it requires a post on its own! 
     But while I'm here, if you end up with coupons you won't use before their expiry dates, or some that you know you just won't use anyway then try posting them on sites like kijiji or craigslist. I did that with some infant formula coupons we weren't going to use and ended up with a bag of diapers, a super pack of wipes and a ziploc full of grocery coupons! You'd be amazed by what certain coupons are worth to people, it's practically currency. There are also facebook groups devoted to swapping and informing each other of sales or bargains. I've learned the most from other people in these groups. They meet up too, and swap or give freebies away. It's a great way to meet other bargain hunters and save a few bucks. It's worth a look even if it makes you feel like a crazy coupon lady.

I promise we're still young and hip, even if I do coupon like a mad woman, and compare prices like an old lady. ps- I made this dress too.

    I could go on forever about this...but I won't. Happy shopping!

PS- Google SCOP policies for the stories you frequent. You can thank me later! (:

Today's Parent: Custom Covers

      I subscribe to a few magazines through my phone account with Rogers (a $1.00 for a magazine, yep you got me). I won a promotional subscription to Today's Parent during one of Rogers' customer appreciation events last year. I enjoy reading it, but mostly I love looking through the product reviews, recipes and tear out the coupons. Sometimes I read a gut-wrenching story, but usually the beautiful homes just make me feel trapped in our small apartment...

THEN THIS HAPPENED.

     Any magazine that lets me put my daughter on the cover is alright in my books. That's right you heard it here first, I'd totally be a stage mom. Abby can live my dream if she wants to. She's already a star in my eyes :)

     If you currently subscribe to Today's Parent, then head over to their website to make a complimentary cover of your own. The June edition will come with your custom cover. You can order extras too for grandparents and relatives. Such a cute grandparent gift. In the meantime you can share the image online through social media and email. I love this idea. 

We love to read

   You know that kid you grew up with who spent every recess reading? Who was too excited to go to Chapters on the weekend with their Mom? Who spent all their allowance and free time shopping for or reading books? That kid was totally me, or at least someone I would have really liked to hang out with.  
     

     I have such attachments to the books I read growing up that even smells can remind me of favourite chapters or how I felt reading them. For instance, lemon scented car air fresheners remind me of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Why? Because I was reading that book in my parents' Mustang on the way to a neighbour's cottage and there was a lemon air freshener in the car. I remember the way the sun felt on my arms and how warm the breeze was coming in the windows. I remember the way my stomach tied itself in knots as I read about the mermaid challenge.  When I smell French toast I think of Ana Karenina because I read that book at my first boyfriend's house and his Mom always made us French toast after school. I remember the way I had to go through all the crazy Russian names in my head before I continued to read it every time I picked it up again.
    
   I was really shy growing up and loved to lose myself in the worlds my books created for me. I didn't need to be brave or daring when characters in my favourite novels could do the adventuring for me. I was happy to follow along from the safety of my bedroom. Reading also took me away from reality when life was difficult or when I was avoiding making serious decisions. The last trimester of my pregnancy I read five books. I was a LITTLE stressed about becoming a Mommy. Ha!

     I hope that Abigail loves to read as much as I did and still do. I hope she finds solace within the pages of a great classic, and can curl up between her Dad and I in bed and listen to our favourite fairy tales. I can't wait to read her the Harry Potter books, or classics like Jane Eyre and Peter Pan. I'm excited to use voices and accents and be as dramatic as possible. I can't wait to ask her what she thinks will happen next, or how she thinks the characters feel. I want her imagination to be more important to her than screen time. I want books to expand her mind and keep her dreaming. 

     When Abigail was a month old we started reading to her before bedtime. By the time she was three months old she was listening to two or three books a night. Really listening. Like she looks at the pages and reaches for them. For Christmas my Mom and brother both recorded her storybooks. She listens to them all the way through, smiling when she hears their voices. I cry every time.
     Right now we are getting most use out of our board book collection; those things are sturdy and can handle little people trying to turn pages and knocking them off the table. The books pictured are our current favourites, available at most book stores and totally ones I'd recommend as baby shower gifts!

A Visit Long Overdue

There are three pregnant ladies in this photo, and one month later there would be four :)

      Teacher's college has been over for me for almost a year. I can't believe how much I miss seeing the people in my classes. As a part of one of the school's special cohorts, the Comprehensive School Health Cohort, I saw the same 44 people almost everyday for a year. Those people became my family. They are the best. I miss them wholeheartedly, and think about them constantly. 

     This past weekend I got to see two of my classmates with whom I became fast friends. They are beautiful, talented women who epitomize the woman I hope to become. Steph and I grabbed lunch at the Manx on Friday, and Mark, Abby and I went to Mountain, Ontario to visit Linda and her two sons on Sunday. I didn't take pictures while out with Steph, mostly because Abigail had her first explosion of screams in a restaurant and Mark came and rescued me/her, but we had our first beer together since before pregnancy. Abigail loves her Daddy, and was happy as soon as he got there. What a turkey.

     Sunday we packed Abigail up bright and early and made the hour drive to Linda's house. She has an amazing piece of property in rural Ontario, and two very adorable boys. We both had not met each other's babies and it was fun to catch up and munch on authentic Mexican tacos. Mark and I raved about them the whole drive home. 

Gabe loved the camera and kept trying to take his own pictures, he settled for us taking some of him.

Abby warmed to Linda right away. I know how she feels, that woman is amazing. I love her. Adrian wasn't so sure of another baby showing up.

Cheese monster

How a King eats his lunch.

Amazing

They might be in love.

This boy melts my heart.

     

Wedding Plans: Bridal Bouquet

via Flaming Petals

via All My Wedding Flowers

      I am absolutely loving Peonies, Hydrangeas and Ranunculus. I am considering buying wholesale silk flowers and mixing fresh with silk to cut costs and have lasting power. I plan on making my bouquet and having the bridesmaids make their own too. I see greens and pinks and white, some purple and blue but nothing vibrant. All light and fresh and airy, if that's a thing for flowers to be.  I'll be sharing my plans for the grooms men boutonnières soon...exciting!  Here are some bouquets inspiring me right now via Pinterest:

via The Bride's Cafe

  

via No Knows Weddings

   

via Blush & Bashful Weddings

      Wedding planning has me on cloud nine. My bank account keeps me down here on Earth :)
   

Abigail: 4 months, 3 weeks

This is Clara and her Grandma Fran and Abby with her Grandma at the Smith's Falls arena

     Abigail and I went to Smith's Falls with her Grandma and Papa this weekend. We got to see her cousin Keely's team play. Keely had an amazing game and was awarded "Most Valuable Player" of the game! Her team went on to win the tournament. We are very proud of that lady. Abby's Aunt Beth drove us back to Ottawa after the game, it was nice to spend quality time with them all. We also got to see some of Mark's family's friends while at the game. I met them all this summer at the cottage, it will be so much fun to see all the kids play together next year. 

Abigail couldn't keep her eyes off the ice, not even to laugh or talk to family and friends.

      Monday night Mark came home! We were both very excited to see him- Abby positively lights up when she sees her Dad- I mean even smiling and laughing at him when he's not looking at her. I made ribs and potato salad to surprise him, and we watched a movie after the little one was in bed. Tuesday we were surprised when his boss called and gave him the day off! (Thanks Jen!) It was perfect: we got all our errands done, spent time together and everyone got to catch up on sleep. But that restful feeling was short-lived and we all woke up feeling under the weather today. Poor Mark got the worst of it and spent all day drinking tea and napping next to the humidifier. There's a casserole of homemade cabbage rolls waiting for him when he gets home tonight.

       Here is a wild barrage of pictures showing what being sick and stuck on the couch all morning looks like with Abigail and Mark:

Such a good sport for her Mommy. 

And oh so lazy.

Little stinker got up at 6:45am this morning, and didn't go down for her morning nap until 11:30 am.

Yep that's my little baby sitting up on her own. She can do it for about 30-45 seconds at a time before she bends too far for her toes and either spits up or tips over. She is getting strong though.

Another new trick in Abigail's repertoire: putting herself to sleep after soothing herself with thumb-sucking. Adorable these two.  

So many emotions, so little time.

I can hear her saying, "MOOOOOOMMMM" in my head. We are going to embarrass her so much.

My heart explodes with joy. 

   Abigail is getting too big for her infant tub so we tried just putting an inch or two of water in the full tub and SOMEONE splashed all over the place tonight. She was so excited to have so much water under her feet- bath time is getting more and more fun. We'll probably look into a bath seat soon, until she can sit more securely on her own.
      Abby's Grandma and I picked out her Christening gown and accessories and babygirl is going to look good! I can't wait to see everyone dressed up and take pictures of our little family all dolled up. We don't have many pictures as a family, especially pictures with Abigail smiling. So many exciting things in the coming months! Spring is bringing changes for us here.

What does Spring have in store for you and yours?