Fa la la la la the First Box is Here!

 The first delivery of Christmas presents has arrived!! I tried something different this year. I have ordered all of my gifts from The Hudson's Bay Company (The Bay) ONLINE!! I've never done this before. Oh, I've ordered the odd gift from a particular company before, but I've never sat down with a list and systematically ordered gifts for everyone on my list. I must admit, I feel euphoric!

Adding to my euphoria is the fact that every single item was ON SALE!! AND I got FREE SHIPPING!! Yowsa! (Yes, some of us still use that word!) The quality is excellent and most items made in Canada. I just placed my order on Saturday from the comfort of my recliner, pot of tea close to hand and most of the gifts arrived today. Still a few left to arrive.

I am not a "mall" kind of gal. Last time I was in a mall was....I don't know....maybe last Christmas? I have a thrift store close to hand so when I need a blue top to go with a certain pair of pants then off I go to Talize where for $5 or $7 I can get just what I need. I am so well stocked with clothing I probably won't have to buy a thing for about 10 years once I retire other than underwear and socks. Unless I grow larger...or hopefully smaller...

But...I digress.

A mall experience for me consists of wandering aimlessly, bumping into people while feeling like I am under water, a dull roar in my ears, vision blurred by shiny sparkly things that all call out simultaneously BUY ME BUY ME and I ALWAYS overspend, and think "just one more gift, just one more gift" and I forgot what I've bought already, I get overheated, overwhelmed, feel cheap one moment and then poor the next...ARGGGGHHHHH! I hate it!

I think I'm onto something :)

Do you like shopping in a mall full of desperate people??

Poor Piggy

Poor Piggy indeed. We are busy spending money right, left and centre! I set aside a certain amount of money to replace the lovely rose pink carpet that ran throughout the house not to mention the 1980's linoleum - how very chic! We got some pretty good flooring deals but there are a HEAP of other costs that I didn't take into account.

You need certain types of tools. You need people with know how or you have to pay someone to install it all. You have to pay someone to haul away the old carpet. You need those little felt pads to put on the bottom of chair and table legs because you're so paranoid about scratching up the new floor. You have to replace the kitchen counter top because SOMEONE (I don't know who) made a big scratch on it with some sort of tool during the hardwood installation. The tool!

I could go on and on, in fact, I think I will! I need new curtains, I think I'll have to replace the bathroom counter top too because I noticed a few burn marks from someone's hair straightener (not mine!!)  I may need a couple more cans of primer - that lovely shade of coral in my daughter's room (she of the hair straightener) is going to take a few coats to cover. I'm thinking of new toilets - who wants to buy a house with old toilets in it?? Not me! Might as well replace the sinks while I'm at it - I've notice a couple of minuscule dots of black - is the porcelain wearing thin??

Maybe I should just blow the place up and start over! One thing leads to ten more. I have to stop somewhere, but where?? When? When I run out of money??  Arrrrgh!

What was your worst reno experience?? Please make me feel better!

May is Toast!

There are more than just a few of us who are glad to see May quietly disappear.  Just a few days into  May I was already overspending. And what with my birthday and a weekend away, new car license sticker, renewal of passport, new fireburner, new fridge and stove for PEI, new fans for the early summer heat, some new clothing and shoes...well, let's just say it's time to pay the piper and pull the belt a wee bit lot tighter for the month of June.

Thankfully it was payday today so I took $1300 and paid off most of the fridge and stove which was sitting on my President's Choice Mastercard. Don't worry, it's only been sitting there for a few days. I've had the card for several years and have yet to pay a penny in interest charges. However, the cash back has provided me with several hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise and groceries. It's a great little system as long as I keep good track of purchases and pay them off quickly. I usually check my credit card purchases daily online and pay them off then and there.

June SHOULD be a fairly frugal month except for one occasion and that's my daughter's graduation from university on the 19th. I'll be taking her out for lunch after with her boyfriend and family members but I don't know what to get her for a gift! Her boyfriend bought her a big gold watch.

It seems that girls wearing huge men's gold watches is all the rage right now. Ok, so now, how do I compete with that?  I'm on a fairly tight budget this month and I didn't plan for this purchase, yes, all my own fault. My daughter is hard to buy for, she only likes certain things and being her mom I don't know what those "certain things" are, because I'm like, NOT COOL!

For example - she is looking for a dress to wear UNDER HER ROBES during graduation and to lunch after. She has shopped, so she says, in every store in London and there is NOTHING suitable. Nothing. In the entire city. There is not a single store in London that sells the certain type of dress that she wants. So I'm a bit stymied. Obviously I can't go out and buy her a dress. Just the fact that her MOM picked it out would mean she wouldn't like it even if she DID like it. You see how hard this is?

So I've asked her to think about what she might like as a gift. I'd love to give her a weekend away somewhere like we used to do BEFORE boyfriend. She thought that might be nice but WHEN??
Hopefully it will all work itself out, it usually does but not without the requisite amount of sighing and angst!

Are you as glad that May is over as I am?