More adventures of Buddy the Elf

I must admit, you definitely get your money's worth when you purchase and Elf on the shelf! Ours has brought lots of smiles and laughs to our home. Check out the situations Buddy has gotten himself into over the past few days:



It was kind of amusing to watch my son continuously going into the fridge throughout the morning to get milk, juice etc. and not even notice Buddy hiding in the butter compartment hoarding a half pound peanut butter cup!

The kids were excited to see Buddy the elf had spelled out his name on the kitchen counter, and wondered how come he didn't get in trouble for spilling cereal all over the place!

My son wondered how come most of our cooking utensils were in a heap on the counter the other morning, until he looked up and saw Buddy poking out of one of my oven mitts with a spatula! I wonder if he knows how to cook with it!

There is only about a week and a half left for Buddy's visit. On December 24th he goes back to the North Pole until next year! To date, I am impressed with Buddy's activity and he hasn't done anything too extreme (yet!) Keep checking back for more of Buddy's shenanigans! ( I love that word!!!)

The Adventures of my own personal Elf on the Shelf!

Well, here it is, the middle of December, I have been so busy preparing for Christmas and the like, that I have not had time to write, but that ends now! I have been seeing and hearing a lot of hype on this "Elf on the Shelf" character, so my parents picked one up for me when they were at the mall yesterday! I decided I am going to take pictures of his every action and share his adventures with you.

This is Buddy, our new Elf on the shelf. I took him home yesterday at lunch, and put him on the shelf, in his box. When the kids came home from school, I took the box off the shelf and opened it up to introduce everybody. To our surprise, Buddy was not  in his box!  Confused yet excited, my oldest son spotted something in our Christmas tree that was out of sorts, yes, it was Buddy the elf, perched high in the branches!  My kids squeeled for joy and thought he was pretty neat. After dinner, we sat down and read the book that came with Buddy to learn of his "rules", to my kids' disappointment, they quickly learned that they could not touch Buddy or all of his magical elf powers would disappear and he wouldn't be able to fly back to the North Pole nightly to report their behavior to the big guy!

The kids went to bed and kept asking where Buddy would be in the morning, I told them I did not know, but he would probably be hiding again as we are new to him and he is probably scared.

We woke up this morning to marshmallows all over the counter and Buddy the elf treating himself to a marshmallow bath in my loaf pan!



I can't wait to see what other surprises and mischief Buddy has up his tiny red felt sleeve!

5 Ways to Have Frugal Family Fun During the Fall - (Guest Blogger Post)

I am pleased to publish this piece on behalf of Matt and Stephen of NerdWallet

5 Ways to Have Frugal Family Fun During the Fall

Looking for fun fall activities the whole family can enjoy? To many, autumn is the most beautiful time of year. Cool weather and vibrant, variegated leaves make the season pleasant for outdoor excursions. With a cornucopia of natural splendor, fall is rife with fulfilling entertainment opportunities that don't require much (if any) money. Here are 5 ways to have frugal family fun this autumn.

Hiking

There is no better time of year to go on a family hike. You may have to bundle up a bit as the season deepens, but there are few things more refreshing than a lungful of crisp autumn air. Many communities host annual fall hiking sprees, which is always a great way to explore your home's natural treasures while spending quality time with the family. Teach the kids to identify leaves and send them on a scavenger hunt to find as many different types and colors as possible. Let them take their best leaf home and preserve it with a simple water and glycerin solution. 

Bonfire

Fall is perfect for bonfires. The weather is just right, and you don't have to worry about the pesky mosquitoes that plague and ruin so many summer fires. Have the kids help gather sticks and show them how to build a proper fire. Bonfires make a great setting for a number of activities. You can roast marshmallows and hotdogs, read scary stories and play or listen to music.

Leaf pile

The simple pleasures are what make life worth living. Raking leaves is hard work, but the joy your children get from jumping in the piles make it well worth the toil of the chore. This is also a good opportunity to put the kids to work. Have them help out with raking--it will make the end reward that much more satisfactory. While the kids are frolicking, sit back and crack open a pumpkin ale or heat up a mug of apple cider. 

Make Caramel Apples

Caramel apples are one of autumn's trademark foods. They're both delicious and cheap. You need only red apples, soft caramels, milk, peanuts (optional) and skewers. Start by removing the stems from the apples. In place of the stems, jam the skewers down inside. Melt the caramel together with a little milk (a pound of caramel and 2 tbsp of milk is about right). Roll the apples in the caramel and sprinkle with crushed peanuts. Let them sit on a sheet of wax paper until the caramel hardens.  

Harvest Festivals

Many communities and churches put on fall festivals that are often free to attend. See if any such events are taking place in your neighborhood. You and your family can enjoy hayrides, bonfires, storytelling, cider, snacks and live music. If you make it an annual event, your kids will begin looking forward to it every year. There is no better family setting for frugal fall fun.

Stephen writes for NerdWallet, a financial literacy site dedicated to helping consumers save money on both important fiscal decisions and everyday spending. His current project is tracking the best deals of Black Friday 2012.

Halloween Party Food

Do you have a halloween party/pot luck coming up and you have no clue what frightening, gross themed food to bring?  Remember, it's not WHAT you bring, but HOW you present it! Dollar stores are fantastic for picking up garnishes and fun things to dress up your dish, like fake spiders, plastic eyeballs, rubber rats, as well as tons of disposable serving wear.

Today my office had a halloween themed pot luck, I made deviled eggs that were supposed to look like pumpkins, other people brought haystacks with gummy teeth on them, cupcakes with reeces pieces on top, spinach dip presented in a hollowed out pumpkin, fruit punch in a halloween bowl with ice cube made from freezing juice into a rubber glove, so once frozen and cut off, it is an ice hand floating in the punch! Genious!

Check Pinterest for more wonderful ideas like we did, have fun with it, and hopefully you'll have lots of time to prepare, I'm already thinking of what I'm bringing next year!

Have fun!

You don't have to spend a million bucks to look like it!

I have recently discovered the E.L.F (Eyes Lips Face) line of cosmetics available at Target. (I have also seen some products in my local Dollarama stores!)

For $1 (yes, that says ONE DOLLAR, it is not a typo!) you can purchase E.L.F. Lengthening Mascara! I will admit, I was a bit hesitant at first using $1 mascara, but after trying this, I will continue to purchase it. I was using the stuff in the pink tube with the green lid (we all know which one I am talking about!) but no more! E.L.F. has that mascara beat, hands down! I instantly noticed my lashes appear fuller and longer, and they do not clump at all! ONE DOLLAR PEOPLE!!! I still can't believe it!  

I have also purchased my eyelash curler as well as false lashes (just for fun!) from E.L.F. for only $1 !!!

Check out the E.L.F. website for all of their awesome products! They offer free shipping on most orders over $25 as well as gift options ranging from $3 - $21! They also offer occasional gifts with purchase, as well as make donations to such causes such as 100% of profits from the sale of their Studio Lotion Wipes in Peony to Breast Cancer research for the month of October!

What an amazing company with amazing, AFFORDABLE products! Check them out! I hope you love them as much as I do! and don't forget...the holiday season is quickly approaching! I'm sure there is someone on your list who would love an E.L.F. gift! I know I would!

WHY CHOOSE E.L.F. COSMETICS?

• 

• e.l.f. cosmetics is the premier retail source for all your makeup and beauty needs. Our products offer affordable and high quality design to enhance your natural radiance. e.l.f. cosmetics offers an entire line of luscious lip glosses, with various shades and styles to choose from, as well as intensive hydrating lipstick for long-lasting color and shine. Our natural Mineral Makeup will help you on your way to healthier glowing skin, with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes.

  Try our color-lock, chip resistant nail polish for an unforgettable shine. Our ergonomically designed makeup brushes are professionally tested to provide precision application of blush, bronzer, mascara or any other purpose. e.l.f. Cosmetics eyeshadow and eyeliner products can be combined to create your personal favorite look. In addition to our online store, check out eyeslipsface.com for professional makeup tips from our trained professional makeup artists.

  
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Wow, it's been almost 3 months!

Hello readers!

It may appear as though I have fallen off the face of the Earth! I just realized I have not had any new posts since July! I am so sorry!

I promise I will start posting on a more regular basis! It is now Fall, my favorite time of year, so you will probably see me sharing a lot of fall ideas I have as well as stuff that excites me about the beginning of the holiday season! (I know, I know, you probably don't want to think about that yet, but reality people! it's gonna be here before you know it! Might as well embrace it and get any kind of a head start you can!)

Also, I am pleased to announce I will be featuring a guest blogger shortly! More info to come soon! Can't wait to see what our guest has to share with us!

I hope you are all having a great fall! It is nice and mild here today in Kingston Ontario, but I know it won't last, so enjoy it while you can!  This is perfect leaf raking weather!  Get out there and have some fun!

My FREE Redemption

As you may know, I do little things around the internet to earn points in which I can redeem for stuff like gift cards. I just went on a little "free spree" at amazon.com and used $106 worth of gift certificates that I earned, absolutely FREE by doing things like SWAGBUCKS . Swagbucks is so easy to earn with, simply log on every day, complete the daily poll, watch a video or two, do a search and automatically earn points! I earn a $5.00 gift certificate about every 3 weeks, and that's without logging in everyday, sometimes I miss a week! the more devoted you are, the better it will pay off!  Once I get a gift certificate, I log onto Amazon.com and put the gift certificate on my account and save up until I have enough to redeem.

Amazon offers free shipping on a lot of stuff if you spend $25, so again, I am not paying any shipping on my items! Love it!!!

Swagbucks is international, you can be Canadian, American, or even from the UK! All are free to join!

Here is my latest FREE purchases from Amazon, I can't wait for them to arrive!!!

 

1. Betsey Johnson Shoes, regular $125, on sale for just $25 !!!!

2. Iphone 3gs case ('cause my phone's outta date and I can't find a case anywhere for it!)

 3. Another pair of lovely shoes, these ones were $22 !!!

  4. And this is the one I can't wait for! A gold FOSSIL watch! Regular price $125 on   sale for just $60!!!





So...you see, putting in a little time every day to SWAGBUCKS  can really pay off! Last year I bought a bunch of Christmas gifts, but this time, I thought I'd treat myself!

What are you waiting for? Join SWAGBUCKS   NOW!!!!!         

 I recently joined LikeNET, and I get paid for just clicking and providing feedback for things. I know, there is a LOT of stuff out there like this, but LikeNET is proven, and it doesn't sent you any spam, it's honest and reliable, it will not get you rich quick, but it will provide you with a bit of extra spending cash for a rainy day if you commit to checking in often.  you can CLICK HERE TO JOIN AND START EARNING instantly! Check it out! Here are a few deets:

LikeNET is a new effort to motivate local consumers like yourself, to give feedback and interact with local businesses, via social media platforms such as Facebook and Google+.
 

How it Works

Businesses become a customer and launch a LikeNET campaign, or sign up to be a partner with LikeNET. For more information on business services please visit our Business Portal
Consumers across Canada sign up to become a LikeNET member so they can earn points that our clients offer for interacting with them!

Give to Receive

In this day and age the best way to express what you like is by sharing our thoughts and ideas with your social circles on platforms like Facebook.
LikeNET offers our members a way to earn points by giving exposure to local businesses! The more our network grows, the more our members participate and the more opportunities we are able to offer! We ourselves are a local business so we take pride in knowing we're giving local businesses the tools and exposure they need to succeed.

My 7 year old brought this home from school...

My 7 year old son, who is in grade 1, loves to bring home stuff from the scap paper bin at his public school! He brings it home and plays school! This is completely fine by me; he loves it and is learning a lot!

Over the weekend, I was cleaning some random papers up that were loose on his floor, and stumbled across this short story. I was in shock! I could not believe something like this would even be in the school! Not only was the content and language of the story disturbing, but the most disturbing part was on the back, a young student had commented on the story and how he believes in the eight-legged, three-headed, child killing character! I was completely freaking! I called the school first thing this morning and went in and had a meeting with the VP, who was very concerned and apologetic and wanted to find out where this came from!

I myself like a good fictional horror story, but feel this kind of material should not be floating around a public school, even my mother who is a high school teacher read it and said she wouldn't have her grade 9's read it!

We try so hard to protect our kids, and they end up bringing crap like this home from school! I'm sure this is an isolated incident, but jeeze, I shouldn't be concerned about what my kid finds in his grade 1 class room's paper bin!!!

Below is the story, if you're interested in checking it out for yourself. 


I saw Slender Man once.... - Horror Short Story - horror, death, fear

Jennifer Aniston"stays slim" with her one day a week "Wonder Smoothie"

We all know who she is, we all envy her from her head down to her toes! This 43 year old blonde bombshell has a secret; Jennifer Aniston drinks a "Super Smoothie" for one day, every week!

Nutritionist Jeannette Jackson said the smoothie can have amazing and cleansing health benefits.

'The alkaline vegetables prevent bloating, help ease water retention and even mood swings.

'Beetroot helps clean the blood of toxins, celery and carrots boost potassium and sodium levels, and kale and parsley offer immense benefits to the brain, so you'll feel less stressed.

The drink is filling so should be easy to do for one day a week, but make sure it's part of a healthy balanced diet,' she said.

Here is what you need to make your own "Super Smoothie"

• Six organic cucumbers
• Three large organic beets
• Two bunches spinach
• One bunch organic kale
• Fresh garlic and ginger
• One bunch organic carrots
• A stick of celery
  

Pulp all the vegetables together in a juicer. Add a little cayenne pepper or a herb such as parsley, to make the juice blend taste like a vegetable soup.
Immediately refrigerate the juice in a glass (no plastic jugs).
Drink as much as you want, all day, for one day a week.

Shoppers Drug Mart Spin to Win Contest is back!

I LOVE instant win contests! The Shoppers Drug Mart Spin to Win Contest is back again this year for Canadian residents! Play to collect game pieces, or instantly win tons of prizes like trips, gaming consoles, gift cards, bonus optimum points and more!  Earn more spins by answering trivia questions, sharing game pieces, or providing your optimum #!  Click HERE to start spinning and wining!

For complete contest rules, click HERE

26 Low-Calorie Snacks

I am the worst for snacking, especially in the evening watching TV, I usually crave and eat chocolate, or anything containing chocolate or sweet snacks! 

Below is a list I found, I personally don't know if these could satisfy my snack cravings, but I'll try, if I ever want to have the figure of a store mannequin instead of wanting to punch them every time I see one, I have to do something! Summer's here!!! 

Stay Cool!

Well, here we are, June 20, 2012 the first day of Summer has FINALLY arrived, and it's making its presence known with hot, humid temperatures!

Over the next few days, make sure to take necessary steps to keep yourself cool and hydrated:

* Wear light weight, light coloured clothing; light colours reflect the light, while dark ones absorb. Materials like cotton help skin breathe.

* Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water, even if your not thirsty.

* Try to stay downstairs, places like basements are always cooler, as heat rises!

* Spritz yourself with water in a spray bottle and sit in front of a fan!

* Do your errands! if you have stuff to do, malls, grocery stores and places like that are usually always air conditioned!

* Refrain from working out and exercising during peak hours of the day, as this is the hottest time, do them first thing in the morning or closer to evening when it starts to cool off!

* If you do go outside, remember to wear a hat and lots of sunscreen!  Have you ever noticed having a wicked headache after being outside without a hat? This is a first sign of sun stroke. WEAR YOUR HAT!!!


**** During hot times like these, PLEASE look after your pets; make sure they have plenty of fresh, cold water and shade if they need to be outside.  DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS INSIDE A VEHICLE FOR ANY REASON!  (Same goes for your kids!!!!!)

**** It is also a good idea to check on elderly relatives and neighbours during extreme heat days, just to make sure they're doing ok!

* Have plenty of popsicles on hand, I find this really helps in the heat!

* Don't forget to grab one of your favourite frozen beverages! Tim Horton's has their frozen lemonades on for $1 right now!!

Stay cool everybody!!!

Join the Superpoints Network!

The Superpoints Network is a collection of sites where you can win and earn Superpoints™ that can be redeemed for great rewards!

We are not a scam; your opinions are used in market research and you get compensated in points that can be redeemed for gift cards, electronics, and other great gifts! Your personal Superpoints increase the more people you invite to use Superpoints.

Click HERE to join the Superpoints Network.

Super Easy Easter Egg Craft

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a great idea, so I tried it! Here is the exact pin if you would like to check it out. http://pinterest.com/pin/53339576806741971/

Materials needed:

• Eggs
• 100% Silk - neck ties, scarves, blouses, skirts, *anything as long as it is 100% silk and has a pattern
• Light weight cotton material - pillow case, shirt, *I used a baby receiving blanket!
• Twist ties
• 1/4 cupWhite vinnegar

1. If using neck ties, cut the seam at the back and remove the lining, so the tie is all opened up.
   Cut squares from silk AND ligtweight cotton material big enough to wrap the egg in and have room to tie  it up.

2. Wrap egg in silk material making sure the pattern side is touching the egg (the part that is facing out if a neck tie) You want the material to be tight on the egg, but not to break it! Secure with twist tie.

3. Wrap egg package in second square of cotton material, secure with twist tie. * I found it easier to place the cotton piece down first, then the silk and tie them all up as one.

4. Place egg packages into a pot of water, just enough water until they are covered. Pour in 1/4 cup of vinnegar and bring to a boil.

5. After 20 minutes of boiling, remove from water and let cool.

6. Unwrap your eggies to reveal their beautiful patterns!

7. To make your eggs shine, lightly rub some vegetable oil on them!

How to pour soda without it fizzing over!

We've all been there; you pour your Pepsi or other soda into a glass, and have nothing but fizz and no glass, so you wait, pour a little more, wait some more, pour some more! Well...no more wait and pour!  Who'da thought putting wet ice cubes in your glass before pouring pop will prevent the fizz!
Rinse your ice. Yep, that's it. Put the ice in the glass, cover with water, swish and strain. You can then pour your soda as fast as you like and it will not over-fizz. Why? I have no idea! But it works like a charm!

How to make a sock monkey!

I absolutely LOVE sock monkey's! I haven't made one yet, maybe now is a good time!

Click here for easy sock monkey making instructions

Who is Orianthi Panagaris????

Early last month, I had the pleasure of going to Alice Cooper's Welcome To My Nightmare concert when he was in town. I immediately noticed one of his band members, a woman with long blond hair and really cool sparkly tights. Right away I liked her, there was something about her that really drew my attention to her.

Later on in the show, the rest of the band disappeared and left the blond woman on center stage, alone. Well, she didn't waste any time! Immediately she starting playing her guitar and nearly rocked the roof off of the Krock Centre! It was, for a lack of better words, frickin' amazing!  I had to know who she was!

I googled "Alice Cooper's band" and instantly found the information I was looking for. The blond woman with the sparkly tights was Orianthi Panagaris, an Australian born singer who used to play for Michael Jackson!

At just 27 years old, Orianthi has already traveled the world and had experiences most have dreamed about, including trading solos with legend, Carlos Santana, presenting a Grammy award with Carrie Underwood, and opened for her long-time hero, Steve Vai.

I could go on and on about Orianthi, but I will leave some for you to discover yourself. You can follow her on Twitter HERE or check out her website http://www.orianthi.com/default.aspx

Orianthi, or Ori as she prefers, is in the process of working on a new album. Her latest EP, Fire, can be found on Itunes. Please check out this video of Heaven in this Hell, you won't be disappointed!  Check her out, your gonna absolutely LOVE her!

Joing Swagbucks for FREE, easy rewards!!!

I've been doing Swagbucks for a few years now, and absolutely love it! Swagbucks is a site that allows you to do basic searches, and earn "bucks" you can earn anywhere from 7 to 50 Swagbucks per search, sometimes more on Fridays, when it is mega Swagbucks day.

Swagbucks lets you redeem your bucks for things like gift cards, pay pal, sports memorabilia, kids stuff, pretty much anything! I usually redeem for Amazon.com gift cards. For a $5.00 gift card, it costs 450 swagbucks, which only takes me a little over 2 weeks to earn. (It could take you less, or longer, depending on how much you do it!)

I was able to get a lot of free stuff from Amazon.com this Christmas for gifts for my kids, unique stuff that I couldn't find in stores, all thanks to Swagbucks.

You should really check it out, it's completely free, they won't send you any spam, and you earn awesome rewards! you can participate as much or as little as you want!

Have fun!!!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN SWAGBUCKS!

Will this holiday vacation ever end?

Here it is, the final week of Christmas/holiday vacation, and I honestly cannot wait for it to end! Don't get me wrong, I love having time off like anybody else, but time off with a hyper 6 year old, and a demanding 1 year old, is extremely tiring!

The 6 year old enjoys re arranging the living room furniture and making forts, which is okay, but when you are forbidden to sit on your own couch, or watch your own tv, we have a problem!

Naturally the 1 year old is curious and wants to do anything his big brother is doing, which involves touching his creations and belongings; this does not go over very well with the 6 year old!

The weather has been fairly crappy here, wet and cold. No snow to go out and play in, and too cold just to go for a stroll down the street.

Oh, I forgot to mention too, during my "vacation" we bought a puppy! a Jack Russell Terrior puppy, this makes 2 Jack Russells in the house, which is also SO enjoyable while trying to take back your house and make sure the 6 year old isn't feeding the 1 year old dog kibble!

As I blog, the two Jacks are in the kitchen running laps around the kitchen table, the 1 year old is screaming because the 6 year old won't let him touch the cordless phone, the 6 year old is wheeling the 1 year old's toy shopping cart around the living room at mock speed!

Please, please let these next 4 days go by fast! I love my kids, and my dogs, but I also love my sanity!