SCOP.

On Monday night I was lucky enough to attend an Extreme Couponing workshop. Seriously fascinating stuff people! This gal has created this 2 hour, jam packed, workshop and does it all over Alberta. She charges $10 (all of which she donated to the service trip of our local Christian School), and you get a giant stack of coupon flyers (SmartSource, Red Plum, BrandSaver) along with your admission, not to mention her 30 page e-book. A fairly fantab deal if you ask me.

I must admit, I kind of walked in there thinking, now what on earth could she really teach me? I mean I've been at the coupon game for at least 3 years now, and just a few weeks ago, a lady behind me in line said, "Wow, I feel like I just watched an episode of Extreme Couponing." Why thank you, thank you very much. Ahem.

Well, she did have a lot to teach me, and I'll be pouring over her e-book for years to come. Lots of handy tips, and things that some people just plain don't know. For example, who knew that the tear pad coupons (that you find in front of the product on the shelves) come out the first week of the month? Not me. Did you know there are a total of 11 places to find coupons? Nope, I didn't either. And who knew you could get "overages" at Walmart? Meaning if you have a $3 off coupon, and the item is on sale for $2...you get $1 back, in change. Fascinating.

One thing that she addressed at the workshop that I would say over 50% of the people didn't know about, was SCOP, or the Scanning Code of Practice. This is a Canadian policy that was enacted on a National level in 2002. It is voluntary for stores to participate, but the majority of them do (the only ones I know that don't are The Bay/ZellersHome Outfitters). Most major chains, including Walmart, Superstore, Costco, Shoppers Drug Mart, and most major grocery stores participate. The idea behind the code is for stores to demonstrate a commitment to accurate price scanning.

So what does this mean to you? Well, if you purchase an item and it scans in at more than what it was ticketed at, for example, an item advertised for $4.99 comes in at $6.99, you point this out to the cashier and you get it for free. Absolutely free! If the item is over $10, you get $10 off of the sale price. So if its advertised for $12.99, but scans in at $15.99, you get it for $2.99. Um, yes please!

This is the technical jargon of the code, "If the scanned price of a non-price ticketed item is higher than the shelf price or any other displayed price, the customer is entitled to receive the item free, up to a $10 maximum. When the item has a price tagged, the lowest price applies. When identical items are incorrectly priced, the second one will be sold at the correct price."

A few rules about the code. It can only be on the first item (so don't run back and grab 10 more). Any additional items will just have the price adjusted to the sale price. It does not apply to items that don't have a set price (eg. weighed items, like bulk or produce). So only items with a UPC (Universal Product Code), bar code, and PLU (Price Look Up). It also does not apply on pharmacy items and price-ticketed items (I'm thinking this means items priced with a ticketing gun).

The CBC did a little segment on the code to let Canadians know about it and test out the code to see if it actually worked. You can watch that video here. Studies show that 2% of of items are incorrectly scanned, so if you are spending $500/month on groceries, that's $30 per month you could be getting free, totaling $360 extra in your pocket per year. Again, yes please!

So next time you're out shopping, make sure to check the shelf price and then watch as items scan through. Or check your receipt afterwards. I know when you have 40 items on your bill during a big grocery shop, its hard to remember them all, but if something just doesn't look right, go back and check. That extra 30 seconds might mean up to an extra $10 in your pocket!

The policy is there, so make sure to hold companies to it (espcially since they volunatrily participate in it). And if they give you any trouble, you may register a complaint with the Scanner Price Accuracy Committee, by calling 1-866-499-4599 (toll free). They will deal with your complaint directly with the store and let you know the outcome.

Hooray for policies that are there to protect the customer!

1569 Branch Tips? Pscht.

Totally random post, but has anyone noticed how its all the rage in Christmas trees these days to advertise them by branch tips? Seriously, what poor sod has to sit and count all the tips on a tree? I found one advertised at Canadian tire, 7 ft. tall, 1569 branch tips for a mere $199.

Let me show you the Nepper way of dealing with this branch tip business...

First, take a $5 garage sale Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Seriously, never pay full price for a fake tree, in the summer time garage sales are crawling with them. This one happened to still be in the original box, from Canadian Tire, funny enough.
Step two, scour the end of season sales for cheap pine garlands. I scored 4 garlands from Zellers for $1 each. She scores! Then starting from the top or bottom, start weaving it into and in-between the branches, all around the tree, and fluff it up as you go. And voila...look at those branch tips!
Seriously, the easiest way to fluff up a fake tree in a few seconds. Yesterday that was the family project, setting up for Christmas. There are no after pictures yet as I find I take a few days to rearrange and putter over things before I'm finally set on them. This year the tree is in reds, whites and anything shiny seems to be making the cut.

The two little helpers actually pose for a picture for once. Hooray!
PS. And that is the tree "pre-pine garland" if you couldn't tell. Its looking fairly rickety in the background there.

Where is the easy?

Tonight I feel sad. Sad at the reality that it seems as though nothing in this life will be easy for my daughter. I suppose some would say that few things come easy, but for the majority of us, life is not a constant struggle.

Perhaps I'm viewing this from 29 year old eyes. Maybe most things at the age of 5 are hard work when you are constantly learning and discovering. Basically everything is new. But that said, I happen to know a lot of 5 year olds and it simply just doesn't seem to be as hard for them.

Believe me, I'm not comparing. I learned long ago never to do that with my kids. It began in my Mom's group when Mom's would be bragging about their kid's weight or how quickly their child learned to walk. I never felt the need to add another helping of insecurity to someone elses plate when I fully understood how constant of a struggle mothering is in the first place. I never wanted to be on the braggin' wagon. I still don't.

But as a parent, to watch your child struggle for the simplest things, is heart breaking. Whether it was watching her in the PICU fighting to recover from major heart surgery (twice). Or waiting and waiting for her to walk (it finally came at 15 months). Or struggling throughout her entire preschool career (the good days were few and far between). I've learned it never gets easier. In some ways I feel like I've just come to expect that it will be harder. Always.

Not to be a fatalist here. I do picture my daughter as a beautiful young woman in her 20's, not struggling. But at this age, when most things are new, and a new social situation pops up basically every other day, its a struggle. And it makes me sad. As a parent I find it so tempting to make it all so easy.

Never pull your fingers away when they toddle along.
Never take off the training wheels.
Never let them hear those painful first words of rejection.

It all seems like it could work right? But then I picture a grown woman, still holding onto my fingers, never getting off her tricycle, and not understanding the realities of this world.

Somehow I like to believe that perhaps all this hardship will account for something great one day. Maybe she will be more graceful. More loving. More compassionate. More giving. To be honest, I have no idea what this will all account to, and at times the cost simply doesn't seem worth it.

I am truly grateful for the people in our life who love our daughter and work to understand her struggles. Without them, this journey would be bleak and lonely. The days would be long and hard. That is one of the most starting Mom realizations; that not everyone loves and adores your child as much as you do. Let alone understands their struggles. Its sheer madness really, and you hope against hope they come to their senses.

I think it may just be a standard parent answer to say that easy doesn't exist, so maybe I'm fooling myself, but some days, I just wish it wasn't so hard.

"Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be so hard" ~ Coldplay

The Little Things.

Alright, this is definitely not all that deep or thought-provoking of a post (assuming the others are, ahem), but I made a sweet score during my Safeway shop yesterday and I thought I would share it. Not sure if this is just limited to our local Safeway, or perhaps Safeway in general, but grocery stores that sell ripe bananas at a reduced cost...seriously brilliant!

I've had my eyes peeled for another batch of ripe bananas every time I've gone into Safeway lately. It had been about a month since they last had them, so when I saw four bags filled to the brim I scooted right over. I grabbed three, and just as I was thinking, I better grab all four, a lady pounced and beat me to it. Oh well, three bags is plenty. For now.

And how much did these three bags, totaling 31 bananas, enough to make multiple smoothies and numerous loaves of banana bread cost me? A "whopping" $6.20!
Seriously. That is a steal, and the bananas are barely bruised, not that I care either way. Their sole purpose is to be added to fruit smoothies or to make banana bread. The way my son eats bananas, we never have any leftovers in the house to actually get overripe, so banana bread is a true treat around these parts. So I cut each banana in half and put them into three large Ziploc bags to freeze and use as required.
Every few days the kids and I share a smoothie, usually as a part of our lunch. Its like a Nepper staple. Abbi learned to drink through a straw at probably 12 months and she's been drinking them ever since. Same with Gabe. I buy the 1.81 kg package of frozen berry mix from Costco ($11.69). Your standard non-fat Vanilla yogurt. I switch between orange and apple juice. Add half a frozen banana, pop it into a blender or use a hand blender, and voila...a smoothie comparable to Booster Juice, but probably for a third of a price.

I usually do it all by sight, but the ingredient list would read something like this...
1/2 C. Frozen Berries/Fruit
1/2 C. Non-Fat Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 C. Fruit Juice (Apple or Orange)
1/2 Half a Frozen Banana

Optional: Add 2 Tablespoons of ground flax seed

Smoothie goodness. Yum.

Sex and Babies.

Oh how I love blog titles like this one. Its an attention grabber, and I imagine it will be one of my highest read blog posts. Although interestingly enough, my post on DIY Laundry Soap is still my most popular posting. I suppose that speaks to the non-juiciness of my blog! We're all about practicality around these parts ;)

So whenever Rob and I watch movies, I'm all about the happy endings. Sex and babies, I say. A truly good movie should end in sex and babies. I mean not like "sex sex" on the screen, but the assumption that such things take place as the credits roll. In my weird, twisted world, that's a happy ending.*

*Of course, my version of a happy ending does not spend much time considering things like stretch marks, morning sickness, and labour.

Perhaps that stems from my own experience, but like seriously, the worst endings are when the long lost love dies in the last scene...and alas, no sex and babies. Tragedy. Recently we watched the movie Troy with friends, and it may ruin the ending for some...but no sex and babies took place. He died a hero. A shame really. Although there was plenty of sex prior to the death scene, it still doesn't get my sex and babies happy ending stamp of approval

I can't really explain it, but real life stories like these truly sadden me. Husband's leaving wives prematurely seriously gets to me. Likely because I'm married and the thought of it is terribly saddening. There just are no words for that kind of loss. It never really occurs to me that the female partner leaves prematurely, mainly because in my experience, its almost always been the man.

I learned yesterday that an old schoolmate died. He just happened to be married to a girl I used to work with when we lived on the Island (life in a small town). The wife and I were facebook friends. I watched during their dating years, and it was incredible to see their love grow and blossom. They married this summer. They still don't even have their wedding photos back yet. And he's gone.

Social media allows a strange glimpse into the joys, struggles and sorrows of an acquaintance or coworker. Beyond the grapevine, I never would have known about his death or her sorrow, but I must admit, knowing this, its making me want to love harder and be kinder.

Let us be kind to one another.

Success!

Over this past weekend I helped organize a large vintage fabric sale. It was a considerable amount of work, but looking at the end results and the funds raised, I would say it was more than worth my while. Through the church, I was connected with a family who had inherited a large fabric collection from a seamstress. When I say large, that is an understatement. The amount of fabric is truly mind-boggling. Perhaps what's more astounding is that one person amassed all of it! There were receipts dating back to the 1960's!

We had to use a trailer to transport the fabric which had been stored in produce boxes and Rubbermaid totes. We had a number of people help unload the fabric and it ended up taking about 8 ladies 4 hours to unpack all of it! The church had 15 large folding tables and we used every single one of them, and we could have used more.

We had originally planned to sort the fabric based upon type, but once the boxes started opening, we noticed two things. First, it was primarily polyester blends (remember, it is vintage fabric). Second, there was just so much it would have been impossible to efficiently sort. I still look at the pictures and can hardly believe it.

The tables ran the length of the churches foyer which is a good distance. I'd say this is 6-8 tables end to end, stacked about 10 layers of fabric high. And that means we still had another 7-8 tables filled with more fabric. We also dedicated a room off the foyer to sewing notions and patterns. The number of patterns was incredible!

Beyond Fabricland, I've never seen anything like this. And what's more remarkable is that it was a private collection!

Loads and loads of drapery fabric.
Of course, a perk of unloading the fabric and helping out with the sale is that we got first dibs on the fabric. Rob's Mom came in to help with the sale as well. While it was a lot of work, I think we also got to pick out some fairly fantastic fabrics. These are a few of my faves.

Seriously...have you seen anything like this before?

I'm thinking this has cute throw pillow potential. I got two of them.

While I've never sewn clothing, I love this print and would love to make a long flowy dress out of it.

The fabric on the left says slinky dress or skirt. The red polka dot screams sexy 192o's style dress. Super cute.

I'm loving this hot pink plaid. I've love to recover a little chair or bench in Abbi's room with this. I'm sure in 1970 a man would have had a suit jacket made out of this.

And this. Well this. I have no idea what I'd do with it, but the pattern was just so fantastic, I had to have it. Seriously fantastic!

These three fabrics are likely best used for upholstery. All great. I do love the floral pattern. I'd love to see another little chair or bench done up in this for Abbi's room.

On the Friday we were open for only 4 hours and it was so busy! Saturday wasn't as busy, but the sale was still a great success overall. All the sales were by donation and it was wonderful to see just how generous people could be. We raised funds for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and in total, we ended up raising $1565! Unbelievable!

So a big thank you to everyone who came out, helped, shopped, and supported this great cause. Now I've got some sewing to get to!

Inspired.

An area of my life that I have been striving to be better is in the sense of health. I have been on a healthful journey since mid-May. At that time I picked up a bunch of Groupon type deals for local fitness centres. I started with two months at Curves. It was a good start, and it slowly eased me back into the world of exercise. But to be honest, Curves was never my thing. After my time at Curves, I moved onto a month at World Health Club (a Alberta-based gym). I loved it!

Once that deal ended, I decided to take as much advantage as I could of our late summer. So I began running. It was a slow start, and at times painful. A sore knee initially, then some bruising on the ball of my foot. I began increasing my distance, and was easily managing a 5km run. I am now in the 7-8km range. I'm definitely not the fastest runner, but I do love being outdoors and feeling my body work. I do worry what winter will do to my running routine, but I've been getting out regularly on the weekends.

I also started up a weekly class at my local Spa Lady (another Alberta-based gym for ladies only). Its a 45 minute Circuit training class. I love the instructor. She is a lot of fun, encouraging and really present with the group. They even have a daycare on-site where I can plunk Gabe for 2 hours and get my sweat on while Abbi is at school. This has been working out nicely.

I've also been delving into yoga one night a week. I'm really enjoying yoga. I've gone to hot yoga a few times with Rob on Friday nights, and during the "centering" portion, I literally could not shut off my brain. These days I'm finding that easier. Or perhaps more necessary. So now I have one evening, per week, where I can give my brain 1 hour off of life, its brilliant. Your focus is on your breathing and having awareness of your body. I also love this instructor. Her voice seriously needs to be recorded, its amazing. And often she'll say "Notice." Seemed hokey at first. Notice what? But I'm finding it amazing when you consider your body; what's straining, what's at ease, what needs some work. I've also been trying to practice a little at home. I'm amazed at my increased flexibility in such a short amount of time.

On the healthful eating front, I've been making huge gains. I think the change for me this time (compared to the other gazillion times I've tried to lose weight) is that I'm trying to do it in the most balanced, healthful way possible. So no pills, no shakes, no starvation, nothing that is not manageable in the real world. At least in my real world. So I'll still eat chocolate (although I eat considerably less, and actually rarely crave it). I still drink coffee, although I'm trying to swap out my afternoon cup with some green tea. I eat a lot of the same foods, just less of them. For the most part I'm avoiding greasy foods and fast food, although I will indulge from time to time.

I'm not sticking to any one program, but rather doing my best to educate myself on a few different strategies and incorporating aspects of each. I recently picked up this book from the library and we were pleased with so many of the recipes and simple, easy to come by, ingredients.
I've also been reading this book, trying to gain a basic understanding of how my body works, and what nutrients it needs. I'm fairly certain I missed that entire section in biology. Or perhaps I was too busy passing notes...
I also picked this book up from the library. Rob has read his other book, and while I don't see myself being vegan anytime soon, I do think a lot of the principles stand for a diet that includes reduced amounts of meat. Plus, he's from Vancouver so he already gets my vote.

I've also been posting things around the house to keep me on track and inspired. Rather than putting up a picture of a supermodel, I put up a picture of myself from our honeymoon on the side of our fridge. Conceited? Perhaps. But at least my body of old is far more attainable and achievable than that of Cindy Crawford's.

For fun, I also put up Rob's "skinny picture." Crazy! Him and his best friend, Jason, circa 1997 (ish).
I've also have this on the side of our fridge, as I've long believed that long-lasting weight loss and healthfulness will be a result of hard work and consistent decisions. Not to say I don't make some bad decisions, but the point is to trying you best to make the next decision is a good one.

A friend sent this to me in an e-mail forward last week called "Forever Young" and I absolutely love it. "Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help."

So in 5 months I've lost a total of 16 lbs! I am thrilled. I still have about 8lbs to go to be a healthy weight according to the BMI charts, but I already feel a huge difference in my energy levels, in the way my clothes fit (I've gone down 2 sizes), and in my overall confidence! My goal is to be at my goal weight in time for my 30th birthday. That's been part of the motivator, as well as just knowing that there will always be excuses not to get in shape, but even more reasons to do so.

Care to share any healthful tips that work for you?

Archie.

I was trying to think of a terribly witty name for my pumpkin. I think Jack is just too cliche. I needed something with pizazz, something with style. Um yeah. I got nothing. The best I could come up with was Archie...orange hair, orange pumpkin. A sad, sad attempt at wittiness. Although really, there is a slight resemblance...

Source: Comic Con International

Regardless of his name, Archie has served me well. He has been an overachiever in the world of pumpkins. He definitely would have made the honor roll in my class. As if he isn't the most picturesque pumpkin ever!
I felt slightly guilty sticking his pretty self into the oven. I watched him turn into a sad brown version of himself. Perhaps a similar story to that of many 60 year old women who live in California. You know the types, platinum blonde hair, leathery skin, most often accompanied by a whiskey voice. Classic.

I put Archie on a baking sheet, set the oven to 300°, and left him alone for 2 hours. This is what he ended up looking like.

*Caution: grotesque pumpkin pictures below.
Not too pretty, at all. This is about halfway through the "carving" process. The roasting made it surprisingly easy to separate the skin, pumpkin meat, and seeds. I just kept cutting him into quarters and scraping out the stringy junk and then scooping the meat into a separate bowl. This all took place on my stove, which was not entirely brilliant. I let it cool off on the stove top, which resulted in a surprising amount of liquid on the baking sheet, making it tricky to move. Hence the stove top disaster.
If you'll remember, this pumpkin cost me a whopping $4 (Plus, I got 15% off of that!). I plunked him on our bathroom scale which reported his weight at 17lbs. I'm a little suspicious of that weight, but definitely somewhere between 10-20 lbs.

So Archie, my $4 pumpkin, gifted me with 21.5 cups of pumpkin meat!

I started out by using my food processor attachment for my Cuisinart hand blender, but quickly realized this was a job for a more substantial machine. That's where the husband and his Robot Coupe came in. For the most part, I despise this machine. It takes up a significant amount of space in my pantry, I never use it...and my husband rarely uses it. So why do we have it again? Oh right...for my yearly pumpkin puree fest.

Look at all that pumpkiny goodness!
I made a batch of pumpkin cookies (which used 1 Cup of pumpkin puree, and resulted in 48 cookies), but the rest I plan to freeze in sandwich Ziploc bags to use for baking, soups and whatever else I can figure out to stick pumpkin in.

Thanks Avenue Homesteader for the great idea! She also has a recipe for roasting pumpkin seeds, which we will be doing as well. Brings back lots of Hallowe'en memories of my Mom roasting this delicious snack.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Argh. I hate it when I can't find a source for something. I think that's a clear sign of academia taking over my brain. Now I can barely write a thank you note without wanting to add a "Reference" section to the bottom of it. All I can say is that I got this recipe from Abbi's preschool last year. Legend has it, one of the parent's from years past had provided this recipe to help accommodate her child's milk/dairy allergies. That's as about as referenced as things are going to get...

On one of my duty days, this was the activity. Me + 2 teachers + 16 kids needed to make these cookies. Ack! Even more painful was the fact that they had no measuring spoons. I searched the entire school and finally found a questionable set in another classroom. Afterward, I promptly went to the Dollarstore and gifted the preschool with their very own handy dandy set of measuring spoons & cups. So believe me, these cookies are fool proof. I had 16 four year olds as my assistants and a haphazard set of measuring spoons. Enough said.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies
2.5 Cups Flour of choice
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
2.5 Tsp. Baking powder
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Margarine
1/4 C. Maple Syrup
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Pumpkin puree

1. Preheat over to 375°.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together: sugar and margarine. Then gradually beat in maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin.
4. Beat in the flour mixture.
5. Drop onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes. Makes 48 cookies.

Another recipe I found online for Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies had a glaze on top which looks rather delicious, and is super easy to make. Don't they look divine?
Glaze: Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle on top of cookies.

Holly's Pumpkin Cookie tips: I used 1.5 Cups White flour, and 1 Cup Whole Wheat flour. I also cut down on the sugar, using 1/2 Cup Brown, and 1/4 Cup White Sugar. I used my own pumpkin puree, but you could use canned pumpkin, making the color a deeper orange. After dropping cookies onto the baking sheet, flatten slightly, as they will rise significantly (which can extend the cooking time and dry them out).

15% Off Day.

I'm in the full swing of school right now, hence the lack of posting. I'm just over a third of way through the course and there is SO MUCH going on. Usually teachers shove it all to the end, making it crazy then, so perhaps having it spread out will keep my blood pressure down. Not that I know I have high blood pressure, but I imagine during times of stress, we all do to some degree.

I have discovered I do get a crink (a mixture of a kink and a cric) in my neck during times of stress. Our massage therapist suggested its extended time at the computer and poor posture. Likely so. All I know its a pain in the neck!

I did want to quickly share about my 15% off day brilliance. Now I think this is only relevant to Albertan readers. I don't remember this in BC, and haven't lived anywhere else, so I have no idea. Here in Alberta, all grocery stores offer 10-15% off groceries on the first Tuesday of the month. You don't have to be old. Or a student. Its for everyone. And its great.

I used to do my shop at Safeway (which offers 10% off), but I have since started shopping at Save On Foods. They offer 15% off and also allow you to use points coupons and the 15% discount at the same time. At Safeway its either 10% off or 10x your Airmiles (not both). And the Airmiles aren't really all that great of a deal.

Anyway, I was thrilled with my shop this week. A friend had her receipt go down $100 with sales, coupons and 15% off (she shopped earlier in the day). Mine went from $188.33 down to $114.91! Unbelievable! I feel like I robbed them blind. Nearly ran to the car I couldn't believe it!

Just a little break down of what I got for $114.91. A little disclaimer, I did redeem 8000 points to get a free turkey, which did help out the bill. But still, 8000 points for a $20 turkey is a fairly good deal in my opinion.

Produce: 3lb Onions, Alfapha sprouts, 3lbs Carrots, Celery, Cranberries, 5lb Gala Apples, 2lbs Garlic, Ginger Root, 3lbs Peppers, Yams, Orange, Mini Carrots, a Pumpkin, Red Grapes, Tomatoes, Snap Peas, and Mushrooms.

Dairy: Cheesestrings, Yogurt Tub x2, and 4L Milk.

Meat: Turkey, Lunch Meat

Non-Perishables: Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Clif Bar x2, Nurtigrain Bars, Peanut Butter, 1L Apple Juice x4, 1l Orange Juice x2, 1L Fruit Juice x2, Raspberry Jam, Vegetable Thins x2, and Spaghetti noodles x2.

Misc: 5lbs WW Flour, Dill Weed, Cumin, Italian Seasoning, Lundberg Wild Rice, Raisins, and Flax Tortillas.

On the Pumpkin front, I realize its fairly keen to be buying a pumpkin this early, but this pumpkin shall be meeting its early demise. It was $4 for a GIANT pumpkin! So I plan to roast it in the oven and get out all the pumpkiny goodness I can. I also plan to roast some seeds. I got the idea from The Avenue Homesteader. I was inspired. From a $4 pumpkin she got 18 Cups of pumpkin! She figures that's equivalent to $24 worth of canned pumpkin filling. Not to mention the seeds. So we'll see how easily I can roast a pumpkin, and if it goes well, I may buy me a few more pumpkins to roast.

I've also been getting hip with bulk food. I do not buy spices in the package anymore. Save On Foods has an impressive bulk section, and buying spices this way is so much cheaper. Superstore and Bulk Barn also rock the world of bulk. For example, I got enough Cumin to fill up my spice jar, twice, for $1.89. Enough Dill Weed to fill it, twice, for 60 cents, and about a jar's worth of Italian Seasoning for 30 cents. I also find pasta and grains are a great item to buy this way. I know people have health issues with bulk items (eg. did someone touch this, did it get mixed up, etc), but at least with pasta, I know I'm boiling it. And for the most part, I have a blind faith in the cleanliness of the human race, at least when it comes to bulk food.

Its always nice to find ways to save money when it comes to food. Do you have any shopping tips to add?

A Runner?

I am trying to be a runner. I do not yet claim the title of a runner. Really there is no method to my running. Very little technique. I don't have tips or tricks. I just run. Seems simple enough, right?

During my last year of high school I somehow ended up in gym class. I think the alternative was a spare block, which seemed wrong. I already skipped class so much as it was, having a block dedicated to skipping seemed fairly redundant. My other options were calculus or chemistry, both of which would have guaranteed me a big fat F. So I went with gym. Not to mention my boyfriend happened to be in the class, which made things all the more appealing.

The first run of the year was probably in the 3-5 km range. Technically no big deal for the other people who had been doing gym all throughout high school. Not for me, I came in dead last. Like not even close to the runner before me last. Like it was bad. By the time I made it back to the class they were already halfway through their wrestling portion of the class. Um, ouch.

As the year progressed, I started moving up in the standings. Of course, I went from something like 25th to 23rd, and I think by the end of the year I was averaging in the 20th range. Nothing to write home about, but heck, at least I wasn't last! By the end of the school year, we had increased the distance of our runs to about the 10km range. I was in the best shape of my life. My prom pictures are direct evidence of this fact.

So perhaps I'm drawn to running as I look wistfully at pictures of my Grade 12 self. I am doing fairly good on my weight loss project. Technically I've lost about 15 lbs since May. Which actually sounds like a lot. I guess because it is a lot, but I'm primarily losing weight in areas like my arms and legs, and it seems like its slow going around the mid-section. Not like I'm complaining, but I'm most looking forward to some inches lost around the waist.

So the running is good. I've been at it for almost 2 months. In the process, I have learned that I am no longer 18 anymore (a little shocking). My right knee was giving me trouble initially, so then I was told to buy some new shoes, which solved the knee problem and now I'm having a bit of pain in the ball of my right foot (which can be caused by a number of factors, likely my new shoes, which are definitely not top of the line). I'm mixing it up with icing and good stretching, which is good enough for now. But I'm thinking I'll have to invest in even better shoes if I want to keep this up.

I'm currently in the 5/6km range. For now its a nice distance, pushes me, and doesn't take too long. Tomorrow I plan to do a run fun for one of the local community leagues. They will donate $15 for each runner to the community league. It will be my first "race." There are no prizes and I will be keeping my usual pace. All that I ask of the running gods is that I don't come in dead last. I imagine its repressed trauma from high school.

In my running process, I have also been reminded of just how much I enjoy getting out and breathing fresh air (well, as fresh as Edmonton can offer). I have no idea what will happen once winter comes, I do have a stack of gym memberships and coupons, but a treadmill just cannot compare to being outdoors.

So for now, I'm a near runner. Or perhaps a psuedo runner. And I'm lovin' it!

Value Village 50% Off Sale.

Did you manage to make it out to your local VV's 50% off sale yesterday? I sure did. I didn't have as much time as I would have liked, but in 1.5 hours, I did some serious damage. Not in the pocketbook department of course, but I found a lot of items in that short time. 21 items to be exact!

I've frequented these sales over the years and its been my main form of clothes shopping, especially for the kids. Back when the kids were still "wee," I would be waiting until the doors opened, first thing in the morning, with all the other crazy thrifters by my side. As the kids got older (and perhaps I got a little more sense), I started going a little later in the day. And now it seems the only reasonable time for me to stop by is in the evening.

Here are a few of my 50% off day tips...

-They usually hold these sales every 3 months or so, often the day following a major holiday. So if you missed this one, don't fret, there will be another. Probably mid-Fall, around (Canadian) Thanksgiving.

- If you join their SuperSavers club (a free club), you can go in the day prior, during the last 2 hours before the store closes and also get the 50% off rate. Highly brilliant.

- Go when you can. Of course, the later you go, the less selection there is, but lets be serious, it is Value Village. Isn't the slogan "The thrill of the hunt?"

- Go up and down every aisle. I know that sounds like a lot, but I'd say within 45 minutes I had scanned every t-shirt/sweater/tank top rack in the place. I walk down the aisle and scan racks on either side of me. Your eyes are generally drawn to colors or patterns that appeal to you. But also slide the items down the racks, looking for ones that might be less visible. And look in all size ranges. Even though you might be a medium, often larger shirts can shrink or smalls can be fitted larger that usual.

- Be prepared for crowds and lines. Last night was fairly tame, but usually the greatest source of congestion is at the change rooms line-ups and people lining up at the tills. Last night I was primarily shopping for shirts and sweaters, so I avoided the change rooms line-ups completely by wearing a tank top. That way I was able to find a mirror at the end of one of the aisles, and throw shirts on over top of my tank. It was incredibly fast. No line ups, no waiting, a few strange looks from other shoppers, mind you, but I think it worked quite well. Of course if you were trying on pants, skirts or shorts, this wouldn't necessarily work so well, and I imagine the strange looks would increase, but to each their own.

- Make the check-out process less painful by removing all the items from their hangers, and make sure the tags are easily visible so the cashier can scan away.

- Bring along some fabric bags that you can load yourself. Again, a major time saver (not to mention earth saver).

- Remember, they have a 7 day exchange policy. So while you won't get your money back, you do have the option to go back and find something else. Of course, it won't be 50% off, but let's be serious, it's Value Village. You can find something.

I'm quite pleased with all my finds. I spent a total of $50.66, for 21 items! Yowza. That works out to just $2.41 per item. The kids stuff was generally cheaper overall (some items ringing in at 75¢), but I the most I paid for an item for myself was $3.50. Not too shabby.

Three new sweaters for myself (Total: $10.50). Unfortunately I just noticed a stain on the white one, so I'll likely exchange it, but I'm fairly thrilled with the other two.

I couldn't pass up this blue sweater. It screams classy Grandpa. And its the real deal, retro. Loving it!

This red cardigan is so pretty and I'm thinking it could be a cute way to dress up a black tank top with jeans, or it could be worn over my black linen dress for a Christmas party. I'm fairly certain I was drawn to the sparkles! (My Mom always said I was part crow, drawn to the shiny stuff). Not to mention it still has the replacement button attached, making me think its never been worn.
One long sleeve, and two short sleeve t-shirts.
While I am in no way affiliated with Vangaurd College, I do like their t-shirt and their logo. Not to mention the color. Its a bible college here in Edmonton.
This brown one is a bit tight yet, but hopefully I can fit into 'er soon. Loved all the buttons. Joe, of course.
I'm liking these two black shirts, although I'm thinking the one on the left may go back. Definitely a boob shirt, and I just can't seem to find anything to bridge that gap (hardy har). The one on the left is super cute with giant black buttons connecting the straps. Its a long shirt and Rob said its almost long enough to be a dress. Making me think if I could find some super cute patterned fabric (with black details), I could put a strip around the bottom, making it into a dress. We'll see.
Even though I was mainly looking for fall shirts, I couldn't resist these three tank tops. I'm fairly certain the center Gap tank (ranging in shades from white to blue) was designed with me in mind. I LOVE IT.
Here is the bundle of kids stuff I picked up. I shopped mostly for Abbi as she seems to be the one lacking in the fall department this year. I'm loving that pink polka dot dress. I'm thinking picture day. Gabe got a few hats (one was left at the park a few weeks ago), a pair of shorts ($1) and a pair of cargo pants that should fit him this fall. 10 items for a total of $15.50!
So those were my fantastic finds of the day. My next Value Village mission will be to get the kids outfitted for winter (snowsuits, toques, boots, etc). They still won't get those items in for a few weeks yet, but I love being able to get my kids totally set for winter for $26.96 (2010's total) and $29.26 (2009's total).