I went on my volunteer trip this weekend. It was freezing cold! But the girls had a lot of fun. I didn't get a lot of sleep because another leader was snoring!! Ahhh, I really hope my future husband does not snore!! My favourite part was getting to pet a lemur and a baby tiger! SO CUTE! I now want a lemur, Kirstie Alley has a few!
I am working at LEAST 4 days this week (woohoo). As of right now I do not have anything booked for tomorrow, hopefully something comes up though!! So I am going to get another big chunk of my family loan paid off at the end of this month when the next paycheque comes in. Can't wait!!! Do you also get super excited knowing you are going to pay off debt?
I am also reading this new book I received. It's called Money $mart Mom. I'm on chapter 4 and it's really interesting, and I'm not even a mom! The author (Sara Deveau) is Canadian and she is a Gail Vaz-Oxlade fan too. I love her writing, she is very practical and down-to-earth. I plan on doing a book review sometime later this month.
I was sent an e-mail yesterday regarding retired teachers supplying. They changed the rule and now instead of retired teachers being limited to work 95 days a school year for the first three years and then 20 days every year after that, they are now being limited to 50 days a school year for as long as they would like to supply. I'm not sure if I like this better or not. Hopefully it will create more jobs for supply teachers (at least later in the school year). Time will tell.
My shows The Biggest Loser and Parenthood are on tonight. Anyone else watch those shows? I want Sunshine to win TBL, she is just very sweet, we are the same age, and she deserves it. Parenthood I have watched from the beginning, it's a very cool show! I like how it focuses on the different families and incorporates special needs (autism and giftedness), financial issues (dad made poor decisions on some property), life issues, relationship issues, and of course parenting issues, etc.
Hockey is also on. Common Vancouver!! Any hockey fans, who are you cheering for? I'm cheering for one of the Canadian teams (Vancouver or Montreal), or Pittsburgh (Sid the Kid) to win.
*While writing this post I received another call to work tomorrow, yayyyyyy! A full week of work.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
E-Fund Funded
Another sidebar at 100%!!!!!
Today I was able to put another $500 toward the E-Fund.
My E-fund is actually my regular bank account. So I am going to keep a minimum of $1500 in there at all times. I'm actually going to aim for $2000 (which I am at right now) and that way if I go under $2000 it's okay. If I go under $1500 though I am charged bank fees, BLAH!
So now I will have a little bit of leeway room. $500 of leeway.
Next paycheque money will go toward the family loan now that this E-fund is topped up. Glad it's done with, and I am excited to see that family loan bar increase some more!!
I think $1500 is fine for me right now. It's easy access money being in my regular bank account (no holds), and I always have my TFSA if I need extra (hopefully I won't ever even have to use that E-fund). It's nice knowing it is there though, just in case.
Today I was able to put another $500 toward the E-Fund.
My E-fund is actually my regular bank account. So I am going to keep a minimum of $1500 in there at all times. I'm actually going to aim for $2000 (which I am at right now) and that way if I go under $2000 it's okay. If I go under $1500 though I am charged bank fees, BLAH!
So now I will have a little bit of leeway room. $500 of leeway.
Next paycheque money will go toward the family loan now that this E-fund is topped up. Glad it's done with, and I am excited to see that family loan bar increase some more!!
I think $1500 is fine for me right now. It's easy access money being in my regular bank account (no holds), and I always have my TFSA if I need extra (hopefully I won't ever even have to use that E-fund). It's nice knowing it is there though, just in case.
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms! Thanks for all you do.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Friday, May 7, 2010
How Much Cashola Do You Carry?
My cousin and I had a conversation the other day about her boyfriend and the fact that he is cheap.
He NEVER carries cash. Nothing.
They go out and often the bill comes to under $20. He thinks it's a waste to use his debit card on something so small and she ends up footing the bill. She gets mad at him that she is always paying for everything and he never carries around any cash. She said she likes to keep at least $100 in her wallet at all times.
I said I'm lucky to have $20 in there. She was surprised.
Right now I have $24.76 in my wallet. That is only because my brother gave me $20 for gas last night.
I started wondering what most people do. How much cash do you typically carry with you daily?
He NEVER carries cash. Nothing.
They go out and often the bill comes to under $20. He thinks it's a waste to use his debit card on something so small and she ends up footing the bill. She gets mad at him that she is always paying for everything and he never carries around any cash. She said she likes to keep at least $100 in her wallet at all times.
I said I'm lucky to have $20 in there. She was surprised.
Right now I have $24.76 in my wallet. That is only because my brother gave me $20 for gas last night.
I started wondering what most people do. How much cash do you typically carry with you daily?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Semi-Bad Volunteering Experience
As some of you may know I am a Brownie Leader (younger than Girl Guides). This is my second year (every week for 2 hours, for 10 months). I love it but dislike it at the same time.
I love....the kids! They are a hilarious group! They have a lot of fun and enjoy the programming. There are also a few girls in the group who see this as a getaway once a week from their life. It's great to see them smiling, encouraging one another, and making new friends.
What I don't love....the other leaders. Blahhhh. They do program with me but they chat about other random things (mostly themselves) far too much and it's extremely frustrating. I have better things to do and we could be way more productive with our planning time. They are also not very involved with the kids, I end up leading most activities while they do the paperwork, they hardly smile and the kids come to me for EVERYTHING (if they have something to share, if they have something to ask, etc). Kids gravitate to those that give them structure and are friendly. I wish we worked better as a team. There are so many things I could tell you about this one leader I work with that I won't even get into.
Another thing that I don't like is that I end up paying to volunteer. Grrrr. A minor issue but still it's annoying. I had to pay money to take an online course. I also had to transport myself and take another face-to-face course which was 5 hours and very political. Things I did not need to know. Also I have to pay to go on the camping activities. It is at a reduced rate, but still I am paying $25 to volunteer 30 hours of my time this weekend. I don't think that is right. Minor, but I think the dues the kids pay each week, plus the cost of their registration and cookie money should be able to more than cover the cost for leaders and even reduce the rate of their own trip.
I don't know if I will do it next year, I may look into volunteering with a different Brownie or Spark group. I need new leaders. It's a great program for the kids and I really do enjoy volunteering! Have you ever had this sort of issue? Ever have a poor co-worker? Am I being cheap with the paying to volunteer thing?
What sort of volunteering do you do?
I love....the kids! They are a hilarious group! They have a lot of fun and enjoy the programming. There are also a few girls in the group who see this as a getaway once a week from their life. It's great to see them smiling, encouraging one another, and making new friends.
What I don't love....the other leaders. Blahhhh. They do program with me but they chat about other random things (mostly themselves) far too much and it's extremely frustrating. I have better things to do and we could be way more productive with our planning time. They are also not very involved with the kids, I end up leading most activities while they do the paperwork, they hardly smile and the kids come to me for EVERYTHING (if they have something to share, if they have something to ask, etc). Kids gravitate to those that give them structure and are friendly. I wish we worked better as a team. There are so many things I could tell you about this one leader I work with that I won't even get into.
Another thing that I don't like is that I end up paying to volunteer. Grrrr. A minor issue but still it's annoying. I had to pay money to take an online course. I also had to transport myself and take another face-to-face course which was 5 hours and very political. Things I did not need to know. Also I have to pay to go on the camping activities. It is at a reduced rate, but still I am paying $25 to volunteer 30 hours of my time this weekend. I don't think that is right. Minor, but I think the dues the kids pay each week, plus the cost of their registration and cookie money should be able to more than cover the cost for leaders and even reduce the rate of their own trip.
I don't know if I will do it next year, I may look into volunteering with a different Brownie or Spark group. I need new leaders. It's a great program for the kids and I really do enjoy volunteering! Have you ever had this sort of issue? Ever have a poor co-worker? Am I being cheap with the paying to volunteer thing?
What sort of volunteering do you do?
Monday, May 3, 2010
Full Day Turned Half
My alarm went off today, I got dressed to work and was eating breakfast and starting to make my lunch when the principal of the school I was to work at today calls. He said there was an error and that my full day was only a half day afternoon. Darn. I said that was okay and I'd see him at noon.
I spent the morning straightening my hair, making a lunch, organizing and cleaning my room. At least it was a productive morning. I also called the payroll department of my school board because I did a half day EA supply day back in March and still have not been paid for it. The woman I talked to said she would sort it out and I would be paid next pay period (which is the 14th).
On my way to work today I saw two Canadian geese leading 3 baby ones to the lake, they were very cute! Then a little further I saw a wild turkey, a nature filled day!
Off to volunteer now, hope you had a marvelous Monday!
Also, in case anyone is interested, today P&G have a new brand sampler package. http://brandsampler.ca/en_CA/home.php You sign up there and they send you a bunch of free samples! Some Pantene shampoo and conditioner, a Venus razor, some Crest floss, sample of Crest Whitestrips, etc. This is my first time doing it but I know the samples run out quickly. It also took me several tries on the website to totally complete everything since the site was so busy.
I spent the morning straightening my hair, making a lunch, organizing and cleaning my room. At least it was a productive morning. I also called the payroll department of my school board because I did a half day EA supply day back in March and still have not been paid for it. The woman I talked to said she would sort it out and I would be paid next pay period (which is the 14th).
On my way to work today I saw two Canadian geese leading 3 baby ones to the lake, they were very cute! Then a little further I saw a wild turkey, a nature filled day!
Off to volunteer now, hope you had a marvelous Monday!
Also, in case anyone is interested, today P&G have a new brand sampler package. http://brandsampler.ca/en_CA/home.php You sign up there and they send you a bunch of free samples! Some Pantene shampoo and conditioner, a Venus razor, some Crest floss, sample of Crest Whitestrips, etc. This is my first time doing it but I know the samples run out quickly. It also took me several tries on the website to totally complete everything since the site was so busy.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Weekend In Toronto
or Tronno as the locals call it ;)
After I got lost twice I met BF at his new apartment (a main floor of a house). Toronto is so crazy. Driving in TO is not fun, it stressed me out! Once I got to his house I also had to park on the street because the houses on his road didn't have driveways! I parallel parked which took me two tries (I'm not used to parallel parking at all). He gave me the grand tour, let's just say it's a shoes-on house (the tenants before were not the cleanest). There is a cleaning service coming in on Tuesday so hopefully they can get it cleaned up and freshened up. It's a small place but doable for the 6 weeks he is there. The part I like best is that BF has a bright purple room, lol.
We decided to hop on the subway and we got a day pass for $10 for both of us! I was starving so we went to a place on Yonge St. that had sushi. It was soooo good, really hit the spot. It was pretty much right across from this Church of Scientology which was interesting to see. Don't see those too often.
We then headed back on the subway and went to the Eaton's Centre. It is HUGE, we went into a few stores and I bought a new bathing suit, pair of flip flops and a hoodie. BF got some sandals and a collared shirt. We also went to this place called Lush and got a few bath soaps. Smelled so good!
We then hopped back on the subway and went back to his apartment to drop everything off. I'm so impressed we were able to navigate the subways so easy. Later that night we decided to have a couple drinks and then go walk to Bloor St. We did so and went to a place called The Pump to watch the hockey highlights, had a drink and some nachos. Mmmmm nachos.
Today we got up and walked back to Bloor St. We went to this place to have breakfast which I wouldn't go to again. The wooden tables were sticky, we ordered the exact same thing but BF got 3 eggs and I got 2, and I got about 5 pieces of bacon and BF got 2. After breakfast we went to Honest Eds where BF got some cleaning supplies and a curtain for his window. That store is HUGE! I don't even think we saw half of it!! They have an East and West wing and about 5 floors on each side. Crazy!
It started to clear up after that so we drove down to High Park. Thanks for the recommendations to go there! It was very nice, what a big park in the middle of Toronto. A nice getaway. We drove for about 10 minutes trying to find a parking spot. While we were looking for a parking spot we saw where the animals were, we both said we want to go there once we find a spot to park. We walked through the park for a while and NEVER found them! We are going to try again another weekend, it was a very nice and scenic walk. The trees are very pretty with their blooms right now.
We drove back and stopped at a grocery store so he has some food for lunches and we made supper together. It was a lot of fun this weekend. I spent about $150 including a tank of gas and clothing. Well worth it. I'm excited to visit again. I'll be going to TO again next weekend but won't be seeing BF, I'm going to Jungle Cat World with my Brownie group. I will be going back to visit BF in TO again the weekend after, already excited!
After I got lost twice I met BF at his new apartment (a main floor of a house). Toronto is so crazy. Driving in TO is not fun, it stressed me out! Once I got to his house I also had to park on the street because the houses on his road didn't have driveways! I parallel parked which took me two tries (I'm not used to parallel parking at all). He gave me the grand tour, let's just say it's a shoes-on house (the tenants before were not the cleanest). There is a cleaning service coming in on Tuesday so hopefully they can get it cleaned up and freshened up. It's a small place but doable for the 6 weeks he is there. The part I like best is that BF has a bright purple room, lol.
We decided to hop on the subway and we got a day pass for $10 for both of us! I was starving so we went to a place on Yonge St. that had sushi. It was soooo good, really hit the spot. It was pretty much right across from this Church of Scientology which was interesting to see. Don't see those too often.
We then headed back on the subway and went to the Eaton's Centre. It is HUGE, we went into a few stores and I bought a new bathing suit, pair of flip flops and a hoodie. BF got some sandals and a collared shirt. We also went to this place called Lush and got a few bath soaps. Smelled so good!
We then hopped back on the subway and went back to his apartment to drop everything off. I'm so impressed we were able to navigate the subways so easy. Later that night we decided to have a couple drinks and then go walk to Bloor St. We did so and went to a place called The Pump to watch the hockey highlights, had a drink and some nachos. Mmmmm nachos.
Today we got up and walked back to Bloor St. We went to this place to have breakfast which I wouldn't go to again. The wooden tables were sticky, we ordered the exact same thing but BF got 3 eggs and I got 2, and I got about 5 pieces of bacon and BF got 2. After breakfast we went to Honest Eds where BF got some cleaning supplies and a curtain for his window. That store is HUGE! I don't even think we saw half of it!! They have an East and West wing and about 5 floors on each side. Crazy!
It started to clear up after that so we drove down to High Park. Thanks for the recommendations to go there! It was very nice, what a big park in the middle of Toronto. A nice getaway. We drove for about 10 minutes trying to find a parking spot. While we were looking for a parking spot we saw where the animals were, we both said we want to go there once we find a spot to park. We walked through the park for a while and NEVER found them! We are going to try again another weekend, it was a very nice and scenic walk. The trees are very pretty with their blooms right now.
We drove back and stopped at a grocery store so he has some food for lunches and we made supper together. It was a lot of fun this weekend. I spent about $150 including a tank of gas and clothing. Well worth it. I'm excited to visit again. I'll be going to TO again next weekend but won't be seeing BF, I'm going to Jungle Cat World with my Brownie group. I will be going back to visit BF in TO again the weekend after, already excited!
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