My Earth Day Additions

Earth Day was a week ago, but I have been so busy, I haven't had a chance to share the little treasures I picked up in honour of this year's occasion. Check out these cute, native plants I picked up at last weekend's native plant sale at the local eco-park.

Every year, there is a cleanup and tree-planting at the park in conjunction with Earth Day. Volunteers tend to a small greenhouse and raise the plants which are sold to fund the park upkeep. The cleanup is also volunteer run, with many girl guides and scouts pitching into the effort. Including, yours truly.

It felt so good. I helped plant wildflower for the better part of the morning. Overturning earth and scattering seeds on the ground, it was so fulfilling to spend a beautiful morning outside, helping to better the area in which I live.

Before leaving, I picked up this purple violet, coneflower and other wildflower. All native to the area, I hope they require minimal care and thrive. Some might call them weeds, but despite that, if they survive in the sandy, sunny bed on the west side of my house, I'll be happy! The violet is meant for wet, shady soil- perfect for the bed next to my back fence!

My perennials came up really well, and with these in the ground, I only need a few more annuals for my flower-beds. I may wait to see what they have at next native plant sale. I'd rather have easy-care perennials and save the annuals for the planters in front of my house. Are you excited to get to the gardens? What about planting a garden. Anyone done?

Savvy Homegirl Takes Some Cooking Classes

Having never taken a cooking class in my life (4-H clubs and Pampered Chef exempted), last week I had the pleasure of participating in two!

Perhaps not traditional cooking classes in the Julia Child, Le corden bleu sense, but both were lessons in cuisine conducted by experienced chefs. Most importantly, the food at each event was also incredibly yummy and participating in the evening was a blast!

Lesson #1 - Kansas City Bar-B-Que @ Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbeque at the Freight House

I've blogged about Jack Stack's before. It's my favorite restaurant in KC, and I've discovered (happily) it's also a fav of locals, thus proving it deserves its rep for some of the best BBQ in KC. I also believe this location is its best - next to the tracks, in the old railroad freight house (hence the name) downtown.

We got the inside scoop on why Jack Stack's bbq is so mouthwatering good. I also picked up some tips:

- Grill at 350-400 degrees, smoke at 265.
- Pull your meat to the front of the grill when it's near done and cook your veg over the heat
- The tri-tip cut I've wanted since leaving California in 2005 is actually flank steaks, cut from the shoulder
- Jack Stack's meat is aged 28 days, that's why it doesn't taste like store bought steak. So it's not my fault, my steak never tastes good... it's the meat. Good, I thought I did something wrong!!
- Press your thumb and finger together, and feel the fleshy part of your palm, beneath your thumb, to tell when you're meat is done. Thumb-index for rare, thumb-pinky for well done and so on.
- Brisket takes all day to cook correctly. Remind me never to buy this to cook myself! I'll enjoy their burnt ends!

Lesson #2 - Thai at Whiskful Thinking

My second cooking lesson was disguised as a 50th birthday get together for one of my aunts. She LOVES to cook, so what better gift? Get together with her sisters and niece for an evening of cooking, wine and laughter! Dave and Lisa run this business out of their home, so when we arrived ,we were ushered up to their kitchen counter to be right close to the action.

Wishing to try something a little different, we requested a thai menu and were presented the following:

• Vegetable spring rolls
• Asian pork stuffed colossal shrimp won tons
• Chicken pad thai
• Mango mousse on a coconut crisp with berries

This was a very cool experience. While enjoying a few glasses of vino, Dave demonstrated the methods used to make spring rolls and won tons. He talked about the ingredients, where to buy them and potential substitutions. We tried our hand at making the appetizers and munched on our creations when complete. 

I watched Dave's julienne and cutting techniques closely, and I'm looking forward to whipping up some spring rolls for a pot luck this week. I have a julienne peeler to make it a snap, but he made it look so easy with his santuko knife, I just have to try it!


The won tons were also surprisingly quick to make, but I don't have a deep fryer, so I'll have to leave them off my next thai party menu!

Thinking we'd had our fill, we moved to the table for dinner. Most of us were nearly full and expected our main dish and dessert. We were shocked to be presented with a full plate of spring rollls and won tons, then pad thai and then dessert! All of the food was incredible and no one left hungry! I thought the pad thai was especially good. It wasn't too saucy or too spicy as I sometimes find it in restaurants. Until now, my pad thai always contained peanut butter, so I'm looking forward to trying Dave's recipe out for myself!!

Wouldn't this be a neat idea for a bachelorette? If you're local, you can check out Whiskful Thinking or search them on Facebook!

Farmhouse Bedroom Makeover Update

Remember when I said I was determined to finish my farmhouse bedroom makeover, because my mom hates when I leave my 'make-work projects' for her to complete. It is taking a few months, because I only get to the farm every couple of weeks, but I am slowly transforming my bedroom into a more grown up, country bedroom.

Here are a few pictures to show you how it's coming along.

So far, it's cost me about $170.

• White paint and supplies - $65 (Actual cost is less because we used the paint at my brother's house too)
• Wallpaper, partial roll from a wallpaper store - $10
• Bedding picked up on sale at Zellars after Christmas - $50
• Throw pillows - $30
• Curtains bought for $6.88 each at local market store - $15

I bought the bedding on sale on a whim. It incorporated the purple I wanted to bring into the room, but several other colours, including the existing yellow and green on my walls. I lucked out last weekend, finding the sheer curtains, which matched the bedding perfectly.

Originally, I planned to get a bold, patterned wallpaper for the shelf backs, but after putting the bedding in the room, I knew this wasn't going to work. After ordering wallpaper samples from Lowes and combing through rolls at a wallpaper store, I found this purple flower and vine pattern.

This is where I've left this project. Hanging wallpaper on the shelf backs has proved to be a little challenging. It will not stick to the wall by just wetting the paper, so I'm going to have to try conditioning the wall and using a wallpaper glue. To say I was frustrated after cutting the pieces to fit exactly (old houses result in measurements never lining up exactly) and having the paper peel back repeatedly, I decided to leave the shelves for my next trip home. Until then, I'm going to keep my eyes open for some trinkets to enhance my personal items and dress up the shelves.

All in all, I think my mom is quite happy with how this project is coming along. For myself, it's been a good opportunity to learn some decorating basics (painting panelling and wallpapering), while updating a room in which I've spent the better part of my life so far.

Going Camera Crazy... It's Time to Make a Decision. Help Required.

After regretting not having my own camera for several major events lately, I am going to make a decision this week about which camera I am getting.

I refuse to spend money on a new camera when I have thousands of Air Miles sitting there, idly by, just waiting to be cashed in. Afterall, I am of a firm belief that with Air Canada's kick*ss Elite benefits (hello, Lounge!!) and WestJet's new reward plan, Air Miles will soon be obsolete. I will then personally drop kick myself if I haven't used my 4000 odd miles. Personal abuse aside, how will ANYONE ever earn enough miles for ANYTHING without WestJet on board? I can't buy enough gas or booze to go to the neighbour's on Air Miles, let alone do something worthwhile!

So, I think a camera is a very responsible purchase. Especially since I don't have enough miles for a big screen TV or a wicked trip.

My wish list is small:

1. Minimum 10 MP resolution.
2. Image stabilizer. Use it then use a camera without.. you'll never go back.
3. I hope this is the last camera I ever buy.

All the other features, I could take them or leave them. My last camera was the top-of-the-line 'point & shoot' before migrating to a professional camera, of its time. I rarely used the features. Therefore, I don't think I need to pay extra for them.

Here are the contenders:

Nikon Coolpix L110 - Recommended by 2 friends now. 12.1 MP and 15x Optical Zoom. Smile recognition, HD video, image stabilizer and a pile of other features. It also rates high on some of the online ratings and reviews I've read. Cost: Not avaialble through Air Miles. OOPS! Scratch this one. I'm not paying cash. The L22 and S3000 are available, however, and rate fairly high.

Olympus Stylus Tough 6000- From the description, this is THE camera for me. Shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof. By shockproof, I read you can drop it 6 feet. I need that. And the waterproof feature. 10MP and 3.6 optical zoom (not great, but okay), image stabilizer. My brother's fiance has this camera and they loved the underwater photos it took on their last vacation. Otherwise, I haven't read many good reviews on it. Cost: 2900 AM



Pentax Optio All Weather W80 - This one also sounds good from the description and has some high ratings by users. Waterproof, dustproof and shockproof up to a meter, it also has the face recognition feature and "Pixel Track Shake Reduction" to reduce blur. Cost: Regular 3,300 AM on sale for 2750. Rank: 510







Canon - To be honest, after researching every Canon available on Air Miles, I have not found one that I absolutely want. Ratings and reviews can be funny for that eh? You get all the bad and good. That being said, I likely would've bought a Canon because my last 2 cameras were Canon and I can share the software and cords. I'm glad I checked the reviews because I don't know if I'd be happy with the picture quality. That being said, I may do some more research on the SD1300 and SD960.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20- At first, I would've passed this one up. Air Miles doesn't list its model, so finding reviews was a little tricky. After reading nearly every other camera's reviews, I came back to this one as Panasonic point and shoots seem to rate high on TestFreaks.com (the website where I did a lot of comparison). Only out since January, it is 14.1 MP, 8x optical zoom and has an image stabilizer, all the key features I want. Price: 3200 AM Rank: 288

Nikon Coolpix L22 - Also only released in February. This camera has a "food mode"- intriguing for a blogger, no? At 10MP and 3.6x optical zoom, it does not have an image stabilizer, which was a major 'want'. It ranks high, but other websites suggest Canon or Panasonic as better options. Price: 1400 AM Rate 127

Okay. Anyone have suggestions??? I'm leaning towards the Panasonic. Unless the Canon is really awesome.

DIY Nursery Decorating

I mentioned at Easter my family was celebrating a new baby girl, born only a week earlier. Since then, my brother has been busy moving into his new farmhouse and getting the baby's nursery ready. Helping him when I'm home, I found myself inspired to do a little nursery decorating last weekend. Remember these super cute letters I found a few weeks ago on Binth? I created some letters of my own to decorate Leah's nursery wall. Here is how.

I originally wanted to use 8x8 square canvasses, but the dollar store has 8x10 canvasses for a fraction of the cost of the squares at Michael's, so I went with the larger size. Once I was almost done, I did find the squares at the Southampton Market for a couple dollars each, so I'll remember that for next time!

I sketched the letters and accompanying images on canvass in pencil, using a ruler where letters contained straight lines and freehand otherwise.

I painted the canvasses completely pink with acrylic tole paint (also from the dollar store) and allowed it to dry. My pencil sketches were still visible after the pink dried, so I was able to paint the remainder of each square. 

It's sideways, but Leah's mom has had a pink and brown ladybug theme since before Leah was born, so I thought it was the perfect accompaniment for the letter "L".

Here's the finished letters. I can't wait to see them up in Leah's nursery, which has the same colour and ladybug theme.

I am midway through another creation for the nursery. Stay tuned for photos and details soon. I ran out of materials on the weekend, so I have to get some more supplies before I can finish and post!

I Bought a Lawn Mower But...

This story is too funny not to share. In fact, it is the perfect story to share on this blog.

This week, I bought a lawn mower. Perhaps you're thinking - Wow! First a car and now a lawn mower!! Yes, I know. I'm thinking that too. I must be crazy.

So anyway, I bought a lawn mower because after nearly three years, I thought it was time I purchase this important piece of equipment. My neighbours (who are THE most awesome neighbours in the world... do I mention that enough J&J?) have been gracious enough to lend me their lawn mower for the past 2 summers. Sometimes even,... they cut the lawn for me!! ** Yet another example of why they're so awesome.

You'll recall I bought a snowblower, and we have a bit of a barter system with it & storage in my garage in exchange for lawn mower use. Since I live in Canada's version of the banana belt, I felt I probably wasn't living up to my end of this deal. Proof? I used my snowblower about 4 times this winter, and honestly I only needed it once.

So, I decided it was time. I didn't really shop around, so I didn't have much to blog about. Until now. Since my company makes lawn mowers, I bought one of our mowers from a local dealer. I picked it up earlier this week and took it out last night for its maiden voyage.

MY LAWN MOWER DOESN'T HAVE A BLADE!!

Yes, that is correct. It. Does. Not. Have. A. Blade. How does that even happen? That's exactly what the dealer also wondered when I contacted them. I bought a lawn mower without a blade!??!!  It almost leaves one speechless, because it's such a ludicrous situation. I didn't think to look under it for a blade. The dealer didn't think to do this. You think, "I'm buying a lawn mower. Of course, it will have a blade."  Mine didn't.

Anyway, the dealer dropped off a new blade and it's sorted out. It was a complete fluke... the blade's aren't installed at the dealership, but I'm not sure why this one was taken off. Regardless, only to me would this happen. Only me. Which is exactly why it made my coworkers' day.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm bummed I didn't get to Agraturf Equipment Service's recent store opening in Ayr. Look who stopped by for the day! Recognize Mike Holmes? Very cool.

The Car-Buying Adventure Continues - Decision Made!

I promised a quick reveal of my decision and I had a few guesses....  so here goes. I picked.....

The Pontiac Vibe!

Seemingly a surprise to most, it was actually a relatively easy decision for me.

After driving both the Matrix and the Vibe, it was clear the cars are nearly identical. The Vibe does have a few more options, such as Intelli-trac to prevent over-steering and a 115v plug.

All for less cost than Toyota. Of course, the Vibe has been discontinued, going the way of the wholly mammoth with its parent brand, Pontiac. Yet, parts remain guaranteed for 10 years, and while I love the car, hopefully I do not find I am looking for parts in 2020. I suspect I'll have moved on. Let's hope.

The engine is Toyota, yet not affected by any recalls and the care is easy to maintain. All that aside, the deciding factor had little to do with features. I live in a region where the economy hinges on GM. Everyone here, myself included, has a direct link to GM as the automaker's plants hire most of the town. A year ago, I realistically did not think I'd ever consider buying a GM. As I weighed my options, I was very pleased to discover the Vibe and in this case, it became an obvious choice.
With that decision made, I found myself faced with the next decision in this adventure. New or Used?

A new car depreciates as soon as its driven off the dealer's lot, so I never thought buying new was worth the extra cost. After determining my annual high-mileage habits left me few used options, I started to seriously consider 'new'. There are certainly benefits; warranty and OnStar for one year are the only 2 that now stick out as significant, although I'm sure there were many more. I was convinced lower financing, cash discounts and the value of warranty made the cost of new and used relatively equal.

My logical, left-side thinking then took over and so was developed this chart. New versus Used. The costs of each option, including taxes, interest and insurance rates over the lifetime of the vehicle.

After taking into account the costs, and finding a rare, all-wheel-drive Vibe with extremely low mileage, my mind was made up. I was buying used!

I can't tell you what a relief it is just to have the shopping part of this process done. No more staring at every car on the road. No more slowing down while driving past car lots.

A few more days and Savvy Homegirl with be a 'new-car-girl'!

Knocking Off the Spring "To-Do"s

My 'to do' list got a big dent today. With some good timing (and availability of bf & his truck) and nice weather, I took a day off to get caught up on my yard work.

Remember the list? This may be the best shape I've ever been in by the second week of April! In addition, I took down my Christmas lights today, edged my flower-beds and extended one by a couple feet. The lawn hadn't taken hold and it was coming up with weeds, so I thought converting it made just as much sense. With a load of triple mix, courtesy of bf's cousin (THANKS!), we got the garden ready to go. We doubled its size from 2 meters to 4. This should give me plenty of space to grow several tomato, pepper, and potato plants, as well as some squash, lettuce and spinach. I also topped up some of the flower beds I added to my yard last year. The triple mix will be a welcome addition to the dry, sandy soil found around most of my yard, but I'd still like to work more compost into my beds to help retain moisture.

Now, to just get my lawn sorted out...

• Clean out the garage. 
• Finish raking & tidying the lawn
• Put the branches out for pick up
• Dump run - old paint cans and drywall have been piling up
• Extend the garden
• Do something about my lawn - how can I get rid of grubs and thistles?
• Reseed where needed

Savvy Homegirl Does Car Shopping

Hampered slightly by the simple fact, 'I hate car shopping', I have begun my quest to find the ultimate new (or more likely used) car. <---- Since writing that line, I've actually narrowed my choices and nearly completed this adventure.

It's interesting because when I started this post, I'd narrowed my preference down to 2 brands. This was due to the fact I had made a conscious decision months ago, when I need to get a new car, I would look at Hondas or Toyotas.

That was before the Toyota recall. That was also before I sat down with Belair Direct's Car Insurance Quote and starting running some scenarios. My parents' insurance broker confirmed my fear- Hondas are among the most expensive cars to insure. I felt like I was back at square one.

So, I started shopping, all the while knowing:

• I can afford $350 per month (max) for a car. That includes insurance. That cuts down a lot of options, including Suburu, Mazda and Volvo.
• I do not want to lease. I drive too much and I don't want to pay to own nothing.
• I really like crossover cars- lots of space, but fuel economy of a car. 
• I test drove a Honda Fit. I really like it, but it was a new 2009, too much money (even after all the discounts & 4.9% financing) and my mom thought it was really noisy on bad roads. In hindsight, I agree.
• Honda Civic 4 doors are not as big as I thought they were. Fact: They are the same as a 2 door, but with 4 doors. Same size car. Simple fact, but I had to sit in one to realize this.
• A hatchback would be very practical.
• Fuel economy is important.
• I would still look at a Toyota. I really like the Matrix, but I worry a little about what will be recalled next. 

What I discovered next surprised me, because I am not typically one to ogle cars. Staring at every car on the road was downright strange to me. Having never paid attention to a Mazda 3 or Suburu Impreza before in my life, I found myself staring longingly at these sleek cars as I passed them on the highway.

My expensive taste was confirmed when I searched Autotrader.ca. So, the scanning continued. Every time I left the driveway. 

It was the best shopping I could've done. I can tell you every compact on the market with a hatchback option. I also decided I don't want a compact. I eyed 'crossover' cars, and allowed price and previous rental car experiences to narrow my list even further. 

After weeks of scanning, I settled on 2 options: 

TOYOTA MATRIX 

VS

PONTIAC VIBE

Look similar? They're almost the exact same car. Built at the same plant with the same frame and engine, only the body and interior differ (ever so slightly) and some options. A day of test driving and my mind is made up.

My decision matrix (no pub intended) included ride quality, options, price, production location, and brand reputation.

Which do you think I chose? 

Spring Fever.. or is it nesting?

Despite the icky weather, I have an undeniable urge to clean. I didn't realize people actually possessed a desire to spring clean. I always thought it was just necessary. Someone once referred to "nesting", and I wonder if this is yet another form of it. That is, until I looked up the word and realized it was a habit of expecting mothers.

I'm so not nesting.

Nonetheless, I am cleaning. I spent a couple hours one evening holed up in my garage. Sorting through piles, breaking down boxes (there's lots when you do direct sales) and just generally, tidying up. The end result? A semi-organized garage, which I can freely move around in again and a potting bench ready for spring! Though not fancy, the workbench at the back of my garage has begun my favourite feature in the otherwise plain feature. It's the perfect height and the wall behind has all sorts of hooks and ledges for storage. A couple screw-top jars for spare nails, screws and odds & ends, and it'd be complete. I even cleaned out an old, plastic tub to stow potting soil and compost beneath the bench.

Even my office, which I have abandoned to storage / junk room for the past few months, is calling me back to purge and remove. "It's time to drywall," I hear it whispering in the back of my head. Hmmm maybe a project for this weekend if the weather stays wet??

April Showers...

It was inevitable after being treated to such beautiful weather, the sun would vanish and the sky would open up with its spring showers this week.

And while the warm weather was a real treat, the farmers need the rain and I need to plan for spring! It's so tempting to rush out and go spend-drunk on my yard.

"I need top soil for this." "I want to buy more hostas for here." "Maybe I should reseed this part of my lawn".

WHOA homegirl! Slow down a little!! Luckily, the rain has helped me slow down and get my bearings for spring. Here is my "To Do" List, followed by my garden plan.

• Clean out the garage. *Almost done
• Finish raking & tidying the lawn
• Put the branches out for pick up
• Dump run - old paint cans and drywall have been piling up
• Extend the garden
• Do something about my lawn - how can I get rid of grubs and thistles?
• Reseed where needed

I also decided to plan my flower purchases this year. This is my third summer at this house. I have some experience now to decide what grows well and where.

My plant spending this year should be kept to a minimum:

- 2-3 Hostas (Flower-bed 2)

- Petunias - 4 wave, a couple 4 cells (Bed 3 & 5)

- 4 x 4 cell Sweet William and Alyssum (Bed 1,4, 8)

- Shade plants for hanging baskets (giant impatiens, begonias and potato vine)
- Wildflower seed (Bed 6,7,8)

QuickTax Time

Well, that's it. Easy as pie. Done and little to negligible pain.

Taxes. Inevitable and, bear with me for a a minute, the seed of many a rant; from myself, included. I hate taxes. I hate receiving my T4 to learn how much money never made it to my account (not to mention how much did.. and disappeared)! On the flip side, I like being a Canadian, so I guess I live with it. It's kind of more important to me anyway.

What I don't have to live with? Paying someone to tell me I haven't handed the government enough of my precious paycheck.

Today, I completed my taxes myself with the help of QuickTax (the Online Standard Version). Even with a second income from my Pampered Chef business, the program was easy to navigate and the forms straight-forward. All for  a grand total cost of... $14.27.

My simple return last year (no RRSP's, one income, few investments) cost $80. Judging by the additional information I had to get for my PC business, this year easily would have cost more than $100.  As a bonus, RBC and BMO customers get a 20% discount on QuickTax until April 15, so I pocketed an extra Starbucks coffee for myself!

Perhaps most important about doing my own taxes, I learned first-hand how my PC business impacts my  return. The expense statement clarified eligible expenses and how my home and auto expenses should be tracked and then expensed out. The program also opened my eyes to the eligible deductions that are out there, and the Tax Savings/Warnings/Errors double-check your return for items missed or of possible concern. 

Another neat tool? The RRSP Optimizer. While I was too late this year, I would use this visual tool in the future to calculate the impact increased RRSP contributions would have on my return. You would think that should be motivation to invest more in 2010, yet I can't bring myself to up my contribution amount just yet.

When it's all printed, signed and delivered (I'm opting for snail mail, rather than efile), I feel significantly better about my personal finances today than a year ago. Reading that post again, I recall how lost and utterly beaten I felt. I know I managed my money better in 2009, and the return check will be part of the proof! Even if the secret is mostly just RRSPs!

Country Touches in My Bland Kitchen

It struck me with great satisfaction the other day how things in life just 'come together'.

Over the past few years, I've recognized unmistakably that I'm drawn to rustic, cottage styles. While I like the clean lines and colour coordination of modern styles, when it comes down to actual decor, I find myself gravitating towards white paneling, cobalt blue china, antiqued furniture and barn board.

Despite not having a grand budget to transform my little home immediately, I noticed how it's starting to take on a charm of its own. I use the word "charm" quite loosely, but I have noticed a few little nooks and crannies take on the rustic, cottage fashion I've come to adore. This little kitchen corner is but one example.

A couple blue and white plates found at Value Village, some cookbooks, and a colander doubling as a fruit bowl have turned this corner from cluttered to charming. I've found I now make more effort to clean off this area of the counter, because I enjoy seeing this decor so much more. It's like I'm a little kid again, and I've just rearranged my room and promised my mom I'll keep it clean because the change is so intriguing. I'm sure it will wear off, but for now, I'm enjoying this small level of organization!

Happy Easter!

I hope you're getting a chance to enjoy the beautiful spring weather this weekend! If the weather isn't quite as nice in your neck of the woods, hopefully it's on its way to you soon!

This weekend is all about celebration for my family. With the beautiful weather here, we are enjoying the daffodils popping up and getting to the fields on the farm. More importantly, we're celebrating the arrival of my brother's new baby girl earlier this week!

I am so excited to be an aunt!

I'm off to help paint the nursery today, but I've been popping by blogs for some decor ideas. Some I absolutely love:

These letters are so cute! I absolutely think I could make something like this myself.

If we had a boy, this car caddy would also be on the list.
For now though, I'm going to settle on some pink paint. Check back later this week for my progress on a Young House Love inspired idea.

Happy Easter Everyone!!