#81. Save $500 in Change - Completed

As of depositing change into the bank today, we've saved $535.80 in spare change and a total of $920.80 in random sales on Kijiji and other money that slowly added up to something bigger.

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So how this works is our trip to Disneyland paid for with $700 in Visa Travel Points and we pay $500 out of pocket (spare change) for Flight and Hotel. Not to bad for 2 people.

We'll still have $420.80 and counting for park tickets, food, shopping etc.

Roll your coins. Trust me.

#14. Try A New Food - Completed

On Friday night B wanted to have a date night so we drove up to Banff for dinner and bought his new telescope to use.

We went to The Bison and were both really impressed by it. The food was amazing and it was a nice change from the usual restaurant we go to in town.

I couldn't tell you what B had but I tried the Bison Burger and fell in love. It was amazing.

After dinner we drove out to a lookout over Banff and he setup to the telescope. It was still a little too early for star gazing but he told me he had it focused on a deer down the mountain.

Of course I tried to look through and saw only blur but when I turned around to call him a liar, he got down on one knee and started proposing.

I obviously cried "Yes!" but it made the Bison taste that much sweeter and the mosquitos less annoying as that night became the best of my life.

#1. Go to Disneyland - Progress

Disneyland is booked!

October 8 - October 11, 2013

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#72. Plank the Master Wall - Completed

 

It's safe to say I really love my new wall.



Project found here.

#70. Install a Bookshelf - Completed

Originally I wanted a built in bookshelf however money is now a huge factor in decisions and since I found an inexpensive desk/bookshelf combo at Ikea I was sold.

It's a decent start but I still have quite a bit of styling to do before I can call it done. The office in general is far from complete but slowly and surely right? Right now it seems a little boring but I'll have to re-evaluate when I get a daybed in there and some curtains.

#64. Read the Young House Love Book - Completed

I've been in a reading slump lately and have had a hard time getting into any books. Last night that seemed to change. I was determined to finish YHL's book that I excitedly bought back in November but failed to start.

Finally I opened it and got hooked immeadiately so I had to play a game - clean something, read a chapter, clean something, read a chapter, until eventually I finished the book at 10:30. And had a sparkling main floor to go along with it.

I found several projects I can't wait to start, one maybe even tonight (after I check my bank account and pay some property taxes). But we have some leftover wood that I think would be perfect for one of the projects.



If you are looking for motivation and inspiration, I recommend this book!

#53. Make a Care Package for Someone - Completed

Last Thursday our province experienced what is being described as the worst flood in 100 years. 100,000 in Calgary alone were evacuted from their homes, downtown was completely flooded and B's work shop in High River is currently under water.

As soon as we were told by the Mayor that the core of the city was shutdown and off limits, we went to Walmart and got a few cases of water and food as many of his co-workers were from High River and now displaced.

First we dropped off water to my grandparents because the last thing I wanted them doing was trying to drive anywhere. Then we went out and found where B's friends were staying (which was interesting as noon of them had cell reception). We found them safe and dropped off some food and water.

We even tried to give the police patrol's who were making sure no one entered High River some water but the Red Cross has taken good care of them.

It's been a scary week but the worst is over.

Except for the people that have to go home to nothing because their homes have been destroyed.

My heart is hurting for them.

#82. Renew Library Card - Completed

Library card is renewed and since waiting until June to buy a new book, I've done good and have only bought 2. Linger and the Death Cure. So excited for both but I'm stuck on another book right now that is killing reading for me.

It's good, but not good enough that I cancel social plans.

I might have to put it aside and finish my new ones.

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#34. Collect a Current Address List of Friends and Family - Completed

When I first started asking for addresses my Grandma thought it was because I was sending engagement notices. So that was awkward.

Mostly I just wanted addresses to be able to send Christmas cards but now that we've moved and are thinking about having a house warming party, I'm seriously considering sending out these as the invitations.

I think I need to determine the guest list beforehand though because a simple "Facebook Event" might be the more affordable route.

But the postcards are so cute.

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#86. Final Veneer - Completed

My face is still half frozen which makes it really hard to drink water and not have it fall out of my mouth onto my lap.

Growing up I was always very self concious about my teeth so when I was 23 and finally saved up some money, I started major dental work.

In the last 3 years I've had:

Braces
1 bridge (3 teeth)
5 veneers
1 costly dental bill

I still rarely smile in pictures, I'm not sure if I'll ever truly get over that conciousness but in person I have serious laugh lines and I've stopped covering my mouth when I smile. But, true to form, here was my "5 more minutes would have been amazing" morning picture. 

Whatev.

#35. Go Through and Backup Pictures on My Laptop - Completed

Luckily I had done the hard part of this a few months ago and gone through all the pictures on my computer to sort out what I wanted to keep.

The tricky part was realizing I had no idea where my flashdrive was until I unpacked my purses and found both of them in there?

Finally the easy part was dragging and dropping them into the folder.

Easy peasy. 10 Years of pictures saved.

#91. Don't Buy A New Book Before June - Completed

I almost caved. Twice.

Once right at the beginning and once at the very end. I went from spending a couple hundred in Chapters to trying to avoid it. It was hard.

But I made it!!

And now I've learned a valuable lesson in this goal, library books are just as good and I saved so many dollars. I now only want to buy the books in a series I love or will read again and again.

So, first on the list is:

A friend recommended this series to me and I can't put the books down once I start reading. Can't wait.

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#89. Read 115 Books - In Progress

May was such a busy month with moving and everything that reading sort of fell onto the back burner. But I managed to get a couple books (4) read.

I really enjoyed this book. So much more background went into this as opposed to Shiver (which was also great). I so happy Gansey will be in the next book because I wasn't ready for that to stop. Only a few more months to wait!

Did I mention the other 3 books were children's books? I enjoyed this one much more than I Want My Hat Back. Maybe because it was round 2 or maybe because it was a fish. I can't decide but this is a good one.

I'm hoping to get back on the reading wagon soon because I'm five books behind now. Ouch.

#71. Outfit the Garage with Storage - Completed

I was planning to use our $100 gift card to Home Depot for some shelving for the garage but after we moved in and the two closets from the showhome presentation center were left behind we realized we really didn't need anymore storage.

I love having the closets and being able to hide all of the stuff on the shelves just by closing the door. We've moved things around a little bit since this picture and it's completely full (making our garage unpacking seem less daunting) but it's holding the following:

• Christmas Tree
• Christmas decor
• Camping supplies
• Cooler
• Childhood toys (Spice Girl Dolls)
• Car parts
• Welding tools
• General tools
• Etc.
• Etc.

Closets in garages should be standard. We also have a smaller closet right next to it housing all of our fitness and sport gear. It's really wonderful.



#38. Print First Year Photos

I'm so excited about this one since it's been a year in the making. I finally got the prints in the mail and they turned out perfectly so I didn't waste anytime pulling out the 12 frames I bought 10 months ago..

After I went down to Michaels and grabbed some black cardstock and photo tape to start mounting the pictures, it took me a couple hours to get 7 of the 12 done last night, possibly because I was also distracted by Duck Dynasty. But I love how they are turning out so far.

Tonight's goal is to finish the other five and hang them up on the wall!

#46. Designate a Recycling Bin for Bottles - Completed

I think we had moved one load by the time I had a recycling bin for bottles and cans set up. That might have been because they were already piling up from the guys.

When I was younger I loved taking the bottles in because my dad always gave me the money for them and still does to this day, I just have to pick them up now and do it myself now. As I grew up it became more because we really need to take care of our planet because we've done so much damage to it in the last few hundred years. Recycle a can, plant a tree.

B has been happily helping put the empty cans and bottles in the bin but shh, I still get the money from taking them in.

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#16. Host a BBQ - Completed

Of course I don't have any pictures of the event, but Sunday night B's family came over and we had a little BBQ. His brother even brought the extra family bbq so it will live at our house until further notice.

Did we just save a couple hundred bucks? YEP.

Dinner was a simple assortment of burgers, salads and chips. There was even wine, pop, juice, beer and water. We also determined we need to buy some more glasseware.

And even though our TV wasn't hooked up and the kids were bored out of their minds, it was to have a place where we could actually entertain people. This is going to be a nice summer.

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#62. Move - Completed

"It may be pouring rain outside and we may be soaked from moving but we just got the keys to our new home so nothing can dampen our spirits today."

#60. Organize Pre-Move Treasures By Room - Completed

Luckily this was an easy job since I started...last summer? Is that weird? Probably.

I had most of the things already packed away in their respective rooms so it was simple enough to start a box named Bonus Room and fill it with stuff that would go well, in the bonus room.

I continued with this method until we were left with one small Misc box that I will deal with at a later date. Hopefully I forget about it entirely.

The best part of the packing experience with the hot pink duck tape. I highly recommend spending $3-5 extra to have a fun color. B would disagree.

#90. Spring Clean and Purge - Completed

The goal was simple, move as less stuff as possible. We went through all the drawers and tossed out any random papers or old receipts, threw away socks with holes in them or that we will never find the mate to.

It felt good to purge and honestly it made packing a lot easier because we didn't have 13 boxes that would be labeled "Misc".

Beautiful feeling.

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#38. Print First Year Photos - Progress

I'm not sure when I became so cheesy but I saw this picture on Pinterest and thought that would be cute with 12 pictures for each of our monthly anniversary date days.

I bought the frames from Ikea about 2 or 3 months after we started dating, somehow I just knew I guess. They've been sitting under our bed for months.

Well the pictures are finally ordered and they should arrive right around the time to set them up in our new house. Excellent timing.

#51. Donate Clothes - Completed

Even though we aren't moving for a couple weeks, I got really excited and couldn't wait to pack. The thing about moving is the goal is always to move as little as possible so I took this as an opportunity for the both of us to go through our old clothes and purge.

My rule is simple; if I haven't worn it in awhile or likely won't wear it again there is no point. I feel like I have no clothes left but at least I'm confident what I do have is on my weekly laundry rotation any way.

It took a bit more nagging to get B to join in but as soon as he started he realized how freeing it is to get rid of things you don't want or need.

We ended up with 2 garbage bags of clothes (I donated some back in October when we first moved in together) and took them to a local drop bin that helps with Cerebral Palsy. Whether that be victims or going towards funding.

We also dropped off 3 bags of garbage (not in the same bin!) so we are slowly but surely clearing out our place and getting ready for the new one. I can't wait.

#61. Buy a House Together - Completed

Oh hey. Yesterday we bought a house. NBD.

Except that it's a huge deal and we are so thankful everything worked out the way things did because we've had our hearts set on this house since March.

March.

It finally happened.

In three weeks we will be moving our belongings into this already furnished, amazing showhome. And it's all ours. This means we have a ton of stuff to do in the meantime, May is going to be a crazy month.

To Do List:

• Have surgery
• Recover from surgery
• #90. Spring clean and purge
• #51. Donate clothes
• #60. Organize pre-move treasures by room (pack)
• #62. Move
• Unpack and enjoy our life

Oh and change our address on EVERYTHING. Because we have an address!!

#89. Read 115 Books - Progress

The goal this month was 10 books. I ended up reading 8 and a few other those were short stories. I got stuck on a couple books that took longer than I wanted until they eventually picked up. BUT at least I'm on track for my goal of 115.

The 5 Stars this month were:

It took a few days to get my imagination going for this one but once I got into it, I couldn't stop reading. It's very fairy tale meets Narnia less a wardrobe. I was sad when I found out there was no sequel because I don't feel like I got any closure from the ending.

I loved the setting for this story; homes that have foggy green, open forests as backyards. The love story was quite cute and felt real, despite the boy turning into a wolf when the weather got chilly. There is no tricky love triangle so you get to root for the main characters without feeling guilty. Plus, there is a sequel.

I read this book in about an hour or so. It's a visual short that I thought would be scary in a terrifying was but it was scary in a sad way. Perfectly written, I've yet to see a bad review about it. A must read for sure.

I normally don't read books like this, the simple love story books, but after I finished this one I had to myself why not? I had a hard time putting this one down as well and the characters next door were all so likeable. It was the perfect summer read that was perfectly written as a stand alone book.
38/115

#88. Purchase a New Bikini - Completed

It's been years and years since I last purchased a bikini and to be honest I think the reason I didn't want to was because I wasn't happy with my body enough to actually get into a bikini.

I'm down 20 pounds but I still have some work to do so I'm going to start up my program again, and by program I mean eat healthy and go to the gym.

I'm very particular about bikinis so it took me awhile to find one I liked and that was still a reasonable price. House buying means being frugal and less frivolous.

I found the perfect one at Forever 21 and for a grand total of less than $25. Hooray! 

I also found some cute sandals so I'm set for this summer. 

#83. Sell Items on Kijiji - Progress

I ended up giving my little sister the Versace Perfume I put on Kijiji. I had one buyer but it was too difficult to arrange to meet so I nixed it. All good.

But, now that we are going to be moving quickly, I want to make sure there are no loose ends that we have to move. It would be awesome to move in one truck load, amiright?

I bought a wardrobe (Indian in the cupboard as we refer to it) when B and I moved in together but sadlyI don't think it will fit in the new house. Did I mention you can lock it with a key?

I love it but it's huge and will likely be a pain to move so I'm going to at least try and sell it and if it doesn't go, then we take it and either try to sell it there or find a home for it in one of the bedrooms.

Totally leaving this one to chance because my heart wants to keep it but my brain says no. Yes, it is possible to be in love with a wardrobe.

#77. Sell Condo - Completed

Last night at 8:44 I was told that the conditions on the offer had been waived and that it was now a firm sale. I think I stood there for a couple seconds before I comprehended what that meant, this whole time telling myself "Don't get excited because it's not for sure yet."

This time I could get excited! There was no going back now because the condo has officially sold!!

There is a ton of work to do this week in order to get the house we want but the biggest burden has been lifted, now everything is mostly in our control.

Time to celebrate!

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Maybe I just wanted an excuse to search for delicious cakes. And eat them too. 

#81. Save $500 in Change - Progress

I was able to put another $35 in the bank today which is 7% of my total goal. So how do I manage to get so much change?

Well 1.) B uses cash primarily and 2.) I like to use cash primarily.

As soon as it's payday I do my biweekly budget and withdraw all the money I'm going to spend in cash such as groceries and bills. It's less tempting to use my credit card and that way I have the opportunity to receive change.

What's the total right now? $360.46.

And let's just note this is change that normally people throw away or leave under the seats in their car but instead I've hoarded it and it's paying for my birthday vacation. Try it.

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#77. Sell Condo - Progress

On Sunday I got a text saying there would be 2 showings around noon so B and I hopped out of bed and drove down to the condo to make sure it was pristine before the walkthroughs. The usual dusting, windexing, sweeping and mopping.

We didn't have much on the go that day so we decided to go for dinner that evening and during my Realtor called me saying there was an offer. I didn't want to get too excited because 1.) We were in a public place and 2.) I knew better from last time. BUT, it was much better than the first offer I recieved and we started negotiating the prices only to shortly have her withdraw due to personal family issues. Hopefully she's alright.

As it turns out the other couple that saw it Sunday also wanted to put in an offer but didn't want a bidding war so they stepped in after the other offer was gone. They came in with a stronger offer, a shorter possession date and wanted nearly all the furniture. Wins all around.

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We came to a price last night and there hasn't been any time wasted in them getting a property inspection and me contacting the builder about renewing our offer.

All of their conditions need to be waived by April 22nd so it will be an exciting week for both parties. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next month. Fingers crossed everything works out.

#26. Reach 200,000 Points on Fitocracy - Progress

I feel like I've been slacking lately so this level up took longer than I feel it should have.

So, I got off my butt and worked out at home tonight to make sure Jax had some time to be out of his kennel during the evening.

It was an hour and a half arms and abs workout and I already feel it in my shoulders. Which is good - Yay strong shoulders.

I had a personal goal to make it too 150,000 by June so I like to think I'm at least on par with that. Small goals will add up to a larger goal. 

Now. Time to shower. 

#80. File My Own Taxes - Completed

My original intent was to send away my documents to the gov yesterday but as fate would have it, I forgot all the documents at home.

So I Siri'd my phone to remind me in the morning to put them in my purse. I did, only to be thwarted by the actual document that I couldn't open up because my work computer didn't have the program. Frustration was a good way to describe it.

I played around with it for a little bit when I got home and decided I might as well try to Netfile it again.

Turns out I just needed to download a program upgrade and then I could send the file electronically.

Success. I want to celebrate this huge burden that I no longer have.

Image via weheartit

Unfortunately B is working night shift (and day shift) so I'm home tonight watching Grey's Anatomy.

My life is really exciting. 

#77. Sell Condo - Progress

I woke up this afternoon from a nap, wait, let's just talk about that for a second. Remember when you were a child and a nap was the absolute worst thing you could be told to do? I'm not sure when the flip happened but I pretty much nap every time I get an opportunity, even on the bus when I was do that like "fall sideways" and startle myself awake with a gasp and look around wondering/hoping no one saw it happen.

But everybody did.

So I woke up from a glorious nap and I had an email from my Realtor subject line "Offer" and I was sure I was still dreaming. Sometimes I dream about being on my phone.

But no, I truly had an offer today. The kicker was it was $40,000 below my asking price so I had to politely decline. The way I saw it was the starting point was too low to meet at a price I would ultimately be happy and financially okay with.

However, I'm looking at the positive side. Someone sat down and took the time to even write an offer. Someone at least wanted my condo. The right buyer will come along. I just have to be patient, something that is hard for me but it will happen.

Image via weheartit

#9. Try a New Restaurant - Completed

We tend to stick to less than 5 restaurants when deciding where we are going to eat out; the top 2 being Earls and Boston Pizza.

We both wanted to go out for dinner but we knew we needed to change it up a bit. B was in the mood for Italian, lasagna more specifically and Boston Pizza wasn't going to cut it.

I did a quick Google search of Italian Restaurants near us and found this little gem: Toscana Italian Grill

It didn't look like much on the outside, being part of a strip mall but inside it was cozy and stylish. Granite tops on all the tables and restoration hardware light fixtures.

The food was as tasty as good as the place looked. I love when reviews don't lie.

We got pretty crazy with our order selections (Lasagna and Alfredo) but it seems we stick with what we know will be good.. This was a case that we were really happy we stepped out of our 5 restaurant box and discovered what else was out there.

#33. Organize and Properly File Important Documents - Completed

This was a really important project in the sense that it dealt with very important documents. Things that I couldn't afford to misplace or damage.

I've had this task on the go for a few weeks now, losing steam by the day so after I got all the documents out for my taxes this morning, I finished what I started and organized the rest of my papers.

From a happy mistake of the vendor shipping me the wrong binders, I've got a total of 4 now.

The binders are divided by the following groups:

• Misc 
• Home
• Rentals
• Past Documents

My life has already become more easier and organized. 

Image via weheartit

#80. File My Own Taxes - Progress

I usually find it hard to fall back asleep when B leaves for work on the weekends, yet no trouble falling back into slumber when I have 5 more minutes before I need to get up for work.

I've been putting off filing my taxes for awhile now because I've been terrified of seeing the number that I'd owe due to having a condo rental, but I realized that the longer I put it off, the more stressed I'll become.

So I bit the bullet and started it at 7:00 am this morning.

So I got it all prepared and as it turns out I'm getting a return of $17.58 which to some people doesn't seem like anything but not owing is a wonderful win for me. 

On Monday I'll send it off to the government and start compiling the documents for 2013. 

#31. Write Thank You Notes - Completed

I had two Thank You notes to write and both were in regards to our recent trip to British Columbia.

The first was an email to Telus thanking them when an employee helped boost the truck when the battery died.

On Thursday March 28th, 2013, my boyfriend and I were in Vancouver and had just walked back from the Rogers Arena to our truck in a parking lot when we found that the battery was dead.

My boyfriend asked several people if they were able to boost us but no one was willing to or able to help. It seems a couple of your employees were just leaving a business meeting when my boyfriend asked them for help. One of them said it was against company policy but your employee David B. (Last name hidden) was kind enough to lend a hand and get us going again.

Whether it was against policy or not, we just want to say Thank You formally to Telus and especially David B. for helping us in a time of need and showing that "Customer Service" extends beyond business hours.

 

That man truly saved us from a long, frustrating night and I'm very grateful to him. He didn't owe us anything but yet he decided to help us anyways. Faith in humanity has been restored.

 

The next note was to my family for watching Jax while we were gone. Nothing beats handwritten notes coupled with a gift card to The Keg.

 

Sometimes it's good to feel thankful, even when it's not Thanksgiving.

 

#89. Read 115 Books - Progress

I wanted to read at least 9 books this month and I actually ended up reading 12. This means I'm 2 books ahead of schedule for reading 115.  Go me.

Without further ado, here were the 5 Stars during the month of March:

I actually can't count how many times B has come home from work and Jax and I have been curled up watching the movie. I constantly have the soundtrack playing in my head, always unlucky for B. I'm a Lorax myself less magical powers. This book is a must own not only for it's life lesson but mostly for it's life lesson. Now go plant a tree.

And you thought we were done talking about trees. Now unlucky for you. I have a certain weak spot for dystopian novels, blame it on the Hunger Games, but not all dystopians are created equal. This one was wonderful without the same concept that's been done over too many times. I even loved that the love triangle was sorted out the way I wanted it to be.

I actually lent my friend my borrowed library copy because this book was so good. The subject matter is adult but its written in such as way that you don't blush when you read it. This easily could have been a trashy novel but the author did an amazing job at the storytelling, making you want to find out what happens next, and a lot happened.

Oh gosh. I love this book. It had me laughing out loud on the bus (like a crazy person you don't want to sit next to) to crying alone in an unromantic bath. I loved these characters as quickly as we met them. It was eye opening and a feel good type book but I kept waiting for something that never happened and that was hard. Beautifully written, the author captured the emotions of everyone perfectly. As readers we often assume when a male writes a book about female feelings, he will get it wrong. Not the case in this one.

30 read so far this year!

#24. Go on a Hike - Completed

One of the reasons I love Tofino is that it's so dense with trees. The other reason is it right on the ocean, it's the best of both worlds really.

I asked B if we could go on a little hike I had taken the last time that I was in Tofino and he agreed hoping I wouldn't lead him astray.

The whole path takes you the thick forest courtesy of Schooners Cove for about one kilometer. I seem to remember this hike being a lot longer and much harder but it's likely I was just largely out of shape. Pun intended. 

After you wind around for a bit, it opens up to the ocean. I think this is actually the place I first fell in love with the town,

We walked along the beach for a bit but I think it was a little too early in the season to see any cool sea life. Last time I came was in August and that same beach was covered in colorful starfish and
other forms of life, including a huge crab.

It was very foggy but I think it just made it that much more of a romantic place. I actually prefer it foggy there rather than sunny. I'm hoping next time the trip lasts longer. 

#15. Go on a Double Date - Completed

After we picked up B's friend's girlfriend at the ferry, we started the day by going to the Vancouver Aquarium (we saw sharks!) just trying to kill time until we were able to check into our hotel at 3pm.

I'm not sure how we lasted on such little sleep, B only having two hours at that point.

Finally we were able to get into our room and we had a couple hour nap. I'm pretty sure it took us like 15 seconds to fully pass out because the alarm at 5:10pm to get ready for the Vancouver Canucks game with his friend and girlfriend !

B wanted to move the truck since the parking lot was less full at that point but when we got back to it the battery was completely dead, we couldn't even get the driver side door open because he squeezed into the last empty spot and ram jammed up against a wall. 

His mood changed from exhausted to frustrated quickly and understandably so but we decided to worry about it after the game and try to enjoy our evening regardless. 

Canucks won 4-1 and B's normal happy mood was restored and we even found someone nice enough to boost the truck on the way back to the hotel. 

Thanks David from Telus for being a Good Samaritan and helping us out! We really appreciate it!