Highlights and Lowlights of 2007

Well the year is quickly coming to a close. It has been a year full of many good things. But with the good comes the bad right? So what where the highlights for this cheap mom and her daughter?

First this was the year we finally got an IPRC done for my daughter, and she has had educational assts in the classroom. I really do thank God for Diana especially and her work with Roo early in the year. Roo has come a long way! She is coping well with being a spectrum child. I am a proud mom! It was the year that Webkinz became her toy and site of choice, although with Christmas bring an e-pet and a be-bratz we will have to see which will rule–but she does have as of now 8 of the Webkinz. She also went to summer camp and had a great time. She took trips to Black Creek Pioneer Village, Casa Loma, the Science Center, and High park all without mom. So they are her highlights truely!

This was the year I got both cheap and smart. I started contesting and couponing for real this year. By March I was on a lucky streak! Got to love the concert tickets, movie passes, Argo tickets,music downloads, restaurant GC’s, t-shirts, flip flops, magazine subscriptions, and attraction passes.

It was also also a highlight when I got to visit with family this summer when my sister and family came to stay and play here in Toronto for 10days. I loved having them in the city!

We also got to attend and get to many great events here in the city. One of our favorites was Luminato back in June. What a festival of the arts it was! Roo and I so enjoyed it. In July we were amongst the crush of people down at Bay and Bloor for the launch of the last Potter book. We also loved going to White Christmas in November.

For the lowlights: there were two winter storms-one on Feb14th that stopped me from seeing Keith Urban live because there was too much snow out there at that time in the morning, then in December our city saw the most snow on a day that we have seen in 44 years! I also broke my ankle in Feb and this really laid me up for about a month. This year I also did not work as I had wanted too so this made me become more creative with my money.

So what will the new year bring? I am not sure but I am sure there is an adventure ahead! So come along for the ride.

A Great Contesting Story

I haven’t blogged about this yet and really I wanted too! I wanted to wait though till cheques where out there. That happened last week. Now I can share the story of the school community here in Toronto that could and did win big for our school!

Back in August Please Mum hosted a contest. Parents could fill an online ballot and vote for their favorite school. The school by September 15th with the most ballots won, and10 parents across Canada would win too. Parents won $500 in a Gift Card for Please Mom which I am sure helped make a dent for several families and their back to school shopping.

When I first saw the contest it was post on the Frugal Shopper forum, I filled out my ballot and voted for my daughter’s school: RH McGregor here in Toronto. The more I thought about it I thought hey our school could use the money and we are always looking for an easy “fund raiser” so I sent off an email to the co-chairs of our school advisory and home and school committees. Well the home and school chair took it to her executive meeting that was happening the week before school started and ran with it. On the first Friday in amongst the hand outs was one telling of the contest. Parents basically had a week to get online and enter and enter they did! The parents all have a we can do attitude!

Well almost a month later our dear principal who really didn’t pay attention to all home and school was doing to enter this contest got a call from Please Mum, our school won! So how would he decide to spend an extra $5,000? He could choose from a huge dance party, books for the classroom, gym equipment, or art supplies. What would you of picked for your child’s school? I think he did well when he choose books. So our wonderful librarian now gets to shop for the classroom libraries.

Now the story of the contest win doesn’t end there. You see my daughter’s school is one with a great home and school organization that does have the ability and does raise thousands for the school. So a decision was made to help out another school locally who isn’t as lucky as we are right now. So another school is getting $1,000 to help with their libraries.

For me a mom I thought the win was great but what a great lesson to instill to the kids: when you are blessed, bless others!

Works for Me Wednesday

It’s another Wednesday so what has been working for me lately around here? We all know I love a great deal, games and contests right. Well there are two Canadian websites that I want to recommend and no I am not getting referrals, these are sites I use and know by experience do what they say!

First is Pigsback, it is new on the Market, but what a great find it was. You collect points for not only shopping online from major retailers we all know and love but by entering contests too! Guess which I do more of? There redeemable awards are great too ie you can get a Gift certificate without having to have a zillion points. They mail them out too within the time frame given.

The second is for Chapman’s Icecream Kid’s Club. It too has a point system where you play games and can earn rewards. My nine year old daughter loves it and has gotten stickers, activity book, pens, beach ball, and calculator in the mail all in great condition!

These two sites help this mom be a frugal Cannuck while doing what I love..saving money, and having fun! So they both work big time for me.

PS. If you want (or actually let me) refer you to Pigsback, then yes I can get referral points, and they have a contest the person with the most referrals in a week gets $10,000 points and that is 4 $25 gift certificates! Leave a comment and I will email you within 12 hours.

Now head over to Shannon’s for the rest of what is working for everyone!