05.06.11 / Uncategorized / Author: TWGranE / Comments Off
Moans and groans are heard every year when Ottawa plans its citywide garage sale. Most of the complaints revolve around it falling on Mother’s Day weekend. I hear complaints like “What am I going to do? Buy my mother a gift from a garage sale?”
Well … YES!
I was happy to meet a fellow garage-saler this morning who was very excited to get going to all the sales. She was picking up a map and plotting her route. Her family had given her Garage Sale money and said “Go! Have fun!” And fun she was having. I thought what a great family to think to give her extra cash to go spend on useless kitchen utensils, ugly Christmas sweaters, dusty books and costume jewelry.
With 78 garage sale’s listed in The Ottawa Herald, you may have to give your mother a whole roll of quarters!
See sales here: http://www.ottawakan.com/ottawa_herald/classifieds/0165.shtml
See map here: http://www.ottawaherald.com/widegraphic/Garage-Sale-Map
02.17.11 / Uncategorized / Author: TWGranE / Comments: (0)
Tags: Diamonds, Dumpster Diving, Valentine's Day, Wedding Ring
This Valentine’s Day will go down in family history as the day Granny lost her heart!
After a full day of mushy gushy lovey dovey Valentine events (plus grocery shopping, girl scout meeting, dinner making, laundry cleaning, dish washing, book snuggling, doggie petting, oh and working), I finally was able to do a faceplant into my pillow.
This pillow hugging did not go smoothly, it went snaggly. The prongs on my wedding ring snagged my pillow. My wedding ring diamond is missing.
Mr. Moneybags and I did the flashlight trick in the night to catch a sparkle. We canvassed the drive, we spotlighted the car.
The next day at work I hit the floor in the entry way (there I found a heart-shaped salt pellet), the well-worn path to my desk, I hand-whisked my work area and said helloo to the loo floor.
At lunch I whisk broomed my car. OK … it’s been a looong winter and I came up with a nice potpourri of gravel, ice melt and Chex mix. Here’s where the story takes a twist, an ugly, frightful twist.
While dutifully throwing away my potpourri in the corporate trash bin, my Christmas pinkie ring flew right off my finger — ka-ping into the dumpster. Up to this point I am holding up, but this is the straw, the straw that made Granny’s lips quiver and tears flow. I presented my unprofessional sobby self to my workmates for help.
To the Dumpster I must dive. Some of you (you know who you are) may have teased me in the past for being a Dumpster diver, but really I have never been wholly submerged in one.
Today was the day. I borrowed a step stool, quieted my germophobia and straddled on in. Ring and composure were recovered.
I couldn’t tell Mr. Moneybags that I lost another precious gem in a 24-hour period, but I also couldn’t lie. I called him before my lunch hour was over and told him that I had no luck finding my heart shaped diamond in the car, but I needed to go in and wash up because I looked and felt like I’d been digging through Dumpster.
Stay tuned for insurance tips, cleaning tips, care tips and ring alternative tips as I journey through this Diamond Dilemma.
02.07.11 / Uncategorized / Author: TWGranE / Comments: (0)
Such joy came from my little one when Mom and Dad finally saw the name of her school scrolling along the bottom of the television screen.
“I can stay in my pajamm’s allllll day!, I can watch the Disney channel alllll day!, I can have lunch with a soda instead of a 1/2 pint of milk! I won’t have to read, subtract, or raise my hand to talk! We can go sledding, build a snowman, make snow angels and drink hot chocolate!”
Interject Parents (the bubble poppers):
She said: “Honey, Mama doesn’t get a snow day. In fact, I need to be leaving soon to allow for bad roads.”
He said: ” I’m sorry honey, today I’m taking a friend to a doctor appointment in the city and we’re going to leave soon, too, because of the bad roads. Let me make some phone calls to find someone to watch you or you’ll have to pack your book bag with something to keep you occupied.”
The deflated child reluctantly got dressed and prepared herself to be extremely bored at the home of our Grandma replacement. (Everyone should have one of these if grandparents live far away.) She probably doesn’t even have cable!
This is what they did that day:
They visited a nursing home (oh dear, she’ll never want to go back). They played Bingo (maybe all is not lost). And visited her substitute-Grandma’s sister who can’t walk or talk (oh my heart is breaking, that is sad). ” Why can’t she mom?”
I explained the best I could about strokes and about growing old. I asked her if she could imagine what she would look like when she gets old. “NO!, but I’m not ol…(she almost said it) grown up like you Mom!”
Well, can you imagine me that old? “No, that is too freaky.”
That day, she learned that people of a certain age, and with serious medical conditions, are really just people who still can play Bingo.
I think she learned more on her snow day than if she had gone to school. Life lessons are just as important as school lessons.
01.28.11 / Uncategorized / Author: TWGranE / Comments: (0)
Did you hear the one about the doctor, the general and Father Christmas? Hurry!
Dollar GENERAL has DR. Pepper 6 packs on sale for $1.67 (that’s 28¢ each). Plus all Christmas items are 25¢ each. Supplies are very limited.
I went a little overboard at DG on Christmas items, spending a total of $40. But that is 160 Christmas items! I bought two stores out on garland, big red bows and large artificial poinsettia plants. I’ve been wanting to trim my house with garland, around windows, along trim and doorways for Christmas. Although these are thin, I’m thinking I will group them, put bows in the middle and line up the festive flowers on steps.
I cannot wait — just 331 more days!
01.26.11 / Uncategorized / Author: TWGranE / Comments: (0)
This week’s best deals appear to be Country Mart’s own web coupons. My favorites are:
$1 off for 2 Best Choice Frozen Fries, plus they are on sale this week (Jan. 1/26-2/3) 2 for $4. Now enjoy these big bags on hamburger friends for $1.50 per bag!
$1 off when you buy 1 Best Choice Chunk Cheese, already on sale for $4.99. We always need cheese.
The “Ain’t Bad” Coupon Match-up this week is:
Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits. Country Mart sale price 98¢. SmartSource coupon 75¢ Savings for 3 is 75¢. FINAL PRICE – 75¢ each. Sale price good only this Thursday – Sunday.
Farmland full cooked or thick sliced bacon. Country Mart sale price $3.49. SmartSource coupon for $1 off. FINAL PRICE – $2.49.
Pringles Super Stacks (you should never pay full price for these, there is always a sale or a coupon). ALCO sale price 4 for $5. PG&G coupon $1 off of 2. Use 2 coupons, buy 4, brings FINAL PRICE to 75¢ each.
