Winter Memories

So while I'm trapped in this land of snow and ice, I've been reminiscing of winters past.  This was my life last year, a letter I wrote to one of my friends from Ontario..

"So, after a treacherous drive to M's school, I then find myself STUCK in the middle of the flippin road! I mean.. COME ON!! firstly, edmonton doesnt plow the roads that often, and definately not the sideroads. secondly.. in the - 46 degree weather, where your face can freeze in 5 friggin minutes, its a lovely thing to be stuck. thirdly, I am stuck beside the house. Like, the garage door opener works.. BAHH!!!.. so .. I go and get construction workers.. to come help me.. and it takes 3 of them to push me out. They say, how do you wanna do this? I go "I dunno! I'm from ontario.. they actually plow the roads there, and we are SISSIES and STAY INSIDE!! (ps- I'm very proud of that)"... so now, as I listen to sirens go by, and wonder why I'm in this terrible climate.. I think of the poor ppl on the bus that is stuck on 23 ave, or the cop who has veered off into the snowbank off Riverbend, or our paperboy who is no doubt frozen stiff probably just off 22 ave, because we didn't get a paper this morning! So, I sign off.. Freezing in Edmonton.. 
ps... ont the bright side, we are supposed to get HIGHS of minus 26!! isnt that EXCITING?!.. 
I think I should move back to Ontario to get away from this forsaken land of ice and snow. PEACE!"

Clearly I was very mistaken if I thought I'd get any break from the horrible weather I'd experienced in Edmonton by coming back to Ontario. I think this is Rag on the Weather week.. however, I'm allowed. I'm a weather girl and so not impressed. Ready for the hot weather to be back. 

A rant.. about Stepford Wives

I have mentioned the Stepford Wives in past posts, so I figure the time has come to explain what and who I mean.

While living in Edmonton, I worked for a well-to-do family, and the little girl I worked with went to a pretty decent school. Everyday, after school, the parents and nannies of the grade 2 kids would  gather together in the little area off the hallway where their classrooms were. 

There were cliques. Yup, cliques among the parents.. you had the parents who hovered outside the door waiting for the exact moment the bell would ring so that they could bounce into the classroom, grab their kids, and talk to the teachers- they were, in general, very bubbly. Then there was my group, the nannies and down to earth awesome moms. Then there was the Stepford Wives. 

Now I'm not one to judge.. In general.. and I like everyone! but in this case? I made an exception. The Stepford Wives were a group of about 6 moms who had perfect gel nails, perfect hair, too much make up, wore Gucci to school, and always looked like they were about to go down the runway- all the time. 

This alone would not have been an issue. But they were so fake! It was awful! They were like those evil b****s in high school that smiled to your face and then talked about you to everyone else. And they were so shallow!! Two of the worst lines I ever heard in my life were uttered by these ladies;

1) 'Oh my god! This morning, the stars all aligned and my hair and makeup just worked!!'

2) (in response to oohing and ahhing over her boots) 'Oh these old things? I need new ones! I got these ones like.. last week!'

NO JOKE. oy. my word. I don't even know what to say. 

I just stared. Mouth open. Thankfully I was saved by my best Edmonton Nanny friend Jenn. 

These interesting specimens always stand around, gossiping. When I moved home, they all made a huge deal of it at school, even though I really don't know them all that well.. and were upset I didn't call to tell them!!

Anyways.. I figured I should explain about these interesting creatures.. especially because I'll probably talk about them again.. so there it is! My rant..

Fall Memories

Since fall is pretty much over, I was reminiscing on memories that the season brings back. 

Way back, it was getting into the groove of a new year at school, reconvening with old friends, attempting to make it through until the weekend. 

At thanksgiving, making our way up to the trailer for our last weekend, staying in a little cabin, *freezing* with Andrea. Spending the weekend hanging with Sean and Reuben. 

Halloween for Hunger, a program where we'd trick-or-treat for cans for the food bank instead of candy was always a good time. 

In university, the excitement of striking out on our own. The metaphorical cutting of the apron strings. Sleeping in till noon, partying till 2.. somehow fitting in our classes, and just having a wicked awesome time. 

In Edmonton, standing outside the school doors with the awesome moms and other nannies, bracing ourselves for the cascade of children bound to fly through the doors at any given moment. Stepford Wives convening in their Prada and Gucci inside where their flawless skin wouldn't be exposed to the elements. Warren's halloween party, spider fiasco, carving gourmet (bloody difficult) pumpkins, a huge spider web over the front door that stayed up until Christmas. Nannied M and I going to the park every other day, to just have fun before the evil white stuff reared it's UGLY head! Not to mention the greatest day withe Nannied M ever! Itinerary including:

- sleeping in and watching cartoons with M in our jammies

- Nanny friend Jenn flirting with the waiter so the kids could have extra whipped cream, and teaching the girls to flirt as a result. (they tried it.. VERY cute)
- dancing in the car, and scaring a guy in the truck beside us on the way to the Science Center

- a snake jumping at me and me booting it for my life (which made the gurls HOWL!)
- racing our wallets down a lego car run- I won (Cause we are that cool )
- talking about Ontario with a staff member that originated from there.. :D
- flirting with the staff at the science center, which landed us a behind the scenes tour of some nasty creatures!! (the snake being one)

- NOT smashing into anything with our vehicle
- although my sunglasses were not so lucky ( thanks JENN!)

- begging to have one of the displays fixed because it looked like SOOO much fun! ( and succeeding! Dang we are good!)
- listening the kids thanking us for everything from taking them to not killing them
- watching the kids express their love for us to the staff who thought we were on glue.. :D... I loved that job!

And this year? BabyBoy toddling down the sidewalk, finding all sorts of treasures he -thankfully- did not feel the need to taste. BabyBoy playing in the leaves. 

Ah what a season. Must it end?!

Going back to the Piggy Bank... They have lower fees for use...

This morning, I read Clever Girl Goes Blog: It's all about the Benjamins, and some of the ideas struck me as very good. So I decided to add a few of my own..

1) Spa night- What girl doesn't love a day at the spa?! I'll be the first to admit that I can go for an afternoon and drop $500 without even blinking! Until I go home and (after admitting how wonderful and gorgeous I feel) realize my bank account is giving me the silent treatment. So, how about a girls night in? Foot soaks, followed by some foot lovin, hand massages, a face mask, a hair mask, a clay wrap, a bubble bath with aromatherapy candles, a pair of tweezers and some pretty nail polish can go a long way in making you feel just as wonderful as a $300+ spa day. 

2) Outlet stores- So two weeks after stock is put out in major stores like Garage, Suzy Shier, Blue Notes, Bootlegger, even Costco, sends their over stock and 'old' stock (being no more than 3 weeks old) to these outlet stores that sell the clothes at 15% of the cost! CRIPES! Once I found these wonderful little havens, its the only place I buy my siblings clothes! I bought my two sisters new wardrobes for $140!! In some places, that would MAYBE buy 2 pairs of jeans, and 2 t-shirts. But they each got 4 pairs of shorts, about 10 tees, 2 pairs of pants, sweatshirts, skirts, dressier clothes, and a couple summer dresses!! Can't argue with that!!

3) Save your old clothes- When I was living in Edmonton, my friend Jenn came to school to pick up her little ones wearing a gorgeous jacket I had never seen before! Along with the Stepford Wives, I oohd and ahhd over this new piece! Later, she told me that it had been her jacket three years ago, which she had put away for a few years, and when she found it, she loved it again! And we all loved it as well! Moral? Vintage is in! If you hide away things you don't want to wear anymore, however you still have  a fondness for, and pull them out in two or three years, you have a new piece! woot woot for saving!

4) Sales days- In Edmonton, the grocery stores would have Cheap Tuesdays, when, on the first tuesday of each month, everything was 10% off. This would be our big shop day, when we'd get all our canned goods for the month, and stock up on all things non-perishable. My vitamin store would have 40% off 5 or 6 times a year, so I'd do a MAJOR shop. Enough to last 2 or 3 months. Check with your grocery stores, and see if they do something like this. 

I dunno, just some ideas to add to CleverGirl's list.. Have a good one!