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Showing posts from May, 2016

Give as a thank you for not needing to receive

I was watching a reality TV show a while back in which local businesses from whatever community the show is based in for that episode donate their time, expertise and materials to help out a family that's gone through a rough time. They usually build and furnish new homes for these people, and the chosen family gets other gifts from local businesses like grocery gift cards or special needs babysitting services and such. And boy, do these families need these gifts! When he was interviewed about why he was helping out a particular family, one of the professionals said something to the effect of "I give as a thank you for not needing to receive". Isn't that a fantastic reason!?! Many of us will go through good times and bad. When the bad times hit us, receiving from others can really help lift our spirits. It can sometimes be the pick-me-up we need to keep on keepin' on, if even just for another day. Giving doesn't always need to be material things. Som

Gifting on Buy Nothing Ottawa (Downtown)

A few weeks ago, I had my first experience with the Buy Nothing Ottawa (Downtown) group. I replied to a post from someone looking for a full length mirror. The one I offered wasn't exactly full length, but the woman was interested nonetheless. She dropped by on a Tuesday evening to pick it up. She seemed very happy and thanked me. We didn't chat very much. Later on in the evening she messaged me to thank me again. So I decided to take action to get rid of the other extra items I own. I started by gifting a couple of lamps that I had in my bedroom in Orleans. They don't really fit well in the décor of my current place. When I posted them to the group page, seven people showed interest. I wasn't quite sure how to choose who to give it too. So I let Mr. Romantic's daughter choose. However, that person couldn't pick up the lamps any time soon, so she suggested I pass them on to someone else. So I did. The woman I ultimately gifted the lamps to has two young ch

I don't even remember

Over the weekend, my mother gave me a lawn chair that I bought for my dad during the summer of 2014. He used to love to spend his days outside during the warmer months and would often fall asleep on one regular chair with his feet up on another. So I bought him a reclining lawn chair hoping it would be more comfortable for him. He was too far gone with his COPD and never really got to enjoy it. So my mom asked if I'd like the chair back because she wasn't going to be using it either. I have a lounge chair on my balcony at the moment. I accepted my mom's offer because I figured Mr. Romantic and I might sit out on the balcony from time to time, now that the days are getting warmer. Having two chairs would come in handy for that purpose. When I got the chair back to my place and Mr. Romantic brought it out to the balcony, I was reminded of all the stuff I had stored out there during my bed bug scare. Remember my bed bug scare ? Well, now that a month has gone by, it'

The car

I lease a car. That's what I've always done since my first car. I like getting a new one every few years (although I don't particularly like the process) and even though you always have a car payment when you lease, it's less expensive in the short term compared to buying. I'm not saying you should lease rather than buy. I'm not even saying you should have a car. I'm just sharing what I do. Having a car was a no-brainer for me when I lived in the suburbs. Especially when my daughter was little. I drove my car to work every day. As a single mom, I was the one responsible for leaving work early to go pick her up at school if she wasn't feeling well. Now I live a 5-minute walk away from work, and my little girl is not so little anymore. I don't take my car every day. In fact, I use it on average only two to three times a week. For a while I considered and looked into a car-share program. You know, the ones were someone else is ultimately responsible