Winter blahs can be dangerous.....

Winter blahs can be dangerous....for my wallet.

It's been a rough winter for us.  I went back to work after a year of maternity leave, which is traumatic enough.  Since I've been back at work, the kids have been sick more in 6 weeks than in their entire (albeit short) lives.

Most days feel like a marathon....Get up, get kids to daycare, work, pick them up, get dinner on the table, bath and bedtime routine, then finally sit down at 8pm and 'check-out' for a couple of hours.  Repeat.

So what's a girl to do?!  In my case, I often "check-out" by indulging in online browsing.  Pinterest and Houzz are also recipients of a lot of my online time.

And let's be honest - we spend so much time inside our house in the winter months that I come up with so many house decor projects I want to take on. 

So my latest browing has been for home stuff and home projects.  Also looking to do things on a budget. 

I dragged myself out to Homesense the other night and had to leave before I blew the kids education funds. 

On my wish list:

1) New rugs for dining room + runner for hallway. Check out Rugs USA, they have gorgeous rugs, and so often have great sales on.  Most recently, a 60% off coupon.   I'm narrowing it down right now and waiting for the next great sale!   They ship many of their rugs (not all) to Canada for 15% of your total.  Not including duty/customs taxes.  So keep that in mind if ordering! 

2) Dining Room Makeover -    Our dining room is...well a little sad.  Moving into a new build is hard. You have nothing.  No light fixtures or window treatments.  Or character. There's a picture below taken right after we moved in.  Don't judge. I've since added a light fixture.   I've chosen a fabric for the DIY cheater roman shades I'm going to make.  It's Robert Allen Vintage Blossom Dove.  Also shown below.   When I get around to doing them, I promise to share step-by-step pics!

3) Master Bedroom Makeover - The kids have taken over every room of the house. There are toys, books, random Cheerios EVERYWHERE. Our Master Ensuite has been taken over by bath toys, as of course, the kids prefer to bathe in our tub, versus the perfectly good identical tub in their bathroom. Sigh. Nothing like stepping on a rubber duck during a midnight stumble to the bathroom.

I digress. Our room. Needs some help. My inspiration photo is below.

I've narrowed it down to two paint colours (below). Next task will be painting swatches on the wall. Here's the two colours I'm considering. Any suggestions? They are both 'greiges.' I'm leaning towards the Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray.

My unattainable wish list for the moment also includes wall mouldings for a large part of the house, adding a screened in porch and finishing the basement. Yep. I have champagne taste on a beer budget.

Looking forward to sharing my progress!

Mara

 

 

Our 'Before' Dining Room 

Robert Allen Vintage Blossom Dove 

Master Bedroom Inspiration





Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

 

Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray
 

My Guide to Online Shopping

I've already admitted that I have a slight online shopping addiction.

So I figured I had to follow up on my last post by sharing some of my favourite online shopping tips.   I have no affiliation with any of the sites or companies below, just sharing because I truly think they are awesome!

Firstly, I want to chat about  Daily Deal sites (not the Groupon style), but the sites where there are a whole bunch of sales daily of a variety of items, posted at a certain time.  I don't want to name any specifically. Beware.  Sometimes the deals to be had are amazing, sometimes not.  Especially once you add in shipping/duty/taxes, if applicable.  If it's a specific item, and you know the actual price, then you know what's a good deal.   I'll give you a personal example:   I saw a pair of boots I liked, not a known brand.  On sale for $30.  Regular price $90.  Looks like an amazing deal?  I cut and pasted the brand and style into my web browser and searched.  Found the same boots on sale on another site for $19.99.  I doubt they ever sold at $90.   So do your homework, there are great deals to be had - just make sure it's not 'you' that are 'had' ;)

So you're shopping online, your shopping bag is full, and you are ready to check out?   First, head on over to Retail Me Not, enter in the website you're shopping on and check if there's a current coupon code you can apply to your order.  More often than not, I find one that saves me a few extra dollars!  There are other sites that also aggregate coupon codes, but this one is my go-to.  

Always check out the return policies before you hit 'Confirm.'    Many people assume that sites that also have physical stores will let you return your merchandise to their stores if you aren't happy.  But this is often not the case.  So that great deal you got at 50% will actually cost you a lot more, once you realize it doesn't fit, and you have to pay to ship it back.  Some bigger purchase items (appliances, lighting, furniture etc also often have restocking fees also).

I know a lot of people are still not comfortable using their credit card online to shop.  And it is a reality that credit card fraud is happening, and you should be very careful. 

Here are a few tips - always make sure the site you are shopping on starts with https://  - the S means its a secure site. And if you are still uncomfortable using your own card, but want to shop online - why not buy a prepaid credit card and use that?! I do this when I'm not too sure about a certain website.   It's also a great way to stick to a budget  - For example, around the holidays, if you have a $500 gift budget, buy a $500 prepaid card and use only that.

Don't shop on an unsecured wireless network.  i.e. if you are at Starbucks, enjoying your latte, stick to window shopping, and wait until you are home to purchase.  This has the added benefit of giving you time to make sure you REALLY want to buy it.  If you are an impulse shopper like me, sometimes this time saves you money ;)

Here's a quick round-up of a few of my favourite online sites!  They have great stuff but also great (or free) shipping.   And let's be honest, we would much rather spend our hard earned $$ on great stuff, not on shipping.

Eluxe  - designer goods at great prices.   Sign up for their newsletter, and they will usually also send a coupon.   Free standard shipping over $25.

Snugglebugz - My fav site for baby & kids stuff. Especially car seats. Fast, free shipping over $40.

Banana Republic -   Gorgeous stuff, and they almost always have a coupon code to use.  My advice - go to a BR store, make your wish list of things you like.  Go home, and watch for sales and coupons to score for less.  

Chapters Indigo - Where else can you buy a crib sheet, a sled , chocolate body paint and of course, books, in the same place, with free shipping over $25?! Nuff said.

I could go on....but I'll save something for another post!

Happy Shopping!
M~