Someone, somewhere, was celebrating.

My brother and I would stand impatiently  and flip through the funny ones, shoving them under our mothers nose begging her to “just pick one!”

But she had to find “the perfect one.”

One that told the person she was buying for exactly how she felt.

When she did find the “perfect card” she would exclaim, “Yes! This one!” Grab the envelope, and walk with satisfaction to the bathroom.

Because looking for a card made my mother have to pee.

20 years later and I’ve found myself saying the very same words to my family on shopping trips after having cards with no thought pulled from shelves and thrown under my nose.

“It has to be perfect!”

Then, Send Out Cards was introduced to me.

This revolutionized the way I send cards and celebrate my family’s milestones.

I am able to pick the cards from the comfort of my own home (bathroom close), create images and add my own text, and a REAL CARD is sent to the recipient

Send Out Cards changed the way I do greeting cards!

Check it out for yourself and send one for free!

I encourage you to try them out and save your self some cash, time in the card aisle, and create great memories for your family’s milestones!

I was provided with a sample greeting card as compensation for my review of the product. All opinions are my own.

She was smaller then.

And my heart hurt so very much.

Talking about it ached.

But the thing about children is their incredible perception, depth and awareness about what goes on around them.

Even when you are certain they aren’t listening… they are.

Last weekend, while playing outside with her dad, my daughter wanted to know why he didn’t have a motorcycle.

A totally valid question, even though we don’t hang with bikers.

“I used to have a mini bike, before you were born.”

I pictured him throwing his head back with this memory; his black mini bike, which was no bigger than a toddlers trike, never worked right, threw him off more than it kept him on, and was as close to a motorcycle as he’d ever get.

“Where was I?” Our daughter was fully engaged at the thought of her dad riding a hog; the wind in his hair – amazing!

“You weren’t born yet, you were in heaven waiting to be born.”

A furrow came across her brow and she stood firm, ready to correct his mistake.

“No! Mommy’s OTHER baby is in heaven, I was at the Baby House before I was born.”

My husband stood, unsure of what to say.

“Daddy, I was just a tiiinnyyyy little baby, waiting to be born.” She explained, holding up her fingers and spacing them an inch apart to display how very small she was.

My husband nodded in agreement.

She smiled wide, happy that he understood, and then went back to playing.

My daughter, from the Baby House.

Reminding me everyday how incredibly special she is.

Hearing those words for the first time didn’t go like I thought it would, sweet girl.

I remember playing over and over in my head the day that you would scream, or squeak, or whisper that sentence because of frustration, or anger and I would let the tears fall.

I would because I wanted you to see that calling your mother mean is not nice.

(And my feelings would have been very hurt, in the picture I created in my head).

But today, after playing your hardest and best at daycare, then coming home to tell us all about it, refusing dinner, jumping off of surfaces, playing in makeup, opening and closing the fridge without permission, and going potty 500 times, you were exhausted.

And so ready for an early bedtime.

But at three years old you don’t believe me when I tell you this.

Hearing bedtime and brush your teeth, pajamas and no more treats, puts me in the mean category and that, my love, is okay.

I am here to follow through, protect you, guide you, and make sure you are well. I am here to make sure the surfaces you jump off of aren’t too high, the candy you eat is just enough, and the fridge gets closed every time.

When you grow up I know you will see I wasn’t mean.

I was kind of alright.

And just being mom.

But I’ve learned that when it is carefully thought out, planned for, and organized time away with your loved ones doesn’t have to put you in debt.

Today I have Sara Stringer here to help us find ways to take our families on great vacations without breaking the bank.

Thank you, Sara for sharing your secrets, this is a timely post, right at the beginning of the warm weather!

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You can take a family vacation without breaking the bank. This summer, take advantage of some low-cost options, instead of forking over thousands on a big ticket getaway. If you employ some of these simple money-saving tricks, you’ll be ready to take the family on a fun summer vacation, without overspending.

Remember: the more time you have to plan for a vacation, the more money you’ll have to spend. The sooner you begin saving, the better.

Go Local. Chances are you live by some pretty awesome places. Camping locally is a great way to introduce children to nature, get some rest and relaxation, and some time splashing in the surf or hiking in the mountains. Camping tends to be inexpensive, but you’ll be responsible for the food and other goods you’ll need. Rates for campsites start around $10.00 a night. Camping can become pricey if you don’t already own a tent and other camping equipment. If you’re not fully equipped, see if any of your friends or family members is willing to lend you the things you need.

Camping isn’t the only thing you can do locally. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area rich with local amenities, you can do everything from visit an amusement park, zoo, aquarium, historical monument, and so much more. Find out what’s local and take the kids on a homegrown adventure. In fact, you can cut out the high cost of accommodations by staying home and simply taking time out of every day to do something special and sightsee.

Every penny counts. Keep all of your change in a jar, marked, “vacation savings.” Saving your change can add up quickly. Turn this money in at the bank, the week before your vacation. The more time you have for saving, the more change you can turn into dollars. So, if you’re daydreaming about a vacation, it’s time to solidify those plans and start saving all your extra change.

You may want to have a garage sale and sell some old stuff. Use any profits toward your vacation. Let the children know that this is a family effort and they’ll begin to see how saving money pays off over time. Make sure to cut costs on standard family expenses. Use a Bebe promo code when shopping for clothing, skip eating out, and sock away money whenever you can. Avoiding high-costs before a vacation will result in more vacation savings, so try and avoid impulse buys.

Download helpful apps. Parenting magazine suggests road-trippers download the “Lowest Gas Prices Finder,” for your next family vacation. This app allows you to use your location to find the cheapest gas stations nearby. This means always paying the lowest price for gas, a huge expense when you’re traveling by car. There are many helpful travel apps, including ones that tell you where children eat free.

Find an affordable flight. You can save on airline fees at TravelNerd. When you have to book a flight, search TravelNerd for ways to save. Never book a flight the same day you’re planning to travel and never book without first searching TravelNerd for ways to save. If you must fly, it’s essential to fly a budget friendly airline, using promo codes to keep costs low.

When it comes to your family vacation, it’s essential to save wherever you can. These trips are almost never inexpensive, therefore it’s essential to do your homework, budget, and save every extra penny. When it’s time to relax on your vacation, the last thing you want to be worrying about is money.

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What are your plans this summer?

Any money saving tips that you use when you plan a vacation?

It’s true.

On those days I don’t comment. I leave and come back another day – or if I’m really insulted I leave all together.

Because I have always been afraid of being labelled a “troll.”

But since reading a few blogs that have triggered serious PPD memories, and not agreeing with their wording or presentation (and not leaving comments) I found that NOT commenting made me feel worse.

I haven’t been practicing what I preach.

I haven’t been speaking out.

When a topic really scratches at the surface of who you are and everything you believe in, and the comments on the post are all one sided, it can make it intimidating to leave your words to the author, especially if they are the exact opposite of the majority.

And then bullying occurs as a result.

That’s not okay.

We are writers. We write what we feel, think, and believe. But we have to know that what we believe, think, or feel is not the same as everyone else.

When we put our words out there we have to be okay with negative or opposite reactions.

We have to learn from them.

I love to read full content that questions the readers’ intentions. I love to read about the author and hear their story.

But how do we do that if we are always stifling our real feelings when we comment or discouraging truthful commenting?

Speak up and speak out friends.

Debate the topics you are reading, question the author if you think they haven’t researched, or applaud and encourage if you believe in what you are reading.

THAT is what learning is all about!

And as a writer you should want your readers engaged and soaking in your words, not skimming and passive when the topics are raw and sensitive.

That is why we write.

To leave imprints on people.

We can do that even through our comments.

Through encouraging dialogue.

And speaking up and out.

It’s gross, ugly, and turns patient mommy into frustrated mommy when she is woken up by insistent coughing and cries for medicine in the middle of the night.

But no matter how tempted I am to run to the clinic over a sore throat or cough, this time we are toughin’ it out!

No more 5 hour visits to the hospital just to contract eye germs from the girl in the pjs who wants to tell me all about her life and why she’s curled in a ball sniffling.

Or to sit there while teenagers swear and kick each other requiring me to take out my trusty Throat Punch.

Nope.

I’d rather do laundry.

So this time we’re killing “the sick” the old fashioned way.

With baby wipes, Windex, and vitamin C.

Because that’s what my mom, inlaws, and the movies said to do.

Just leave my Mother of the year award at the front door.

A very special party!

My parents celebrated 40 years of marriage.

That’s 40 years of I love you’s, clenched jaws, held hands, tears of joy and tears of sadness.

40 years of socks on the floor, driving frustrations, and sweet family memories.

They tell me its been work.

But they also tell me its been worth it.

My Parents on their Engagement Night

Thank you, Mom and Dad.

For being the foundation that my marriage is built on.

Congratulations on 40 years.

We love you.

It’s not like on Extreme Couponer.

We can’t double up our coupons, we don’t have store cards that take money off of our end totals, and I have no idea where to find those people who hook you up with those stacks of coupon inserts.

But if there’s anyone who knows how to save money using coupons it’s my friend Nicole!

She is a pro when it comes to saving money using coupons, inserts, and online printables, so I have brought her to you!

Thank you Nicole for your advice and for teaching us, oh wise one!

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There are several places you can find coupons.  They include in stores, on products, websites designed for people who coupon, inserts, printable coupons, directly from companies, etc.  Another great way to find coupons is just on the shelve with the item.

Below are the most common places:

Products:   

Occasionally you will find coupons on the box to use on the current item or future purchase.

Online Coupons:

You can join the following sites (in Canada), pick from the coupons available, and have coupons mailed to your home.  They occasionally offer  “hidden coupons” so it’s important to watch for emails or check the websites  often.

1).        Save.ca: Coupons mailed to you for free (or print coupons).

2).        Websaver.ca: Coupons mailed to you for free (or print coupons).

3).        GoCoupons.ca: Coupons mailed to you for free.

4).        Brandsaver.ca: Coupons mailed to you for free.

5).        healthyessential.ca

Inserts:

These are included in your local newspaper or with your weekly flyers and arrive on a set schedule to be cut out to use.  The flyers to watch for are (in Canada), RedPlum, Smart Source, and Brandsaver.  These booklets often have 6-30 coupons in each issue.

Contacting Companies:

Many companies will provide you coupons if you contact them.  You can email the company directly or call them to request coupons.  Some companies will gladly mail you out coupons and others will tell you where to find coupons on their products.  Because of the popularity of coupons,  many companies are using Facebook to release them so become a fan of their pages to get updates and new coupons quickly.

Coupon Trading:

If you are having trouble finding coupons on products you want, you may want to consider trading.  There are websites that provide just the framework for sharing coupons with others.  Coupon trading forums can be found online and there are several out there such as, Couponspare.com.

When it comes to your grocery shopping and preparing for your trip, I recommend shopping at stores that allow you to price match, researching before you shop, and downloading apps that are interchangeable with your shopping, such as Checkout 51.   I also suggest utilizing an according style file to store all of your coupons by store or by item ie; food; hygiene; laundry this will allow you to keep everything close by when you need it or if you happen to stop in a store last-minute.

If you are interested in couponing I urge you to utilize social media, follow couponers, companies, and bloggers who are devoted to looking for deals on twitter and face book, and take the time to organize your shopping trips.

By doing the above I am able to save, on average, $30-$40 each week and believe that most Canadians can too.

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With the above tips and tools there is no doubt we can all be saving a few more dollars on our next shopping trip.

Thank you for your time and your insight Nicole!

Do you coupon? What tips do you have?

Recently I have seen several posts on social media questioning parents and their ease with sharing their children’s pictures and stories. They suggest that we are too free with their lives and perhaps our children will grow up resenting us.

Resenting the potty photo?

What?!

The whole thing is baffling me.

I share my daughter’s pictures, growth, and stories because I am here for a reason.

I nearly drowned in the darkness of Post Partum Depression.

But I won.

And it was because of her.

Then, while my wounds were still healing, I was diagnosed with a fun spin on life called Bipolar II, and was horrified to admit my diagnosis to anyone. The stigma attached to mental illness frightened me and lowered me back into a new sadness.

But that child of mine?

She is my reason for fighting.

So when I see her do incredible things? Reach new milestones? Be her hilarious self? I share it.

Because two years ago, I wasn’t sure I would be here to see any of it.

When she exclaims something so note worthy it needs to be written down or makes me want to bang my head against a wall, I tweet that mess!

Because looking back to last month when I was depressed and needing a reason to hang on… she was my reason.

I share my success and inspiration because there are hundreds of other women going through the same thing I was and they need to know that they are not alone.

What a sad and lonely world it would be if we were.

I’m a PPD Warrior and a fantastic mother.

And if you are fighting this battle I am here.

Share your small successes and make them big ones!

And don’t listen to ignorance…

They haven’t been where you are.

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LowestRates.ca is on a mission to find the ultimate SuperMom in Canada with their contest, #LRSuperMoms. The above is my submission.

You can vote for me here, starting on May 6th, as well as share your own SuperMom stories.

Contest rules can be found here.

That means more parks, more running, and more outside time.

That means more energy burnt.

And when this little/big girl is tired I am happy.