A Week of Money: Tempting Fate

Here are all of my Week of Money posts. I plan on doing this every week.

DAY ONE

6:23 am. — Best. Night. Ever. Baby Bun sleeps in and I wake up not as fatigued as I have been in the past week.

I feel so good. Sleep is underrated. We do the milk & tea routine and while he is occupied, I LightStim my cheeks.

We go to read some books quietly and I continue to LightStim while Baby Bun sits on my lap and we read books quietly.

7:010 a.m. — Daddy wakes up, does yoga with Baby Bun, and while that happens, we chat about what’s happening in our lives.

8:04 a.m. — He goes out to do the groceries. Just as he leaves, I realize I forgot to give him my list for the week. I guess I’ll have to do it tomorrow as an activity with Baby Bun. Grr.. hate wasting gas. He was there anyway.

I stay in with Baby Bun and log in to reply to emails.

It’s the end of the month so I check Google Adsense and am pleasantly surprised that I earned $13.84 yesterday, which is a major leap in revenues.

It would be awesome if it would be $100 a day, one day. Maybe I’ll make that a goal. The next day, I made even more!!

My work is finally paying off and my strategy if you’re interested is in my book here.

8:15 a.m. — I start on the laundry, scrubbing blood stains out of Baby Bun’s clothes and the bed (he had a nosebleed last night and this morning), and after that’s done, I do the dishes while watching Big Bang Theory. (Obsessed.)

I have 10 seasons to go through and I am happy they’re on DVD so I don’t have to watch any commercials either. This is why I prefer watching things after they’ve come out on DVD. That, and I don’t have a TV…. 😛

8:43 a.m. — I decide to hold off on vacuuming the entire apartment until 11 a.m. at least, even though I see dust bunnies everywhere because my neighbours below may not appreciate the noise. Baby Bun and I go into the bedroom and I play games with him.

10:16 a.m. — Baby Bun gets hungry. I feed him his lunch while reading a book.

11:18 a.m. — It seriously takes an hour to feed this child. Mind-numbing. Thank goodness I’m reading a book while doing it. I start vacuuming and Baby Bun runs to the bed, squealing and giggling out of glee because of the vacuum.

11:25 a.m. — Daddy!!!

11:30 a.m. — Baby Bun has his second lunch with us.

Noon — I look outside and see the snow falling pretty hard. I was going to go downtown and hang out, but I don’t really want cold wind and snow in my face, so I decide to just pack up my stuff and head to the library for free wifi and to work, toddler-free.

I am helping a friend do her business website (for free), and she writes to me that she’s nervous about the writing because she rambles on and her grammar sucks. She doesn’t know about my history with writing and blogging, so I just tell her that her writing will get better as she finds her voice, but it takes practice.

I log in and start working on her site, setting up the posts and organizing it.

I re-check my Dagne Dover review & giveaway post because I’m afraid I missed something, a picture, a description… and everything looks fine. I then log into Rafflecopter and check to make sure I didn’t miss anything and it’s properly scheduled.

I’m neurotic. The whole time passes with me checking, rescheduling posts and reading free library magazines.

5:25 p.m. — I come in the door just as food is set on the table. YUM!

7 p.m. — I finally get around to doing the dishes and we all settle into bed to play / read with Baby Bun and calm down before bedtime at 8 p.m.

Saved: $0

Spent: $0

DAY TWO

6:00 a.m. — Cooking Day! I forgot to give my grocery list for food to my partner yesterday, so I suit Baby Bun up and we go out on an excursion to buy food.

8:07 a.m. — I google the opening times of the supermarket and realize it’s 8:30 a.m. My partner makes some orange juice for us before we head out the door.

On the way there, I scrap making a vegan burger again this week and decide on a vegetarian whole wheat pasta with some grated Parmesan cheese.

8:38 a.m. — I go around the supermarket (love getting there early) and go around pointing out fruits and vegetables to Baby Bun, linking them to the books we read and spelling them for him.

I pick up two onions which look too big to be real (they must be genetically modified), 4 tomatoes, some swiss chard, baby spinach, Parmesan cheese, 2 small eggplants that looked too pretty to leave, 1 lemon, and 3 mangoes as a treat for Baby Bun and I.

I plan on making all of the above into a great sauce, tossing the whole wheat pasta in it, and grating a bit of lemon zest & Parmesan over it this week. I don’t have enough cash on me (must hit the bank some time) so I debit the entire thing for $34.09

10:22 a.m. — We get home and Baby Bun asks to be fed, so I feed him his vegetable stew (there’ll be a second lunch later, I am sure). I LightStim as we read books together.

11:30 a.m. — A lunch of couscous, vegetables and some eggs happens and Baby Bun refuses to eat the carrots (no idea why), so he just eats an egg. I do all the dishes, and my partner very kindly scrubs all the pots and pans.

Noon — Baby Bun wants to go down for a nap, and asks for one. I go to pat his bum to sleep and then realize my promise to make him fall asleep on his own, so I leave and when he looks up from his pillow, I tell him to stay there and go down for a nap.

12:20 — I wait for Baby Bun to protest, but nothing. Guess he doesn’t really need the bum-petting any more which means I’ve added another half hour or so to my break time.

I watch a few more videos and futz around the internet looking at things and reading. I really should clear my RSS reader but I am unmotivated to do so.

Baby Bun wakes up an hour and a half later and he plays with letters spelling on the floor (with my help) while I watch videos on the laptop and help him spell and play.

2:58 p.m. — My partner comes home, and I head out because there’s a sale at David’s Tea for 20% off tea and I was running low on my Cream of Earl Grey (my morning black tea). Metro costs $2.25.

3:36 p.m. — I spend $22.99 at David’s Tea to just be able to get 100 points for the free 50g of tea but wonder if that missing $0.01 is going to make a difference and make it $99 instead of $100. I really want another free 50g of this matcha green tea:

I should have asked her to make it just a little over $23 to be sure. I berate myself but not enough to go back and get another $1’s worth.

I head over to Winners & Zara just to see what they have in store which normally would be SUCH A BAD IDEA because I get tempted so easily, but as I go through the racks and see all of these clothes crammed together, with price tags that I now find ridiculously high ($100 for a polyester dress? Really?)…

I realize I’m doing much better than I thought I would, even in the face of temptation. Before I leave, I check out the home section at Winners and see Casabella gloves for $5.99 per pair. I can’t even find them in regular stores here, so I pick up the only two boxes in a size Medium, which comes out to $13.78.

4:22 p.m. — I go to Sephora and test out their glossy lipsticks but realize I like my Paula’s Choice (free) lipgloss that came in my last order better. I layer it over my Mac Cruella lip pencil and it looks incredible.

Who knew? Next time I order, I may consider adding her gloss to my basket. I go to try on skincare and wipe my face with a cleansing wipe from Sephora (not bad) and slather on some Shiseido skin cream with SPF 50 to see how it fares, only realizing far too late that it’s super perfumed. I go to scrub it off with another towelette and I think the smell is gone.

4:45 p.m. — Where I am weak, is food. I grab a Starbucks drink and treat myself to a piece of chocolate cake for $8.09

Know what this is? It is “Mommy Time”, which is a lot like Hammer Time but way less energetic.

It is (1) Toddler-Free Time and (2) All about Treats for Making it through the week without shipping Baby Bun off to an adoption agency until he turns 18 and is ready to come home. 😜

5:22 p.m. — My metro ride on the way back costs another $2.25.

5:55 p.m. — I get home and smell that perfume again. This is why I should never try skincare on at Sephora because it is always perfumed and never goes away. I vow never to be unfaithful to Paula’s Choice products again. I go to scrub the smell off my face and have to wash it twice to remove the stink. Never again.

6:35 p.m. — We eat a nice dinner and then we chat while playing with Baby Bun before going to sleep (8 p.m.) It seems weird to other parents that we ALL go to bed together at the same time but I am completely exhausted and I usually fall asleep before Baby Bun does.

Saved: $0

Spent: $83.45

DAY THREE

5:05 a.m. — Morning routine. Bla bla. Milk, tea, reading books & the LightStim.

6:55 a.m. — Daddy gone. Today is my cooking day! I plan on making whole wheat pasta with a fresh tomato sauce, swiss chard, spinach, onions and and eggplants. It turns out GREAT!

Delicious. It had:

• 2 onions – I cooked these first to make them translucent
• 2 small eggplants cubed and cooked into the tomatoes
• 5 cubed beefsteak tomatoes (to make the fresh tomato sauce)
• 8 cooked leaves of swiss chard
• 1 box of cooked baby spinach

The toppings were fresh basil, lemon zest and grated Parmesan cheese. It’s quite good and I’m pleased.

10:12 a.m. — I manage to cook this, watch 4 more episodes of Big Bang Theory and feed Baby Bun. It’s funny but I am not hungry after cooking. I always eat just a little bit because my appetite disappears when I cook.

11:01 a.m. — Baby Bun plays on the floor spelling words and I log in to blog a little and listen to a podcast, playing with him on the floor about how parents have to make their kids do chores and NOT give them money or rewards for that or getting good grades in school (Episode: Stupid Stuff)….Already ahead of you, folks!

Noon — I shuffle Baby Bun off for his nap, tell him that I am no longer patting his bum any more after a few pats, and he looks up and parrots back: No pat bum more… .. and goes down for his nap. SUCCESS!

1:15 p.m. — Baby Bun wakes up early and because he didn’t get his extra half hour in the nap (which usually means a better night sleep some times), he turns into a freakin’ MONSTER.

1:45 p.m. — Want to give him up to an adoption agency. Does anyone want a toddler who speaks two languages, loves doing laundry, and eats a ton of food? I know the last part is not a selling point but it means he’ll grow big and strong and be able to help more around the home.

2:30 p.m. — I could have one available and packed to ship QUITE #%@*$@&$@(#% SOON.

3:37 p.m. — REALLY. I have his little giraffe suitcase packed by the door and a little snack for the journey. ANY TIME NOW.

4:11 p.m. — I cancel my plans to send him off to be adopted and I tell him after we clean up and dry the dishes, we will cuddle, lie down and read books together. I creep around on Facebook catching up on friends’ lives… and get lost into googling all the fascinating sounds a lyrebird can make.

Then I google “Montreal soup dumplings” because I have a craving for them, remembering my trip to Shanghai at Din Tai Fung. OMG. I really want some now.

6:34 p.m. — My partner comes home and we have a nice omelette.

7:22 p.m. — I do the dishes and have time to read some Usagi Yojimbo manga, a series I like to read over and over again as I find it comforting and relaxing.

8:15 p.m. — Baby Bun has a meltdown because he wanted Daddy to read a book AND MOMMY. We both read books to him and he falls fast asleep with (minimal) bum patting. We are not dropping his nap for sure.

Saved: $0

Spent: $0

DAY FOUR

5:30 a.m. — UGH. One good night out the window. Same ol’ morning routine of milk, tea and trying to wake up at ungodly hours with an energetic toddler, who has woken up screaming from nightmares that only Mommy can help…

8:02 a.m. — I get a hankering to try vegan pancakes again. This time, LESS baking soda, and out of the blue I add another modification — sprouted chia seeds to substitute as eggs and to make it less dry. The chia seeds basically make up the entire pancake which adds to its density and moistness.

Vegan Chia Pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 pinch baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water (to account for the chia seeds)
1/2 cup of soaked chia seeds in water. I just poured about 2-3 tablespoons in & added half a cup of water until it all gelled
1 tablespoon oil

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

Stir the water, chia seeds & oil together in a small bowl.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet. Stir just until blended; mixture will be lumpy.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry.

Wait about 30 seconds until it gets a good base and then flip or else it will break apart.

Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

8:22 a.m. — They don’t look that great, kind of pale, pasty and not at all brown but they are delicious and Baby Bun gobbles them up as-is. I eat mine with slices of banana. I log into the blog and realize Alexis gave this fantastic Puffy Vegan Pancake recipe that I plan on trying next week.

I was going to take him to the park today but it’s raining terribly. I was going to take him to the pool instead, but I decided to make pancakes instead and you can’t swim for an hour so I decide to leave it for the afternoon after his nap.

10:05 a.m. — I ponder taking him to his playgroup and decide against it. It’s indoors, but it’s raining. I feed Baby Bun his lunch instead in the midst of reading Pretty Honest, quite a good beauty book that tells you what is important and what isn’t.

Noon — Another successful leave-Baby-Bun-to-sleep-on-his-own.

1:32 p.m. — Baby Bun wakes up. I do the dishes, he has some milk and we get ready to go down to the pool to hang out. I gather all of our pool things and suit up.

3:07 p.m. — We make it down to the pool after spending 45 minutes trying to convince my toddler that yes, he does need to wear swim underwear to go in the water and no he cannot go naked.

4:33 p.m. — Back from the pool! I am trying to teach him how to swim based on our swim lessons from before, like blowing bubbles in the water, etc. I am usually exhausted afterwards.

4:40 p.m. — I have thrown everything in the wash and we eat an avocado together. He gets one half unsalted (he could eat 2 if I let him), and starts eying my half until I tell him that’s Mommy’s share.

5:11 p.m. — I’m still hungry so I make some more soft boiled eggs (with a hard white but a soft creamy inside) with a pinch of salt.

Baby Bun and I then share a big plate that vegetarian pasta and he hassles me for more. I have been having a craving for soup dumplings lately but have been steeling my reserve to resist to pack him up in the car and take him out for a lunch to stuff our pie holes. By the way, this is the way you eat them.

I may cave this week though. I really really want some. But I also know I have to pay for a 10-year passport this month, which is going to cost $160, so it means I need to tighten my belt this month. Ugh.

5:31 p.m. — I half-heartedly attempt to clean my wardrobe but decide I can’t be bothered today. The rain is sucking out all my energy.

5:43 p.m. — I watch more episodes of The Big Bang Theory and check on eBay how much a Sheldon-esque evolution shirt would cost which is about $20. The reviews aren’t great saying that it peels off in the wash which indicates that either people have no idea how to do laundry properly, or they probably printed the decal on inkjet shirt transfer paper using a laserjet printer (common problem and mistake).

Obviously Sheldon is my favourite character.

6:07 p.m. — DADDY! Except he didn’t bring any food (drat) because he’s busy toddler-proofing the entire apartment with this magnetic key & latch method which is actually a lot of fun to use for adults. I love using the ‘key’ to unlock the cupboards.

We removed all the handles from all the cupboards so that he can’t pull them open and reach in to grab what he wants. We use the side of the drawer to pull it open in lieu of the handles but he has started to gain enough strength in his fingers to imitate us, so that’s why we’re toddler-proofing.

8:19 p.m. — I wrangle Baby Bun until it’s time to sleep and end up dozing off as he comes running into the bedroom dressed for bed, whipping his sleep shirt around in the air like a cowboy.

8:33 p.m. — He finally gets into bed beside his father and they read a storybook together, then he crawls over to be closer to me and we go to sleep.

8:37 p.m. — He puts his pillow right on me (I shove it off to the side so I can sleep without a 35 lb toddler crushing my torso), and I wrap my arms around him, loving this snuggle to sleep. I complain a lot but these are my favourite moments when he is sleeping right up next to me, and I can breathe in his toddler scent.

Saved: $0

Spent: $0

DAY FIVE

6:42 a.m. — Baby Bun slept like a DREAM last night. Maybe the pool helped, so I make a mental note to do it more often. I suspect it was also because I stuffed his belly last night. Will do it again today.

6:44 a.m. — We go through the morning routine of milk, 2 cups of tea, a banana for Baby Bun.

7:09 a.m. — We spend the rest of the morning spelling with letters on the floor.

I marvel at how far he has come from being a little blob a few years ago to grasping things like spelling “NUMBERS”, “ANGEL” and half-reading on his own. Right now he’s sort of obsessed with the planets, particularly Jupiter (they are on his underwear). My mother recently sent us this book Do you See a Mouse, which he can read 80% of, all on his own (even though a lot of it repeats I must say).

It’s sort of mind-boggling.

8:09 a.m. — Baby Bun asks me sweetly if we can go out by saying: “Shirt? Pants?“… which is what I tell him when we get ready to go out.

8:17 a.m. — It’s raining and I have no desire to leave the apartment, and yet… the soup dumplings call my name. I struggle internally and when I go to search for places where I could eat this and park without paying, I realize they are (of all days) CLOSED TODAY. So even if I wanted to go, no dice. They don’t open. *sigh* I guess it’s a sign that I should stay in today. 😉 I can’t go tomorrow either because my morning/afternoon is booked with playgroup.

8:29 a.m. — I decide to take Baby Bun to the grocery store. It fulfills his need to ‘go out’ (he is probably getting cabin fever from staying in so often), and I’ll pick up a small treat for his nap time.

10:11 a.m. — We get back after I take him around the store and mall and point out fun things to do and see.

11:29 a.m. — Lunch and 4 clementines shared later, Baby Bun plays with letters and goes down for his nap.

Noon — FREEDOM!! Once I am hooked on something like a TV series, I can’t stop and I have 10 seasons to watch!

2:01 p.m. — I take Baby Bun to the park. We play HARD.

3:34 p.m. — We get home after I promise him an avocado.

5:37 p.m. — DADDY!!!!!!!

7:09 p.m. — I take time out and surf the web trying to calm my brain down. As I am browsing, I read that Grey’s Anatomy was still on TV because I just saw that they’re on season 13?!?!?

I think I may have stopped watching after they jumped the shark many seasons ago. It is just the same thing over and over again isn’t it? Comforting but boring. I agree with Seinfeld’s philosophy to “go out on a high note” at the peak of the series “career” instead of continually flogging it to death.

Saved: $0

Spent: $0

DAY SIX

6:33 a.m. — Grocery day again… then it’s TODDLER-FREE MOMMY TIME. *the heavens part* I am so excited, I don’t even mind the whining.

7:01 a.m. — I log in to try and attempt to do my taxes.

10:31 a.m. — Baby Bun somehow gets himself tucked into bed and goes down for a nap all by himself. This has happened for the second time in the past month or so. WHO IS THIS CHILD!? O_o

11:07 a.m. — I decide to wear lipstick today because I won’t be tempted to forget I have on it and smother my toddler with pink smears all over his face.

11:15 a.m. — I escape earlier than usual, and get on the metro. $2.25

11:55 a.m. — I drop by Ogilvy to check out their Clé de Peau concealer and find out my closest colour match. I like the coverage but am not thrilled by their lack of colour range. The sales lady tries to upsell me on “investing” in a good eye cream saying that she has “never heard of Paula’s Choice (read: it isn’t a designer skincare brand like Crème de la Mer).

I refrain from lecturing her on the misuse of the word “investing” when referring to consumer products and from the fallacy of requiring special creams for your eyes or neck (hogwash).

Noon — I wander upstairs and spot a gorgeous striped dress (sort of looks like this one or this one or this one) and try it on:

Luckily, they were out of my size (US 6) and it was too tight across the shoulders / torso ever since I gave birth to Baby Bun, so I put it back with a mixture of regret & relief.

12:47 p.m. — I go into the Apple Store to scam free wifi and check my emails and then marvel over how light and large the newest iPad is. I don’t need an iPad nor want one but if I ever need to replace the one I have (which I use for reading manga and comics), I’m glad to see there is a nice light option.

I struggle internally about wanting to eat some soup dumplings and spending another $15 on a meal and realize one of the ones I Yelped is just around the corner. I chalk it up to fate and decide to treat myself.

12:57 p.m. — I walk towards soup dumpling heaven and wonder why the entire city is wearing black coats. It is depressing. I wish people would wear brighter colours. Black is not a fallback chic colour. It’s so depressing.

1:22 p.m. — I eat and pay for the soup dumplings & at the last minute, added a bowl of wonton soup, so it came to $11.50 but I round up the tip. $15

(No need to be cheap to others working hard if you’re going to spend money to go out to eat.) I’m not yet decided on this place because I remember Din Tai Fung in Shanghai being AWESOME… So I make a note to try the other restaurant I have marked next time.

1:35 p.m. — I head into the metro station and with the spending floodgates creaking open I buy a Japanese cheesecake for dessert. $3.45 

1:37 p.m. — I mentally chastise myself but enjoy the guilt-ridden cheesecake thoroughly.

1:47 p.m. — I’m waiting for the metro $2.25

I see a girl in front of me with ONE super long nail and the rest clipped. What is up with that? I have no idea. It looks so much better with all of them at the same length, short or not. Also, super long nails sort of make me uncomfortable. Something about them being too long and then I imagine them scratching across my neck.. *shiver*

When I switch trains, I get to ride in the brand spankin’ new Montreal train that looks incredible and is so darn clean and spacious. NICE!

2:17 p.m. — I come home quite early from my outing eager to take Baby Bun to the park because it was so warm and sunny that I felt like we had to take advantage of it after being cooped up for so long from the rainy week we had.

3:01 p.m. — We go out to the park and hang out for as long as possible, watching the other parents and kids.

5:02 p.m. — I tell Baby Bun it’s time to go home and we walk home in great moods.

6:31 p.m. — Dinner ends up being some some chicken with a tomato salad ending with a cheese course (as usual).

8:22 p.m. — We all go to bed stuffed.

Saved: $477.25

I would have bought that striped dress and that concealer. Honestly. I had such little self-control when I heard $150 back on a $500 purchase.

Spent: $22.95

DAY SEVEN

6:08 a.m. — It’s Cooking Day. We go through our routine again and play.

7:15 a.m. — I hear my partner waking up so I start clearing the dried dishes (it is noisy) off the counter I washed last night. It only takes about 5 minutes or less.

As a side note, my family thinks I’m weird for not having or wanting a dish washer but I haven’t found a machine to take less time than I do to wash and dry the dishes. The only savings are in the work it takes to clean the dishes but even those sometimes come out of the dishwasher and need to be re-washed by hand. I’m pretty quick at dishes, maybe 30 minutes tops for a full sink and they just air dry during the day or over night so I save on electricity there.

7:35 p.m. — We chat about the iPad I saw in-store while I drink my tea and Baby Bun insists on wearing socks on his hands and jumping around like a kangaroo.

8:09 a.m. — As he’s cooking, my partner and I have a conversation over my cup of matcha green tea about how the brain is like wine. If you don’t take care of it and improve it, it turns into vinegar.

Very apt I might add. I consider making it a post but decide it doesn’t have enough substance to be worth writing about.

8:39 a.m. — I wrangle Baby Bun and decide because it’s so beautiful we can go out to the park all bundled up and work off his toddler energy after we go out and get groceries.

10:23 a.m. — We come back from grocery shopping and I take Baby Bun to the park to run off his energy. I make up a “Kangaroo” game and make him jump all over the park like a kangaroo.

11:06 a.m. — We get back home after a good run & jump at the park, and eat a nice lunch together. I finish about 20 minutes in, and Baby Bun is still going. My partner leaves for HIS Daddy time off after lunch.

Noon — Baby Bun finally finishes his lunch (I was doing dishes and while he fed himself). He asks for some water, and then when he’s done, he asks for some water, then goes and puts himself down for a nap. *hearts in eyes*.. This child!

1:11 p.m. — I spend the next hour and a half eating a clementine orange leisurely and decide to line up a bunch of blog posts. I give up on this while trying to write a post, and keep watching more TV.

3:02 p.m. — Baby Bun is awake, and we go to the park again, this time with my partner. We run him hard like a Kangaroo and make him jump around until he is exhausted. I video a cardinal singing in a tree:

4:13 p.m. — We come back inside and Baby Bun is in a great mood, he stuffs his little face and ends up falling asleep so deeply and soundly at 8 p.m. that I vow to take him to the park daily for at least 2 hours. I vacuum again and do all the dishes to dry overnight on the counter.

6:34 p.m. — Daddy!

7:08 p.m. — We read books and chat.

8:30 p.m. — Bedtime. Baby Bun falls asleep exhausted and happy without any prompting.

Saved: $0

Spent: $0

THOUGHTS

I tempted fate with shopping and came out victorious (mostly because my size was not available).. but still!

I feel good. Now I just need to start staying away from window shopping as I clearly become way too tempted when I see pretty, well-fitting items and am WEAK.

Food seems to be my true weakness. It’s just so… CHEAP.

WANT TO READ MORE?

Here are all of my previous Week of Money posts.