Week of Money: Where people ramp up on holiday lunch invites (my favourite kind)

DAY ONE

??:?? — Tired. Little Bun was snuffling and wiggling a lot last night.

??:?? — Why am I awake? I try to go back to sleep but my partner is up and his showering and shuffling around is waking me as well. At least I am at home today.

5:51 a.m. — Oh, Little Bun “slept in”… YES. SIX AM IS SLEEPING IN FOR PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN. *grumble grumble*….

6:07 a.m. — Tea time while I log in and start working. I sent the WRONG FILE LAST WEEK. OMFG. *sigh*… I have to go and figure out why I made that mistake. I thought I was careful but… … oh. It isn’t me. Someone deleted it, and I took the last version and it was wrong. Great.

9:14 a.m. — Another tea break. I bought the wrong tea — Chocolate macaroon instead of Hot chocolate — so I am sucking it up and drinking it, even though it is not what I am expecting.

10:00 a.m. — Should I take Little Bun out today? Or not? I am pondering this. If I go out I am sure to spend money…. Best to stay home I think. Squash this bored spending bug….

11:38 a.m. — I realize my car wash coupon is about to expire in 3 days so I quickly bundle Little Bun up to go get it done. They give you 3 months to use the code but I’ve been lazy and forgetful so .. yeah. Looks like we are going out!

11:48 a.m. — We head into Bulk Barn to get treats for the office. I spy a bottle of spicy chilli garlic sauce and buy that too. I haven’t had time to go to Chinatown to save a buck… $21.73

12:04 p.m. — Damn. Candy is expensive. Especially the Hershey kisses which my boss loves… gulp. I picked up $4 worth of gummy fruits too because I’m addicted and I realize they are THREE times as cheap. Not feeling guilty about them any more..

12:17 p.m. — We go and get the car through the wash and I see two ahead of me. Groan. Hate waiting.

12:20 p.m. — Feels like eternity but our turn is finally next and Little Bun in the backseat commands: Mommy! Turn the music off!! — apparently he doesn’t enjoy any music ruining his deluxe car wash experience with pretty soap colours in pink and blue…. LOL

12:31 p.m. — Time to go. I inch the car out slowly bit by bit to get it as DRY AS POSSIBLE. It isn’t supposed to snow or rain for at least 5 more days so this clean car wash should last… I hope. At the very least it cleans the dirt off and I used my coupon without letting it expire… again. (Yes this has happened due to forgetfulness).

12:40 p.m. — Home and working. Little Bun is down for his nap. He protested but I told him that Daddy gets upset when he doesn’t nap when he is at home with Mommy, so down you go. Down he goes. He listens and goes down. (He was YAWNING THE ENTIRE TIME we were out, so he NEEDs this nap…)

12:52 p.m. — I break into my stash of gummy juicy fruits. DEEE-LISH. I eat all the orange and lemon wedges first  because I hate them the most and want them out of the way. The pineapple ones are my favourite.

2:45 p.m. — SOLVED. YES! And within deadline. And only 50 gummies eaten. A record, really.

4:10 p.m. — I start watching The Glass Castle, the movie. I loved the book so much, that it is amazing to see it come to life from my head…. I actually find it painful to watch in some scenes because while I never experienced such poverty and starvation at the hands of dreamer parents, I have heard plenty of stories from my mother about how she grew up. Her father was similar… not a drunkard but definitely a louse.

5:25 p.m. — My partner gets home.

7:10 p.m. — Little Bun darts out like a wild animal, grabbing toys and things, running back to the bedroom and building… goodness knows what. As long as he is entertained, I leave him.

8:15 p.m. — Time for bed. He squeals as he is brushing his teeth (“Brushing” more like it… as he is making the motions), for me to take a picture of him and videos of him brushing his teeth. He likes having his picture taken and wants me to record him. I’m encouraging this because we never take real life pictures, only posed ones, and we miss out on little life things, you know?

Spent: $21.73

DAY TWO

??:?? — I wake up and look outside. It is cold but not too cold, I am still debating whether I want to go to the Christmas Market or not because I KNOW once I am there I will want stuff. The whole point of being smarter and more willful would be to not bloody get tempted in the first place. Right? Right.

??:?? — Little Bun squeals that he wants both Mommy AND Daddy to stay at home because that’s the way it is. I gently pet his head and face and tell him I have to go to the office today.

6:03 a.m. — He squeals “no no no, I want Mommy Mommy MOMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE“….

6:09 a.m. — I desperately fish for an excuse he will accept and tell him I have to bring decorations into the office. He stops, nods, and says: That’s right. I was your helper and I helped you scoop those decorations, and now you will bring them into the office to see which colours they like! (The decorations are a euphemism for candy. I bought Hershey Kisses in various colours and patterns and told Little Bun they were decorations…. He bought it because he doesn’t eat candy – has no idea what it is. Thinks they are colourful toys.)

6:25 a.m. — I get dressed (wearing my new striped Zara top today and loving it), and upon deciding on heels or boots, I put on my secondhand Rag & Bone moto boots and head into work. Heels would look great but I plan on walking outside today.

7:14 a.m. — At work, nonstop.

11:57 a.m. — I head out and cannot decide on what to eat. I finally buy a burger at Five Guys and somehow built it up in my head, because when I finally eat it, it is not as yummy as I remembered. I prefer (as junk food goes), the grilled chicken burger at Wendy’s. No idea why, I just love it so much. $9.09

12:45 p.m. — I head back to the office and bypass the Christmas Market + Temptation. I’ll just end up shopping.

2:15 p.m. — I get something like 3 cups of tea in a span of an hour and a half because I keep chatting with people. I get NO WORK DONE AT THE OFFICE, for real. I am too chatty. At home I do far more.

2:45 p.m. — I give the list of NYC pop-up store favourites to a friend (MM Lafleur, Sezane, Cuyana, Everlane), and practically sell her on the Dyson Airwrap because she is as vain as I am.

3:11 p.m. — We (some guys and I) are debating those lyrics to “Baby it’s cold outside” and I launch into the spiel I read from Reddit (citing Reddit of course), and explain how it is completely taken out of context.

3:25 p.m. — That burger feels like lead in my stomach. I see why I am not a fan of these things. First burger in years. I remember why now.

4:03 p.m. — I grab a glass of milk from the ‘fresh milk’ some guys brought back for cappuccinos, and then I basically wait out the day. My brain is fried. I was running on full gear all morning trying to get all the loose ends tied up for a presentation tomorrow. Now I’m good.

4:15 p.m. — Oh crap. My partner has to go in tomorrow because his remote connection is not working. I have to stay home, which means I cancel the lunch reservation I had 🙁 I hate this. Oh well. Saved me at least $60 I guess.

5:33 p.m. — I am picking up packages at home WE HAVE SO MANY and I load them into the apartment. My partner’s stuff. I also get the turtleneck from Banana Republic and clearly LOVE IT… Crap. $400. No. NO. HOLD STRONG. IT IS GOING BACK.

6:08 p.m. — Time for noodles. I read through books….

8:07 p.m. — Time for bed.

Spent: $9.09

DAY THREE

??:?? — I’m tired. But Little Bun wakes up and is SO SWEET in the mornings, I can’t help but cuddle and snuggle him.

6:25 a.m. — I log in and start working.

7:59 a.m. — My baby is making very strange noises like he is about to poo, and yet is happily playing… this is very disconcerting. I keep telling him to go to the bathroom and not to wait.

8:08 a.m. — Gummy fruits time. I’m terrible. Half the bag is gone already.

12:08 p.m. — I do the dishes.

12:28 p.m. — I get Little Bun down for a nap after the dishes. I check on him a little later and he is SITTING UP! PRETENDING TO NAP!.. I growl at him and he goes down and closes his eyes, half opening one to eye me in the doorway.

2:16 p.m. — OMFG. I thought this was a cashmere arm warmer or something with a weird name and it turns out it is for self-love… O_o.. think: fancy washable, frictionless wool sock.. *cough*

3:34 p.m. — I take Little Bun out for a treat after his nap. This little animal refused to nap at noon, finally goes down, and is out for ALMOST TWO HOURS. #%(*#%… he needed the nap!! Why do kids resist the nap? I’d love to nap daily…

4:20 p.m. — He has a big croissant and I have a spinach & goat cheese pastry, and a parmesan and leek pastry because I’m a pig. $8.46

6:03 p.m. — Waiting for my partner to come home (he is running errands and restocking our milk for sure, we go through about 8 bottles a week between the three of us), so he can watch Little Bun while I shower.

7:44 p.m. — My partner doesn’t make it home until late, so I end up getting Little Bun to snuggle in the homemade bed fort (blankets and pillows) I created for him and his stuffed toy (his “baby”) and set him up with his iPad to play his colour app so he is safe until I can get my shower done (otherwise my hair won’t dry in time for bed and I HATE sleeping with wet hair, as I returned the Dyson hairdryer and am going to buy the Dyson Airwrap that comes with a mini hairdryer instead as it has other attachments I want like a curling rod)… I leave the door open so I can keep an ear out for Little Bun issues. It lets all the wonderful hot steam out but this is true parental love & sacrifice right here….

7:56 p.m. — I get out of my shower, lathered up in Radha rosehip oil and this delicious smelling vegan lavender organic skin cream (made by a local artisan because she is such a nice person and I like supporting small businesses), and tidy up the area.

8:05 p.m. — I log in and because I am returning that uber expensive turtleneck that in the end is too thick and expensive (this is what I am telling myself to stop obsessing over it), that I end up finding a Gucci turtleneck (oversized) for $44 CAD and a larger navy blue J. Crew sweater that is also oversized because…. I love me a good navy sweater. SUCH A SUCKER. $113.28

8:20 p.m. — Time for bed. Little Bun slept SO MUCH that he doesn’t want to sleep (it’s almost 9) and I am certain he will wake up super freakin’ early tomorrow. Groan.

Spent: $121.74

DAY FOUR

??:?? — Yep. Nailed my prediction. It is DARK and I know it is before 5 a.m. Just not sure if it is 3 a.m. too early or borderline 4:30 a.m. too early…. I get up and get his milk after he very brightly, cheerfully insists he is awake and not tired.

??:?? — I take him to the living room after rousing myself out of bed. Yep. 5 a.m. It means he woke up around 4:45 a.m. or so….. Sigh.

5:03 a.m. — He sits up beside me at the counter and insists he taps on my Kobo Glo to help me read. I open up my latest e-book – A girl like you – Gemma Burgess and then get so sucked into it that when my partner wakes up, I am reluctant to go and start getting ready. I want to finish this book! I have read her two others, and while I sort of like her style, I find her characters a bit too much like trainwrecks and her plots are really outrageous and dramatic which is and isn’t my thing, depending on how well the story is crafted. This is the first one of the three I have read so far, where I actually enjoy the character and the plot….

5:03 a.m. — I finally tear myself away after procrastinating, and get ready for work. I was thinking of tying my Isabel Marant Leece belt around my Derek Lam striped top (got it new for $25 at WINNERS!! Down from $300!), but it is too thin and looks awkward. I try an Anthropologie fabric geometric Aztec-like belt instead and like the result a lot more. I just won’t be able to (maybe) eat two sandwiches today like I was planning on, maybe just one. All the better, it’ll save me $8.

6:51 a.m. — I go to work, and get confused with the construction happening. I swear, I live in a city where I’d be a billionaire if I made construction paraphernalia like orange construction cones, signs, and vests. I’d be filthy rich.

7:27 a.m. — I finally get into the garage, a guy stares at me in my car (happens a lot more these days), and I calmly park it now that I have cameras and it is so much easier to see the lines when backing up.

8:11 a.m. — At work, I was going to leave my (secondhand) Rag and Bone waxed suede booties on but switch into my Manolo Blahnik heels instead (also secondhand) because I have a few big presentations to go to today.

8:20 a.m. — I grab a cup of tea (Maple Syrup Oolong — who knew it would be so YUMMY) with the team and then get to work, firing off a few emails.

11:44 a.m. — Time for lunch. I grab two sandwiches and a rapsberry pistachio tart because I’m a pig. $20.41

12:25 p.m. — Hmm. Should have stuck with the porchetta. I took that and the meatball, but I only should have eaten the porchetta with spicy garlic sauce. Too bad. I will know for next time. The meatball one was too mushy as a sandwich.

4:25 p.m. — Time to go home. I drop by UPS, drop off my return, then Canada Post and head home to check the mail.

5:14 p.m. — OMG! MY BOOTS CAME IN!!! Stuard Weitzman OTK Lowland boots. I got them for about $200 USD when they sell for 4 times that price at retail. Why pay all that extra money? They’re almost like new. I try them on eagerly. Size 7 fits PERFECTLY. like literally wearing a sock. It fits my foot to a T. I almost wish I took a 7.5 to give myself a bit more room to wear a slightly thicker sock, but this first perfectly with a thin sock. I’ll do a full OTK review later, now that I have these and Aquatalia Kiaras…

5:40 p.m. — SQUEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also.. I ordered this BR mock cableneck as something to try on, as I am definitely returning the $400 one.

6:12 p.m. — I ate so much for lunch that I don’t need dinner.

6:17 p.m. — Currently obsessed with these two songs: 21 Pilots – Stressed Out and Taki Taki by DJ Snake. Don’t ask me why, these songs are so different but I like the beat and melody in both, plus in Taki Taki my favourite line is — “He said he really wanna see me more. I said we should have a date, where? At the Lamborghini store. Iím kinda scary, hard to read, I’m like a Ouija board. But I’m a boss bitch, who you gonna leave me for?” — I wonder what that says about me. 😛

6:43 p.m. — I build a new bed fort for Little Bun and he asks me very sweetly to play with him and run trucks everywhere on the blankets.

6:59 p.m. — OMG. His nose won’t stop bleeding!! I call in my partner (reinforcements) to take over because I’m too panicky for this, and he is much better at being calm and handling nosebleeds that won’t stop. I’m nervously scrubbing out towels and blood spattered clothes in the sink while he soothes Little Bun and gets him to STAY STILL while he grips his nose tight to stop the bleeding. Little Bun wiggles in my arms and won’t stay still unless I get mad at him and then he gets upset and starts bawling… I can’t win.

8:20 p.m. — Time for bed after I recount my day to my partner who is preparing bread for tomorrow, and he bursts out laughing at the idiocy in my department.

Spent: $20.41

DAY FIVE

??:?? — Awake but before Little Bun which means he and I both slept well.

6:13 a.m. — I change my outfit 3 times. I can’t decide on what to wear. I finally end up in a pink linen (secondhand) shirt with some gold bracelets and a gold layered necklace with my (new to me) Frye Melanie flats. LOVE THEM. Sort of want them in other colours now. This is what I am, a hoarder who likes multiples of favourite items.

7:59 a.m. — At work, working. MAJOR issues today, and damn…. people are just freaking the eff out.

11:30 a.m. — Lunch. We go out to eat. I have a gift card so I use that and pay the tip out of it… $5

12:28 p.m. — Yummy! We leave and I go back.

1:15 p.m. — Time to work. People are seriously freaking out. I need to stop responding. So I do. I drink tea and eat gummies instead. Oh man…

2:56 p.m. — I would love to leave right now. RIGHT NOW.

3:54 p.m. — Going home. YAY!

4:25 p.m. — Raining cats and dogs, I avoid the post office and pick up my package. Turns out I should freaking STOP buying Petite items if they have sleeves. My arms are way too long for anything in Petite 🙁 .. But skirts and dresses are fine.

6:15 p.m. — I share my sandwich with Little Bun – egg and avocado on fresh bread — and snuggle him. I love his cheeks, and how cute and sweet he is at this age.

7:29 p.m. — We cuddle in bed and build a bed fort and hang…. it is a bit exhausting that he wants me to play with him all day, every day and he sort of just leaves his father alone.. but that’s because I am Fun Mommy and come up with creative games…

8:45 p.m. — Time for bed…

Spent: $5

DAY SIX

??:?? — I wake up before Little Bun.

6:00 a.m. — He wakes up right away. Time to make some tea. Little Bun wants to play with everything….

7:59 a.m. — Dishes done, budget completed (yes, I fill out my budgeting tool spreadsheet EVERY SINGLE MONTH and track what I spend)….

10:15 a.m. — I make some noodles (just a morning snack)… and Little Bun gets fed his vegetables, and eats a banana as dessert.

11:28 a.m. — GAH! My sister toe (the fourth one before the pinky, look up Family Finger) has her nailpolish completely chipped off. OMG! I should book an appointment. I decide not to because I have one booked in January and it isn’t that far off. I can hold off.

12:17 p.m. — My partner comes home and we have bread and cheese. NOMZ. I have my work party potluck happening this week so I’m bringing little nibbles…

12:34 p.m. — I have a massive fight with my partner. He thinks I’m feeding Little Bun junk food on the sly but I am really not. It is that Little Bun is watching those panda videos and they keep talking about how hamburgers and donuts (neither of which he has ever eaten in his little life) are yummy. He and I have a huge screaming match, I’m really angry.

12:50 p.m. — I head out ANGRY, with the bread and cheese like a rock in my stomach, and end up at a consignment shop where I pick up a designer dress that originally cost $4000 for only $115. SCORE! I also end up at a thrift store, and find a few items but don’t buy any of them — they each had their own flaws, and I wasn’t going to buy it even for $10. $131.10

5:05 p.m. — Home. I make some noodles.

5:31 p.m. — I eat my noodles and kind of organize my area.

8:22 p.m. — Bedtime.

Spent: $131.10

DAY SEVEN

6:00 a.m. — We start the morning early with tea. And learning the clock. He has mastered the o’clocks but not the others.. the concept of the 60 minutes in an hour is a new one for him.

6:42 a.m. — We eat our freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly made croissants.

7:25 a.m. — I make another tea.

10:45 a.m. — Time for lunch — bread and eggs with avocado. We eat early because we’re always hungry.

11:00 a.m. — I go downstairs and sell my old iPod Touch. I don’t use it any more and I still have another one so I might as well recoup some money. +$180

11:21 a.m. — It was a very sweet mother and son buying it for a younger boy. She told me I had put “has dents” on the listing but she didn’t see any that were major. I just told her I wanted to be honest and I took pictures of all the “flaws” but since I take very good care of my things, the “flaws” are very minor. Yay! Money!

12:30 p.m. — After lunch, more clock faces. Then we head down for a nap.

2:15 p.m. — I conk out for the PERFECT nap – 90 minutes – and wake up without any dizziness or grogginess. Perfect nap.

2:18 p.m. — I also had a very disturbing dream about someone arguing with me that my faux fur stoles were real fur from Zara and I was horrified because I’d never knowingly buy fur — exception being that fur ruff on the Canada Goose jacket which I wish they had given a faux fur option of. But for style purposes I’m not into exotic anything or furs. That stuff kind of creeps me out to be honest, exotic leathers from snakes and crocodiles — gross …

Faux fur stole in question:

3:44 p.m. — I do all the dishes and dry them while my partner is out buying a new rug for the hallway — we always lay it down when winter hits to protect the hallway.

4:23 p.m. — Little Bun insists on a Circle Fort so I build it for him.

4:39 p.m. — I’ve been very nostalgic lately with Little Bun. He yawns as he did when he was a 3-month old, has the same smile and cheeks… I keep seeing him as a young baby. He is so lucky to be so loved, is all I can say. I hope he realizes that as he gets older.

5:40 p.m. — My skin has been pretty good lately. A small light brown sunspot has finally faded off my cheek with diligent hydroquinone application (twice a day) .. I still have another sunspot to to clear which is as dark as a beauty mark. This one will take more time. This cream has done far more for my skin and marks than that spa facial I paid over $1000 for has ever done. EXPENSIVE Lesson learned.

6:19 p.m. — I read up on all the anti-aging and acne ingredients:

• Retinol – anti-aging gold standard
• Niacinamide – anti-aging and for acne
• Azelaic acid – anti-aging and for acne
• Vitamin C – anti-aging
• Hydroquinone – sunspot eraser as it inhibits melanin
• BHA – exfoliator (also called salicylic acid)
• AHA – exfoliator of another kind
• Benzoyl peroxide – acne bacteria killer

And I use them all in my weekly routine … I’ve cut out hyaluronic acid because I already have some of it in the serums already and it actually interferes with my skin exfoliating and staying clear / dirt / bump free.

8:00 p.m. — Time for bed.

Sold: $180

Spent: $0

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Want more? Read all of my previous Week of Money Diaries.