2013 is gonna be a rocky year for this Rabbit...

For everyone born in the sign of the Rabbit, 2013 is a tough, stressful and tiresome year according to Feng Shui forecast.

 http://www.fengshuimall.com/feng-shui-forecast-2013

It is good to know, so that I can be prepared to face the Year of the Snake head on. I am told to "Be positive and strengthen myself! To stay strong and healthy this year to face the year’s challenges and to try not to overwork and get enough sleep." Both of which for most people are not a challenge but for this bunny getting enough sleep and not overworking myself is like asking me to breathe regularly. 

Apparently my spirit chi and vitality energy is lacking, and I will not be as enthusiastic as last year in my approach to work, or life. I thought the energy drag I have felt as I head towards the New Year was mostly do the chocolate hang over, lack of exercise and the laying around I have done over the Christmas holidays. 

There's no doubt that my energy levels feel a little off kilter, but like everyone, I plan on making New Years resolutions that more than likely I will have difficulty keeping since only 8% of Americans actually follow through....sorry no Canadian statistics, but I doubt there is much of a difference. 

http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

Just as a side note, the top 10 New Years resolutions for 2012 are (no surprise)...

1) Losing Weight: I need to say goodbye to 12 pounds minus whatever I gained over the holidays. Sorry not willing to look until Jan 1st...until then glug, glug, glug and someone pass me a chocolate truffle!!

2) Getting organized: Yippee! I am on this one....thankfully I am Mrs. Organized. That doesn't mean my plans always follow through or that I don't single-handedly organize my own disasters. I can over plan days like Mrs. Claus can bake too many fruit cakes....and I do this often. It is a curse and sometimes a super power....hence the lack of sleep and down time.

3) Spending less, saving more: No kidding! This is a resolution that got started in September and will be carried on into in January. Its not about how much money you make, but how much you keep. I plan on keeping most of it in 2013 despite my inner rabbit's dire predictions in the area of finance for 2013. There is no doubt that focusing on consolidating my resources is good advice considering the focus that I now have for reducing our debt and sticking to a budget. There may even be an awesome ray of hope....

My financial forecast says, "Be patient and composed. Do not be hasty in taking risks, starting new ventures or expanding business as it will drown you with troubles. Best to stay low key. Not a good year to change jobs or put money into investments. The 26 year old Rabbit will suffer very bad wealth and health luck. However, wealth luck is shining on the 38 year old." Lucky me....I will be a 38 year old rabbit!!!

4) Enjoying life to the fullest: I will be making good on this one in 2013 and that doesn't mean blowing everything at Vegas or building a stocked wine cellar or eating Prime Rib every night (Mmmmm, prime rib....). I am going to enjoy living to the fullest by hugging my kids a little closer, getting the rest and exercise I need, investing more time into the relationships that matter most, growing a little garden, and learning how to meditate or maybe just meditative breath.....hey, you gotta start somewhere.

5) Staying Fit and Healthy: See #1, no doubt that staying fit and healthy ties in with losing weight. The last three weeks have been spent baking, decorating, and participating in Christmas activities which means that exercising, healthier cooking and taking my vitamins have completely flown out the window. When I over schedule, the first thing to go is my personal health.....I am not alone in that, I am sure.


"Every Rabbit should take note of food hygiene and should seek early medical treatment when you’re ill." I learned this the hard way in 2012 when I let a plantar foot injury get so out of hand that I couldn't walk on the foot anymore. I am still struggling with it and need to resolve to invest in my health in 2013. As for the food hygiene, I can guarantee that everything I have stuffed my face with for Christmas was delicious and sanitary!


6) Learn something exciting: "Success luck is rather poor." So if it works better for me in 2013 to relax a bit, go with the flow and make it a year to upgrade myself with knowledge and skills, I am all for it. As I approach my 40's, I have this nagging feeling that if I ever wanted to change careers, the next two years is the time to do it while I still have plenty of time before retirement to save.

7) Quit smoking: Thanks goodness I don't have to do that....unless the resolution is about me quitting being smoking hot.....NEVER, will I make this a resolution, nor should you!!! :)

8) Helping others in their dreams: This is probably the best resolution out of the top ten and the easiest to stick to. My children have dreams of their own...things that they want to accomplish in the New Year and I can support them if I stick to my budget and pay attention to what they need. I am also open to what I can do for others in my family, my community and beyond. This is the kind of resolution that can fill you up.

9) Falling in love: I would stretch this resolution beyond the signing up on the Plenty of Fish website for those in my life who might still be single but rather being in love with the life that you already have or giving yourself the permission of self love and forgiveness. It is a worthy gift and it seems that in most cases, everything falls into place after that....

10) Spend more time with family: Good resolution to have....we can't replace time so spending it wisely is a great way to start the year!


For the Rabbit born, the Snake Year of 2013 surrounds me with challenges that require the use of physical, symbolic and cosmic assistance. I am told to make sure I use the necessary feng shui treatments to overcome my problems and to help me sail through the year.

What kind of Feng Shui treatments might save me from the dire warnings of  "The Rabbit born sitting smack on the Natural Disaster Star in the year of the Snake 2013?"  I am told to "wear red as much as possible, to  consciously tell myself not to let anyone or anything to irritate me. I should also "curb my temper and show more concern to my spouse or loved ones to strengthen relationships."

By doing all of the above I should be able to avoid the Natural Disaster Star "which brings accidents and misfortunes, dangers of getting sick, being betrayed or losing something that I value such as the loss of a relationship, the loss of wealth or income, or the loss of one’s good name."

The red is easy...the allowing stupid people not to irritate me, not so much. I will do my best, but when someone asks me if I like to cook stuff and I am wearing a Chef uniform...it kinda goes without saying that it is a pretty annoying stupid question and deserves my scornful temper. Call it karma or fate or cosmic consequences for the offender but sarcasm is my body's natural defence against stupidity.

However fun it may be to use Chinese Astrology to discover our fate...I know that our destiny is determined by us and us alone. This Lucky Bunny predicts that if I continue on our new financial path and stick to my resolutions...all things in 2013 will be better than expected.

Happy New Years Everyone and All The Best For You and Your Family in 2013!!!

We are your average Canadian Family and we resolve to do things a little better in the New Year......

12 Days of Giving without Spending a Dime....

I have been asked so many times in the last few days if I am ready for Christmas. Usually when this question is asked it generally implies that the asker is really asking,"Have you finished shopping yet?". My answer to this question has been,"Yes, I am ready in spirit."

Without giving any elaboration to the askers since most people are also gauging how high your stress level is, in comparison to their own, like we compare weather and brag when ours is sunnier than someone else's, I choose to let others think that I am way behind thus giving them the upper hand as opposed to the truth.... which is that we are having a "Buy Nothing" Christmas at our house.

That doesn't mean that we will have nothing under our tree this year for those of you who may be worried that my Austerity Measures have turned me into the Ultimate Mother Grinch, soon to be a new storyline for Disney in theatres near you. (Notice how the mothers in Disney movies for kids are always dead, curiously missing or evil.....why do we buy these movies!!!!)

We already have a few pressies under our tree from Grandpa Christmas, and will soon have a few more from our other wonderful Grandma's and Grandpa's who wonderfully spoil our children over the holidays. We are incredibly grateful....even if it means that they will probably supply our children with enough chocolate that if weighed would match their equivalent body weight in mass. I can't wait till my kids have kids so I can completely forget what large amounts of caffeine and sugar can do to a six year old over the holidays!

It makes sense that if we are fortunate to have grandparents supply the bling of the holidays, to stick to our budget and start the New Year off right for a change. It sounds great in theory, but as the big day approaches, it gets tougher and tougher to find ways to give without wanting to spend. We desperately want to let others know that we care and appreciate them in our lives, and frankly we want to spoil them too, since it feels so wonderful to give.

I'm not the only one who thinks it feels better to give than to get.....Michael Norton has devoted time and research to determine that money does indeed buy happiness. But not in the normal way that you might think.
Watch this short video clip to see what he has to say about how you can use your money or to give in a way that will cause you to feel happier.

http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_norton_how_to_buy_happiness.html

Does that mean its time to whip out the plastic? Hardly, it means we need to get a little more creative this year so that we can stick to our budget and spread some holiday cheer....you would think it would be easy to find ways to give without spending a dime with a simple google search....not as easy as one would think, but I have found a few:

To feel Holiday joy by giving to others:

1) Give to the Hungry: http://www.thehungersite.com/ You can give food to others simply by clicking on a button on the website. Totally free and you can click once a day. Should you wish to buy something from their advertisers, you can give even more food every time you purchase.

2) Donate Blood: http://www.blood.ca/ Approximately every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood. Check out their website to find locations that you can donate...its free and you may even get some juice or a cookie.

3) Donate Food, Water, Education and Money: http://www.ripple.org/ This is another fantastic way to use a simple click of the mouse to donate to others. Ripple works as a win for everyone and together we can make a real impact on poverty in our world by supporting simple websites like this to help others.

4) Donate Rice: http://freerice.com Improve your vocabulary, science and math skills or answer questions about art and donate rice to others. Its simple and fun! I am improving my spanish vocabulary for my next trip to Mexico and every time I do, I am helping others and not just with rice donations. I am sure the Mexicans would appreciate not having to communicate to me with my broken Spanish as well. "Cuanto is the busso to Puerto?", must be agonizing to listen to......

5) Goodsearch, Donors Choose and Kiva:  http://www.goodsearch.com/ Choose your cause, donate or raise donations with a facebook page and help others in your community or around the world. You can track the progress of donations and inspire others.

Help teachers from around the world get the supplies they need to educate kids. You pick the project and help supply the materials or the money. The kids will even send you a thank you...http://www.donorschoose.org/project/stuck-in-canada/198847/

Empower people around the world with a $25 loan. Our kids donated their own $25 to their first entrepreneur a year ago, its been repaid and reloaned four times over. They choose the project and person to donate to. They receive the loan back in installments, depending on the ability to pay and once the final amount is received, they can then choose another project and person. It's a wonderful way to support entrepreneurs around the world. http://www.kiva.org/ ...
To Give Merriment to Family Members:

6) Slideshow/Pictures: Put that Windows XP  to work with a slide show of your families year, complete with pictures, whitty text and cheesy background musak...its a gift that keeps on giving and is great for family members from afar since they often miss out on your day to day. I bought a digital picture frame for my grandparents last year, so now all I need is a thumb drive to send to them to update it every year.....here's hoping Grandma and Grandpa can figure it out.

7) Baking using Existing Ingredients in Pantry: Austerity Measures baking can go a long way to providing delicious gifts for others. I did some Austerity Measures canning last year and I have enough pickles to sink a ship.....there's nothing that says Christmas like Garlic Dill Pickles! Hey, they are green and it is the thought that counts...I am gonna add a little ribbon and some decorative fabric...et voila!

8) Coupons for everything from massages, house cleaning, car cleaning, babysitting, snow shovelling, house painting, or furniture moving can be created and will be much appreciated....I would like them all!!!! Can you give a better gift than time to do stuff that everyone can never get around to doing or to give your family members with small kids a break from life with toddlers or babies....I don't think so.

9) Cash in on Air Miles, PC Points, Bonus Rewards, and Optimum Points....now's the best time of year to get things for free....We are booking some ski lift passes and movie tickets using our Air Miles this year as a gift to ourselves and the kids. If we could get Moosehead hockey tickets...it would be even better!!! These could also be used to purchase items for others....save some money, use the points, they are the only benefit from overspending.

10) Make a mixed tape.....I mean, a mixed CD....damn, is my age showing!!! My family spends too much of our budget on music....so we have enough of an already paid for resource to give some great tunes to the rest of the family. We can even update the sound collection of our grandparents with maybe some Michael Buble...or a little Flo Rida, who knows?! They might dig it!

A little gift giving for your spouse:

11) Read 50 Shades of Grey if you feel like getting funky or use your imagination for a little romance.....its not complicated, and it is a great gift that can sometimes keep on giving and its free. Say no more......

To see smiles on your children's faces:

12) The gift of time is the greatest gift you can give your children. Build lego, play with Barbies, cuddle on the couch reading books, show them the joy of board games (remember those?!), build snowmen, make hot chocolate, try out the Just Dance on the Wii, and take time to listen to what makes their holiday special. The return on this gift in not measurable.

And here's a bonus gift just for you:

13) Read a book uninterrupted for an hour, sleep in, take a bath, give yourself a free yoga class (classes online or just lay in childs pose for awhile...close the blinds if you are worried about the neighbours), give yourself a pedicure (don't worry if you do a lousy job, no one will see your feet in December), watch a Christmas movie, eat chocolate chips from the pantry, go for a walk by the seaside, toboggan with the kids, paint something, stop worrying about tomorrow, kiss your kids, love your time off from work, let the housework be done another day, love yourself just as you are and be grateful for the little things that make your life joyful. Some of these are the best gifts you will get all year.....and they are free.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

We are your average Canadian family, with big hearts and oodles of joy and we have plenty to give.........

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.....

I have a confession to make....my daughters and I just took a weeks vacation to Mexico for a girls trip to celebrate my mother and sister's birthdays. Now before some of you cry fraud, cheater, or give a tsk, tsk of disappointment at our lack of austerity measures....let me show you how we did it and still stayed on budget. Yep, that's right,....ON BUDGET!!!!

There are lots of creative ways that families can take a vacation without a humongous expense. For us, it was easy since my Mom owns a home in Puerto Vallarta, which keeps accommodation, food and entertainment costs to a minimum. She also has a vehicle that we drove Mexican style with no working seatbelts, but minus the open truck bed in the back with lawn chairs (we refer to them as Mexican car seats). 

We had also purchased our tickets prior to the Austerity Measures on a great seat sale from WestJet. My children covered the cost of their own through birthday and Christmas savings.They have more in their bank accounts than we do because they prefer to save. Our kids are smarter than we are....almost always.

We were there for family time which also keeps expenses low, since our priority was sitting around my Mom's pool catching up and not drinking ourselves stupid, swimming with dolphins, or sitting through some god-awful time share presentation so that we can get free tequila and a day at some resort filled with other North Americans. 

My biggest splurge was taking my Mom and sister out for dinner which was truly a fine dining experience with an outdoor playground that kept the kids happy (why don't we have this in Canada?!!) and involved 4 appetizers, 7 entree's, 7 desserts, pre-dinner drinks, and a bottle of wine. We had four wonderful Mexican men attending to our every need and we received welcome shooters for both us and the kids to kick off the evening (all kids deserve real fruit juice shooters!). I won't even share what our wonderful evening cost me...it will make the average Canadian family cry, especially when a dinner at McDonald's with a play place can cost you $30. 

When we did shop, it was at the local grocery store or Wal-Mart. Even with the probably inflated gringo pricing at the local market, we still made off with bags of fruit and veggies for less than $7. My precious bottle of rum that I have refrained from buying since our austerity measures kicked in was purchased for $12.50, a gift from my Mom (they say Mothers know best....cheers to that!). The same bottle costs me $38.95 in Nova Scotia. The pineapple juice and cream of coconut to make killer pina coladas for the entire week cost me $4.00. 

We travelled into Puerto Vallarta twice from where my Mom lives in Nuevo and it cost us the equivalent of .26 cents return. Our taxi and valet service from the airport, which is the most expensive place to travel from cost us $23 plus I gave them much more in tips. 

We splurged on ice cream, hot nuts and orange pop too! It was a lot easier to stick to our grocery budget, even with the extras. Everything except purchasing power and the mortgage interest rate is cheaper in Mexico, compared to Canada. Makes me wonder why we live here at all. 

To give you an idea of the difference, have quick browse at this, and then add 10% since it is probably based on Toronto pricing and almost is everything is more expensive in Atlantic Canada.

	Mexico	Canada	Difference
Restaurants	[Edit]	[Edit]
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	65.00 MXN	156.20 MXN	+140.31 %
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	300.00 MXN	781.00 MXN	+160.33 %
Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar	65.00 MXN	104.13 MXN	+60.21 %
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)	20.00 MXN	65.08 MXN	+225.42 %
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	30.00 MXN	78.10 MXN	+160.33 %
Cappuccino (regular)	30.00 MXN	45.56 MXN	+51.86 %
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)	9.25 MXN	25.90 MXN	+180.03 %
Water (0.33 liter bottle)	8.00 MXN	19.53 MXN	+144.06 %
Markets	[Edit]	[Edit]
Milk (regular), 1 liter	13.00 MXN	25.90 MXN	+99.26 %
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g)	22.00 MXN	32.54 MXN	+47.92 %
Rice (1kg)	15.00 MXN	43.61 MXN	+190.71 %
Eggs (12)	20.00 MXN	39.05 MXN	+95.25 %
Local Cheese (1kg)	80.00 MXN	130.17 MXN	+62.71 %
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg)	70.00 MXN	142.98 MXN	+104.26 %
Apples (1kg)	30.00 MXN	38.46 MXN	+28.21 %
Oranges (1kg)	12.50 MXN	39.05 MXN	+212.40 %
Tomato (1kg)	16.00 MXN	39.05 MXN	+144.06 %
Potato (1kg)	15.00 MXN	25.11 MXN	+67.40 %
Lettuce (1 head)	10.00 MXN	19.53 MXN	+95.25 %
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	12.00 MXN	26.03 MXN	+116.95 %
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	120.00 MXN	195.25 MXN	+62.71 %
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	15.00 MXN	35.80 MXN	+138.64 %
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	20.00 MXN	39.05 MXN	+95.25 %
Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro)	40.00 MXN	130.17 MXN	+225.42 %
Transportation	[Edit]	[Edit]
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	6.00 MXN	35.80 MXN	+496.60 %
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	360.00 MXN	1,054.35 MXN	+192.88 %
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	25.00 MXN	46.86 MXN	+87.44 %
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)	5.20 MXN	23.91 MXN	+359.90 %
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	150.00 MXN	390.50 MXN	+160.33 %
Gasoline (1 liter)	10.00 MXN	16.82 MXN	+68.24 %
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	200,000.00 MXN	290,272.45 MXN	+45.14 %
Utilities (Monthly)	[Edit]	[Edit]
Basic (Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment	1,000.00 MXN	2,329.30 MXN	+132.93 %
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans)	3.74 MXN	3.91 MXN	+4.41 %
Internet (6 Mbps, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	400.00 MXN	585.75 MXN	+46.44 %
Sports And Leisure	[Edit]	[Edit]
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	600.00 MXN	650.84 MXN	+8.47 %
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	150.00 MXN	255.06 MXN	+70.04 %
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	60.00 MXN	156.20 MXN	+160.33 %
Clothing And Shoes	[Edit]	[Edit]
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	649.00 MXN	715.92 MXN	+10.31 %
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	623.61 MXN	572.73 MXN	-8.16 %
1 Pair of Nike Shoes	1,100.00 MXN	1,301.67 MXN	+18.33 %
1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes	845.00 MXN	1,301.67 MXN	+54.04 %
Rent Per Month	[Edit]	[Edit]
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	3,500.00 MXN	12,365.87 MXN	+253.31 %
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	2,900.00 MXN	10,348.28 MXN	+256.84 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	7,000.00 MXN	19,525.05 MXN	+178.93 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	6,000.00 MXN	16,270.88 MXN	+171.18 %
Buy Apartment Price	[Edit]	[Edit]
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre	11,631.96 MXN	47,836.38 MXN	+311.25 %
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	10,000.00 MXN	33,084.15 MXN	+230.84 %
Salaries And Financing	[Edit]	[Edit]
Median Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax)	10,000.00 MXN	39,050.11 MXN	+290.50 %
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentanges (%), Yearly	12.00	4.00	-66.67 %
Last update	December, 2012	December, 2012
Contributors (past 18 months)	409	1572
Currency: MXN

There are ways to travel and stick to a budget. Most often the way we overspend on vacations is because it is our "opportunity to live large", kinda like an extra Christmas. People also buy a lot crap that they don't need on vacations. We walked along the Malecon which is like an outdoor Ikea along the beach filled with so many good deals on stuff that if you were handed a giant yellow bag, you would immediately start stuffing with no clue as to why. 

The Mexicans constantly approached us with things to buy which at first my girls were intimidated to say no, but by the end of the day had become experts in saying, " No, gracias". Imagine if they did this at Ikea...you would probably have to hand over the keys to your house and give them your first born too!

Even though it wasn't high tourist season, there were plenty of gringos buying souvenirs some of which are beyond my understanding as to why anyone would actually exchange money for. Sand in a vial from the beach, tequila shooter glasses, seashells, and ugly T-shirts galore were being bagged up and most probably going to be Christmas pressents for some poor relative at home who will have to feign excitement. Who buys sand in a glass?! I brought some sand home in my shoes....it was free. Maybe I can re-gift it for my buy nothing Christmas. Now I just need to figure out who the lucky relative will be.......

The average Canadian family can still have a vacation with a little help from family and friends or not. We are fortunate to have family across Canada and in the United States. It gives us great places to visit and in exchange we open up our home in the summertime to anyone who wishes to visit us. We love having guests and are fortunate to live in the Maritimes, which I think is the most beautiful province to live in within Canada.

For those of you, who can't imagine a vacation with relatives....sometimes it can be a fine line, we have all seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation....there are others ways to stay on a budget.

Here are just 5 ways that you might be able to squeeze a vacation in without breaking the budget:

1) Home Swapping: Want to save on accommodations? Try swapping houses with someone else! There are many websites dedicated to the idea, some are free and some are not. If you are open to switching with another family and have a cool house to offer (you should have a look to see some of the places available!), then you might be able to get a great vacation and have an authentic experience in another country. Here is just one link: https://www.homeexchange.com/landing_page2/1homeexchange?alias=1homeexchange&gclid=COK92eu9_7MCFQ-e4AodDBwA0Q

2) Visit Cheap Destinations: According CNN travel, the current five cheapest destinations to travel to are Mexico, Thailand, Burma, Egypt and Greece. Choosing where you travel can help with your budget as well as your airfare. If you can pick a place that balances out the airfare with your weekly spending budget, you may even come out ahead. Given that you are using company paid vacation time, it can actually be a week away without any financial sacrifice. http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/escape/5-cheapest-travel-

destinations-right-now-901878

3) Stay fit and Meet Locals: The Warm Showers Community is a free worldwide Hospitality exchange for touring cyclists. People who are willing to host touring cyclists sign up and provide their contact information, and may occasionally have someone stay with them and share great stories and a drink! I can't think of anything cooler since there are over 15,000 hosts in many countries all over the world. Spa vacation be dammed! http://www.warmshowers.org/

4) Couchsurf: Travel the world & stay with friends you haven't met yet! Pick a travel destination, then search through the members to find someone who is willing to let you crash on their couch. They may be also willing to share food, show you around and split a 6 pack. It's all done through facebook and you do need to sign up to start your BFF search for a travel buddy. http://www.couchsurfing.org/ 

5) Volunteer Vacations: Make a difference in the world and change your perspective. You can even choose the place and get some downtime. Think of the appreciation your children would have for their day to day, even if it is short-lived (my girls didn't fight with their brother for three full days after we got home....) with an experience of helping others. This is one that has really got me thinking about all of our BIG plans that we thought we needed to fit into our future budget. http://www.globeaware.org/

I am currently reading a book my father found at a garage sale called "The Power of Positive Thinking." Published way before "The Secret" in 1952 by Norman Vincent Peale, a minister who was notoriously anti-Catholic, accused of using hypnosis on his followers to convert them, and opposed the election of John F. Kennedy and supported Nixon  (hey, not everyone is perfect.....). 

The book itself was on the New York times best seller list for 186 consecutive weeks, so there must be many great things about Norman too. Most things you need to read with a grain of salt, if you know what I mean. 

Whatever his personal defects may have been, there are some good things within the book, and a quote which I will share, "The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by." 

Vacations don't need to be expensive, luxurious or fanciful to be fantastic. Yes, we spent ours in sunny Mexico but the main reason we were there was to spend time with our family creating memories that will last our lifetimes....it just so happens that we are fortunate that my Mom lives there and not in Brantford, Ontario anymore. (Sorry Brantford, but your time of greatness passed when Wayne Gretsky left town.....)

We are your average Canadian family and we are truly grateful that we can take a vacation from time to time without breaking the budget.........