I really have to stop window shopping online (if there is such a thing). It’s driving me nuts! I want to buy buy buy! But I can’t!!
Oh man, this is the hard part when you live in a place that has 4 seasons. You always feel the urge to check out the new stuff coming out for the coming season. The temptation to spend is so strong!
Arrgggh! Someone should just put some sort of security setting on my computers to prevent me from even visiting online stores. It’s pure evil.
Showing posts with label Spending. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spending. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Feeling a little frustration
Uh oh, I’m feeling the shopping itch again… tsk tsk… very bad. I did a bit of shopping during our 1-week stay in Virginia and my primary objectives were to buy a pair of nice, comfy black leather boots and a sweater dress to wear during the cold season. I specifically wanted to buy boots that would look nice with a dress or a skirt, preferably with heels and one that covered my leg up to just below my knees. Who knew it would be so impossible to find a pair that looks good and fits me well at the same time?! I tried on so many different pairs but none fit right. I’m beginning to think that maybe I have odd-shaped legs. I have really small calves which makes it extra difficult to find a nice fitting pair since most of the ones I do find don’t hug my legs well enough and there’s always a bit of a gap between my legs and the boot. Not flattering at all. Over-the-knee boots are what seems to be dominating most shoes stores and those just make me look even shorter than I actually am. I also find that scrunch boots seem to look best on me but I don’t know if they look good with dresses or skirts.
I found a nice sweater dress at Banana Republic here in Canada before we left for the States. I had seen it online before and had always wanted to buy it and it finally went on sale for $100 at the store. But because I had planned to go shopping with my cousin in the States, I wanted to wait until I was out with her before spending money. And so I didn’t buy it. As it turns out, I didn’t really find any nice sweater dresses during my stay in Virginia so when we got back to Toronto, I checked out Banana Republic to see if they still had the dress. As expected, it was gone. Not a single one left in the store. Bummer.
I saw this one very cute dress at Esprit in the States but they no longer had my size. It was on sale too which was a bonus. I checked online to see if they maybe still had sizes on their website but as it turns out, they’ve completely run out of my size.
I can’t help but get frustrated because when I have the means to shop, I can’t seem to find what I need and there aren’t a lot of nice things out. But when I’m completely tapped and shopping is out of the question, the stores will be filled with nice, shiny items. Why is that?
I found a nice sweater dress at Banana Republic here in Canada before we left for the States. I had seen it online before and had always wanted to buy it and it finally went on sale for $100 at the store. But because I had planned to go shopping with my cousin in the States, I wanted to wait until I was out with her before spending money. And so I didn’t buy it. As it turns out, I didn’t really find any nice sweater dresses during my stay in Virginia so when we got back to Toronto, I checked out Banana Republic to see if they still had the dress. As expected, it was gone. Not a single one left in the store. Bummer.
I saw this one very cute dress at Esprit in the States but they no longer had my size. It was on sale too which was a bonus. I checked online to see if they maybe still had sizes on their website but as it turns out, they’ve completely run out of my size.
I can’t help but get frustrated because when I have the means to shop, I can’t seem to find what I need and there aren’t a lot of nice things out. But when I’m completely tapped and shopping is out of the question, the stores will be filled with nice, shiny items. Why is that?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Love furniture shopping
This morning a colleague asked me how my weekend was and I honestly couldn’t remember what I did! I had to think hard for a while! It’s so strange…
Steve and I saw the Hangover with his cousin, had lunch with his mom and sister, saw my family, gave away old clothes to a charity drive and bought dining chairs at iKea. We’ve been looking for dining chairs and a book case for awhile now so we were pretty excited to have found the dining chairs we bought. We found a really beautiful book case at Crate and Barrel but it was unbelievably expensive so we didn’t get it. We might settle for a Billy book case from iKea which you can buy separate pieces and then put them together any way you like it. We just haven’t decided on what we want to do with it exactly so we’re holding off on it for now. Plus, it won’t fit in the car so we either borrow his dad’s van or get it delivered.
Since the dining chairs are from iKea, it required assembly. We decided to put them together last night and it was a bit painful. There were really only 4 things that needed to be screwed together but we had difficulty with attaching the back of the chair to the seat. The bolts just wouldn’t go through! Steve was getting so frustrated that he started to regret buying them. We did eventually put all of them together then we realized that the chairs were too wide to fit two of them between the dining table legs. In the end, we decided to expand the dining table by adding the leaf in the middle (it’s an extendable dining table that can sit 4-6 people) so that we could fit two chairs side by side on each side. Although it was a lot of work, I actually am pretty pleased with how it turned out. Steve, on the other hand, was a bit agitated after all that effort so we had to go for a walk around the block to calm him down. Hahahaha!
Our place is slowly coming along but there’s still a lot to be done. While we were at iKea, we noticed they had a room with a bunch of furniture and décor in the same color scheme we had in mind for our living room so we’re thinking of painting our living room with the same color as that room. It’s funny how similar Steve and my tastes are when it comes to furniture and items for the house considering we have such different tastes in clothing. It’s so evident when we go shopping together for clothes. He’ll often point to a dress that I will never wear in a million years and tell me it’s beautiful. I just raise one eyebrow and tell him it’s ugly. But when it comes to furnishing our apartment, we’ll often eye the same things at the same time. So it really is quite easy agreeing on what to get. We also have no problems agreeing on the colors. We’re only focusing on our kitchen and living room for now. We’ll eventually move on to other areas of the apartment later on.
The best part of furniture shopping for us is finding things we love at reduced prices. Sometimes we come across an item so beautiful and unique and finding out it’s marked down is BIG bonus. It’s almost wrong to not buy it. While we were at iKea, we also saw this really cute wall unit on sale. It was so cheap that we were considering buying it. The only problem is, we don’t know where we would put in our apartment. Otherwise, we would have surely bought it.
Pier 1 is growing on me. I find so many nice little knick-knacks in affordable prices. I always thought that store was expensive but they're actually not bad. I can't help but get excited everytime we pass by a Pier 1 store. It's like I'm a kid again about to go in the toy store. Everything's just so beautiful.
Steve and I saw the Hangover with his cousin, had lunch with his mom and sister, saw my family, gave away old clothes to a charity drive and bought dining chairs at iKea. We’ve been looking for dining chairs and a book case for awhile now so we were pretty excited to have found the dining chairs we bought. We found a really beautiful book case at Crate and Barrel but it was unbelievably expensive so we didn’t get it. We might settle for a Billy book case from iKea which you can buy separate pieces and then put them together any way you like it. We just haven’t decided on what we want to do with it exactly so we’re holding off on it for now. Plus, it won’t fit in the car so we either borrow his dad’s van or get it delivered.
Since the dining chairs are from iKea, it required assembly. We decided to put them together last night and it was a bit painful. There were really only 4 things that needed to be screwed together but we had difficulty with attaching the back of the chair to the seat. The bolts just wouldn’t go through! Steve was getting so frustrated that he started to regret buying them. We did eventually put all of them together then we realized that the chairs were too wide to fit two of them between the dining table legs. In the end, we decided to expand the dining table by adding the leaf in the middle (it’s an extendable dining table that can sit 4-6 people) so that we could fit two chairs side by side on each side. Although it was a lot of work, I actually am pretty pleased with how it turned out. Steve, on the other hand, was a bit agitated after all that effort so we had to go for a walk around the block to calm him down. Hahahaha!
Our place is slowly coming along but there’s still a lot to be done. While we were at iKea, we noticed they had a room with a bunch of furniture and décor in the same color scheme we had in mind for our living room so we’re thinking of painting our living room with the same color as that room. It’s funny how similar Steve and my tastes are when it comes to furniture and items for the house considering we have such different tastes in clothing. It’s so evident when we go shopping together for clothes. He’ll often point to a dress that I will never wear in a million years and tell me it’s beautiful. I just raise one eyebrow and tell him it’s ugly. But when it comes to furnishing our apartment, we’ll often eye the same things at the same time. So it really is quite easy agreeing on what to get. We also have no problems agreeing on the colors. We’re only focusing on our kitchen and living room for now. We’ll eventually move on to other areas of the apartment later on.
The best part of furniture shopping for us is finding things we love at reduced prices. Sometimes we come across an item so beautiful and unique and finding out it’s marked down is BIG bonus. It’s almost wrong to not buy it. While we were at iKea, we also saw this really cute wall unit on sale. It was so cheap that we were considering buying it. The only problem is, we don’t know where we would put in our apartment. Otherwise, we would have surely bought it.
Pier 1 is growing on me. I find so many nice little knick-knacks in affordable prices. I always thought that store was expensive but they're actually not bad. I can't help but get excited everytime we pass by a Pier 1 store. It's like I'm a kid again about to go in the toy store. Everything's just so beautiful.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
I want.
It is times like these that I wish I had a lot of money.
With the season shifting towards warmer weather, I find myself in want of some new summer clothing. Do I necessarily need it? No. But do I want it? Yes.
It’s so hard to resist the urge to buy with the abundant display of all things new in stores. Every time I see something I like in a store, it’s like my brain automatically begins to list down every single reason as to why I should buy it… as if it is trying to justify why I should spend the money. And at some point I will catch myself going through the notions of picking it up and/or going to the dressing room and trying it. I keep having to remind myself of the many reasons why I am saving and I muster up every courage to walk out of the store without anything.
The other day, I found an issue of Elle magazine on top of our dining table. I wondered how it got there as I am the only member of the family that actually purchases fashion magazines. It turns out that it was given to my mom for free during a product promotion of some sort. After hearing where it came from, JR commented that he thought I was the one who bought it and he thought it was weird since I haven’t been buying magazines for a while now. I told him I don’t buy them anymore because…
You probably wonder why I even bother going to the mall to begin with. I don’t know either. I just like walking around the place, window shopping and just looking at things. In a way, it lets me unwind in a somewhat safe, public place. I’ve always liked walking around the mall. It must be some inherent trait I got from my dad (yes surprisingly not from my mom).He loves going to the mall too. The upside of spending a lot of time in malls? You end up knowing where to go when you need something and you know where to get it cheap. When I need a dress or a pair of jeans or shoes, I will look at all my options. I will literally go through every store to find something I really like and that doesn’t cost a fortune. I hate the thought of buying something only to find out later I could have bought something much better and cheaper if only I had bothered to look at a few more stores.
Bottom line is, it really is hard to save especially when you want so many things. But I have to say, it really feels good to know I have money saved in the bank.
With the season shifting towards warmer weather, I find myself in want of some new summer clothing. Do I necessarily need it? No. But do I want it? Yes.
It’s so hard to resist the urge to buy with the abundant display of all things new in stores. Every time I see something I like in a store, it’s like my brain automatically begins to list down every single reason as to why I should buy it… as if it is trying to justify why I should spend the money. And at some point I will catch myself going through the notions of picking it up and/or going to the dressing room and trying it. I keep having to remind myself of the many reasons why I am saving and I muster up every courage to walk out of the store without anything.
The other day, I found an issue of Elle magazine on top of our dining table. I wondered how it got there as I am the only member of the family that actually purchases fashion magazines. It turns out that it was given to my mom for free during a product promotion of some sort. After hearing where it came from, JR commented that he thought I was the one who bought it and he thought it was weird since I haven’t been buying magazines for a while now. I told him I don’t buy them anymore because…
- they’re a waste of money
- I always see something I like in them and I end up wanting to go shopping
You probably wonder why I even bother going to the mall to begin with. I don’t know either. I just like walking around the place, window shopping and just looking at things. In a way, it lets me unwind in a somewhat safe, public place. I’ve always liked walking around the mall. It must be some inherent trait I got from my dad (yes surprisingly not from my mom).He loves going to the mall too. The upside of spending a lot of time in malls? You end up knowing where to go when you need something and you know where to get it cheap. When I need a dress or a pair of jeans or shoes, I will look at all my options. I will literally go through every store to find something I really like and that doesn’t cost a fortune. I hate the thought of buying something only to find out later I could have bought something much better and cheaper if only I had bothered to look at a few more stores.
Bottom line is, it really is hard to save especially when you want so many things. But I have to say, it really feels good to know I have money saved in the bank.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Braces.
I was reading the paper the other day and I stumbled across an article about braces. I have been wanting to get braces since I was little but they were just always so expensive.
Apparently, you can have "invisible" braces. They're put behind your teeth instead of the front so it's practically inconspicuous and they are just as effective. But goodness, they cost a lot of money! They could cost an extra three to five thousand dollars more than regular ones. Yeesh!
I think the prices are insane but I guess if you really need them, you just have to save up and pay.
Apparently, you can have "invisible" braces. They're put behind your teeth instead of the front so it's practically inconspicuous and they are just as effective. But goodness, they cost a lot of money! They could cost an extra three to five thousand dollars more than regular ones. Yeesh!
I think the prices are insane but I guess if you really need them, you just have to save up and pay.
Friday, February 22, 2008
I Like.
I have been trying my best to save money for the past couple of months and this means not spending as much as I used to. I have been doing quite well and have been able to save some money. Not much but not bad either.
Although I still go to the mall every now and then, I am quite happy to report that I have been able to stop myself from spending on unnecessary items. When before I would buy whatever caught my eye, now I am able to look at something and walk towards the opposite direction. Not an easy thing to do but I MUST save.
I recently passed by Banana Republic and saw this handbag:
I like the tan-colored version of it better than the white. It is pricey of course and I wouldn’t spend over $200 for a handbag but I really, really like it.
Sometimes talaga I wish I had a lot of money. Hmpf.
Although I still go to the mall every now and then, I am quite happy to report that I have been able to stop myself from spending on unnecessary items. When before I would buy whatever caught my eye, now I am able to look at something and walk towards the opposite direction. Not an easy thing to do but I MUST save.
I recently passed by Banana Republic and saw this handbag:
I like the tan-colored version of it better than the white. It is pricey of course and I wouldn’t spend over $200 for a handbag but I really, really like it.
Sometimes talaga I wish I had a lot of money. Hmpf.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Holiday Rush
I did the last bit of my Christmas shopping last night and boy, I sure am exhausted (notice the use of the present form “am” as opposed to “was” because I am still very much exhausted even though I got 5 hours of sleep last night… I was so tired I think I barely moved in my bed). As usual, shopping at the very last minute during the holidays is a bad idea as the mall is always in such chaos and totally jam packed.
I wanted to get my parents some really nice stuff so I did a lot of walking, checking stores and prices and making sure that I was getting them the best present while still maintaining our budget (my brothers and I have decided to pool our money together). I knew my dad wanted this one sweater from Roots which he mentioned to me in passing the other day but I couldn’t find it (I think they ran out of it already) so I had to look for something else. The very small number of male-oriented stores in malls doesn’t help when you’re looking for a nice Christmas present for your dad. Then I couldn’t decide on what was a better present for mom and then when I finally decided on what to get for them, I had to get them wrapped. I must’ve gone back in forth through the entire mall atleast twice.
Then of course I had to carry them all the way home in the packed subway train and then outside in the cold and by the time I got home, it was already past 10 pm. I was thirsty, hungry (I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch) and just about ready to pass out. I was so hungry that I filled the entire plate with food, warmed it, and gobbled it all down in just 10 minutes. Whoa!
After rinsing my plate, putting it in the dishwasher with all the other dishes and running it, I began working on my Christmas cards (good thing I have green and red pens handy for the Christmas season).
It was past midnight by the time I slipped into bed and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was gone.
It’s amazing how much stamina and determination I have for shopping and yet have no will power to go to the gym. LOL.
I wanted to get my parents some really nice stuff so I did a lot of walking, checking stores and prices and making sure that I was getting them the best present while still maintaining our budget (my brothers and I have decided to pool our money together). I knew my dad wanted this one sweater from Roots which he mentioned to me in passing the other day but I couldn’t find it (I think they ran out of it already) so I had to look for something else. The very small number of male-oriented stores in malls doesn’t help when you’re looking for a nice Christmas present for your dad. Then I couldn’t decide on what was a better present for mom and then when I finally decided on what to get for them, I had to get them wrapped. I must’ve gone back in forth through the entire mall atleast twice.
Then of course I had to carry them all the way home in the packed subway train and then outside in the cold and by the time I got home, it was already past 10 pm. I was thirsty, hungry (I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch) and just about ready to pass out. I was so hungry that I filled the entire plate with food, warmed it, and gobbled it all down in just 10 minutes. Whoa!
After rinsing my plate, putting it in the dishwasher with all the other dishes and running it, I began working on my Christmas cards (good thing I have green and red pens handy for the Christmas season).
It was past midnight by the time I slipped into bed and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was gone.
It’s amazing how much stamina and determination I have for shopping and yet have no will power to go to the gym. LOL.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Expenses.
Ever notice how fast your pay cheque slips through your hands? Sometimes it suprises me to find out how much of mine has disappeared in such a short amount of time that I immediately begin to think that:
a) someone has finally found a way to hack into my bank account and take my money.
b) my bank is secretly charging me fees that I don't know about.
c) I am being overcharged by one of my automatic debit bills.
Because I have no idea where my money went and the sum of my expenses (which I would tally in my head) don't add up right, I would end up checking my account for the last 10 transactions I've made.
For some reason, it rarely occurs to me that it must be the shopping I've been doing (which is funny because it almost always seems to be the cause).
And I always forget that I have items that automatically get debited off my account every month so that's always out the window. When you think about it, it's really the little things you spend money on that kill you in the end.
Lately, I have been looking at how much money I make and my expenses and I realized I should be able to save so much more than I am saving now. I just REALLY need to stop spending and learn to save more.
Some discipline is what I need.
a) someone has finally found a way to hack into my bank account and take my money.
b) my bank is secretly charging me fees that I don't know about.
c) I am being overcharged by one of my automatic debit bills.
Because I have no idea where my money went and the sum of my expenses (which I would tally in my head) don't add up right, I would end up checking my account for the last 10 transactions I've made.
For some reason, it rarely occurs to me that it must be the shopping I've been doing (which is funny because it almost always seems to be the cause).
And I always forget that I have items that automatically get debited off my account every month so that's always out the window. When you think about it, it's really the little things you spend money on that kill you in the end.
Lately, I have been looking at how much money I make and my expenses and I realized I should be able to save so much more than I am saving now. I just REALLY need to stop spending and learn to save more.
Some discipline is what I need.
Holiday Shopping.
I'm exhausted.
I decided it was about time I took care of some Christmas shopping so I passed by the Eaton Centre on my way home from work. I thought that I would be avoiding the crowd by going on a week night. It really didn't make a difference. It was packed and there were long lines everywhere. I know, I shouldn't have procrastinated on it.
It was a good thing that I already had an idea of what I wanted to get so it was a bit easier rather than going through the entire mall not knowing what to get. It was still a little painful weeding through the crowd and standing in line to pay but what can I do? It was worth it in the end because I got some really great gifts.
One thing I noticed, during this time of the year, a lot of men are carrying yoga/gym mats and doing a lot of shopping at Lulu Lemon. Of course I am assuming it's for their significant others. I just find it funny that all men seem to have the same idea for a gift. I must admit, it's quite endearing to see a guy in the subway carrying a pink mat.
There's still some holiday shopping left to do but I just have zero energy to do all of it this evening. I can only assume that the next few days won't be any better.
I decided it was about time I took care of some Christmas shopping so I passed by the Eaton Centre on my way home from work. I thought that I would be avoiding the crowd by going on a week night. It really didn't make a difference. It was packed and there were long lines everywhere. I know, I shouldn't have procrastinated on it.
It was a good thing that I already had an idea of what I wanted to get so it was a bit easier rather than going through the entire mall not knowing what to get. It was still a little painful weeding through the crowd and standing in line to pay but what can I do? It was worth it in the end because I got some really great gifts.
One thing I noticed, during this time of the year, a lot of men are carrying yoga/gym mats and doing a lot of shopping at Lulu Lemon. Of course I am assuming it's for their significant others. I just find it funny that all men seem to have the same idea for a gift. I must admit, it's quite endearing to see a guy in the subway carrying a pink mat.
There's still some holiday shopping left to do but I just have zero energy to do all of it this evening. I can only assume that the next few days won't be any better.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Shrunken?
Weird.
The other day I was going through my closet looking for something to wear and found some of my older sweaters from last winter. I tried them on but for some reason they’re a lot shorter and a little tighter. I don’t think I grew taller and when I weighed myself, it looked like I didn’t gain any weight either (unless the weighing scale is rigged).
I also noticed that none of the clothes I brought with me from the Philippines fit me anymore so I might as well give all of them away. My dad said maybe my clothes shrunk but I doubt it (after all, there were clothes I had never worn since I moved here which means they never went in the dryer so they couldn’t have possibly shrunk unless clothes shrink when they’re kept in your closet too long).
It’s about time that I did some closet-cleaning anyway. I need to sort my clothes and take away those that I won’t be wearing anymore. It’s getting too crowded in there.
I have made a resolution to stop spending (I know, I’ve said this a million times before) so older clothes will have to do. I really NEED to save MORE.
The other day I was going through my closet looking for something to wear and found some of my older sweaters from last winter. I tried them on but for some reason they’re a lot shorter and a little tighter. I don’t think I grew taller and when I weighed myself, it looked like I didn’t gain any weight either (unless the weighing scale is rigged).
I also noticed that none of the clothes I brought with me from the Philippines fit me anymore so I might as well give all of them away. My dad said maybe my clothes shrunk but I doubt it (after all, there were clothes I had never worn since I moved here which means they never went in the dryer so they couldn’t have possibly shrunk unless clothes shrink when they’re kept in your closet too long).
It’s about time that I did some closet-cleaning anyway. I need to sort my clothes and take away those that I won’t be wearing anymore. It’s getting too crowded in there.
I have made a resolution to stop spending (I know, I’ve said this a million times before) so older clothes will have to do. I really NEED to save MORE.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Swamped.
I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last post. I’ve been so swamped at work and too tired at the end of the day to even think about posting.
So what’s been up since my last post? I went to Calgary on business and stayed there for 4 days. I didn’t really want to go but I didn’t really have a choice either. I mean, how do you say “No, I don’t want to go” to the president of the company, right? At least I was happy about 3 things:
I wanted to go around downtown while I was there but I’ve been told almost eveything downtown closes at 6pm so I spent most of my time walking around the surrounding area of the hotel I was staying at.
I’m also relieved that I am no longer doing the majority of the training sessions since I have my hands full on manual writing and QA. Not that it’s been scratched off completely from my responsibilities but at least I’m not training every single day. It gets really tiring after a while.
The weather has been pretty nice. Normally, it’s a little cold already during this time of the year but it’s still a bit warm for this month which is a bit surprising to me. Not that I’m complaining… you know I love the warm weather.
Another thing, I turned 24 this month! Wahoo! Golly, the years just fly by! It was a simple b-day. Had lunch with Steve’s family that Saturday and then lunch with my family on Sunday both at the Danforth. Steve and I were saying how we are truly “all-danforthed” out! We can’t help it though because the food is always great and the patios are nice. You get to eat and sip a cold drink and just watch people walk by and enjoy a bit of sun. It’s just a bit of a hassle going to and from since traffic is a bit of a killer.
3 people in our office have gotten married this month. There must have been an office memo I missed requiring all single people to marry by this year. LOL!
I’ve been doing a lot better when it comes to managing my finances. I am proud to say I have been able to spend less and actually put aside money on my savings account. Yay! This is a big deal since I really, really need to start saving as much as I can.
That’s that… now back to work. Eck!
So what’s been up since my last post? I went to Calgary on business and stayed there for 4 days. I didn’t really want to go but I didn’t really have a choice either. I mean, how do you say “No, I don’t want to go” to the president of the company, right? At least I was happy about 3 things:
- I got to fly business class to and from Calgary (my first time!)
- I got to take Friday off work with pay and didn’t count as a vacation day
- The clients were pretty nice to me and it was an easy trip altogether
I wanted to go around downtown while I was there but I’ve been told almost eveything downtown closes at 6pm so I spent most of my time walking around the surrounding area of the hotel I was staying at.
I’m also relieved that I am no longer doing the majority of the training sessions since I have my hands full on manual writing and QA. Not that it’s been scratched off completely from my responsibilities but at least I’m not training every single day. It gets really tiring after a while.
The weather has been pretty nice. Normally, it’s a little cold already during this time of the year but it’s still a bit warm for this month which is a bit surprising to me. Not that I’m complaining… you know I love the warm weather.
Another thing, I turned 24 this month! Wahoo! Golly, the years just fly by! It was a simple b-day. Had lunch with Steve’s family that Saturday and then lunch with my family on Sunday both at the Danforth. Steve and I were saying how we are truly “all-danforthed” out! We can’t help it though because the food is always great and the patios are nice. You get to eat and sip a cold drink and just watch people walk by and enjoy a bit of sun. It’s just a bit of a hassle going to and from since traffic is a bit of a killer.
3 people in our office have gotten married this month. There must have been an office memo I missed requiring all single people to marry by this year. LOL!
I’ve been doing a lot better when it comes to managing my finances. I am proud to say I have been able to spend less and actually put aside money on my savings account. Yay! This is a big deal since I really, really need to start saving as much as I can.
That’s that… now back to work. Eck!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Unpacking and the Sims
I'm back home after a few days of sleeping over at boss' place (FYI, the "boss" happens to be a "she" and I was staying over her place to watch over her cat while she was away for the long weekend). I started unpacking and putting my clothes away as soon as I walked into my bedroom. I took one glance just to check if everything's in place. I always do it even though I know no one really goes into my bedroom unless they need to borrow something (my cordless phone, laptop or some little thing) or put freshly laundered clothes on top of my bed. Since I'd been watching over a cat and most of my clothes were covered in cat hair, I put most of them in the laundry basket and the clothes that I never really wore and remained clean, I put them back in my closet. It always amazes me how much clothes I actually bring with me whenever I go away. It's when I come to realize I really do have plenty to wear.
After putting my stuff away, I grabbed my laptop off my bedroom floor (yeah, don't ask...), grabbed the new games I purchased from Future Shop and proceeded to install them. Steve and I had gone to Future Shop over the weekend and bought a few games (they were so cheap we couldn't resist it). We bought two games each and one of the games I had purchased for myself was "Sims 2 - Glamorous Life". It had been years since I last played the Sims and I thought it would be fun to play it again. So I put the CD in my drive and... it popped up a window saying I needed to have Sims 2 installed first. Dammit! I didn't know I had bought the extension pack!! It was right on the box too! Talk about reading skills... yeesh! I couldn't really be mad could I? My own stupidity, my own fault for buying the darn thing and not realizing I needed to have something else installed first. Double yeesh!
Since playing the game is out of the question, I decided to purchase songs out of iTunes and update my iPod and browse the internet. Duh.
At least I got some of my chores done... something productive.
After putting my stuff away, I grabbed my laptop off my bedroom floor (yeah, don't ask...), grabbed the new games I purchased from Future Shop and proceeded to install them. Steve and I had gone to Future Shop over the weekend and bought a few games (they were so cheap we couldn't resist it). We bought two games each and one of the games I had purchased for myself was "Sims 2 - Glamorous Life". It had been years since I last played the Sims and I thought it would be fun to play it again. So I put the CD in my drive and... it popped up a window saying I needed to have Sims 2 installed first. Dammit! I didn't know I had bought the extension pack!! It was right on the box too! Talk about reading skills... yeesh! I couldn't really be mad could I? My own stupidity, my own fault for buying the darn thing and not realizing I needed to have something else installed first. Double yeesh!
Since playing the game is out of the question, I decided to purchase songs out of iTunes and update my iPod and browse the internet. Duh.
At least I got some of my chores done... something productive.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Dinner, The Toronto Zoo, Wonderland and Harry Potter
What a weekend I just had.
Friday night, Steve and I spent the evening with his family. I met his mom (finally!) and although she didn’t speak nor understand English, she was quite polite and friendly. She did give me a hug before I left and told me in Greek that she was glad she met me. Aww.
Then we went to his great aunts’ house and visited for a few minutes and then went to dinner with his dad. We ate at this tiny restaurant called New Orleans and it was quite nice. The place was cozy and warm and the food was absolutely AMAZING! It was a bit pricy of course… each meal was about $20 but it was delicious. I’m not such a big fan of fish but I had tilapia and I loved it. I would definitely go back there.
The following morning, Steve and I went to the Toronto Zoo with my family. We got there around 11am and went through the African Safari first and then the Indo Malay Region and then the Canadian territory and then finally the Dinosaur display. The Toronto zoo is huge! We didn’t expect it to be that big. It was really fun and we enjoyed seeing so many different animals. We saw rhinos, elephants, cheetahs, lions, a polar bear, grizzly bears, giraffes, a cougar, bald eagles, orangutans, gorillas, etc. It was nice to see Steve and my family spend time together. He gets along with them so well especially with JR who has always been the quiet one in the family. After 7 hours of walking, we finally decided to call it a day and head home. Surprisingly, we only covered half of the zoo with those 7 hours! There was so much more to see but we were exhausted already.
That same night, Steve and I pass by Yorkdale to grab a bite and watch a movie. We passed by Indigo because I wanted to get a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After eating, we were too tired to do anything else so we decided to just head back home and leave the movie for the following day. We were both so tired that we both did the same thing – went straight to bed and woke up the next morning.
Sunday, I woke up and realized I had slept over 12 hours. Steve had done the exact same thing. We decided to go to Perkins for breakfast and then head out to Wonderland since it was near Perkins anyway. I wasn’t really in the mood for roller coasters… I knew I would get sick as soon as I get on one. Steve was quite thoughtful and considerate, only taking me to rides that were relatively easy and just watched some shows. After Wonderland, we went back home to rest and then went out again to grab dinner and watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
I truly enjoyed the weekend.
Friday night, Steve and I spent the evening with his family. I met his mom (finally!) and although she didn’t speak nor understand English, she was quite polite and friendly. She did give me a hug before I left and told me in Greek that she was glad she met me. Aww.
Then we went to his great aunts’ house and visited for a few minutes and then went to dinner with his dad. We ate at this tiny restaurant called New Orleans and it was quite nice. The place was cozy and warm and the food was absolutely AMAZING! It was a bit pricy of course… each meal was about $20 but it was delicious. I’m not such a big fan of fish but I had tilapia and I loved it. I would definitely go back there.
The following morning, Steve and I went to the Toronto Zoo with my family. We got there around 11am and went through the African Safari first and then the Indo Malay Region and then the Canadian territory and then finally the Dinosaur display. The Toronto zoo is huge! We didn’t expect it to be that big. It was really fun and we enjoyed seeing so many different animals. We saw rhinos, elephants, cheetahs, lions, a polar bear, grizzly bears, giraffes, a cougar, bald eagles, orangutans, gorillas, etc. It was nice to see Steve and my family spend time together. He gets along with them so well especially with JR who has always been the quiet one in the family. After 7 hours of walking, we finally decided to call it a day and head home. Surprisingly, we only covered half of the zoo with those 7 hours! There was so much more to see but we were exhausted already.
That same night, Steve and I pass by Yorkdale to grab a bite and watch a movie. We passed by Indigo because I wanted to get a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After eating, we were too tired to do anything else so we decided to just head back home and leave the movie for the following day. We were both so tired that we both did the same thing – went straight to bed and woke up the next morning.
Sunday, I woke up and realized I had slept over 12 hours. Steve had done the exact same thing. We decided to go to Perkins for breakfast and then head out to Wonderland since it was near Perkins anyway. I wasn’t really in the mood for roller coasters… I knew I would get sick as soon as I get on one. Steve was quite thoughtful and considerate, only taking me to rides that were relatively easy and just watched some shows. After Wonderland, we went back home to rest and then went out again to grab dinner and watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
I truly enjoyed the weekend.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
The weekend
I’m hungry. I’ve noticed that around noon, my ability to concentrate on work goes down. It’s as if my tummy is telling me that I’ve been working too much and that it is now time to eat. Of course it doesn’t help that I can smell the food being prepared in the kitchen (our company provides us lunch).
While waiting for lunch, I guess I might as well talk about my weekend. On Friday, Steve was off work and the day was going by oh-so-slow-I-almost-died. I was so glad to see him after work when he came by to pick me up. We spent our Friday evening just relaxing at home with Fey and watching “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle”. I’ve never seen it before and I thought it was pretty funny. We had originally intended to go and see Tansformers that night but the showtimes were too late for us to go see it.
Steve picked me up early Saturday morning because we were going to go to the JW Convention in Hamilton. I’ve never been to Hamilton before and it felt like a long drive although it took us only an hour to get there. I was amazed to see so many people… I honestly didn’t know there were so many JWs… It was pretty interesting and I have to admit I learned somethings I didn’t know or think of before. After lunch, I was trying my best not to fall asleep but it was just impossible so I ended up dozing off. Steve was laughing at me at one point because I was bobbing for apples. The blue dress I wore that day (which happened to be new) had purple ink on it and a bit of strawberry juice by the end of the day. Talk about being clumsy.
That same evening, we had planned to see Transformers but once again, the showtimes weren’t that great and so we ended up watching a Korean movie with Fey and Daniel. It was such a good movie and had us fighting back tears through it. I ended up crying at the end of it. It was just so sad. It was a very impressive movie. We just don’t know what the title of the movie is because it’s in Korean.
Sunday, the family and I went to a Chinese Restaurant downtown and had lunch there to celebrate mum’s b-day. It was fun but the weather was awful. It had rained the entire day and everything was just damp and humid. After lunch, we decided to do a bit of shopping at the Eaton Centre and then I went to meet up with Steve. Later that night we took Daniel with us to an Italian Restaurant and then just relaxed at home after.
So the weekend has come and gone and we still haven’t been able to see Transformers.
While waiting for lunch, I guess I might as well talk about my weekend. On Friday, Steve was off work and the day was going by oh-so-slow-I-almost-died. I was so glad to see him after work when he came by to pick me up. We spent our Friday evening just relaxing at home with Fey and watching “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle”. I’ve never seen it before and I thought it was pretty funny. We had originally intended to go and see Tansformers that night but the showtimes were too late for us to go see it.
Steve picked me up early Saturday morning because we were going to go to the JW Convention in Hamilton. I’ve never been to Hamilton before and it felt like a long drive although it took us only an hour to get there. I was amazed to see so many people… I honestly didn’t know there were so many JWs… It was pretty interesting and I have to admit I learned somethings I didn’t know or think of before. After lunch, I was trying my best not to fall asleep but it was just impossible so I ended up dozing off. Steve was laughing at me at one point because I was bobbing for apples. The blue dress I wore that day (which happened to be new) had purple ink on it and a bit of strawberry juice by the end of the day. Talk about being clumsy.
That same evening, we had planned to see Transformers but once again, the showtimes weren’t that great and so we ended up watching a Korean movie with Fey and Daniel. It was such a good movie and had us fighting back tears through it. I ended up crying at the end of it. It was just so sad. It was a very impressive movie. We just don’t know what the title of the movie is because it’s in Korean.
Sunday, the family and I went to a Chinese Restaurant downtown and had lunch there to celebrate mum’s b-day. It was fun but the weather was awful. It had rained the entire day and everything was just damp and humid. After lunch, we decided to do a bit of shopping at the Eaton Centre and then I went to meet up with Steve. Later that night we took Daniel with us to an Italian Restaurant and then just relaxed at home after.
So the weekend has come and gone and we still haven’t been able to see Transformers.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
One Hip Slip Too Many
Last night I passed by the mall on my way home because I needed to buy a bottle of conditioner, body lotion, and a black hip slip. I bought a black dress over the weekend and if I stood in the sun, you can almost see through it and glimpse my undies. Of course I wasn’t having any of that so I needed to buy a hip slip.
Now, who knew that finding a hip slip would be such a difficult task? I thought they would have it at La Senza for sure but apparently they don’t make hip slips. Dammit, I don’t need them to make one… I just need them to sell one! So there I was walking through Eaton Centre, entering stores that I thought might possibly sell them and found nothing. Finally, I decided I would check Sears since it was the nearest one to me. It was horrible. First, I couldn’t find an attendant who could tell me if they sold them so I spent a good amount of time walking around trying to find someone. When I finally did find someone, they pointed me to the farthest corner of the floor and said they would be on a rack against the wall. I got there and all of them were not only long but they were too big.
So I decided to check out The Bay. The Bay happens to be on the other side of the mall so I had to walk all the way across and then go several floors up until I got to the appropriate section. Similar to Sears, they also had them in a corner but luckily enough, they had my size. Just to be sure I tried them on and then paid for it. I ended up getting home late just because of a stupid hip slip.
I really did consider just returning the dress at one point.
Now, who knew that finding a hip slip would be such a difficult task? I thought they would have it at La Senza for sure but apparently they don’t make hip slips. Dammit, I don’t need them to make one… I just need them to sell one! So there I was walking through Eaton Centre, entering stores that I thought might possibly sell them and found nothing. Finally, I decided I would check Sears since it was the nearest one to me. It was horrible. First, I couldn’t find an attendant who could tell me if they sold them so I spent a good amount of time walking around trying to find someone. When I finally did find someone, they pointed me to the farthest corner of the floor and said they would be on a rack against the wall. I got there and all of them were not only long but they were too big.
So I decided to check out The Bay. The Bay happens to be on the other side of the mall so I had to walk all the way across and then go several floors up until I got to the appropriate section. Similar to Sears, they also had them in a corner but luckily enough, they had my size. Just to be sure I tried them on and then paid for it. I ended up getting home late just because of a stupid hip slip.
I really did consider just returning the dress at one point.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Canada Day Weekend
The long weekend has come and gone and I am once again sitting at my desk at work wishing it was the long weekend all over again. It was a good break – having started the long weekend right with a BBQ in the office. It was nice to be at work on a Friday afternoon, doing nothing but eating BBQ and talking with people instead of working.
Friday night, Steve and I met up with friends at Jack Astor’s to celebrate Elisabeth’s graduation. We thought we’d be late but traffic had cooperated and we got there right on time. The following morning, Saturday, Steve and I had breakfast at Crème de la Crème along Bloor Street West and then headed downtown to the Royal Ontario Museum. He had gotten us museum tickets since I’ve never been there. We didn’t want to have to worry about parking downtown so we decided to take transit instead. Steve was so adorable taking the TTC… he was swiping the metropass the wrong way. LOL.
The ROM had 4 floors, all of which we visited. It was pretty amazing and we both loved it. It’s so interesting to see and learn about so many different things. We had taken some pictures with my phone camera since I had forgotten my digital camera at home. By the end of it, our feet hurt and we were starving. We must’ve been there for atleast 3 hours but it was all worth it. After the ROM, we took a walk along Yorkville and did a bit of shopping. That same night, we met up with Denny and company and went to Remy’s and had drinks on the rooftop. Since I don’t like the taste of alcohol, I drank iced tea the entire time. It was fun but I was freezing. It would’ve been nice to stay there for several hours if it weren’t so cold.
Sunday, I attended my first ever JW meeting with Steve. We stopped by Milestones first to have lunch since we had an hour to kill. YUM! The meeting we attended only lasted an hour and afterwards we headed to his place to change and then went to the beaches to play beach volleyball with his friends. I haven’t played volleyball since highschool and it is pretty safe to say I sucked at it. Steve on the other hand was amazing. He was the best player among all of us and I’m not being biased or anything. It’s the truth! He can return the ball and serve with ease. While he was racking up points for the team, I was getting bruised on my arms from the hitting the ball so hard. I don’t even know who lost of who won or how many games in total everyone played.
After volleyball, we went to another beach for the bonfire and to watch the fireworks display. It was so cold and thankfully we had brought a blanket with us. We were surprised at how many people had shown up. We had a beautiful view of the city and the water but it was super uncomfortable sitting on the rocks. Steve and I kept complaining how much our bum, our back and our legs hurt and we kept adjusting our sitting position and trying to find ways to make ourselves comfortable. After a couple of hours, we decided to head home since it was just plain uncomfortable already and we were freezing. We both got home at 3:00 am and I was so tired that I couldn’t even say my prayers straight.
Monday, Steve and I decided to go to his cousin’s place and we had brunch together and played Monopoly. I had to take a nap after because I was still exhausted from the day before. We spent the entire day there and left late to go home.
It really was a great weekend. We got to do so many things and see people and although we were pretty tired after, we had so much fun. Dammit, can we move back time and do it all over again?
Friday night, Steve and I met up with friends at Jack Astor’s to celebrate Elisabeth’s graduation. We thought we’d be late but traffic had cooperated and we got there right on time. The following morning, Saturday, Steve and I had breakfast at Crème de la Crème along Bloor Street West and then headed downtown to the Royal Ontario Museum. He had gotten us museum tickets since I’ve never been there. We didn’t want to have to worry about parking downtown so we decided to take transit instead. Steve was so adorable taking the TTC… he was swiping the metropass the wrong way. LOL.
The ROM had 4 floors, all of which we visited. It was pretty amazing and we both loved it. It’s so interesting to see and learn about so many different things. We had taken some pictures with my phone camera since I had forgotten my digital camera at home. By the end of it, our feet hurt and we were starving. We must’ve been there for atleast 3 hours but it was all worth it. After the ROM, we took a walk along Yorkville and did a bit of shopping. That same night, we met up with Denny and company and went to Remy’s and had drinks on the rooftop. Since I don’t like the taste of alcohol, I drank iced tea the entire time. It was fun but I was freezing. It would’ve been nice to stay there for several hours if it weren’t so cold.
Sunday, I attended my first ever JW meeting with Steve. We stopped by Milestones first to have lunch since we had an hour to kill. YUM! The meeting we attended only lasted an hour and afterwards we headed to his place to change and then went to the beaches to play beach volleyball with his friends. I haven’t played volleyball since highschool and it is pretty safe to say I sucked at it. Steve on the other hand was amazing. He was the best player among all of us and I’m not being biased or anything. It’s the truth! He can return the ball and serve with ease. While he was racking up points for the team, I was getting bruised on my arms from the hitting the ball so hard. I don’t even know who lost of who won or how many games in total everyone played.
After volleyball, we went to another beach for the bonfire and to watch the fireworks display. It was so cold and thankfully we had brought a blanket with us. We were surprised at how many people had shown up. We had a beautiful view of the city and the water but it was super uncomfortable sitting on the rocks. Steve and I kept complaining how much our bum, our back and our legs hurt and we kept adjusting our sitting position and trying to find ways to make ourselves comfortable. After a couple of hours, we decided to head home since it was just plain uncomfortable already and we were freezing. We both got home at 3:00 am and I was so tired that I couldn’t even say my prayers straight.
Monday, Steve and I decided to go to his cousin’s place and we had brunch together and played Monopoly. I had to take a nap after because I was still exhausted from the day before. We spent the entire day there and left late to go home.
It really was a great weekend. We got to do so many things and see people and although we were pretty tired after, we had so much fun. Dammit, can we move back time and do it all over again?
Friday, June 29, 2007
iPod Update
We’re having a company BBQ today at work which means we’re only working half the day! YAY!
I slept at 2am this morning since I was ripping CDs, downloading music and transferring them over to my iPod. I had originally intended to go to bed early but I kept telling myself, “Just one more CD… just one more song…” and on and on and on it went until it was already too late. I’m the type of person that likes to finish what they start so it’s difficult for me to put something down once I start it. I keep telling myself I can always do it another time but for some reason I feel the need to get everything done right then and there. It works to my advantage most of the time so I am guessing this is a good trait.
And then there’s the odd circumstance where it is a disadvantage. But if the positives are more than the negatives, then I’m definitely keeping the habit.
So now, I have over 800 songs on my iPod and three music videos. Purchasing videos on iTunes is quite expensive… at least I think so.
I bought my new iPod a cute case that when I carry it with me, it looks like I’m carrying a wallet. I guess it’s a little weird because now it looks like I am listening to my wallet. But it’s still cute so I’m keeping it.
One more thing: JR bought a set of iPod earphones that came with an FM tuner but it doesn’t work with his iPod so he gave them to me in exchange for my regular earphones. Sweet.
I slept at 2am this morning since I was ripping CDs, downloading music and transferring them over to my iPod. I had originally intended to go to bed early but I kept telling myself, “Just one more CD… just one more song…” and on and on and on it went until it was already too late. I’m the type of person that likes to finish what they start so it’s difficult for me to put something down once I start it. I keep telling myself I can always do it another time but for some reason I feel the need to get everything done right then and there. It works to my advantage most of the time so I am guessing this is a good trait.
And then there’s the odd circumstance where it is a disadvantage. But if the positives are more than the negatives, then I’m definitely keeping the habit.
So now, I have over 800 songs on my iPod and three music videos. Purchasing videos on iTunes is quite expensive… at least I think so.
I bought my new iPod a cute case that when I carry it with me, it looks like I’m carrying a wallet. I guess it’s a little weird because now it looks like I am listening to my wallet. But it’s still cute so I’m keeping it.
One more thing: JR bought a set of iPod earphones that came with an FM tuner but it doesn’t work with his iPod so he gave them to me in exchange for my regular earphones. Sweet.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Shop Crazy
I’m so tired. I only got 4 hours pf sleep last night and I swear the train ride this morning seemed shorter than usual and didn’t really allow me to nap. I’m glad I only have to stay at work until 3pm today since I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon.
I was hoping to get a few things done tonight and maybe take a stroll downtown if I have enough energy. It’s quite nice and sunny outside and it’s ideal for a walk along Queen Street West. I would love to take a walk along Bloor Street West and look at the little shops there but I don’t have time to do that today.
I am dying to go shopping but I am also trying to save so it’s really an internal battle. Last night Steve and I went shopping with Fey and it was quite the shopping marathon. It’s funny that out of the three of us, I was the one who ended up not getting anything when I’m the avid shopper. I was quite proud of the fact I didn’t spend but I must admit that it’s also partly because I didn’t find anything I liked in particular. I tried a few things on but none of them looked good on me or worth spending money on. It was an accomplishment nonetheless.
I need some skirts, dresses, shorts and another pair of jeans.
I was hoping to get a few things done tonight and maybe take a stroll downtown if I have enough energy. It’s quite nice and sunny outside and it’s ideal for a walk along Queen Street West. I would love to take a walk along Bloor Street West and look at the little shops there but I don’t have time to do that today.
I am dying to go shopping but I am also trying to save so it’s really an internal battle. Last night Steve and I went shopping with Fey and it was quite the shopping marathon. It’s funny that out of the three of us, I was the one who ended up not getting anything when I’m the avid shopper. I was quite proud of the fact I didn’t spend but I must admit that it’s also partly because I didn’t find anything I liked in particular. I tried a few things on but none of them looked good on me or worth spending money on. It was an accomplishment nonetheless.
I need some skirts, dresses, shorts and another pair of jeans.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Lesser Evil
Darn it, you know that exfoliating cream I had successfully avoided buying? It freakin’ works! It actually works!
You know what that means?
That means I should have bought it! Dammit! Arrrgghh.
Anyhow, work has stepped up and it’s been a little busy for me. I’ve been handling work-related stress a bit better and just trying to take things in stride. My so-called work-related stress isn’t so much about the job… the cause is the people I work with (not all of them) and the lack of direction. I just found out that I am moving once again to another desk (this would be my 2nd move from my original desk) and I have to say I am not too happy about it. I had to choose the lesser evil. It was either sitting beside a co-worker I don’t like or sitting at a desk which exposes everything I am doing on my computer. Tough… do I choose the annoying co-worker who would eventually annoy me to death? Or do I choose to move to a desk facing the hallway?
For my own sanity, I chose the hallway.
You know what that means?
That means I should have bought it! Dammit! Arrrgghh.
Anyhow, work has stepped up and it’s been a little busy for me. I’ve been handling work-related stress a bit better and just trying to take things in stride. My so-called work-related stress isn’t so much about the job… the cause is the people I work with (not all of them) and the lack of direction. I just found out that I am moving once again to another desk (this would be my 2nd move from my original desk) and I have to say I am not too happy about it. I had to choose the lesser evil. It was either sitting beside a co-worker I don’t like or sitting at a desk which exposes everything I am doing on my computer. Tough… do I choose the annoying co-worker who would eventually annoy me to death? Or do I choose to move to a desk facing the hallway?
For my own sanity, I chose the hallway.
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