Kimi's 9th Birthday

For Kimi's 9th Birthday, we had a joint celebration with a fellow classmate, Marcus.

It was a simple, No- Frills party that was as much fun as the previous parties...

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SKY ZONE TRAMPOLINE PARK

Surrey, B.C.

2016 School Talent Show

It was nice to show the kids to learn how to confront stage fright by conducting shows every now and then. Kimi has shown considerable improvement in controlling her fears of performing in front of the audience. She just started guitar lessons recently and I am so proud that she was able to play a simple duet with a classmate in such short notice.

An Epic Week at Willingdon Church Bible Camp

We did our first week of Summer with a Bible Camp from Willingdon Church.

Kimi's 3rd year and Kenzo's 1st.

As expected, they both enjoyed the experience and time spent with childhood friends during the week.

Click here to register.

Abbotsford Tulip Festival

It was a bit of a drive but it was well worth it.

There was a bit of an accident that closed off one way and made the drive a bit longer on our way to this event and we almost went home but hubby took pity on me and decided to go for it... YEY!

* Panoramic view of the breathtaking scene of tulip in different hues

I love how each tulip look up close so I tried to take a moment and capture them with my camera.

 

 

The effect of them together was just as picturesque...

...and last but not the least, my family, my own miracle.

* My <3

* My Life :)

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ABBOTSFORD TULIP FESTIVAL

Open until May 1st, 2016

2016 Grade 3 Auction Piece

For this year's auction, we decided on photo collage of the Grade 3's in their present and previous years in one box. A special collection of photos from the yesteryears in one package. We also created a trio of frames that depicts the verse 1 Corinthians 13:13

We spent a morning forming the Grade 3 (and their buddy from Grade 6) for the cross formation

Hearts was just an afterthought and was composed of the Grade 3 student only. It came out nicely so the idea for the three pictures being used instead of just one picture came about.

Using mod podge, pictures from 4 years and a natural finish box. We created these...

...and with the use of (3) 8 x 10 inches frame, we managed to do these

I am quite happy as to how it turned out.

It is truly a 

Work of HEART

How to spend (and save) money in Canada

Living in Canada is quite expensive and with U.S. dollars being a bit on the high right now. Shopping in U.S. of A. is not a practical option. I found some tools to help me buy and yet save me some money at the same time.

1. EBATES CANADA

One of my new discovery is Ebates. It is not new but this is the first time that I actually received a check so I can vouch for this site. Referring a friend is also a great way to earn some $$$. If Ebates is new to you, what happens is when you want to go online, go to ebates.ca first and check for the list of stores that are included in their rebates program. If one of that store is there, just click on that store and you will be automatically connected to your chosen store and shop as you did except that you will get a certain percentage for that particular purchase. That extra step is really worth it especially if booking for trip or hotel as you can sometimes get more than $10 for one transaction. Interested? Click Here to get your own Ebates account and start saving.

My favourite online stores included in this rebate programs are:
- Chapters Indigo - mainly books but they offer toys, gift items and electronics
- Amazon
- Groupon
- Etsy
- Hotels.com
- Walmart
- Expedia
...to name a few.

2. EBATES USA

On some occasions, even with the CAD to US difference. Sites like Amazon USA still saves us more money than going to our local online store. Here comes Ebates USA with the same concept and an even better referral reward. You can also Click Here to make your own Ebates USA account through my referral link. I have yet to get my first check from this site. Will update once I do.

3. GREAT CANADIAN REBATES

This site works similar to Ebates and sometimes I check which sites offers a better percentage. Some people do like to collect points on one site to cash them out faster. I noticed that this particular program do offer some U.S. and Canadian online stores. I will explore more on this and write a follow up in the future. Click Here to open a Great Canadian Rebate Account.

4. FLIPP

I love this app! This is available in both desktop and as iTunes app and the best thing is it is FREE! It is so easy to use and you can just put in the thing you are looking for in the search bar and it will show you which places is carrying them and if they are on sale. You can also add them to your list of favourites for easier reference.

5. CHECKOUT 51

This is another must have for your iPhone app. I scan this app before going to the grocery just to see if any of my to buy lists are here. I am almost at my target $. They only cash out per $20 of account balance. It never expires so it is still a win win situation. This is the app with the most items you can rebate but there are two more similar app that works this way: Zweet and Snap by Groupon.

6. GROUPON

I love saving through this website. I have done soap making and jewelry making using this site and both I am satisfied with the price and how the class was taught. I also tried a Japanese meal for two from this site and was blown away how bug the portions were when we did try to claim it. It was enough for 3-4 people. Did I also mention that you can use Ebates.ca to get a rebate on your order for Groupon? What are you waiting for? Register for Groupon and start saving.

7. LIVING SOCIAL

This is similar to Groupon and I tried an art class for 4 session for my daughter with this site and she loves it. The class was small and intimate and the instructors was really great with the kids. One of the items I bought here was the massage package which was an awesome deal as well at $38 for an hour massage or reflexology with 30 minutes facial. SocialShopper works similar to both Groupon and Living Social but I have yet to purchase a deal from them.

8. TRAVELZOO

I love skimming their Top 20 deals and dreaming up my next vacation. So far I got a few hotel deals and dinner deals in here that is really worth more than what I pay for. The staffs that compiled the list really did their homework and made each purchase from here well worth it. I hope to find a good deal for travel that I can use in the near future.

If you have some tips for me that will help me save some more $$$. Please comment below. Thanks in Advance.