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Ugh, the dreaded summer cold is in full swing right now. I have talked to many people across the country dealing with this pesky bug.
I too am afflicted by possibly the worst cold I have had in years. It is such a bad bug that has knocked the crap out of me that I am close to classifying it as the flu.
Anyone else dealing with this dreadful bug that wants to join my pity party? Any home remedies? Mr. Neo Cirtran has even let me down.
*Heh this isn’t a deal but it is potentially a freebie. If you want my cold bug for free simply pm me for my address and I will give the bug to you for free! No money down!*
A&W Canada coupon has been removed as requested by A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.
SmartCanucks is not affiliated with A&W in any way or form.
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This is good reason to plan your diet “cheat” day for August 25th!
Join us for Cruisin’ for a Cause Day on August 25th to support an important cause. For every Teen Burger® sold at all A&W Restaurants across Canada, $1 will go to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada to help fund research and provide life-changing services for people touched by MS. You can also donate $1 to receive a cut-out for our donation wall.
But visiting A&W on August 25th isn’t the only way to help. Every time you tweet #CruisinForACause or RSVP to the Facebook event, A&W will donate 50¢ to the MS Society of Canada. Plus, text “MS” to 45678 and you’ll donate $5.
Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease. While it is most often diagnosed in young adults, aged 15 to 40, we know that it affects children, some as young as two years old. The impact is felt by family, friends and by the community. MS is unpredictable, affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. Its effects are physical, emotional, financial, and last a lifetime. There currently is no cure.
Last year, we all did a great job by raising over $700,000. This summer, let’s see if we can do even better. So roll on in with the whole family. Because helping a great cause is just in good taste.
Since chilly weather accounts for the majority of the Canadian year, one of the quickest ways to transition your wardrobe is with a great pair of boots! So here are some inspirational looks for the upcoming season…
Over-The-Knee Boots
I’m always conflicted about this trend as I’m under 5′ tall. A couple of years ago, I did own a pair of FLAT over-the-knee pirate boots, but a heel probably would’ve helped to lengthen my legs.
These laced-up, heeled Dior boots look KILLER…in a good way. What I do like about this particular pair is that they’re jeweled-toned which is much better than black all over!
Mary-Jane Boots
From Prada’s F/W2011 RTW collection, this is more of a personal entry than a fashion trend as I doubt many people would be able to afford $2400US+ (snakeskin) or even a measly $1500US (suede).
I love the ultra-feminine style, colour combination, and use of different textures of leather! Actually, there’s nothing that I dislike about them. 😉 The only thing that I can think of is that they aren’t as practical as they are fashionable, especially on wet days.
Click here to ogle at the various colour/leather combinations.
Riding Boots
a.k.a. Field Boots, they’re traditionally flat, although some designers have decided to put a twist to the look – and torture for the feet of fashion slaves – by adding a high heel, most of the time stiletto. 🙁 Ouch!
I’ll trade in the stiletto heels for these other details: nice, metal harness around the ankles, partial lace-up, Spanish Cut, or a classy buckle around ankles or calves.
Aside from the rigid leather, Riding Boots look fairly easy to wear.
Booties
(Ignore the pump on the bottom right-hand side.)
Forgoing the lace-up stiletto booties, these sleek, lower-heeled booties are more my style! Think Acne, Alexander Wang, Jil Sander, or the chocolate brown ones with studs, zebra print ponyhair, or black pull-on ones, etc.
Simple, easy to walk in, and hopefully won’t make my legs look frumpy-stumpy!
So ladies, before the first leaf hits the ground, can you please place all those UGGs, Hunters, faux fur moccasins in an incinerator? Notice how none of them made it onto my list or these…
Vibram FiveFinger Boots
Nasty. Unsightly. Who were these intended for??
If your planning on heading out to Dq make sure you pop in on the 11th!
Kids love DQ® and the feeling is mutual. That’s why $1 or more from each Blizzard Treat sold at participating locations on Miracle Treat Day, August 11, 2011, will help sick and injured children at your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Since 1984, DQ has raised over $86 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals-including $5.5 million in 2010. Let’s make 2011 a record-breaking year! Join DQ and help make miracles happen.
Click here to RSVP on Facebook
Click here for more info
*Bumping up for event*
Recently on Facebook Welchs posted that 94% of people put the peanut butter on before the jelly (jam) when they make pb & j sandwiches.
I personally don’t eat Pb & J but my kids do. When I make them I always put the jelly on first because its easy to wipe the knife off then do the peanut butter rather then apparently the “correct” way to do it.
How do you make yours?
*This is just a fun off topic post, you do not have to participate if you choose not to.
GLUTEN FREE … Are you seeing this start to appear on food packaging? Take-out options? Facebook groups? Hearing it in commercials and conversations?
A few years ago I’m sure not many people would have had a clue what gluten was and now it seems that gluten intolerance is on the rise everywhere.
Having tried quite a few Gluten Free products myself lately (everything from: Gummy Bears to Teriyaki Sauce to Waffles) I can say so far I’ve been quite impressed and have yet to find anything that didn’t taste just as good as the “regular” brands. Prices are definitely higher though, but it hasn’t been as bad as I expected for most items.
We have a few posts on this topic in our forum with some great discussions, recipes and deals and hope you’ll join in on the conversations!
Did your skirt or pants just split? Like the pattern of a long sleeved shirt, but tired of wearing it? Can’t be bothered to alter a shirt that’s a tad too big? On the hunt for a new skirt style? Did you inherit a bunch of shirts from an ex? Well, here’s a cheap, diy answer…turn that shirt into a skirt!
I read about the idea here on Chictopia, but apparently, the Japanese have been pulling off this look for years! Why am I not surprised, there always ahead of us here!
Anyway, I decided to try out the trend for myself, and here are the results…
After trying quite a few button-ups in my closet, I settled on this snap button denim shirt which was a more relaxed fit. Shirt Skirt would probably work best with an oversized shirt, so that you can have more material to play with, and even make a bow out of the sleeves.
Minus the shoes, if you don’t have these items in your closet already, it’ll cost you $15 tops! I purchased both the shirt (GAP, $9.99) + vintage Christian Dior silk tank (~$5) at Value Village.
If you’re brave enough to attempt the look, here are a few tips:
– Do not use a slim fit shirt. There are just not enough buttons/material to work with!
– The look is meant to look asymmetrical. So a tail-cut buttom hem is probably a bit more flattering than a shirt cut straight across.
– Belt not required. Unless you use a short-sleeved shirt, the sleeves act as a belt, so skip this extra bulk!
– Try doing up the buttons asymmetrically, on the diagonal.
– Aside from button-ups, you can use other shirts as well, including cardigans and sweaters. If it’s a pullover, just make sure your waist fits through the neck.
– Play with different patterns and textures! This look is not meant to be Banana Republic-Safe. Try polka dots, florals, or even stripes!
– Balance out your proportions. Since the bottom is a bit bulky, with the sleeve-belt, pair it with a more fitted top.
– Have fun! Fashion is only about taking risks, but it’s meant to be fun as well. So don’t forget that!
Be brave! My version felt pretty secure. 😉
Thanks Spikesfrugalside
With the high Canadian dollar I was wondering how many of our readers have been taking advantage of cross border shopping. I’ve been over 5 times or so in the past year and I’ve been loving the savings. Last week when I went to see Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears I popped in (read spent all day) at Great Lakes Crossing outlets. I found so many great deals and sales. I kinda fell in love with Burlington Coat Factory. Nine West bags for under $20, Guess bracelets for $5. I was in heaven. I also found an awesome Rocawear (Jay-Z label) shirt for only $5. I was really excited about that one because I’ve wanted one of his shirts for so long, but wouldn’t pony up the $30+ here.
Not only are some of the goods way cheaper, but I like the variety. A lot of stuff we just don’t get in Canada, so I always bring home funky finds for the kids. Including my favourite Cape Cod chips that aren’t available in Ontario anymore. I also got all the kids supplies for back to school. 20 cent 24 packs of Crayola Crayons, 40 cent markers by Crayola and so on.
Of course you do need to be price savvy. Some prices are higher or exactly the same as Canadian retailers. It all depends what store, and what item.
Do you cross border shop? Or do you prefer to keep it local?
*This is an off topic post. Off topic posts have been posted on the Smart Canucks Blog since 2006. If you do not want to read an off topic please kindly skip past, thanks 🙂
After reading a Facebook status that an ex of a friend of mine, from more than a decade ago, tried to reconnect with her, I became curious about my own ex.
What does he look like now, is he married to the same person, is his profile pic one of a recent sonogram, etc., etc.? So naturally, I looked him up.
Result? OMG. What happened to his face? The last time I saw him was probably 5 years ago and I think I pretty much look the same. So what’s been going on in his life to make him look soo bloated…and haggard? As I teased him years ago, did he actually become a meth/cokehead as a result of working long hours, the past few years on Wall Street? Not sure if this has any effect, but he’s still with the same girl. 😉
So, personally I am not above Facebook Creepin’. And it actually freaks me out when I read about applications that can track who has visited your profile. Do they actually work?
Even though I know that Creepin’ is probably not healthy, I can’t break-up with Facebook because I have received so many deals, coupons, and not to mention that it’s actually been good as a networking tool!
The question is, do you Facebook Creep, and if so on whom?
When I arrived at Wild Water Kingdom (WWK) after 3pm to take advantage of their “Twilight Discount Rate”, I thought I was doing WWK on-the-cheap. However, after I arrived, it was a completely different story.
Admission after 3pm was ~$20. (Not too bad considering that I can’t do a water park for longer than a few hours.) Keep in mind that the park closes at 7pm on a Saturday night.
Parking was $10/car and since it’s in the middle of nowhere, the fee is basically mandatory.
Renting a locker was another $5 – a $10 deposit with a $5 refund upon return of the key. Take note of the “we are not responsible for any lost or stolen items” on the sign where you rent the key. Gee, that really gives me confidence that my valuables will be kept safe in your locker!
And the last expense was $5 to rent an inflatable tube – $8 deposit with a $3 refund upon return of the tube.
So in summary, here’s the breakdown – excluding food/drinks at the park: $20 (admission) + $10 (parking)+ $5 (locker) + $5 (tube) = $40!!! And here I was thinking that $20 was going to cover an afternoon of fun in the sun. 🙁
(I did manage to save a bit of money by going with 2 other people, so we split the cost of the parking/locker.)
I found the expense of the inflatable tube the most annoying of all because for certain things like the Lazy River and the Wave Pool, the tube definitely enhances the experience. The river’s not exactly “lazy” if I crab walk the entire lap! And how fun is the Wave Pool when I’m constantly being bumped by other people’s inflatable tubes, kicked in the head by feet, and swallowing floating bandages and stray hairs while “jumping” the waves??!!
Aside from those attractions, there were also some water slides that required the inflatable tube. There were a few courtesy tubes so if you don’t rent, you basically had to wait ’til one was available, i.e. for the lifeguard to chase someone down and ask them to hand over the free tube for others waiting.
I was told that there were also free tubes for the Lazy River, but I saw less than a handful of them. And since there wasn’t anyone monitoring those tubes, you can take a catnap on the tube while it slooowly does one lap upon another. And before I could grab the 1 unoccupied tube that I did see, one lady pulled it right out of the water so she could use it as a hemorrhoid doughnut!
Perhaps if the park was better maintained &/or had some new upgrades, I wouldn’t be as irked as I was with all these hidden costs. So maybe with free grounds admission, the water park at Ontario Place would be a better deal?
Even with 300 channels, there is still nothing on tv. Aside from the shows that I do watch, all currently on repeat, it seems like the news cushions a whole bunch of other shows in which I have absolutely no interest in!
Having said that, I am eagerly awaiting the new season of Jersey Shore! In Season 4, the gang take their fake tans back to the “motherland”…Italy! I use quotes because some of the cast aren’t even Italian.
Judging by the trailer, it seems as though Italy will bring even more drama, with cast members mixin’ it up and makin’ out, tons of hatin’ on The Situation, and the same ol’ partyin’, but in a different setting. I am particularly interested in checking out JWoww’s new surgeries as she looks “different”.
(I sure hope that it delivers ’cause Season 3 was like watching grass grow! Do Italy proud, guys.)
“Jersday” starts again on August 4th at 10pm on MTV.
Click here to see the trailer!
Here’s something to do with your family & friends for FREE…visit Ontario Place!
To commemorate their 40th Anniversary, Ontario Place is offering free admission to their grounds. Unfortunately, this excludes their new water park which is $11.70/person. Not bad, considering Wild Water Kingdom, which is an older venue, is $30 and Canada’s Wonderland is $56 for adults!!! <– A bit much, if you ask me!
If you’re not fond of driving, consider a TTC Day-Pass for 2 adults or 2 adults/children for $10, unlimited travel! Day-passes are only available for 2+ people on the weekends/holidays.
My only gripe about public transit to Ontario Place is that it lets you off at The Ex and you have to trek across an alley, 2 parking lots, and an overpass bridge before you finally arrive at the actual destination. 🙁
Sorry for not posting this earlier! For some reason, I thought everyone already knew about this deal.
Click here for more information.
(Hopefully not with discount results. 😉 )
I’ve heard of going to a junior stylist to get a discount haircut, even dental work at a dental school, but not discount plastic surgery…until now.
(Btw, after one too many bad experiences, I completely swore off junior stylists! A bad haircut can really give my self-esteem a good kick in the rear.)
According to this article in The Globe & Mail, there is a training program at the University of Toronto that offers discounted plastic surgery by med students who are doing their residency in the field.
The female subject in the article offered herself as a guinea pig. Instead of paying $30k for a facelift, she could get it done for $17k, almost 50% off.
I realise that these docs-in-training are supervised, in a ” very controlled situation”, but regardless, it’s still surgery. At least with a bad haircut, my bruised self-esteem will heal as my hair grows back.
Would you get plastic surgery at such a training program in order to save some green?
I absolutely love these types of crafts. Theres nothing better then working on something like this on a rainy or too humid to go outside day. Even better is the kids can help out too (minus the glue gun). These are low cost presents to make, especially if you dig through your supplies and pull out odds and ends.
You will need:
*Glass Blocks (sold at Home Depot, Rona etc for around $6.)
*Glass or Diamond Drill Bit
*Strands of Christmas lights (25 or 50 per strand whatever colour sequence you have on hand)
*Wire Ribbon
*Decorations if desired (ie ornaments, fake cedar pieces, fake snow etc)
*Fabric Glue or Hot Glue
Drill 1” hole in back or bottom of glass block. Clean the inside of any debris. Carefully put lights into glass block, leaving enough cord and plug outside the hole.. (Use untwisted coat hanger to help position lights inside) Cut 2 ribbons to create frame of present and glue each at top to secure. Make top bow with 6-7 loops on each side, add decoration etc as you prefer.
Voila! You are done! These make great hostess, teacher, etc presents.
Tips:
*Different versions for weddings, baby showers etc.
*Make them with the blocks upright and lying down
*Use tissue paper to decorate the glass.
*Paint the glass in sheer colours
*Use Fabric paint to write words or sayings on the present
Be creative. Possibilites galore!
I’m not sure why I’m publishing this contest, as I really would like to win the prize myself. Perhaps I’m hoping that if the winner is a Smart Canucks Reader that s/he’ll consider taking me as their +1? 😉
Contest is open to residents of both Canada and the US who are 18 years or older. Unfortunately, you have to have a Facebook account to enter.
Click onto this link to enter!
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