Buy eyeglasses right – buy them online
*sponsored post*
Buy eyeglasses right – buy them online
When you’re into saving money, you’re looking to cut financial corners on every purchase.
Buying a new pair of prescription eyeglasses is not exactly on your budget and with the prices that your optical store charges, will probably cut a huge hole in your wallet.
However, with the entrance of eyeglasses into the online world; all those previous conceptions no longer exist and are replaced with the words: affordability, convenience and great value. When you order glasses through sites like GlassesUSA.com, you are assured of the highest quality glasses at the lowest possible prices. What’s more, you are in complete control of how much you spend as you can choose to include the optional extras, or not, according to your personal financial situation.
With a wide and varied selection of hundreds of glasses in every style, color and material imaginable, the online world ensures that the latest trends are always available and that each person is able to find a pair of specs that suits their own individual personality type, desire and lifestyle need.
If you find yourself overwhelmed by the choices available, you could read up on the product reviews to get a better idea of what others have thought of the eyeglasses that you’re thinking about. Once you’ve narrowed your choices down, you should take advantage of the online virtual mirror which allow you to upload a head and shoulders photograph of yourself and then to “try on” the various designs and compare them. You could even send them on to friends and family for their input.
A little known fact is that these online gems generally retail at 70% less than their identical offline counterparts. What’s more, online stores also often host promotions that leave you with even bigger savings.
So, if you need glasses, hop online for money saving unlike you’ve ever experienced before! Now, your next order can be even cheaper! Take $25 off any order of glasses with Transitions lenses when you use the code: Trans25 OR take 10% off your next order when you use the code: Blog10!
How to Clean your BBQ: A (Very Simple) Step-by-Step Guide
This is what I look like when I BBQ
Ahhh, smell that fresh air? See those flowers? Hear those birds outside?
It can only mean one thing… BBQ SEASON!
There is nothing more divine than a delicious meal cooked over the grill. It signifies the start of warmer weather and better food!
But after the long, harsh winter sometimes your grill needs a little TLC before you can start flipping those burgers and smoking those haunches of tasty meats.
Does your grill look less like a paragon of fiery grilling prowess and more like a pit of despair?
Example: Pit of Despair
Don’t worry. Here are a few simple steps you can take to give your grill a good once-over before you jump into the season. These instructions are for a run-of-the-mill propane BBQ but can easily be adjusted to a charcoal one as well. You can easily use cleaners and solvents and fancy tools, but then it’s just a lot of work just to see the grill mucked up again the next time you use it. Why fight it’s nature?
Step One
Find your BBQ. Sometimes they like to hide in strange places over the winter.
Step Two
Assemble a kit of rubber gloves, old clothes or apron, BBQ grill brush and small dust brush & pan. Optional: a bucket to catch the four years of charred crap that you will unearth.
Step Three
Use the stiff BBQ brush to rub the burnt on burger leavings and rust off the grill. Lift it out and do the backside, too. Be amazed at the amount of mystery crap adhered to the underside. Set grills aside. Complain about grease marks on your gloves.
Step Four
Using the same brush, spend an ungodly amount of time brushing the fire-hardened crap off of the briquettes below. Set them aside, pray that this step ends soon. Marvel at the amount of dust you are producing.
Step Five
Clean the grill underneath the briquettes the same way you did the top grills. Wonder why it’s so damn rusty and if it will disintegrate on contact. Sigh in relief when it doesn’t. Set aside.
Step Six
Using the BBQ brush of power, scrape the sides of the BBQ and lid so that a rain of charred animal flesh and singed veggies occurs. Notice that the inside of the BBQ was originally NOT BLACK. Woah. All the junk will accumulate in piles of ash and mystery chunks at the bottom.
Step Seven
Using your small dust brush and dustpan, clean out all the remains at the bottom. Depending on how long it was since your BBQ was last cleaned, this may take some time. Take a moment to imagine what some of those charred things are at the bottom. Is that really a bottle cap?
Work around the burners and scrape them if needed. Pray to the Gods of fire that the burners will work after this! Sigh copiously and spit churned up dust out of your mouth as you proceed. Wonder why you decided to do this on a windy day.
Step Eight
Replace all grills & briquettes and admire your almost-ready grill.
Step Nine
Carefully light up the barbie, with burners on high, lid closed and CREMATE THAT F*CKER! For about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder.
Gardening Help?
In an effort to eat a little fresher and healthier, I planted a small potted herb garden in my bathroom window.
Everything seems to be doing pretty well there, except for my basil plant. It’s either got some kind of illness or bugs, I’m not sure which.
Here are some photos of the leaves. They turn all brown and die off and I can’t figure out why! I have been using Bug-B-Gon from the garden centre to kill any bugs that might be there (I dislike using chemicals but I can’t get my basil healthy!)
Does anyone know what could be causing this, and how to fix it? I just want to eat my basil!
SoftPaws: For a Kitty-Cat Manicure
Would you do this for your cat?
Thanks to Janine’s post on the subject I was reminded of this odd-yet-intriguing product for your cat. I’ve seen SoftPaws floating around in various pet stores over the years and always wondered what kind of person would do that to their cats.
I thought it was just another trend, like dressing your little dog in tutus and painting her nails… but now that I’ve seen some photos of these it looks like they might be useful. (And super-cute!)
Luna is awesome, but she’s still having some issues with scratching things and biting a little bit. I’ve got her using her scratching post now, and we get manicures together* to keep things under control.
But she still loves going after my vintage dining chairs, clawing at both the fabric and the cane backs. I’ve already found some damage 
She also has a thing for the blankets on my bed.
…Maybe these cute little fake nails are the answer? I just wonder if she would be able to keep them on and how well they prevent damage to your stuff…
Has anyone tried these on their cat before??
*Our nails grow at roughly the same rate, so whenever I need to do my nails, she gets it too! I think by doing them together regularly Luna is much more receptive to the process and doesn’t put up a stink! She’s not as afraid of the clippers, either.
Finally Getting EI
After a few tense weeks with absolutely no contact from EI, I found out today via their online portal that I’ll finally be getting some payments.
Looks like I might even get a little more than the max since I think I qualify as low income… LOL.
No payments as of yet, but next week I should see around $400 plopped into my account.
You have no idea how relieved I feel about this. I’ve been going over my numbers in my Mint account and without regular income of some kind I’d be in a real hard place.
I’m still looking for jobs but it’s slim pickings out there! I haven’t heard back on anything. It’s hard when you’re switching careers. If I had stayed in my old field I would have had a job by now for sure. I have the perfect resume for media jobs… but not so perfect for anything else *sigh*
The Big Idea
In other news, I think I have a business idea! It may be only part time to begin with, but hopefully I can grow it to something bigger. It’s not a new concept or anything, I want to open an online store and sell cool stuff. Particularly handmade/artisan things like you can find on Etsy. The difference is that I will hand-pick everything and curate the collection. I will also be handling all the marketing and promotion (which is half of any business anyway) to promote not only my store, but the artisans behind the work.
I want all the items I select to be beautiful and functional where applicable. Jewelry, housewares, health & beauty stuff… anything! I want to sell products that are interesting and have a story behind them so that the people that buy them can be proud of what they own and tell those stories! I’ll be doing some interesting things in terms of marketing (sorry, I can’t share all the details!) and will hopefully have community tie-ins as well. I want to support the local craftspeople that pour their hearts into their work.
My first challenges though are coming up with a good name, and also sourcing some neat items to sell. If you or someone you know makes interesting things and they would be interested in selling through me, please let me know! Ideally they would be located in North America so that shipping isn’t outrageous.
Anyway, there’s a little blurb for ya. I’m looking into some local business resources to get more information on writing a business plan and securing funding. Anyone have some additional Canadian resources I could tap?
My Recipe is Featured on Dishing For Dana!
Hey everyone,
You may or may not have heard about Dana’s (The Broke-Ass Bride) plight, but she is having to undergo her TWELFTH surgery for an autoimmune disease that is attacking her eyes. At this point she has a ton of medical bills (poor thing lives in the US!) and will have yet more costs accrued as she tries to recover.
To that end, the Dishing For Dana site was created. In exchange for your donation you’ll receive varying levels of access to a compilation of superstar blogger recipes!
And guess who is one of those bloggers?
ME!
On Monday my Parsley Butter Soup recipe was posted to the collection, you can check it out here!
If you donate you’ll receive access to all these amazing recipes, or you can submit a recipe of your own to help the cause.
Click on the image below to help out Dana and The American Autoimmune Related Disease Association:
Review: Snakes & Lattes Cafe, Toronto
I have a new favourite cafe where there is rarely a seat, the service is slow and the coffee mediocre.
BUT THEY HAVE BOARD GAMES. THOUSANDS OF THEM.
I love the concept of Snakes and Lattes, a board game cafe located just west of Bathurst station on Bloor St. In Toronto.
A $5 cover charge gets you in for an unlimited amount of time to play as many of their board games as you like. The place is crammed with tables, which are in turn crammed with folks of all stripes playing board game after board game.
A staff of young (and cute!) men man the cafe, serving up sandwiches, coffees, booze and sweet treats. They are all knowledgeable on board games and can help you find one, make recommendations and even play a couple of rounds with you! All in their official job description 
My friends and I have been there twice now, within that many weeks. We love the atmosphere, the eye candy and the wide selection of board games!
Both times we have spent hours there, sipping our lattes and enjoying a variety of games. The staff were helpful, recommending a new game for us, then even playing a few rounds so we could get the hang of it. Very nice indeed!
The hours of operation are pretty great, too. From 11am-2am every day gives you lots of timing options. And you’ll need them.
One of the downsides to S&L is that it’s a little too popular. It’s hard to get in, with wait times exceeding an hour on occasion. The place is also packed, making it noisy, squished and negatively affecting the service. This plays out in a couple of ways: poor coffee and food quality, slow service and in some cases, dirty dishes/cutlery (the dishwasher just can’t keep up!).
But once you’re in there and playing, you hardly notice any of that!
S&L is still relatively new, so I hope that they will continue to iron out the kinks in their shop. I would love to see them expand into another location, and also offer some better pricing options such as a loyalty card with discounts or free admission, or waiving the cover charge if you purchase a certain amount at the cafe.
All in all I think it’s a great place, and will definitely be back! Keep your eyes peeled for the chick having a little too much fun playing Mad Gab, Monopoly or You Might Be A Redneck If…!
Product Review: Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste + Advice
I haven’t received any new or noteworthy products lately, so I’m reviewing an oldie, but a goodie!
Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste (in any variation)
Now, in my books, any toothpaste is a good toothpaste. Years of working at a dental office and being curious have taught me loads about dental care and health and how frickin’ easy it is to keep your mouth healthy.
It’s actually the brushing and rinsing action that does the bulk of the cleaning when you do your teeth, but having a nice toothpaste helps by adding fluoride, facilitating the cleaning action and helping to protect your teeth against sensitivity and other nasties (that’s the unscientific explanation, yo).
This particular toothpaste has a slew of benefits (which are all available in other products too, fyi) but what I really like about it is the grit that is included in the paste.
It’s kind of weird and gross at first… it feels a lot like the polishing paste dentists use on you at your visit. But it sure does get your teeth clean! And I was surprised to find that even after regular use, the grit did not further irritate my sensitive teeth. In fact my sensitivity has decreased since using it.
The reason I have decided to continue purchasing this particular toothpaste is because of the results it gave me (when combined with regular dental care).
For my last two dental appointments, the hygienists said they had nothing to do. Meaning that there was almost no plaque build-up on my teeth and that everything was hunky-dory. The dentist agreed, and asked me what I had been doing.
“I just brush and floss regularly!” I said.
This speaks volumes in favour of this toothpaste. It was the only thing that had changed in my routine and suddenly I was seeing amazing results.
Here’s a recap of the benefits I experienced:
- Really nice, clean feeling after brushing
- Reduced plaque build-up (which meant no cavities or gingivitis)
- Reduced tooth sensitivity
- Whiter teeth
Dentist charging me $200 for a tooth-cleaning I didn’t needoh whoops, I guess that’s not a benefit!- Knowing that including this in my regular routine will allow me to increase the time between dentist visits (only do this with blessings from your dentist, everyone needs a different level of care)
Ginger’s Dental Advice
I’m not a dental professional, but here are some uber-simple things that you can do to keep your mouth healthy, and why you should do those things.
Brush in the morning AND at night
Everyone knows it’s good to brush in the morning to get rid of dragon’s breath. But did you know it’s almost more important to brush at night?
At night, your mouth turns into a pit of despair filled with acids and bacteria that are up to no good. If you sleep with your mouth open, these acids and bacteria dry out and stick to your teeth like glue which can cause cavities, inflammation (gingivitis) and more.
If you clean your mouth out before bed you’re not giving the nasties a chance to accumulate and sit around your teeth for as long. You’ll still wake up with rank breath, but hopefully one less cavity or soft spot.
Mouthwashes give a little extra oompf but are optional
That covers it…
Floss regularly, too
No matter how awesome your toothbrush is, nor how vigorously you swish that mouthwash, you’re not going to dislodge the ick from the nooks and crannies of your teeth.
This is where flossing comes in. By flossing regularly, you’re able to clean between the teeth and below the gum line (where grossness likes to lurk the most!) and scrape out the garbage that hangs out there. And maybe dislodge that popcorn seed shell that’s been stuck in your molar since last Friday.
“Oh Ginger!” you whine, “It hurts when I floss and my gums bleed! I don’t wanna…” To this I say: Suck it up, buttercup. Your teeth and gums hurt and bleed because you’re not flossing! Deal with it for a few days and the swelling will go down and it will become easier to floss. Trust me, I started out the same way.
The dentist always used to tell me I needed to floss more, but I just sort of shrugged it off. But once I started it I noticed what a difference it really made! I had no idea that such a small step could not only improve my dental health so much, but also save me money!
Benefits of Good Dental Health
I think you all vaguely know that having healthy teeth is good. But WHY is it so important?
Health!
Duh. Less cavities, less tooth sensitivity, blah blah blah. But did you know that the human mouth is dirtier than a dog’s? And did you know that the teeth are the only hard bodily substance (aka BONES) that stick outside of your flesh? This means they have a direct route into the body from the outside world. If you don’t take care of your mouth you are asking for health troubles.
Poor dental health can lead to all kinds of diseases including cancers and periodontal disease. It’s not just about losing your teeth anymore–you can lose your life.
Looks
It pays to take care of your teeth. Fresher breath, naturally white teeth, no signs of decay. Tell me you don’t look for that when you go to kiss someone! Disgusting teeth are a huge turnoff for me.
Money
By performing everyday maintenance of your teeth (brushing & flossing) you can prevent SO MUCH damage!
Here are some observations from when I worked at a dental office.
People would come in and be flabbergasted by the amount of additional work they would need to get done (after not coming in for 5 years or more!) and would wonder why they have such high dental bills for all this work.
I’ll tell you why.
I don’t care if you don’t have the money or are afraid of the dentist. You’re probably afraid because its always painful and costs a lot, yeah? Well it’s because you don’t take care of your teeth! If you just brushed and flossed regularly, going to the dentist would be a hell of a lot cheaper and comfortable! Buying floss, a brush and toothpaste costs less than $10 and is something everyone can afford.
If you have a good dental regimen, you don’t have to worry about getting root canals, crowns, extreme scaling, additional fluoride or polishing treatments. Your cleaning appointments can be scaled back so you don’t come in as often.
Crowns cost upwards of $1000, and root canals are pricey, too. No one wants to get them done, but they don’t bother taking preventative measures either. Personal beef of mine.
It’s so easy to avoid painful and expensive dental treatments, my friends.
Just take care of your mouth!
I have some crazy memories from the dental office… we would have file photos of some really awful teeth (nightmares, really) and every time I skipped brushing one of those scary images would flash through my head.
So anyway, brush, floss and see your dentist regularly! Or you may end up with a mouth like this:
This is actually meth mouth, but shows you what can happen! This person was at risk for cancer
The Original Hipsters
Is this YOUR dad?
Your dad ate local fair trade produce before you did and he has dirt under his finger nails to prove it. Your dad had a green thumb and leather tanned neck. He worked in the garden and grew his own food, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. So hipsters, next time you’re asking the waitress if the tomatoes in your salad were ethically grown, locally produced, fair trade, sustainable and if the workers were given a livable wage, remember this…
Your dad was the leader of the eating local trend, he contributed to society and you’re just a giant succubus at the teat of it, who contributes nothing, but feels the need to bitch about everything…
and to conclude this conclusion, grow up hipsters, grow a pair and add something to culture other than shitty art and bad music.
After spending 9 months living with a hipster, I have come to dislike the whole movement quite a bit! Annoying, self-absorbed and “trying too hard” they are only cool in their own minds.
Enter the site Dads: The Original Hipsters.
If you have ever encountered a hipster, you will love this site as it calls out all the particular traits that hipsters pride themselves on, makes fun of them and shows how awesome our dads were for doing all that stuff originally. Hispters are just poseurs, stealing from another generation!
Yeah, my dad was totally an original hipster. Sick.
*I am referring to the annoying hipsters, not the ones that are actual nice, decent people. Though rare, they DO exist.
April Hosting Recap
I know it’s a little early to be posting this, but I’m not accepting any more bookings this month so I already know how much I’m making.
Ahhh, April is a beautiful month!
- Total Guests: 8 (or 10 if I include doubles)
- Total Bookings: 8
- Total Nights Booked: 35
- Total income: $1,829
- Income Year To Date: $2,969
- Monthly Average: $1,484.50
A good month, money-wise. But it’s been a lot of work. If I were working a full time job, there is no way I could sustain this. I have to clean the rooms, wash the sheets, etc. after every stay. That really adds up! Plus I haven’t had a lot of time to myself. I would really like to be able to strut around my apartment naked once in a while!
Interested in becoming a host or using the Airbnb service to book your next trip? Click here and get $24 credit (I get it too!) Thanks, man!
