Currency Exchange

Most places in Niagara Falls, Ontario accepted U.S. money and gave change in Canadian money. Not sure if I made a profit or not. Maybe MommyChicky could comment on that. We didn't need to exchange any money since the U.S. money was accepted. At a 7-11, the total came to $22. I gave 22 U.S. dollars and they asked for another U.S. dollar to compete the transaction. That was the only time that happened.

Room Saver.com = Money Saver

Try this website www.roomsaver.com next time you need to book a hotel or motel. It might save you a ton of money. Some hotels let you book the rooms ahead of time. On the coupon it will specify if it is good on the weekend, whether you need to pay extra on certain days, etc. You can also find the books along the highway rest stops. We were able to use three of these coupons during our recent trip.

1st Night of our Adventure (updated)

My daughter and two sons had a very successful trip. Everyone traveled very well. Bedtime was not as pretty of a picture. Apparently my daughter did not like her pack and play. Instead she wanted the human comfort of Mommy and Daddy's arms while standing of course. Since we arrived around midnight we didn't want her waking our neighbors in the adjoining room. Normally we would let her cry it out. She slept comfortably in her car seat. Who knew?

The following night she slept successfully in her pack and play. Maybe the solution is to stick to her regular bedtime while on vacation to make for a happier child.

Traveling with Children

Today we are taking our three children on a two country tour. Our vacation began on Friday, July 4, 2008. Back home my best friend is about to deliver twins.

Packing for our trip was unusually easy. Normally I rush out and buy all the needed toiletry items etc. This time I enlisted help. My oldest child packed clothes for himself, his brother and his sister. No kidding. He put the clothes together. We did it in steps. First my oldest son put all the under ware in two piles. Later we worked on the clothes. I handed him clothes and he separated the clothes into two piles. He also put all of his sister's clothes that I set out into a travel bag. Not bad for someone his age. Yeah!! On the day of travel both boys packed a bag with their toys. Hopefully their toys are not obnoxiously loud. I forgot to check that. They also selected their special blankets for the trip.

My former manager once mentioned that his wife enjoyed a clean home after vacation so she would spend time cleaning prior to their trips. Surprisingly I did make an effort to make the house presentable prior to our departure.

Approximately 5 years ago we made this same trip with our oldest son. Since that trip we upgraded to a small minivan and then to a larger minivan. We also have a roof top carrier. This will be the first time my daughter has been in a hotel. Her baggage is fairly light. She has a pack and play to sleep. For dining, she has two seats. One seat we can take into the hotel and the other we will leave in the car. She is not potty trained yet so no potty chair is needed.

Toys, did we pack any toys for our daughter? Hopefully. Her toys are always a mismatch of various parts of toy sets.

Our choices for our destination varied but being summer what we packed would be the same for both trips. I love to travel and plan trips. We selected b/w 1000 Islands and Niagara Falls, Ontario. In the 1000 Islands, rest and relaxation seems to be possible. I have only taken a boat cruise through the area on the Saint Lawrence River so I don't know much about the area beyond the boat tour. Another interesting location is Rochester, NY. It appears to be on the water and has lots of fun museums that appear to cater to children.

Niagara Falls, Ontario has a fabulous attraction called Marine Land. They have a wonderful aquatics show and the patrons get to touch and feed the deer.
My husband and I were here in 1999. Now we hope to bring our children to enjoy the fun.

Home Efficiency

Mission statement options:

Create an environment that leads to the development of healthy and loved children who feel special and loved every day. Have a home that adds strength to relationships between family, friends and the community.

Create an environment that encourages the individual talents of all members and rewards teamwork and unity.

Some families have a mantra. What is your mantra?
Businesses and organizations have mission statements. Why not have a mission statement in our homes?

Have a great weekend!

The Day of Reckoning

Do you remember the day of reckoning in the Game of Life? When you get your credit card statement, does it feel like the day of reckoning? Does the full amount due determine if you stayed in the black for the month? Do you currently know how much you owe on your credit cards?

Many if not most major credit cards have on line access to your current balance, current entries and the current statement. When you go on line to view your bank account you might be able to view your most recent credit card entries also.

Decide how much money you can put on your credit card each month and still be able to pay your balance in full. When you get to that amount either use cash or checks to pay for new purchases. Don't continue to use your credit card if you can't pay off the balance.

Do You Have A Passion for Decorating?

I attended a very good class regarding color instructed by an interior designer.
Here are some tidbits of information that she shared with us.

The neutral colors are white, black, gray and green. Brown would also be included in the neutral colors.
Warm colors tend to make a room look large while cool colors would make a room look smaller.
Shades of color (hue) are mixed with black and gray. Tints are mixed with white.
Use warm tones in the downstairs. Use cool colors in the upstairs.
Windows that open to the north rec. cold and harsh light.
Southern exposure rooms rec. warm light all day long that changes throughout the day and the year.
East rec. sunlight first thing in the morning while west rec the sun during the hottest part of the day (red).
Use a foam tag for painting samples and move the samples around the room at different times of day for at least a week.
Recommendations for shades -cellular shades -have woodwork showing
Magazine -Ballard Designs

Colors to use in rooms
Red -Dining room -stimulate appetite
Peach, Pale Orange -expansive, dining room, kitchen, family room and bathroom
Yellow -warm, uplifting, joyful -use in hallways, kitchen, dining room and living room
Green -life, rebirth (both a cool and warm color) tranquil
Blue -awareness, unity and balance -use in bedrooms, main bathroom if it does not compete with skin tone
Indigo -stimulate learning, sensual, peaceful, magical -use in a library, study or den
Violet -nature, light waves, contrasting rooms, romantic, cool powerful, bedrooms

Lighting -recommend GE Reveal Lights

White recommendations -dove white and decorator white

Color schemes include -monochomatic, complementary (opposing), analogous (next to) and triad (evenly spaced on color wheel)