What to Do - sparkleshinylove

Roxymandy September 18, 2015

The Interac 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge

I love a good challenge, but one of the most positive ones I can think of for the sake of my wallet has to be this one I’m going to tell you about!

The day I got my first credit card was a very exciting one. I felt like such a grown up to have my name etched across this card that held access to funds I had never seen before. It was also the start of the accumulation of my debt which followed me for years to come.

It seems so harmless to just swipe a credit card and have something paid for, but as I was swiping I rarely thought about the bill that would follow me home 30 days later. I would often say to myself that I would just go home and put my money right back on my credit card after using it, but that never happened.

I quickly learned how fast those balances could add up, and how much interest would curb my cash flow when I didn’t pay those credit cards off fast enough!

Did you know that research shows that it only takes 21 days to change a habit? I’ve decided to test that theory and take part in the Interac 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge.

What do I need to do? It sounds simple, but I am not spending money that isn’t mine! I have put away my credit cards and have just been sticking to what I actually have in my bank account by using my Interac Debit card.

I have to admit, so far it feels pretty good! There was always a bit of a nagging feeling following me out of a store when I bought something with a credit card. I would brush it off with “oh, I’ll worry about it at the end of the month”, and then it would be a race to the mailbox before my husband would find my credit card bill.

Now I have nothing to hide! Well, I may need to explain all of those shopping bags in my trunk, but at least this way I can boast that those cute fall clothes are paid for in full!

It’s all about living within your means, and staying away from credit card debt is a vital way to keep things in check. Now that I am only shopping with my Interac Debit card, I am paying close attention to my account balances, and I know when I need to say no to that second pair of riding boots that I just can’t afford this month.

Why not try the Interac 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge yourself? See what I am talking about when I say I feel better about spending what I have, and not borrowing what I don’t.

To learn more about the Interac 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge visit this http://www.21DaysCreditFree.ca to watch 21 helpful video’s that will help you succeed at the challenge, and provide you with tips and encouragement to make the challenge successful.

Disclosure: This post was part of a sponsored collaboration between Interac Association and SheKnows

Interac is a registered trade-mark of Interac Inc. Used under license.

Roxymandy September 10, 2015

Join the Wheelchair Relay Challenge & stROLL September 20th in Toronto

A pretty amazing event is coming to Toronto in a couple weeks! Check out the details below for the Wheelchair Relay Challenge & stROLL!

This year’s 70s themed Wheelchair Relay Challenge & stROLL will be on September 20th at 9:00am-1:00pm at Monarch Park Stadium, Toronto. It’s an opportunity for people with and without disabilities to come together for a day of fun, new experiences and friendly competition. All proceeds will go towards helping people with spinal cord injuries rebuild their lives.

Don’t have a wheelchair? One will be provided to your team to race around the track. Prior to the relay, participants solicit pledges from corporations, family and friends to raise money for people with spinal cord injuries, with an expected minimum team total – Corporate Team: $2,000 and
Community Team: $1,000.

Why PARTICIPATE? In Ontario, at least one person sustains a spinal cord injury every day. One of the most difficult times a person can experience is immediately after an injury. Thanks to funds raised by people like you through the Wheelchair Relay Challenge and STROLL SCI Ontario is able to provide much needed customized programs and services – giving people the support they need when they need it.

Enjoy free delectable snacks and fun activations. Boogie to funkadelic tunes and dress up in your best 70s attire, with the chance to win prizes for best costume.

There are two ways to get involved:

1. Create a team of 8 and race in a wheelchair in hopes of getting to the finish line first. If you don’t have a wheelchair, we can provide you with one.

2. If racing isn’t your thing, walk, run, dance or stROLL around our 2.5 km path

Learn more or register at www.sciontario.org/relaystroll2015!

Roxymandy September 3, 2015

Join Me at the RBC RESP Twitter Party September 17th at 9:00pm!

This year I hit a pretty major milestone – I paid off my OSAP debt!

It took me ten long years, but I finally did it. When I started university I didn’t have an RESP, and so I worked throughout the school year and summer paying for my education.

The cost was too great, and I needed to rely on OSAP to have enough money to pay for school. The debt plagued me for years – months and months of payments for a debt that I couldn’t help but accumulate.

Now that it’s gone, it’s been a huge weight lifted off my shoulders!

I never want my son to feel the weight of that debt, so my husband and I set up an RESP for him right after he was born. We have been putting money into it every month for years, and by the time he reaches university he won’t need to worry about student loans – he will have the tuition money he needs!

Our ‘Someday’ dream for him is to go to the university or college of his choosing, and not need to worry about debt because the RESP we have set up for him will give him the security of being student-loan free.

Are you starting to think about opening an RESP for your own child? If you are thinking about it, or have one set up already and want to ask the experts questions, then join me at the RBC RESP Twitter party on September 17th at 9:00pm EST!

Participants of the party can win one of 6 $150 Visa gift cards, and you can follow along with #RESPwithRBC

It’s the perfect spot to ask some of the questions you may have about setting up an RESP.

Maybe you have already set up an RESP but were too embarrassed to ask a few questions at the time, or thought of questions later that you wanted to ask? This is a great, friendly forum to get answers to your RESP questions.

RBC has some great resources to answer some of the questions you may have online as well!

What exactly is an RESP? Why is it important to set up? All the information you need, including FAQs and benefits of an RESP, can be found at http://www.rbcbanqueroyale.com/reee/.

What are your options if your child doesn’t pursue postsecondary education? Find out at http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/resp/resp-matic.html.

How much and how often should you contribute? Well, as much as you want, and frequencies of weekly to annually! Learn more at http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/resp/resp-matic.html.

How convenient can your payments be? Opt to save automatically and easily with RESP-Matic. Learn more at http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/resp/respmatic.html.

Did you know that saving for education doesn’t have to be overwhelming because of the options and assistance available, as well as “free” money e.g. government? Learn more at http://www.rbcbanqueroyale.com/reee/resp-benefits.html.

It’s easy to book an appointment with an RBC advisor to open up an RESP – you can do so online here!

For expert answers to your personal questions about RESP’s, be sure to join the RBC RESP Twitter party with me on September 17th at 9:00pm EST!

Roxymandy September 1, 2015

Launch of Maple Leafs Kids’ Club and the Club Maple Leafs App!

This past weekend we attended the birthday party of Carleton the Bear, the Toronto Maple Leafs Mascot who turned 20! We had an amazing time enjoying a magician, balloon animals made to order, hot dogs and a sundae bar, face painting, and one-on-one visit’s with Carleton the Bear and Duke the Dog. There was even a birthday cake!

One of the most exciting parts of the day was having the once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to paint on the Toronto Maple Leafs home ice at the Air Canada Centre. Our son was able to paint all over the ice to make his mark on this fun day.

There was a lot to celebrate – a birthday (Carleton’s of course), and the launch of both the new Maple Leafs Kid’s Club and the Club Maple Leafs app!

In association with Carter’s|Osh Kosh, the Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled details about the new kids club which can be found at www.mapleleafs.com/clubmapleleafs.

The Club Maple Leafs mobile app is available on iTunes and Google Play.

https://youtu.be/23uAC14JSEk

“We are thrilled to launch Club Maple Leafs and allow our youngest fans to connect with their favourite hockey team throughout the season,” said the Toronto Maple Leafs Senior Director of Marketing, Reid Black. “Whether kids are interacting with the Leafs in a digital space through our new mobile app or connecting in person through kid friendly events, experiences and in game features, we’re confident that Club Maple Leafs will help Leafs Nation’s newest members bond with the team.”

The new mobile app will provide exclusive content geared towards kids who can create their own avatar, track the Maple Leafs schedule and stats, and test their knowledge about the team.

The team unveiled it’s new partnership with Carter’s|Osh Kosh and launched an awesome new contest to celebrate!

The Ultimate Toronto Maple Leafs Birthday Party contest is live, and Leafs Nataion parents can sumbit a short blurb about why their chid deserves to be surprised at their birthday party by Carlton the Bear. They would also receive Leafs party décor, cake, loot bags and more!

The winner and their family will also win a trip to the Air Canada Centre and will be featured on the brand new scoreboard during a Leafs home game this season! Amazing contest, right? The contest is open until October 31st, 2015, and all entrants will receive 20% off their next Carter’s|Osh Kosh purchase!

To learn more about Club Maple Leafs, visit www.mapleleafs.com/clubmapleleafs and join the conversation by using #ClubMapleLeafs on social media.

Roxymandy August 22, 2015

Grand Opening of Farm Boy Whitby August 27th!

Farm Boy Whitby is finally opening on Thursday, August 27th, 2015 and you are invited to join the festivities!

The brand new 28,000 square foot location is having two opening celebrations! The first is on Thursday, August 27th at 7:45am for the official ribbon cutting ceremony. They will have Ontario vendors on hand with tasty samples, and the first 50 customers lined up will receive a $10 Farm Boy Gift Card.

The official grand opening celebration is on Saturday, August 29th, from 10am to 2pm and you can join them for tasty samples, in store specials, Lulu the cow will be there, and also face painting for the kids. New Country KX96 will be onsite 10 am to 1 pm as well!

The new store is the 18th Farm Boy location and the third of four stores planned for opening in 2015 – with the Kitchener store to open later this year. The Whitby location is the company’s first fresh market store in the Greater Toronto Area.

What exactly is Farm Boy? It’s a grocery store featuring farm-fresh produce, organic, natural and locally sourced foods. There’s also a full selection of premium meats, artisan cheese, sustainable seafood and their own store brands. There are also fresh prepared meals made from scratch in the Farm Boy Kitchen which makes me very excited! I love being able to pick up fresh meals when I just don’t have time to cook for my family. There will also be an in-store eating area with free Wi-Fi.

The store will support local businesses in the area as well by carrying products from Empire Cheese and Butter Co-op, Buster Rhinos Southern BBQ Sauce, Geissberger Farmhouse Cider and Black River Juice Company.

Farm Boy also offers a 50 foot wholesome and healthy fresh salad and hot bar, with fresh sushi and pizza made to order. It’s perfect for picking something up to take home, or to eat in-store! There are also 15 varieties of fresh soups, all made from scratch and served hot or ready to take home.

Stay tuned to the blog next week to see my personal experience shopping at Farm Boy Whitby!

I’ll tell you about some of my favourite finds, and what to expect on your own personal trip. Be sure to shop Farm Boy first on August 27th for opening day!

Farm Boy Taunton Gardens (Whitby) is located at 2 – 360 Taunton Road East, Whitby, Ontario.