Keep dry with a bit of Cheeky!

Cheeky_Umbrella_Web28Ever since fall has arrived, I feel as if it’s been raining non-stop. What happened to the rain just being in the spring? April showers will bring May flowers — they’re missing October, November and December right? I have to say, the umbrella I received from Jen over at Cheeky Umbrella came at the perfect time. It’s a prime time of year to test out how great these umbrellas claim to be. In fact, the day I received it — it was pretty nasty outside with misty drizzle, so it was put to good use immediately.

I was sent the “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring” umbrella to review on my website. Well, as I mentioned that we’re in the rainy and windy season right now, right before all the snow bombards us; I have to admit that the umbrellas can definitely withstand Southern Ontario’s gusty wind on those gross gloomy days. The fabric is high quality, and the umbrella handle is quite long, so you could comfortably fit two people underneath. (Unlike my previous cheap purse-sized umbrella where half of my head got soaked if I let someone else carry the umbrella for me.) The curved handle is also some sort of cushioned material, so it’s very easy to hold onto, and is non-slip!

The adult umbrellas are a bit different than the children’s versions, as the adults have an automatic release button, which is key when you’re exiting a car for instance, in the mornings with your lunch tote, purse, and shoe bag all in hand. Just a simple flick of the switch and it’s open. However, the kid’s version is safer as it has the manual release. I’m sure kids would get a wee bit carried away and easily scare, or poke their sibling with the fun automatic mechanism that we adults get to enjoy.

What I love most about the umbrellas over at Cheeky Umbrella is the swanky designs to choose from. You get this burst of color as soon as you open your umbrella. Mine is a great shade of vibrant red and is always fun to open in the rain, look up and see a happy color instead of some boring black, or navy. It was really hard to choose a favorite as there were just so many neat designs. Check out what would have been my second choice: Raining Men Umbrella. Great play on words, and a great sunshine yellow.

Cheeky launched a kids umbrella section in November, so there are a whack of neat little designs for youngin’s as well. You know … Christmas is coming up and what better way to support a fellow Canadian, and check out what’s new over at Cheeky Umbrella! For all my fellow readers, we have arranged that a coupon code be set up on Cheeky Umbrella and you will be able to purchase an umbrella and save an extra 10% on your online order. Just enter the promotional code: SPIFFY and you’re set until my Dad’s birthday — January 15, 2010. I want to thank Jen for this opportunity — as she was so easy to work with!

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“That’s a fine bit of bling missus!”

I gots a new watch!

watch-smallThat’s a fine bit of bling missus!!!!” Was the one and only sentence my Mom wrote back to me, after I sent her a picture of my watch. Hilarious, right? Thanks to Erin, I got it for  much cheaper than what I saw in the stores in Toronto! I’m going to definitely remove some of the links for my slim wrists — but I’m in lurrrve. Isn’t it a beaut?

I ended up going to the post office right after my “Boot Camp” workout last night. It had snowed some time while I was at work, and I walked out of the gym at 6:30 — and the traffic was absurd! I had to wait 3 or 4 stop lights just to make a left turn off my work’s street which isn’t normally busy. Ugh! I had to pick up my Boyfriend at his work, and we really should have just went home because I knew it would take forever to drive a kilometer to the post office. What should have been a 25 minute ordeal ended up taking a good hour and ten minutes. Needless to say, a quick supper was prepared. Elbow noodles, pasta sauce and cheese. My body hates me. Right after a good workout too. Oh well! You win some you lose some.

Post office news, let’s get to it. Apparently since they noticed I successfully picked up 4 different packages within the last month or so, they assumed that it was just a tangled mess in the system, where they send out “FINAL NOTICES” before the package gets picked up. I’m not one to wait around for the weekend (okay except that last time) to pick up my package. I’m usually there waiting for it the next business day at “13:00” when it’s scheduled to be there. Anyway. I have no idea what happened and I’m just going to let it slide. It wasn’t anything I ordered because if so, it would have been sent to my work because … I predict these type of hassles!

Alright folks. I’m working at the other branch today, and going to give my boss her Christmas present today. Yay!

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Bad things come in 3’s

Why must that happen? Why can’t good things come in three’s and bad things just happen one at a time? I tell you, it’s very frustrating. Let me get situated here and tell you all about my mini-ordeals going on this week.

One: Last Thursday I received a “Final Notice” Canada Post packaging slip in my apartment mail box (in the door slot), and since I had already been to the post office a day prior, waiting for the lunchtime rush, I decided to wait until the weekend to pick up my parcel. Safe bet, seeing as it said on the notice itself that it will be held until December 19. I went in and showed my postal slip and it wasn’t there. Same thing happened to a girl earlier that day. My parcel was either sent back or never retrieved. Um, I only received the mail slip 3 days ago. The postal worker took my slip of paper and wrote down my telephone number for someone to call me in the morning — Monday morning. No one bothered to call me yesterday about it, so I phoned them myself … a few times.  I decided to finally leave a voice mail. Again, no returned phone call. I called this morning and left another (fierce) voice mail. If I don’t hear back from them today, I’m going IN again. Waste of my time, but where the EFF did my package go? Seriously.

Two: I ordered a couple of things on Etsy from Bejing on October 31. A day after someone else had ordered the same bracelets online, but she was located in Texas. Texas lady had already received her bracelets weeks ago. While I’m going on week 8 waiting for mine. I e-mailed the Etsy seller asking for my money back as I stated in 3 previous convo’s to her that it was a Christmas present and would be TOTALLY useless if I received it after the fact. “Let’s wait one more week and then we’ll see what’s happened” she replies. Wait until December 21 to get my money back? Okay. Negative feedback for you as well? Okay. Guaranteed. I ordered it way in advance of the Christmas rush in order to get it before Christmas arrives. I’ll never be ordering from her again.

Three: In September I subscribed to 3 different magazines from a co-workers child who was giving out discounted magazine prices from a catalog. I picked Elle, Flare and Real Simple. In late November my credit card was debited $55 — to cover the cost of the three magazines. Yesterday I received a bill in the mail from Elle asking me to pay the subscription fee. I was confused because I had already paid for the full 12 month issues for all three magazines. I tried searching Elle Canada’s website for a phone number to call, but couldn’t locate one. So I decided to shoot them an e-mail. Of course I no longer have that proof of purchase from my subscription because it was debited $55 from my credit card. I better get my magazines, or my money back.

Why do I feel like I’m being screwed over in every way possible?

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