I found this list of amazing personal finance blogs while reading the Toronto Star. They were part of a blog written by Give Me Back My Five Bucks. This is a blog written by Kyrstal from Vancouver who is an amazing young woman.
This list was compiled with Amber from Blonde and Balanced.
I've copied the article below from her blog.
The Top 10 Realest Personal Finance Bloggers!
1.Fabulously Broke in the City – I’ve known FB for a long time. Her blog has evolved a lot since she began writing, and I think she does an amazing job coming up with unique content every day that combines life and personal finance. She really takes pride on making her blog great – editing photos and creating a story behind each post.
2.Well-Heeled – I’ve been reading her blog since I started PF blogging. I think we have a lot in common – especially because we were both unemployed at the same time earlier this year and both got jobs around the same time too. I really like how thoughtful and relavent her posts are.
3.Girl Red Balloon – Red is a 20-something blogger finishing up her college degree. I enjoy her posts on being frugal and saving money because it always reminds me that, even though I’m almost 4 years out of college, living and budgeting like a college student can still be done in a fun way – and save you tons of money.
4.Punch Debt in the Face – I heart Debt Ninja. His posts are always hilarious and unexpected – between his stick figure drawings to his personal finance ninja rapping, he always comes up with surprising ways to entertain his readers.
5.Budgets are Sexy – I remember when J$ first came on the blogging scene, I thought to myself: “this guy is crazy!” And I was right. He makes personal finance fun in a very unique and engaging way. He very recently got laid off, and is now trying his hand at becoming a full-time blogger! He has the drive and ambition to succeed so I’m excited to read about his freelancing journey.
6.Enemy of Debt – This is a great blog, and it is inspiring to know that he came from over $25k worth of debt and was able to eliminate it all in 18 months.
7.Stacking Pennies – SP is amazing! She is a running machine, goes on amazing hiking trips (maybe one day BF and I will get to go hiking with her!), and is great at budgeting and saving.
8.Small Steps for Big Change – SSBC writes an amazing PF blog about getting out of debt, saving, living frugally, and life in general.
9.Young and Thrifty – She is a fellow Vancouverite who has just bought her first house! She blogs about investing (which I need to learn a lot about), savings and personal finance tips. I also cannot wait to hear more about her new place! Maybe … some pictures? Hint, hint.
10.Paying Myself – She is a lawyer from Ontario who has set up her own practice. Her goals include getting out of student loan debt, saving and living frugally. I love how she blogs about her real life issues and problems with money. It’s interesting and refreshing.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Recipes - Pork Meat Loaf with Apples and Sage
Feeling guilty that I hadn't used the ground pork as planned with green beans for dinner last night I searched for something I could make with it and heat up later. I found this at Put Pork on Your Fork. I had all the ingredients at hand so it was easy.
Apple and Sage Meatloaf
Yield: Serves 8
Cooking Time: 90 minutes
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 lb (1 kg) Lean ground Canadian Pork
1 cup (250 mL) finely diced onion
1 cup (250 mL) fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup (250 mL) milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) apples, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped parsley
2 Tbsp (25 mL) Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh sage
1 egg
1 tsp (5 mL) each: salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbsp (25 mL) butter
1 medium onion, sliced
2 Ttbsp (25 mL) flour
2 cups (500 mL) beef bouillon
Cooking Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine ground Pork, onion, breadcrumbs, milk, apples, parsley, mustard, sage, egg, salt and pepper, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Place in a greased medium loaf pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 90 minutes, or until the middle of the meatloaf registers 160°F (60°C) on a meat thermometer.
Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt butter, then add onions over high heat. Cook onions until browned. Away from heat, stir in flour until fully incorporated. Return to heat and whisk in bouillon. Bring to a boil and adjust seasoning. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Apple and Sage Meatloaf
Yield: Serves 8
Cooking Time: 90 minutes
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 lb (1 kg) Lean ground Canadian Pork
1 cup (250 mL) finely diced onion
1 cup (250 mL) fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup (250 mL) milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) apples, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped parsley
2 Tbsp (25 mL) Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh sage
1 egg
1 tsp (5 mL) each: salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbsp (25 mL) butter
1 medium onion, sliced
2 Ttbsp (25 mL) flour
2 cups (500 mL) beef bouillon
Cooking Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine ground Pork, onion, breadcrumbs, milk, apples, parsley, mustard, sage, egg, salt and pepper, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Place in a greased medium loaf pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 90 minutes, or until the middle of the meatloaf registers 160°F (60°C) on a meat thermometer.
Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt butter, then add onions over high heat. Cook onions until browned. Away from heat, stir in flour until fully incorporated. Return to heat and whisk in bouillon. Bring to a boil and adjust seasoning. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Recipes to Try - Korean Short Ribs
This is definitely going to be tried! Korean braised short ribs or kalbi-jjim from Appetite for China blog.
Saturday Shoes - Istanbul
These were taken at the Grand Market in Istanbul. The quality isn't great but the vendors were not keen on anyone taking photos for some reason. I would love a pair of these boots they would certainly brighten up a winter's day, but I guess they wouldn't be practical in 5 inches of snow.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Soups - Recipes to Try
Just came across this Baked Potato Soup with bacon, onion and cheddar at The Kitchn
Italian Wedding soup
Italian Wedding soup
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday's Child - Egypt
CAIRO/MEMPHIS
A young woman works on a carpet at a carpet school in Memphis, just north of Cairo; they attend school in the morning and then work in the afternoons in the factories.
A young woman works on a carpet at a carpet school in Memphis, just north of Cairo; they attend school in the morning and then work in the afternoons in the factories.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
365 Decluttering - Week 1
So I'm going to bore you with my organizing plans in 2011.
A GF and I have a pact to do at least 1 organization activity per month with before and after photos.
I actually plan to try the 365 Decluttering which I first saw some time last year over on this blog. Since then I've seen numerous other blogs on the same subject if you Google it.
The idea is to remove at least 1 item per day by either throwing it out, donating it, gifting it or even selling it!
Day 1 Sunday
Started on bookcase beside computer. UPDATE not finished.
Emptied one of the cases for holding CDs - going into charity bag
Now have to go through the CDs and determine what's worth keeping.
Chinese calendar from restaurant - charity
NY Times crossword puzzle - charity
Mom's crossword dictionary with her tags - charity
Debated book 1001 books to read - kept it, love the art work in it.
Foreign money from trips - odd ones into baggie that was there - baggie going upstairs, not sure where.
US and UK money sorted and into baggie.
Cdn coin and old bills - will research if any value in keeping - UPDATE just looked on Ebay and not much value for US 1964 half dollar or Canadian 1964 silver dollar. Also have a 1929 nickel, and a Bahamian 1 cent which is very pretty andd has a star fish on it. Maybe make jewelry out of them???
Then headed over to Etsy to see if anyone there would be interested and found this lovely bank! And the seller is located here in Ontario.
Did get some other ideas - coasters,
Or I cound add them to a coin bracelet my grandmother had made years ago....
Added them to the foreign coin bag and the Harrod's box they were in went into charity pile.
3 work books - DH's to go upstairs with his stuff. BONUS he threw 1 book out.
Threw out mag cover I was keeping??
Convinced DH to move humidor to dining room. this meant moving speakers on top of stereo to make room, which meant dusting first!
Sorted pile of International Living magazines - sat and read December's. Looked for article on best time to book flights. Found it!!! Will post soon.
Found bunch of things from trip to China including the sillhouettes that were made by a street vendor in Guilin. What to do with them?
Nice Chinese map - contemplating whether to frame or not....
Ten Yuan note - into foreign money collection.
Day 2 Monday
Remembered that Katy over at Food for a Hungry Soul blog loves old cookbooks so I dropped a note asking if she was interested in these 2 cookbooks and she was so they are being gifted to her! Love it when something goes to a new home. Now I just have to mail them to her.
This was given to me by a friend of my mother's and it is from 1930.
Don't you just love the first chapter in the book!
Found a bunch of CDs with downloaded music and had DH listen to them and load some on the laptop and then threw them out.
Day 3 Tuesday
Put a pair of yoga pants (too short) and a shirt, bought, worn once and disliked, into the charity pile.
Day 4 Wednesday
4 coffee mugs and a tray - ask friend if her daughters would like them for their new condo.
Day 5 Thursday
In speaking with a friend at work about something she mentioned her router at home only had 1 connection so I brought her an extra one that we had in the basement. Another good home.
Day 6 Friday
2 half full (or half empty?) jars of vaseline combined into 1.
Finished book that I will pass on to a GF as it is full of references to Edinburgh where we had both been in the spring.
Picture of our trip on video.
Day 7 Saturday
A quick clean out of sock drawer yielded 4 pairs of white socks, several pairs of hose that haven't been worn in I don't know how many years. BONUS DH put a shirt in the charity pile.
A GF and I have a pact to do at least 1 organization activity per month with before and after photos.
I actually plan to try the 365 Decluttering which I first saw some time last year over on this blog. Since then I've seen numerous other blogs on the same subject if you Google it.
The idea is to remove at least 1 item per day by either throwing it out, donating it, gifting it or even selling it!
Day 1 Sunday
Started on bookcase beside computer. UPDATE not finished.
Now have to go through the CDs and determine what's worth keeping.
Chinese calendar from restaurant - charity
NY Times crossword puzzle - charity
Mom's crossword dictionary with her tags - charity
Foreign money from trips - odd ones into baggie that was there - baggie going upstairs, not sure where.
US and UK money sorted and into baggie.
Cdn coin and old bills - will research if any value in keeping - UPDATE just looked on Ebay and not much value for US 1964 half dollar or Canadian 1964 silver dollar. Also have a 1929 nickel, and a Bahamian 1 cent which is very pretty andd has a star fish on it. Maybe make jewelry out of them???
Then headed over to Etsy to see if anyone there would be interested and found this lovely bank! And the seller is located here in Ontario.
Did get some other ideas - coasters,
Or I cound add them to a coin bracelet my grandmother had made years ago....
Added them to the foreign coin bag and the Harrod's box they were in went into charity pile.
3 work books - DH's to go upstairs with his stuff. BONUS he threw 1 book out.
Threw out mag cover I was keeping??
Convinced DH to move humidor to dining room. this meant moving speakers on top of stereo to make room, which meant dusting first!
Sorted pile of International Living magazines - sat and read December's. Looked for article on best time to book flights. Found it!!! Will post soon.
Found bunch of things from trip to China including the sillhouettes that were made by a street vendor in Guilin. What to do with them?
Nice Chinese map - contemplating whether to frame or not....
Ten Yuan note - into foreign money collection.
Day 2 Monday
Remembered that Katy over at Food for a Hungry Soul blog loves old cookbooks so I dropped a note asking if she was interested in these 2 cookbooks and she was so they are being gifted to her! Love it when something goes to a new home. Now I just have to mail them to her.
This was given to me by a friend of my mother's and it is from 1930.
Found a bunch of CDs with downloaded music and had DH listen to them and load some on the laptop and then threw them out.
Day 3 Tuesday
Put a pair of yoga pants (too short) and a shirt, bought, worn once and disliked, into the charity pile.
Day 4 Wednesday
4 coffee mugs and a tray - ask friend if her daughters would like them for their new condo.
Day 5 Thursday
In speaking with a friend at work about something she mentioned her router at home only had 1 connection so I brought her an extra one that we had in the basement. Another good home.
Day 6 Friday
2 half full (or half empty?) jars of vaseline combined into 1.
Finished book that I will pass on to a GF as it is full of references to Edinburgh where we had both been in the spring.
Picture of our trip on video.
Day 7 Saturday
A quick clean out of sock drawer yielded 4 pairs of white socks, several pairs of hose that haven't been worn in I don't know how many years. BONUS DH put a shirt in the charity pile.
Sunday Skies - Birch Bay WA
Stayed in a delightful timeshare in Birch Bay for a week in October 2008.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Site to check out
Go check out The Noble Pig's top ten recipes from 2010. They look delicious and the photography is stunning.
Happy New Year!
"May your troubles be less
and your blessings be more
And nothing but happiness
come through your door."
-Irish Blessing
Saturday Shoes
I took this picture shopping on December 29 so the stores still had their Christmas stuff, however, they were already stocking their Valentine kitsch or tchatchkes.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Project 365 December 2010
The topic was pretty loose this month, Happy and/or Red. There are pictures of some of my favourite things, friends, Toronto, Christmas etc.
My favourites
Dec 24 - my niece laughing
Dec 25 -family
Dec 31 - my DH
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday's Words
Go over to locked out's blog to read about 10 Writing Exercises I can't live without. I especially liked the garbage can idea.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday's Child - Egypt
Taken from our tour van on the way to see the Pyramids. She has heer sleeping baby on her lap while working on her donkey.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Monday's Child - Athens
Kids wander the street playing for money. We later saw him on his cellphone - looking for his next gig?
This little guy was playing in the Acropolis area and then was moved off by the police.
Spotted this little girl as we were having coffee
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Recipes to Try - Red Velvet Cake Truffles
This is definitely going to be made if I can find Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake mix!!!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wednesday's Words
A billboard in a shop window in Istanbul.
The four scenarios read:
Neighbor who calls the police every time
Third world dictator's ass
Banker with a bonus of 1,000,000 euros' ass
Nightclub bouncer's ass
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Project 365 - November 2010
The theme was Remembrance but some of the photos are stretching the point a little! Oh well, it is MY project!
Most times I use my Blackberry for these daily photos so the quality is not always the best.
Yes, Nov 27 is not a new photo but it was our wedding anniversary and I was remembering those in the photo that are no longer with us.
Since we were in Greece and Istanbul for some of the month I picked a photo of something "old" for each day.
I thnk my favourite(s) are the lamp by the sidewalk waiting for a new home and the memory Lane signpost here in Toronto.
Remember when you'd get books of matches in every restaurant?? Here's a photo of my collection. I was able to add one from our trip to Greece!!
Most times I use my Blackberry for these daily photos so the quality is not always the best.
Yes, Nov 27 is not a new photo but it was our wedding anniversary and I was remembering those in the photo that are no longer with us.
Since we were in Greece and Istanbul for some of the month I picked a photo of something "old" for each day.
I thnk my favourite(s) are the lamp by the sidewalk waiting for a new home and the memory Lane signpost here in Toronto.
Remember when you'd get books of matches in every restaurant?? Here's a photo of my collection. I was able to add one from our trip to Greece!!
There's also the "unremembered" umbrella on the bus, my mother's carving fork, the clock tower at the Summerhill LCBO which was once a train station.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tuesday Nov 23 (Day 9 of Gate 1 Tour) Istanbul
We start the day with a visit to the Beylerbeyi Sarayı, a "small" Istanbul summer palace overlooking the Bosphorus from its Asian shore.
We couldn't take any pictures inside but it was amazing. I think it is one of the most beautiful and ornate palaces I have ever visited. The chandeliers were magnificent! I did find some pictures online.
Sneaking a photo through the doors.
Built on orders of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz (1861-1876), it's a delightful, if ornate, imperial residence with a fountain in the main salon, the usual sumptuous chambers, Bohemian crystal chandeliers, Sèvres and Chinese vases, and pleasant gardens.
The palace looks its most attractive from the Bosphorus, photo taken yesterday from river cruise,
Its two bathing pavilions, one for the harem (women's only) and the other for the selamlik (men's only), can best be seen.
Quite foggy as we started out.
One of the most attractive rooms is the reception hall, which has a pool and fountain. Running water was popular in Ottoman houses for its pleasant sound and cooling effect in the heat.
Egyptian reed matting is used on the floor as a form of insulation. The crystal chandeliers are mostly French Baccarat and the carpets are from Hereke.
The palace was often used as a guest house for visiting royalty. Empress Eugénie of France, Shah Nasruddin of Persia, Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia and other worthies enjoyed its comforts.
Sultan Abdulhamid II was deposed by the Young Turks in 1909, and spent the last years of his life (1913-1918) under house arrest at Beylerbeyi.
Much of the furniture in the palace was made by the sultan himself, who was an accomplished cabinet-maker.
It is not as foggy now as we crossed the Bosphorus Bridge to the Asian side.
On the other side we are taken to Camlica Hill. The views from Büyük Çamlica are truly amazing, with a panoramic vista of all of Istanbul’s main waterways, the Bosphorus Bridge, the historic Eminonu Peninsula, the Princes’ Islands and even Mount Uludag near Bursa.
I found a recipe for these cheese rolls.
Fish
Oh, if only, I had room in our luggage to shop! I did buy a couple of cushion covers.
Then it was a quick stop at a leather factory at the group's (not ours) request. However, the prices were high and none of our group bought anything.
It was time to say good bye to the group as we were all leaving at different times the next day.
The 4 of us went out for a quick bite and just as we got seated for a drink the rain and wind started.
We then went for a quick bite around the corner from the hotel and to bed for our long trip home.
We couldn't take any pictures inside but it was amazing. I think it is one of the most beautiful and ornate palaces I have ever visited. The chandeliers were magnificent! I did find some pictures online.
Sneaking a photo through the doors.
Built on orders of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz (1861-1876), it's a delightful, if ornate, imperial residence with a fountain in the main salon, the usual sumptuous chambers, Bohemian crystal chandeliers, Sèvres and Chinese vases, and pleasant gardens.
The palace looks its most attractive from the Bosphorus, photo taken yesterday from river cruise,
Its two bathing pavilions, one for the harem (women's only) and the other for the selamlik (men's only), can best be seen.
Quite foggy as we started out.
One of the most attractive rooms is the reception hall, which has a pool and fountain. Running water was popular in Ottoman houses for its pleasant sound and cooling effect in the heat.
Egyptian reed matting is used on the floor as a form of insulation. The crystal chandeliers are mostly French Baccarat and the carpets are from Hereke.
The palace was often used as a guest house for visiting royalty. Empress Eugénie of France, Shah Nasruddin of Persia, Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia and other worthies enjoyed its comforts.
Sultan Abdulhamid II was deposed by the Young Turks in 1909, and spent the last years of his life (1913-1918) under house arrest at Beylerbeyi.
Much of the furniture in the palace was made by the sultan himself, who was an accomplished cabinet-maker.
It is not as foggy now as we crossed the Bosphorus Bridge to the Asian side.
Obviously the views are very good.
This sightseeing is thirsty business. Time for a tea break on Camlica Hill. This tearoom was just beautiful.
Time to head back to Europe.
We're stuck in traffic on our way to lunch so we amuse ourselves taking pictures.
Lunch
The restaurant was selected by the tour guide and our meal was included in the tour price. It was excellent, service was friendly and helpful.
Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Aya Sofya) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.
Then it's time to head to the Grand Bazaar.
Oh, if only, I had room in our luggage to shop! I did buy a couple of cushion covers.
Then it was a quick stop at a leather factory at the group's (not ours) request. However, the prices were high and none of our group bought anything.
It was time to say good bye to the group as we were all leaving at different times the next day.
The 4 of us went out for a quick bite and just as we got seated for a drink the rain and wind started.
We then went for a quick bite around the corner from the hotel and to bed for our long trip home.
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