Believe it or not, I am the old person, and Sarah did the old woman voice over--truly amazing.
Give it a watch and tell me what you think: Tradition
-T
BANK ACCOUNT: $400.29
So Sarah Bertnick, a fellow CreComm, and I made this video about "tradition" for the Big Rock Eddies contest this year. The video isn't fully complete, but it is the funniest three-minute video I've ever seen.
Believe it or not, I am the old person, and Sarah did the old woman voice over--truly amazing. Give it a watch and tell me what you think: Tradition -T BANK ACCOUNT: $400.29
0 Comments
So, I'm a Rebel now! I agreed to play for Red River's MCAC soccer team, and I'm really excited. Doug Lawrie, the coach, asked me to play last September, but I was too scared I'd be bombarded with homework and wouldn't have enough time for my studies.
I survived first-year, and I think I can handle being a student and an athlete. My biggest worry is being out of shape. I gained over 10lbs since September!!! Luckily, I registered for women's soccer. I will be playing defence for Div 2, Tri-S United this summer. Wish me luck! If you want to read my bio for the Rebels, check out their recruitment page. -T BANK ACCOUNT: $333.07 I know I've already talked about giving to charities, but I want to share the review I wrote on the Watoto Children's Choir. I don't know how much they raised for orphaned children and women in Uganda, but I was in awe when I saw kids as young as three putting loonies in the offering bucket. I hope this inspires you to donate to the charity of your choice--even a loonie. Take a read. -T BANK ACCOUNT: $388.11 Review: Watoto Children's Choir
Are you the type of person to watch a two-hour paid program from World Vision Canada, Operation Smile, or Christian Children's Fund of Canada? Do you cry? Do you open wallet and donate? Or are you the person to quickly change the channel? Well, Watoto Children’s Choir sent 19 orphaned kids and adults to perform at Springs Church to raise money for their charity. They are working their way across Canada—east to west. Watoto is a charity responding to the large number of orphaned children and vulnerable women in Uganda due to HIV/AIDS, death, and abandonment. Looking at the 2000 seats that are filling up quick, there is a sponsor sheet on every third chair next to the tithes and offerings form that says, “Blessed to be a Blessing.” Five minutes before the second service is about to start, people scramble to find one of the last seats. The house lights dim, and the stage lights go on. The countdown on the big screen works its way down to zero. Dennis, a seven-year-old orphan, and MC for the show, shares how his parents both died from AIDS when he was younger. He says he was sad but isn’t anymore because of Jesus’s love, and his new family now—Watoto. Without sponsorship, Dennis says he would probably be dead—if not physically, spiritually. He said Watoto helped him get an education, have a home, feed his belly, and most importantly find God. He is tangible child standing in front of thousands of people asking for help, not a character on a television screen. The choir started singing and dancing in ways this Spirit Contemporary church hasn’t seen in a long time. They were beating on empty jugs, bongos, and wood blocks. The choir didn’t change anything about their traditional way of worshipping, except they sang partly in English. Half way through the first song, you see a middle aged woman on the far right side of the sanctuary stand up—eyes closed—with both arms lifted, saying, “thank-you Jesus.” One-by-one, people started to stand and sing. By the end of the song all 2000 people were standing, giving glory to God and their Lord and Saviour, Jesus. Half way through service, the tithes and offerings bucket went through the isles and were quick to pile up. The tiny white buckets were overflowing with the blue and white envelopes that say, “Blessed to be a Blessing,” on them. While people were filling the sponsorship sheets, Dennis introduced all the members of the choir. Each member had a different story. Like many charity programs, the main focus is to raise money or get sponsorship, but Watoto Children’s Choir asked for prayer more than money. The choir’s leader even thanked people for sponsoring children from World Vision Canada and other charities. She says, “It doesn’t matter who you donate your money to, because we’re all working together to fix this world.” But that didn’t stop people from donating money. She introduces the last song. The tithes and offering bucket comes through the rows again, and the bucket is more full than the last time. Assuming most of the envelopes are gone from the first round of tithes and offering, this bucket has more unclaimed twenty and fifty dollar bills. Church is dismissed and people are encouraged to visit with the choir outside the sanctuary. A few days later, Springs Church said they couldn’t quote how much they made that day, but all the money that came in was donated directly to Watoto, including tithes. Hey guys,
School is almost over so that means summer, bikinis, vacations, short-shorts, and summer dresses are just around the corner. I'm freaking out a little, because I've gained 10 lbs since September and it's time to tighten-up and lose all that weight. My weight always fluctuates a couple pounds throughout the year, but I've never weighed what I weight now (no, I'm not telling you my current weight.) Anyway, enough about my thunder-thighs. Here are 5 inexpensive tips to help you get your summer body back! 1. Drink water. Put down that double-double, Red Bull, iced coffee, or whatever you're drinking and get a cute re-usable bottle, and fill it with water. "Water is free. Water doesn't have calories. Water is good for you." Now repeat this five times aloud. Got it? Good. If water is too boring for you, throw some sliced lemon, cucumber, watermelon, berries, and/or mint in it. It makes for a nice Instagram picture, and it's free, calorie-less, and good for you. 2. Don't get a gym membership!!!!! Continue working-out at your school gym for free, or make your own workout routine and do it at home. A set of free weights, skipping ropes, and exercise balls are way cheaper than a $45/month gym membership. Here's an idea (this is what I do) go on YouTube and do the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels. It's 30 minutes, for 30 days, FOR FREE. If you insist on getting a gym membership, try getting a student or work discount or check-out the nearest YMCA. 3. Stop eating out. Just stop. It's expensive anyway. 4. Walk, bike, rollerblade, skateboard. I know it's easier said than done, but try to bike to places that are close to home--especially to work if it's close enough. I recently biked to the Safeway 10 minutes from my house to get a loaf of bread. It was actually nice. Oh, one more thing, gas is expensive, and you're broke. 5. Buy healthy foods in bulk That means borrow your mom's Costco card. Buy things like trail mix, frozen veggies, rice, and oatmeal in bulk rather than in pre-individualized packaging. When you get home, put them in small containers and freeze them. Pre-packaged food is more expensive than bulk foods. Remember to measure the amount you want in each serving, so it's ready to go when you're in a rush. -T BANK ACCOUNT: $220.64 Hey readers,
I just wanted to send a quick invitation to the Annual CreComm Magazine Trade Fair. Three other students and I made a 24-page tattoo magazine, and I would love for you to come check it out. Thursday April 2, Noon-4 RRC, the Exchange District, (160 Princess Street) Come see all our hard work and get a henna tattoo! -T BANK ACCOUNT: $310.88 Sometimes, you need to unplug the TV, take a week off work, pack-up the kids and head to a small town—at least, the Wiebe family did.
“We wanted to go to the states,” says Heather Wiebe, 43, a wife and mom of two. “The dollar sucks right now, otherwise we would have gone to the states. We decided to try something different.” “Something different” meant an isolated stay at Lakeview Hecla Resort about 175 km north of Winnipeg, in Lake Winnipeg—about a two-hour drive. Lakeview Hecla Resort is on 360 acres of forested land, on Hecla Island, with lots of outdoor activities to do during all four seasons: biking, hiking, swimming, tobogganing, etc. For more information on resort activities visit www.lakeviewhotels.com/hotels/hecla/ “I’m glad we didn’t go to the states,” Wiebe says, eating a delicious looking eggs benedict from, Seagulls, the restaurant/lounge on the resort. “We would have been busy with shopping and sales, but here, we’re spending time with each other—doing stuff together—it’s nice to get away from it all. Their server Amy Acosta, 26, says she couldn’t agree more. Acosta says she was looking for a way to get out of Winnipeg and thought a small town would be best for her. “Honestly, I was addicted to drugs—I needed to get away from the city,” says Acosta. “I came here and it was a healing place and that’s exactly what I needed. Acosta applied for the job online. She says she has been clean since June 5, 2014—her first day on the job. “It’s the people you meet that gets it for me,” she says, looking at her customers. “It’s about relaxing, family, nature—there’s a sense of community here.” Because Hecla has a population of about 224 people, Lakeview gets most of their staff from Winnipeg. “I considered moving back because my family’s in Winnipeg, but my coworkers here are like family now—all of us cling together like family—it’s awesome.” But Acosta says she doesn’t plan on signing another one-year contract with Lakeview. She wants to move to Miami, Florida. “My parents gave me the opportunity to stay in their vacation home,” says Acosta. “But I’m worried about being alone.” She says she worries more about being alone than relapsing. “I worried about it when I moved [to Hecla Island] too,” she says. “[Facing your fears] just makes you stronger.” Acosta says she’s “outgrown” Winnipeg, and wants to try something new. But she says she wants to continue working in customer service. “I want to work for Disney Cruise,” she says, smiling. “When you’re having a bad day you just spark conversations with the people you’re serving and get the craziest stories.” Acosta says this week’s big news on the resort is about a pack of wolves roaming in the bushes near by. Hecla Island has more tourist events during the summer. For more future details visit www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/parks/popular_parks/central/hecla.html. So in a couple of weeks I’ll be getting my income tax cheque and I can’t stop thinking of ways to spend—or save—it.
Here are some smart things to do with your return. · PAY OFF STUDENT DEBT!!! We all have it—lets be honest—so the smartest thing would be to pay off some debt, especially if you have a student line of credit, or a racked-up Visa bill, because those have high interest rates. · Open a RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) or savings account. Saving money is always a good thing so open an RRSP or savings account with it for future plans. I had an RRSP through my previous job and put over $800 in it, and the company matched my contribution. I had my RRSPs paid out because I got a new job, but I wish I had transferred it into another RRSP. Typically, with most RRSPs, you can cash the money—tax free—if you buy a house, or of course, retire. · Donate to charity Give something to the charity of your choice! I think giving helps build good character, and, helps someone who needs the money most. I’m not suggesting you donate your whole return. I’m saying donate an amount you see fit to a cause you care about—show your generous side. · Vacation? I don’t know if I should consider this smart or not… but for the past three years or so, I spent my tax return on a trip--Jamaica, Cuba, Florida, Minneapolis, etc! Considering I didn’t have any student debt till this year, I would say it was a semi-smart move. But this year I should really use the money to pay off debt. What are you going to do with your tax return? Do you have to pay? Did you break even? -T BANK ACCOUNT: $410.20 Hello again, Okay, so I’ll be getting $1,100 back this year—not bad. I was hoping for more considering I spent more on tuition and school supplies, but here’s what I learned. · Keep all your receipts. Receipts are evidence that you purchased what you said you did. Keep receipts for bus passes, textbooks, charitable donations, tuition statements, and big-ticket items like laptops and cameras. Last year I bought a folder to keep all my receipts organized, because I wasn’t able to claim things unless I had the receipts—I lost out. · Just because you make more money, doesn’t mean you get more back. Even though I asked questions I still don’t get the math of taxes (I’m more of a writer,) but I worked at three different places last year, and two of the three jobs barely taxed my cheques—this means a lower return for me. I made $5,000 more last year than the year before, but I was taxed the same. · A bigger tax return is actually worse. Again, I cant fully explain this properly, but the lady who did my taxes said it’s better to break even than to get a big return. She said it’s better—especially for students—to get more money back every pay cheque than to get a big return—you actually get more money back when you break even, it just doesn’t feel like it. I prefer a big return so I can buy something awesome like a tropical trip or a new phone. But, if you’re like me and have a hard time saving money, sign up for a savings account, and get your bank to take out $25-$50 every two weeks and put it in a savings. Then spend—better yet save—that money annually. · You can’t claim extras—pardon? This is for all you college folk. Another reason why I thought I would get a better return this year was because I spent about $3000 on tuition (which is normal,) but CreComm required that we buy a $2,275 Mac Book, and a $1,500 DSLR Camera—THAT’S MORE THAN MY TUITION. Oh, and I’ll spend over $100 in printing. Not complaining, because I love my Mac and camera, but they were expensive. You cannot claim “extras” like these unless you do freelance work. If I knew enough to freelance I wouldn’t be in school. If the college included these costs in the tuition, I WOULD be able to claim them. Silver lining? Well I can claim the laptop and stuff when I graduate and do freelance work. **Puts the laptop and camera receipts in the folder** Now the question is… What should I spend my money on? Leave a comment! Photo:http://www.moneyaftergraduation.com/2012/03/26/what-i-did-with-my-income-tax-refund/
-T BANK ACCOUNT: 444.77 This week was a lonely, quite, yet decent week for me because my parents went to Bahamas. Yes, I’m jealous—thanks for asking. And 31 days ago, they were in Jamaica. Anyway, right before they left, I went to Wal-mart to buy some munchies and snacks for the week and spent $84 bucks—yep, that easy. And my boyfriend, Sanjae, and I ate them off in two, maybe three, days. In other words, for the past six days I’ve been living off leftovers, takeout, oranges, or just nothing because there is no food in the house!
If/when I choose to grocery shop I will go to Wal-mart because they have the best prices—in my opinion at least. Here’s why I think Wal-mart is better than Superstore and Safeway. Superstore Ill admit that I like Superstore too—excluding Saturday afternoon grocery trips when every other Winnipegger is there to grocery shop—but the only way I’m going there is if I’m (by “I,” I mean me and my mom) buying $250 worth of groceries, and they’re throwing in something free, like a watermelon or a $25 gift card. 1. Do I seriously have to bag my own groceries? When I was 10 I loved pressing the green button to control the conveyer belt and bag all the groceries as fast as I could. Now, I couldn’t be bothered. Two hundred and fifty dollars worth of groceries requires a lot of bags. When I’m bagging, and the other the customer before me is still bagging, I feel awful because the next customer—who was probably waiting inline for an hour—has to stand there and wait, because I’m still bagging my own fruits and veggies! 2. “How many bags do you need?” I don’t know how many bags I need. Four? Nine? 20? I have a cart full of groceries, and I’m supposed to eyeball how many bags can carry the 102 items? Safeway Well, the shorter list would be why you should shop here, because Safeway is expensive and has limited products. I want to shop at a place where I can buy a cute top and a bag of carrots while getting an oil change. Here’s why you should shop at Safeway. 1. They give air miles. Sanjae used to shop there before he met me because he collects air miles, but then I brought him to Wal-mart—his life was changed. He now grocery shops at Wal-mart over Safeway. 2. They have pretty decent chicken fingers and wedges! Let me know where you shop to get the best deals? Do you hate Wal-mart? Let me know. -T BANK ACCOUNT: $670.22 Short post this week, but I think we could all use this information. I just stumbled across this website about money saving tips for college students on a budget. Give it a read and tell me what you think!
-T BANK ACCOUNT: $700.63 |
Tenesha LawsonHello, I'm Tenesha Lawson. I am a Creative Communications student at Red River College. I love coffee, shopping, school, and MONEY! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for all the support. Archives
April 2015
|