Free NCIS online!

I don't know about you - but I miss American TV shows.
I'm not a huge fan of reality TV shows - but I do enjoy shows about cooking, animals and police shows...one of my favourites was NCIS!

(I don't have a digibox so I won't be a couch potato...and to save more money!)

Anyways, a friend of mine pointed out that there's this site that allows you to watch free episodes of some of your favourite shows online!

http://www.ruutu.fi/ is the site and it only displays an episode for so many days before changing it!

Enjoy.

It's My Favourite Day!

Okay, aside from holidays and travelling - today is one of the best days in the year!
Daylight Savings Ends!!

Fall back an hour or Spring forward an hour is how I remember it.

Getting an extra hour to sleep in or to craft or (ugh) clean? Of course I want in! (I am more focused on the sleeping in part!)

And just in case you're not from Finland - I don't know if it applies to all of the EU (I think it does) but it definitely does not apply to the US or Canada right now.
According to my Canadian calendar - you can flip your clock back 1 hour on November 6th, 2011.

And here I thought I was so wildly brilliant for getting the newborn to sleep from 2am until 7am...turned out it was 6am.
Your cell phone probably didn't change back an hour....but my computer did - hence how I remembered.

Darn Chip!

I have a chip bank card and my chip is starting to wiggle loose! Oh dear!
I'm going to try and go to my bank and order a new card soon.

Why bother telling you this?

If this should happen to you, your card may not be able to make purchases because the machine cannot read your chip since it's on the brink of falling out of your card.  Even if you wipe it on your shirt sleeves a few times...trust me - I've done it a few times.

With that said, the magnetic stripe is still available to swipe but you need to provide identification AND your Finnish Social Security ID #.
Thankfully I've been carrying a larger purse and have my Passport and my Kela card in there...my Passport does not show my Finnish Social Security ID # - but my Kela card does.
So that's what I have had to provide the last 3 times I've made purchases downtown at the grocery store.
The cashier will write down your ID# on the receipt and then you sign it, like you would for a swiped card purchase.

FYI - hope this helps.

Neuvola "Etiquette"

So in Canada when you take your children for their routine vaccines and check-ups (and if you're expecting) - you take them to the doctor.
Well, in Finland, you take them to your local Neuvola.  They are mostly staffed by nurses - but if you call them that - they're not technically considered "nurses" because of the different education programs required to obtain that "status and title".  A friend of mine is a "Health Care Provider" (or loosely translated to that) but I always think of them as nurses...they provide health advice, check blood pressure and provide vaccines....
You do and can see doctors at the Neuvola for your child and for you (during pregnancy and after you deliver) but it's not often.
Doctors can write your prescription and it would be best to make sure you have your previous copy of your prescription if you have it!

So when you enter a Neuvola - here's some things to keep in mind:

• Leave your strollers/prams outside.  The wheels carry a lot of germs and bacteria - so the Neuvola requests you leave them outside.
• You can bring in baby car seats or carrying bags for little babies.
• Remove your shoes and coat, and your child(s) as well.
• If for some reason you do not want to remove your foot wear (i.e. it's too hard or you have a sore back etc.) - there is usually some blue plastic slip-on covers and just make sure to dispose of them before you go.
• Disinfect your hands and your family's.  
• There's always somebody who is sick in the Neuvola - that's why they have it...so prevent your family from catching a cold and prevent yourself from spreading more cold-germs....
• If your Neuvola has a play area - remember, kids pick their nose, and stick their hands everywhere!  So make sure to wipe or disinfect little hands before you leave too!
• If you are pregnant - weigh yourself and remember the number (remember it's in kilograms!) to tell your nurse.
• As well, go to the bathroom and you do your own urine test (the pH level one with the white strips that change color).  If there's anything odd - then you tell your nurse when you get in to see them.
• When weighing a baby - as long as they don't give too much of a fight, they'll weigh your baby completely naked.  So be sure to bring a clean diaper...you'll probably need it.

That's all I can think of and I hope this helps!!

New Color Scheme!

I have tried several times to upload a photo of my own as a background with little success (okay, none) because of the size of the photos...so I stuck to boring old blue.
Then I thought, since fall is here - I'll post an autumn-like background and loved it.  I was planning on changing the background according to season...but a reader kindly notified me that she had problems loading my blog on her computer because the background slowed it down.

So that's why it's back to a plain colored background....

One of these days I'll get a proper photo in the background and jazz it up a bit more!

Thanks for reading!  (And hopefully you can read my blog without any technological issues!)

Another Example of the Trusting Finn (and cloth diaper stuff)

This occurred in late June, however, will be posted after the baby has been born....

Anyways, I've been on the hunt for Imse Vimse cloth diapers second-hand, in preparation for #2 - and have been getting pretty lucky at finding them in excellent condition (no stains) and sometimes brand new - for a fraction of the cost.  As well, I'm also on the hunt for the diaper covers as well (to help prevent leakage)....it's been excellent so far.
I figure I should get as many as I possibly can because if baby #2 arrives according to schedule - it'll be quite cold out - so I won't be taking both children outside often at all!  And therefor not needing to use disposables except at night time or while travelling....what a money saver!!

Well, I recently contacted this lady from the University used-items site (like Kijiji)- who had those same diapers on for a wonderful low price and she had informed me that she had other useful items I may need.
What else does a pregnant woman need?  Yep, you guessed it!  Maternity clothing.
Because I was quite small in Canada during my first pregnancy (and was only there for � of it) - I didn't really shop around much for maternity-wear.  I mostly wore bigger sizes or stretchy t-shirts, but I did invest in a couple pairs of maternity shorts, and a friend graciously gave me some maternity jeans.
This time, I am getting bigger faster and have lucked out at the second hand stores with some maternity clothes, or at least larger sized clothes easily.
I find it sometimes difficult to buy maternity clothes in the shops because they're rarely on sale, and those that are - are not quite my size or style I'd like....I know one shouldn't be choosy - but I would still like to look half decent while out in public!
And online - the maternity clothes are often sized XS or XL....

So!  With that said, this lady met me this morning (June 29) and delivered some cloth diapers and covers to me, and also had a huge bag of maternity clothes and other useful items for sale.  I didn't have enough money to cover the pieces she had with her (aside from the diapers) - but she said simply to try them on, go through the other items and let her know what I would like to keep and what I'd like to give back to her.  Then she can come back and I can pay her in cash or forward her the money online.

I bet you're wondering what else was in that bag, huh?
2 maternity shirts, a pair of maternity jeans, a stretchy tube top, a pair of maternity underwear with the velcro strap (to aid with back pains), a set of baby monitors (brand new), a manual breast pump, a pair of black maternity tights, a pair of woolen panty hose and 2 cloth baby carriers.
WOW.  Well, I thanked her kindly and raced upstairs to see what fit and what wouldn't.
Seeing as this lady was about the same size as me - I had a lot of faith that I would find something that I could make use of!
I ended up taking most of it - except the breast pump (already have one), maternity underwear (I'd feel so weird wearing a velcro belt!), the tube top and woolen panty hose.....oh and the baby carriers - no need for those either.
Once again - these things were at a fraction of the original cost online or in the shops!  I was very pleased with myself and I was surprised the husband was interested in the baby monitors!
Not that our flat is huge or has multiple floors (it doesn't) - but he suggested it being easier to leave V�in� and/or #2 outside or at least down stairs if they're asleep...and if we have a double stroller (vertical or horizontal) - it won't fit in the elevator anyway!

So I bet you're probably thinking, "Eww second-hand cloth diapers! How un-hygenic!"
That's not true at all!  If they were completely stained beyond repair - then no, I wouldn't buy them.
On the Imse Vimse site, you can simply rinse them off (flush the poop of course) and toss them in a bucket for up to 3 days...then wash them!  I had no idea until I was doing a price comparison for a friend...Before, we were rinsing them, flushing away the poop and soaking them in a bucket filled with water and white vinegar (white vinegar is anti-bacterial - did you know that?!)...then tossing them in a wash on higher temperature (60*C usually does the trick).

However, cloth diapers are an investment at brand new cost.
For example - let's do some math and look at the cloth diapers on Imse Vimse (that are size based - not including the all-in-ones - which are also horrendously expensive):

• Soft diaper covers - they're leak proof, don't stain on the inside (because they are polyester coated - kind of like plastic) - and are 11.95� ($16.72 CAN) for one...I've been paying no more than 4� ($5.60) a piece....
• Flannel Diapers - These are the "actual diapers" as they do the absorbing...and in that link are listed as a 4-pack for 32,95� ($46.16 CAN)...so on average for 1 of these would cost about 8.24� ($11.54 CAN)....I haven't paid more than 2-3� per piece ($2.80-$4.20)

Now these aren't the only cloth diapers on the market!  

By all means, there are several people we know who have used the gauze-like material, folded it in some fashion and used those.  They're much cheaper, come in a variety of colors and patterns and dry faster because they're so thin.

However, I am not very good at regular origami - so diaper folding isn't my cup of tea personally.

We also have several of those pocket-style diapers - where you have to fill the inside of the diaper (like a pocket) with a liner or thick pad - then you remove the liner, rinse the diaper and toss both pieces in the wash.

We've saved tonnes of money by cloth diapering our first born up until he was 11 months old....then he started out-growing them and finding used bigger sizes was becoming difficult....but I'll keep hunting around!  They even sell pull-up style cloth diapers - so it can help with potty training!

Cloth diapering is what you make it - and it's not for everybody!!  

For us - it's environmentally friendly, it's softer on baby's skin and we haven't had a rash yet!, it's inexpensive (in the long run!) compared to disposables, and once we're done with them all - we'll be selling them off too.

Update: August 15, 2011Since I cannot post this on Facebook without giving the pregnancy away, I will post it all here...
I went to Silinteri with a "feeling" in my gut and wow am I glad I did!
I found those Imse Vimse cloth diapers...someone was selling them in packages of 5 diapers + 2 covers for 3�.  I cleaned her table.
I also found on another table, 2 brand new IV diaper covers (with tags attached) for 2�....and at ANOTHER table?  I found 5 brand spanking new IV ORGANIC COTTON cloth diapers for 3�!  I noticed it was re-tagged several times...the seller originally wanted 10� for the 5 - which still would've been a steal but a little steep on my "don't get the husband mad for spending too much" budget.
So in total? 25 cloth diapers and 10 IV covers for 17�.  And out of all those diapers...only 2 were lightly stained...and it wasn't even that bad!!!!
Oh and a bottle warmer in a box still...original price? 39�...paid 3� for it.
Found some flushable rice paper liners - to help prevent staining....

And I had posted an advertisement seeking IV diapers and/or covers on the university's website - and someone contacted me the next day with 4 spotless diapers and 2 covers for 10� (a bit pricier than what I paid today - but nonetheless...an excellent deal) and another cover that is organic cotton for 4�....

Finnish Name Calendar

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I finally found a site that can show you what I'm talking about!

Let's recap:  Finns don't name their kids right away or prior to the birth of a child.  They have Naming Parties, which are typically tied in with the naming of God parents and the Baptism or Christening.
If you buy a calendar - any kind of calendar or agenda, you'll see little names written in pretty much every square (along with regular holidays etc.).

I didn't use a Finnish calendar this year, because a friend had gifted me with a calendar from Canada so I could be on top of Canadian holidays and so on.
(Canadian calendars are written out from Sunday to Saturday, where as Finnish ones are Monday to Sunday).

Anyways, I've been in the need of a Finnish name calendar as of recently and found this site for you - which demonstrates what I've been talking about before.

Some Finns pick the name that is on the date of the child's birth, some do not.  

A Crafty Post

I love doing crafts and thought I'd share with you (and feel free to share with others!) that I have created a group on Facebook called "Stamped Images Exchange!"

The point of this group is to make new Crafty-Pals (pen pals) and try out different types of stamped images by a variety of designers or to make requests for specific stamps - to help YOU save money.

So check out the group, tell your friends to join and have fun!!!
Anybody with ink, stamps and paper can join!!!

More Photos and Adjustments!

I'm going to try and add more photos in this blog - so you can see Jyv�skyl� (or other parts of Finland) the way I do.  Not the way that a professional photographer or city-promoter does. :-)

Below are some photos of Downtown Jyv�skyl� - the Church in the photos being the "Town Church" which is right downtown and quite hard to miss!  It's about a 1 minute walk away from the pedestrian-only area - heading towards the University (on Kauppakatu).

I'm also re-adding photos and putting a water-mark on them too...

Please bear with me as I have recently discovered the gadget that allows me to put popular tags (labels) on the side of my blog.

So I am currently going through every post on each blog and re-labelling some things so you can find things better!!!

Thanks for your understanding! :-)

Autumn in Jyv�skyl�

I haven't taken many photos - I really should take more!  But here are some photos of my neighbourhood while walking around with my son this evening.

None of these photos were adjusted in terms of lighting or shadows - I did crop the last two photos, as I discovered a spot on my lens through the photos...so that's all that was cropped out.  (You can see it in the first photo near the top...)

Believe it or not - these were taken at around 615pm on October 15 (today)...and it was completely dark by 710pm!!!

It's cold enough that our balcony is serving as an extra fridge or cold-storage area!  Which is handy for baking that needs to be chilled...or extra bottles of pop or boxes of juice!!

So dig out your night-reflectors and your long underwear! It's getting colder (currently 4*C) and dark faster!!

Diapers

Dear Pampers:

While I admit that the convenience of buying a large amount of your Easy-Up Pants in a big box with handles is nice - your claim on the box to have an "Extra Dry Layer" is utterly false.
My son is well within your size 5 Junior weight measurements (12-18 kg, 26-40 lbs) yet more than once - he has overflowed his diaper overnight.  And he DOES pee before going to bed in the bathroom....he doesn't get a drink in the middle of the night...and I am baffled as to how he can leak out of the back of the diaper!  The back of his pajama bottoms and shirt were soaked.

In example, last night, I woke up thinking I drooled all over the bed.  Oh no - it was my son's pee all over the blanket and in my face.  Great.

A diaper is a diaper and I don't think I should "have to" purchase diapers that are specifically made for longer hours in the night time - seeing as he sleeps about 10 hours per night.
Nor would we want to wake him up to change his diaper...

Even in a 2-3-hour time span in the afternoon - he can easily overflow a diaper... we ensure that he is "pointing south" and the leg cuffs are pulled out enough that the leakage should not happen.

We will no longer be buying your crummy diapers - and will go back to Libero brand - which has a smaller amount in their packaging usually - but who have yet to leak on us.

Sincerely,
Pissy Parents (pun intended)

Phone Switch!

This is all about switching phone companies (cell phones).
IGNORE THE CURRENCY CONVERSION.... Yes Finland uses Euros - but for the sake of math - Europe has �ber cheap prices for cell phones compared to North America...which I've constantly been amazed with since moving here.

I came to Finland in 2009 and started out with DNA up until this past week.
The plan I had was pretty simple: 6 or 7 Euro cents per month for a monthly "system access fee" and 6-7 Euro cents per minute or text message sent.
It doesn't cost ANYTHING to receive messages.  (It apparently costs about 5 cents per message received in Canada - what a shame!  Not like you can control how many messages you are SENT.)
And receiving calls - you're not charged anything either - as far as I know...and you can call anyone anywhere in Finland with your Finnish cell phone - and it's not long distance (in the sense of costing extra)!

Anyways, I noticed as of recently that my cell phone bill has been going up because my text message usage has increased significantly.
Fair enough.  I decided to shop around for different and hopefully more affordable prices.
My friend, who uses Sonera (and is the primary cause of my bill being up quite high - as we text each other A LOT) - mentioned that Sonera has a "friends program" called Kamu.
For 1�/month you can pick a friend and have unlimited text messaging and minutes with that person.  I went to Sonera once my 2-year contract was complete and they said I can pick up to 6 numbers that have Sonera phone lines and it'd be 1� per person!  Fabulous!

But! What if someone I want to add doesn't have a Sonera line?  (Aka my husband)
Only 1 number out of the 6 can be a "non-Sonera" number.  Good enough for me!

The monthly fee is 1,99�, I have 3 "kamu"/favourite friends and I picked up a small internet package for my phone at under 4�/month.    So about 9�/month...as opposed to my most recent bill of 46�...
Pretty great deal!
And individual minutes and messages were the same price - of approximately 7 E.Cents for each.

I was given my new SIM card and told my password to set it up and that in a week from that day - I could insert the new SIM card into my phone and everything would be switched over accordingly.
There is no fee for the new SIM card for a new customer...and I used my existing phone - so that saved me a lot too.

*There are other plans and other contracts that require a new phone set up - but I am on a month-to-month plan which fits my needs.  This is just my experience!*

As soon as I was entered into the system as a new client of Sonera - my phone buzzed 8 times with 8 new text messages from Sonera, thanking me in Finnish for joining their company.  Wow - that's really nice - but 8x was a little much.
AND - not to be outdone...I got a text message from DNA in English (may I note the first one in English since I've moved to Finland...hmm interesting how that worked out) stating they recognized I was ending my plan and suggesting I call them so I can be offered a great plan.

Well, I wasn't quite interested in DNA's offer as a friend of mine works there (I had no idea until I was hunting around on Facebook about other companies) and he had made me a great offer but it was still quite expensive....in the long run.
The plan I was offered?

For 6 months, I could have a plan that included a mix of 500 minutes or text messages (not 500 of each - just to clarify) for 50% off, at 9� and some change per month....and 1�/month un-limited internet use.  Not too bad - but that would require a 1 year contract - and while I'm confident we'll be in Finland for 1 year - I just didn't want another contract.

So the day after I signed up with Sonera, DNA called me twice.  The first time - I didn't answer because I was in the middle of feeding my son and diaper changes etc....so I figure if it was important enough - they'd call back.
I answered the 2nd time - for the sake of getting it done and over with.  The DNA rep spoke great English and offered me "a better deal" than Sonera.  Turned out it was the same deal as what my friend offered - but for 1 year I'd be given 50% off the monthly plan and it would cost 2�/month unlimited internet....I declined it not once but three times.
I'm not the type of person that will be rude and snippy on the phone, because I've worked in a call center before with the bank - but when someone tells me "No thank you - I've decided to stick with the other company" - that'd be my cue to thank the client and leave it at that.

So folks, it's that easy to switch your plan - but make sure you do it after your contract is over - so you avoid paying any "penalty fees" - although the penalty fee with DNA was 100� per phone line...much better than 400$ per phone line in Canada (who knows - maybe it's gone up again).

(Some companies mail you the new SIM card - just so you know).