Thinking Ahead to Christmas

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When on a budget it's best to plan ahead! There's about to be some big annual sales in my area so it's a good time to think about presents. Click on the "Holidays" tag to see posts from other years.

Here's some ideas for kids:

Alberta Adoption Process

I turned in all my paperwork recently and am waiting for the "all clear" on it and information on attending the training courses that are offered twice a year. I'm cutting it close to get into the upcoming classes so fingers crossed! That puts me on #3.

My adaption worker shared a flow chart with me that I wrote notes on but I thought I could share the process a bit from it.

1. Apply for application
1. Use the website to make contact. Include your mailing address and phone number along with your request.
2. Start filling in your paperwork.
2. Meet with adoption worker to ask questions and get more paperwork.
3. Turn in all paperwork.
4. Attend Orientation for Caregivers Training 
1. Currently held twice a year. 
2. Believe it runs for a full weekend though it can be divided up.
5. Complete homestudy.
1. Believe there's typically three visits though it depends on the number of people in the household.
6. Either you're Approved and carry on this list or you're Not Approved and your file is closed.
7. Homestudy goes to adoption services where it becomes part of a pool of potential placements for children available for adoption.
8. Wait for a match. 
1. The wider your "net" of special needs and/or disabilities the quicker you are likely to make a match.
2. It was suggested that I widen my ages from 0-10 years to 0-13 but mention a preference of 3-10 as I would not be matched with any 11 year olds no matter how good of  a match it would have been otherwise.
9. Match is made.
10. Conference to determine suitability of match.
1. Done internally, adopters not involved yet.
11. If a match, info sharing with adopters to ensure full disclosure of child's info/history.
1. You meet with as many people as possible involved with the child to learn about them, their needs, their history, etc.
12. Applicants accept the match or decline and go back to waiting.
13. Visits begin.
1. Meeting the child.
2. Everyone still accenting the match? Older children are asked their opinion and can choose to go forward or not.
14. Placement with adoptive family.
1. Depending on the child, family, situation, etc placement and transition could take place over a week or over a month or more.
2. Adopting parents may get more involved with the child such as doing school pick up, bedtime routines, etc.
15. Once the child is officially placed with you there's a guardianship period of approx 6 months while Child Services is still the guardian of the child and can step in and/or help as needed.
16. Adoption is finalized.
1. Legally and forever a family.

Picnic Lunch for Diagon Alley

I packed part of lunch for when friends and I visited Calgary's Diagon Alley, Not only am I cheap (and 2 of 3 friends broke) but I figured that any line ups for food would be insane. My lunchkit holds 3 containers plus room for (frozen) juice boxes. The top portion of my lunch kit held a pop and water for myself. The below was for myself and 3 friends.

(I was trying to do HP names and themes but the final choices fit nicer in the containers and were on hand.)

Diagon Alley, Calgary

Calgary hosted it's second annual Diagon Alley July 31 so friends and I went to visit. They estimated that 40, 000 people attended their first year.

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Stores changed their names, quidditch was played, and fun was had. Of course, butterbeer was consumed. I'll have to visit the area again as I saw a lot of interesting things.

Adoption Book Suggestions

Below is a list of books given to me during my first interview towards adopt.


 20 Things Adopted Children Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew Sherry Eldridge

 20 Life Transforming Choices Adoptees Need to Make Sherry Eldridge

Jurassic Forest

My internet was down for the last couple weeks sorry I missed some posts.

Popular Scams

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It's unlikely that scams are ever going to disappear so it's important to be aware of possible scams and to be suspicious of unusual things.

Visit the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker to see different areas and time periods. I'll be sharing common scams around Alberta this last year.

280+ scams were reported to BBB. Because these don't include any scams just reported to police, or ones that people didn't report period the "actual" number of people involved in a scam is actually much higher. Now, being involved in a scam doesn't necessarily mean that any money was lost. Some people recolonize the scam before anything or sometimes people are harassed but they don't fold.

Depending on the scam you may get your money back from your bank or credit card but not always. Even if you do get your money back there may be a delay in the refund and you might need that money. It's also possible that your name and info could be tarnished- "you" committed a crime, "you" ran up a credit card bill and refused to pay. Clearing your name can be challenging and time consuming.

Calling an Unknown Number

Not a BBB scam but important general knowledge. If you see a strange number on your phone or get a weird voice mail, don't call the number back. It may be a pay-per-call number that will charge you or someone's personal number could have been spoofed and the actual owners have no way of knowing what's going on.

It's also possible that there's more than one scammer working the phone so when you call the number they gave you for the credit card company a second person will pick up and say that they're legit and someone has been trying to contact you. Use contact numbers you all ready have or have easy access to.