Local Summer Freebies Roundup

It's summer in the city and time for a roundup of local, frugal activities:

BOB FM's Movies on the Beach
Touring the city's beaches with a 24 foot inflatable screen, BOB FM once again offers free movies on selected Friday nights. The public gets to vote online and choose which movies will be screened. Friday July 11th is Summer Blockbuster night at Petrie Island in the East end - voting is still open. Check the BOB FM Web site for the full schedule.

Canada Day festivities (downtown)
I might be a little late with this one, but I couldn't leave it out. Take in some of the activities and great Canadian talent in and around the city - all for FREE! Whether it's the noon-hour show on Parliament Hill with the Snowbirds and 21-Gun Salute, the more mellow entertainment with a folksy flair at Major's Hill Park or the amazing fireworks display, Ottawa's definitely a happenin' place on Canada's birthday!

Centretown Movies
Held in Dundonald Park (corner of Somerset and Lyon), these pay-what-you-can movie nights are another fun, frugal way to enjoy a summer evening. What's neat about these is that proceeds from Saturday night screenings benefit Centretown Movies, Friday night screenings benefit the community organization that hosts the event. Movies start at 9pm.

Noon Under the Bridge
From July 24th to August 7th between noon and 1pm, there will be free music wafting up from under the Plaza Bridge (Elgin at Rideau/Wellington). Styles will range from classical to celtic to contemporary, with a bit of folk & blues thrown in for good measure. Not a bad way to spend a lunch hour non?

Orchestras in the Park
This is a series of four concerts presented by the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the National Capital Commission. They take place from July 17th to the 20th at Lebreton Flats. If you've never been to the symphony, here's your chance to try it out for free - and no need for formalwear, just bring your lawn chair!

Et voilà, five fun frugal summer events in the nation's capital. 'Til the next roundup!

Frugal Experiences: Free DVDs

I picked up a few DVDs at the library this afternoon:

Glen Gould, The Russian Journey

The Natural History of the Chicken (PBS)

Tales of the Rat Fink, The legend of the world's greatest kustom car builder Ed "Big Daddy Roth"

For Me and My Gal

Don't you just love the variety? There's no way I would pay for something like Tales of the Rat Fink but from the library, for free ...

Cool Book Finds

I'm excited! I scored three fun new-to-me books this week:

• Sewing & Collecting Vintage Fashions (from Medieval times to the early 1900's)
• Sex, Nursery Rhymes & Other Evils - A Look at the Bizarre, Amusing, Sometimes Shocking Advice of Victorian Childcare Experts
• A Short Guide to Writing About Film

In addition to feeding my obsession about all things past, I even managed to find a book that combines two of my favourite hobbies: writing and movies! Total price paid? Four bucks.

I love it.

Holiday Balance

What is it about the Holidays that makes me want to spend my savings on shiny, sparkly thingamabobs?

It's as if the simple, frugal living practices I strive to keep during the year go out the door as soon as that first red feathered wreath hits the shelf the day after Halloween. The sight of a frosted miniature tree gets me giddy as I picture how urban chic a set of three would look in front of my fireplace. And those replica vintage turquoise ornaments? Oh. My. God.

My Martha factor goes into overdrive at this time of year. It's usually in direct conflict with my voluntary simplicity principles and financial goals and it creates quite the internal conundrum that leaves me temporarily perturbed.

But then I find that balance. The one that keeps me grounded in a financial and material reality that leaves me happy and on track, but allows me to splurge on a special holiday something or two for the sheer pleasure of it.

So my strategy this year? To enjoy the Holiday giddiness but leave those thingamabobs on the shelf until the Holiday balance sets in.

Too Tired

I'm tired. I want to write about all sorts of things, but I just don't have the energy.

I want to write about all the great documentaries you can get at the library for free including a new favourite called The Real Dirt on Farmer John. I want to write about my amazing friend Judi who started her own business called Credible Edibles and went live with her Web site about a month ago. I want to write about true love and how I'm confused but filled with hope at the possibility of it existing, just in a different form. I want to write about my trip to Mom & Dad's with Sis and how we talked, laughed, and sang a kick-ass rendition of Endless Love while driving through the woods and mountains of central New Brunswick.

Yup, I want to write about all of those things and much more, but tonight I'm just too tired. So I guess it'll have to wait. I'm going to bed.

A Day in the City

D. and I were up bright & early yesterday morning and decided to take advantage of it by spending a great day downtown.

Stop #1: Breakfast at the Elgin Street Diner
Friendly servers, oodles of coffee and a good ol' greasy breakfast. Need I say more?

Stop #2: Museum of Nature
Did you know that admission to the Canadian Museum of Nature is free Saturday mornings? We spent nearly two hours browsing the permanent galleries and a thought provoking exhibit called The GEEE! in GENOME that had interactive quizzes related to the responsibility, business and ethics of genomics. What a fun, educational, cheap way to spend a Saturday morning!

Stop #3: Bridgehead
After spending a few hours on our feet at the Museum it was time to sit down and relax with a cup of our favourite Bridgehead coffee. We walked down Metcalfe St. to the coffee house and enjoyed some of the architecture along the way.

Stop #4: Home for a bit of a rest

Stop #5: A 6.93km Urban Trek
Ok this isn't really a stop, but it was a major part of our day. We decided to check out a few addresses that had apartments for rent to get an idea of their surroundings. We ended up zigzagging through city streets for over two hours, exploring many neighbourhoods I'd never seen. When we got home we used the Gmaps Pedometer to discover we'd covered: 6.93km.

'Twas a good Saturday! I look forward to doing it again. And I think that last urban trek probably worked off a good portion of the greasy breakfast, non?

Next Movie on the Beach: Ghostbusters!

Voters have chosen - the next free BOB FM Movie on the Beach will be Ghostbusters! Mark your calendars for Friday, July 13th.

From BOB FM's Web site:

"The screening at Westboro Beach is a free family event so pack up the kids, lawn chairs, blankets and snacks and make your way to the beach to see a movie under the stars...it's a drive-in...without the cars. Limited parking on site but alternative parking can be easily accessed off Lanark Ave off Churchill, where you'll have a short walk under the Ottawa River Parkway beach path to Westboro Beach."

Last week a few guys showed up carrying a futon to enjoy the show in comfort. I might bring my pillow next time - and more snacks. :)

Hope to see you there!

Frugal Fun in the City

It's been a while since my last post; I just didn't have it in me these past few weeks. But I'm back to tell you about some frugal fun happening in the city! If you're watching your pennies, check out these activities ...

NCC's Opera Under the Stars
I may be a bit too late for this one (June 30th is the last night), but it's still worth a mention. How often do you get a chance to enjoy opera with full orchestra for free? And if you've never given opera a try but are curious, what better price is there to experiment?

RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies
Also a bit late for this one, but at least you've got two days to catch it. The show runs from 7:00pm to 9:00pm tonight and tomorrow, Canada Day.

BOB FM's Movies on the Beach
This is fun. D. and I spent last night curled up under a blanket on the slopes of Westboro Beach, watching Jaws on a inflatable screen with the Ottawa River as a backdrop. It's the drive-in of yore enhanced by an incredible view. The next movie is scheduled for Friday July 13th - you can vote for your choice online. My vote goes to Psycho.

Centretown Movies
Another free movie festival, this time in the core of downtown. Movies are screened in Dundonald Park on Somerset, between Lyon and Bay. Movies coming up include Casablanca, Little Miss Sunshine and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.

These are just a few activities I've come across during the past few weeks and they're all free. You can't any more frugal than that!