We’ve been sharing ideas about how happiness comes from experiences, not material items, and research shows that the more you focus away from money, the happier you’ll be.

If you can avoid the sudden urges to purchase material items, you’ll be able to save your hard earned dough for fun experiences and be happier.

Mike Tyson didn’t really need 3 Royal Bengal Tigers. Now he’s happy spending time with his family.

But sometimes, there’s no money left after all the bills are paid. Money has this unique ability to vanish – literally. So, it’s important to keep your fun money separated from your bank account.

Everyone loves knowing they have a little spending money set aside, which is why many of our cardholders are using their Mogo Card for fun money – smart thinking!

Cardholder Cory V. getting down on something tasty. Oh and cute card Cory. #mogocard

“As of today, I’ve totally given up on using my regular debit card in lieu of my Mogo Prepaid Visa Card. I put all of my spending money on the card and leave the rest in my savings account. Gotta save up for that new Xbox!” – Cory V.

Some cardholders using the Mogo Card for fun money are even saving on bank fees. By moving their debit card purchases to your Mogo Card (no monthly or transaction fees), many have been able to reduce their monthly bank account fees.

Of course, the best part of using your Mogo Card for fun money is that it’s prepaid, so you can’t spend more than you load.

WIth a traditional credit card, the fun can easily get thousands of dollars out of control. With the Mogo Card there’s no risk of interest charges, NSF fees, overdraft fees or over balance fees.

He’re’s how you get started:

Plus, nothing screams fun money like one of our 30+ designs - choose one here.

The post Grab life by the fun money appeared first on Mogo Blog.

The Mogo Card Artist Series

This spring, we’re thrilled to release the Mogo Card Artist Series with the first cards by world renowned artist, Mike Joyce. Joyce is best known for his graphic design work in the music and entertainment industry. He’s designed album covers for musicians like Iggy Pop, Katy Perry, Aretha Franklin and more. His latest creation is Swissted – a personal project recently turned into a 200-page book. 

In Swissted: Vintage Rock Posters Remixed and Reimagined (Quirk Books, $28) Joyce redesigns show flyers for legendary punk, new wave and indie rock concerts in international typographic style. Every single one of these shows actually happened and each design is set in lowercase berthold akzidenz-grotesk – not helvetica, as noted on his website. I’m partial to his design for Iggy Pop with the Ramones at the Palladium in 1977. But the Dead Kennedys in DC in ’85 poster is really great, too. 

Contest

Have a look for yourself at Swissted.com and post a comment below with the name of your favourite poster. We’ll select five random winners to receive a copy of Joyce’s new book. The draw will take place May 1st, 2013.

Q+A with Mike Joyce

In the interview below Joyce talks to us about the Swissted project, doing what he loves and collaborating with us on the Mogo Card Artist Series (being released this spring!).

Mogo: How did you get started as a designer?

Joyce: I was always into art and design for as long as I could remember. When I was a young boy I would constantly be drawing and painting. And even though I had no idea what graphic design was back then, I was really inspired by iconic things around me like the Mobil Pegasus, the Michelin Man, and the IBM logo. My friends and I were into skateboarding in the mid-to-late ‘80s, and even though I loved skating, I was actually more into sanding my board down and painting my own original graphics on it. I would also design records, posters, and t-shirts for some of the local bands around town—even tattoos. So I always knew I would do something in the visual arts for a living and when the time came to go to college I went to art school at the School of Art and Design at Alfred University. My instructor there was a man named Fred Troller, and Fred was a brilliant Swiss graphic designer who helped popularize Swiss modernism in the U.S. Back in the ‘60s and 70s. Fred was a huge inspiration to me. After graduation in 1994, I moved to New York City and have been a working graphic designer ever since.

Mogo: Your new book is ‘Swissted: Vintage Rock Posters Remixed and Reimagined.’ Where did you get the idea for the project?

Joyce: Basically punk rock and typography are my two favourite things. I grew up completely inspired by punk, new wave, and indie-rock and would later find that same inspiration in Swiss graphic design—more specifically the International Typographic Style. I always liked that these two movements seemed at odds with one another in that punk has an anti-establishment ethos and Swiss modernism is very structured. And at the same time there’s a common thread between the two—the Swiss modernists purged extraneous decoration to create clear communication, while punk rock took on self-indulgent rock and roll and stripped it to its core. So I thought it would be an interesting study to combine the two and see what happens. I really like how both art forms contrast and complement each other.

Mogo: You’ve designed hundreds of Swissted posters. Which are your favourites?

Joyce: It’s always tough for me to single out just a few because there are a lot of elements throughout each poster that I like, but if I had to choose based on the design, I guess I’d pick the poster I did for the British punk band 999. I really like the illusion of movement that the multiple overlays create and how it forges one unfocused nine out of three. And the three hulking numbers give the poster a lot of presence. I also think it’s a good example of what you can do with the limitations of black and white. And then there are others that I love for their incredible lineups like The Runaways and Suicide opening up for the Ramones at the Palladium in 1978, or the Minutemen and Descendents opening up for Black Flag at the Cuckoo’s Nest back in ‘81—three of my all-time favourite bands under the same roof of a legendary punk rock venue.

Mogo: What appeals to you about Swiss modernism?

Joyce: It’s funny — I have a bunch of Swiss posters hanging in my apartment from the greats like Josef Muller-Brockmann, Armin Hofmann, and Emil Ruder and I could stare at these things forever where that might bore the hell out of someone else. I think it’s how minimal yet effective they are. They somehow achieve perfect communication through abstraction. It’s kind of the opposite of how things are done today.

Mogo: What inspired the Mogo Card designs you created for mogo.ca?

Joyce: I love that Mogo seeks out designers and artists to create original work for their cards and that they see the value in design for their product. So right off the bat I was inspired to do something that wouldn’t normally be seen on a Visa card. I thought it would be interesting to do something in the vein of modern art—abstract, geometric, and minimal—very similar to what I was doing with Swissted. But in this case, modern design would be carried in your wallet and I really like that idea.

Mogo: Any words for the aspiring designers out there?

Joyce: Yeah, I would just say do what you love. If you’re working on projects that aren’t creatively fulfilling, then come up with your own personal projects to fill that void. Or seek out clients, studios, agencies and people who are doing the kind of work that you want to be doing. Designers tend to get typecast in this industry so I always say it’s best to be pigeonholed into something you love and are proud of.

–

Love the Swissted posters as much as we do? Leave us a comment below with the name of your favourite poster and we’ll select five random winners to receive a copy of Swissted: Vintage Rock Posters Remixed and Reimagined by Mike Joyce. Winners will be chosen May 1, 2013.

The post Artist Series: Q+A with Mike Joyce, Graphic Designer and Creator of Swissted appeared first on Mogo Blog.

Take a deep breath: This may seem obvious, but we tend to take shorter breaths when tense or stressed which leaves less oxygen for our bodies and brains. When you feel yourself getting tense, take a few deep breaths before proceeding. Even better; take a few deep breaths outside. Movement and fresh air do wonders.

Check the quality of air in your office. Poor indoor air quality can cause sick-building syndrome and can leave you feeling lethargic, with allergy symptoms, headaches and respiratory ailments. Improve indoor air quality by adding plants to your office space, using non-chemical cleaning products and checking your AC filters.

Get a move on: Walk, play a sport or do yoga. If you have trouble finding the time for exercise, simply take a walk around your office every hour, on the hour. Stretching will help to improve circulation. Moving regularly will also relieve sore necks and reduce repetitive stress injuries caused by hours in front of the computer. Looking up from your computer helps to exercise eyes and reduces myopia.

Nurture nature: Get outdoors throughout the year. Take a walk in the park, go hiking on the weekends or ride a bike to work. Getting outdoors a couple of times a week will help to keep you active, improve your mood and reduce stress.

A chuckle a day…: Laugh loud and laugh often. Laughter is one of the best ways to reduce your stress levels, release endorphins and boost your immune system. Seek out friends and family members who have a great sense of humour, read books or watch movies that are sure to induce a giggle. The internet is rife with video sites and funny materials that can help you to put a smile on your face.

Make a conscious effort to do all of these things every day. You will be amazed at how much it affects your happiness. When you are happy, the small things no longer bother you and you will be healthier and happier than ever before.

The post 4 Stress-busting Tips to Level up your Happiness appeared first on Mogo Blog.

How it works

Professor Tony Ryan OBE of the University of Sheffield explains that CatClo contains particles of titanium dioxide. These react with the nitrogen oxide particles to neutralize them. When you next wash your clothing, the neutralized nitrogen oxide is harmlessly rinsed out. The titanium dioxide forms a very strong bond to the fabric, so it stays in place and continues to work through multiple washes.

In an average day, a person wearing an outfit containing CatClo will be able to remove about 5g of nitrogen oxide from the air – which is the same amount the average car produces in a day.

Positive environmental impact

“If thousands of people in a typical town used the additive, the result would be a significant improvement in local air quality”, says Professor Ryan. “This additive creates the potential for community action to deliver a real environmental benefit that could actually help to cut disease and save lives. In Sheffield, for instance, if everyone washed their clothes in the additive, there would be no pollution problem caused by nitrogen oxides at all.”

Both CatClo and nitrogen oxide are said to have no harmful effects on both the wearer and their clothing. This means the solution to global warming and climate change might be as simple as getting dressed in the morning.

The post Reduce the Impact of Global Warming… With your Outfit! appeared first on Mogo Blog.

John Barbour, chief executive LeapFrog Enterprises Inc., agrees: “In the old days, all of the great deals were on Black Friday, but now you see some great deals on Black Friday and lots of offers throughout the season.” To see exactly how prices change, the Wall Street Journal commissioned Decide Inc., the consumer-price research firm, to track prices of items from Barbie Dolls to flat screen TVs throughout the year with some surprising results.

Most luxury items are cheapest at the start of the holiday season (October) and then their prices slowly increase as we get closer to the holidays. The same is true for hot gift items and toys. Most items are priced below Black Friday deals after the holiday shopping season and while it’s unlikely that you will be in the mood for holiday shopping in March, you could certainly stir up some enthusiasm in October. After all, it’s much better than braving a blizzard to stand on the street for hours.

That’s not to say that there aren’t still massive Black Friday savings to be had, but the stores usually only discount a limited number of items to get shoppers in the door. The likelihood of you getting one of these incredible deals is slim and may not be worth an elbow in the face.

Instead, plan ahead next year and then sit back and smile when your holiday shopping is done before Halloween. You can also log on Decide Inc.’s website to see what to buy and when to buy it. This is a great way to get the very best deal on big ticket items. 

The post Black Friday: Not Such a Big Deal after All appeared first on Mogo Blog.

But no more! At least, when I’ve mastered the art of sewing stylish and amazing clothing, which shouldn’t take more than a few months, right?!?!

Um…you are dealing with someone here who pierced through her fingernail with a  sewing machine needle in grade 8, which meant I bled on my future pencil case and got a pity B from the teacher. And yes, that does hurt as much as it sounds like it would.

But nonetheless! I resolved to super seriously learn how to sew, because saving money is worth it. Plus, sewing classes are happening in my most cities by the plenty these days, and it’s become a bit of a cool, hipster-y trend. So why not?

Recently, I decided to try out a sewing class in my neighbourhood. It cost $45 for a 3 hour workshop, which included the machine and the material. In it, I made a super awesome tote bag. Or…I tried to anyway (more on that in a minute).

The actual experience of the class was a fun one. The instructor, Sara, was super nice and knowledgeable, and when I related my fingernail-piercing story she looked at me with warm sympathy and said, “I have heard of that happening but I’ve never met anyone who it’s actually happened to. Congratulations.” I am a legend in my time!

The workshop was a cool, open plan space with long tables and new machines. We spent the first 30 minutes or so getting accustomed to the machines themselves (was it my imagination, or did Sara watch me closer than the others?). Then we tried sewing on scraps, as well as attempting some fancier moves like turning corners and attaching interior pockets (oooh!) before we measured out, marked, cut and started in on our totes.

I was doing really well until the point we actually started sewing the tote. Then, for whatever reason, I screwed up my stitching five times in a row. I then started to get flop sweat, at which point Sara came over and helped me. By this point, most people had finished their tote and were ironing it in the corner; I was still struggling to get my handles sewn on to the weird sack that was supposed to be my tote bag.

At this point, I had started laughing uncontrollably—a mixture of embarrassment and genuine mirth. Sara followed suit, and the rest of class was equally amused. One woman clapped! I’ll say it again: I am a legend in my time.

In the end, my tote was so lopsided that it was unusable—the Charlie Brown Christmas tree of tote bags. I am embarrassed enough not to share a picture of it, but Sara has kept it as a memento of our time together, and to show other classes what not to do.

So…to conclude, I am not making my own clothes anytime soon. But community sewing classes are very fun, and I highly recommend them!

The post Learning how to sew, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Thread appeared first on Mogo Blog.

Now, I think her decision is awesome, if only because it shows some creativity in the face of what I can only imagine is a far more difficult thing than most of us can grasp. I’m a pretty neat guy—especially for a guy—but teenage me was a horrible, messy, lazy piece of crap with a terrible attitude. I have nothing but respect for my parents, but man oh man, when I was 15 you couldn’t pay me enough to listen to a word they had to say. It was like pulling teeth. And that, for better or for worse, is just what being a teenager is. Rare is the teenager who does what s/he is told most of the time, and even rarer is the one who takes initiative to help out when mom clearly needs it but won’t ask (my wife was one of these…she held off her rebellion til college).

Then, of course, there’s the aspect of walking a mile in someone’s shoes. It’s impossible and ignorant for any of us to suppose we understand what this family’s life is like day to day. Just because the mother felt she needed to do this, doesn’t mean she’s a bad mother who has no disciplinary instincts. And just because her daughters are messy doesn’t mean they’re bad kids without discipline.

That’s my rant. Anyway, I still think it’s awesome that this lady did this. It also reminds me of that episode of the Simpsons where Marge goes to Rancho Relaxo. Remember that? But even more awesome is the fact that she’s getting so much attention for it. Chances are, her daughters would not be impacted by it nearly as much were it not so publicly displayed. At this point, it’s been on TV and in the news in Canada, the US and Britain. Talk about shaming your kids to action—in a good way. I wonder if they’ve cleaned anything up yet.

What do you think about this mom’s decision to go on “strike”? Let us know in the comments.

The post Mom on Strike: Busy Calgary mom becomes online hero/target after taking a stand appeared first on Mogo Blog.

Now that there are about a million YouTube views on the subject, it’s a pretty good time to take up playing an instrument. What I could previously only learn from little diagrams I can now see performed by someone right in front of me. This makes learning super easy and fun.

However, there’s also the old school route (which is a little more disciplined, and therefore maybe better for some people): look around for lessons. Most cafes and music shops have postings from someone teaching guitar, and now there’s handy sites like Craigslist, too. Most lessons are pretty cheap–$20 or so an hour. Not bad!

Also, I’ve taken up playing with the wife—I know, awww—and she is learning from scratch, which makes be both a teacher and a student. That’s a great feeling. We might even do a musical Christmas card. I know, awww.

The other cool effect of this is that my brain really likes learning guitar. This is something I read about a few months ago, in this CNN story about learning new things  (including the guitar, thank you very much) and carving new neural pathways. That’s one of the reasons why learning makes us happy—when it’s successful—because it actually produces serotonin, which the brain needs to secure the new neural pathway’s, well, path. Pretty cool, right?

So far, I’ve mastered a few songs from my youth, including some Green Day and Silverchair, and some older Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin. I’m taking requests. Anyone? Seriously. I want to get so good I can play in front of friends and neighbours at parties, without them wanting to take my guitar and smash it, Bluto style. If you don’t know what I mean by that, you should watch the video. And send me your requests. Seriously!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFkTYHdyeLg

The post Learning to play the guitar – it’s cheap and fulfilling appeared first on Mogo Blog.

Toronto’s Distillery District is an old-school neighbourhood of red brick buildings that house some of the city’s best restaurants and trendiest pubs. There are also some interesting stores with an accent on the unique and unusual. Over the Christmas season, the cobbled alleys are decked with lights and a 45 foot white spruce Christmas tree is set up in the square.

Tiny stalls pop up in the back alleys to create a more European feel. When the sun sets, the party starts with various artists performing in the square including children’s choirs, carolers, Bavarian brass bands, classical organ concerts and trumpeters.

Beer and mulled wine gardens dot the route while younger guests can enjoy the fairy tale forest maze and a visit to Santa’s house. There is also a gingerbread house, storytelling and an elves’ workshop to look forward too.

Let’s not forget the shopping! The stores in the Distillery District offer a wide range of unique items for sale and their offerings will be augmented by the Christmas market stalls. This means you can do all of your Christmas shopping in one place while enjoying entertainment for the kids, live music and some delicious fare. Better still; this year’s free gift-wrapping service will have your gifts tree-ready before you leave.

This year’s Christmas Market will be raising funds for the food bank, so bring a non-perishable item to donate when you shop. Make sure this season’s Christmas shopping is fun at the Distillery District Christmas Market.

Watch the video here.

The post Toronto’s Magical 2012 Christmas Market appeared first on Mogo Blog.

Skinny pigs

These are a unique breed of hairless Guinea pig. Skinny pigs differ in no way from regular Guinea pigs except that they need more food to produce body heat and should be kept in a toasty environment (24-26 °C). Skinny pigs need to be kept indoors as they are vulnerable to sunburn if left outside. They are usually housed with a blanket or dressed in a coat to aid with heat retention.

Sloth

Want a cute cuddly pet that doesn’t demand much from their owner? Then a sloth is for you! This slow-moving mammal is the laziest of all the animals. What it lacks in antics, it makes up for in personality. Cute and cuddly, sloths are affectionate creatures that require little other than a nice pole to hang from. Sloths eat a very particular diet which consists mostly of leaves, a few fruits and the occasional insect. Unless you live in the Amazon, access to the kinds of leaves sloths like might prove the biggest hurdle to owning a sloth.

Skunk

Skunks are legal house pets in Canada and the US. Don’t worry—their stinky scent glands are removed when the skunks are four weeks old. Baby skunks should be regularly petted and like to snuggle in t-shirts and sweaters. Skunks that receive lots of affection as babies will grow to be loyal and affectionate pets. Avoid rough play with skunks as they have sharp teeth and fangs.

When choosing an exotic pet, first check that they are legal in your province or state. Only buy from reputable dealers; never from nefarious poachers. Ensure that you have the facilities, time and skill to properly care for pets before you purchase them. Exotic pet insurance might also be a good idea as finding care for sick exotic animals can cost a lot of money.

The post 3 Crazy Exotic Pets to Own appeared first on Mogo Blog.