WHERE'S BEST TO LIVE IN NZ ETC :PART 6!!!

[AngryBeaver]

Wow! Part 6...got to be a record.

MN Towers, where's our prize?!

Yep, if I had 4 kids and worked full time I'd be buying the easiest food possible. Its just an attempt to keep the spending down because we're on one income at the moment.

If I worked full time, we would have easy foods too.

The dc love those mini teddy biscuits, they get those as a treat after swimming, another reason for not buying those fruit strings is because they are banned at Kindy.

I'm only going to be working part time and I'm already planning for convenience for the days I work.

Plus I got a Kenwood chef for Christmas, have to be seen to be using it eh.

I do (or rather did - this heat isn't really conducive to it!) a lot of baking, but it's mainly allergen-free stuff for DD2 & myself, so poor DD1 rarely gets a look in. Packets & fruit bars for her a lot of them too. I only buy what is on special (and then only if they seem vaguely healthy).

I really wish I was better at baking bread, we seem to go through so much of it.

We've got a bread maker vvv which is great, it was a present from a friend who ended up staying with us six weeks while he tried to find an apartment.

Having said that it's great, the dcs of course prefer the cheap white shop bread :)

I'm off to see the Stone Roses tonight!

Mine prefer shop bought bread too! And I make a decent loaf, awkward buggers!

Made the mistake of tellng kindy ds1's last day and was chatting about how fab they had been and how we'd have to get them a gift etc and she said "ohh, do you know what we really need? Some saws for woodwork, and oh, some of those ear defenders"

I had seen some building blocks in the warehouse on offer for $19 that I was going to get on Wed, when they are slashing the prices even more!

Me and my big mouth

and ,ew to your peeping tom, sibble. Still, I suppose it could be worse. And at least you know he's there.

Oh just get them the blocks anyway. What are they going to do - chase you from the building with saws? They don't have any!

We've got a breadmaker too. It was a gift from DH even though I don't really like bread I use it to make pizza dough but I don't think making your own bread saves much money. You do know what goes into it though.

DH is planning his next trip overseas and I have made a deal with him that I will have a weekend away on my own first. He has never looked after DD for a whole day singled handed and doesn't quite get why 2 weeks solo is a bit crap. And I almost had a fit.

So, what should I do with my weekend of freedom? I had planned a trip to the beach with a pal but she can't make it now.

Ooooo Stone Roses. Have a great time. Is that at the Vector? RHCP's were fab.

PMSL at "What they going to do, chase you out of the building with saws. They don't have any"

Flies are pissing me off!

oooh littlest a weekend on your own - sounds great. I have just booked onto a yoga retreat in April and am sooooo looking forward to it. Am going on my own. If money was no object I would go to Melbourne shopping but back in the real world - a weekend at the beach reading books, going for long walks and drinking wine with a girlfriend would get my vote.

Really justa, that much?! Hmmm, may have to look into it a bit more. I have a breadmaker and was teaching myself how to make a sort of sourdough bread before it got too hot. Had got to the stage where my rolls were ok with soup but haven't quite managed anything suitable for sandwiches.

A weekend alone littlest? Bliss Back before the incredible non-sleeping, non-bottle taking baby DH used to send me away to a spa overnight for birthdays etc. It was heaven.

I guess we don't eat much bread- one or two loaves a week tops. Also breadmakers are so flippin expensive here! Ours was 40 GBP and is a decade old. When it dies I'm not sure if I'll be able to justify replacing it.

OH has been away a lot in the last year - over 2 months in total and they have mostly been to Europe. DD will be 4 soon and this will be my second weekend. I don't feel like I can justify going all the way to Oz but am contemplating Welly. It's ages since I travelled on my own!

I worked out I'm a bit sad that each bread maker loaf costs about a dollar to make. I could buy a cheap crappy loaf for about $1.50 but a nice loaf would be $3-4. So it saves us quite a bit. I buy one shop loaf a fortnight and make the rest. Machines are expensive (we have a Panasonic too) but ours was a present.

A weekend alone littlest? I'd be tempted to check into a hotel and sleep and watch crap TV all weekend . Welly could be good, check out some exhibitions/theatre/gigs?

I'm a huge fan of rice cookers too. Ours is 25 years old!

I freeze rice and use it to make nasi goreng ayam (fried rice with chicken) which is a great way to pad out a small amount of meat.

What did your Korean help say about freezing rice though justa? I know rice is only safe for 24 hours in the fridge so am quite careful.

I miss my rice cooker. When I lived in Japan it was one of the things that they had to give you in a furnished apartment in the programme I was on, and it was the first thing that I was shown how to use.

I adored it. I'm still not great at cooking rice, but every time I go to buy a rice cooker I hear my mother in my ear saying "why would you buy a rice cooker, all you need is a saucepan. What a waste of money".

On the subject of rice, I was picking up a few bits in Countdown today and it looked as though basmati rice was almost twice the price of long grain. Could that be right?? I had both crazies with me so didn't get a chance to look closer.

Am now in panic mode - Friday meeting with course supervisor is looming and I'm changing my mind every 10 minutes about potential thesis topics.

Oh, and another money saver for newspaper buyers - you can get a free 4 week trial of the NZ Herald (code is tryme) delivered to the house.

Oh justa, that's a lovely offer, I might just take you up on it.

Oh, and is anyone free on Thursday for a coffee? Am child free again - and other than needing to sit down & look at thesis topics at some stage, am free from 9 til 3

wss
I got one saw and some ear defender. The woman Is aid it to is incredibl forceful...and I am not.
I just said "oh,erm ,right, I'll have a look fro that then"
It's my own fault, I more ore less said I was thinking of getting a gift for kidy was there anything that needed replacing... I had meant something like building blocks, or a Dr.s kit, or something like that! But, she kind of jumped in befrore I could elaborate.
Nevermind.
Think we have got the house, sending deposits tomorrow I think.
Christ it is costing an absoloute fortune to move there.

I have never heard of a rice cooker! Sounds good.
Enjoy your coffee

We are having our going away meal a week next fri, so I tried on some dresses today. I could barely get the zips up and my boobs were under my chin!
Upshot: Body Pump tomorrow

vvv I hope you come to a decision re your thesis, I'm sure you will.
Here, I will help you .