Picking up from the last post… I have to admit, learning about Labor & Delivery in New Zealand and the differences between here and in the States was the most surprising for me, especially the part about how soon you’re discharged after birth – 2 to 4 hours postpartum. Labor and Delivery Just like in… Read More Pregnancy in New Zealand – Labor & Delivery
One thing about moving to another country – all of your “go to” shops suddenly become a bit harder to find! I was a little discouraged by this until I started discovering the many great New Zealand based companies and designers out there. I was so excited when I stumbled across the StickyTiki shop. New… Read More Nursery Ideas – StickyTiki Wall Decals
Hey everyone – I’ve gotten a few questions regarding the differences between being pregnant in the US and being pregnant in NZ. Since I’ve never been pregnant in the US and this is my first time being pregnant in NZ, I can tell you right now that my comparisons aren’t going to be exhaustive, but… Read More Pregnancy in New Zealand
In 6 weeks, my younger sister Valerie will be making the long flight from Indiana to New Zealand! Just how long? Her total flight time {not including layovers} is 18 hours, 45 minutes. She’s the first of our families to make the trip, and we couldn’t be happier 🙂 I can remember when she… Read More Only 6 weeks…
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited New Zealand, and talk about some BIG news! I may not always agree with Hillary’s politics, but having her visit Kiwi-land was like a little bit of home 🙂 Hillary Clinton performing a hongi during her powhiri – a Maori welcome ceremony I absolutely loved reading about the… Read More Hillary Clinton Visits New Zealand
Hey everyone. It’s been 5 months in New Zealand – time for another post-move analysis! Job: Chris loves his, and I’m settling into mine. I’ve gotten to know my co-workers a bit more and have formed some new friendships 🙂 Nurses in New Zealand travel a lot more than those in the States. Many of… Read More 5 Months
It’s a beautiful day in New Zealand – sunny, warm, a light breeze, and all of the windows in our home are open to allow the fresh air to permeate and soak in our surroundings. Of course, the downside to this is that window screens aren’t all that common over here, so we have a… Read More Paging Dr. Pepper
For homesick Americans in New Zealand, there’s a place to go – Martha’s Backyard. Image via Chris and I had heard about MB’s from several sources, and had been looking forward to visiting the store. We planned to go a few weeks back but it didn’t work out, so we postponed until a few weeks… Read More Martha’s Backyard
I love days like this – when the house smells of laundry and fresh air. Days when sunlight is shining through our open windows and a breeze blows through the house. I recently bought two plants – an African violet and a bromeliad: Both of them are are really starting to perk up. I think… Read More Days Like These
I know that the New Zealand earthquake has probably slipped off most media radar, but please keep people in your prayers. The state of emergency for Canterbury has been extended another 7 days, and some of the aftershocks are stronger than many earthquakes. Just to put things in perspective – the earthquake in Haiti was… Read More New Zealand is a Small Country in a Big World
As some of you know, a 7.1 earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, with the effects felt throughout the South Island and in some southern parts of the North Island. I’ve gotten several emails from people checking on us, so I thought I’d do a quick post to let people know that we’re OK! We live… Read More Earthquake in New Zealand
Chris and I finally took our trip to Waiheke Island. Rather than making an overnight of it, we decided to just go for the day and save the extended trip for another time. We started out by walking to the Auckland Ferry Building. We purchased our tickets and waited for the ferry to arrive. We… Read More Waiheke Island
Chris and I aren’t big TV watchers*. Don’t read anything judgmental into that – if you want to watch TV, go for it. I just get bored easily and would rather not pay for a service that, for the most part, I won’t use. We do like to watch movies and some TV series on… Read More Fatso.co.nz (I miss Netflix!)
We’ve been in New Zealand for over 3 months. A lot has changed since then, and I’m not just talking about the weather. I’ve realized that I can live and make a home in a foreign country. That some things will always be the same. That there are friends who keep in touch with you… Read More A 3 Month Retrospective
Hello, my lovely readers! Hope you’re having a fabulous day 🙂 Today, I’m going to share some photos that I took while touring the Winter Gardens in Auckland Domain with my friend B and her two daughters, S and Z. The Winter Gardens are located within Auckland’s largest park – the Auckland Domain. It’s about… Read More The Beautiful Winter Gardens
One of my favorite stores in Auckland is “The Vault”, a design home-store located on High Street. Other than this sign, there isn’t much to indicate that there’s a store here! This is the shop window… It’s definitely tucked in there! This is the entry way. You truly feel as though you’re walking down into… Read More Shopping at “The Vault”
I’m glad that you guys enjoyed seeing the photos from yesterday’s post! Sometimes, I wonder if people are all that interested in knowing what life is like in Auckland, New Zealand. Posting pictures of my shopping excursion in the rain seems a little silly, but I know that a big reason why I read other… Read More Continuing with our Rainy Day Shopping…
It’s a rare thing for me to post a photo of myself on this blog! But, I decided that I should show you what I look like when I’m all kitted out to go walking in the Auckland winter rain… Gosh, my hair’s getting long! And please, pay no mind to the bedroom – we’re… Read More Shopping in the Rain… Complete with Photos
I have an irrational fear of public transportation. I don’t have any qualms about riding trains or subways – I’ve done that before in Boston, in NYC, in Chicago… it’s just buses that freak me out. I haven’t regularly ridden a bus since the early days of grade school when I had to trudge down… Read More On Public Transportation
Check out this National Graphic video clip about “adventure tourism” in New Zealand. In case you didn’t know, New Zealand is where bungy-jumping was invented, and they have all sorts of crazy, adrenaline filled activities out here. Considering the fact that I’m scared to death of heights and don’t even like to go down some… Read More New Zealand – Adventure Tourism
