Joe had his first ever dental appointment last week: This was the best photo of the bunch. He was a happy little boy but wasn’t quite at 100% that morning. Note that I said it was his first “dental” appointment, not dentist appointment. He was seen by a dental therapist. Makes sense, considering that the… Read More First Dental Appointment
Every month, Ports of Auckland and 360Discovery Cruises team up and offer free community tours around Waitemata Harbour. That’s right: free. Obviously, at such a great price the tickets for these cruises go fast, and it’s recommended that you book early to avoid missing out. I’d heard of the PoA tours for awhile but kept… Read More Living in New Zealand: “Ports of Auckland” Tour and “Kiddie Consumerism”
New Zealand summers are beautiful and changeable. Most of the time they’re warm (but not broiling) with plenty of sun but, this being NZ, there’s also rain. Not to worry – all of that rain is what keeps this beautiful country so lush and green. Keep that in mind the next time those clouds cause… Read More Living in New Zealand: Summer
After writing my rather Scrooge-y post last night, I decided to do some Christmas decorating. I know that you’ll all be impressed. Yes, that is a Fisher-Price manger scene, sans Mary. She apparently decided to skip out on all of the guests and well-wishing animals in order to take a post-delivery nap. Much needed, I’m… Read More Update to Christmas: I’ve Decorated!
It’s less than 5 days till Christmas here in NZ and you know what? I have yet to buy a single Christmas card, put out a single Christmas decoration, wrap (or even buy) a single Christmas present for the immediate family, and I’m not all that stressed out about it. Christmas feels different over here. … Read More Christmas, or lack thereof
Man, my arms are like jelly right now. Jillian Michaels is kicking my rear into gear! Today’s “Living in New Zealand” post is about eggs. More specifically, the way that eggs are stored in New Zealand. When I go to the grocery, this is where I find my eggs: There they are! Right in between… Read More Living in New Zealand: Unrefrigerated Eggs
Today has been a bad day, the kind of day where I wish the US and New Zealand were just a bit closer to one another, geographically speaking. We started on a downward slope right after midnight: Joe, awake, running a fever of 39.5C/103F. Paracetamol on board, stripped to shirt and nappy, lots of fluids,… Read More Living in New Zealand: Sad Days and Loss
Hey everyone! My post is up over at ExpatFocus.com. Click on over to read about how moving to New Zealand made me a better cook 🙂 Happy Monday!
I’ll get into the actual voltage in New Zealand in just a sec, but first, let me show you a few photos: One of our light switches in the “off” position with dimmer Electrical outlet with plug using adapter and a plug protector The light switches are different from what I grew up with in… Read More Living in New Zealand: Electricity!
I don’t think that I’d ever heard of a toy library before moving to New Zealand. Of course, that may be in part because I didn’t have a child before moving to New Zealand, and the phrase “toy library” probably wouldn’t have registered on my D.I.N.K. radar. Whatever the reason, I certainly hadn’t paid any… Read More Living in New Zealand: Toy Libraries
I recently stumbled across an article about American foods that haven’t proved all that popular the world-over. It was an interesting read. Some of them aren’t favorites of mine (scrapple – ick, or fried green tomatoes), but some made me smile and have a gumbly homesick tummy. It got me to thinking about some of… Read More Living in New Zealand: Marmite
Hey everyone – sorry for not getting this post up sooner! This week’s “Living in New Zealand” post can actually be found over at Expat Focus. I’m a columnist there and write a monthly article about what it’s like to live here in New Zealand. Click on the image below to be re-directed to my… Read More Living in New Zealand: Death, Illness, and Injury Overseas
Willingly walking around in the snow in bare feet might make some people question a person’s mental status. Unless, of course, you’re in New Zealand. I have yet to see a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” sign over here. Kiwis will walk down the busiest street in the country, in and out of stores,… Read More Living in New Zealand: Bare Feet
Did you know that New Zealand has a queen? It does – Queen Elizabeth II – and today just happens to be the official government marking of her birthday. While the queen’s authority doesn’t overrule that of the House of Representatives, she is still considered to be the “Queen of New Zealand” and head of… Read More Living in New Zealand: Queen’s Birthday
No “Living in NZ” post this Monday. I’m catching up and relaxing after a busy 5 weeks and, in typical fashion, have started to get sick the moment that the stress in my life eases off. Or maybe I’m sick because everyone around me is sick, I’ve been pulling a few extra hours in the… Read More Living in New Zealand: MIA this Monday
I considered writing a “Living in New Zealand: Renting” post today, but decided against it after last week’s whining 🙂 Instead, I’m going to share what I consider to be some interesting, thought-provoking health statistics for both the United States (where I’m originally from) and for New Zealand. There’s no real rhyme or reason for… Read More Living in New Zealand: A Health Statistics Comparison
I love to multitask. If I can kill two birds with one stone, then I’m a happy woman. That’s why this post makes me happy, because I get to show you a video that I find hilarious and expose you all to a Kiwi accent. I say a Kiwi accent because it’s been my experience… Read More Living in New Zealand: ____ Kiwi Mums Say
I’m often asked whether or not I think that Kiwis are less violent than Americans. The answer is yes. And no. More accurately: it depends. What do you mean by violence? Do you mean something measurable, like a statistic? If so, then yes, Americans are more violent (and this is where the importance of context… Read More Living in New Zealand: Violence
I’ve mentioned TradeMe on this blog a time or two. Some of you know what TradeMe is, but I’m guessing that many of you have only a vague notion. image via If you’re moving to or living in New Zealand, then you ought to know about TradeMe. Sort of Craigslist meets eBay, Kiwi-style. You can… Read More Living in New Zealand: TradeMe
According to my “Frommer’s: New Zealand” guide, no part of this country is more than 79 miles (128kms) from the coast. Safe to say that, over here, being in the water is an expected part of life. We’ve got the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The point where… Read More Living in New Zealand: Swimming
