Author: Jenny @ Practically Perfect...
George Street, Dunedin
This morning brought with it a sight that I had never seen in New Zealand: snow on cars. I woke up just before 6:30am. Joe was sleeping in the lounge of our hotel suite, and apparently got confused in his new surroundings. Chris got up with him first, as he was nearer the door, but… Read More George Street, Dunedin
— New Zealand —
Dunners
I’m currently sitting on the couch of our hotel in Dunedin waaaay down in the South Island of New Zealand. Ah, Dunedin – the Edinburgh of Australasia. Yes, I said Edinburgh. As in Edinburgh, Scotland. As in nowhere near New Zealand. I’ll spare you the super long history lesson, but the name Dunedin is actually… Read More Dunners
Living in New Zealand: Queen’s Birthday
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
— Joseph Ezra, Sick —
Silver Lining
Joe’s still under the weather, poor guy :-/ I hate to say that there’s a “good side” to him being sick, but we’re certainly loving the extra cuddle time.
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Too Tired to Sit
This is what Joe looked like toward the end of the day today. Such a sick little baby :-/ Joe started acting differently on Thursday. He wasn’t as interested in food as normal, but rather than worrying about it, I told myself that he was probably just plateauing from a growth spurt, doing a bit… Read More Too Tired to Sit
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Word and Deed
Well, it’s happened. I received my first public child-sun-safety chastisement. For those of you who don’t know, let me tell you that New Zealand has a disproportionately high rate of skin cancer thanks to the location of the ozone hole. Back in the 1980s, Australia started up a catchy sun safety campaign called “Slip, Slop,… Read More Word and Deed
— Shopping —
Find Things to do in NZ with Groupon
I love Groupon. It’s probably one of the easier ways to find out about new restaurants/activities/stores/salons/gyms and more in your city. When we moved to New Zealand, I was pretty excited to find that there was a Groupon site for Auckland (and Wellington and Christchurch, too!). image via I signed up and we’ve been able… Read More Find Things to do in NZ with Groupon
Living in New Zealand: MIA this Monday
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
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3 Things in 2 Days
Three semi-important things have happened in the last 2 days: 1. We bought my & Joe’s plane tickets to England (Chris’ was covered by the university). Our checking account is looking a little leaner! Looks like we’ll be traveling for 25+ hours which is a heckuva long time to have a toddler in your lap,… Read More 3 Things in 2 Days
Butternut Squash + Parmesan Bread Pudding
I was so glad to see butternut pumpkin squash at the grocery the other day (yes, I know that it’s called “pumpkin” in NZ). I scooped up two of them – one for a lasagna and the other to try out this new recipe. I was in a rush when I made it. I had… Read More Butternut Squash + Parmesan Bread Pudding
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Winter and Laundry
I usually don’t mind doing laundry, but now that winter’s rolled around, it’s startin’ to get on my nerves. In summer, I can hang the clothes to dry overnight with a fan going and – come morning – they’re ready to put away. Not so in winter. In winter, it’s r-a-i-n-y. In winter, I pull… Read More Winter and Laundry
Dunedin?
Alright, blog people – I need suggestions for things to do in Dunedin! Did you know that even though I live in New Zealand and even though my Google Maps is set for NZ settings, the first “Dunedin” that pops up when I do a search is “Dunedin, Florida”? I’m sure that it’s much warmer… Read More Dunedin?
Living in New Zealand: A Health Statistics Comparison
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
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Frustrating
It’s no secret that I’ve been frustrated with our living situation here in Auckland. I have a “love”/”strong dislike” relationship with our apartment. Love the location, love the apartment itself. Strongly dislike the agencies that represent the landlord, the amount of time it takes to get repairs done, the rent we are paying (and the… Read More Frustrating
No Knead Yeast Rolls + My Kitchen Philosophy
I’m not brilliant in the kitchen, but I will say that if there’s one “skill” that I have when it comes to cooking and baking, it’s being able to make do with what’s around. I can see ingredients and think, “Hmm… I could probably make _______ with that” and then give it a try. It’s… Read More No Knead Yeast Rolls + My Kitchen Philosophy
— Birthdays, Joseph Ezra —
11 Months
Dear Joseph, You turned 11 months old this week. How on earth is the time flying by so quickly? It won’t be long before you’re a toddler, and I’m cherishing these last few weeks of “babyhood”. You’re such a sweet, funny, clever little boy and we love watching you grow and change. Here are some… Read More 11 Months
My Funny Mother’s Day
There’s a reason why I shouldn’t wait to blog until the end of the day. The reason is that, after making dinner, feeding Joe, putting him to bed, cleaning up the kitchen, putting away the toys, adding the day’s expenses and earnings into the budget spreadsheet, answering and sending emails, and any other things that… Read More My Funny Mother’s Day
Living in New Zealand: ____ Kiwi Mums Say
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
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A Little Bit of News
It’s Friday morning and Joe is asleep for his usual 9am-ish nap. Whew. Yesterday he didn’t go down till after 10am, which meant missing my postnatal boot camp. I’m all for getting out and helping Joe learn that he sometimes needs to adjust and adapt his schedule, but I’m also one for picking my battles. … Read More A Little Bit of News
