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Around the Table | Bloggers Connecting Conference April 12-14th ’13

Around the Table | Bloggers Connecting Conference April 12-14th ’13

I have been following this project with much anticipation since late last year when the Christchurch bloggers hinted that something was in the works.  And it’s happening.   This April.  A gaggle of Kiwi Mummy Bloggers are descending upon Christchurch, and I’m one of them! There 

Talk me out of this please | Kate Sylvester Swan

Talk me out of this please | Kate Sylvester Swan

Thanks NZ Girl for bringing this beauty to my attention, my credit card is finding this month difficult enough without beauteous home ware temptations :::sigh::: Do you love it as much as me? Kate Sylvester Swan by Rebecca Snelling $135

Things I’m loving

Things I’m loving

Boys_playing_snakes

Loving little boys doing just what little boys should do:  playing in the grass with el cheapo snakes and being 100% contented by it.

ciabatta

Loving Matakana Market fresh ciabatta with my homemade Tomato Chutney and big wedges  of cheese.  Pregnancy carb eating rules!

Auckland_beaches

Oh long, hot, DRY summer.  My bank account and our water tank despises you but you are awfully pretty.

summer_swimming

Loving splashing out on a key for the school pool this summer  << see what I did there?

Vans_bowlarama

So much loving that Dave had a blast in Wellington last weekend at the Van’s Bowlarama event, 48 hrs of skateboarding and guy time does a man some good I say!

Baby_shower

Lazy Sunday baby showers with friends from w a y back are perfection.  Eeek, I’ll be having one of those in a couple of months!

Pregnant_pedicure

Finally, loving that as of last weekend I was still able to paint my toes, not my best work but they’re not nakey.  Will have to train Dave or Ethan in the art of nails as there is definitely no room in the budget for salon visits at the moment.  February, you have sucked the $$$ right out of us.

Cook Eat | Tomato Chutney Recipe

Cook Eat | Tomato Chutney Recipe

I have grown us a bounty of tomatoes this season, and despite our best efforts we are accumulating a bit of a back-log. Time for chutney. Ingredients 1.25kg green or firm tomatoes chopped (I used some red ones also) 3 chopped onions 2 chopped apples 

The Difference Between Little Girls & Little Boys

The Difference Between Little Girls & Little Boys

As I was putting away the remnants of last years pencil case {the contents of which came home sans pencil case} I came across these 2.5″  survivors of the four school terms.  It looks like it was a hard year for pencils, stories had to 

Around Here | Our House

Around Here | Our House

River_pebbles

Our house has been a massive work in progress since we bought it in May of last year.  We have done so much {and thankfully stuck to budget} and are now up to the final phase of finishing touches and tidying things up.  Little projects that are not in themselves huge expenditures, however the list of little projects is quite long!

This weekend we purchased new tiles for outside the front door, barked another of the backyard gardens (only one more to go!) and tidied up the long strip up the side of our driveway.  When we removed our septic tank and connected to town storm water in December, this area was completely uprooted as it houses the pipe carrying all of our wastewater to the street.  What was left was a strip of clay, now turned to dust by our fierce summer.  Mum and Dave were the rock shoppers and after one trailer load of inexpensive grey rock followed by a second trailer of river rock the front of our house is looking fab.

To finish the driveway we will plant three half wine barrels with miniature orange trees and then we will rest.  Until the next ‘little project’.

 

My husband is a Skateboarder

My husband is a Skateboarder

He was a skateboarder when I met him (I skated too actually, fairly well) and he will be a skateboarder long after the wheels have stopped spinning I’m sure.  As is always the way when all of a sudden you can’t do something, I secretly 

What I wore | Wardrobe Wednesday

What I wore | Wardrobe Wednesday

Lets just say I LOVED this outfit.  We had afternoon tea at a friends house on Sunday, a bit of a reunion with a school pal who is living in London, and I felt comfortable, casual and dressed just right for the bump!  This skirt 

Eat Enjoy | Bennett’s of Mangawhai Chocolate

Eat Enjoy | Bennett’s of Mangawhai Chocolate

Squeezing in 5 days in Mangawhai at the end of the holidays was a perfect summer treat for our family, finding a chocolatier in town was a sweet surprise this pregnant lady could not resist!
My Aunt, who is a local, insisted we stop by Bennett’s, unfortunately we left it to Monday and the cafe was closed, so sampling ‘the best hot chocolate ever’ would have to wait for a future visit.
The custom built building is stunning, housing the cafe, chocolate showroom and chocolate factory. You could easily lose the best part of an hour in the showroom alone, poring over the beautiful displays of perfect, glossy chocolates and trying to select which ones to take home. Luckily I spotted a sampler box so I didn’t have to make too many difficult decisions – until I got up to the register and had to decide which flavour chocolate block was coming home too ; )

Definitely schedule a visit to Bennett’s on your next trip to Magical Mangawhai or visit them online at http://www.bennettsofmangawhai.com/

Bennetts_Chocolate_sampler_box

Bennetts_Chocolate_sampler_box

Bennetts_white_chocolate

Preggo | 19 Weeks

Preggo | 19 Weeks

Time is flying by at the moment; I can’t believe I’m almost half way through this pregnancy. I feel like I’ve definitely hit my stride as the daily headaches have stopped, my crippling allergy attacks have ceased and general fatigue is my only real complaint