trademe

 Trademe, a Tom Tom and online grocery shopping have really made New Zealand for me so far -- I know, it doesn't sound like it takes much for me but if you were living my life (I hate to admit it, but a little overwhelming at moments in the last few weeks) you would totally appreciate these things as well.  Don't forget, when we moved to New Zealand, we came with clothes, a few laptops and the boys Thomas the Tank Engine figures and tracks (oh, and I smuggled a photo album and some children's books into the mix).  This is 100% absolutely lovely to me and I am not looking to replace all our belongings Kiwi style but we have to have a few things to live and trademe (the online auction site) has saved the day...

Everyone has to have a couch and we were able to find one in Remuera that is chocolate brown, looks good (this is the stock photo from the auction, not mine) and super, super comfy.  If you had been to our house in C-vill before (or Daleville or Greenwood) you would know just how important it is to us to have a comfortable couch!!

We have barstools!  We have a bar so these ended up being a must -- just picked them up tonight (again, these are all stock photos from the actual auctions, I will share how they have come together in our rooms another time (or maybe not :)  

Everyone in our family now has a place to sit at the dining room table -- we even have a seat for Junie!!

Everyone has to have a new breakfast set, yes?  JJ about died when I told him we had to drive clear to the North Shore to get these but, well, I really liked them!!  Truth be told, he does too :)

Ash now has a bed -- trip up to the Hibiscus Coast tonight and we picked this up.  

Finally, I had a moment and totally fell, head over heals in love with these two wool chairs.  they are bright orange and I am sure that they were manufactured before me but I still had to have them (although I had to change the entire vision of the public space of our house for them).  Again, comfy!!!

We have purchased about ten other furniture items that I can think of in addition to our beds which came from the Target furniture store.  I love a bargain so this is all right up my alley!

Anyway, tonight was a real treat for me.  We had to pick up a lot of furniture and needed the space that car seats would have taken up so the boys had to stay at home with Mam-maw while we ran up the coast.  On the way home we had to stop and get milk (I am still learning about how much of what my family needs in this new place).  It was such a fantastic treat to go to the grocery, late(r) at night with my husband.  I adore the grocery but when you have six grabby hands that go with you everywhere, the grocery becomes a chore and not a pleasure anymore, so tonight with just JJ and I to look through the aisles, it was fantastic.  We handled it like the inner 12 year olds we are and brought home ten tons of junk!!  I feel a bit sick now but crisps and chocolate will do that to you!!