Determined to breastfeed? Kudos and welcome to the club Despite what some paediatricians say, breastfeeding is such a cool and awesome thing to do for your baby. But let’s face it– it’s not always easy. We could all use some help (and fun!) in this special time of our lives, and here’s a list of […]
3 Budget Cookbooks Worth Owning in New Zealand
Are you one of those people who own a ton of cookbooks, but barely try out a fraction of the recipes in it? As a working and freelance writing mom of two kids under 5, I would rather get the cooking and grocery shopping over and done with in favor of having more time to […]
Cloth Diapering: A First-time Mom’s Experience
Even before I found out I was pregnant, all this research on green living and saving money has gotten me familiar with the concept of cloth diapering. So while I was still carrying, I decided to give it a go once my baby girl was born. I Googled as much as my brain could wrap […]
My Favourite Writing Tools
Alphasmart 3000 – bought second hand off eBay, I think this is one of the smartest inventions ever made for writers of all sorts. A welcome change from today’s information age where non-productivuty sensory overload is easier to fall into than avoided. This analog device allows me to focus on the one thing I intend […]
Buyer Alert: What Makes a Good Course Awesome
If you keyed in your utmost desire or pressing need in life into a search engine and gave Google a spin, you will discover that there is an ebook, series, or course being sold on nearly every human (and animal) issue known to man. Courses that promises to solve your problems for you like magic. If applying a […]
Anti-itch Oil
For all its cleanliness and greenness, New Zealand is also shrouded by an enigma of itchy rash and spot-causing watchamacallits that even GPs, dermatologists, and infectious disease specialists cannot solve. You cannot go far without knowing of at least one person who has got old or new insect bite marks or rashes ranging from non-itchy […]
Lila’s Bug Spray
There are a number of natural bug spray recipes on the Internet, but I wanted to make something that covered a variety of bugs and not just one or two. The spray also had to smell acceptable – one that wasn’t too medicinal that others may think you’re sick receiving some sort of treatment if […]
Bugs-Away Foot Sole Serum
Citrus essential oils have wonderful insect repellent properties without necessarily being off-putting to the human nose. Who doesn’t find the smell of orange and lemons totally refreshing? However, citrus essential oils are known to cause photosensitivity when applied to skin areas that are exposed to sunlight, causing more harm than good for what it’s worth. […]
How to Press Loose Mineral Powder
I love mineral makeup for all its skin loving ingredients and thorough coverage. What I don’t want, though, is the powdery mess it creates. Sure there are so-called ready-made mineral compacts that profess to be the same thing, until you see the dozen ingredients it contains just to make it compact. I also tried pressing […]
How to Get Out of the Research Trap
Reading for information is supposed to be a fun and enjoyable process because at the very least, you are learning something new. But what happens when your research leads you from one shiny gem of knowledge to another? Before you know it, all your time is up and you haven’t gotten any work done. Welcome to the […]