I have had the beginnings of a cold/flu/whatever for the past couple of days. It started with a massive headache, then the next day a sore throat, sneezing and sinus. It has not progressed past that, and a bit of tiredness. A pretty terrible flu has been going around so I hope that my intake of ginger, garlic, lemon, honey, zinc, vitamin c and ecinacea over the past few days is what has stopped it progressing!

It is rather odd, this happened last time everyone else got a flu bug going around - I thought I was getting it, but only got the minor stuff. Which is great! I'm not complaining!

I really don't know why it's so difficult for me to find a pair of shorts that I like, but it is. It's now getting closer to winter which will mean stores will stop stocking them and then I will really be in trouble!

I have had one pair of past-the-knee length shorts and one pair of short(er) shorts for a while now, and the shorter ones are now too big and fall down (butt cleavage = NOT an attractive look) and the longer ones are so threadbare that they ripped in the washing machine a few weeks ago

So I decided this time around I would go for one pair, and go an in between length.

Well guess what, the only pair I can find that I remotely like is EIGHTY DOLLARS!

WHAT?!

I guess I live under a rock re: the price of clothes. I have a lot of clothes and the only time I *usually* buy them is when I don't need them, but I see a good price/deal etc. So I guess when I do NEED something, I am shocked with the full price of things.

I don't think I've ever paid more than $30 for a pair of jeans, and they aren't CHEAP jeans, I just seem to find them when they ARE on sale and buy them then, instead of waiting until it's winter time when I'm in deperate need of something.

Same with shirts and t-shirts. I rarely pay more than $10 for them, usually only $5, and these tshirts normally sell for $40 or more, button up shirts around $50.

But hey. I guess I've resigned myself to the fact that I may have to spend the money this time. I would wait - but there are just some things you can't do while wearing a skirt...

I have a $20 GC coming in the mail soon, from surveys I have done. I'm putting it toward groceries to lower those costs a bit. Also I should shortly be able to cash out Emailcash for a $30 check.


We have enough points from credit card rewards to get a $200 voucher. I have looked, and the vouchers are a better deal than getting credit on our account, you get something like 20% more when you get a voucher.

The tough part is deciding what voucher. I can't get it for anywhere to buy groceries, which would have been useful. Before any of this financial stuff (non-working...) started happening, DF and I talked about getting a voucher for a place so we could buy some more CD's and DVD's, seeing as those are things we like to buy but usually don't end up getting.

But we can also get a voucher for a hardware store, and DF sometimes buys things from this store for work, and then doesn't get reimbursed for it. So I was thinking that would come in handy too.

The other option was to get a $100 voucher from each place so it's split, one for entertainment and one for ordinarily incurred expenses.

What do you think?

From now on we should get more points, because I finally figured out that American Express gets double the points that Mastercard does. They are both linked to the same account, so it is no bother to use the Amex instead.

While helping his mum move last week, DF aquired some items that she was going to throw away:

- 4 beach towels
- 2 matching bedside tables
- 1 double bed-frame
- assorted weights and dumb-bell sets.

The beach towels and bed frame are a plus, and will no doubt get used.

The bedside tables are something that we were actually looking at buying soon, but had been put off by the price of any good ones we found that went with our existing furniture. As it happens, the ones we have been given go perfectly with our bed and room, and DF is just fixing them up and giving them a sand and seal at the moment.

The weights are something we have both been wanting to get, but again have been put off by the price. So this is fantastic!

Yesterday while screen printing a shirt for my friends sons' 1st birthday, I decided to do one for myself. It is a print DF cut out years ago that I have always liked. I've had it on three different shirts but they have gotten old. I love that I can throw out a shirt and not have to worry about whether or not I really like the print on it - because I can just do it again.



Hope you like the picture! The singlet cost me $5 and the material costs are basically nil because DF got most of it when he was 15. It looks a little rough because I printed it on a ribbed tank - technically you're not really supposed to print on this type of material as it doesn't always turn out great, much better on plain cotton t-shirts... but ribbed tank singlets is all I wear in summer...
(I forgot to take a picture of the shirt that is the present - it is a shirt with a stripey red and black tie on it and the little boys name on the pocket - so cute)

DF and I realised today that we have not watched commercial television in over a month. We have a few series on dvds that we have been watching, and have hired out movies from the video store (on cheap Tuesdays of course). But no tv.
I can tell you now I haven't missed the advertisements at all. Or the media-beat-up 'news'. I suppose if a show I liked came back on I might watch it, but it's kind of nice not being on a tv timetable.

Liabilities:
Mortgage: $297 265.26
CC Balance: $1447.73
Personal Loan: $2145.56

Total Owing: $300858.55

Assets:
House (current median market value) $325k
Savings: $5000.00
Superannuation 1: $17 000.00
Superannuation 2: $9000.00
Car 1: $5000
Car 2: $4000
Car 3: $4000
Artwork: $5000
Tools: $4500.00
Other: $10 000.00

Total Assets: $388 500.00

(I only include the assets that I know would sell, and at the lowest price we could get for them at short notice.)

Total Net Worth: $87 641.45

Up $12 624.45 since the beginning of September, 2009. Woo!

I have not been on here for a while - I'll have to go through and read everyones blogs now. (If anything super duper has happened to you, please leave it in a comment! otherwise I might miss it...!)

DF, his dad and my little brother are building in the downstairs area of our house, so we will have a closed in garage, complete with roller doors and windows. All it cost was a few hundred dollars in framing pine - the rest DF has aquired from job sites where clients have told him to take it.

We are FINALLY getting Banjo tomorrow. Very exciting. Can't wait to see how he and Jed interact.

I am working four days over the next two weeks. Money-wise it's crap, but I guess it's nice to have a break. I will just have to keep myself away from the shops (and the sales! sigh...) because DF wont be working either. So I guess that buffer that we just increased, will DEcrease again.

I am planning on having a kind of 'spring clean' (even though it's the middle of summer...) on one or two of my days off. I figured we have been here nearly 10 months, it is time to clean up big time.
Walls, skirtings, cupboards, windows, flyscreens, door tracks, drawers etc etc.

What else do you do on a spring-clean? I've never had to do a big clean - we've always moved before time came to do that!

We broke our own rule on not buying presents for christmas. We decided to buy my younger brother and sister something because they (like me) do not get much. We bought them both a tshirt with a cool print. My brother got one with a Transformer (can't remember which one - don't care) and my sister got one with pictures of owls on it. If it were my size I'd keep it. Alas, she's smaller than me lol.

That's all my news for now I think.

As of yesterday, we have made

- $2733.98 extra payments into the variable portion of our home loan this year and
- $215.15 extra into the fixed portion this year.

Our bills account is sailing along smoothly.

Our 'buffer' in our checking account is over $5000 - by the end of this month I hope it will be $6000.

I haven't the slightest idea how much our superannuation is at, but I think it has now surpassed 30k combined.

We have $500 in cash sitting around at home, and $800 in another account that we will eventually get around to transferring to our mortgage.

I think we might be able to buy the materials to build a fence on or even before the New Year, and whether we need to buy a new stove or fix the old one, I hope it can be done in the next week or two. We can definately afford it, which is a good feeling!

Things are going well financially here.

I have lost 2 kgs more since the last time I blogged about weightloss. I don't weigh myself regularly so it was a bit of a surprise, I kind of let my healthy eating habits slide this week. So, I am going to use this little bit of a loss as a motivation!

So far that makes a 4kg loss since mid October.

So:
Old weight: X1.0 kg
October 27th: X9.0 kg (loss of 2kgs)
November 27th: X7.0 kg (loss of 4kgs)

So, I realised that I have achieved my first weightloss goal for the year! (3kgs)

My next goal (these are the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year) was a loss of 6kgs. So my target is x5.0 kgs. Maybe I can amp it up a bit and achieve this BEFORE Christmas.

Actually, I do mind.

(warning: rant ahead)

I have worked as a barista and never once commented to a customer on their drink choice. Now, I don't find a lot of things rude but for some reason it just never felt right.

Of course, inwardly I wondered why on earth someone would bother to get the 'skinny-milk' option on a mocha-with-cream-and-marshmallows-plus-two-sugars, but I digress... I would never SAY that to the person who was ordering it.

I'm a strong coffee gal. I cannot STAND milky coffee. I've been drinking (real - not instant) coffee since I was 13 or 14 and I know what I like. I also have the ability to be able to drink a (strong) cup of coffee and then go to bed immediately after - I don't get that 'no coffee after 3pm or I'll be awake through the night' thing that other people seem to get. Have I over-consumed caffeine? I have no idea. I've never felt that rush or alertness that people describe when they have a coffee, or a Red Bull or some other 'energy device' invented recently. Never. Never Ever.
Why do I drink it then? you ask. Well, I like coffee. I like the smell and taste of it, and the good memories associated with it. Coffee is like a culture. For me it's not about the pick-me-up or the 'get me through the day' approach. I don't HAVE to drink coffee every single day and sometimes I don't - I just like a good cup of coffee.

Anyway.

So as I mentioned, I don't like milky coffee. So, I usually order a double-shot flat white or cappucino. Which is normal enough.

However, I frequent a place with a friend (who doesn't even drink coffee) where they serve their coffee in GIANT cups (they are like mugs, but in a cup shape). To compensate, all coffees are double-shot as standard. So when I ask for a flat white with an extra shot, every single time they explain that to me, I have to say 'Yes - I would like an EXTRA shot, please.'

And then they fluff about, stutter, raise their eyebrows, elbow each other, give a shrieking laugh and/or say some stupid comment like:
- Ooooh. Switch to decaf, girl.
- you know that's THREE shots of coffee?
- I don't think I've ever made a coffee that strong before.
- You'll be buzzing all afternoon.
- Why not just stick a caffeine drip in your arm?
- Don't feel like sleeping tonight?
- Had a long day?
- Gosh I don't think I could handle that much caffeine.
- It's not our fault if you decide it's too strong.
- Are you that tired?
- Our coffee is quite strong, you know.

Take your pick, it's all been said to me before. And not just at the place I went to today - MANY places have said that to me.

I don't need your opinion on my drink, it's not going to influence my decision, I've been drinking the same type since I was in high school. ARGH!

Anyway, I'm not really sure where this rant is heading, it's just that I'm annoyed. Is it really that difficult to shut your yap and just make me my damn coffee?

So I am sure that maaaaaany of you are familiar with my wailing and whining about the inability to make a decision regarding my 'future' in terms of job/career-ness.

I am sure that there are a few of you that have read each post I've made where I've decided to do one thing, then changed my mind and decided to do the other, and then ultimately done nothing at all.

Well. I am writing to inform you that *deep breath* I have made a decision on what I'm doing, and have now put it in the hands of someone else. So once that 'someone else' does what they have to do, I will be advancing down one fork in the road (figuratively speaking), instead of dancing around at the intersection wasting time and looking like a goose.

So here it is.

I spoke to my boss today, and I asked him if I could possibly do that fast-tracked apprentice-ship we had talked about earlier this year. I said I had no intention of leaving after it was done, I had no qualms about apprentice wages if it came to that, and working 5 days a week (on top of the two days a week I work at my other job), and that when it was all a done deal, I would be happy going back to my original 22 hours a week if that is what he wanted. Oh, and I would pay for the training.

And he said he had forgotten to ask the apprentice trainer last time he was here, but will ask him next time, and that I could probably do it part time anyway, and he would try to get me qualified in less time if he possibly could, even if he had to lie, cheat and steal. (I think he was joking about the last part - but you never know with him...)

Oh my gosh! I think this means... that I am going to be a Pastry Chef.

DF is working tomorrow (Saturday) and I have no plans. I was invited to dinner with friends, but it is with 'those' friends that I have blogged about previously. Nice to catch up with at a party, but I realised pretty quickly I don't want to go to a restaurant with them EVER AGAIN.
Lovely people, most of the time, but yeah, I must be an old fashioned lass who thinks people should be quiet when indoors with strangers trying to eat their meals. I guess you could say, hmmmm, I have respect for the people around me?

Anyway. So I would like to have a productive but very laid back weekend. My plans are:

- Sleep in (until 7am atleast)
- Farmers market
- Put a meal on in the slow-cooker
- Wash Jed
- Do some laundry & fold washing
- Clean the fridge
- Clean the pantry
- Take Jed for a walk

Obviously, not setting the bar too high

Thought I would share some more photos with you all.

And on a slightly more *ahem* financial note, we spent $127.40 yesterday at the vet for the two puppies vaccines. The vet said that he wishes all puppies came in looking this healthy

Brother and Sister playing together:


Little Girl is at the front, to the left is Banjo and to the right is Mummy!


Our little one, Banjo! Soon he will be at our house!


Little Girl (still unnamed). Isn't she ever so cute! She will only be two streets away from her mummy (she is being given to DF's grandparents), I think it is nice that they will be able to grow up together, and be able to see their mum and dad often too.

We are taking the puppies to get vaccinated this afternoon, and then the little girl is going to DF's grandparents tomorrow. We are taking the little boy this weekend.

And we have (I think) decided on a name.

Banjo.

It is the mother dogs' dads name. He was killed by a paralysis tick about two years ago, and Jed very much reminds us of him. So we thought it would be nice. Jed and Banjo.

It is going to be tricky with work and the puppy. They are not inside dogs so we are thinking of making a smaller enclosure in our yard until the puppy gets a bit older.

And apparently he is already toilet trained! He is 8 weeks old and he already crawls out of his kennel, and out onto the grass before going. Could you ask for much more?

We got our first electricity bill since we moved in, March 2nd this year.

Normally power companies bill you every 3 months here, but there was a mix up with which company we were using, so we never got one 3 months ago - we have now been billed for 7 months and 2 weeks. Which is fine, it doesn't really make any difference to us.

It works out to be roughly $225 per 3 month period - pretty standard for us. This is with a different power company too.

We have just started turning everything off at the power point again - we lapsed at this for about a year . So, the only thing that's running at home when we are away is the fridge.

We have a box of the energy efficient light globes that we have been using to replace the old ones when they blow out. Hopefully that might have a bit of an impact down the track too.

What do you do to save power? Other than the usual of course, turning lights off when you're not using them, etc etc.

Well, I guess you would call it flatmates really. Except we are getting paid rent.

After some thinking, we've decided to let DF's cousin rent a room from us. Remember this from ages ago? I posted about it. I was really not ok with it then - because I had not met him.

He has been living with DF's dads family for a few months now, so we have been able to get to know him. He is working for the family business, so DF spends a good 9 hours a day with him, or more.

He's a nice kid. He is only 19 and does not know anyone in this state, he moved two states to work for DF's dad as an apprentice. DF's dads house is a little crazy at the best of times, and there is not a lot of room there either.

I am thinking it will be fine - he is quiet, considerate and NICE and at first would not even accept our offer as he didn't want to intrude.
We'll be setting ground rules first off - isn't it amazing what a difference it can make when you actually MEET someone? I did not think I would change my mind about this, but I have.

I do often wonder about people who ask that question. And I admit I am sometimes guilty of just saying No, because really if you are silly enough to believe it... *shrug*

So I can finally upload a picture for those that might be interested. It is too difficult to take one of my own leg so instead I just took it off the tattooists myspace page.



I am fantastically happy with the outcome and the cost ($320 - he only charged for actual inking time and not drawing time). And I have been told I have great skin and that he will do work on me anytime. It's nice to make an impression.

I have not been on here to post as much as usual. This month has been weird with lots of things to do but not much to write about.

We got our tattoos last week, I am waiting for the last of it to heal before I post a picture, for anyone interested (probably not many on here!)

It was much less than we thought it would cost. For starters he was very quick (I think he surprised himself) and he didn't charge for drawing time. For both it ended up being $520, plus a $30 tip (Yes! something I actually tip for here...). Initially we thought it would be around $900.

I think the tattooist was really excited about mine because he is now using it as his profile picture on his myspace.

Anyway.

We get our puppy soon. Haven't decided on a name yet. They are jumping and trying to use their voices, very very cute indeed.

Work has slowed down for DF again. He is still earning money every week but not full-time. But mine remains the same which is good.

Still haven't gotten the stove or oven fixed, but it isn't a huge hassle at the moment. When it becomes more of a problem we will do something about it. At the moment it's fine.

The next door neighbours dog keeps sleeping under DF's cars during the day, underneath our house. It is getting a little annoying as she leaves dark patches all over the concrete - we are not sure if it is blood or dirt. She is an old dog and the neighbours are always out, I am not sure if they realise she gets out. Anyone know of anything that keeps dogs away, like pepper or something? (I think pepper keeps ants or cats away... can't remember which...)

On Sunday we went to the CBD and spent some of our gift vouchers that we recieved for our engagement party. We also got $70 in cash from DF's sister - I am going to use some of that to buy a Scanpan stainless steel frypan.

We decided to buy things that we would ordinarily spend money on anyway - but have been putting off for some time.

First off was a Brita water filter jug. We got a good deal on it, went to three different stores to compare. Myer had the best deal: a 2.4L jug for $29.70, which came with three free filters ($23 each normally) and a free re-usable waterbottle. To compare, I found a 3.5L jug for $33 in Kmart, that was the next option. So you can see why I went for a smaller jug with more extras.

I decided I wanted some summer shorts and found a pair for $35, and DF wanted to buy the new Wolverine movie on dvd, and another dvd, can't remember which one.

With our hardware store vouchers ($200) we bought a lawn mower. DF found one on sale from $350 reduced to $299, so in the end we got a lawnmower for $99.

Other things on the list are, obviously, a Scanpan frypan, and one of the things you tap your used coffee grinds into (I never thought this was necessary until we started having people over regularly - I have realised how useful it will be). So far have found them at Myer for $36, which is the best deal I can find. I believe we have just over $100 left on the GC's, and $70 in cash.

Doing our tax returns yesterday, I asked DF to log on to his old Bankwest account (similar to an ING account) to find out how much interest he earnt in the last financial year from the house deposit.

Seconds later I hear 'uhhm... huh?'

He has $836 still in there!

He had $18 792.00 and transferred $18 000. The $792 has remained there since January, slowly working itself up to the $836 it is now.

Um, wow?!

The found money is going to the EF.

Also, wanted to share how much interest DF earnt in the last year, only six months of it where he actually had a high amount in there: $236.37!


Currently Listening To: Air - Alone in Kyoto

Normally I am all onto our tax returns and have them done within the first week of July. However this time things were tricky due to closed accounts, deductions etc etc.

Finally got it all together and did it online tonight.

Combined we get back nearly $2000.

It is just in time too, as DF's mum is trying to buy a property and needs a buffer in between the exchange of her old property and the new one. She gave DF $4000 when we were getting ready to buy our house, so we are going to give her $2000 back. Even though it was a gift, I still don't like it hanging over our heads. She has not asked us for it but I know that she would be thankful, and even though we do not have a LOT to spare, I feel compelled to. She is a very generous person and if it means we cut back and tighten the purse strings for the next few months, that is fine with me.

So really, the tax return has not made a difference in our accounts at all. But it has helped someone!

Everyone loves puppies, don't they?

So here is Jeds son and daughter. They are still with their mum (DF's dads dog) and we will be getting the boy (the one that is all white) and DF's grandparents will be getting the girl (the one with the black patches).



DF's dads dog, Trinity. She is such a goood mum!

Because we have no stove or oven for the next few weeks I have had to be inventive with our meal plan. We have a lot of other things going on so at the moment we are not bothering to do anything about fixing it until atleast the start of November.

To top it off, going away for the weekend meant I wasn't able to go to the farmers market on Saturday. I have not missed it since we moved here back in March, so I am at a bit of a loss as to where to get good fresh veges. I am going to try a place near my drive home - wish me luck on that front! I think we are spoilt with the freshness from the markets, even my dad and stepmum were amazed at how beautiful the produce was.

I am using up our freezer stock of meals too.

Last night we had pasta because I discovered you can cook it in a rice cooker! It was an experiment that lead to a happy outcome. I had to heat up the sauce in the microwave though

Tonight we are having an Indian Vegetable curry that my dad made while he was here (thawed from the freezer). I will cook the rice, and once it is halfway through cooking will put the curry on top of the rice to heat it. I have heard of people doing this before, so I know it works. We are having chapatti and yoghurt with the curry.

Meal Plan:
Tuesday: Indian Vegetable Curry
Wednesday: Slow Cooked Lentil Soup
Thursday: Grilled Vegetables with Tofu/Lamb Chops
Friday: Fresh Spring Rolls (rice paper wraps - NOT fried)

(saturday is market day, so this is my meal plan for the following week

Saturday: BBQ & Salad
Sunday: Vegetarian Mexican Beans, Rice & Salad (beans made in slow cooker)
Monday: Slow Cooked Minestroni Soup
Tuesday: Bean & Salad Tortillas
Wednesday: Toasted Panini Sandwhiches
Thursday: Slow Cooked Indian Curry
Friday: BBQ & Salad or Grilled Veges

Isn't it funny, when you knock out use of an oven and stove, the only options you have are (mostly) healthy ones. Out of the next two weeks of our eating plan, the only meals I can see that are questionably healthy are the toasted panini (wheat and cheese) the curries (coconut milk) and the mexican beans/tortillas IF we have cheese on them.

So it worked out to be a fairly cheap weekend away. Usually when it is a big group of us, we have to pay accomodation costs (around $50 a night divided by all who are staying) to use our friends' parents beach house. But this time we did not have to, which was nice.

So this is what we spent:

$13.20 Takeaway Lunch
$6.95 Groceries
$47 Dinner out
$21.50 Drinks
$94 Alcohol
$3.80 Icecream
$2.80 Water
$4.40 Groceries
$7.60 Drinks

Probably could have made it cheaper by not going out for dinner the first night, and DF not buying alcohol. But he brought some back with him so it wasn't all consumed there. We also had two bottles of champagne that was in the cupboard at home, so we took those.

Awhile ago at work we stopped being able to buy a product that we used regularly. Luckily our suppliers had a similar product which we then started using. A few weeks later our rep told us (I don't think he was meant to - I believe he told us because we were complaining about how different the second product was) that the reason we couldn't get the first product was because an ingredient in it had been banned and they were currently testing other ingredients to find something they could use - the product was made in the US and the ingredient banned was something they used to stablise it.

So all this got me thinking.

If I didn't work there, and if the rep hadn't told us, I wouldn't have ever known.
Customers who buy our goods have no idea. The only thing they will notice is that some goods are a little different now, because the new product we use is a little different to the old one.

And then this got me thinking even more:

So exactly how many things have I consumed in my life that have contained ingredients which have then forced the product off the shelves? How many manufacturers have gone 'Oh! Shit!' and changed their recipes?

Obviously this was not something hugely drastic, otherwise there would have been a product recall. But still - if it's bad enough to ban and cease production for some time, isn't it bad enough to warn people not to eat it? (We threw out our stock with the old product in it - in case you're wondering)

This leads me to my next line of thinking.

Exactly how much do you know about what is in your food?

I have been brought up cooking from scratch and avoiding foods with numbers and ingredients I cannot decipher. But not everyone has. And even still, I find it incredibly difficult to avoid all those nasties on a daily basis.

Furthermore, are you aware that over 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body?

So, are you completely happy with the contents of your shampoo bottle being inside your body? What about your foundation, anti-wrinkle cream, skin care scrubs and cleansers, hair removing agents, laundry powders etc etc?

Would you eat them? Why not?

I have only just started thinking about this all. While I do think I am a little more aware of these things than, say, the average 22 year old, this whole 'banned-ingredient-thing' has really filled my head with questions and reservations.

It's all quite a bit to think about, so I wanted to share it. Hope you all don't mind.

I think I am going to take (baby) steps to reduce our consumption of items that have ingredients in them that I don't know what they are or do.

Thoughts? Opinions?

This could possibly be a frugal exercise too. Has anyone ever used castile soap? I have been reading about it.

We have been talking about what to buy with our gift vouchers from our engagement party.

Our initial thought was to get a dvd player/hard drive recorder. It would probably be the most useful piece of technology in our house for two reasons: we hate advertising, and we both go to bed reasonably early and miss out on good shows that play later in the evening.

But, we went to check them out and apparently they are phasing out making them. WHAT?! Why???

So the only ones that are there, are around $800. Excuse me? I am not paying that much. Sorry if appear to be somewhat of a tightass.

So instead we were thinking of buying the following:

- a water filter (either one that connects to the tap, or just a jug filter you put in the fridge)
- a normal dvd player

That uses up about half of the Myer vouchers. The hardware store vouchers we are not really sure of, but were thinking of getting a lawn mower. We don't have one so we have to borrow DF's dads one. It has been good lately as it has been winter, and the grass hasn't grown for about four months, but soon it will start again.

The lawnmowers range from $340-$800. We don't have a lot of land to cover, so a cheaper one will do as long as the parts are sturdy, DF can do any maintenance that is needed.

I did have a thought that if we bought the lawn mower, I could use the leftover Myer vouchers for groceries, and that would sort of offset the extra spend on the lawnmower? Technically we would be out of pocket around $50 or so. Good idea? Bad idea?

For a week or two we have been smelling a burning plastic smell whenever I light the oven (note: our oven has a stove on the top). Because it's summer I've only used the oven a few times, so I haven't really paid that much attention. But last night I finally asked DF to have a look, and lo and behold, gas is leaking from one of the pipes, which has created a bigger pilot flame.

It could be a case of a loose nut or fixture, but the burning smell indicates it has probably melted something that might be important. How scary to think that could have made a huge fire one day if we hadn't checked it!

So, I guess this means we will have to buy a new stove. (Truth be told, it is around 10 years old and in need of replacing anyway...)

Our problem now is, in 4 to 5 years we had hoped to have enough to remodel the kitchen. It would be a medium sized renovation as we would be putting in a bay window to add extra room. We would look at getting a wall mounted oven and a stove with a rangehood - which is something that is impossible to do at the moment.

So - do we fix it or buy a cheap(er) stove/oven now with the intent of using it for only 5 years? Do people buy second hand stoves? Could we sell it later? Or should we buy a second hand one? Doesn't that mean that whatever we save on buying second hand, we will have to shell out for new fittings anyway?

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In the meantime, I am confined (yet again!) to cooking on the barbecue or using bench top appliances. Hooray! As if I didn't already have enough of that experience when we first moved in.

Now I have to think up ways to use our veges up that don't involve the stove or the oven. GREAT

I have:
a slowcooker
a rice cooker
a barbecue
a grill/sandwhich press

I also have an outstanding assortment of takeaway menus

Next weekend we are going away to BIL's family's holiday house.

It was arranged awhile ago, as a 'relaxing weekend'. Yesterday we got an invitation in the mail for their daughters '3 month birthday'.

Huh!?

Cute, I guess.

Are we supposed to give them a present???

Also, one thing that irks me, even though it probably shouldn't:

She wrote on the invitation: 'Meat will be provided'. And also that she can organise all the rest of the food if we all put in money, or we can bring each bring food and pool our items.

How much would everyone like to bet that if we all put in money, I would still have to go and buy something for myself, the vegetarian?

The only reason I say this is that I have noticed that every time we go to their house now, we go out for dinner. But when they come to our house, I cook something that usually has meat in it and something else for myself. But we always have the option of them having meat (wouldn't want to miss out for a single day now would we?!?!). I'm probably being petty but argh!

I'm back from my holiday, my parents left last Friday. I haven't been on the internet at all for about a week and a half (it's actually quite freeing!).

I hardly tracked our expenses at all for the last week, so September will be a bit of a write-off. Didn't spend a great deal because my parents insisted on paying for most of everything.

So it's Monday 4.30am and I am about to leave for work! What a rude shock to the system, I have been getting up at 630am and some mornings even 8am, it has been nice to not worry about going to work. But alas, money pays the bills, so off I go again!