Sky City Convention Centre, Auckland

Review by Mr Spencer from Mummybrain ~ The How-Not-To-Do-It Guide of Marriage Miscarriage Children Divorce Step-Children

I spent the last three days in a conference at sky city with several thousand other delegates and try as I might I could not find fault with the facilities. Everything appeared to be flawlessly prepared and executed with care and professionalism. I was so impressed with the facilities that I felt I simply have to review them :)

Presentation Technology
The big screens, sound systems, projectors and lighting were perfectly suited to the purpose. I did not see any issues with hardware failures, not even as much as a "is this thing on?". I have a bit of history in this field but try as I might I couldn't find fault. The worst it got was when a presenter with a lapel microphone walked in front of a speaker, but the feedback was quickly caught and stopped before becoming a problem.

As a delegate I had no trouble seeing or hearing regardless of where I sat.

Service
There must have been dozens of service staff. Serving coffee, laying out and refilling buffets, cleaning messes, collecting dirty dishes, checking rooms were in order between sessions, maintaining security, looking after sound desks, cooking food, serving drinks and no doubt countless other things that I didn't even notice.

They were all well and consistently dressed, clean and tidy in their appearance and behaviour, polite and respectful, professional and generally just going out of their way to make everything work smoothly.

Branding
I don't know how much of this was done by the staff at sky city and how much was done by the company running the conference but even before you walked in the front door you knew you were in the right place. There were signs both static and digital everywhere. Finding rooms was easy and from the way everything looked you'd swear you were in the offices of the company rather than in a conference centre.


Food The food was amazing, it was different every day (with a few staples) and the quality was always exceptional. From simple things like coffee to the exquisite and varied lunch foods everything was done perfectly.

There was something for everyone including vegetarian options and even a separate vegetarian buffet. There were options for the diet conscious and the not so diet conscious (mmm chocolate cups).

Each day there was something different in a separate area, the first day was a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit, the second there were chefs cooking in woks and on the last day there was a lolly bar where you could pick and mix bags of sweets.

There was always an abundance, food was restocked as frequently as required and few people were taking small helpings :)

Toilets
What goes in must come out :) The toilets were kept stocked with soap, hand towels etc and were always clean and tidy despite the hundreds of people using them every hour. 

Summary

Over all I found the whole experience very pleasant, 10/10 to Sky City :)

Mockanificent

Posted by Angela Noelle of Striking Keys.

Esky's movin' on up!

Farewell, traditional swinging tray highchair, hello sitting at the table with the rest of the clan! After shopping around for boosters online, I settled upon a classier and sturdier alternative - with better longevity to boot!

Behold, the Mocka Soho!

What makes it Mockanificent:

• It will grow with Esky (the seat and footrest have multiple heights).
  
• Esky can get up and down by herself - whereas many boosters would've required the rigmarole of lifting and/or strapping still.
• The price; I was looking at boosters in the ballpark of $100. Getting an uber-stylish, pull-up-to-the-table wooden high chair for $99.95 from a Christchurch family business instead? No-brainer. (Woah - lots of hyphens, sorry!)
  
• It's so much easier easy to clean than the padded, PVC-covered highchair I was accustomed to using...no more little creases lined with crumbs and mystery goop.
• Assembly was lemon squeezy easy (there are picturrrres).
  
• The Mocka website allows you to pay via internet banking - you don't have to use a credit card!
  
• Delivery was free! (and I live rurally even!)
  
• I only have to wipe one surface after meal-times.

The only thing I didn't like about the situation:

• Not having two of them! Ivy will be on solids in 3 short months, and once you go Mocka, there's no going back.
  

So I asked Mocka if they would give me another, because I sincerely wanted to sing their praises in return...

...and they said "yes!"
(can you believe it!?)

Now that's good business.

Go Mocka! You make rad stuff;
There's a sale on balance bikes right now, I couldn't help but notice, putting that covet-collage together.
We ended up buying one for Esky as a result (Christmas = done).

Yes, our tax credit for charitable donations came in, can you tell?


P.S. This review was 100% on my terms. If I am asked to review something, I am always truthful about the product or service. If I ask to review something (as is the case here), it is because I already know it's stupendous and feel compelled to tell you so.

Product Reviews - Burning my Skin

From Johanna over at One Girl's Thoughts on Life


True to form, when I try a product and it lets me down, I tell the company. This works both ways (in case you think i'm a meanie), if I try something that I really love then I also contact the company to tell them how much I like it and why. 


A few weeks back I tried a 10.0.6 face mask (strawberry)


It resulted in this message from me:
 I purchased your pore- be-pure mud mask and after about 15 seconds
on my skin it started burning and stinging. I immediately washed it off. My
skin felt very sore after. I then took the mask to my friend and asked her
to try it and she had the same problem. Perhaps the formula is too strong? I
am always looking for good pore products because I have enlarged pores
around my nose and cheeks so I would be sure to try again if the formula was
changed.


The reply?


Dear Johanna


Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on our product. 


The mask you tried does often incur some tingling. The sensation should not however be
 uncomfortable. As we do not know the
exact condition of your skin it is difficult to provide you with an exact
reason to your and your friends' reaction. We have had some other customers
that have experienced a similar sensation and appreciate your feedback. We
will take your feedback on board look into the formula in the near future.

In the meantime as a token of our appreciation for you taking the time to
contact us we would love to send you some other products from the range to
try. One Smooth Operator is a Pore Clearing Face Scrub that lightly
exfoliates the skin and draws out impurities.  The micro pumice particles
exfoliate and unclog pores and oat and zinc help to absorb excess oil.  Also
with anti-irritant, anti-oxidant and soothing properties - it is gentle on
the skin and does not contain active ingredients.

If you would like to try another of our masks we would also love to send you
Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask. Containing natural ingredients
such as Orange and Bergamot, this super-cleansing detox mask recharges and
balances for a clearer, brighter complexion. I hope this mask is more suited
for your skin type!

If you would like to send us your full postal address I will get these
products to you as soon as possible.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind Regards,

Marketing Assistant




I of course said HECK YES! (never say no to free stuff)


I got these babies in the mail a few days later

I have only used the scrub on the left once and it was nice. The detox mask on the right is SO NICE! I've used it 3 times and liked it more each time, it smells delicious and leaves my skin feeling so yummy. 

My Little Slice of Coffee Heaven

by Meghan of MNM's

I'm at Finc.

It's 8am.

Casual, funky decor. Tempting food for the tastebuds. Always the same order for me. I hand over my Keep Cup. Trim Latte. Takeaway. Supreme Fairtrade organic coffee? Even better. Quick and friendly service always with a smile.

Yesterday I began the usual routine.  Ferret in my bag for the Keep Cup. Then the wallet. Ah, where's  that wallet! More frantic searching......and then the dawning. Mental picture of my wallet at home on the kitchen counter. A horrible thought, would I have to go caffeine-free for the day?!!!!

But you know what? No wallet? No problem. I still got my coffee. I think they've seen me in there enough times to know I'll be back. Tomorrow. And the day after and the day after that.

I ♥ Finc.

Finc

122 Wakefield Street

04 499 2999

Opening hours:

Mon       7.30-3.00

Tue        7.30-6.00

Wed-Fri 7.30-9.00

Sat         9.00-9.00

Sun        9.00-5.00

The Best of the Best - Waiheke Wineries

Story by Miss Bonnie

The "inside vines" with paper bags protecting little gems 

of deliciousness from the birds.... all the more for me!

Post New Years Nick, Little Red and I had the blissful opportunity of staying on Waiheke for a week with the in-laws. It was utterly superb. The weather was balmy, the ocean was inviting and the food (and wine!) was to die for. We schmoozed along to two vineyards while on the island and they were both absolutely fantastic, so much so that as soon as I set foot on Waiheke again I'll be up there lounging in the sun before you can say "Vino, please!"

The view from our table (pictures don't do it justice)



So the first on the list was Stonyridge Winery which was just down the road from our bach. The cafe is huge with comfortable and spacious seating and a beautiful decked area off to the side. Our table was right on the cusp of cafe and vineyard and had gorgeous views down to their lawn (perfect for the kiddies!) which is populated with olive trees and sunflowers and the sprawling vines beyond.

We started with a Fallen Angel Chardonnay from which the grapes are grown elsewhere but the wine is produced at the vineyard. The Chardonnay (and the Sauvignon Blanc which we followed on with) were both stunning and, oh heck, don't even get me started on the food!


Gorgeous sunflowers



Nick had a steak which he has since dubbed "the best steak he's ever eaten" (this coming from a man who loves his steak), the others shared tapas plates which were brimming with delicious olives, salmon, oysters, cured meats, and fresh, melt-in-your mouth bread (just to name a few things) and I had a chicken dish which was, to quote Nick, the best chicken I've ever eaten. Baked and served on bok choy with cashews, baby onions and a tomato and coriander salsa. AMAZING. 'Nuff said.

Grapes picked straight from the vine - bliss!

On top of all this, the staff were fantastic - courteous, friendly, prompt and well educated on the wines, food and history of the vineyard. Upon asking our waitress what the paper bags were for that hung from the vines within the restaurant we were told they were to stop birds from flying in and she reached up and pulled four bunches down for us to snack on. Apologies if I'm starting to sound like a broken record but they were the most delicious grapes I've ever eaten - they were like passionfruit, feijoa and gooseberries all mixed into one sweet little bit of mush. Delish!

The next vineyard on our must visit list was Passage Rock after we'd been told that a writer for the New York Times had declared their pizzas "the best in the world". Even the winery themselves boast their 12 inches of scrumptiousness as "world famous on Waiheke". And I'm not one to turn down a good pizza so off we went.

Well, what else can I say other than that the place is like heaven on earth? It was a super hot day so we were grateful to be seated at an outside table under the shade of a giant umbrella. But for those seeking the comfort of the indoors the restaurant itself is large, spacious and cool and opens out onto a patio and a lawn which has more seating and a swing ball set for the kids right next to rows and rows of vibrant vines. The outskirts of the eatery are adorned in beautiful wildflowers and there's even a pond and a wee footbridge.

 The most delish pizza in the world!

The service, as at Stonyridge, was impeccable as was the wine (I had a Rose and Nick a Riesling). But! Let's get to the important part - the world famous pizzas! Well, the New York Times was right on the money, my pizza was by far the best I had ever tasted. I had the vegetarian pizza (sounds boring, right? But no!) which, on top of a perfectly crispy base, was stacked with aubergine, olives, roast capsicum and pumpkin, artichoke, courgette, feta and mozzarella with a garnish of rocket and basil. Nick had the chicken pizza which I didn't try but given the speed with which he wolfed it down, I reckon it was pretty darn good.

 Our vinos. Red was on the waters (sober driver and all that)

Beautiful wildflowers

 So there you have it, two fab vineyards on the beautiful island of Waiheke. I highly recommend both - everything was superb and best of all they're both kid friendly, yippee!

Stonyridge Winery Waiheke Island - Website

Passge Rock Winery Waiheke Island - Website

Pacific Blue How I Love Thee

Story by Johanna from One Girl's Thoughts on Life.

On December 20th 2009 I moved back to NZ after a 2 year stint in Australia.

My Sister and I packed up our lives and between us we had 12 pieces of luggage...that sounds like alot but keep in mind we were moving our WHOLE lives across an ocean.

We had art, clothing, books, just a whole lotta stuff.

We had booked our flights for roughly 6pm so had planned on catching the 3pm train up to Brisbane Airport. At about 1pm we both got a txt message saying our flight had been delayed, we jumped on the internet to check our emails to confirm, called the airport and yes our flight had been delayed. We were now scheduled to fly at 1am blearg.

Mishal being an adventurous girl had a bit of a giggle while I rolled my eyes and sulked on the couch thinking about a red eye flight which would land us in New Zealand at 7am.

We had to catch the train from the Gold Coast to Brisbane (a 1.5 hr ride) and the last train was at 5pm so that is the one we hopped on.

We struggled in the pouring rain with our 12 luggage items and managed to drag it all down the 2 flights of stairs to the train platform (the train station staff (men) wouldn't help us - they were restricted by the health and safety rules of the company, they might get an injury). When we got to the platform Mishal guarded the luggage and I tracked down the train driver and explained somewhat tearfully that we had a LOT of luggage and would he please hold the train long enough for us to load it all on. Out of no-where about 6 lovely men each grabbed two items of our luggage, stowed them on the train, sat us down and told us to just enjoy the ride. Oh and not to worry because they had called ahead and arranged for someone to meet us at the Brisbane end with two luggage trolleys so we wouldn't have to struggled into the terminal with our bags. Bless them.

Whilst on the train Mishal and I stressed out about how overweight our luggage was and that at $10 a kilo for each extra kilo we were carrying we were in for a world of financial pain.

Mishal was roughly 60kg over her allocated 20kg allowance - $600
Johanna was roughly 80kg over her allocated 20kg allowance - $800

We sat together and prayed that the staff would let us come to an agreement with the cost and that it would be reasonable.

Upon arriving at the airport HOURS earlier than we needed to be we were greeted, as promised, by staff with trolley's and they even packed our bags on for us and then walked us to the terminal. We went straight to the Pacific Blue desk and asked if we could check in early so we didn't have to lug around our luggage any more - it was HEAVY and bulky.

The woman behind the desk was lovely and said that of course she could check us in. I felt a bit sick to my stomach as I started loading my bags onto the belt to be weighed and taken away. She put the stickers on each bag and chit chatted as she processed my passport. With a bit of a catch in my throat I mentioned how heavy my bags were and asked if she would be at all negotiable on the overweight cost. With a sweet smile she paused and then informed me that due to the flight delay Pacific Blue were waiving all overweight costs for the flight.

Sorry what now?

She repeated that yes Pacific Blue would not be charging me for my overweight luggage. I promptly burst into very loud uncontrollable tears and said thank-you about a million times and in my head had a bit of a funny chat with the Big Guy Upstairs. He had totally come through but with WAY better results than I could have imagined.

Lovely lady checked Mishal in also and then presented us both with our boarding passes and gave us the standard chat about customs etc. She then presented us with 3 vouchers EACH with a value of $8 EACH so that we could purchase some dinner. That is is $24 each for dinner. I was pretty gob-smacked. Free luggage AND free dinner. AWESOME.

But wait...There is MORE

Lovely lady then gave each of us a letter, with a reference number. Upon landing in New Zealand we needed to call the toll free number to contact the Pacific Blue team. We were both receiving a flight credit for the price of the flight we were about to take.

Mishal and I were speechless.  We just could not believe that a 7 hour delay was rewarding us with such wonderful treatment.

We left the desk and walked over to the chairs to sit down and just stared at each other for a while then had a hysterical conversation that went something like

Can you believe....?
I cant believe....?
This is just....
What the...?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Then we ran into a family friend who was stuck at the airport a while. He was on his way back to NZ to surprise propose to his girlfriend on Christmas day. We spent the next few hours looking through photos, catching up, eating food paid for by Pacific Blue, looking at the ring that was to soon adorn a lovely lady's finger and just chilling out.

We eventually parted ways and Mish and I boarded our plane.

We arrived at 7am NZ time to FREEZING weather and our beautiful family. We told them the crazy story on the way home and thanked God for his wonderful provision as we were tucked into bed by our delicious Mamma for a good sleep after about 24 hours of being awake.

In June this year I used my credit with Pacific Blue. I got return flights to the Gold Coast.

All up our savings because of Pacific Blue's amazing service and generosity totalled:

Mishal - just over $1000
Johanna - just over $1200

Collectively yes that is about $2,200 in savings.

So a 7 hour delay paid us handsomely...if we were to break that down to an hourly rate we were getting paid sweet dollaarrs.

Thank you Pacific Blue - You gave me the best Christmas present ever. 

Above & Beyond Nice at Newtown Post Office

BY MISS BONNIE OF THE BABY BUMP 

Baby Daddy, the wee peanut and I are nearing moving day and thought we'd have a big clean out of our clothes and sell what we could on Trade Me. After quite a few successful auctions I bundled up all our things and trucked on down to the post office in Newtown.

Quite clearly I've been hiding under a rock for, well, forever and had no idea that it was incredibly super expensive to send packages. Living in the stone ages, I charged a mere $3.00 of all my successful Trade Me auctionees for a fast post delivery. I had just enough money in my wee purse to pay this amount and this amount only. Boy did I short change myself!

Oblivious to the embarrassment I was about to suffer at the head of a 20 strong line of customers I grabbed the $1.45 parcel envelopes, shoved various clothes in and started scrawling away names and addresses thinking I'd gotten myself quite the bargain. $1.45 to send a package! Yippee! Well, we can all see where this is headed, can't we?

It took until a couple of the packages had been weighed and stickers stuck on their front that my heart sunk and I got that prickly feeling and thought to myself, oh crud. It's $1.45 for the envelopes only. In between the lady behind the counter's lovely comments about my wee bubs propped on my hip I weakly asked "Um, so you add the postage price onto the envelope? And how much is each one?" I recoiled in horror when she told me the average price of each parcel and how much the total was and I honestly felt like I was going to cry. I was going to sob and weep and bang my fists in front of all these people waiting (im)patiently behind me.


So I said to Kumari (the lovely lady behind the counter who was about to become my new favourite person) that I'd made a huge mistake and I wasn't sure if I could pay for them all. As my face went beet red and I was wracking my brains for ways I could get out of this hideous predicament, she said "Look, just this once, I'll send them all and why don't you pay for what you can now and you can come back and pay for the rest by the end of the week."


Needless to say, I was flabbergasted. Really, really? I asked. Now I thought I was going to cry for the sheer loveliness of it all! And after much assurance on her part that no, she wouldn't get into trouble as she was the one who makes the decisions and yes, she trusted me to come back and pay (I insisted on leaving my name and number for her peace of mind) I paid for what I could and promised to be back in tomorrow first thing with the money owed. 


Now I'm not saying pop on down Newtown post shop with no money and a package but I was just blown away by the compassion of this wonderful woman. Not only did she send all my parcels but also insisted that next time I send Trade Me things to come see her and she'd find me the best deal on postage she could. Now that's what I call customer service.


And you know what? The amazing service I was provided almost makes up for the fact that I completely short changed myself by about $20. Almost. But not quite.

Meal Sensations...of the Wattie's Variety

From Johanna over at one girl's thoughts on life

We've all seen the ads on TV.

I of course jumped on my laptop and downloaded the voucher - I love a good voucher.

I put it in my handbag ready for use next time I went to the supermarket.

The opportunity presented itself sooner than expected. I found myself browsing the aisles of Pak N Save Petone and gleefully selected my 'Meal Sensation' from the frozen food section. I spent a good 5 minutes deciding the flavour I was going to go with. 

Once at the check out I presented my voucher with a wicked grin only to have my smile downgraded to a confused somewhat annoyed grimace when the girl pertly advised that they (Pak N Save) do not accept printed vouchers. I somewhat impatiently pointed out that the voucher stated:

This is an internet based

coupon. Black and white

copies are acceptable. Any

questions in relation to this

offer please phone 0800 653

050. The coupon is issued by

Heinz Wattie’s Limited. This

coupon is non-assignable

and will be redeemed only on

the product stated

specifically on this coupon.

The coupon is limited to: one

coupon per product per

customer. Coupon expires on

07 November 2010

Lets just say I was pretty peeved and felt a bit ripped off...AND embarrassed because I had waited and held up a queue for a good 15minutes while check-out lady confirmed with manager whether my voucher could be used. Which was a rather rude NO.

I packed my groceries into my car and headed home. Once back in my little house I logged onto the Wattie's Website and sent them a lovely little note just explaining my experience and that they might want to set the record straight at ol'Pak Petone.

Less than 10 minutes later my cell rings and a LOVELY representative from Wattie's is asking me what happened and she is terribly sorry I had a bad experience. She said she was putting vouchers in the mail PRONTO to make up for my trouble. 

Phone call ends... Johanna is one happy lady and very impressed at the prompt phone call and delightful woman on the other end of the line.

The next day...another phone call from Wattie's...another apology and 'we just wanted to advise you that we have contacted Pak N Save Petone and set the record straight so all other voucher redeemers wont have an issue there.'

45 minutes ago...Phone call from Wattie's yet again. "Johanna we are so sorry that you  missed out on trying our new Meal Sensations. Will you be home at 5pm today? uh....maybe....why? Because our manager Craig is going to nip over to your house to hand deliver some samples to you along with a few other freebies just because we want you to know how valued you are as a customer."

Five minutes ago I was delivered: 

 

And all of this because I wrote in to let them know about the miscommunication between Wattie's and Pak'nSave. 

Bless you Wattie's - I will forever sing your customer-service praises.

Face & Body: Where I Learn to Not Judge a Book by it's Cover...

STORY BY SIMONE FROM GREATFUN4KIDS

All the way back in May my delightfully thoughtful hubby gave me a voucher for a "Rescue Me" package at a local beauty place for Mothers Day. He thought I was looking a little bit "run down." Thanks babe. I feel great now.

Anyhoo, I'm not usually one for facials and pedi's and mani's. I have had (count em) ONE facial in my life before, ONE Manicure, and ONE Pedicure. All with vouchers from the hubby. It's just not something I think of doing for myself.

So here it is nearly October and the voucher is about to expire. It's school holidays and I have a blessed free day (wahoo) with the big kids having a day on a holiday programme and the little guy at his preschool. So I thought, heck I better go and use that voucher while I can or hubby is going to be a bit, er, ticked.

Now please keep in mind that I am not a pro at facials. The first (and only) one I had caught me totally by surprise when the therapist asked me to strip down to my undies and lie on the couch. I thought a facial was a FACIAL. Like, just your face. That one included a foot massage. And a back massage. I was hugely embarrassed because it was Winter and I had, er, not really been, um, you know... been de-foresting regularly.

So this time I made sure I was prepared. Nice bra, and undies. No forests growing anywhere. We are ready.

I pulled up outside the shop/beauty parlour in Blockhouse Bay and I was a bit underwhelmed, to be honest. It was small. Like, tiny. Tucked in between a real estate agents and a cash machine. Not exactly impressive. I entered nervously and was greeted by a 20-something Kiwi lass called Ashleigh. My other facial was in a gorgeous Mt Eden Villa. My beauty therapist was French. Gee, this was not quite the deal I was hoping for.

Never mind. It's still a kid-free hour doing something for me. So into the therapy room I went. This was better. Dim light, candles, soothing soft music.

Ashleigh instructed me to get changed, leave my bra on but roll the straps down, leave pants on; she would leave me to it. She left the room and what did I do? Grabbed my stashed camera of course! Ashleigh doesn't know I'm an Undercover Blogger! I snapped a pic and did as instructed.

Ashleigh knocked gently on the door and asked if I was ready. Yes, I called. She looked a little surprised to see me standing there in my bra. Shame! I was meant to get under the covers on the bed! Facing up or down? I asked. Ashleigh didn't miss a beat. Up, she said, without so much as a smirk (duh of course! It's a FACIAL!) Ashleigh is nice. She doesn't care that I am a beauty therapy novice.

When she returned I was lying properly in the bed, under the blanket with no bra on show, ready for the joy to start.

So began an hour of bliss. Oh the soft hands and soothing lotions. Oh the head massage while the peel took hold. Oh the neck and shoulder massage while the soothing mask soothed my skin. I lay there in heaven wondering to myself, why haven't I done this before???? My hubby regularly treats himself. Me, not so much. I determined that I was now going to be a Facial Girl.

All too quickly, Ashleigh told me I was done. It was over.
"So soon???" I asked. I'd been there an hour. Now I'm getting greedy!

Before I left, floating down the street in a cloud of bliss, I booked another mini-facial for a month's time. Oh yes, I'll be back. Face & Body may not be the most impressive looking place, Ashleigh may not be French, but she knows what she's doing. So I'll be back. Oh yes, I will.

Face & Body
Blockhouse Bay: 566 Blockhouse Bay Road Ph: +64 9 627 5924
Titirangi: 298 Titirangi Road Ph: +64 9 817 4807
Website

Made to feel Welcome at Muffin Break

STORY BY PENNY FROM MY SPIRITED BABY

Muffin Break St Lukes is one of my favourite coffee places. I guess you could call me a regular as some of the staff now know me. Coffee is one of my favourite things so it's got to be good. Muffin Break St Lukes makes consistently good coffees so I've kept going back. The muffins are also always delicious.

Turbo, my 2 and a half year old, however, does not let my hubby and I sit down for a second. We can hardly order and he's tugging on our sleeves, rearing to get going. One time, we thought we'd try and entertain him while we at least took 5 minutes to sit down and drink our yummy mochas. Turbo wouldn't have a bar of that. He whined, threw himself on the floor and basically made such a fuss that other customers were turning around and seeing what the commotion was.

The manager, a lovely Tongan lady, saw our plight and next minute, came over to our table with a fluffy and a big chocolate muffin for Turbo. "On the house", she said. "I've got kids and I know what it's like!"

How nice is that? Not only did she not make us feel bad for disrupting her cafe, she made us feel welcome and valued.

Muffin Break St Lukes
Level 1 Balcony Outside L'Occitane
St Lukes Rd, Auckland

(PS MUFFIN BREAK DO A REALLY NICE GF FRUIT MUFFIN)

Turkish Food-lovers' Delight

STORY BY ANGELA NOELLE FROM STRIKING KEYS

I once had a hankering for Turkish garlic bread.

It looks like this.

And tastes like this:

So I went in to get some. The little bell at the door sounded my arrival, and I giddily trotted to the counter.

But no one came to greet me.

I signed the petition supporting more severe penalties for animal cruelty.

I read the wall menu.

I lamented lacking the budget to sample the pistachio Turkish Delight in the glass jar on the counter. Pistachio flavour! Pistachio.

I scanned a magazine.

I leaned in attempt to peer into the kitchen, out back.

My gaze returned to the Turkish Delight.

Nope, I only came for the garlic bread. I could only afford the garlic bread. I would only get the garlic bread.

Still no one.

Then I decided I should try coming in the door again.

"Ding!"

There appeared the familiar face of the owner, no less.

With many apologies, he took my order, and swiped my card. I was chatty and cheerful - because I would be eating Turkish garlic bread soon.

Apparently someone was on the phone elsewhere in the building (preventing eftpos use). The owner apologised even more...then offered me a bag of complimentary pistachio Turkish Delight for "all my trouble".

Me = happy camper.

Thank you, Yilmaz, for being an example of gooooooood service.

Yilmaz Dunedin
906 George St Dunedin North
Phone 0800-YILMAZ
Website

No Longer Sceptical about Online Spectacles

STORY FROM ANGELA NOELLE (STRIKING KEYS).


I am wholly converted to ordering glasses online (that is, spectacles, not "tink tink" glassware).

I have known for some time of the great NZ optometrist robbery, but was reminded of how this bothered me when I had my eye exam some time ago. (I hadn't had my eyes looked at for 7 years, and they said I couldn't keep re-ordering contact lenses without having someone see me. I decided this was fair.)

"So, about how much will glasses cost me, now that I've had an exam?" I enquired, bracing myself for the response, but resolving to reveal nothing in my reaction.

"Well, that all depends on the frame, but if you want a non-reflective coating, and a mid-price-range frame, you're looking at approximately $450.00." I had just swiped my card to pay $70.00 for these folk to ascertain my needs, and even though I had mentally budgeted a similar amount, seeing the receptionist's lips form this dollar amount caused me to tip my head sideways.

"Hmmmm," was all I mustered. I smiled, left, and upon arriving home, promptly emailed my dear sister. I knew Mariah had recently ordered some glasses online, and although I'd been skeptical initially, I decided it was time to explore options.

A Whole New World (Mt Roskill)

The other day I had a stand-out great experience at a new grocery store. For years I have been a lazy and happy online shopper, but our family's recent entrance into the world of Gluten Free has exposed the limitations of my beloved Online Shopping (with a rubbish GF range).

So I thought I'd give the brand new New World in Mt Roskill a go. And oh boy, I am a convert. This is a shiny new store with acres of gluten free goodies in all the right places (GF pasta with the other pasta, GF cookies with the other cookies etc; all highlighted with a bright green sticker). Lovely.