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Escape to the Bay of Islands on a weekend getaway with us! π
We're giving away x4 NZ House & Garden House Tours - Bay of Islands tickets and two nights accommodation at Driftwood Seaside Escapes - one of the amazing Tour houses!
View the beautiful property on the tour, then be the … View moreEscape to the Bay of Islands on a weekend getaway with us! π
We're giving away x4 NZ House & Garden House Tours - Bay of Islands tickets and two nights accommodation at Driftwood Seaside Escapes - one of the amazing Tour houses!
View the beautiful property on the tour, then be the envy of all tour-goers by spending two nights.
To be in the draw all you need to do is enter the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ raffle below. Give to an important cause this and be in to win! π
Find out more and enter here.
Raffle closes on 6th January.
[1] Location of property - Henderson Heights.
[2] Property available date & how long - Available now
[3] Shared Furnishing/facilities available (Fridge/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, internet (unlimited broadband), WiFi, washing machine, TV, Sky, desk, table, chair, etc.)
Own double room … View more[1] Location of property - Henderson Heights.
[2] Property available date & how long - Available now
[3] Shared Furnishing/facilities available (Fridge/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, internet (unlimited broadband), WiFi, washing machine, TV, Sky, desk, table, chair, etc.)
Own double room with double size closet/ double bed to be provided if requested or come with own bed.
[4] Amenities in area β Shops β 2 minutes walk
[5] Bills: Utility bills inclusive
[6] Parking facilities β Off-street parking
[7] Ideal boarder/flatmate β Female student/working or referred by WINZ
[8] No. of rooms in home/bathroom/toilet bowl/shower/bathtub β 4 Bedrooms/ 2 showers/1 bathtub/ 2 toilets
[9] Kitchen facilities β Shared pantry, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, stove, oven
[10] Sitting room facilities β Lounge suite, Sky TV, Study area extending from lounge
[11] Double bedroom / No. of rooms available - 1
[12] Laundry facilities β Washing machine and dryer
[13] Storage area β Lots of storage in a locked garage.
[14] Outside yard/garden β Large private deck at rare of the house
[15] Bond required / minimum stay β
2-weeks bond / 12-weeks minimum stay
[16] Rent per wk - $180
[17] Non-smoking
[18] Single without kids
[19] Pets not allowed
[20] Current total flatmates in the house (adults/children β Family of 3 adults and 1 child)
[21] Need for reference checks β One referee & a next-of-kin needed
[22] Any other description β The house is a few steps from bus stops to Westgate, Henderson and City. Train stations are 10 β 15 minuteβs walk.
Able-Thomas Property Management Services NZ Limited
Website: [www.able-thomas.com]
The business that brings Property Owners/Investors, Landlords, Tenants, Flatmates, Boarders, Homestay & Tradespeople together to make happy, enjoyable & prosperous homes
Registered Company in New Zealand for Business & GST.
Use code NEIGHBOURLY and get 50% off your first order.
Try our premium New Zealand made dog food risk free with our 100% satisfaction guarantee. Itβs made with the natural goodness of grass-fed lamb and free of fillers & nasties. If your dogβs not wolfing it down after completing the … View moreUse code NEIGHBOURLY and get 50% off your first order.
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A man who was working for a Destiny Church anti-violence programme when he assaulted a woman has hadβ¦
When Sampath Kumar first arrived in New Zealand from India four months ago, he did not know anyone oβ¦
Hi all. We bought this dryer in 2012 and it worked fine until recently. Seems to still produce some heat but thatβs it. We have a new one so good for someone who needs spare parts or can fix it.
Pick up only. Free. First in first served.
Need advice on the newest etiquette rules? Weβd like to cordially offer you answers.
By Steven Petrow
Modern etiquette
Are you unsure about what constitutes good manners these days? I donβt blame you β the times, they are a bit fraught, no? If youβre a man and you hold the door for a … View moreNeed advice on the newest etiquette rules? Weβd like to cordially offer you answers.
By Steven Petrow
Modern etiquette
Are you unsure about what constitutes good manners these days? I donβt blame you β the times, they are a bit fraught, no? If youβre a man and you hold the door for a woman, will you be thanked or called patronising? Will someone shut you down if you use a phrase that has suddenly become offensive? And donβt get me started about when itβs OK to use mobile phones.
Good manners used to mean simple courtesy and being kind. Today it seems we are haunted by the fear of doing or saying the wrong thing, and for good reason. Given the power of the Internet, a faux pas can mean losing a friend β or your job.
Covering the ins and outs of civil behaviour for the past 20-plus years, I have learned that, fortunately, good intentions never go out of style. Even better, science tells us that acts of kindness are contagious: If I treat you right, youβre more likely to treat the next person better. And from there, the ripples flow.
The dreaded office holiday party
Q: Do I really have to go to my office holiday party? I hate pretending Iβm friends with people I wouldnβt invite to my own house.
A: Ugh. I used to hate office parties too. Forced frivolity. Frozen smiles. Too much bubbly. But now that Iβve mellowed with age, I try to βmake every moment matter,β as any minister or meditation teacher urges. So yes, go. You might even enjoy yourself.
The main rule is to keep it professional, which will guide you in many ways: when to arrive (on time); what to wear (festive but still appropriate); how much to drink (minimal); how to behave (engage with others, get away from your clique, donβt look bored, donβt flirt); and when to leave (donβt be a hanger-on).
To hold or not to hold β the door
Q: My husband always opens doors for women (heβs 80). But the younger women cast him a look of pure contempt and brusquely rush past him without a thank-you. So sad. Why has such a basic kindness gone out of style?
A: Let me uncomplicate things: If Iβm first to the door, Iβm going to pull it open and let you go first, whether youβre a man or a woman. A push door can be awkward, but Iβll usually go through first (with my most charming βAllow me!β) and then hold it for you. I give the same advice to my sister (and all women): First one there opens the door and holds it. No racing to be the door opener, no lingering in hopes of finding a knight in shining armour. How hard is that?
The one time to break the rule: If the person ahead of you needs assistance or is much older, step up and open the door. And for those of us on the receiving end of a door kindness, I hope we all say βThank youβ as we glide by.
As for your husband, what can I say? Heβs a charmer β and a keeper.
Not all handicaps are obvious
Q: I often hear people disparage those who use handicapped-only parking spots, as if they are cheating. My mother injured her neck in a car accident and has permanent damage in her feet, legs, knees and hips that makes walking difficult. To a stranger, she looks fine, but parking at a distance is a challenge. Does she need to carry a doctorβs note to show busybodies?
A: No! It canβt be said often enough: Not all disabilities are visible. I recently read about a college student who was undergoing radiation for cancer, entitling her to use the placard for handicapped parking. She returned to her car to find multiple notes that read βSHAME ON YOUβ and βNOT REALLY HANDICAPPED JUST LAZY.β She posted them on Twitter, adding, βReminder that you have no idea whatβs going on in peopleβs lives.β If your mum has a disability that entitles her to a placard, she has a right to use it, no doctorβs note required.
If youβre a wannabe enforcer who suspects a fake, please leave the job to parking officials and go about your business without shaming anyone β which is my advice for most situations.
Elevator etiquette
Q: What is the protocol on elevators? Do you exit and hold the doors for others, or just exit and leave? Do you let women get off first, even if theyβre in the back?
A: My first rule: Hurry up! Your fellow riders must not be held captive while we debate who leaves first. Second rule: The one closest to the doors gets off first, regardless of gender. Third: You know how on planes they allow βthose needing extra assistanceβ to board first? Ditto for elevators. If you see anyone with packages, kids in tow, or a visible injury, make sure those folks get off safely ahead of you and hold the βdoors openβ button so they donβt close.
Donβt call me βhoneyβ or βyoungβunβ
Q: At doctorsβ offices or local restaurants, the clerk or cashier β always younger than me β often calls me βhoneyβ or βsweetheart.β This burns me up! I donβt think itβs acceptable for someone younger to speak to me in this manner. What can I say to these people that wonβt make them feel bad?
A: Hello, generation gap! Believe me, I wasnβt happy when millennials started calling me βsirβ as soon as the salt exceeded the pepper in my hair, but I didnβt take umbrage. I figured it was better than, βHey, you! Old man!β Yes, try to give a young person a break.
But I do get my knickers in a twist when I hear someone use a term of endearment to a client or guest, such as when my own doctor repeatedly called me βmuffinβ (which was not only unprofessional but also a little bit creepy). I finally got a different doctor, although I wish Iβd just said, βPlease, call me Steven.β And thatβs my advice to you: Introduce yourself and ask people to call you by your name (first or last). Learn theirs too. We all need to feel more connected.
No thank-you notes = no more gifts?
Q: How can I teach my young grandchildren manners without coming off as meddling? It especially bothers me when I give a child a gift and there is no acknowledgment from the parent or the child. What are my options?
A: Iβm the quick-witted uncle to three nieces, which means I rely on humour and sarcasm to make a point. One time, several weeks after the holidays had gone by, I emailed one of the girls: βI canβt thank you enough for your thank-you note.β That prompted a quick, and guilty, thank-you from her. Then there was the year I boycotted them: no gifts. You bet they noticed, and they did a fine job with their thank-you emails once I resumed gift giving. (Yes, email is just fine, especially when compared with the alternative β no response.)
But I learned a lesson, too: I try my best to thank those who express kindness to me, whether itβs a flight attendant helping me with a bag or these same nieces β now young adults β who recently made an amazing dinner for our family. Thereβs a theory that gratitude begets gratitude, that itβs actually contagious. I believe that now.
Can I confiscate guestsβ phones before dinner?
Q: It bugs me when people use their phones in social situations when they should be paying attention to those by their sides. For instance, guests often have their phones at the table when they are dining in my home. I now have a basket by the door, and I ask guests to leave their phones in it during dinner. Am I overstepping?
A: My parents had a mantra about guests: βMy house, my rules.β I learned well, and now I ask my own guests to use coasters, clear their places after dinner, and strip their beds before departure. My whole family is like this. Before one recent get-together, I received an email declaring the dinner table βa politics-free zone.β Break the rule and youβre doing the dishes, it warned.
So along with your next invitation, send a note such as this: βLetβs talk to each other at the dinner table next week. Please silence your phone and keep it off the table.β Humour can help here, too: βThink your mobile phone goes to the right of the knife? It actually doesnβt. It goes in your pocket. Or in my pretty little basket by the front door. Break the rule, and itβs kitchen duty for you!β
Texting and driving is unsafe at any speed
Q: How do you get across to people that theyβre not driving safely when they are preoccupied with mobile phones? Texting, talking β it doesnβt matter. Your attention is diverted, and youβre putting people β me β in danger.
A: This should be easy: Multiple studies have concluded that drivers using phones to talk or text (even hands-free) are more likely to crash than those who drink and drive. Would you get in a friendβs car if you knew he or she had been drinking? No β youβd take away the keys or call for a taxi. But Iβll admit this is hard, and I have a range of responses of what to say or do.
Nonconfrontational: βHey, how about if I text for you? Just tell me what you want to say.β
Cautionary: Deliver a warning, such as βI think I just saw a police car behind us. I know you donβt want to get a ticket.β
More assertive: βYouβre making me nervous when you text and drive. Can you wait until we get there?β
The nuclear option: βI canβt ride with you anymore, because you text and drive.β You can even blame it on someone else: βMy dad/girlfriend/daughter/husband says Iβm not to be in the car with you until you promise not to text while driving.β
Ladies and gentlemen, stop saying βladies and gentlemenβ
Q: Can you still address a group as βladies and gentlemenβ? It seems like that might be misconstrued nowadays.
A: I read that announcements on the London Tube now begin with βHello, everyone.β Management says that this new language is more welcoming than βladies and gentlemen,β which they say βbelongs to yesterday.β These days, βladiesβ are more apt to prefer being called women and βgentlemen,β men. The beauty of βHello, everyoneβ is that it speaks to all of us, including men, women and those who identify as gender-fluid or nonbinary. We must all mind the gap, so itβs kind to include all of us β regardless of our pronouns β in the warning.
Ouch! Cramped knees on a plane
Q: On a recent flight, the person in front of me reclined his seat, hurting my knees. I was afraid to ask him to inch it forward. What can I do next time? Must I suffer?
A: Not long ago, I was on a flight when the fellow in front of me lurched his seat back. He didnβt look. He didnβt think. And he knocked my wine all over the seat tray (and me). I wasnβt on my best behaviour when I gave his seat a kick and shouted, βPay attention. Youβre not the only one cramped on this flight.β (To his credit, he apologised profusely.) If I had been given a do-over, I would have tapped him on the shoulder and said nicely, βYou probably donβt realise it, but you knocked over my wineglass when you reclined. Could you move your seat forward?β
But part of my upset was spot-on. Pay attention! Before you recline, take notice of whoβs behind you. Is it someone with an injury or who is really tall or perhaps overweight? Is it a parent with a lap baby? If so, donβt recline. (And donβt recline during meals.) If the extra few centimetres you get by reclining is really worth bothering the person behind you, at least give fair warning that youβre about to crush her knees or spill his drink.
Regifting rules
Q: Over the years, Iβve been given a lot of useless stuff: a clunky mug, a peace-sign cookie mould, an expensive photography book still wrapped in plastic. Can I regift?
A: Yes, but be careful. Last Christmas, I regifted a holiday bouquet decked out with a unique, festive ribbon. Hours later, it appeared on Facebook, with a public thanks to me. That was a new faux pas! As a power regifter β with a βregiftingβ shelf in a closet β I start by removing the tags and unwrapping the gift to make sure thereβs no hidden card or inscription. Then I label each with a sticky note as a reminder of who gave it to me. I also try to be thoughtful; Iβm not going to give a wool scarf to a relative in Florida. But I would give that cookie mould to a baker friend.
Am I being cheap?
Q: I donβt drink, and Iβm tired of paying for my friendsβ cocktails. When we split the check equally, Iβm left having to chip in more than my share. I donβt want to offend anyone β or appear cheap β but I donβt want to pay for their drinks. How do I do that?
A: Nobody should have to pay for expensive manhattans or martinis they didnβt drink. Thatβs not being cheap; itβs being fair. Because some of my dining companions donβt drink, Iβll take the bill as soon as itβs placed on the table and calculate my own tab (including any manhattans I drank, plus a healthy tip). I really appreciate friends who take care of their friends and say something like, βSo-and-so didnβt drink any of the wine, so letβs exclude that from his share.β Nice!
You could also ask your server for a separate check before you order (if thatβs the restaurantβs policy). If youβre feeling tech-savvy, you can use one of the many new tab-splitting apps, such as Splitwise and Settle Up. I especially like Splitwise because itβs so easy. Download it to your phone, then add your friends. When you get the bill, enter each item and note whether itβs to be βpaid by youβ or βsplit equally.β The app does the rest, including tax and tip. Tech in the service of manners β I love it!
Who pays for a broken phone?
Q: My son was roughhousing near a pool with a friend who had left her phone near the edge. During their horseplay, the girlβs phone got kicked into the water and ruined, and her parents are asking me to pay for the replacement ($700!). If the kid left her phone at the edge of the pool, I donβt feel my son is responsible for it. Do I have to pay for this? β Anonymous
A: Yes β but the misbehaviour by both kids contributed to the phoneβs demise, so both should pay for it. Agree to pay $350, with a note explaining why, and then set up a repayment program with your son, who needs to learn the consequences of horseplay.
This summer weβre giving away 25 Meloyelo E-Bikes worth over $70,000.
To be in to win, simply purchase a Stuff newspaper, find the daily code and enter it at stuff.co.nz/meloyelo
Youβll find the daily codes in the Sunday Star Times, Sunday News, The Dominion Post, The Press, Waikato … View moreThis summer weβre giving away 25 Meloyelo E-Bikes worth over $70,000.
To be in to win, simply purchase a Stuff newspaper, find the daily code and enter it at stuff.co.nz/meloyelo
Youβll find the daily codes in the Sunday Star Times, Sunday News, The Dominion Post, The Press, Waikato Times, Southland Times, Taranaki Daily News, Manawatu Standard, Nelson Mail, Timaru Herald and the Marlborough Express.
Competition ends 19th January 2020.
Crepes are quick to make and easy to prepare. They can be made in advance, covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for a few days or frozen for use in the future. They can be used for both savoury and sweet courses and crepes are one of those classic recipes that teach young people to cook … View moreCrepes are quick to make and easy to prepare. They can be made in advance, covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for a few days or frozen for use in the future. They can be used for both savoury and sweet courses and crepes are one of those classic recipes that teach young people to cook something straight-forward for themselves at home.
Ingredients
2 Eggs
1 pinch Salt
120 g Plain flour
300 ml Milk
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil, (canola, rice bran) plus extra for cooking
ΒΌ cup Caster sugar
1 Lemon
Check out the full recipe on the link below.
I am planning to repair my driveway and walkway in my property. Please suggest me good, reliable and economical builder who can fix my driveway and walkway. Thanks
Eleven more walking tracks will open in theΒ WaitΔkereΒ Ranges this summer after many were closed due β¦
Anyone local make kawakawa balm,wanting to buy a pot or two, today if poss?
Red heart ones $2, all others $10 a pair. =D Top left ones are freshwater pearls, top right are moonstone, bottom left are blue plastic beads, bottom right are howlite (a white rock with grey streaks - it looks a bit like marble, which is kinda cool, but it's not as shiny). =D Ring or text me … View moreRed heart ones $2, all others $10 a pair. =D Top left ones are freshwater pearls, top right are moonstone, bottom left are blue plastic beads, bottom right are howlite (a white rock with grey streaks - it looks a bit like marble, which is kinda cool, but it's not as shiny). =D Ring or text me on 021 1848 707, or send me a private message, and let me know which one(s) you want. =D
Spend $30 or more at any WestCity store (excluding Countdown) in a single transaction and be in to win a back to school prize pack valued at over $300.
Drop off your entry form at the Customer Service Desk on level 2 or in the barrels provided.
Prizes include products from:
β Farmers
… View moreSpend $30 or more at any WestCity store (excluding Countdown) in a single transaction and be in to win a back to school prize pack valued at over $300.
Drop off your entry form at the Customer Service Desk on level 2 or in the barrels provided.
Prizes include products from:
β Farmers
β The Warehouse
β Postie
β Kids & More
β Paper Plus
β LookSmart Alterations
Phone: +64 9 978 6700
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