Little Poppets

Recently, I was given the chance to get hold of $30 store credit for pre-loved children's clothing store, Little Poppets, in return for a review.  I'd been meaning to have a look for a little while at the site, and get some stuff, so it seemed to be the perfect chance to see what Little Poppets was like and what they had to offer.

Pre-loved clothing

The basic idea behind Little Poppets is that you send them your pre-loved, but great condition children's and maternity wear, and they sell it for you on the website.  To be honest, there's very little of my children's clothing that ends up in great condition after they've finished it.  There are some things though, that are just too good for every day wear and we don't get our full use out of them, there are other things that just don't get worn enough before they've grown into the next size.  In both cases, the ability to sell them on, and perhaps purchase something else in it's place is a great one.  You can either have the money paid into your bank account, or use it as store credit for future purchases.

Special occasion clothing

Where this buying and selling of clothing really comes into it's own, is with special occasion clothing.  I'm never keen to spend a great deal on clothes that are only going to be worn once or twice, but sometimes you really do need something special and new.  I like the idea of buying clothes like this from somewhere like Little Poppets, and also selling on special clothing that hasn't been worn much.

Little Poppets offer a simple "Five Yes Test" so that you can establish that your clothing can be sold: 

1. Is it gently worn? YES!

2. Is it in fantastic condition? YES!

3. Would we buy it? YES!

4. Would we dress our own children in it? YES!

5. Can we sell it? YES!

Simple, and I've got some items that I'll be sending off to Little Poppets shortly that pass the five yes test, I'll let you know how they get on.

Shopping at Little Poppets

With my $30 voucher I got some brand new jeans for Mahe, and a lovely little dress for Anja, which although not brand new, is in fantastic condition.  It actually all came to under $30, and at the time, I didn't realise that spending $30 or above would have given me free shipping (despite it being quite obvious on the website, I just didn't spot it).  The clothes arrived really quickly, which was great, and I was really pleased with them.  I haven't managed to get photos of Mahe in his yet, but the pictures on here are my attempts to photograph Anja in her dress.  (You know what it's like with a toddler, they want to see the photo before you've even taken it.....)

Little Poppets is a great option for kids clothes, the range is being updated regularly, so it's the kind of site that's worth visiting often, and you get get some lovely stuff for a great price.  Highly recommended, and I'll let you know how it goes when I send them some of our pre-loved clothing. Check them out here.

Did you read it?

A little while ago I wrote this blog post, which said do not read this as the title.  I promised to come back at a later date and let you know how it went, how many people actually did read it.

The curious

There's something completely irresistible about being told that you can't do something, or can't read something.  Even when you're pretty sure that it's all just a bit of a wind up, it tells me not to read it, so I'd better just have a look and see why I'm not supposed to read it, is what seems to pass through most peoples minds.  I'm guilty of it myself, how many times has someone said 'don't look but' and the desire to turn your head and have a quick glance in that direction is almost overwhelming.  

It's human nature, someone tells you that you can't look at something, and you want to know why.  It's the same as when there's a sudden road closure or detour, our nosy, curtain twitching side takes over and we all want to know what's going on.

Did you read it?

So, did you read it?  Quite a few of you did, it's not my most popular blog article ever, although for saying that it's only been around just over a week so far, it's certainly catching up fast on the front runner. (Which is currently this one, in case you are interested) and I think that I've got the most amount of comments on it too, which is a sure sign that people were being nosy and having a look.  Of course that was the whole point, you were supposed to read it, just to prove to me that telling people not to read something would make them look.  Sadly though, as one commenter pointed out, it probably wouldn't work if I were to tell you not to buy something, but just in case, what ever you do, make sure you don't pop along to my websites and buy something. 

So there you have it, just a bit of fun, but interesting all the same.  I'm hoping that the reverse won't be true, and my saying please do keep reading and commenting on my blog will stop you from reading.

Chocolate bubble v chocolate rice crispy cakes

When it comes to children's birthday parties, there are some foods that it's just essential to have, and chocolate rice crispy cakes are, to my mind, one of those food.  Over here in New Zealand they are generally known as chocolate bubble cakes, in part because rice crispies go by a different name, but are they the same? What are the differences between chocolate bubble and chocolate rice crispy cakes?

Chocolate bubble cakes

I was amazed to discover that a recipe for chocolate bubble cakes appears in that Kiwi classic (and essential cookbook in any New Zealand kitchen) the Edmond's cookbook.  How could, possibly the easiest 'cake' to make in the world need a recipe, and then I looked a bit closer.  It needed a recipe because, these were different, rather than two very simple ingredients this one calls for vegetable shortening, coconut, icing sugar an cocoa along with the obvious breakfast cereal.  There isn't a great deal more to do, than when you make rice crispy cakes, but I still don't really get why you would need to make a 'fake' chocolate when you can use the real thing.  The first party I threw over here for one of the children featured chocolate bubble cakes, (not made by me) and I have to say I found them a little sickly for my taste.

Chocolate rice crispy cakes

Now I don't want to sour Kiwi and UK relations by suggesting that my version is better..... but they are what I (and my children) prefer.  So, here's the recipe: you get some chocolate, melt it and stir in the rice crispies.  When it's all mixed in, spoon into cake cases an let it cool. And that's it.  There are slightly posher versions, using a mars bar instead of chocolate for example (or perhaps a moro bar over here?) You can also use cornflakes or shredded wheat.  We used to make little nests out of shredded wheat and then put mini eggs into them at Easter.  I don't think you can get that over here though, but cornflakes would probably do.

So there you have it chocolate bubble cakes v chocolate rice crispy cakes, there's not a huge difference, and it's probably mostly down to personal taste, but it's rice crispy cakes all the way for me.

Do not read this

Whatever you do, don't continue to read this, you must not keep reading this blog.  I know how tempting it is, but I just ask that you try to resist temptation to read on and see what it says.  Stop, go back, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Access denied.

Resisting temptation

There you see, you couldn't do it could you?  It's funny isn't it how when someone says that you mustn't do something, it just makes you want to do it all the more.  That big red shiny button that you're not supposed to press, the door you're not supposed to peek behind, that hot dish that you're told not to touch because it's hot, you just have to. Don't worry though, you're not alone.  

Most people will read

I'm guessing, and I could be completely wrong, that a lot of people, if not most people, when faced with a title of a post that says do not read this, will have to go and have a look what it's about.  Some of them will read the first line or so, see that it's not some big secret and then go, others will read on a bit more, and yet others will read the whole thing, that must be you, if you're still with me.  I'll be interested to see how many people do click and read.  I'll post next week with the results, if you're interested. 

What will your friends do?

Are you friends the kind of people who will ignore a don't read this post, or will they do what you did and click on it, to see what it's all about?  Challenge them, see if they can resist clicking and reading something that tells them not to, I bet they can't.

Chocolate and me

I've always loved chocolate, I wouldn't go as far as to say that I'm a chocoholic, if indeed such things really exist, but I do love a bar of yummy milk chocolate.  It hardly ever fails to cheer me up, and with a cup of tea it's a classic combo.  Back in my University days, our JCR (junior common room) had a chocolate machine that took coppers.  Even when my student grant (yes, I am old enough to have received one of those) and overdraft were at their out of money extremes, I could usually still scrape enough money together from assorted 2p and 1p coins lying around my room to get my chocolate fix.
While in the second and third year, and out in the community in our shared house, Coronation Street struck on the evil genius plan of being sponsored by Cadbury's Chocolate, I couldn't watch an episode without having to eat some. Fortunately there was the 'Happy Smiley Man' who's shop (run by the happy smiley man, and his twin brother, Mr Miserable) just across the road.  Close enough to get too and from in the ad break.

Cadbury chocolate and me

When it comes to chocolate and me, Cadbury's has always been number one.  British Cadbury that is, when I came over to New Zealand a few years ago, and tried the Cadbury made here in Dunedin, I was less impressed.  It got worse, a few years ago, production of New Zealand Cadbury for the most part stopped, and they started to sell Dairy Milk from Australia, which, to not put too fine a point on it, is vile. It doesn't melt in the mouth the way chocolate should, apparently that's so that it does melt in the (mostly likely air-conditioned) shops over there. For a while it included palm oil too, but they apparently removed that after pressure from consumers.  Either way, it's not nice, but other than the odd Easter Egg, it's what all of the Cadbury over here is.

Whittaker's Chocolate and me.

Around this time I discovered Whittaker's Milk Madagascar, I'd tried their normal milk chocolate and been unimpressed, but this was lovely.  Finally a New Zealand chocolate I could get on board with.  It got better too, Whittaker's then introduced a five rolled version of their normal milk chocolate.  I'm not sure what it does to it, but their standard milk chocolate is now divine.

Chocolate from home

A couple of weeks ago, I got a package from home with some British Cadbury's in it, I couldn't wait.  Except, when I ate it, it just didn't taste right, it had that funny crumbly texture that the Aussie stuff has.  (Which by the way always makes me think of the friends episode with the mocklet.) It was a new shape, and I was more than a little suspicious, especially when I read on the back that it was made under licence rather than saying made in the UK.  I did a bit of research and stumbled across this blog post.  So it seems that British Cadbury's isn't made there any more, shame on you Kraft.  At least I've found Whittaker's now I suppose......

Do it myself

I've always been one of those people who think that they can do something themselves rather than buying something or getting someone else to do it.  Being a 'do it myself' kind of person is both a blessing and a curse though.  It does save me money, it does mean that I can get things that I other wise can afford and that I try to do new and different things. But, of course, it doesn't always work.

I blame my Mum, she's exactly the same.  When I was younger, it didn't matter what it was, Mum would be willing to give it a go and do it herself.  Not that I'm complaining really, it did mean that I ended up with the most fantastic hand embroidered wedding dress that Mum made me. She also made the bridesmaids dresses and her own outfit, I made our jewellery and did the wedding invites, and decorated the reception..... you get the idea.

Where it falls down, is that no matter how sure I am that I can do it myself, there are clearly some things that are beyond me, that I can't do.  I recently fell into the 'do it myself' trap with my phone. A little while ago I dropped my phone on the floor and shattered the glass (sob) with over a year left to run on the contract I'd got a few options: Buy another cheaper phone to get me through, pay someone to fix it, use it with a shattered screen, or try and fix it myself.  I suspect that you already know where this is going....

I ordered the parts from ebay, and then followed a video (a not very clear or complete video) on youtube.  After replacing the cracked glass, I tried turning it back on and...... nothing, it doesn't turn on or work at all now.  It looks great mind you, nice, unbroken, clean glass, but that's about it.  So now I'm back to square one, and wishing that sometimes I didn't try to 'do it myself.'

Easter Bunny Angst

I really don't like the Easter Bunny, it's not something I'd even heard of when I was a child, and now as an adult, when my kids are talking about the Easter Bunny, I have a real problem with the idea.

When I was little, we were given chocolate Easter eggs, and Easter gifts, but they were just given us by our
parents and family, there was no talk of a rabbit bringing eggs.  The first time I came across the Easter bunny was in a Snoopy cartoon, which is probably why I've always thought of it as being an American idea.  According to Wikipedia, (so it must be true) it actually came from Germany.  Either way, it seems to have spread worldwide, and now my children are asking when the Easter Bunny is coming.  They seem to want to believe in a rabbit bringing chocolate treats, so I suppose I'm going to have to go along with it.....

Childhood Easter

When I was little, we sometimes got chocolate eggs, but more often than not, we would have a gift of some description, maybe clothes or something from Grandparents.  Mum was rather more creative though, and would often make us something, I remember one year opening my chocolate egg to find a pom-pom chick inside that she'd made, opened the egg, put it inside and then re-wrapped in the silver paper.  Another year she made us all Edd the Duck puppets, exactly like the real thing.

I haven't quite reached such levels myself, but fortunately Mum hasn't lost her touch.  Yesterday in the post four fabric eggs arrived filled full of little toys and chocolate.  The girls have little egg shaped bags, while the boys have got a fabric egg shaped box.

I'd better sort something out for the children for Easter from the Easter Bunny, I may not like him, but seeing as the kids are keen, I'll just have to put up with it, I'll just have to eat a bit more chocolate to cheer myself up.