Product in NZ

 As you know, New Zealand is this beautiful little country at the bottom of the world. We have a small population of just under 5 million people. We have a lot of green space, and most people live in the main cities, meaning we have some vast open space that you can wander in and find no one.

Unfortunately, because of our size, we don't manufacture a lot of products and most of what we have, comes from another country. It is not that we haven't made things in the past, just that when production has become too expensive (with obtaining the materials to start with) then they have inevitably moved the production to another country (Australia & Asia) where it can be completed in bulk size which is faster and more cost effective for all. Then, obviously, it is shipped back to NZ for us to buy.

When it comes to variety, then no, NZ does not do this well, but that is due to the lack of population to have sufficient turnover of stock. Inevitably the smaller company just can't make enough sales to stay viable and so they end up closing.

I found this quite difficult when I first moved to NZ in 1998. I was used to the UK and having so much variety to choose from and then suddenly, I was in a country that gave you the choice of A or B. A lot of popular brands do not make it here as there just isn't the population to sustain them, even if they are big brand names in other countries. The cost of getting the products to NZ and then making it a price that we can afford is half the problem, people just aren't prepared to spend heaps on a product that they know is so cheap in another country and astronomically expensive here, due to shipping.

IKEA is one such company. Everyone raves about the simplicity of the company, their flat pack furniture, their cost efficiency. I know, I have been to IKEA and spent many a Sunday afternoon wandering the store like everyone else and having meatballs for lunch, because you just have to. And yes, I always walked away with some odd little gadget that you just had to have!

They are still aiming to open a store here in NZ soon (that soon has been on the cards for the past 5 years!) But, I know, when it does finally arrive, it won't be as cheap as everyone is hoping due to the cost of shipping the products to us in the first place.

So why am I writing about this today?

Jigsaw puzzles, yes, this all has to do with jigsaw puzzles.

We didn't have the variety of product or design. We had one main company Holdson.

Yes, they are a New Zealand brand and yes, they are manufactured here in NZ. As they say, they have been since 1939. They do great puzzles with some reasonable variety. Ok, not so much when they do a series of 4 and the picture becomes boringly the same, but they try, and it gives us something to do. However, they don't do large. They do 1000 pieces well and that is about it, unless you want to go smaller. After a while, 1000 pieces is boring, you want a challenge and something different and that is not them.

Obviously, we do have Ravensburger

They offer size and variety, but man were they expensive and it was difficult to justify the cost of the puzzle. They do great quality pieces too, but when you looked at their catalog of products and then saw what was available here in NZ, then you could only dream that someone, someday would bring more variety down here.

And suddenly, that has happened.

Jigsaws are definitely making a comeback. I think Covid may have had a lot to do with it, people are suddenly all into jigsaw puzzles, they are not for the reclusive person, the older generation who stay home on a Saturday night with no social life. It is almost like this secret little life that people are afraid to admit to as they are scared of what people will think, but they have cupboards filled with variety, colour, size and they are eagerly completing puzzles into the night.

This has also been shown in the variety of puzzle available in New Zealand, the different companies that we can get, the different sizes to tempt us. No longer want 1000 pieces, then fine, how about 2000, 3000 or even 6000. At one point, I did even see the large Ravensburger Disney puzzle in the shop window, a box holding all 40320 pieces (my dream puzzle) although I have also noticed that it is no longer about $600 to obtain, more like half a mortgage!! I think I saw it online for about $2300, yikes, just keep dreaming, just keep dreaming!

Suddenly we have variety of company to choose from & sizes and I for one, am loving it.

Every company makes their jigsaws slightly differently, the pieces fit well or sometimes, not so well. The colours are vibrant, bright and shiny and the cost is reasonable. Suddenly Ravensburger is not out of reach of the average person. We are getting lots of eeBoo, Cobble Hill, Clemontoni, Gibsons and some little brands that are smaller companies and they are selling well and fast.

We have a local party/cake product store here in town that decided to create a small jigsaw section, they sell online too, and they are selling fast and furiously across NZ. Their shipping costs are reasonable and their prices competitive. Luckily for me, they are local so I can order online and pick up close to work, but that also makes it dangerous lol, as checking their sales and seeing something I want gets expensive on the credit card, especially when it is going in the cupboard to join the other 30 waiting to be completed!!

Just 1 pile of many!

So, long live the jigsaw puzzle, the variety, colour and shape. The excitement of completing one, that sense of achievement.

2 years ago, at work, we had a few spare desks and so I set up a green felt and started a jigsaw puzzle on it, it took a few weeks to get completed but it was lovely to see people slowly stop and fit in a piece here and there. It was never distracting but a great mental wellbeing area for someone to take 5 mins away from their desk and focus on something else, whilst they calmed their brain or thoughts, or just needed time out from the difficult moment they had just had in a classroom.

If you haven't completed a jigsaw since you were younger and at school, then maybe consider getting one and giving it a go.

You won't regret it, I promise

Jigsaw 14 - Christmas Baking

 We have just passed the halfway mark of 2025 a couple of weeks ago and I am already on jigsaw 14. At this rate I will definitely crush my number of completions compared to 2024. I did 19 last year.

My jigsaws sit on a card table (wrote about it last January here) and since being back in the family house it is still located in the main family area. No one else in the house seems interested in doing the jigsaws (they did use to help when we would have them on the go at the caravan but not at home?) and so, not that I would mind if they helped, they are easy to access and complete whilst watching tv in the evenings.

So, I don't have to sit in the dining room or another room to complete them and I am sure this assists with getting them completed quicker as you can do a few pieces, or 10, most evenings. Sometimes I set myself the challenge of trying to get at least 10-20 pieces picked from the box and they have to be set on the table/connected in the right place. This definitely helps with getting it moving and finished.

Another Christmas one, as mentioned before, several of them to complete and seeing as it is freezing cold and ark like UK Christmas here in NZ at present, then it feels like it should almost be Christmas time.

Yes, even after 27 years of being in NZ and having Christmas in the sunshine, I still miss the cold and dark and bright lights that my head associates with Christmas. Christmas definitely creeps up on me every year here as there are no dark nights going home after work, seeing all the lights and window displays lit up. There are no carols playing in the shopping centers with the freezing air outside reminding you that it might just snow before or on Christmas.

It is warm and sunny; day light savings has well and truly kicked in, the evenings are light and bright and if you do want to go and see Christmas lights anywhere, well, you have to wait until 9-10pm before it is dark enough!

We always have a Christmas tree with lights, and the lights come on in the house at about 6pm but it is at least 8pm before they start to emulate that gorgeous glow of holiday spirit. My snowman ornaments definitely look out of place in NZ lol, any talk of snow is unheard of at that time of year.

One day, I will go back to England for a holiday to enjoy the lights and darkness of December as we lead into Christmas. Just one small problem.....I do love the heat of summer and not sure I could give it up just to see Christmas lights!

On to the jigsaw that I have just finished. I wish I had more time in December, as the year comes to a stressful close to get baking done to share with friends and work colleagues but alas, it is always so busy that I never get anything completed. Doesn't stop me thinking of what I could make, if I had the day to spend in the kitchen.

Jigsaw 13 - Gnomes

 I thought this one was cute when I saw it and thought why not, a very different style to my usual ones. It was easy to sort each gnome into its own colour so actually was not difficult to complete. As it was a Cobble Hill design then it did have some fun shaped pieces.

Paper Flower Craft

 I don't get to do this very often, not sure if it is because work is just so busy that by the time I get home, I am too tired, or whether I just haven't had the inclination to want to do this craft.

Since moving back to the family home, life has been difficult. With taking 3 months stress leave last year and then a trip away, a family holiday and the chaos when I did go back to work, because we were still very much short staffed and there was so much to achieve, that I just never got my head engaged to get my craft room (aka oldest son's bedroom after he moved out in May 2024) sorted.

It is slowly now coming together, even though I did get the shelves in situ a few months ago. I still have a lot of work to do to finish unpacking boxes of items and also, I keep changing my mind about where things will live, you know, the usual thing, that you put something somewhere and then a few weeks/months later, you change your mind and rearrange everything!

Sadly, last week my youngest son's girlfriend lost her grandfather suddenly and I wanted to make something for her. So, I looked through the craft items I have got out and put on the shelves and decided to make her a small bunch of flowers. I knew she would appreciate the thought.

They turned out really well and I was really happy with the little bouquet when it was finished. She loved them too and thought it was a lovely gesture.

Jigsaw 12 - Sunny Villa

 When one thinks of a summer holiday then this is what I think of, plenty of sunshine and a quiet area to swim in the pool whenever you want during the day.

New Zealand has some amazing summers, but it doesn't hold the temperature from the day into the night when outside. I remember summers in America, and it was just as hot at 10pm as it was at 10am, and you could swim most of the evening and not get cold. Here you definitely need a sweater and jeans by 8pm if sitting outside as it gets a lot cooler.

Jigsaw 11 - Paint Craft

 The final one in the series of four from the Artistic Flair series that I completed the other 3 of last year in April and October.

I am glad that I had taken time out and done other styles in between as this would have been boring immediately after the others due to the design of the cat, the shelves and the general theme. But glad I was able to complete the series as it was still one that I really liked all the pictures in the series, despite the slightly boring repetitive nature of them.

Jigsaw 10 - Sewing Love

 I knew as soon as I bought this one that it would be one that purely got completed with the picture in my hand constantly!

Every piece was more or less the same and the picture/words on the end of each spool is repeated at some stage, so it took concentration to ensure you were putting them in the correct area.

Once I had pieces laid on the board things suddenly came together, and I was able to finish without the picture but that was only because I had got use to the spools and what they said so I knew where everything went!

Jigsaw 9 - Christmas Village

 Yes, I know 4 months late for Christmas, it is not that holiday time yet, but I had several from a sale that I attended and I suddenly needed something different to do, so went for a couple of Christmas ones. This is the first a few holiday themed ones that I have in my pile of to be completed.

It is also one of my first official eeBoo ones and I love the colour and size of the square. It is very shiny and vibrant.

Jigsaw 8 - Pottery Class

 Lots of different colours involved but also some vast areas of the same colour that made it a challenge to complete easily. The white shelf was annoying lol and definitely made me have to use the picture a lot.

Jigsaw 7 - European Street

 I acquired this jigsaw for free, and it is only 500 pieces. Not my usual size but I really liked the picture so thought, why not?

It had some fun shapes to the pieces so I didn't mind a change to the normal.

Jigsaw 6 - Electric Shop

 Another one in the shop series. They are the same design but just the content changes. Very easy to do and just like the cheese shop.

Jigsaw 5 - Blooms and Bouquets

 A very old one but still cute to complete. Do have some others from this same series but one was missing a piece (so that got thrown out) and the other one just does not inspire me at the moment, so it can stay in the pile until another day.

Obviously, all the greenery was difficult to do but I don't mind a challenge

Craft Room

 I have always wanted a craft space to call my own.

My mother has an amazing space for all her material and threads for her embroidery, and yes, there is a very large red sticker on the door informing all that enter that anything in there is mine (one day) Although I will be happy to share some of it with my sister-in-law. My mother knows this, and we laugh about how she can't get rid of anything as I may want it after she is not here any longer. By the way, she is likely to be here for at least the next 5-10 years, so it is not as morose as it sounds!

Ok, one advantage she has is that she lives alone and therefore had every right to transform her spare room into a craft area, no one else was using it!

Me, well obviously for the past 20 years I have been a mother to 2 adorable boys, and while I would never change any of that, I was a very hands-on mother and could never find the time to hide away to do any craft without them coming to find me! I just knew I had to bide my time until they didn't want me as much to be a part of their day.

I did then move out of the house and whilst I did get back into crafting whilst I was away, moving back meant everything got packed up again and it has taken me a long time to actually unpack the boxes.

Since moving back, my eldest son has now moved out. What if he comes back, I hear you say? Yes, he could but seeing as he has moved 600 km away (not that that makes any difference to him wanting to come back) he has also just got engaged to his girlfriend and so I sadly, don't see him wanting to move back home any time soon. But if he did, the room would be his again in a heartbeat.

Until that time ever comes around, then I have moved the furniture around and have started to create a craft storage area. It took time and planning, two things I like. I searched websites for units to use and shelving that may be suitable and finally came up with flat pack kitchen units that were sturdy and cheap from the local hardware store. I measured and planned to gain the best storage space that suited what I needed. I have a combination of several products from 2 stores, and I have plenty of space to put baskets full of items and also some flat shelving for papers etc.

It is not finished, as now I have the fun task of unpacking my boxes and working where each craft item goes as I do several different crafts from paper to knitting, to sewing to anything I want to give a go. Well, apart from painting and drawing, can't do any of that to save my life!

This was the start and then I finally got the last of the units in place. I brought some beautifully stained pine to create a work surface on the top and it is now all secured in place so nothing will move. It is not secured to the wall, as most pieces are away from the wall, but the units are sitting flat on the floor so not going anywhere.

Whilst I may not have a lot of space in this room to create lots of craft and I may still have to move downstairs to a bigger table to complete some things, at least it is stored in the open and I can find what I am looking for, or at least I will be able to when I am finished.

Jigsaw 4 - Bric a Brac

 A very busy jigsaw that had lots of colour and pattern but very small and intricate design. This, however, did make for an easy puzzle to complete

Jigsaw 3 - La Fromagerie

 The next one

Took a lot of sorting into sections to complete this one, but it was nice to complete the sections and see it develop.

Jigsaw Time - Wizard of OZ

 Well, it wouldn't be the new year if I didn't start it right without a jigsaw!

Received this one for my birthday last year and just fancied doing it whilst unwell for a day, about all I could manage. Started it yesterday lunchtime and finished it this morning. Yes, I did parkrun in the morning, starts at 8am, but sadly by lunchtime I was not feeling well.

It was easy to do, as lots of main colour areas to pick out and then it all just fell together very quickly.

Happy New Year

 Happy New Year 2025

Welcome to a new year. A year where things are exciting and I have plans, not that I didn't have plans in 2024, but they went a little square and sideways and the year didn't go to plan, quite!!

I don't have too many set plans for 2025, just a few things that I want to achieve, and I am happy to go with the flow. If they don't happen then I won't beat myself up about it, but I do want to do them, so will try my hardest to achieve everything.

Looking back on 2024 then it was hard!

My marriage being officially put to rest, although we were both happy about this.

My work got out of hand, and I let it! It caused trouble in the middle of the year and stress leave is not fun at all. But I survived, I went back, and I tried again and finished the year but there are many changes being made and I am stronger, and I am actually looking forward to work in 2025 and being able to have the time and space to achieve what I know I can do and offer.

So how did 2025 start?

I am not a midnight person. I was actually in bed by 11pm. Yes, I know, that is only 60 minutes from midnight, but did I really want to stay up an extra hour, just to say 'Happy New Year' and then go to bed? I only had Steve to say it too and it was not needed, so to bed I went.

However, I did get up at 7am to go and complete parkrun at Cambridge.

It was a special event for me as it marked my 50th event 🎉

This means I have walked at 50 parkruns, which is an achievement to be celebrated. Majority of them have been at the same event each week but a few have been elsewhere.

At parkrun we celebrate all achievements, the next is my 100th event, obviously with parkrun only happening weekly then it will be December at the earliest that I can achieve this and that will mean attending every Saturday! I already know that won't be happening as I have a few Saturdays when I can't attend so it will be the beginning of next year for sure.

Whenever it happens, I will be celebrating it.

Last day of 2024

 Has the year really come to an end?

It has been the toughest year for me by far, and that is even accounting for 2021 when I left the family home! More on the final details tomorrow.

As the day was a Tuesday, then for some, it was just another day of work.

For me, just another day of holiday. I took myself off to find a swimming pool I had been told about by my Physiotherapist, about 25 min drive away, but it had a hydrotherapy pool which is slightly warmer and allows for walking up and down, and exercise.

I discovered it also had a sauna and hot pool (all included in entry price). I dipped in the hot pool at the end, but whilst I fancied sitting in the sauna, it was full with quite a few men and I didn't fancy sitting in there as the only female.

I also finished the last jigsaw of the year, number 19

This was a 2000 piece one that I had bought myself. My only struggle was that it was 1cm too big in one direction for my large board! It had to go up the side just slightly. Still totally do able (nothing stops me). It was lots of small pictures so a case of identifying the location and then placing it on the board, then over time more pieces got added and slowly piece by piece got joined together.

Nice to start it outside in the sunshine

As you can see, just sits up the side of the board!

Unfortunately, when I sorted out the pictures for this post, it was already 2025 and I got myself mixed up when putting my name on them!! Thus why some of the pictures have 2025 on them instead of 2024. Oh well, makes no difference to the post.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed doing this jigsaw.

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing - I wish you all the very best for the new year and achieving your goals and dreams in 2025

Christmas Day parkrun

Yes, parkrun even takes place on holidays, not just a Saturday.

In fact, parkrun takes place 98% of the time on a Saturday, but there are just a few odd days during the year where countries will hold an extra parkrun. If you live in a more accessible country, like Great Britain, then you have the added bonus of a few European country's special extra days too, so you can always do a few cheap trips into Europe and then you can collect a few more parkruns to add to the potential 54 minimum that are available.

Sadly, here in New Zealand, it takes a little bit to get to any other country, well we have Australia close by, but it is at least a 3–4-hour plane ride and that just gets you to the airport!

So, for us, well we will just be grateful for the extra one on Christmas Day and New Years Day.

This year the sun was shining, and it was warm at 8am. There were 341 attendees today and it was a lovely morning to run/walk before the potential madness that Christmas day can bring.

Just a beautiful start to the day with lots of red and Santa hats in sight.

Christmas Day

My boys are now big enough to not be home for Christmas!

The oldest (21), as you know, now lives in another city (over 6 hours away) and the youngest (19) has a girlfriend, so can be here, can be there.

So, for Christmas Day, until Alex came home, there was just 3 adults who were not that bothered by the day or presents. Well, we like presents but we didn't have to do a 6am mad session to open them.

I snuck out at 7.30am to go do parkrun (another post will be about that) and when I came home the adults were up and getting food, so I showered and then had breakfast.

Alex had been working until about 1am, so had actually come into the house, changed and then gone to his girlfriend's house to sleep. According to Grandma, it was like a herd of elephants came into the house at 1am and caused a racket lol.

Although, he did let us all know that he had been there as he made sure that Santa's message got to us....

Shame that Santa takes after him and can't spell, but I will let him off as it was 1am and he had been working for 12 hours!

Ben, well he was actually working on Christmas day so was not even with his new family down there! And he wasn't going to be with them until 7pm. We checked in with him via video call when we had opened our presents.

He looked happy, so I was all happy seeing him and that beautiful smile.

Whilst Steve and I are no longer together as a couple, we are still important to each other and so we do get each other presents for Christmas, birthdays etc

Today, he made me cry, yes, for the first time in forever he got it right!

He knows that I have discussed many times over the years about wanting to take the day long train from Auckland to Wellington. It only takes 8 hours! I don't even mind which way I go, up or down, but I have always wanted to do it (I will write another post about it one day)

Today, he gave me my present and it was a voucher that entitled me to a trip on the train whenever I could organise it. Now I have some planning to do.

And just like that, the happenings of the family on Christmas Day.