Don’t get me wrong. I like living in a studio; we don’t really have much use for a living room. When we had one, the boy insisted on having the TV in our bedroom, and now I have a laptop I like working in bed when it’s late. Less floor space = less cleaning.
But sometimes, I really, really wish I could conjure up a Room of Requirement. Because headphones or no, guitars are never completely silent, and there is not enough space for me to play properly while he is home.
FOOD
Living Well on Less shares some resources on going dairy-free. (I’m into my third cereal-free, and thus, milk-free week! Hummus on toast is the ultimate breakfast; it fills me up like nothing else. Apart from, er, a big hearty, hangover-style brekky. But dude, I could never ever ever relinquish cheese. I live in New Zealand)
Have you ever been asked to choose between dark, milk and white chocolate? I used to hate that question. White chocolate may not be real chocolate but it’s damn good. Smitten Kitchen’s mixed brownies look amazeballs. I don’t have a cookie cutter, so I’ll be devouring them square, thank you very much.
I’ve probably bitched about not having the room to buy a food processor about fifty times. I did so again this week after getting all excited about this babaganoush recipe (which DOESN’T require one) and then realising how damn expensive tahini is.
I’ve been after a cinnamon roll type recipe for a while but never found one I could translate to Antipodean sensibilities. Thanks Hungry and Frozen!
Vietnamese food has never been big on my radar but I’m keen as a bean to try making my own pho courtesy of Wandering Food Lover. (Although I’m not even sure what a good one tastes like.)
Ai yi yi – and my recipes folder explodes. Not Eating Out in New York presents a hot and sour lemongrass soup. Drool…
MONEY
Hmm, call me a tightwad, but I’ve always used shampoo or conditioner to shave. Anyway, here Molly on Money experiments with home made shaving creams.
Would you live apart from your SO for financial or career reasons? Debt Ninja is.
I’m starting to think the Newlyweds on a Budget are living our lives in parallel on the other side of the world. This week they’re embarrassed by their slightly shabby digs (high five).
The Frugal Traveler shares some ideas on how to be a frugal traveler. (Not looking so good for me – privacy, bathrooms, food, sleep and safety all rate pretty high for me.)
Hija de la Luna asks: Would you rather travel young and broke or old and rich?
WORK
This is great – a list of free social media tools via Social Glitz.
Who’s your work nemesis? Ben at No Ordinary Rollercoaster’s is, um, inanimate.
I want to marry this guest post by Marian on Redhead Writing on the truth about location independence. Y’all have probably gathered that while I’m sure it’s great for some, I think it’s way overhyped.
Similarly, Alexis Grant also posted The Myth of Getting Paid to Travel. Word.
Small Steps for Big Change asks: Are you lost, scared, wandering or a go-getter?
LIFE
Geek in Heels has been documenting her pregnancy and new baby honestly and here she tackles the topic of keeping it real while blogging. Yeah, sometimes her posts are far from upbeat, but life isn’t always strawberries and rainbows. I get that everyone’s experience is different, but I appreciate her warts’n’all chronicles – I don’t find them depressing, but refreshing.
Also in the soul-baring basket: “You Probably Won’t Like Me”; it’s DC Princess/Berrak on…oh, just read it.
Hope you all had great weekends!
Oh a properly good pho is wondrous!! And I’m a picky one. We’ll get some when you’re hereabouts.
Tahini makes my skin break out like mad. I tried…
You could always just use a potato masher to “process” food or buy an immersion stick blender. Quite easy to store, no muss, no fuss..
I loved Geek in Heels post. I’m glad I was not blogging when I my kid was an infants- my experience was very similar to hers. When I ‘got’ my step-daughter at the age of 4 it was like a gift. I got to skip the infant years. Not that I didn’t love my baby but I just didn’t want to do it again.
Thanks for the link- you cheap girl!