Good intentions……

We started the day (last Tuesday) with the intention of it being a ‘no spend day’ as lots of bloggers call them – a day when we would try not to use any money.

Not too far from us (about a half hour drive) is a very (very) large shopping centre/mall filled with all the regular stores and lots of new very exclusive (read expensive) ones that are added each time the centre is updated and consequently enlarged.  It was one of the first ‘big’ ones here in the eastern suburbs and even though more and more of the smaller ones are being ‘revitalised’ with just about the same tenants (which as you see in this recent link – as in past 12 months – is causing a bit of concern to the management) it does hold it’s own in the popularity stakes.  Westfield Doncaster, originally known (and still is to me and my friends ) as Doncaster Shoppingtown. it always seems to be the ‘classiest’ of them all.  You feel you have to dress properly when you go there to shop lol

And joy of joys, they have red and green lights in their huge carpark to tell if there is a space available.  Drive in and the little overhead light goes red – reverse out and it turns green.  No driving round and round with a crook neck looking up and down the rows for empty spots – these can be seen quite clearly from the end of the rows as you drive past.

Anyway this is one to the few places you’ll find an Apple store in Victoria so when we heard about the recall on the thingy that plugs in the wall and charges your iPad The Golfer and I planned a quiet morning exchanging our chargers and maybe doing a bit of window shopping at the same time.

Beautiful window displays means lots of thinking and talking about clothes and discussing whether to or not and usually deciding we have enough to keep us going and if it really was a ‘nice frock/blouse/shirt/pair of trousers etc ‘ possibly we could find the same style garment at a slightly less extravagant price elsewhere

Key points:

• Australia included in mass Apple adaptor recall
• Adaptors with four or five characters or no characters on inside slot should not be used
• Adaptor can break and may cause electric shock
• Customers can take faulty AC wall adaptors to Apple store or authorised supplier

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-29/apple-issues-worldwide-charger-recall-amid-electric-shock-fears/7123946

Apple stores are so bright and airy and yet so basic I always feel a bit disoriented when I go in the big wide doors.  Of course you don’t get far because there is usually a young earnest staff member there armed with iPad on arm to greet you.

I was surprised when the actual part was just exchanged without even a glance to see if the ‘characters’ tallied with the ones mentioned above, ours did or we wouldn’t have even have been there – a young girl stood at a counter with a box of new parts and a bag for the discarded ones.  Hand over old one, accept new one and be on your way – except we lingered a while and checked out the new editions of our tablets.  All I can say is that the new ones are expensive 🙂

Up and around we wandered, (this is one shopping centre that seems to have mountains for walkways and you certainly get that missed workout as you walk around) and then I spied it – a chinese bread and cake shop called Breadtop.  ‘Thought you said ‘no spending’ was what The Golfer said.  ‘But I only want to ‘look in the window’ is what I said.  It’s no surprise I’m sure if I tell you I’ve looked in their window before and come home with all sorts of goodies.

Good intentions ignored I picked up a pair of tongs and a tray to load my ‘stash’ onto and started out.  You know (if you were a lucky child) when you saw a pick ‘n mix display of sweets sometimes your mind went blank not knowing which to choose – well, moving along in front of that nice clean looking display behind those sliding glass doors my mind did exactly that.

Although not for long tho’ 🙂

Looking at the business link Breadtop you will see their bread goods are all chinese favourites but they do sell other products as well and, don’t laugh, but  like chinese food (and I don’t know about you) but to me it always seems like I will eat one of their buns and not long after I’m ‘hungry again’ and feel like another. 🙂

http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/entrepreneur/from-100-in-his-pocket-to-a-sprawling-bun-empire-20120529-1zgm1.html

Nearly mid morning when we arrive at the food hall and I wasn’t going to say no when The Golfer suggested a coffee.  Now this is a very upmarket food court – not the usual run of the mill food outlets, lots of comfortable seats, huge high backed chairs to lose yourself in.  Which is exactly where I enjoyed my coffee and chocolate waffle from Planet Chocolate, tucked down away from the noise and goings on around me.

Home by lunchtime wondering where the morning went.  It had turned out to be not quite the thrifty outing we planned but so what if our good intentions went by the wayside and we spent on a ‘non spending’ day – we can make another day for that – it’s good to have an unplanned treat now and again 🙂