Little luxuries

Shortly after we arrived and got settled into our new (first) house, I started this list of things I missed from before the move.  I thought it would be fun to revisit it now that we've been here for a year.

1.  Mixer taps - I still miss these terribly - the hot tap is very hot and the cold tap is of course cold...  even in the bathtub where they come out of one tap, the hot and cold are still separate, so you can't tell from putting your hand under it whether you have the right mix.

2.  Automatic garage doors (keypads are a bonus!) - I'm pretty much used to this, and since the garages aren't big enough to actually put a car in them, its not something I deal with very often anyway.

3.  Napkins readily available at grocery store - I've found some - they are either very inexpensive and almost worthless, or a bit pricey and something you would use at a party, not for everyday.  We make do.

4.  Commercial-free television for kids - I think we've found one channel like this - CBeebies - which the kids love.  Otherwise, they have sort of gotten past wanting everything they see on the telly.

5.  Large and efficient washers and dryers - I miss this terribly still, and its one thing I'll be very excited about when we move back!

6.  Garbage disposals - I'm used to this now and have no trouble scraping the plates, etc. into the bin, but they are certainly nice to have.

7.  Heated bathrooms (okay, maybe its just my house, but the bathroom I will have to shower in feels like a frig) - Moving helped with this - all three bathrooms have radiators, as they should.  We still have to open the windows when we bathe or shower as there are no fans.

8.  Closets - Again, moving to a new house helped with this, and they're wonderful!

9.  Window screens (to let the air in while keeping the bugs out) - These would be nice, especially with the warmer weather we are now having.  Screens just don't seem to exist here.  Have to be extra careful with upstairs windows and kids, though.

Overall we've become accustomed to the way things are here - it really doesn't take long.  We'll just appreciate these things so much more when we move back!