Easiest way to calculate GST sell price

When I was a fish counter many years ago (quota and compliance in other words), my boss at Sanford, taught me this quick way to add and total GST on to an exclusive price to get the sell price and work out the GST exclusive price from an inclusive price.  

For the 12.5% rate, you can of course use the divide by 9 calculation to find GST content, but I've found that I rarely want to know the actual GST component, and will only then subtract that result from the price because I'm really only interested in finding out GST exclusive price.   

GST at 15 %

1)   To get the GST incl price, ie to add GST to an excl price       Multiply by 1.15

$10 excl GST x 1.15 = $11.50

2)   To work out GST excl price from an incl price                           Divide by 1.15

$11.50 incl GST / 1.15 = $10

The same applies for 12.5% rate too, just use 1.125 as the calculator.

Have you used the above method before?  Grab your calculator and give it a test run. 

And if you still need a quick way to calculate the GST content of an inclusive price:

3)    GST 15% rate = Multiply the inclusive price by 3 then divide by 23.

$11.50 x 3 / 23 = $1.50

You can can also just multiply by 0.13044 if you are a number geek like me.

      GST 12.5% rate = Divide the inclusive price by 9

______________________________________________

Are we ready?

Hopefully, good planning will enable a seamless transition.

• I have the last patch to upload today to our accounting package 
• Zeald have integrated one magic button price fixer which means they are putting a lot of power into the hands of us idiots - bet it will be a busy morning in their support centre tomorrow!

How are your GST changover plans looking on this the last day of 12.5%?

New Season OiOi Nappy Bags are here

The first of the Spring and Summer OiOi Nappy Bag styles have arrived into store.

The great news is that there is now a style of OiOi for most budgets as the prices range from as little as $140.

• the cute new OiOi Casual Bag with change mat and built in bottle pocket - $140 (three colours)

 

• The organic cotton IKAT range;  OiOi Messenger and OiOi Hobo

 

and the one I'm really drooling over

• OiOi Tan Leather Slouch Tote Nappy Bag
  

 The top of the range, and as you'd expect of a bag of this kind, it really is unbelievable gorgeous!

Free delivery NZ wide on all these great styles, even when our Free Delivery over $50 September promo expires.

SPOTTED: Aden + Anais Muslin Baby Wraps

So everyone has heard by now about Jamie and Jools Olivers new addition.  A big congratulations to them on the arrival of Buddy Bear!

Here they are leaving hospital with the family and Buddy safely tucked away in a Stars Aden+Anais Muslin Wrap.

This is far from the first time we've spotted the Aden+Anais wraps being used by celebrity parents.  Heidi Klum, Mathew McConaghy, Adam Sandler, Sandra Bullock and Isla Fisher all choose these fantastic wraps for their little ones.  Check out the Aden+Anais press page for more star power here

And it doesn't end there.  Michelle Horton, from babble.com has recently named Aden+Anais as her favourite baby gift ever!  She particularly loves the new Bamboo range featuring prints by Masala Baby NYC. 

We've just had a rearrange of Aden+Anais on Belly Beyond and now it's even easier to find exactly the style and colouring you are after.

Shop by:

Unisex

 Girls

Boys

If your favourite colour is out of stock, don't worry, we have more arriving at the end of the month.

Useless information:  my baby gift to Heidi when Finn was born was a pack of Aden+Anais Muslin Wraps, she still uses them for all sorts of things now he is fast approaching 2!  Some ideas for use:

• Swaddle: great for summer or winter
• Burp cloth
• Nursing Cover
• Stroller Cover
• Portable Cot Sheet
• Stroller or Car Seat Liner
• Tummy Time Blanket
• Change table covers

So now that baby season is almost upon us, order now or bookmark the page for when you need it.

Cuddledry Bath Towel SALE

50% off the AMAZING Cuddledry!

The Cuddledry is the ultimate baby shower gift so stock up - they never need know you paid half price!

Was $79.95 now only $39.98!  Buy now

Stocks are limited and I know we say this all the time, but it really is a case of first in first served and at $39.98 they simply are not going to last long!.  Available in Oatmeal, White, Pink or Blue, check out the four colour options here

And don't forget we have FREE delivery at the moment on all orders within NZ over $50. 

So what exactly is so great about a Cuddledry?
 
There are a few products on Belly Beyond that we have particular soft spots for.  The ERGObaby is one and the other has to be the Cuddledry Bath Towel.   Both Heidi and I have one and it's fair to say we've absolutely thrashed them.  They get washed and thrown in the dryer time and time again time and still look brand new years later. 

Apart from the convenience of being able to be hands-free while getting baby into towel straight out of the bath, the major reason why we love the Cuddledry is what it's made of.  The organic cotton and bamboo fibre is honestly magic - its massively absorbant which means it pulls away the water and this means that underneath the towel your little one is snuggly warm.

Master almost 3 insists on his Cuddledry after every bath or shower, I wrap him up in it and he's fine and dandy for as long as I need to faff about, either helping his sister, or getting dinner, or Facebooking working.  I know he's not going to freeze and that he's lovely and warm until I can get to him to get him in his PJs.

Newborn-12 mths+
Learning how to take care of your newborn is stressful enough, without the extra slippery problems associated with getting your precious wriggling bundle safely out of the bath.

Most baby towels are lightweight squares, which parents have to hold awkwardly under their chin or between teeth in order to have two hands free to lift baby.  The only alternative is to lay them on the bathroom floor, certainly not giving baby the warmth and protection they crave when lifted from bathwater into cold air. Both methods upset babies, so the creaters of Cuddledry created this ingenious but simple solution to make the bath exit a bonding time, not a stress!

Cuddledry Instructions

In our experience you can use the Cuddledry as an apron towel well beyond the newborn stage (depending on baby's size just get them to tuck their legs up as they get taller) and from then on, simply use as a normal towel, albeit a super soft and super absorbant one!


12+ months
We continued to use our Cuddledrys as normal towels.  A bonus I discovered with the domed apron piece is that you can wrap them in it like a mummy then 'dome' it shut.   (warning: don't leave them like this they'll try to walk and fall flat on their face but it's a great way to have some giggles carrying them from bathroom to their bedrooms to get dressed).

And the other use of course is as a super-hero cape - never loses it's sparkle that one!

Was $79.95 now only $39.98!  Buy now

ERGObaby Carrier - Earthquake Proof?

13th September 2010 - Guest blog by Gill, our ERGObaby Year In a Life Winner

2 Months old – Earthquake Proof!

I can’t believe my baby is 2 months old today! It doesn’t seem that long, then I take a second look at him and see how big he is. He is still very comfy and fits well in the Heart2Heart insert for the ErgoBaby. I took out the padded cushion from the bottom about 3 weeks ago as he is just growing so fast. That way I can still keep his legs tucked up and he just fits better. I’ll be really sad when he grows out of it, I just love the Heart2Heart insert.

Well the week leading up to his 2 month ‘birthday’ I had the most frightening experience of my life!

Christchurch had a 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake on the 4th September 2010 T 4.36 am.

We woke to a massive jolt and continual shaking, but what I remember apart from the sound of breaking china and glass – was the deep rumbling sound of the earthquake. Nothing compares to that sound and I don’t think I’ll ever forget. We had over a week of aftershocks that varied in strength and depth – some very close to our home. We are very blessed though as our home wasn’t badly damaged and the only loss was china and glass.

After staying at home for quiet a few days, we were all going a bit stir crazy and wanted to get out for a walk. So we went to a local lake reserve for a walk. Of course the Ergobaby was perfect for this outing… who would take a stroller for a walk, when there were cracks half a meter deep and some were about 30-60cm wide in places in the Lake reserve. And also I wanted my baby close to me!

We did quite a bit of looking about and most areas were available on foot – so once again our ErgoBaby was perfect.


Owner retains Copyright of all images - not to be reproduced without permission

Real Mums Casting Call

Are you pregnant or a breastfeeding Mum? (or both). Proud of your curves and not afraid to show them off?

We are looking for mums and mums-to-be to be part of our catwalk showcase of Maternity Lingerie and Sleepwear to be held at this year’s Auckland Parent & Child Show at the very end of October 2010.

You do not have to have catwalk modeling experience, this is about attitude, energy and a celebration of REAL women.

Requirements:

• Between 13-29 weeks pregnant as at 14 September 2010 and/or
• Currently breastfeeding
• There is potential for one 15 minute show per day on the weekend of Friday 29th October - Sunday 31st October.  You need to be available for at least one of the 15 minute shows (you can apply to be part of all 3 if you want!)

Register your interest:

To register your interest send the following details to Louisa on info@bellybeyond.co.nz :

Name:
City:
How many weeks pregnant you are now:
Bra size:
Pant size:
Camisole size:
Days you are available:   (cross out the days you aren't unavailable)

• FRIDAY 29th October
• SATURDAY 30th October 
• SUNDAY 31st October

Please attach a current bikini or togs photo and send through to Louisa on info@bellybeyond.co.nz


Terms and conditions:

1. If chosen, you will be responsible for getting to and from the show (s). 
2. Associated payment for models chosen for this promo will be in the form of a Maternity Lingerie set valued at over $100 each.  (Not bad for 15 minutes work and yes, you will receive one set for each day you participate in).
3. The final choice of models and days will be at the discretion of Belly Beyond.

Free Delivery NZ Wide on all orders over $50

Nil

Nada

Zip

Big Fat Zero

From now until the end of September place an order at Belly Beyond and we will ship your order to you absolutely FREE!  All you need to do is spend $50 or more and your courier costs will be on us!!

Go Shopping

ERGObaby Performance - NZ Preview

Squeeee!  Our exclusive NZ preview of the ERGObaby Performance has arrived!

Here is Master almost 3 and I testing it out this morning.  This is the Lime colour which is AMAZING!!   It's also available in Grey if you'd rather a more understated look ;)

You can pre-order yours now from Belly Beyond for priority delivery when our stock arrives to us at the end of September.

Will do a full review very soon!

p.s. the wall decals in the back ground are from our brand new range Chocovenyl.  I had some to do a review and as soon as the kids saw them they went nuts over them.  We've ended up owning 2 sets!!

And below is the Back Carry video we just recorded and uploaded!

Global Women 2010

Had a fantastic day at the Global Women Conference today held at the University of Auckland Owen Glenn Building. 

Some of the recognisable names:

• Justine Troy - 42 Below co-founder
• Dame Jenny Shipley (ex prime-minister of NZ)
• Annah Stretton
• Susan Wood 
• Penelope Barr
• Rosie Horton
• Wendy Pye

Attending this type of event brings home three things:

1)  There are some amazing women in the business world, massively successful women, who are willing to give an insight into their success and share the knowledge they've gained.  I noticed that almost all of the speakers at the conference stayed for the Cocktail meet and greet section of the day, something I bet none of them were obligated to do.

2)  If you need help - ask.  It seemed the common thread from all the speakers was that as women, we need to ask for more help.  This is a tough one for us because as we go about "assembling our team" of advisers, Heidi and I often ask each other, "well, what exactly is it we need help with?"  Identifying and quantifying that should be easy but it's not, and although we haven't quite nailed our Wishlist yet, we are inching ever closer.

3)  It's a great way to put your own business into perspective.  

Old School vs New School
I enjoyed watching a debate unfold between a stalwart of old school journalism, who firmly believed that Social Media was simply a huge waste of time (!!), and those well studied in overseas trends that know the way in which we gather information isn't changing - it's already changed.   

For Shame
A very minor complaint, not to the organisers or venue (although I did find the lack of cellphone reception in what it supposed to be the leading institution for business learning a little odd), but to the attendees who thought it was appropriate to leave their empty coffee cups and goody bags behind in the lecture theatre.  There were rubbish bins directly at the entrance of the doors ladies - too hard for you?!

And apart from the cellphone issue above, what an amazing complex the Owen Glenn Building is - a completely different learning space to my experience of tiny halls and rooms at AIT all those years ago.

Which segues nicely into something from our Usefess Information Department.  Heidi and I once partied on Owen Glenn's super yatch Ubiquitous and sang a few rounds of karaoke with the man himself.  Those were the days aye!

Find out more about the Global Women Organisation here

Skip Hop Zoo Packs and Lunchies

SPOTTED: It's been a celebrity filled week for our fantastic range of Zoo packs and Lunchies from Skip*Hop. Check out the famous faces!

Jessica Alba and daughter Honor, with the Owl Zoo Lunchie

\

Seal and Heidi Klum, with Henry and his Zoo Pack Monkey

Other celebs and their little ones that have been spotted with Skip*Hop Zoo cuteness include:

 

Naomi Watts and Liev Shrieber with their Zoo Pack Puppy

Madonna and son David with the Puppy Zoo Pack

Funniest birthday request

September 1968, what a month, what a year.

Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated, the USSR invaded Czechoslovakia precipitating the cold war. Andy Warhol was shot by a feminist and Apollo 8 witnessed the dark side of the moon for the first time.

Nine months earlier, much closer to home and no less auspicious, an event would occur that would alter the course of history, bringing both joy and consternation to those involved, rippling out into the world like a small but powerful tsunami.

Dad knocked mum up.

This started an unstoppable sequence of events that would be discussed by learned men with beards till this day. World leaders were pressed for comment and continually responded with "we are unaware of this" and "never heard of him", causing others to speculate that a cover up was in play. There were even reports from a small village just outside of Dorset, that a small donkey called Alan would do interpretive dance to bossanova music, foretelling of what was to come. Today, none of this can be confirmed as all records have simply vanished. All we know for certain is that on September 23rd Antony Garfield Redmond the third, seed of his father's loin, entered the world.

Not much is known of his early years, although he was understood to sleep in garages and was once offered lodging in a caravan with a licentious name, to which he wisely declined.

The search for records of his past have ended in disappointment...until now

Recently discovered scrolls, thousands of years old foretold of an event that would occur in his 42nd year.

"For is it not written that he doth needeth an I-pad with 32 gigabytes and WiFi to sootheth his eyes and hold at bay the technology demon that dwelleth within. Yay verily, though he be bestowed with looks, charm, intelligence and a vast wealth that provideth entry to the thousandairs club, he doth needeth assistance.” it continues “Oh what fate will befallest those who shun the opportunity to help, particularly those going overseas, verily, willest your generosity not assuage your guilty conscience?”

Wise men poured over the documents trying to discern its meaning. Years past before one of the beards noticed pictures of a dancing donkey along the base of the scrolls. “Alan!' they proclaimed. It was a coded message.

NASA were immediately contacted and through the use of their super computer, the code was cracked and the message can now be known.

At 42 I decided to get me an I-Pad.


It's black and its shiny and shall be the best present I had


No sum is too small


no amount is too large


All gifts will simply defray the full charge

So throw in your dollars and make this handsome young man's heart glad

...or you could give me socks...

What's happened since? The 30 day sex challenge

This post has taken so long to write because I really wanted to have enough time pass to see any lasting effects after the challenge.  So here it is, the final week and what's happened in the three months since the 30 day challenge finished.  

DAY 23

We dropped the kids to their grandparents so we had the afternoon to ourselves and head out for dinner.  Eat too much but still manage to get together anyway when we get home. 

DAY 24

With the kids away I get a treasured sleep in!!!  Master 2 is a regular 5.30am waker no matter what time he goes to bed so to sleep until 8 is utter bliss.  Mr Belly Beyond said the night before that he was planning on coming home after the gym so I meet him at the front door in little more than my new stilettos.  It has the desired affect and he almost dropped the coffee he was holding in his mad dash to get through the door.  He heads off to work eventually and we both have a spring in our step to start the working week!

DAY 25

Kids are home and work deadline pressure is also back with a vengeance.  Both kids are getting sick (again) and are extremely high maintenance.  I work late after they are finally in bed and creep into bed in the hope Mr Belly Beyond won't wake up (he doesn't) but then I get a bad case of the guilts and tap him on the shoulder.

DAY 26

It was the Heart Stopper Challenge today and Mr Belly Beyond helps out with the kidlets in the afternoon so I can do the icy plunge.  It's a great cause and lots of fun and all the family came along to watch so we head out to the Food Court to celebrate.  I feel totally exhausted by the end of the day though and it's a reward back tickle for me.

DAY 27
X The sex challenge is drawing to a close and today it feels like it's been a very long road.  I'm simply not in the mood.  I'm tried, grumpy and just want to be left alone.  We agree not to do it, just for the sake of it tonight.

DAY 28
Friday night and I agree to have the night off from work.  There's nothing on TV so once the kids are in bed we watch TV On Demand and have a lovely snuggle on the couch.  For something different, I suggest we stay where we are instead of going to bed.

DAY 29
X Uh oh, trouble in sex paradise.  Mr Belly Beyond has made us go over our data allowance and our broadband is at a crawl.  Given that broadband is critical to running the business (and that I'd already warned him that he was over doing it!!), I'm absolutely livid and can't even talk to him let alone have sex with him.  

DAY 30

The final day!   Although we didn't plan it this way, and possibly because of how badly yesterday went, we end up going out with a bang, literally, and do it twice today.  We manage to sneak in a "nooner" and then get together again at bedtime.  I feel like a naughty teenager!  (although I'm still rather pissed about the broadband - Mr BB's idea of redemption was to up our plan, which isn't really the point, but it averted the crisis).  The point of this though is had we not been on the challenge we'd probably not have gotten together due to my unnecessary on-going petulance.

So the final scoreboard says that we finish with a respectable 25/30 - room for improvement but not a score to be embarrassed about!

See the rest of the month here

But did it really change anything?

At the end of the challenge we discussed the benefits:

• we were a much closer unit and subsequently dealt with everything much better and with a more united front.  Be it the kids, money issues or whatever - we really were back to working as a couple and not having to negotiate around each other.  This was in turn noticed by those around us, including the kids, who took real pleasure in us spending quality time together.
• Mr Belly Beyond was nice to be around.  He's a simple creature at heart and if he's not getting his end away on a regular basis he can be quite prickly towards me.
• apparently I wasn't quite as stressed - although they still call me Gimli so I'm not actually putting too much credence on that point (Gimli being the often grumpy red-headed dwarf from Lord of the Rings).  Perhaps it was more because Mr BB now brought home coffee most mornings, made the kids lunches and got them dressed and ready for the day.  They might sound like trifling chores but parents of toddlers and pre-schoolers will know what a big task this can be on any given day (depending entirely of the mood and willingness of your small charges).

So then we looked at what was a realistic level of sex to keep up on an on-going basis.  We settled on every 2nd day or essentially 3 times one week and then 4 times the next and so on.  We did good for a while and I'd love to say that we are still sticking to that  - but I'd be lying.

My never ending work load and ongoing strain of working upwards of 80 hours, while trying to look after two kids, took it's toll on me again.  If I was getting to bed at 1am, which I regularly was, then I really wasn't up for rumpy-pumpy.

The score slipped from 3 times a week down to twice a week pretty quickly and that's where it's stayed.  It's fair to say Mr BB shows some resentment about this - like someone opened the door to a great new life, and then just as quickly slammed it in his face.

From my side, I'm disappointed too, but my disappointment is not so much about the sex drop off per se.   I've noticed that we simply aren't as connected as we were during that period and the time directly after. 

We have learnt to take our opportunities though.  If the kids happen to be busy elsewhere or if we are awake at the same point during the night. 

So will having more sex improve your relationship?  Can it really be that simple?   I think yes.  Sure it's not a magic bullet but if done with the right intentions, and both partners are invested in it, then I think it definitely improved intimacy and that does have positive effects in other areas of your relationship.

So go forth and have more sex!