sookie, poor u, can understand... I didn't hv any family help nor any maid when I had #1. Was alone til she's 6yo. Whenever I'm sick, still hv to drag myself up to prepare her food, cook, bathe/shower her, etc etc, even had to bring her to school... During those times, I even wished I was dead(not really meaning it la of cos, jz cldn't take it lor), hahaha. That's why when I'm pregnant wif #2 and had to move, I told hubby, must hv a maid! And now, sometimes I wish I don't have the maid, sometimes it's of such help, haiz, hard to decide...
Not sure abt oven, but for stoves, I used to like a german brand, but I can't rem its name liao(duno why nowadays just seem to forget things, think it starts wif 'K'). Current home's using Bosch, not bad too.
I think Ariston shld be ok also lah, actually, everything is subjective, that's why there's this saying "a man's meat may be another man's poison", some may find a certain brand of prdts good, some may not, so it depends on the actual prdt that we get/use. I think just go with the design that u like bah, [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]