We love celebrating in our house, by saying woohoo to the big things and finding reasons to celebrate the little and weird things too. Being a single parent family,…
I have a huge awareness at the moment that loads of people are struggling with having a positive spirit. I recently lost someone very close to me due…
It’s that time of year again, come around before we even had time to say “Ho, ho, ho.” (Or “humbug,” depending on our attitude…).
Struggling for gift ideas? The new NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Jovia beverage machine is the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life. NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® beverage machines…
The little extras that make a difference: Some of the best Christmas gifts come in the smallest packages. To help stuff those Christmas stockings Postie have rounded up…
Baby Banz NZ has six pairs of fabulous sunglasses to give away – all for your kids! We know how uncomfortable – and damaging – bright sun in…
Every mother knows there’s nothing better for your baby than homemade, wholesome and natural food prepared in your own kitchen but actually finding the time to do that…
Jet Park Hotel is a family friendly 4-star plus hotel near Auckland Airport offering free 24 hour shuttle transfers, 14 days free car storage, and an award winning…
Win one of five copies of How to Train Your Dragon 2 The thrilling second chapter of the epic How To Train Your Dragon trilogy brings back the…
Walter and Flutter is a unique and fun rhyming tale of two friends who travel to Mt Cook. Despite their mishaps along the way, Walter always looks on…
WIN Frozen 60pc Boxed Puzzle. A boxed series for all frozen fanatics! Join your favourite Frozen characters as they battle the elements in a rave to save the…
Global travel authority Lonely Planet has two prize packs featuring from its new “Lonely Planet Kids” series of books to giveaway. Kids aged eight and over will discover…
Unwrap A Wondrous Adventure! Deck the halls and ring in the season! It may be the coldest day of winter, but it’s also the warmest, merriest adventure ever…
Orana Wildlife Park is New Zealand’s only open range zoo. The Park is located within 15 minutes drive of Christchurch airport. Visitors can take part in a variety…
Winner of The Great British Bake Off in 2011, Jo Wheatley has released her second cook book: Home Baking. Jam-packed with both sweet and savoury recipes, Home Baking…
Say hello to good times this summer with Goodbye! Christmas presents and stocking stuffers sorted with 12 of the cutest and most useful tins around. Goodbye Ouch is awesomely…
Everyone loves toasty toes and if you know someone who love a pair of gorgeous moccasins from Canterbury Leather, then this is the Christmas cracker giveaway for you! Worth…
The Baby Bjorn Active is a fantastic baby carrier when your out and about or even trying to settle your little one at home. It has great back…
Keep the kids entertained during the summer holidays with this fun activity pack. Time to get crafty, wordy, reading, puzzling and, eating chocolate! Enjoy and have a happy…
Perfect for an indulgent treat this Christmas, BeeBio is a unique, premium range of skincare products that produce amazing results (even the scientists agree). Three years in development,…
Keep your children busy burning up energy this summer as they race down a hill or around the park with their friends on their Mocka Box Cart. The…
This summer, Goldair has a whole range of colourful kitchen appliances to spice up your benchtop! Whether you’re preparing a holiday feast, whipping up healthy summer breakfasts, or…
SleepDrops would like to help one amazing kiwi family with a full SleepDrops family pack valued at $230.00. The fantastic “you won’t believe it’s really your family” pack…
If you know a foodie, we’ve got the most amazing Christmas pack for them. We’ve got one pack from Danny’s, Crozier’s and Queen’s to giveaway, containing: 1 x…
Give skin an intense boost of hydration with the Neutrogena® Hydro Boost™ range. Formulated with highly purified Hyaluronic Acid, the range plumps up the skin while an innovative…
Pamper yourself with freshly painted nails with this fabulous pack from FABY. Brand new to our shores, FABY brings an extensive range of nail polishes and treatments direct…
Locks looking a little more ragged than ravishing? Fret not, Schwarzkopf Professional’s BC Fibre Force Range will have you in tip-top shape in no time. BC Fibre Force…
You’ll finds some of the best gifts in NZ at FUNKYGIFTS.co.nz! Now if you’re unfamiliar with FunkyGifts.co.nz, the massive range and scope of its treasures might come as a…
Want some original, stylish and inexpensive projects to make for your children’s rooms? Want to get creative (and a bit messy!) with your kids? Home Made Simple with…
Lego’s 2015 annual is a mix of a broad range of puzzles along with short comic stories. Each of the 59 pages is glossy, with high quality images…
The silly season is gearing up for another whirlwind of celebratory parties, parades, fairs, shows, and music. ‘Tis the season for overindulgence, letting your hair down, and being…
Alistair Wise and Teena Kearney-Wise grew up and completed their pastry and bakery apprenticeship in Hobart before heading off for cooking adventures. They have a love of things…
My son had severe eczema spots at 6 months old that were constantly oozing and bleeding, we tried a lot of steroid creams and lotions – most of…
Treat your little ones to a Santa experience they will never forget at Snowplanet. This Christmas Santa and his elves will be staying in a Magic Castle amongst…
If you read our recent post from Esther Te Aotonga, you’re were probably as fascinated as we were with the way that the Te Aotonga family organises their lives…
While the old saying says you shouldn’t judge a book by a cover, We Were Liars by E Lockart looked like it would be a fantastic book. And…
Angie Dennis is a New Zealand artist with a passion for native flora and fauna. In The Adventures of Walter Weta and Flutter the Fantail, Dennis explores new…
When it comes to cleaning, effective and affordable household products are crucial. Dot’s Disinfectant Spray is a multipurpose product that can be used as an air freshener or…
To celebrate the upcoming release of Disney’s Disney’s ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY on December 4, Walt Disney Studios has 10 x prize…
In this series of posts, we’ve been looking at some great kiwi families and some of the things that make them fab. We’ve loved hearing from families that…
My little 16 month old has been managing to half escape from her car seat by getting her shoulders underneath the straps. She leans forward, very happy with…
Callum Hunt has been told all his life by his father that that magicians can’t be trusted. So when he is tested for magical ability he intends to…
Donovans Chocolates has added two new products to its delicious one pound limited range – Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels and Almond & Cranberry Clusters just in time…
The Lascal Mini BuggyBoard™ is a compact board for a toddler/preschooler to stand on at the back of a buggy. The Mini is particularly useful for umbrella strollers…
Beloved New Zealand writer and illustrator Gavin Bishop has recently published his latest book – Teddy One-Eye. Scary, funny, heart-warming and magical, this is a story of love…
Summer time is a busy time with kids. Plenty of opportunity for outdoor fun… and bug bites… and scraped knees. Goodbye Ouch NZ Manuka and Organic Beeswax 80…
Mark loved punctuation. For starters, it looked funky, and its symbols are understood in all languages. There’s a sign for an exclamation and a question, a dollar, brackets,…
Children feel pain in much the same way as adults, but are usually a lot more vocal about it! As you’ve no doubt experienced, it can sometimes be…
Snowplanet is kicking off the ho-ho holiday season with a Christmas Festival Day! On Saturday 22 November, it will be a fun-filled day for the whole family with…
From the writer of Daddy is my Hero comes the new release, My Mummy is Magic. It weaves a tale of all the amazing things mummy can do.…
It’s one of the fastest comparisons I tend to make when I’m at a new supermarket: wander around, find familiar items, do a few calculations in my mind…
Even in summer, pain and fever can make your child feel grizzly and grumpy: teething, earache, colds and flu, not to mention the scrapes, scratches and stings of…
This is the last article in my essential style series, so it is entirely appropriate that it be on the ‘finishing touch’: How to ‘dress’ the part of…
Teddy One-eye has a rough and tumble life. He is dragged around, chewed on, loses an eye and is often left outside at night. But his many patches…
Having been married for 47 years there has always been one thing that has made me go umm…
What happens when a chameleon encounters a small wiggly creature and they engage in a conversation? In I Am Not A Worm! You will find out exactly what…
Fangks milk mixes are kids’ drinks that come in strawberry and chocolate. They’re full of vitamins and minerals and sweetened with Natvia.
Bert has been preparing for this for a long time. He is ready. Mentally and physically. But before he takes the plunge, he might need a bit of…
Wolf is an easy to read dark thriller, by popular international best seller Mo Hayder. This novel is the 7th in the Detective Jack Caffery series.
Over the next two months, Kiwi Families is featuring posts on education and technology. We are talking to some more great kiwi families about their experiences. In this…
The Lascal Maxi BuggyBoard™ is a universal attachment to put behind strollers/buggies/pushchairs, for toddlers or preschoolers to stand on.
Fangks drinking mixes taste great, have no added sugar and give milk even more nutrients to power healthy kids with its 7 vitamins and minerals. With the two most…
This book has been a popular title in France for some time, and has now been released in English. I can see why it’s a hit! 20 pages…
Beautifully Brilliant Books are a collection by Nicholas Rumble, who has long dreamed of writing and publishing books. The collection currently consists of 7 books, which are written…
Lots of people are looking for alternatives to sugar these days and Natvia Stevia and Norbu Sweetener are two great options.
The relatively new series of brightly-illustrated books on transport by Catherine Foreman is called ‘Machines and Me’. Trains is one title in this series, which also includes planes,…
Standing in line can be dull, but not when you mix tigers and frogs, sheep and skunks. But what could be worth waiting for…? From Japanese writer and…
Pom and Pim’s day is full of ups and downs, and luck both good and bad. Is eating a huge ice cream truly a good idea? Is it…
Johnsons’s Baby makes a great range of products for your baby and we’ve got two brilliant prize packs to giveaway! JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo 800mL JOHNSON’S® Baby Bath 800mL…
“Good morning/afternoon! How can I help you today?” I have long since lost track of how many times I’ve said this line in the years I’ve served as…
Expert Australian specialty footwear store ‘Sole Mechanics’ has opened the doors on their first New Zealand based store. Stocked with the best brands in footwear including New Balance,…
Designed by well-known artist Hiroaki Shioya, these finely detailed puzzles bring to life the vibrant and colourful 50s and 60s American settings Hiroaki loves! The Interiors 2 puzzle…
IMPROV for Kids The Improvisors Circa Theatre, Wellington 29 September – 11 October 11am (no Sunday performance) $10 per person It sounds like a recipe for disaster –…
It’s hard making that decision as a parent to let your young teenager go out certain places in the first place, right! If you read my previous post…
I learned the word “Luddite” a few years back when someone remarked that I’m likely one, because I had this suspicious disdain for buzz-whirring gadgets and technology. Could…
Technology is part of our lives and it is not going away. How much you want to let it into your life and for what purpose are questions…
In an age where we literally have an array of technological devices at our fingertips, there are a high number of articles, blogs and opinion pieces espousing the…
In today’s busy fast paced world, technology can be a godsend. If you can transact online then that’s one less thing you need to worry about right? The…
Have a quick read of this article by the Khan Academy (free internet learning) founder. While I agree with Khan’s premise that we should acknowledge our children’s/students’/own learning efforts and…
The first mention of ‘education and technology’ tends to bring people out in a rash of raising funds for computers in classrooms, and making sure every child has…
Are you too busy – spending your days rushing from one activity to another? Do you feel pressured to live up to other’s expectations – or your own…
A reader contacted me with her son who was not a willing participant with potty training. I thought it might be useful to share our conversation for those…
I was at a conference recently and one of the speakers was talking about how she was doing this science experiment with her kids that involved planting a…
On Friday I gave a presentation to learning support staff and some educational psychologists around transitioning young people between schools. The process of thinking about what it means…
The impact of rapidly advancing digital technologies on our families and children is something that is beginning to be analysed and questioned more and more as technology creeps…
Many parents battle with trying to cook healthy meals that their young ones will actually eat. Fussy eating is common among children and they do eventually grow out…
Nice, wooden furniture for small people is a great investment, I think. And setting up a zone for little ones to be busy at, which is safe and…
Get Rid of Bad Odours Forever. Neutradol is the world’s number one deodoriser because it does not mask bad odours, it effectively treats them. Now available in Countdown…
Love Paris? Here’s a little something to remind you of it! We’ve got a classic ‘Lettre de Paris’ Necklace from the AGATHA Paris collection to giveaway! This gold…
The heart-warming, scary and funny story of a boy’s life, told through a teddy bear’s eyes. A teddy bear comes into a little boy’s life in 1950 when…
TOMS Shoes started in 2006, when its founder Blake made friends with some kids in Argentina, and realised how desperately they needed shoes. So Blake started a shoe…
Artist Colin Thompson will have you sorting through pieces of organised mess with Cupboard Under the Stairs. Packed with the very finest details, you’ll be intrigued with the…
When a misunderstood dust-keeper fairy named Zarina steals Pixie Hollow’s all-important Blue Pixie Dust, and flies away to join forces with the pirates of Skull Rock, Tinker Bell…
It’s Penguins, Puffles and Prizes these school holidays as Disney’s Club Penguin, the number one virtual world for kids, joins the fun at Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium.…
‘Purina Pound Pups to Dog Stars’ is a touching new TV series that airs on TV ONE, Mondays at 7.30pm. The show follows the escapades of top animal…
Did you know over one thousand children in New Zealand have arthritis? Arthritis affects over 500,000 Kiwis of all ages. September is Arthritis Awareness Month and Blackmores is…
Super Power Baby Project is a photographic art book which features striking photographic portraits of its 72 subjects, taken by award-winning photographer Rachel Callander. The personality of each…
Every year, more research comes out that enhances our understanding of children’s brain development, learning and attachments. There is no doubt that the first three years of a…
To celebrate the release of The Dinosaur that Pooped the Past – we have 5 prize packs to giveaway. Each pack includes a copy of The Dinosaur that…
Mustela, the experts in baby skin care is formulated scientifically and dermatologically with natural processes and no chemicals, ensuring the highest quality treatment for your baby’s delicate skin.…