Most of us think a child’s tendency to be creative is predetermined at birth by genetics but it can also be strongly influenced, both positively and negatively by…
If you or your children are spending lots of time sitting, you are all at risk of becoming a “couch potato”. Nearly one in three kiwis is overweight…
Reflecting on what makes a family fun after your precious son has created a blood bath attempting to knock out his front teeth can be chalked down as…
To use the old adage “Spring has Sprung”…well almost….it still feels a tad wintery around here in the Hutt Valley, but the Tui are out and the Kowhai…
It’s sometimes a big shock to find your moody, irritable teenager, who’s behind in all their assignment work is, in fact, depressed. I’ve found depressed students in a…
It’s where we start isn’t it? “Mmmm, I think I’ll start getting fit, I know I’ll go for a walk, it’s free, relatively easy…” Great Idea!!! Walking allows…
Humans are physical creatures. Our bodies matter to us, and they matter to God – we’re not just pure spirit. This month, if you’re looking for ways to…
Well, creativity coupled with sustainability is one of my favourite subjects as when we learn to awaken our family’s creativity, wonderful things will happen: you’ll make meaningful connections…
This is my first blog post as a new mum and I can honestly say that it has changed my life! I expected my day-to-day routines to change…
Efamol specialises in essential fatty acid (EFAs) based products, the so called “good fats” that are essential for the healthy functioning of every cell in the human body…
Our friends at IQ Toys tell us that they reckon this toy is going to be the toy for this Christmas and we have three to giveaway!! Chalktrail brings…
Yes – you read correctly! JOHNSON’S® baby has put together the ultimate ‘Free Me From Tantrums’ kit including the JOHNSON’S® NO MORE TANGLES® range that will help parents…
Dettol announces new Touch of Foam, a fragrant hand wash that is soft on skin but hard on germs. This innovative product combines a unique foaming formula with…
ROAR! Check out the new classic dinosaur board game, Tyrannosaurus Rex, from Holdson! You will need a bit of strategy and some good luck to help avoid being…
If you love Disney movies, you’ll love this Cinderella DVD! We’ve got five copies to giveaway – just fill in the form below to be in…
There are so many reasons to make food from scratch: you can control what goes into it; it’s usually cheaper; and you get to indulge your creative side!…
As a certified trichologist – a hair and scalp specialist – Nigel Russell is an expert at knowing what’s causing our hair problems and has developed his product…
This gorgeous Fit2Bmom Racerback Cami from myescape is ideal to wear throughout your pregnancy. It is simple and functional yet feminine and extremely flattering. The side seam gathering…
The Queen and the Nobody Boy is the second Fontanian journey. What do you do in a war with Um’ Binnia? Magic versus machines, run away with Sibilla…
These are a simple easy to use prefold and cover nappy system. The prefold is folded into three and then popped inside the cover.
MOTAT is New Zealand’s largest transport, technology and social history museum and a great day out for the whole family. Spread across 40 acres from its Victorian Village…
Fashionable and Functional New Zealand Hand-made 3-Layered Bibs, Teething Bibs and Gift Sets from Elephant Ollie. These are super absorbent bibs. They have a high-quality cotton print on top,…
Don’t miss out on your chance to win one of two 35 piece Jawbones® Dune Buggy construction sets! Jawbones® is the exciting new Buildable Art System™ to hit…
To celebrate the opening of Tinkerbell and the Secret of the Wings we’re thrilled to have an awesome giveaway from the great people at Disney. Check out the trailer!…
A rechargeable toothbrush designed for kids. Features include a timer and cool bleepy noises to keep kids ‘entertained’ and build them up to two minutes of brushing, different…
There’s nothing nicer than a voucher that you can spend on WHATEVER YOU LIKE and we’ve got a $100 Westfield voucher to giveaway to one lucky reader. Just…
Put a basket of books in every room. Books are easily put away if a basket is nearby. Make the reading corner cosy by using a comfortable chair…
Pratty’s Tea is a great range of tea created by naturopath Leanne Pratty and she’s been kind enough to give us some trial packs of her teas so you…
Who doesn’t love a decent cup of tea? Tea purists would likely say loose-leaf is the best variety for flavour. I couldn’t claim to be a tea purist…
Bambino Mio modern cloth nappies are a wrap-style nappy.
“Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure: Chocolat 3” is the third book about Vianne Rocher, the village of Lansquenet -sous-Tannes and its people. It follows “Chocolat” and “The Lollipop…
During the October School Holidays, Time Out Theatre presents: The Listies Do Compooters Thursday 4 – Tuesday 9 October, 11am and 1.30pm Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall All tickets…
Who and where your child is cared for might just be one of the most important decisions you make in their early years. We all want our children…
While we’ve long known about the health properties contained in omega-3s – which can help remedy an exhaustive list of conditions, from improving blood circulation and balancing mood,…
It’s never too early to read aloud to your baby. Babies love colour and the sound of Mummy’s or Daddy’s voice. They love faces too. Cloth or card…
The Story of Bo: and the Circus That Wasn’t tells the story of Bo, a sheep who dreamed of being an acrobat but who lived in a country…
The story of the world’s only superstar bird – Sirocco the kakapo, a bird who thinks he’s human.
Turn ordinary tiles into pieces of art! Each kit includes two 4 x 4 inch white tiles, paint strip, brush, and two plastic stands to display your masterpieces.
The Eureka design your own kaleidoscope lets you create your own patterns and then project them onto walls and ceilings! The pack comes with a range of coloured…
Want to try the fun of Rainbow’s End at night?? Night Rides is back at Rainbow’s End. All Rides, Live Music, great family atmosphere and fun for everyone…
I had to laugh aloud at the irony of reading this particular book to my boys (aged almost 2 and 4) on a cold winter’s morning after having…
Little Lambs nappies are a two-piece nappy system with a full fitted velcro-tab nappy and a wrap cover.
First up, I have to say that I didn’t see Finding Nemo when it first came out, so I don’t have anything to compare it with. I went…
The fourth book in Morris Gleitzmann’s series about Felix, After focuses on Felix’s experiences in 1945 during the final months of World War II.
A hard cover, soft padded book, First Prayers at Bedtime by Sophie Piper takes traditional prayers and sayings and puts them to bright, charming illustrations. Suitable for under…
Skechers Bella Ballerina are a girls’ shoe with a twist (literally)! They have an amazing print on the shoe which I can only describe as graffiti-like silver and…
I don’t know about you, but I find it really tricky to think of great gifts the kids can give their Dad. I don’t want to spend a…
Pineapple Heads is brand new hair products just for small people. They contain ‘no badies’ and were invented by clever Kiwi mama Megan Saunders.
Having trouble with your hair? As a certified trichologist (a hair and scalp specialist ) Nigel Russell is an expert at knowing what’s causing our hair problems.
Ones&Twos – one size all-in-one cloth nappies.
First Prayers with Jesus takes words of Jesus as an introduction and then sets the concepts Jesus taught about in a cute poetic format, enabling under fives to…
Disney/Pixar’s upcoming release FINDING NEMO 3D opens in NZ Cinemas September 6 and we have 5 prize packs to give away. Each prize pack includes the following: 1…
Reading aloud is the most important thing you can do to switch your child on to reading. Read the book and love it before you read it to…
My Happy Life is a sweet, funny illustrated chapter book about a young girl with a lot of optimism—even if sometimes life makes it hard to be happy.
We know that organising your child’s birthday can be tough and here’s a great new idea: Snowplanet’s brand NEW ‘Snow Cave’ party room is now available for exclusive hire!…
The Motorola MBP36 video monitor features a 3.5″ diagonal color screen, infrared night vision, video remote pan, tilt and zoom, high sensitivity microphone and pre-recorded lullabies.
Dom has just left school and plans to go to uni the following year, but isn’t quite convinced about what to take. He’s spending the summer in the…
In Love and War: Kiwi Soldiers’ Romantic Encounters in Wartime Italy is a comprehensive and well-researched volume by Susan Jacobs, which covers the romantic life of New Zealand soldiers…
Mums Secret Soothe & Repair Moisturising Cream naturally soothes dry skin, reduces flaking & calms redness. Helps maintain the skins natural barrier & minimise the effect of irritants…
The Craft & Quilt Fair has everything you need to become a cunning crafter – displays of handmade crafts for inspiration, workshops so you can learn something new,…
Mmm Hot Chocolate! Jarrah sachets 10 per pack at approx $5 in the supermarket.
Paddington Races Ahead is Michael Bond’s latest edition of classic adventures of the bear from Darkest Peru.
It’s difficult these days to really know what’s in the food we buy. Packaging is overloaded with information, most of which means nothing to the average shopper. Going organic…
It’s an interesting thing this ‘Poverty Cycle’ phenomenon. I thought it was just something we speak to our clients about how to get out of – Until I…
“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain”. This could so apply to parenting couldn’t it? Parenting is a…
I don’t know about you, but we’re in the middle of Games fever here at the moment! If your kids are keen on the Games too, here are some…
Birthdays can be expensive and overwhelming but they don’t have to be! Here are some simple ways to ‘make your own’ birthday party. Party food can cost you…
I’ve seen a lot of glitter in my time, but nothing (not even reading about the 100,000+ crystals made specially by the Swarovski factory in Austria to adorn…
This is a new collection of individual stories previously only available to schools. It brings together the eight stories featuring Mr and Mrs Wishy-Washy and the animals on their farm. Perfect…
Leading to Reading the easy way is a great little book that suggests ways of having fun with your children at the same time as introducing them to…
Leading to Reading the easy way suggests ways of having fun with your children at the same time as introducing them to pre-reading skills. It’s a great introduction…
In A Southern Woman’s Cookbook, Joan Bishop has collected the recipes that she uses most often when cooking for her family and friends. As she says, ‘sharing food…
Kids don’t belong everywhere. They’re not an orchestra’s target audience and the tense whispers of snooker commentators suggest that toddlers wouldn’t be welcome at tournament finals. But what…
One of the best ways to grow a strong, happy, connected family is to take care of your health and well-being.
With my husband and I due to have our first child in approximately three weeks, the topic of growing a great family has become a key focus for…
Looking back to my early childhood I couldn’t tell you how many times a week my Mum vacuumed or cleaned the shower, I don’t know if I went…
For our children, just the same as it is for us, there are times when they have their big difficult feelings that really need loving attention. No matter…
Every day there’s a new report of yet another study telling us what we should or shouldn’t eat. With so many conflicting ideas working out the optimum nutrition…
In my opinion growing great families comes down to communication and giving the small people space. From that comes trust, respect, a sense of being heard, being important…
The last few weeks I’ve been working and playing a lot with families who have young children. Often the parent’s ask me questions along the lines of, “how…
Almost every day parents write to FamilyLab and say: “My children never listen to what I say!” What they sometimes mean is that the children do not obey…
As a break from tradition, and in line with this month’s topic Growing Great Families, I’ve decided to talk about one activity that the whole family enjoys.
My daughter Sophie turns 11 next week. She’s also in her last year of primary school. I am struggling with all of this to be honest. My girls…
Food is something that can really bring the family together. Mealtimes are important to reconnect, share and enjoy each other. They are also great opportunities to get to…
A new cook book from Joan Bishop, well-known as ‘Queen of the Crockpot’, A Southern Woman’s Kitchen: Crockpot Cooking and More for the Family Table has a range of delicious recipes…
Part of the fabric of Auckland since 1967, Stardome Observatory & Planetarium is one of the Auckland region’s most popular and best-loved attractions. A visit to Stardome is…
The Natures Sway Carry Wrap allows you to carry your baby in an age-old traditional way, with the supreme comfort of modern knit fabric. You and baby will be…
The TomTom Via 220 GPS combines an attractive design, a 4.3” touch screen and an easy-to-use interface with cutting-edge technology. It contains the latest maps of New Zealand…
We know that your kids all love Dora the Explorer and this Dora’s Ballet Adventure pack is gorgeous! The pack from the great people at Nick Jr, the…
Here’s a great prize for your baby or preschooler: We’ve got two $125 Fisher Price toy packs to give away! Each pack will contain a range of toys…
We all know that kids are always having accidents and Elastoplast has some great products to help care for your family. Here’s a great hamper of goodies for…
Olive Baby Care is the fabulous New Zealand range of products for your little one; made from wonderful natural and organic ingredients and award winning extra virgin olive…
Looking for some great products for you and your baby? We’ve got the ultimate package for mum and baby! The package will include: For mum: 1x Johnson’s Body…
Aveeno makes a range of great products for mums and bubs and we’ve got a great $100 hamper to give away. The hamper contains: For Mum 2x Aveeno…
The ‘Fisher Price Smart Tablet’ introduces a new way to bring learning to life for 3-7 year olds- just touch any of the six different game modes to…
Last night we had our book launch at the Massey University Centre of Psychology. We had a great night and a more than a few giggles over the…
The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: And Other Inspiring Stories of Pioneering Brain Transformation is Barbara Arrowsmith-Young’s story of how she learnt about her brain and how to overcome…
Well awarded internationally, these prefold nappies are one of the original modern cloth nappies and represent an economical, easy choice. The brand markets all components of the nappy…
I trialled the Xmaease cream for my 5 month old daughter who developed severe eczema at 3 to 4 months of age. She had very itchy, dry and…
We were lucky to get to go to this play to review it for Kiwi Families. The play was about a boy named Jake who moves to Magnolia…