This is a story full of mystery but not too much to make it hard to follow. Its about a young boy called Jasper, who lives in the…
One day a little boy named Brody starts at a new school. Brody has special needs and this story tells how his classmates come to realise that it’s…
The weather is getting cooler and even on sunny days you know that winter is not far away. I’ve been thinking about fun craft ideas for my girls…
The Coca-Cola Easter Show is coming and we’re thrilled to have two family passes to give away! Check out out ‘What’s On’ blog for more information about the…
The All New Coca-Cola Easter Show is just around the corner – taking place in Auckland from Thursday April 5th to Monday April 9th at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds.
Ecobots are an economical and reliable nappy system that are easy to use and ethically made.
I have been a fan of the mountain buggy since I first saw it as a teenager 18 or so years ago. Which, when I looked at the…
The Bubblebum travel booster seat is an inflatable, portable car booster seat for children aged between 4 to 11 or weighing between 15-36KGS. It packs down into a…
Ecobots are a 100% cotton pre-fold nappy. A rectangular cotton nappy is folded in three and placed on top of a separate cover. Baby is placed on the…
We recently took the kids to Auckland for a few days and as an extra-special treat, had an outing to MOTAT – The Museum of Technology and Transport. I’d…
I’m liking I didn’t know quite how much I didn’t know before Neil MacGregor started showing me around the world.
A new app, designed by a speech and language therapist specifically to aid people with learning difficulties in retail situations. The designer has spent years living and working…
The Vegetarian Kitchen is a recipe book with over 140 easy and simple vegetarian recipes. Mellisa Bushby is a home cook and she has written down some of…
The New Zealand Post Book awards are a real celebration of Kiwi Kids’ books. If you haven’t checked out the finalists, you can see them here. Are there any…
There’s nothing nicer than cuddling up with your kids and a book and sharing a great story together. I’m sure that all of you have had the experience…
The set up: No one wanted the job of creating and maintaining Earth, so it was given to Bob, one of the committee member’s no hoper teenage son.…
It’s 1996 and Josh and Emma encounter the internet for the first time. Emma uses her email and password that she obviously keeps to adulthood because when she…
Auckland Natural Fertility Associates (ANFA) is the conceptual umbrella of two great natural fertility names – Naturally Fertile (www.naturallyfertile.co.nz) and Soul Fertility (www.soulfertility.co.nz).
In the great tradition of The Wonky Donkey, Hank the Wrestling Shark is a humorous, story / song about… wrestling a shark. As you do! In this rhyming…
In my last blog, we discovered why books are important for children and how you can inspire a love of reading for your child. In this blog, I…
It’s likely that your own attitude to reading was formed in childhood, influenced by opportunities to read books and the encouragement of the people around you. The early…
Hooray! Kiwi Families, together with Citywrigglers and the Southern Cross Garden Bar bring you Family Forum at the Southern Cross. We have a fantastic line-up of forums once…
A review of Baby First cloth nappies.
Honey child are cute, reliable pocket nappies that are made in NZ. They are made to the same pattern as Fuzzibunz, and branded in NZ as Honeychild.
The Mosquito-Band Anti-insect Band is worn on the wrist or ankle. It is available in four colours – red, yellow, green or blue and is sold in packs…
The Portable Ultrasonic Mosquito-Repeller is a small oval shaped device (about 5.5cm long and 3cm wide) that omits multi-frequency sound waves to help repel mosquitoes of different species.…
The Mosquito-Wipes Anti-insect Wipe is a disposable wipe containing citronella oil, aloe vera and vitamin e. It is sold in packs of ten wipes.
With an excellent reputation and being the only nappy with a dedicated slot in our pre-birth Plunket Pepe classes, Honey Child nappies had a lot to live up…
The Set Up This sleep bag is a little different from the other sleep bags that we reviewed. It’s a stretch cotton bag with a zip up the…
As the first day of February dawned, I realised with horror that my youngest daughter Emily turned 9 in less than a month and I had done absolutely…
Rarpz nappies are designed and made in Tauranga and come in a huge range of colours, styles and designs. Emma, the designer, is amazingly creative and has a…
Cushie Tushies are a nappy system with pop in inserts, slide in boosters, or the option of a disposable, biodegradable insert meaning you have part disposable/compostable and part…
A review of Ecobubs nappies.
itti bitti nappies are well-known for their gorgeous colours and designs. They’re a cleverly thought out nappy with many effective features. itti bitti are amongst the trimmest cloth…
Ecobubs are custom-made wool blend nappies that can be used for day or night. The wool pocket nappies are a snug fit with a wide crotch to accommodate…
Honey Child nappies are a pocket nappy with microfibre inners. They come in three sizes and individual nappies sell for $39.95. According to the Honey Child website, each inner…
The Baby First nappies are a two part nappy (comprising an ‘inner’ and ‘outer’), designed in collaboration with NZ mums. They have a unique leg gusset to provide a good fit…
Peapods nappies are a pocket nappy with a PUL outer and a fleece inner. Each nappy comes as a complete unit – absorbent insert included. The absorber is made…
The Cushie Tushies Chameleon nappy has a unique design that means the same nappy cover can be used with reusable cloth absorbent boosters or eco-friendly biodegradable disposable nappy inserts. You…
The Tots Bots Easyfit nappies are an all-in-one nappy sold by Nappy Days. They have a PUL outer that comes in a range of colours and a fleece…
Little Lambs make a range of ‘one size fits all’ nappies from different fabrics. All of the nappies are in two pieces- a cloth inner and a waterproof…
We’ve got a double pass to New Zealand hottest crafting event- the Craft and Sewing Show to give away… check out our ‘What’s On’ blog for more details,…
Homemade is certainly the new black and there’s nothing better than a custom-made piece, designed and made just by you. Whether it’s jewellery, clothing, homeware, art or quilts…
My congregation got smaller last year.
Hi Everyone So first of all – a big congratulations to Kiwi Families (and Rochelle in particular) for the launch of the new website. The site has really…
Yesterday my husband and I took our two boys aged 3.5 and 16 months along to Bloom Family Festival for the day. While the weather started out rather…
Over the next few weeks there will be a myriad of emotions at the school gate. Tears glistening in the eyes struggling to be held back, excitement with…
The Lobster is a new and improved Me Too – and while I think my Me Too is great, I love my Lobster so much more!
I trialled the Mountain Buggy +one. It is a buggy built for one or two children. When configured for two kids, one sits behind the other. The other options are…
Official Kiwi Families review by Rochelle Gribble Let’s be clear about this- I ♥ my Mountain Buggy Urban Elite. Sure, it’s a 2008 model but it’s done me proud and…
I’m liking Sturdy fabric on the outside, my bag is pretty old now, but besides a bit of staining on the front where bubs likes to chew on…
The set up Here’s the honest truth: I judged a book by its cover. I am into teen fiction with the best of them and I can do…
The Set Up The premise is this: What would you make of Facebook if you stumbled upon it in 1996 and it told you your future. And that’s…
I’m Liking: How light and soft it is. I like that it is easy to put on, and to get the baby into it. I found for my…
I’m liking Generally, I thought it was comfortable, easy to put on and adjust, and it has the little safety loops in case the buckles came undone. It…
I’m liking My little one was right at home in the Nature Sway front pack. And it definitely seems like its nice and roomy for baby (and way…
I’m liking… I really liked this pack. The material is lovely and soft (and organic) and I found it really easy to adjust. My baby sat on her…
I’m Liking: I like the idea very much. A piece of kit that allows you to transport your sleeping baby from the house, car seat, buggy, bed, hammock…
The Set up The Moai can be used as either a sling or a front carrier and different components of the Moai are used for different configurations. We’re…
I’m liking: I liked the idea. I liked being able to hold a fussy baby and also do some of the other things that needed doing around the…
I’m liking They’re small and easy to carry around- you can fold them up and pop them in your bag. Slings in a range of fabrics and there…
I’m Liking: How light it is. That it’s a simple straightforward design. Reasonably comfortable with a 9lb baby. The big smile that came from my nephew when we…
I’m liking A well-priced carrier, this has some nice features, like a little pocket on the belt- just the right size for your keys and phone etc. It’s…
I’m Liking: How quick and easy it is to put on. I have it in organic denim and love it! It is for front and back use. It…
I’m liking… I found it comfortable, easy to put on and adjust, and also has the safety loops in case the buckles come undone. I liked the roomy…
I’m liking… This is a comfortable, supportive front pack. The canvas fabric was strong and felt like it would wear well. The pack has a zip which extends…
I’m Liking: I am a HUGE fan of the Moby wrap, I have it in 5 different colours. I have used it almost exclusively with newborns for the…
I’m liking: The fabric was soft and comfortable, with the weight being distributed over both shoulders, and the hips, so the wrap didn’t dig in anywhere.
I’m liking The Moby wrap is made of lovely, soft fabric and you can also get it organic fabrics. There are some beautiful designs available.
I’m liking I love my Manduca, and both my kids have spent countless hours in it. It is well designed for both mums and babies, and supports your…
I’m liking I was fortunate enough to try out a newly released organic BlackLine Manduca in RadicalRed colouring. It looks fabulous and has many great features.
The Kozy Carrier is a modern version of the Asian Mei Tai, otherwise known as an Asian Baby Carrier (ABC). With wide padded shoulder straps, a padded curved…
I’m liking Super lightweight and portable, this carrier offers endless possibilities for carrying and tying. I tried my baby on the front, and toddler on the back, and…
The Kozy Carrier is a modern version of the Asian Mei Tai, otherwise known as an Asian Baby Carrier (ABC). With wide padded shoulder straps, a padded curved…
I’m Liking: How this product managed to partially change my opinion of it. I have never been a Baby Bjorn fan, the baby always hung off my shoulders,…
I’m Liking: Liking? I LOVE IT! A lighter and less bulky version of the Moby wrap (of which I am a huge fan). This wrap has a front…
Maria Gill always knew that she was going to write a book but didn’t expect to end up writing non-fiction for children. Over the years, she’s found a…
I’m liking These bags are a good length… the new style bags are a couple of centimetres longer than the older style ones and it seems like they…
I’m liking This sleep sac has a number of features that I really like:
I’m liking A gorgeous kiwi-made sleep sack, soft and snuggly. I loved popping my little one into it, knowing that he would be warm throughout the night no…
I’m liking This sleep sack has two layers of merino which means that it’s nice and snuggly. It’s a gorgeous colour (I tried one of the raspberry bag)…
I’m liking This is an attractive sleep sack. The colour way is gender neutral so could easily be passed down from child to child. It feels soft and…
I’m Liking I’m liking that the Baby Bundle is a sleeping bag that keeps my child nice and warm regardless of where they are. It stays on and…
Things always seem to pick up pace this time of year. It’s back to school; back into routine; and back into our usual habits. As the kids head…
The New Year is well and truely upon us and the kids have trundled off to the school-yard. Curricular-a-plenty will be firing up, to fill your kid’s brains with who-knows-what.…
It goes a little something like this: Start with a great breakfast, chase kids ’til lunch, grab something quick to eat, kids again through til 4 when hunger…
It’s that time again when parents are reminded by relentless advertising on TV that its is time to get their children ready to return to school. I meet…
So the kids are heading back to school- what about the under fives? The “right” childcare option would have to be one of the most difficult choices for…
Money, routine, lunches, childcare and peace are the words at the forefront for the solo parents I spoke to.
Joy Cowley is one of New Zealand’s most well-known children’s writers and the Joy Cowley Collection is a selection of 15 of her best books- plus an audio…
Who hasn’t been amazed by a Ripley’s story or two? Their 2012 Annual is full of the kind of stories we’ve come to know and love from Ripley’s.…
Do you know a student who struggles with essay writing? Write That Essay: High School Edition meets the needs of novice and developing writers and is a great…
If you’ve read our reviews, you’ll know that the Mokopuna Cocoono merino sleeping bag is a fab product. It’s made from top quality New Zealand merino and is…
Does your family love board games? We’ve got two copies of the 2011 New Zealand Games Association Boardgame Design Award winner- Toppletree to give away. A smart construction…
Got a child who finds back to school stressful? We’re giving away a bottle of Gaiakids Calm Restore Daily Drops which help calm nervousness, restlessness and agitation and…
MOTAT is New Zealand’s largest transport, technology and social history museum. Spread across 40 acres from its Victorian Villiage to the award-winning Avitaion Display Hall, MOTAT will take…
Got a child’s birthday party coming up? Here’s an AWESOME prize… The Southern Cross Hotel in Wellington, possibly the most family-friendly venue in New Zealand, is giving away…
This book became my parenting lifeline for a few critical years when my children were young. It was so helpful that I bought and gave away dozens of…
In my eyes Bloom festival couldn’t be in a better location. Matakana Country Park is just an hour north of central Auckland, and just two kilometres north of…
In the Disney comedy, BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA, a pampered pooch named Chloe (voice of DREW BARRYMORE) finds herself accidentally lost in the mean streets of Mexico without a…