You may find yourself wondering, ‘is Santa really real?’ At Kiwi Families we 100% believe in Santa and the magic of Christmas. If you’re wondering what to believe,…
Christmas in New Zealand is celebrated on 25 December, which is summer in the Southern Hemisphere – this makes a lot of what we experience over our festive season…
Every year we like to make some DIY or crafty decorations for Christmas. Whether it’s something new and quirky for our Christmas tree, or something to display on…
Mother’s day, Father’s day, Christmas and Birthdays are always a great reason to think about, and give gifts to, those we love and hold special in our hearts.…
I am loving playing with stencils at the moment. They are pretty easy to use and you normally end up with a fairly good result. I found a…
Wow what a year we have had. I don’t think anyone is going to forget about 2020 in any hurry. So as the year is pulling to a…
Christmas time can be a stressful time of year for Kiwi families. We’ve all been there; Christmas shopping in the madness of Christmas Eve, blowing the budget and buying…
If you’re looking for a super-quirky Christmas decoration project, this one is for you. These candy cane wooden Santa’s are so much fun. You can just rest them…
Over the past few weeks I’ve been creating and making fun Christmas decorations to make my home feel more festive. With the right tools these whimsical wooden Christmas…
Using air drying clay to make Christmas decorations is so easy, and so much fun! It really is an activity the whole family can join in on. Here’s…
This year I decided to starting decorating my home early with Christmas decorations. You see for the past 2 years we haven’t had the tree and decorations up…
I’ve been wanting to do some peg craft for a while now. Since December’s just around the corner, what better idea than peg craft Christmas decorations.
I just had to share this great craft that’s so easy to make with your kids. And you can find most of the things you need for it…
Christmas, oh Christmas! ‘Tis the season to be jolly! To offer presents of presence, slowing down with family to create everlasting memories and connections. While ideally inspiring gifts…
I just love this little activity because it’s a fantastic activity for so many ages. I’ve done this with 3 year olds, right up to 8 year olds.…
Here’s a couple of the easiest Christmas decorations anyone can make up. They don’t take too long to make and look great hanging on the tree. They also make…
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Super easy but so effective I am amazed at how much of a wow factor I get every time I give this to someone new. You can use…
My kids and I visited a local craft fair recently and all three of us were captured by some delightful paper decorations that were for sale. My son was particularly…
Make a fast rag tag Christmas garland…… and a cheat to make it even faster! Hello again……
Yes- it’s possible to have a beautiful Christmas tree with minimal effort! Late November wouldn’t be late November if someone wasn’t trying to get you into the festive mood……
I have been thinking about traditions, and family, and how to make the effort lately. It’s easier not to make the effort. You feel the desire not to…
Join Snowplanet in kick starting the ho-ho-ho holiday season by welcoming Santa to Snowplanet on November 21st! They have created a fantastic and magical winter wonderland where Santa…
Food is a big part of our culture and traditions in New Zealand. It can be as simple as meeting up with a friend for coffee to the…
With Christmas just around the corner, now’s the time to start collecting your Christmas Day recipes, and planning your Christmas Day meal.
Yay! Advent is my favourite season in the church calendar, and it’s here! I love to celebrate Advent and so I’ve put together 11 great ways to celebrate…
As a child growing up we just simply could not wait for the day when we got home from school to find our Mother had put up the…
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…
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…
Christmas is just around the corner. I’ve always loved Christmas and after becoming a mum last year I think I love it even more! I love everything about…
I don’t know about you I find Christmas tricky for my preschoolers. We have three children so there are already loads of toys around and I don’t just…
I don’t know about you, but I always like things to look pretty at Christmas. However, costs mount up and it’s easy to get carried away! This simple…
From Rudolf and Santa to Slinki Malinki and the proverbial Pukeko in a Punga Tree, there’s a Christmas-themed picture book for everyone. In most bookshops, though, Baby Jesus…
I have never purchased a Christmas tree – well, not a chopped down pine one, as such. At the same time, we never miss a Christmas morning with…
Somehow, it’s almost Christmas and it’s time to start thinking about long summer days, celebrations and relaxing for a little while.
I was once told by a wise friend that we should take every opportunity that comes our way to celebrate. It could be taking pride in our local…
A Jewish friend refers to Christmas as the loneliest day of the year for Jews. As a fellow Jew, I heartily agree . And as a solo parent,…
Growing up in the States, the holidays were always celebrated with as much extravagance as we could muster. Sometimes that was a lot and sometimes just a little…
Connection: You know when things just flow like a mid-summers breeze… conversation…laughter…getting each other’s jokes…touch…your inner child ventures out…you feel alive…happy…they get you, you get them…at peace…loving…kind…warm…and all…
Yes that time of the year is upon us again. Yaay! I love this season. The summer brings the promise of warm weather and the longer days give…
This final recipe in our Family Christmas menu is this AMAZING Passionberry Pavlova. A dreamy mix of sweet flavours and the tartness of the berries and the passionfruit…
This is part 2 of our Family Christmas menu – a delicious selection of food that’s just perfect for a Kiwi family Christmas. Here’s the menu for you…
If you’ve made our delicious Christmas cake and have a few leftover bits and pieces, put them to good use in this easy Christmas steamed pudding recipe. It’s…
This craft activity is one to get the children involved with. Ask young children to draw something to do with Christmas: Santa, baby Jesus, an angel etc. Older…
If you’re looking for a delicious Christmas menu that will please the whole family, then you have come to the right place! Just click on the recipes below…
Tomatoes are plentiful at the moment and a lovely, fresh, ripe tomato give great colour and flavour to any family Christmas. This recipe for Summer Ratatouille is part…
If you’ve been thinking about what to cook for your family Christmas, here’s a treat for you! This menu has lots of colour, great flavours and there’s something…
Have you ever bought a gift and then realised it was better suited for a younger child or it was too ‘old’ for the child? Perhaps you bought…
During this busy time of year, many of us forget the importance of maintaining our health and well-being. At a time when it’s essential to take care of…
My article is late this time. Rochelle sent me an email last week and wondered if I was going to be able to get something to her. I…
How well do you know stories of your ancestors? I go back five generations in this land, on each side of my family, but what came before that…
Once I started looking pregnant, strangers started treating me differently. My own policy is never to assume someone with a little roundness in the abdominal region is pregnant…
The catch phrase this time of the year is “I’m so busy!” It seems the last thing we have time for is arranging Christmas and then it dawns…
We all know that Christmas is the time for giving, remembering and thanking our family and friends by way of a small gift. But, lots of small gifts…
Well it’s a scary thought but Christmas is almost here. Are you ready? I’m not sure I am! Every year I tell myself that next year I’m going…
The holidays are on the horizon. Whether you get a long break or a short one, take some time out. Summer is the perfect time of year for…
Summer is almost upon us, and that means holidays and Christmas too… I do take a little comfort here in New Zealand that we don’t break out the…
It’s not fair, you set out on a plan to get yourself in shape and keep on track pretty well then… The Silly Season, with weeks of temptations…
The Christmas and holiday break is a time when most people throw caution to the wind. Credit cards are drawn to their limits, budgets are thrown out the…
Whether you are the lucky person hosting Christmas dinner this year or not, chances are your fridge will be filled to almost overflowing over Christmas and New Year.…
Christmas comes at the time of year when we are moving into lovely warm weather which tends to mean most of us will get into shorts, tee shirts…
Every so often the age range of our children creates little dilemmas – and Christmas is one of those times! Remember we’re the ones with a teenager, a…
Christmas has always been a family time for me and it certainly holds many special memories. As a child it never seemed to come around quickly enough, now…
I sense my 8 and 10 year old sons are struggling to believe that Santa Claus is really real. This year there have been no requests for Santa’s…
As I write to you this month I have to admit to feeling more than a little off-colour; I’m unlucky to be suffering from a particularly nasty stomach…
Without a doubt Christmas is getting closer. No one needs to be reminded that during the lead up to Christmas it is often a time when we can…