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…
JAWBONES® is The Buildable Art System™ with construction pieces that swivel, ratchet and snap together in countless ways. It comes in a range of packet sizes and, like…
All About New Zealand’s Garden Wildlife is a fantastic full-colour reference book for all the little plants and creatures you’re likely to encounter in your suburban backyard.
Imagine this. Put a child on a moving mat suspended a metre off the ground. The mat’s job is to throw the child in the air. Surround it…
Xmaease is a steriod free creme for all skin types. It’s for irritated, itchy, raw, dry and scaly skin. I trialled this cream on my 2 sons with great…
It’s about the 49 scariest creatures in the world, and one humongous shark that only eats plankton.
We bought two “Brolly Sheets ” online for $50 including postage and they have been worth every penny after two years.
This handy cream is so much more than the hand cream I first had it pegged as. After my first few applications on my hands I began to…
Great product to help ease the eczema on children (and adults)
As a mum to be I had dreams about what my children could and may be, well before they was born. As parents, we all dream about the…
Lovers of Mr and Mrs Wishy-Washy will be happy to know that there is a new book out by Joy Cowley called Wishy-Washy World. The book is a…
Sport in Art puzzles, flashcards and cards are great gifts for boys- especially rugby loving one!!
Snow Planet is an indoor ski and snowboard centre. It offers lessons (both group and individual), kids parties, conference meeting spaces. It is located on the North Shore…
The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s much-loved production of Cinderella is back! Renowned British choreographer Christopher Hampson’s ravishing interpretation of the timeless rags-to-riches romance is everything you could wish…
Hand washing has never been so much fun – Dettol’s Ice Age 4 Pack includes a Bonus Kids Go Free ticket to see Ice Age 4 at the…
A cream marketed for a multitude of conditions from sunburn, nappy rash and dry skin. This cream delivers.
Memory games are great for preschoolers as they help to develop with image recognition and generally develop your child’s recall skills. They’re also great fun and can be…
July holidays can be cold and wet and it can be tough to keep the kids entertained. Here’s a great activity that’s fun to make and will also…
The Three Billy Goats Fluff is a delightful adaptation on the well known children’s classic. There is still a troll and the 3 goats but also a very…
The magnificent Capital E National Theatre for Children turned 15 this year and is celebrating with another glorious piece of theatre- Ivy: Saviour of the Dinosaur is a…
Here’s your chance to win a trampoline by the only trampoline brand created specifically to keep your kids safe – the Springfree Trampoline. Invented by a kiwi dad (and…
Buying a trampoline was not even on my radar until the kids tried a Springfree out at a friend’s house and I saw how much fun they were…
Over 2000 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said ‘All disease begins in the gut’. This is as true today as it was then. When our digestion…
I’ve previously reviewed A Game of Thrones, the first in the Series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. This book, A Clash of Kings, is…
I have trialed Xmaease cream. I have reactive dermatitis on my hands and they get very dry, red and crack from washing them and contact with specific liqiuds…
Jet Park Hotel is an Airport Hotel and Conference Centre very close to Auckland Airport. They have Family Suites available, so my husband and I stayed there last…
At 4 years, my youngest child William would draw the most elaborate pictures. He would draw cars with steering wheels, wing mirrors, and indicators. I admired William’s confidence to…
This is Kelvin Roy’s latest album and is a gorgeous collection of songs for kids, including Countdown, which is nominated for the APRA Children’s Music Awards.
Auckland Museum presents for the first time CAMERA Season of Photography, a major showcase of some of the most remarkable wildlife and documentary photography from New Zealand and…
I was selected to trial 3 Olive Baby products and I really love them.
Fisher-Price® knows that learning starts with play, which is why they’re giving you the chance to WIN a $10,000 scholarship fund for when your little one starts school, plus there…
To me, growing families is all about work together and creating memories while learning. As my partner works full time it’s hard sometimes and I know a lot…
When I was young, no volcano explosion would be complete without some baking soda and vinegar. No matter what age your children are this is a fun, experimental,…
A Game of Thrones: Book One is the first book in the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. A game of thrones…
The New Zealand International Science Festival brings together some of the world’s best science communicators to celebrate and promote the contributions science makes to society – past, present and future.…
Little Genie Bio Nappies are made from as many compostable and biodegradeable materials (approximately 65% of nappy by weight) as possible. A nappy for the environmentally conscious parent…
More than 40,000 Kiwis need donated blood to help save their life each year – an even more powerful statistic when we consider the likelihood of knowing one…
Mums Secret is a great product that is good for all the family from new borns up to the adults
Monster Time is a nifty little app that helps children learn to tell the time. It’s currently available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
A great reward treat, affordable and collectable !! One figure per sealed pack.
This is Just to prove that all picture books don’t need words, The Fishing Trip is just that… a picture book. But that doesn’t mean that there’s not…
Another gem from Gecko Press, The Best Singer in the World is a sweet tale about a little boy who overcomes stage fright. Perfectly pitched for early primary…
If you don’t know Gecko Press, you should. You must! Gecko Press is an independent publisher of children’s book and they scour the world for gorgeous books that…
Want to learn how to build a rocket? make your very own cuddly bacteria or meet a NASA astronaut at Scifest 2012! From the strange to the serious…
Mum’s Secret is designed and made in New Zealand. A natural product, it is a general-purpose soothing and repairing lotion retailing for $15/50 ml or $30/125 ml.
See this awesome production of The Dominion Post season of MAGNOLIA STREET for free with Kiwi Families! We’re got a family pass (4 tickets) to give away to one lucky…
Capital E National Theatre for Children presents: The Dominion Post season of MAGNOLIA STREET On this street you’ll discover that magnolia trees have hearts, unexpected friendships are the best…
DermaOil claims to be a multi-tasking miracle skincare oil for the face and body, specifically designed to help reduce the appearance of scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone…
Fathers Who Dare Win was self-published eleven years ago, sold strongly and now Ian Grant has updated and revised it for today’s generation of fathers. While the book…
Red Rocks is New Zealand writer Rachael King’s first novel for children and is a delight to read. The book focuses around Jake- a young fellow who is…
Pregnancy can be tough on your body! We’ve got the ultimate pregnancy pack for mums and babies… The pack contains: Maternity Stretchmark Oil (worth $39.95) Absolute Essentials Maternity…
Soda Stream has an awesome range of sodas that are perfect for keeping your kids happy during the school holidays! They’re cost effective and environmentally friendly and best…
Looking for some well made, stylish and inexpensive designer quality clothing for kids and mums this winter? Check out the great range at Kids in Style and you can…
Patch Maternity is embracing simple sophistication with an ultra comfy range of soft colours, fresh prints and easy to wear cuts all celebrating the natural beauty of a mum-to-be.…
I was 32 when my partner and I found out at the same time we were HIV positive. It was a real test of our relationship as we…
I didn’t have a baby shower with either of my pregnancies. It just wasn’t really something that was done back then. But boy things have really changed in…
Captivating Creations turns your images into beautiful canvas prints and we’re giving one lucky reader the opportunity to win a free A4 canvas. Just check their Facebook page…
Sometimes when you’re pregnant, there’s nothing nicer than just resting your feet! As well as gorgeous clothing, Egg Maternity has a fabulous range of bath and shower products…
Getting your career back on track after having a baby can be very exciting… but also surprisingly difficult for a variety of reasons. To help you out, here’s our…
For many women, preconception nutrition is not considered unless they have a related health issue or are consciously planning for a healthy pregnancy. Once pregnant, focus is altered to planning for arrival of baby, so post-conception nutrition can be an afterthought, yet remains vitally important throughout pregnancy.
Cake Stuff is New Zealand’s best on-line store for all of your cake, cookie, chocolate and cupcake decorating supplies, as well as partyware products! If you’re looking for some…
Every parent wants the best for their child and Lynn Jenkins brings you this great guide to help you on your way. We’ve got two copies of Best…
Pregnancy brings exciting times and whether you are creating a family or having an addition, it comes with lots of joy and sleepless nights! Just like sleep, time becomes…
If you are looking for the ultimate in maternity lingerie comfort, you can’t go past the Cake Cotton Candy seamless set. The Luxury Seamless Maternity/ Nursing Bra is silky soft…
If you’ve read our review, you’ll know that this book is a great read! It’s funny and informative and takes you right the way through pregnancy as well…
If you’re into children’s books, you’ll LOVE The Hueys… you can even check out our review here. Award winning author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers creates a world where…
The general rule is that if you are exercising prior to getting pregnant then you can continue on exercising as you were, adapting as required. If you are a…