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New Zealand's Top Travel Lifestyle Blog Home Decor Sunshine Coast Aquarium

Family Travel: Sea Life Sunshine Coast Aquarium

Visiting aquariums is our thing, it’s what we do when we travel and we absolutely LOVE it. Both of the boys have always been a tad obsessed with all things ‘ocean’, an interest Dave and I can wholeheartedly get behind.

When we confirmed our (very) last minute trip to the Sunshine Coast, a visit to Mooloolaba and its famous Sea Life Aquarium was top of our must-do list. Ethan saw it featured on a TV doco years ago (which we all watched on repeat hundred of times!) and had been super keen to visit ever since.

Our first full day in Cotton Tree was a drizzly Sunday morning, perfect for a lazy, unrushed visit to Sea Life.

The drive took 10 minutes and at 9ish, we were able to find a carpark easily, though I can imagine this would get more and more difficult throughout the day.

We had a behind the scenes experience booked in at 11.30am so set about following the kids around, exploring the many stunning exhibits on offer.

The one we came back to again and again, was actually the very first you come across upon entry. Nixon absolutely loved the Tidal Touchpool. It was so engaging for him, I think he discovered a new fish or starfish to observe, and yes, touch, each time he led us back there.

We were so surprised by how quiet it was in the morning, we were really able to take our time and move around at our own pace.

A family fave was the Freshwater Streams zone. Seeing the giant Barramundi and Australian Lungfish, species we don’t have in New Zealand, was awesome, they are huge fish!

We also loved the Ocean Tunnel. The Grey Nurse sharks are the biggest we’ve ever seen, even bigger when we got to see them from the surface on our Behind the Scenes Tour.

This tour was an absolute treat. We have never upgraded our entry tickets to include any experiences before so this one was so engaging for all of us but especially for our two young boys, one of whom has always aspired to be a marine biologist. I’m not sure why but I’d always assumed that the thick tunnel walls in aquariums magnified the size of the creatures on the other side – turns out the opposite is true! Being able to observe the inhabitants of the Ocean Tunnel from above and hear their stories made for such a memorable experience, both of the boys gave our guide their full attention throughout the tour which also included the turtle rehabilitation area – great environmental message for everyone here.

We are so stoked to have been able to tick Sea Life Aquarium Sunshine Coast off of our travel bucket list. It’s such a perfect family excursion and provided a really interesting morning for both of our boys, even with their 8.5 year age gap which can sometimes be a tough ask!

Thanks for having us guys!

New Zealand's Top Travel Lifestyle Blog Home Decor Dermalogica ProSkin 60 Facial Beauty Review

Beauty Review – Dermalogica ProSkin 60 Facial

In 2018 there is no shortage of ways to spend your money when it comes to beauty treatments. In fact, deciding on which treatment is right for you and identifying a professional salon or clinic can easily make the whole exercise fall into the too-hard-basket faster than you can say ‘pass the serum’.

I headed over the bridge last week to Bare Waxing and Skin Centre to experience one of Dermalogica’s latest professional skin therapy treatments, the ProSkin 60 Facial, which launched in salons in May 2018. This is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Both of the ProSkin treatments (60 or 30 minutes) are bespoke. Customised to address individual needs and concerns, this 6 step skin journey is one I highly recommend you take!

As far as I’m concerned, a splurge on a facial is a no-brainer, providing the most bang for your beauty buck. They have the potential to deliver some powerful results, plus, are inherently relaxing, they usually include some massage and can profoundly affect the way I feel afterwards. I LOVE how my skin looks after a facial – come at me selfies!

My skin therapist (hereafter referred to as Gemma-with-the-magic-hands) began with a Dermalogica fave – the double cleanse. This was a timely reminder to reintroduce Precleanse Balm to my daily routine as I’ve been rushing through this important step in the shower. For me, this is where the magical, relaxing powers of a facial really begin. Cleansing your skin for minutes, rather than seconds, not only increases efficacy but is also a little meditative, a little time to relax………. every day in your own shower. We can do that, right mamas?

After an extensive skin analysis, we moved on to step two – resurfacing. Gemma-with-the-magic-hands added lactic acid to the physical exfoliant which my skin just LOVES. This is where the bespoke nature of ProSkin treatments is so valuable, my skin is robust and hardy, not thinning at all, so it can handle a fairly extensive exfoliation. This would definitely not be suitable as a universal application, which is why entrusting your skin to the hands of only a professional skin therapist is SO important!

My skin was under steam this entire time so the deep treatment and masque that was applied next literally sank into my thirsty skin. Gemma had already identified dehydration as an area of concern in the analysis and I could notice the improvement immediately after treatment. Lush, hydrated skin instantly!

The final steps are Touch Therapies – beautiful facial, scalp, shoulder and décolleté massage and dermal layering – literally everything your skin needs to head out into the world looking its best.

I LOVED this treatment. ProSkin 60 was comprehensive, deliciously relaxing and indulgent but most importantly, it was incredibly effective. My skin looked amazing, more hydrated than I’d ever seen it, soft with improved texture and the most minimised pores ever. The skin analysis alone, combined with Gemma’s ‘prescription’ at the end was invaluable to me. I’m a bit of a product junkie and she very quickly identified that one of my faves may not be as beneficial to my skin as I’d been thinking – that’s why it pays to see a skin therapist when you can.

To experience ProSkin 60 or 30 for yourself, head to www.dermalogica.co.nz to find your nearest Platinum Skin Centre.

New Zealand's Top Travel Lifestyle Blog Home Decor Cheese Rolls Recipe NZ

Easy Southland Cheese Roll Recipe

Get creative in the kitchen and recreate a classic Kiwi recipe using Best Foods Mayonnaise and you could be in to win $5000 with the Best Kiwi Recipe Challenge! Hurry, competition closes 4/9/18. Entry details HERE

I’d heard tales of the mythical Southland Cheese Roll, but as an Aucklander born and raised, I’d never seen one in the wild let alone tasted one.

I was intrigued but also puzzled. If you wanted to eat cheese and bread why not make a sandwich or a toastie? These cheese rolls seemed like a lot of work for the combination of seemingly ‘simple’ ingredients rolled up in a piece of white bread!

But then, enlightenment hit. We visited a small cafe in Arrowtown and laid eyes upon a pre-made stack of cheese rolls and it was crunchy, gooey, carb + cheesey love at first bite.

Recreating a classic Kiwi recipe with the addition of our family’s favourite condiment EVER, Best Food’s Mayonaise, sounded fun, delicious and pretty much de rigueur at our house – Best Foods on everything, please. I also knew exactly which Kiwi staple I was going to tackle for my collab – the infamous, region-specific, Cheese Roll.

So here’s the recipe guys. We love it. It’s been tradie tested, teenager tested, after-rugby tested, lunch and afternoon tea tested and I think she’s a beauty.

Enjoy!

Southland Cheese Roll Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 Red onion, finely diced

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise

250g grated cheese

1 packet of dried onion soup

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1 loaf sandwich sliced white bread

Butter to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 200°.

Combine all ingredients (except bread and butter) in a food processor and pulse until onion is finely diced and ingredients are well combined.

Roll out sandwich sliced bread even thinner, then spread one tablespoon of cheese mixture along an edge.

Roll into thirds and place on a lined baking tray, join down. Pop in the oven for around 10 minutes until they are starting to crisp, but are still a little soft in the middle. You should definitely see some oozing cheese!

Serve with a swipe of real butter and enjoy while warm.

Win a Limited Edition Pink EasiYo Maker!

Click on the Facebook post below to win yourself this super-cute, Limited Edition Pink EasiYo Maker! Available in Countdown stores now while stocks last, $2 from every sale goes straight to KidsCan! Hurry, comp closes Sunday xx

New Zealand's Top Travel Lifestyle Blog Home Decor Beauty Review Nude Lipstick

Beauty Review – National Lipstick Day, Send Nudes

The ‘historical’ origins of National Lipstick Day, celebrated on Sunday 29th July, may be slightly dubious, but, pfffttt, who doesn’t love a day dedicated to the transformative powers, and endless range of options that lipstick gives us.

I definitely haven’t been wearing lipstick my entire adult life. In fact, it’s really only been around 3 years since I fell in the love with the click of the cap, the swipe of colour, the perfect palm size bullet, the smell, the rainbow of shades and the effect that applying lipstick can have on both a person’s outward appearance but also upon the way they feel.

Lipstick can be magic.

So in honour of National Lipstick Day, I’m bringing you three of my favourite nudes in three different formats; one matte, one creamy and one gloss, something for everyone.

Enjoy beauty babes!

Wet n Wild Liquid Catsuit Nudist Peach RRP$11.99

Exactly as the name describes, this is a legit, peachy nude, liquid matte lipstick, perfect for brightening up my winter complexion. Touted as Megalast, I certainly can’t fault the staying power of the Liquid Catsuit range, micellar water struggles a little to budge these beauties after application and they wear well for a good few hours.

I much prefer liquid matte lipsticks over solid, simply because (in general), the application is much more pleasant. Matte lipsticks can be really waxy and hard to draaagggg across your lips, but this formulation glides on, absorbs quickly and transforms to matte without feeling incredibly thick and drying. Even a couple of hours later, my lips feel quite hydrated.

The Liquid Catsuit range of lipsticks have great doe foot applicators. Small and well formed, I find them much easier to create a clean lip line and do touch-ups during the day.

There are 7 colours in the core range, available in-store and online at www.farmers.co.nz

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Liquid Lip Gloss Nude Beam RRP$41

Fresh on counters from the NEW Bronze Vibes Colour Collection, the range of Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Liquid Lip Glosses are certainly on-point to get beauty lovers excited for New Zealand Spring.

Nude Beam (Limited Edition), delivers high-shine gloss with zero sticky feel. True story. Not just a pretty face, the addition of Aloe Vera and Vitamins C and E leave lips conditioned, moisturised and make this a super comfortable gloss to wear. Nude Beam is a delicately tinted gloss with just the right amount of iridescence – a great everyday gloss that would also work perfectly over lipstick or to enhance lips when wearing a darker shade by dabbing in the middle.

The applicator? One click and the perfect amount of gloss is dispensed, the pen-style packaging feels great in your hand and looks as luxe as this gloss feels.

New fave, love it.

Available from Elizabeth Arden counters nationwide, find your nearest store here.

Karen Murrell Blushing Rose RRP$32

Released in 2017 as part of Murrell’s Princesses of the Golden Petals lipstick range, Blushing Rose is the BUSINESS girlfriends. I have most of the lipsticks in the range and this is my fave. It’s day-to-day perfection, in the perfect ‘my lips but better’ shade of nude pink.

Super creamy, Blushing Rose glides on easily and the shade is so forgiving you can apply in a flash, on the run, and get that instant polished, pick-me-up feeling that lipstick is so known for.

Of course, every Karen Murrell lipstick is cruelty-free, environmentally friendly and created from premium all-natural ingredients. Winning!

Available in stores all over New Zealand and online here

New Zealand's Top Travel Lifestyle Blog Home Decor Fitbit Versa Review

Fitbit Versa: My Winter #Fitspo

Nevermind how truthful such statements might be, I’ve never been one to live and die by mantras such as;

Summer bodies are made in winter.

The facts are, the gym and I aren’t ever going to be friends and my natural inclination to hibernate during winter is strong so, if there is a season in which all good intentions fall off the wagon – winter is it.

Despite this, the past few months have been revelatory for me, and it all kicked off with a throwaway comment during lunch with a friend. We were discussing the frustrations of living with our middle-aged-mum bodies and the struggle of deciphering what advice/diets/workout plans we should or shouldn’t be prescribing to. I’m not running at the moment (more on that later!) but mentioned to my friend that monitoring your heart rate during workouts was a good way to ensure your activity matched whatever goals you might be working towards. This was a lightbulb moment for me as I remembered the Fitbit functionality that automatically maps your heart rate zones during exercise. Right now, I want to be burning fat during workouts and maintaining an (almost) daily exercise routine – that means power walking. 6kms per day, around an hour, putting me in the fat burning zone for approx 50 mins and tracking this daily on my Fitbit app.

Put simply, moving and doing it more often are my top priorities.

I love checking in with my Fitbit app or the desktop site to see the results of my daily walks – in the zone baby!

The past 6 weeks have seen me create space in my day that I didn’t think I had, and dedicate that time to myself. Exercising has to be a non-negotiable part of my routine and I think I’ve finally arrived at that sweet spot where the habit is sticking, yay!

I’m a total magpie and LOVE my gadgets so no surprises that the latest Fitbit iteration, Versa (RRP $349.95) caught my eye – as they always do – and I was excited to review it. There’s a lot to be said for the persuasive power of measurement and accountability and as I’ve been a Fitbit user for years now I know first hand how effective wearable tech can be when it comes to keeping you on track. I definitely lean towards Fitbit’s fully functional range, loving the multitude of features in the Ionic (built in GPS) and now the Versa.

What I LOVE about the New Fitbit Versa

The battery life is awesome. Specs say ‘over 4 days of battery life’ and this is legit. Plus, the new charger is the best Fitbit charger yet, secure and FAST.
Slim profile. Guys, let’s face it if you don’t need a built-in GPS then why pay for one or make room for one in your watch? When I’m running (soon, baby!), I love the accuracy of the Ionic, but, you pay for this in size. The Versa is gorgeous, no joke. It’s all slim and curvy and is super comfy to wear. 10/10 for design.
Water-resistant to 50m!!! yus. I’m no swimmer but Mum life dictates I’m washing dishes, laundry, dogs and children multiple times per day and as a Rugby mum (and Rugby Club Captain) I’m out in the weather a LOT. I’ve always been a little bit precious about my Fitbits getting wet so love that my faves, Versa and ionic are both water resistant.
Improved sync: I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t use one of the big 2 phone brands (currently Huawei Mate 10 Pro), but sometimes syncing was a bit iffy with previous Fitbit products. The Versa syncs easily and quickly with my on-phone app which makes me soooo happy as my Fitbit dashboard is life!
It’s just SO pretty. This is a BABE watch team, that just so happens to look equally good on both men and ladies.
Fitbit app. I’ve been using this for years and it just gets better and better. I’m loving the addition of the Female Health module, which is helping me track my period – and associated moods (gasp!), plus I’m becoming more and more aware of how important it is for me to consciously increase the amount of sleep I’m getting each night. The Fitbit app tracks sleep beautifully and provides such great feedback and info that you seriously can’t help but want to do better for your body and your life in general.

How I’m staying motivated this winter

Using my Fitbit Versa as my support team and my coach. Gyms don’t work for me, being personally accountable DOES.
Podcasts are GO. I can easily smash out my hour-long walk by zoning out and listening to some awesome content. I use Podcast Player on my android phone and some of my faves are; Death in Ice Valley, Fat Mascara, Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations, The Minimalists, This Sounds Serious.
Doing less gives you time for more. I’ve stopped saying YES to other peoples demands so I have more time for what I need to do – which is scheduling exercise for my mental and physical health. Blocking off 1 hour per day for me is NOT a sacrifice, it’s something that positively impacts my life and has a flow on effect on my family.
Embrace the weather and prepare for it. Winter sucks, winter in Auckland sucks more. Walking in wild, winter weather is kinda liberating. Embrace it, wear a hat so the rain stays out of your eyes, put a jacket on and go for it. Letting go of excuses is priming me for great things I can feel it!

I’m so pumped on my daily walks right now, I’d love to know how you’re pushing through during this awful weather and getting your workouts in, leave me a comment below if you’d like to share!

PS – Versa also has on-screen workouts so if dodging hail isn’t your thing, squeeze in a 10-minute ab workout while you’re hibernating with Netflix!

New Zealand's Top Travel Lifestyle Blog Home Decor Travel Insurance

Travelling with Kids? 5 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday

Some people are obsessed with shoes, some with working out, hipster coffee or mastering their winged eyeliner. I’m a sneaker-wearing, Nespresso-drinking, tinted moisturiser kind-of-girl who’s allergic to the gym, hence, my passion is slightly more far-flung and requires a little more planning than simply co-ordinating my active wear.

I absolutely LIVE for travelling with my family. And by family, I mean hubby and the kids. Our ongoing partnership with Jetstar over the past couple of years has meant we have been able to keep our Wanderlust at bay with frequent trips exploring New Zealand and further afield to Australia, Bali and Japan.

As we’re flying 5 times in the next 9 months (eek!!!), I need to get organised. That means getting itineraries locked and loaded and life-admin such as travel insurance sorted with minimum hassle and expense. It also means revisiting our family travel hacks and implementing everything we learnt on our last BIG trip, which was to Japan in January.

Travel insurance – done deal. This year we are using Holiday Rescue Travel Insurance. They are new, they are different and their benefits for us as a family are soooo good. Kids 17 and under are covered for free, and medical services (fingers crossed we won’t be needing them but hello Nixon on skis lol) are provided by the best of the best, as opposed to the cheapest bidder which is whom other travel insurance providers tend to use. Check out this Q&A from Holiday Rescue for more info – travel insurance in everyday, easy to understand language = amazing!

5 Tips for Stress-Free Travelling with Kids

Avoid airport stress: Departing the house, airport arrival and check-in is a stress-minefield when you’ve got kids AND luggage in tow (which inevitably means a shit tonne more luggage than you ever imagined could possibly fit in your car!). Allow an extra 25 minutes to leave the house, kids move as slow as molasses, slower when they know a situation is time sensitive. Park at or near the airport if at all possible. There are heaps of inexpensive, open-air park ‘n ride options which mean you won’t be relying on someone else to get you to the airport on time – cue reciprocal airport-drop-off-obligations :::::shudder:::::: Invest in a little hanging luggage scale to take with you ($10 from Kmart) and you’ll easily avoid the trauma of rearranging your families dirty undies on the floor at the check-in counter. Double check VISA requirements and passport expiry dates. I’m going to leave that one there as I’m still recovering from the fiscal shock of needing 2 emergency passports before we left for Bali last year!
Transit times matter: Scoring cheap flights are epic and often necessary when you’re planning a holiday with your entire tribe, but, sometimes the real price is paid via long layovers and extra stops. If you’re particularly keen on your kids losing their marbles, keep them in a transit lounge for 5+ hours – works every time!
Go easy on the itinerary: After 14 days of travelling in Japan with only ONE day unscheduled, I realised that ‘more’ is not always best when your travelling with your kids. As adults, we can fuel our adventures day after day with coffee and adrenalin and wind down at night with a herbal tea (or glass of wine!), but kids simply crash and when they’re away from all that’s familiar they crash hard! Alternate your Big Adventure Days with low-key, relaxed time spent exploring or simply being together as a family somewhere new.
Mealtimes are KEY: Don’t skip them, keep dinner times early and don’t disregard how grounding that 3-meal-a-day routine can be for little people who are out of their comfort zone. It’s super easy to want to make each meal an ‘occasion’ when your travelling, but sometimes a takeaway pizza eaten on the floor of a hotel room with a family movie playing can be exactly what the doctor ordered for holiday-makers of all ages. Pressure to behave in a restaurant may be the straw that breaks the camels back for Littles at the end of full-on day abroad.
Accommodation options are endless – choose wisely. Gone are the days when cramming the family into one quad-share hotel room was the best/only option. In my family, we don’t need a whole lot of space, but everyone needs their OWN space. Renting apartments, villas and townhouses have proven cheaper and much more convenient whenever we travel with the boys. Access to kitchen and laundry facilities cuts down on life-admin, allows us to travel lighter and means we can whip up eggs and toast for brekkie on those 5 am mornings when ONLY eggs and toast will do for Master 4!

This post was sponsored by Holiday Rescue Travel Insurance and I’d LOVE to keep it updated with more tips around reducing stress when travelling with kids so please leave me a comment below with your ideas and experiences!

New Zealand's Top Travel Lifestyle Blog Home Decor

Home Decor – A Winter Bedroom Refesh

As Mum is now spending less and less time with us down here in Auckland, preferring the wilds of her own, brand new house, literally right on the Kaipara Harbour, her room here has become slightly ‘lacking’ in…….everything lol.

It’s quite hidden from visitors and is totally self-contained with its own office and ensuite, so it’s been easy to ignore how ‘spare room’ it had become. In saying that, it was bothering me. My plan is to paint it white as we replaced an old school, dodgy glass door with a solid fibreglass one and the ol’ quarter tea needs to be freshened up, lightened and brightened.

But who’s got time for painting right now? Not me that’s for sure.

Instead, I’ve opted for an easy make-over, using new bed linen and decor.

Before:

Sooooo spare room right?

When I shot the ‘before’ pics, it was immediately apparent how flat and one-dimensional the elements in the room were – what few there were! What was needed were texture and depth, so in choosing new bed linen from Logan & Mason’s luxe Autumn/Winter range, I was looking for linen styles that created some interest and contrast.

After:

Shopping duvet covers seemed the natural place to begin; the Parker Mineral Set was exactly what I was looking for. Lush velvet panels in charcoal, gold and silver create a tactile experience as well as visual depth to the bed.

I paired it with matching European pillowcases, Antique Lattice Gold Square Cushion from the Florence Broadhurst range, a Natural Cotton Waffle Blanket and the Presley Ink Faux Fur Throw.

Once the bed linen was in place I was able to visualise the accessories needed to finish the room’s ‘cosmetic’ overhaul. Once again I was looking for dimension and texture so was conscious of combining different materials (brass, rattan, concrete) drawing on the gold velvet from the duvet as the common element to tie the room together.

I LOVE the end result and so does Mum. The velvet and faux fur fabrics are so on trend right now, as are the inky petrol tones paired perfectly with the mustard/gold.

This post was a collaboration between myself and Logan & Mason.

A Series of Unpleasant Challenges.

I went to the doctor today as I was literally unable to breathe without gasping with my mouth wide open, which, looks odd but also induces bouts of coughing that make me feel like little pieces of my lungs are flying up my oesophagus and out of my mouth.

I’m sick of being sick. I didn’t leave with the antibiotics I was hoping for (apparently this is just a virus, a snotty, green, feel-like-death-warmed-up virus), curse my luck. Antibiotics make me feel cured! Like, I’m assassinating all the sick things, they bring me a light at the end of my squinty-eyed, sick-mama tunnel. Obvs the placebo effect alone is worth it in my instance. But, instead today, I left with a prescription for pseudoephedrine.

PSEUDOEPHEDRINE!!!

Even better than antibiotics! Now I can be sick, get ALL the things done, without feeling like I need to rest. What a bloody mummy-miracle.

At least I’m now able to breathe so that’s something.

Back to the GP. I had a particularly nasty thought and decided to act on it, the lack of antibiotic prescribing hadn’t deterred me from broaching an even pricklier subject. “Melissa”, I thought, “while you’re here, with your Doc as an audience………..why not bring up the really fun topic about those pesky 10+ kgs that have piled on over the past 10 years hmmmmmm?”

You see, I’m sick of being sick but I’m even more sick of being overweight. A pre-big-fuck-off milestone birthday slipped through the cracks last month, reminding me that next year, I will turn 40. And 40 needs to be svelte I’m thinking.

So, a g a i n …….. no magic pill was prescribed (not that I’m complaining about the legal meth, I mean, I’M WRITING A BLOG so you know that shit is good!), but, Good Doc gave me some suggestions or what I like to call, A Series of Unpleasant Challenges;

Get at least 8 hours of sleep. The fuck? What even is that and please, let me introduce you to my son Nixon.
Zero alcohol for 6 weeks. I can’t even…….
Find a different exercise that I enjoy. Apparently simply ‘paying for’ a gym membership doesn’t count?
Check thyroid – blood test complete!
Take zinc to help with immunity – check!
Look at further reducing my antidepressant medication citalopram. Oh boy. Over the past 6 months I have HALVED my daily dose (Yay me!) and now I have to be brave and think about cutting it out altogether. Which I will probably do, but very, very slowly as brain zaps are just one of the very real and awful side effect of messing with SSRI meds.

So. See what I mean about the Unpleasant Challenges? Total cracker of a day. But I did write this post so that is definitely worth celebrating………by crawling into bed for 8 hours sleep.

LOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

New Zealand's Top Travel Lifestyle Blog Book review

Kid’s Books: A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies by Kate Hursthouse

There are some books where everything comes together in a gorgeous package that you just want to hold and touch and look at before you’ve even turned the first page. A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies and other such collective nouns by New Zealand artist Kate Hursthouse is definitively, one stunning book.

Nixon, our 4-year-old is obsessed with Kate’s first, beautiful book. This is no one-time read guys. We sit on the couch and pour over each page, counting creatures and soaking up the riot of colour and fun that is each of the 25 animal groupings.

And then we go back and read it again lol.

A simple literary concept has resulted in a delightful marriage of art and language. Discovering the collective nouns for animals and insects is as enjoyable for me the adult reader as it is for Nixon. A tangle of octopuses! A conspiracy of lemurs?! It’s all freaking gorgeous and a fun read.

Beautifully bound and presented, A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies is a book to keep, pass on and enjoy again and again.

A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies and other such collective nouns by Kate Hursthouse, RRP $30 Available online from Kate’s website here.

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