Giveaway

Say hello! The Boys Store + Giveaway!

June 8, 2015
By: Melissa

I AM IN AWE OF THE MANY INCREDIBLE MUMS OUT THERE, DOING A FAB JOB OF RUNNING THEIR OWN SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES WHILST SIMULTANEOUSLY HOLDING DOWN THE FORT AT HOME. I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE ‘MET’ MANY OF THESE LADIES ONLINE AND CAN’T WAIT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME NEW FACES AND THEIR AWESOME ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVOURS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED AND HAVE YOUR BUSINESS FEATURED, PLEASE SAY HELLO! MELISSA@THEBESTNEST.CO.NZ

When E was a bubba I absolutely despaired when it came to finding super cool clothes for him. There. Was. Nothing. A certain NZ startup (where everyone shopped for lack of other options) had huge stores and a massive range………that was 90% girls clothes with a small, token offering for the little guys. Times have certainly changed {thank god!} and I’m having so much fun playing dress up with my little Nixie while I still can.

Making life easier for those of us with boys, Mama of two Andrea has firmly cornered the market with The Boys Store and created a definitive shopping destination that has little dudes covered from tip-to-toe as well as their rooms, their toys, accessories, books…………it’s all in one place and it’s all awesome.

After welcoming her own little bundle of ~~dirt~~ joy, eldest child Mackay, Andrea felt the boy+shopping frustration firsthand and decided to do something about it. With Husband Andrew on board as designer, they created The Boys Store and sought to fill the online shelves with only the coolest and most fun products from the BEST brands around the world. Some of my favorite local brands such as Little Flock of Horrors and Little Pop Studios are represented as well as big name international brands that I love such as Huxbaby and Aden + Anais.

So……..Let’s meet Andrea!

1. Please, please give me the lowdown on your weekly work schedule as I’m on struggle street at the moment trying to fit in blogging work with the rest of my mum-life!

Yup, I’m totally familiar with that juggling act, especially when children are younger! Luckily it does start to get easier as the kids get older, my son has just started school and my daughter (3.5 years) is now in an awesome local kindy each day also. Now that The Boy’s Store has been running approximately 6 months and I’m focusing less on the tasks that go with establishing the business and more on the tasks that are going to grow the business, I’ve got a bit more structure to the weeks ie. I allow a set time each week for social media planning, newsletter creation, product purchasing etc etc! I absolutely need to structure my days those as otherwise before I know it, it’s kindy pickup time and I feel like I’ve got nothing done.

2. When I first heard about The Boys Store last year I thought WOW, then I thought wow, an online store JUST for boys? Were you ever worried this was a risky move? (It seems pretty genius to me but then I’m a Mum to two boys!).

Definitely not! There is a huge amount of online stores out there for babies and kids and it would have been more risky doing just another online store without having a point of difference. Focusing only on boys gives us that point of difference and given we don’t confine ourselves to just clothing, but include toys, décor and books, we’ve got a little something for everyone’s budget and requirements. I always found as a mum with a young boy that it was really hard to find quality, funky & affordable boy’s stuff out there, so it’s our goal to bring products that fit that bill together in one place!

3. What do you find most difficult about being an online retailer/ business owner?

Getting that cut-through in the market. We live in such an online world and that space is so crowded. Getting consumers to take notice of your business when they see a zillion other business ads on Facebook and get hundreds of EDM newsletters in their inbox is really tricky. It’s definitely one of our goals to create more than just an online store for boys, we want to create a community for mums of boys as well. Building that relationship with our customers is key, we really want to hear what they want to see more of for their boys and customer service is a huge focus of ours also.

4. What are your favourite items in stock right now?

We’re loving stocking some brands that aren’t so widely found in New Zealand, including the following:

Zuttion – this range of cool urban style clothing with a vintage wash is delivered by Australian designer Pete Zuttion. Our son lives in his hoody from this range!

Anarkid – Anarkid Organic is a stunning collection of design inspired babywear for newborns up to 18 months. Made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton it is also great value for money.

We’re also pretty proud to stock the Hape range of toys. If you haven’t seen the Hape range you will want to check it out, made from wood or bamboo and painted with water-based paints, it’s perfectly safe for little ones! Each Hape toy is designed to be open ended so there’s more than one way they can play with it – nothing worse than a toy that only engages a child for 5 minutes!

Last, but not least, it wouldn’t be a boy’s store without a range of superhero decals, wall prints, clocks and other accessories! I think one of our favourite items here would be the Batman Lego Clock.

5. What’s ahead for The Boys Store?

We’ve got loads of exciting things in the pipeline! One of our focus will be building that community and we invite anyone who might want to be a contributor to get in touch with us. Our range is always expanding also and in the next couple of months will extend up to around 8 years of age (in both clothing and toys), so if you have a older boy watch this space. We’ve got some awesome summer ranges that are due to land in the next few months also that will include swimwear and loads of colour, just what we need after winter! We’re also working on things such as Layby programmes, Loyalty programmes and registry programmes (ie. For baby showers etc) – amongst other things!

Nixon wears Avenue. G Pullover – On Sale Now! ~~$39.95~~ $32.95

Lovely Andrea is giving one of you the chance to win a $50 voucher to spend online at The Boys Store! Head over to The Best Nest on Facebook and follow the instructions on the competition post. Comp closes Sunday June 14th 10pm.

Beauty Review | Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant + Limited Edition 15ml + Giveaway

June 4, 2015
By: Melissa

Good things come in small packages, so they say, and one of the most celebrated beauty products to hit the shelves in recent years is now available in a limited edition mini!

I was lucky enough to get my hands on this wee gem a couple of months ago, so am now well and truly converted to the magic of Trilogy’s stellar Rosehip facial oil. My skin has been going through a really bad patch recently, every zone on my face seems to have gone in different directions with a myriad combo of teenage girl problems. Ugh.

I’ve stuck with the somewhat recent inclusion of Rosehip Oil to my beauty routine and I’m so, so glad I did. My skin seems to have an increased depth, hopefully fending off the typical thinning associated with aging that I’ve begun to notice over the past few years. The well documented benefits of Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ include significantly improving brightness, skin tone, reduction of fine lines and wrinkles and improved elasticity and firmness. Check, check, check.

Let’s be honest, it’s too soon to say that I can see a noticeable reduction in lines and wrinkles, however, I do believe that regular use of Rosehip oil will probably assist in preventing those pesky fine lines from developing into full blown facial crevasses! And I’m all for that.

An invitation to discover for yourself why Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ has become such a beauty phenomena, the Limited Edition 15ml bottle is exactly half the size and half the price of the full size 30ml original! Available throughout June/July or until stocks last, you can pick up your own cute mini from selected Farmers, pharmacy, department and health stores nationwide.

Competition closed. Congratulations Ursula Gee!

We have three bottles to give away! Comment below to go in the draw to win a bottle here plus head over to Facebook where I’ll be giving away two more bottles of this luscious little miracle. Competition closes 10/6/15. NZ residents only por favor.

No baddies allowed – Pineapple Heads All Natural Hair & Bath Care Products for Kids + Giveaway!

June 3, 2015
By: Melissa

It’s not weird to want to eat your kids bubblebath right? Like actually just charge it back straight from the bottle………I think I need an intervention people!

After using and loving the Pineapple Heads shampoo on Nixie’s golden locks earlier in the year, I was freaking pumped to get the whole range into the bathroom and lather the boys in some yummy, all natural, New Zealand made goodness.

Lord knows they need m o r e washing.

It’s June, the early days of a cold and gloomy winter are upon us and Nixon was in {physically IN} the vege garden this morning at 7.40am. Digging in the dirt. Having the time of his life. This is standard procedure around here. Hence the child bathes a lot.

This is where I worry. It’s not entirely uncommon for him to shower twice a day, and the effect on his beautiful baby skin is quite apparent. It gets really dry and bumpy and he loses his deliciously soft and squishy touchability if I’m not careful with the products we use. Not only that, but exposing his skin to such frequent product application is not something I take likely.

My sporty, outdoor-loving, landscape destroying boys have taken to the Pineapple Heads range like pigs to mud. Me too. I could happily huff the stuff all day long, but you know, totes inappropriate. Everything just smells SO DAMN GOOD! Think nectarine, coconut, hibiscus flower, peaches, honeysuckle, mango, papaya, lime, lotus flower………..seriously every product in the range is a veritable fruit salad of yummy bubbles. Pineapple Heads Founder Megan (who is a Mum herself) developed her kid friendly fragrances with a French Parfumer who specialises in natural and organic scents! Fancy.

Good news; we have been using Pineapple Heads exclusively for a week and Nixie’s skin is loving it! I was rubbing lotion on him after every shower, but have found that I’m not having to do it every time now. The ‘No Baddies’ formulations in the range seem to have eliminated the drying effect that bathing has on his skin. Now I just wish for a tropical scented moisturiser for kids to complete the range!

My big boy Ethan is also down with the yummy smells now on offer in the bathroom. He has hair like steel wool but I’ve always struggled with getting him to consistently use conditioner to soften his mane, the extra step in an already arduous part of his day – that would be bathing – has always been a step too far. The peach, honeysuckle and lemon balm conditioner is doing the job it’s designed to do and softening and smoothing his coarse hair. I’m stoked and he’s now amped on washing, though always seems to emerge from the shower hungry?

Very Important things to Know;

Pineapple Heads products contain No Baddies. No silicones, polyethylene glycol, petrochemicals, parabens, artificial colours, harsh surfactants and is cruelty free, yay animals!
Pineapple Heads is made in New Zealand, designed by a kiwi mum!
You can buy Pineapple Heads online here > www.pineappleheads.co.nz

Pineapple Heads are rad and they want you to get scrubbing with the good stuff too! Head over to our Facebook page where you can win an ah-mazing bounty of products plus a hilarious new picture book called Jimmy Shampoo and the Nasty Grey Goo! Be quick, competition closes Wednesday June 10th.

Say hello! Qwerky Home + Giveaway

May 11, 2015
By: Melissa

Yay another Monday and another awesome Mum to introduce you all to!

I’ve only connected with Leigh-ann from Qwerky Home over the past 48 hours and to be honest it’s been a flurry of emails back and forth as we threw this feature together but…….gosh, if this woman isn’t as lovely, positive, excited and as fun in real life as she comes across via email I would be so surprised! And let’s be honest, how difficult must it be to sound lovely, positive, excited and as fun when you have three kids and you’re probably typing one email in multiple shifts while standing up with a cereal bowl in one hand, dirty laundry under an arm and someone tugging at your leg?

In her own words;

I’m Leigh-ann, and I’m married to my wonderful husband and we have three children aged 4, 5 and 6. Life is pretty hectic! My husband is in the military which has meant a fair bit of moving and lots of time apart. It was really important to us that I stayed home with our children while they were preschoolers, and the older they got, the more I realised that I wanted to be able to work around their school hours to be available to help out at school, go to sports days and assemblies and to be home if they need me. With my husband’s job, I needed a career that fit around school hours and school holidays as I can’t rely on my husband to be around all the time. Having a business at home works perfectly with all of that, although sometimes it would be nice to go out to work and leave it all there at home time! I was a counsellor before we had children, so this is a big shift for me and I’m learning all the time. I love it though!

1. Which came first the business or the babes?

Bebes! I had three children under three and a military husband. We got posted up to Ohakea and built a house and then I realised that I was bored – three children and two house builds in four years left me restless when I didn’t have a project on the go! I started to think about doing more training either in my previous profession as a counsellor, or in interior design when my first business (dorothy nada) popped up. Less than a year later, the opportunity to purchase Qwerky Home appeared and I grabbed it. Who needs sleep anyway? 😉

2. Doing double-duty being your own boss and a Mum is hard! How do you manage your time so you’re not constantly working?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha *catches breath*, ha ha ha ha ha.

Ummm….yeah. I’m constantly working.

3. Your site is full of bright, fun colours which I love, what’s your view on the scandi-monochrome trend we’re seeing in interiors?

I LOVE the whole scandi-monochrome thing. I think that if I wasn’t obsessed with colour I’d be totally into it. I have HUGE admiration for people who have children who can carry it off in their homes – my house is colourful, vibrant and LOUD! Sometimes I dream of a calm, subtle room to hide out in, but then I think that I’d end up throwing colour at it anyway. I love to look at the current trend, but I just can’t imagine living in it.

4. What is your favourite item in store right now?

Glass Greenhouse Interior Mum Blog New Zealand I love the glass greenhouse. It’s a slightly off-beat take on the terraniums that are around at the moment. Just gorgeous!

5. Does life even exist offline anymore? What’s your take on incorporating social media into your business plan?

Social media pretty much IS my business plan! With 2 businesses and a blog, I feel like I’m always on facebook or instagram. It’s such a great way of getting immediate access to your customers (or potential customers) and building a real relationship with them. It’s a bit like an online version of your friendly local shopkeeper. I love that aspect of it! The only downside is that sometimes people expect you to be available 24/7, and with a young family (now aged 4, 5, and 6), that’s just not possible.

Because Leigh-ann is just so awesome this weeks Say hello! winner will be able to choose between two amaze prizes!

To enter, head over to the Qwerky Home website find the Moana Rd School Bag Handbags or the Wooden arrows sets and tell me on our Facebook post which product and which colour you will choose if you’re the super-lucky winner! Competition closes next Sunday 17th May 10pm. NZ residents only.

Outsmart your kids with DUPLO Mum Hacks + Giveaway!

April 30, 2015
By: Melissa

Toys that do double-duty are my absolute favourite when it comes to creating hours of meaningful, educational play for Nixon. I will not buy single purpose toys for under 5’s as little ones tire of them so quickly and often require intensive supervision to ensure they stay focused and on task. Duplohowever, is guaranteed to keep my boys entertained through the daily ‘witching hour’ of 5.50-6.30pm, when all hell breaks loose and ringing through the neighbourhood are the cries of “MASH”, “I’m hungry”, “when will dinner be ready?”, “what’s for dinner”, “MASH”, “we always have THAT”……… your house, too right? RIGHT? So, I’ve been trying to think out of the box and come up with some simple and quick games Ethan can help Nixie with, freeing me up to feed the masses.

Stage 1 Mum Hack: Nixon is 21 months old and has a rudimentary grasp on his colours. I built four basic squares and had a rummage in our Duplo box to find a good range of different sized bricks to match the four primary coloured squares; red, yellow, blue and green. I pop these in a large basket so Nix can easily see all of the bricks. Using verbal cues we show Nix what the expected result is i.e. all of the Duplo sorted by colour into the squares, and then we prompt him to do it himself. Creating a basic colour matching game with Duplo will assist with his fine motor skills (picking and sorting) as well as colour identification, differentiation and association.

Duplo Mum Hack Mum Blogger New Zealand

Stage 2 Mum Hack: Once Nix has grasped colour sorting I’ll print out some flash cards with varying images on them i.e two blue bricks, and ask him to match his Duplo bricks to the image before sorting it into the squares. This will ease him into emergent numeracy work, identifying shapes, patterns, measurement (big vs small) and numbers – all under the guise of play! You can take this as far as you want to, flash cards can be quickly drawn up to work on sequencing – the aim in the example below is to make a pattern as described on the flash card.

Duplo Mum Hack Mum Blogger New Zealand

What’s your tip to help make mum’s life easier? LEGO DUPLO is celebrating these tricks with #DUPLOMumHacks. Upload your idea, using #DUPLOMumHacks, and be in with a chance to win a LEGO DUPLO prize pack.

Simply share your hack on Instagram (tag me @thebestnest), Facebook (share on my page The Best Nest) or Twitter (tag me @thebestnestnz) with #DUPLOMumHacks and you’ll go into the draw to win a LEGO DUPLO prize pack of your own. I have three DUPLO My First Playhouse sets to give away! Winners drawn Friday 31st May 2015. NZ residents only.

All entries shared via Instagram and Twitter using #DUPLOMumHacks will be aggregated in the #DUPLOMumHacks Facebook tab and entered in the grand competition to win a LEGO DUPLO prize pack each month. Click here to find out more and see other entries.

This post was made possible thanks to LEGO DUPLO. All views are authentic and to the best of the authors knowledge at time of publication.

All entries uploaded using #DUPLOMumHacks will automatically go into the LEGO DUPLO Facebook Competition, please see additional T&C’s here. By submitting an entry, each participant: (a) warrants and represents that he/she owns the rights to the content submitted and that the content submitted is: (i) original to him/her and has been legally obtained and created, (ii) does not infringe the intellectual property rights, privacy or publicity rights or any other legal or moral rights of any third party; (b) grants the LEGO Group a worldwide, royalty free, perpetual license to, copy and reproduce the video or entry on the LEGO® website at www.LEGO.com, its websites and its social media channels; and (c) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the LEGO Group against any and all claims, damages, expenses, costs and liabilities relating to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights, right of publicity, right of privacy or defamation.

New Product | Neat n Sweet Sheets + Giveaway

April 21, 2015
By: Melissa

Everytime I think that surely there are simply no more amazing ideas out there left to bring to market, a Mum comes up with something new and fab. It’s always a Mum isn’t it?

Kirsty from Neat n Sweet attempted making up her cot whilst pregnant and soon realised what all Mums and Dads (maybe only some Dads?) know as fact; making up a cot is almost as futile and aggravating as making up a top bunk! She then began a journey of trial and error combined with years of research and experimentation which has led to the development of Neat n Sweet sheets.

Neat n Sweet sheets are designed to tuck baby into bed the good old-fashioned way. Made with special fittings that fasten under the mattress, they keep the entire sheet set secure and in place and avoid the top sheet from lifting up, becoming loose and untucked.

With a top sheet sewn in, parents no longer have to fuss around with tucking in multiple sheets and blankets that could later fall or be kicked off in the middle of the night. A wrap is also fitted to the base sheet that keeps baby in the preferred sleep position through the night – on their back.

The top sheet is fitted with two zips and each provide access to your baby from either side of the cot. Simply zip them up at night and parents can rest assured knowing that baby is tucked up for the night comfortably.

Made from 95% cotton, Neat n Sweet sheets are available in two colours – pretty pink gingham trim or baby blue gingham trim with white sheeting. Both are filled with breathable cotton fibre and each have an RRP of $139.

For more information and to order Neat n Sweet sheets, visit www.neat-n-sweet.com

I have one set of Baby Blue Gingham Sheets to give away so head over to The Best Nest on Facebook to enter. Competition closes Sunday 26th April at 10pm.

Say hello! | Mud Mates + Giveaway

April 20, 2015
By: Melissa

I am in awe of the many incredible Mum’s out there, doing a fab job of running their own successful businesses whilst simultaneously holding down the fort at home. I’m fortunate enough to have ‘met’ many of these ladies online and can’t wait to introduce you to some new faces and their awesome entrepreneurial endeavours. If you would like to get involved and have your business featured, please say hello!melissa@thebestnest.co.nz

I kind of get the feeling that in years to come Mud Mates may be one of those companies that becomes a kiwi institution; one of those products that everyone will remember wearing as a child and then go on to purchase for their kids in the future.

Owner Alana, got in touch with me and I jumped at the chance to work with her because, um, NIXON! Crazy baby is crazy, and he needs to be covered head to toe in plastic at all times. Some don’t find that acceptable however, so instead, there is Mud Mates. Thank goodness.

Alana is a Hawkes Bay mum of two, who developed her awesome products out of the frustration (desperation?) that I’m sure every Mum has felt as a result of the constant washing and often ruining of clothes that can result from letting your kids be kids and get dirty.

Mud Mates has been going strong for a couple of years now, continuing their awesome commitment to producing their products at home in New Zealand, Napier to be exact! Reserach and design has seen the introduction of a new fabric to the range; coveralls, overpants and shoe covers are now made from water-resistant and water-repellent fabric. This is a breathable, polyester, PVC-free fabric with a polyurethane (PU) coating on the inside and a 3M Scotchguard water-repellent coating on the outside. The fabric is soft and lightweight (yet durable and hard-wearing) which means the garments are comfortable and easy to wear without restricting your littlies movement.

I am a mother of two boys.

Two full on, balls to the wall, dirty, grubby, stained and scuffed boys. I love it, and them. An unfortunate side effect of having feral children and failing to rein in their dirt-ambitions is that I have allowed plenty of ‘nice’ clothes to be ruined. I refuse to tell my kids they aren’t allowed to get dirty. In fact I don’t think that particular phrase has ever left my mouth! Needless to say, I had never really considered the need for some coveralls. Never until I actually tried them out!

I may be down with dirt, but one thing I’m paranoid about is letting my kids get cold. Easter weekend brought amaze weather, it was so, so hot up in Waipu at Mum’s but the mornings were very shivery and cold with heavy dews. The end of Daylight Saving also added super early wake-ups to the holiday weekend {arghhh!} so we were up and at ’em before the sun had a chance to warm up the chilly autumn mornings. Nixon was gifted a pair of Mud Mates Coveralls and lawd I was stoked I remembered to pack them! They proved themselves as soon as the little guy settled on the water-logged sand-pit as his play location! He was able to splash around in there, doing his roadworks, burying and excavating tractors and I didn’t worry a bit about him getting wet and cold – ain’t nobody got time for a sick toddler!

One important thing to note here; these are not lined, which I love. Here’s why; last winter I purchased a pair of lined overalls with shoulder straps. They were gorgeous and thick and warm, but they were so thick that when popped over clothes Nix could barely move in them. Working around this meant that I had to strip Nix’s pants off before and after play time which was a little bit chilly at the beach mid-winter! The shoulder straps fell down constantly and the plastic buckles didn’t hold their position, so again I found a workaround by tying knots in the straps- again, less than ideal. When I saw Nix was heading for the water, I busted out a deft intercept, zipped the coveralls over his clothes and he was good-to-go. They pack down super-small as well so you can always squeeze then in your diaper bag and make the most of those random, muddy, FUN opportunities. I absolutely love these coveralls!

Mud Mates coveralls are so low-maintenance I’m thoroughly recommending that all babies and toddlers should wear them 100% of the time FOR EVER. Just kidding. Sort of. Every Mum should be so lucky to have a pair of these in their arsenal, these would be the most useful and appreciated first birthday gift ever!

If you would like to win a pair of the amaze Mud Mates coveralls, head over to our Facebook page and follow the instructions on the competition image. Competition closes Sunday 26th April 10pm. If you just can’t wait, purchase a pair here

Giveaway {closed} | Even Better Easiyo!

March 30, 2015
By: Melissa

We have just made our second, DELICIOUS batch of EasiYo and our whole family is totally hooked on both the process {so, so simple} and the result – thick and creamy yoghurt in the yummiest flavours! I’ve wanted one of these simple, effective kitchen helpers since I was a little girl, so was totally stoked to have been gifted one to try in our home, and, you can try one too! Thanks to EasiYo, we have one $100 prize pack to giveaway which includes a new, improved EasiYo yogurt maker, ten yogurt sachets, two serving bowls and two large jars! Keep reading to find out how to win.

Mommy Blogger New Zealand EasiYo’s new and improved yogurt maker has been made-over with a stylish new look and more compact size that fits better on the kitchen shelf. An easy-grip handle and non-slip feet have been added, while smooth surfaces make for easy cleaning. A new shape jar makes it easier to spoon the last of the yogurt out. Designed and made in New Zealand, the maker is also insulated with 100 percent New Zealand wool.

Real yogurt real easy, simply add water and wake up to 1kg of the freshest, tastiest yogurt. Made from the best New Zealand milk with billions of live cultures in every spoonful, making it fresh means there’s no need for the artificial ingredients, additives and stabilisers often used in store-bought yogurt.

Delicious and nutritious, vegetarian and gluten free, EasiYo is available at all major supermarkets nationwide or at easiyo.com.

EasiYo yogurt maker RRP$30, EasiYo 1L yogurt sachets RRP$4.50

www.easiyo.com | EasiYo Facebook

To enter to win, just head to the EasiYo website, pick your favourite flavour then let me know in a comment below or follow the instructions on the contest image posted on my FB page – you are welcome to enter both ways. Entries close Sunday 5th April at 10pm.

Giveaway | School Holiday Fun at The Bruce Mason Theatre with Mrs McGinty’s Garden

March 25, 2015
By: Melissa

Get the kids out of the house and into Mrs McGinty’s garden this April school holidays.

Mrs McGinty is known around the neighbourhood for being a grumpy old lady, but deep down she longs for friends. So when the kids next door get bored during their school holidays, Mrs McGinty is the perfect target to play pranks on – you will always get a rise out of her. They spend the summer shooting arrows in her cabbages, hiding rocks in her letterbox and coming up with new tricks to drive her crazy.

But all that is about to change when Mrs McGinty grows a plant in her garden that just keeps growing and growing. Overnight, Mrs McGinty goes from being known as cranky to the talk of the town.Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant was a finalist of NZ Children’s Book of the Year, 1982, and has gone on to bea New Zealand favourite for children 4 to 12 years old. The story is brought to life from the page to the stage with the use of fabulous sets, clever puppetry and great songs composed by Luke Di Somma (Chief Conductor of the Christchurch Youth Orchestra, Artistic Director Christchurch Pops Choir). The fantastic set features iconic New Zealand architecture such as a 1950s bungalow and the classic Edmond’s Sure to Rise factory sign.

Don’t miss this wonderful children’s story and visual feast at the Bruce Mason Centre for six shows only.

TREASURE TRAIL:

Come early and enjoy the treasure trail from 9.45am featuring the Imagination Playground, face painting and fun activities and crafts.

Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant plays Live at Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 April, 2015

Two shows daily, 10.30am and 1.00pm

TICKETS: $15 per person*(service fees apply)

BOOKING THROUGH www.ticketmaster.co.nz or 09 970 9700

Show duration: 60 minutes

To win a double pass head over to my FB page and help the rest of us out by commenting on the competition post with a school holiday idea for the kids

School Holiday Activities Auckland Mummy Blog NZ

A morning lifesaver | Heart Felt Organic Wool Dryer Balls

March 15, 2015
By: Melissa

I’m so pleased to have joined Munch Cooking this year as one of their Munch Mums! Look out for my reviews and giveaways each month as I introduce you to some awesome {and pretty innovative} products from The Munch Cupboard.

Oops.

This morning I had a total mummy fail; one of Ethan’s uniforms was dirty and the other was wet on the clothesline! It was the perfect opportunity to try out Heart Felt’s organic wool dryer balls as I had 15 minutes to get E dressed and off to school. I hate stressy mornings and E hates being late with a passion so I needed to get that uniform dry quickly!

Before I was sent them, I had never heard of dryer balls, so I headed to the Munch website to find out exactly what the benefits of using them were and what I was supposed to do with them.

Basically, you just pop them into the dryer with your wet clothes, kick back and not stress about the dryer being on forever because they speed up drying time! YAY! The densely felted organic wool balls also act as a fabric softener and remove static as they move through the clothes during the cycle resulting in soft, luxe feeling clothes without any additional product in your laundry.

So, what did I notice? Speedy drying………check. Ethan’s heavy shorts and shirt were dry in approximately 8 minutes – phew. The yucky synthetic fabrics in his uniform were also noticeably softer after a cycle with the Heart Felt balls, I have actually NEVER felt them so snuggly before.

Heading in to the wet season when we start to use our dryer more regularly, this awesome New Zealand made product will be a lifesaver. I’m a bit of a nana and monitor our power useage very carefully so anything that can cut down electricity use without sacrificing the little luxuries {like the dryer!} that make life a bit easier for me is so, so welcomed.

Head on over to FB for a chance to win a set of Heart Felt Dryer Balls for your own family this winter, or pick some up from Munch RRP $25

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