Sharing & Celebrating
Neighbours Day Aotearoa is gearing up for a whole month of activities, from 1 to 31 March 2023, sporting the new name, Neighbours Aotearoa. The name change supports the vision to see locally driven year-round activities, participation and organising around ‘Sharing, Growing and Celebrating’ in Aotearoa. Streets, apartment blocks, rural communities, neighbourhoods, and suburbs are […]
Holiday scams prove costly
A new report from cyber safety brand Norton has revealed that 28 percent of New Zealanders have fallen victim to scams during holidays seasons, losing on average NZ$509. The report also showed that almost a quarter of New Zealanders are still willing to take more risks, such as buying online from an unknown seller and […]
The lipstick effect
For more than two decades now, cosmetic companies, and economists, have used the ‘Lipstick Effect’ to help gauge what’s happening to the economy. The term was allegedly coined during the 2001 recession by Leonard Lauder, then the chairman of Estee Lauder Cosmetics. He noted that lipstick sales rose in the autumn of that year, indicating […]
Lift your mood
Feeling down? Many simple activities and techniques can help to lift your mood naturally. Eating chocolate is one. Both raw and dark chocolate contain phytochemicals that play a role in lifting mood. These include theobromine, anandamide, caffeine, and phenylethylamine, which are known to stimulate brain function and pleasure centres in the brain, positively affecting your […]
Posh Picnics
Shake the dust off your picnic basket and get it prepped for summer. One blueprint to creating a fairy tale picnic, that will taste fantastic and look great in photos too, is colour, colour, and more colour. Just as dopamine dressing can benefit your mood, dopamine eating may uplift your day, especially with a rainbow […]
Setting the scene
Inviting friends and family for lunch is a popular way to catch up, especially during the holiday season when there’s more time to prepare, and to socialise. Whether you’re having two or 20 guests, setting the table doesn’t have to be a time consuming task. Planning is one of the pillars to hosting an enjoyable, […]
Summer Ceviche
Ceviche is a South American dish of fish cured in citrus juices and a staple of the Peruvian cuisine. It makes a tasty summer dish, easy to prepare, fresh, vibrant and bursting with flavour. This version is inspired by Nikkei restaurant Head Chef Alvaro Barros’ passion for fishing. During the summer months you can often […]
Pet for a present
So many hope that on Christmas morning one of their presents under the tree might let out a bark or meow. Pets are a wonderful addition to a household, and every year many animals are gifted as a special Christmas present. Although giving a pet as a gift may seem like a straight-to-the-heart gesture, it […]
Top South Island dog-friendly campsites
Marlborough: Nikau Cove Campsite Located in the breath-taking Marlborough Sounds in a sheltered bay not far from the Bay of Many Coves, Nikau Cove offers six non-powered sites. You will need a permit to bring your dog here which is readily obtainable via the DOC office. West coast: Franz-Josef Top 10 Holiday Park This campsite […]
Gorgeous gardens
Gardening is the work of a lifetime: you never finish. So said Oscar de la Renta, and he was so right. Gardening is a hobby for some, a passion for others, and it can even be a chore. The health benefits are well recorded, with studies having shown it is good physical activity for all […]
