Free pampering at The Department Store

Hey Mama! I know today and tomorrow is going to be mad busy but if you have a little time I have one more freebie for you. Pop into The Department Store today from 3pm - 7pm and get your hair and make up done for free while you sip on some free bubbles and munch free organic strawberries. Maybe go ahead and ditch the kids for an hour. A little pampering can go a long way at this time of year. Merry Christmas! 

Go hang out with a Christmas Fairy today!

The Christmas Fairy will be at The Department Store in Takapuna from 10am - 4pm today! Perfect if you've still got some presents to cross off your list -- Topshop has some very glamorous but very affordable make up, Nature Baby has some fun toys and Topman has the coolest socks in town.

 And then you can relax with a coffee and a fresh pastrie at La Boulange while the fairy entertains the kids. 

Haeata and her cousin Lily hanging out with a fairy at The Department Store during the winter school holidays

And here you go, some Christmas music you can actually enjoy listening to while you're wrapping presents!

Santa Is Coming To Town by Shuteyes

Little Ears

Alright, festival season is upon us and if you're planning on taking the kids to WOMAD, Bloom, Splore or any of the other many summer music festivals on offer you might want to invest in some ear muffs. 


Little Ears is the only distributor of ear muffs for both babies and children. And they have them in heaps of fun colours! They sell handy little ones for babies that are attached with elastic too. 


Go have fun getting down in the sun with your kids this summer but don't forget to protect their little ears. 

Auckland City Mission

While you're busy making sure Christmas is awesome for your own kids, don't forget the children for whom Christmas might not be so awesome.


You can take new, unwrapped presents and nonperishable food down to Auckland City Mission on Hobson St or even just call to make a donation. 


MOTAT is also doing a great deal this week. Buy a gift in their gift shop to be donated to either Auckland City Mission or Ronald McDonald House and get free admission!

The Temptations - Silent Night

One of my best friends is from Texas and when we were living together in The Philippines she introduced me to many of her own great Christmas traditions - corn bread, collared greens, sweet potato pie, heavily spiked egg nog but one of the best has to The Tempations Christmas songs.


They're all amazing but their version of Silent Night has to be one of my favourites. Very light on the cheese with a big old dose of soul. Perfect.

U900 - Jingle Bells

Alright, now that Christmas is just six sleeps away I feel it's ok to post some Christmas videos. 
The wonderful Babysteps blog put me on to U900 -- the best crocheted stop motion Japanese ukelele group in the world! 


Watch out because I'm probably going to have to post all their hilariously cute Christmas videos over this week. I'm a sucker for a cynical yet talented teddy bear.

The Turnaround all this week!

The Turnaround a providing the entertainment from Monday - Friday, 3pm - 5pm this week only down at Aotea Square. It's all part of the Christmas Markets so head down there if you haven't finished your Christmas shopping or just get down there for a bit of an afternoon party!


There's entertainment there happening all day everyday next week so go check it out the programme here. 

Stuff To Do This Weekend

One of the coolest Christmas events on this weekend is Motat Night, Christmas Lights. Just a gold coin koha for entry and it looks pretty magical!


Christmas At The Zoo is on this weekend too so go wish the lions some holiday wishes. 


The Muka Print Exhibiton - strictly for under 18s only - is on this weekend. Don't miss out! 


If you're still looking for Christmas presents/haven't started yet check out the Aotea Square Christmas Markets. They've got free entertainment too!


Definitely make the trip to Franklin Rd in Ponsonby to see the amazing Christmas lights displayed on people's houses. There's also a list here of different neighbourhoods in Auckland with light displays.


I took Haeata to see Santa at Smith & Caughey's yesterday and amazingly the cue wasn't that bad (I suspect because they had two Santas, just quietly). For $10 you get entry into the Enchanted Forest, all lit up and full of moving puppets, and then a photo with one of the best Santas on offer this side of the North Pole. So much more worthwhile than lining up at some fluorescently lit mall. And of course they have the best window displays outside the store too!


Tonight in Aotea Square there are Burundian Drummers playing at 6pm and then Batucada and the Brazilian Divas are on at 7pm. There is entertainment happening there all weekend and all next week so check out this schedule for more. 


Have a great weekend and remember to take time out to just chill.

Muka Print Exhibition

The Muka Print Exhibition is the only art exhibition in the country where adults are strictly prohibited from entering. The collection was put together so that art lovers under the age of 18 could purchase art for a low price - without the influence of adults. The prints cost $65 and the signature of the artist is covered to ensure the young collectors purchase work solely on their love of the actual piece. 


My parents paid for me to choose my own print on my 16th birthday and it was a great experience. My print cost $35 so it's great to know the prints have almost doubled in value since then! 


The exhibition is on today and tomorrow in Howick and is a great opportunity to help a small person (5 - 18 years old) in your life to start to their own collection. 

Guitar Wolf LIVE today!

Japanese garage punk band Guitar Wolf are doing a live instore at Real Groovy at 2:30 today!

Get your little future rockers down there!

Cheap rainy day option this afternoon!

The classic film Footrot Flats is showing at the Mangere Arts Centre as part of the Aotearoa Film Series this afternoon at 1pm. Just a gold coin entry and perfect for all of you who've got starting summer holidays today and thinking where the hell has summer gone?!


Kinda wishing I didn't live at the other end of the city right now. Footrot Flats would actually be perfect this afternoon. Trying to decide if we brave the city in the rain to go see Santa at Smith and Caughey's...

Free Music at the Wynyard Quarter this week

I know it's hard to get a babysitter at this time of year but a free gig should make it a bit more affordable at least. The Rooftop Collective is playing a free gig down at The Wynyard Quarter tonight at 6pm and Easy are playing  there tomorrow night at 7pm. Both are great soulful bands with some nice grooves so really, you're in for a treat whichever night you make it. And the gigs are nice and early so you won't be home too late to relieve Nana/your sister/the next door neighbour's teenager. 

And as a note, the gigs are R18 so no you can just take the kids down there (stink).

Check out the Stoneleigh website for more free stuff happening this week (wine tastings!)

Easy

Tiny Swag

Little man can barely talk but he's already got mad flow! (note to self : Why is Haeata not rapping yet?! Work on that) 

Motat Nights, Christmas Lights

I've been hearing a lot of reviews about Motat Nights and they are all glowing. Gold coin entry and it all goes to Auckland City Mission. On every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night until Christmas Eve (how cool would it be to go there on Christmas Eve?!). Ride on the tram in the dark, walk through a sparkling Victorian village and listen to carols. There are also activities on offer (I heard a rumour about lollipop making) and you can buy mulled wine. Yum! 

We're definitely going to go check it out this weekend. 

Also, if you go along to MOTAT during the week between 10am and 5pm you get free entry when you buy a present for charity from the MOTAT gift shop. The presents all go to Auckland City Mission and the Ronald McDonald house. 

Christmas at the Zoo

Christmas at the Zoo is on this week from the 14th to the 18th. They've changed things around a bit this year so instead of having one night they're spreading the activities over 5 days. There's a puzzle trail, Christmas themed animal encounters and Santa appearances. 

Check out the Zoo website for more details. 

Stuff To Do This Weekend

Awww, MAN. How amazing is this weather right now?! No doubts about it, I am a summer person and Auckland is a summer city. So, what does the second official weekend of summer have in store for you? 


First off, if your weekend is starting on Friday then head down to Aotea Square to catch the Random Acts series before it's over. Free amazing street theatre till Sunday!


Also happening right now is the Margaret Mahy themed sandpit down in the Wynyard Quarter. That ends this weekend too so don't miss out.


If you've got older kids the New Zealand/New York film "Love Story" is playing outside in Silo Park in the Wynyard Quarter on Friday night at 9pm. Also free!


My pick for the weekend is happening at the Wynyard Quarter (they are really cranking out the goodness this weekend!) on Saturday from 12pm - 5pm : The Turnaround! Take your kids down and have a bit of a dance. If you've got a babysitter this weekend this could be your warm up. If not then this is your chance to shake your groove thing and show those tikes how it's done.


Santa will be at The Department Store on Saturday. Go visit and you get a free polaroid with the old guy!


Now, I know Christmas In The Park is on this weekend but honestly, the Christmas tradition I'm looking more forward to is a visit to Santa's Enchanted Forest in Smith & Caughey's, followed by dinner at the Ponsonby Food Court (Haeata recommends either the Marinara Pizza or the Pad Thai with prawns. I get regular cravings for the seafood Laksa) and then a stroll down and back up Franklin Rd to see all the amazing Christmas Lights. We did exactly this last year and I plan on making it a yearly tradition. 


Another really cool Christmas event is Motat Nights, Christmas Lights at Motat. They have night tram rides, live music, Victorian games, Christmas lights and even mulled wine for sale. Festive! Every weekend from 8pm - 11pm and entry is just a gold coin!


If you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet then go along to the Ponsonby Christmas Market Day from 11am on Saturday. Always heaps of bargains to be found at all the stores (honest!) plus live music all over and free samples of delicious food. One of my favourites.


If you survive all that then on Sunday evening is the yearly Christmas event, Glow - basically carols by glowstick - at the Vector Arena. It's supposed to be pretty amazing and only costs $5.
Go on, go get a little festive.  


Now, if you think you might be able to wrangle a babysitter for Saturday night, do it. Base FM's Xmas Party is on at The Kings Arms and if ever there was a night worth bribing someone else to sit at home and watch TV then this is it. Such a great list of DJs and bands lined up for the night. We all deserve a night off at this time of year so see you there! 


And definitely see you at the Wynyard Quarter on Saturday. Yay summer!

Santa at The Department Store

Umm.....cool! You get a for real old school Polaroid with Santa for free?! I have one of those somewhere from when I was 10. Haeata definitely needs one! We're so there.

And you know, might as well drop by La Boulange while we're there for some delicious fresh pastries and fluffies.

Department Store blog here.

Random Acts

So, this event got heaps of publicity yesterday so I probably don't need to promote it except to say it is still on and that the organisers would like to reassure the public that there will be no more horrific yet miraculously survived accidents involving the performers. 


Who knows if the aerial acts are still going ahead but the rest of the line up definitely looks worth checking out!

The Turnaround! - Free day gig this weekend!

Turnaround gigs are rare enough as it is but, a free one? During the day?! GOLD. 


Be at the Wynyard Quarter on Saturday from 12 - 5pm for an afternoon of funk, dub, reggae, broken beats 'n bass, hip-hop, Latin, rare grooves and boozy breaks.



TheTurnaround@1885(27Nov2010) by TheTurnaround

Music For Animals

This video of Grass Widow playing "Milo Minute" for some gorillas is pretty cool. Check out Animal Madness for more about Music For Animals.

Little Bushman for FREE this weekend!

Now here is definitely a good reason to start doing your sun dances and crossing your fingers for good weather this weekend! Little Bushman are playing for free down at the Wynyard Quarter on Saturday. Amazing! If you haven't seen this band before they really are an experience. They don't play very often and I can't remember the last time they played a day gig so definitely get down there. 

Stuff To Do This Weekend

Umm yeah, a few things to do this weekend!


First off, sigh....Christmas Shopping. Might as well make it fun and support your local industries! There are a whole lot of craft markets on at this time of year and I've written up a list of all the ones happening this weekend. You're welcome!


Now, this next one I am very excited for ... Little Bushman are playing for free at the Wynyard Quarter on Saturday! Don't miss them, they are amazing live. 


While you're down there you can go check out the Margaret Mahy themed sandpit also at the Wynyard Quarter. Kids can dig up illustrated treasures and on Saturday there will be spot prizes. 


If you've got older kids you should also get down there on Friday night for the first of the Silo Sessions free outdoor movies. This weekend, Sione's Wedding is screening up on one of the silos at 9pm. There will also be stalls and street food on offer. 


Saturday is Love Your Mountain Day at Maungawhau/Mt Eden. Lots of free things organised for kids and a good chance to explore the maunga without any cars in the way. 


The Tamashii Drumming group are performing for free at the Auckland Art Gallery on Saturday. If you haven't taken your kids there yet, do it this weekend. It's surprisingly kid-friendly and a really beautiful space. 


The Teddy Bear's Picnic is on at Western Springs on Sunday from 11 - 4. It's a free event with lots of entertainment and activities planned. 


And if you feel like getting right out of the city this weekend, Outer Base is on at the Leigh Sawmill this Sunday at 3pm. It's totally free, it's totally kid-friendly and a good time. DJs, beats and a really nice vibe. 

Tamashii Japanese Drumming

The Tamashii Drumming group is performing a short Ichiban piece at the Auckland Art Gallery on Saturday at 3:15. It's only going to be 15 minutes long so don't be late! This group is pretty amazing to see live so if you're going to be in the area it'll definitely be worth catching. 
Oh and it's free of course!

Markets and Fairs on this weekend

Christmas shopping in malls sucks. Fluro lights, incessant Christmas carols, pushy people, foodcourts, everything's the same and it's all generally pretty overpriced. 


If you want to find your friends and family something really unique and affordable without needing a Pump bottle of vodka to motivate you (hey there Santa's little helper) then go visit a local market! There are so many of them on this weekend and all over Auckland so you have no excuse. Some of the markets I've listed below are just this weekend, some are weekly and some of them are even indoors so check out the links. 


Thursday


Titirangi Mums' Craft Twilight Market 6pm - 9pm


Friday 


St Paul St Gallery End of Year Fair - Friday 5pm - 8pm, Saturday 11am - 4pm -  shop for prints, zines, jewellery, books and fashion. There'll be a fortune cookie workshop on Saturday!




Saturday

Franklin Market 8am - 12pm
Silverdale Market 8am - 1pm
Cassette Super Markets - 12pm - 4pm at Cassette Number Nine on Vulcan Lane. Lots of vintage, handmade crafts and the bar is open! 
Milford Craft Market - 10am - 2pm
Kohi Christmas Market - 10am - 4pm
Craft and Cake fair at Newton Central School - 11:30 - 2:30pm (also vintage, second hand goods and handmade crafts) 
St Paul St Gallery End of Year Fair - Friday 5pm - 8pm, Saturday 11am - 4pm -  shop for prints, zines, jewellery, books and fashion. There'll be a fortune cookie workshop on Saturday!
Good As New Preloved Kids Market - Orewa - 9am - 12pm (Alright, I've joked about the name before but with Christmas coming so soon - eek - this could definitely be worth a visit)
Crafternoon Tea Market - Kingsland - 10am - 3pm This is one is full of seriously cool handmade stuff (think Etsy but with a home brewed flavour) and only once a month. 
The Gypsy Fair is in Green Bay this weekend - Saturday and Sunday - 9am - 5pm
Mt Eden Village Craft Market - 10am - 4pm
Botany Town Centre Craft Market - 9am - 4pm
Matakana Country Park Market - 9am - 1pm
All Saints Classy Crafts Market - 9am - 3pm
Antique & Collectors Market - Saturday 12pm - 5pm, Sunday - 8am - 2pm (Free entry and parking on Saturday, $2 entry and $3 parking on Sunday)




Sunday


My regular is the Takapuna Market. It's from 6am - 12pm in the Anzac Rd carpark and on parts of Lake Rd. And there's ... good stuff there. All I'll say is vintage ... $5 racks ... I'm not giving away any of my secrets! If you want to know you'll have to go check it out yourself. 
Also on Sunday: 
Auckland Market in the Auckland Netball Centre 7am - 1pm
Riverhead Market 9am - 1pm
The Gypsy Fair - Saturday and Sunday - 9am - 5pm
Antique & Collectors Market - Saturday 12pm - 5pm, Sunday - 8am - 2pm (Free entry and parking on Saturday, $2 entry and $3 parking on Sunday)
The Devonport Craft Market - 10am - 3pm (another one with goods a little cooler than tea cosies and preserves on offer)
St Helliers Bay Christmas Market - 10am - 3pm (They'll be raising money for the Christchurch Earthquake appeal and will be hosting Christchurch market vendors for free!)
Hobsonville Point Craft and Vintage Market - 9am - 1pm
Gulf Harbour Market - 10am - 2pm

These plates are so very definitely on my wish list. Honest I've been good Santa! Also - I may need CAKE tattooed on my knuckles. What would you get on the other hand? DIET? Haha, kidding! It would definitely have to be BEER. Or WINE. What! It's not my fault tea isn't a four letter word.