Last Outer Base of the summer!

Apparently this lackluster summer is coming to an end - I refuse to believe it (March/April summer please!) but just in case, make sure you're up at Leigh Sawmill this Sunday for the last Outer Base session of the year. This Sunday afternoon gig is free, family friendly and a good chance to kick back in the sun while some of Base FM's best DJs play. Grab a brew and relax while the kids run around the huge courtyard. 

fluffy...not so fluffy

My friend Keight has started up this cute new blog, Fluffy...not so fluffy, all through the eyes of her delightful wee Ella - not even of legal fluffy drinking age yet and already hunting out the best coffee spots in Auckland. Definitely check it out, she's got some great recommendations there. I hang out at Rakinos after dark quite a bit and can't believe I've never taken Haeata there for a fluffy during the day! Promise we'll hit it up this week and let you know all about it. FREE fluffies apparently! Unheard of!

Photo credit : fluffy...not so fluffy 

Mayer Hawthorne - Dreaming

This one's for all of us who missed Mayer Hawthorne at the Powerstation last week. I can't feel too bad about not going. I've seen enough live music in the last weeks to last me a couple of months. But Mayer would have been pretty cool!


 I think Haeata would be pretty disappointed with any live show that didn't include this crazy life sized (if you can call a giant mouse in a cheer leading outfit life sized) puppet show though. This is understandably one of Haeata's favourite videos right now. They played it on C4 last week and Haeata danced like a crazy person. And then stood there looking more and more put out when they followed it up with two Katy Perry videos (Mummy, I don't like this one!)


Hope you all had a great weekend. Enjoy the beautiful weather today!

Stuff To Do This Weekend

On Saturday you can take the kids to see 40 of New Zealand's best skaters compete in a rail jam in Aotea Square - and maybe afterwards to take them down to Victoria Park's new skate park to have a go at  breaking their own limbs  at slowly and safely trying out the ramps there.


Also on Saturday there's live music, DJs, food stalls and oh look at that, a licensed bar all down at Silo Park. The Cosbys are playing so go have a dance on the grass - like a mini festival without the camping or lining up for half an hour for a $10 plate of chickpeas. 


Holi, the Indian festival of colours is being celebrated in South Auckland on Saturday. Guys, this sounds like a whole lot of crazy fun. This festival is all about community and breaking down social boundries and creating lots of joy. There will be DJs, food stalls, rides for children but the biggest reason to go to this free event is that they give you coloured herbal powder to throw at each other. What kid wouldn't love that! Alright, pretty sure I'd love it too. 

See all these pretty colours? They're for throwing at people!

So yeah, maybe dress the kids and yourself in old clothes!

The Holi festival is in the outdoor area at the Telstra Clear Pacific Centre in Manukau from 10am - 10pm on Saturday and entry is free. 

Free Music - The Cosbys this weekend!

This Saturday at Silo Park, The Cosbys are playing for free at Silo Park with support from DJs Mr Crawley and John Baker. I've never seen them before but their Facebook page describes them as a soul band and lists artists they like as Dexys Midnight Runners. I'm intrigued! As usual there'll be street food vendors, a licensed bar and  hopefully sun! The event is from 12 - 5pm but The Cosbys should probably been on around 4pm. 

Billabong City Squared Skateboarding Invitational

I'm seriously trying to get Haeata more interested in skating and slowly moving away from the scooter. I'm sorry man, I just see these primary school kids racing around on scooters and can't help thinking you're not a 4 year old, get a skateboard! For no other reason than a skateboard is infinitely cooler - I'm shallow like that. And you can do cooler tricks! 


If you're feeling me on this vibe then take your kids along to the Billabong rail jam event at Aotea Square this Saturday. There will be 40 of New Zealand's top skateboarders there so it should be an amazing thing to watch, even if you're not into that whole culture. 

Splore 2012

Alright, after spending yesterday sleeping  doing mountains of washing, Tiny Thrills is back in action! Splore was amazing. It was our first time camping and despite getting soaking wet at Erykah Badu it all went down pretty successfully. There were some great activities set up for kids but to be honest it was so hot we spent most of the time in the water. And anyway, Haeata and her friends are more into getting down on the dance floor so we spent a lot of time in front of the stage. My friend Kahu's mum came and picked up all the kids on Saturday afternoon so we even got some Mama Time! It was just the perfect amount of festival time for the kids and we can't wait for the next one.

Photo Credit - ReggieD

With our friend Graham/"Uncle Kina" of Frybread Radio with his beautiful girls/great babysitters Justice and Pryce.
Photo Credit - ReggieD

Yeah, I had some issues with my camera - more about that and why there's a horse on Haeata's dress later.

Right down the front at Erykah Badu with two of my best friends and one little monkey half asleep on my hip (you can just see her head on my left!) Photo Credit - ReggieD

Haeata and her bestie, Waiata (yes, their names rhyme. Trouble trouble trouble)

Yo Gabba Gabba Vans

Alright, so these are pretty much the coolest shoes Haeata has ever owned! Her Aunty Omi and Uncle John bought them for her for Christmas but unfortunately they were two sizes too small so we've been waiting all summer for these size 10 Vans to arrive. That's right, my three year old has the feet of a 5 year old. And what? A friend of mine commented the other day that they keep her closer to the earth. 

Ladi6 live for free this weekend!

As part of the Music In Parks events, Ladi6 and Ruby Frost will be playing at Nixon Park in Kingsland this Saturday from 2pm - 6pm. So there you go, even if you can't make it to Splore this weekend there's still some cool live music happening for you! 


You should probably bring the kids to Splore though. Just sayin'!

Free Breakfast!

Breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day and by now I'm sure you've cottoned on to the fact that I love me some free stuff so check this out, a free breakfast!


Go By Bike Day is a one-day event in February every year where thousands of people throughout New Zealand switch from cars, buses or trains and bike to work for a day.


Turn up to Karanga Plaza in the Wynyard Quarter on a bike on Wednesday morning from 6:30 - 9AM and they'll give you breakfast! If the Wynyard Quarter isn't on the way to work or school there are a bunch of other free breakfasts happening around town tomorrow. Check out the Auckland Transport website for more details. 

Erykah Badu - On and On

So yeah, I've pretty much decided I'm going to inundate you with Erykah Badu videos for the rest of the week. We're that excited for Splore! 

Valentines Day

It feels kind of weird writing a post about Valentines Day. For one , I'm single but mostly I was raised by a couple of hippies who believe Valentines Day is just another commercial construct to make you spend more money. I'm definitely not as hardcore anti as them - who doesn't love getting flowers?! I definitely don't receive enough flowers in my life and any reason is good enough for me. And when I was a teacher in Korea my students from kindergarten to middle school brought me handmade cards and chocolate - pretty damn cute (also, who doesn't love getting chocolate?!). 


So, I guess I think Valentines Day is fine I'm just not into spending ridiculous amounts of money to prove you love someone. 


If you can appreciate this way of thinking do I have the perfect Valentines Day date for you! Or you  know, an excuse to go out with a bunch of friends like I'll be doing. 


The Princess Bride is showing at Silo Park  in The Wynyard Quarter on Tuesday night at 8:30pm for free! I have to give the organisers a big ups for choosing a film that is in fact romantic but is also hilarious. Good work.


As with other Silo Cinema nights there will be food stalls and a licensed bar so you can really make a whole night of it. 


UPDATE : Tonight's Silo Cinema event has been canceled because of the less than fantastic weather expected. Stink! Oh well, I've still got a little something for you.....keep scrolling down!

Also in the free stuff on Valentines Day category (because you know I'm a fan) The Department Store has got free bubbles and strawberries from 1pm on Tuesday. You don't even need to organise a babysitter, a date or a group of friends to enjoy that!

Disclaimer

For some reason the god awful comic sans font keeps randomly showing up on my blog. I can't figure out what's going on but if we all ignore it maybe it'll go away!

Leopard tails and pearls with everything

I dressed Haeata on this day but she accessorised. I think the singlet was from Cotton On but the label was pretty much faded right off by the time it was handed down by her cousin. The skirt is second hand from Japan and the chucks were super cheap at Eden Shoes. 


Haeata bought those pearls for me for Christmas and has stolen them already. The tail, that gets added to many outfits, is part of an amazing costume one of my friends gave her (so amazing the friend in question is always threatening to steal it back).

Stuff To Do This Weekend

Alright, Splore is just one week away so I think we're going to be laying pretty low this weekend. Have to find a tent, an extra air bed, plan a Frybread Radio tent circle and make sure I've got everything (i.e outfits!) sorted. 

But that doesn't mean I haven't found you all some fun things to do this weekend! 

For those of you with older kids (or a babysitter!) there are a whole lot of free movies on this weekend. Silo Cinema is showing Land of the Long White Cloud down at Silo Park at 9pm. But if you want something a little earlier, Inception is showing in Takahi Reserve at 7:30pm. On Saturday night the wonderful documentary Young@Heart is showing at Takahi Reserve at 7:30pm. If you've ever wanted to see some senior citizens rock out to the Ramones and The Clash then this one is for you! 

Also on this weekend, George FM's Hit It & Quit It show is going live from Silo Park on Saturday from 12 - 5. Take the kids out dancing!


There is a free guided walk on Waiheke Island on Saturday. It's a short one this weekend so perfect to take the kids on.


Another option for Saturday is to go check out the Beach Football Tournament happening on Mission Bay Beach from 9 - 5pm. Soccer on the beach - must mean summer is still on this year!


And in case none of that works for you Onehunga Library is holding a Year of the Dragon celebration on Saturday from 11am - 1:30pm. There will be activities for kids including lantern making and then at 1:30 there will be a Lion Dance Parade - I love those things!


Or if free food is your kind of thing (I know I appreciate it), here's a little secret - the Auckland Fish Market does tastings (not just fish) from 12- 4 on Saturdays. We turned up too late for the free food last week but had fish & chips and pizza in the courtyard where it was sunny and warm. There's a huge sandpit and a bar so you could easily while away a good couple of hours there.


On Sunday there is a free wine and food festival over at Artisan Wines in Oratia from 12 - 6. The day is being put together mostly by Dalmatian wine makers so expect some cool stuff from that part of the world. Plus $5 glasses of wine! Yum, I wonder if the Hungarian Fried Bread people will be there? 


Paul Ubana-Jones is playing for free at the Nathan Homestead in Manurewa from 4 - 5pm. 
The man has opened for legends like Bob Dylan so go check him out if you haven't before. 


And ahhh, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot more happening on Sunday. You could always go check out a market! There are heaps of those on. 


Whatever you're doing, have a great weekend. The weather looks like it could be a bit dicey but I'm going to stay positive and keep my fingers crossed that they are WRONG. 

Little and Friday - Newmarket

Little and Friday's Belmont cafe is already a favourite and we were in Newmarket last week so we thought we'd go check out their Melrose St premises. 


Walking from Broadway with a three year old on a freaking hot day was a bit of a mission but well worth it when we walked into the cafe and found giant fish bowls on the tables and bottles of cold water stuffed with sprigs of mint. 

Banana Cake with caramel - amazingness

How are you enjoying the crappy phone photos? Pretty fantastic, right?! Sorry, my digital camera has died and  wow, film costs some serious money these days! My budget priorities mean tea and cake come before film. 

Haeata's new drink bottle folds up when it's empty! It might just need a post all of it's own. 

Too much delicious. Just try to not have a melt down while choosing what you'll have. 

Like I said, it was an extremely hot day so I didn't think to keep a record of how much each individual thing cost but I seem to remember the total bill (One pot of tea, one fluffy, one banana cake and one peanut brownie biscuit - old school!) came to something like $13. 


Their baked goods are seriously amazing and I love all the little touches. Vintage silver cutlery in glass jars on the communal tables, the giant fish bowls, mint and water in old milk bottles sitting in old milk crates, spray painted plastic animals instead of order numbers... And the big industrial space is nice and cool on a hot city day. Lots of space for a pushchair or ten. I didn't notice any toys but Haeata was pretty absorbed with the fish anyway. 


Little and Friday
Open 8 - 3 Monday - Friday, 9 - 3 Saturday & Sunday
12 Melrose Street

09 524 8742

Hit It & Quit It this Saturday!

Bam! Get down there for a shake down in the sun with the kids on Saturday afternoon. What's that you say? A licensed bar, good food and some getting down on the dance floor/grass and I don't even have to organise a babysitter? I'm there!

Splore 2012

Splore is the thing I am most excited about this summer and it's all happening in just a few weeks! Haeata and I will be up the front on Friday night for our Idol,  Erykah Badu and hanging out in the kid-centric Rumpus Room during the day. 

Splore definitely ticks all the boxes for our idea of family friendly. There are lots of things for kids to do and so much great live music to keep mum and dad happy - and it's all on a beautiful beach in Tapapakanga National Park. Can't wait!

Stuff To Do This Weekend

Alright, another long weekend and there are a whole lot of things you can get out and do...as long as the weather gets better!


First up, the Lantern Festival is on this weekend at Albert Square. But if you don't feel like facing the crowds with the smallest members of your family there are still a bunch of lantern themed events you can take them to. There is a free Lantern Making workshop in the Wynyard Quarter on Sunday, there's Dragon and Lion Dance group performing at the Auckland Art Gallery at 12 on Monday, and a traditional  acrobatic, dance and opera group at 3pm. Auckland Libraries have also got Year Of The Dragon events happening. 


Of course, it's Waitangi Weekend and so there's some great free gigs happening in Henderson and Manukau plus one in Muriwai that isn't free but all proceeds are going to the Surf Lifesaving Club.


If you've got older kids take them to see the classic Stand By Me on Friday night at Silo Park. The film is free and will be projected onto one of the silos at 9pm. There are markets and food stalls on from 5pm ... hope the weather clears up by tonight!


On Sunday you should definitely head out of the city and up to Leigh Sawmill for Outer Base. It's a free, family-friendly afternoon in the sun run by Base FM. 


Let me know if I missed anything out!

Lantern Making Workshop

As part of Chinese New Years, there will be a free lantern making workshop in The Wynyard Quarter on Sunday from 10am - 2pm. And don't forget The Lantern Festival is on in Albert Park this weekend too, brave it if you dare!

Waitangi Day gigs

Wow, I have been a special kind of slack this week. But I'm here to make up for it with a couple of really great free gigs for you all!


Waitangi Day is spawning all kinds of wonderful, free live music all over the city and one of the best places to be is looking like Henderson Park.


Black Seeds, the amazing Sassy and The Pocketbook and Ddub are all performing for free from 2pm - 6pm. I know you've probably all heard of and seen The Blackseeds play live many times but you may not have heard of Sassy. Here, have a listen. They're pretty damn good! (Oh and their latest track has got the magnificent Bella Shanti guesting on it!)









Then in South Auckland you have another great gig on Waitangi Day. Bella Kalolo, DAvid Dallas, Katchafire, Ardijah and lots more are all playing at the free concert from 10am - 6pm.