One of the greatest things about being a family is family meals, right? Unfortunately at times we tend to deprioritise cooking (or cooking the more fancy meals) because of all sorts of other things that are going on in our lives. How about remembering those cooking skills this Father's Day by dishing it up for the family!
Recently we've come across a website called "menumade.co.nz" - a great little site that provides meal planning and wholesome recipes for the whole family. It even tells you what to buy and you can specify any food likes / dislikes as well as dietry requirements or allergies. How Cool! In fact we liked it so much that we organised a Father's Day competition with them - check it out here. ... read more >>




Over the last few months I had to spend quite a bit of time in doctor's waiting rooms, hospitals and other public places where there was a dedicated play area or toybox for kids. First of all I think it's great that there is an area for kids and that many institutions provide toys to keep the little ones entertained. The downside of this is that many of these toys are in a really sad state - broken, filthy or downright dangerous. Some of them look like they have been there for years without ever being replaced or cleaned.
Being the great water sports people that we are, we decided to make sure that Pyper learnt to swim and could “hold her own” in the water so to speak!!!
A family snow holiday can mean many things to Australians; it can be a completely foreign concept, an unimagined idea, or a far off dream. For others it’s an alien and daunting prospect, but something they might want to try at least once in a lifetime. For the enthusiast, a trip to the snow can be a regular event; a fun-filled time spent with family or friends, something to give up other things for.
A number of years ago, my four-year-old daughter was starting to say our grace before dinner. “Daddy, fold your hands like this!” she shrieked. Everyone at the table was startled by the intensity of her outburst.
The 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was related either by blood or by marriage to 11 former presidents. And the majority of Americans are 15th generation descendants from the Mayflower Pilgrims. It’s important for you and your children to know your ancestors. Yet very few of us can even name our great, great grandparents. 
Fred started swimming lessons last week so everyday from 5:30-6 we can be found lounging out by the city’s public pool. When we first started kicking over the idea of Fred learning to swim a couple of things immediately came to mind. 1) We are talking about my son so do we really want him to learn how to swim when walking down the hall without tripping over his own feet is still a problem? I mean I’m 32 and I still fall all the time. 2) Our idea of swimming lessons involves people in red one-piece bathing suits ala Baywatch with whistles around their necks which they use to keep in the kids in order.
As a father of four, three of which are young teens, finding, deciding and negotiating activities for all three to participate in together has been a real strain on not only my creative side but also on my negotiation skills.






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