Catching the Magic

Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!

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Art

Things I’m Loving: Creative loves

January 11, 2013January 11, 2013 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Art, Loving & Not Loving, School hols

Lots of creative fun in the house this week, as well as enjoying having Grandma & Granddad over from the UK. Loved painting young Alice’s face and watching her reaction to my artwork on her face! Loved the photos Grandma & Granddad took of a trip into Wellington on the bus, with Charlotte & a […]

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Thirty days hath September, April, June and November… FIVE sleeps till…

November 26, 2012 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Art, Charlotte

December countdown to Christmas Day – and thinking up some active ideas and goodies to pop in this amazing advent calendar my nine year old made on Sunday (all her own idea – the little paper cubes even have paper springs folded underneath each one – for easy pulling out from the main box). I […]

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When art takes precedence over dinner…

September 19, 2012 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Art

I’m sure Van Gogh would have understood. There are times when eating can wait. Dinner can wait. But art – all that creative energy and impulsive need to pour out emotions into one form or another – sometimes, that cannot wait (at least in our home). So, this evening, I had one child making clay […]

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Wet Wednesday in Welly

August 8, 2012August 16, 2012 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Alice, Art, Charlotte, Sarah, Sophie, Writing

Scorching Bay in the rain – Some may say it’s not the same – But for those of us young at heart – Dancing in the rain is just the start. In Welly a rainy day, without wind, is special – It’s a Dr Seuss day of Up for Umbrellas! But hands free is better […]

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Loving… New Zealand You Have My Heart

June 8, 2012June 8, 2012 BritMumInNZ 9 Comments Art, Loving & Not Loving

Wherever this life of mine takes me, I feel certain I’ll always have a pull to New Zealand. I fell in love on the first visit, as I flew from Auckland to Wellington taking in the expanse of green, undulating land, surrounded by ocean. Geographically it is so far away from the rest of the […]

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Things I’m Loving this ‘Photo A Day MAY’ | Snack | Something I Made

May 18, 2012May 18, 2012 BritMumInNZ 9 Comments Art, Baking, Loving & Not Loving, Sarah

LOVING these scrumptious berry muffins I made today, which were a lovely snack for a young house guest, Sophie, Alice and I. The berries were so warm as the muffins came out of the oven that I couldn’t resist adding a little dollop of vanilla bean ice-cream on the side when I served them. And […]

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Look what I found in Wellington… A Love Letter!

May 2, 2012May 2, 2012 BritMumInNZ 9 Comments Art, Learning & growing, Sarah, Writing

I was sat on a bench by the bucket water fountain on Cuba Mall, Wellington, sipping a latte in the sunshine, and watching my children play on the little playground. I had been feeling quite shaky and flat emotionally. My youngest daughter, Alice, is two and her sleep has been somewhat erratic of late. It […]

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Sunshine Monday at The Chocolate Fish

April 30, 2012April 30, 2012 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Alice, Art, Charlotte, Learning & growing, Sarah, Sophie

Sophie, Alice and I spent four hours today hanging out at the ‘Chocolate Fish‘, in Shelly Bay, Wellington, with a lovely unschooler friend and her two amazing children. The children all enjoyed each other’s company so much, that my friend and I enjoyed a lovely chat. I even found a moment to do a quick […]

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Things I’m Loving: Laying Low!

April 14, 2012July 4, 2022 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Alice, Art, Charlotte, Loving & Not Loving, Sarah, Sophie

Midnight on Thursday Alice was sick – I thought it was just the spag bog (quite a rich sauce), but it’s now Saturday morning and she’s still not holding down much. She must be getting some fluids through – as she’s not being sick straight after drinking (and she’s breastfeeding too), but every two to […]

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Have you had your pancakes?!

February 21, 2012 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Alice, Art, Baking, Charlotte, Sophie

Sophie asked me for pancakes for breakfast, again. She’s been asking for days. I keep making promises. I keep breaking them. Oops! But today, I pulled out my wooden spoon and whipped up some batter and fulfilled an overdue promise. It wasn’t till mid-morning I discovered it was actually Shrove Tuesday today! I found a […]

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Weekend Workout & Recommendations!

February 20, 2012February 21, 2012 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Art, Sarah, Sponsored posts

Some weekends are made for play, others are made for getting down to it and facing up to the moth balls, paper piles, over-grown lawn, dirty windows and piles of laundry. After all, we had enjoyed a beautiful Friday of sunshine – can’t be all play and no work! For our children the weekend was […]

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Life: Inspiration Weekly

November 5, 2011 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Art, Charlotte, Inspiration Weekly, Sarah, Writing

In this moment I am fortunate to be living in the season of life – Spring. My home is surrounded by plants, trees, flowers and vegetables. They grow easily in the temperate climate of my home. I have children running around my home, reminding me of the energy of life. Less than two years ago […]

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Halloween in NZ at Beltane time: Trying to please everyone

October 11, 2011October 11, 2011 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Art

Here in our home it’s the second week of our spring break school holidays. It’s rained for most of it and the forecast is for yet more rain 🙁 We have escaped into the fresh air whenever possible, but the rain definitely makes us all feel a bit cranky and fed up (especially when the […]

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Loving a touch of spring and off with the locks!

August 26, 2011August 26, 2011 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Alice, Art, Charlotte, Dan, Garden, Loving & Not Loving, Sarah, Sophie

Last week snow, this week sunshine and flowers. What a change in the weather! ♥ All of a sudden it’s light till 6pm and with the clocks rolling forward in a few weeks time we are feeling the joy of spring. We’ve had a few lovely days this week. Weather for swinging open windows, flinging […]

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Recent Posts

  • WAI2K 50km trail adventure, November 2024! February 20, 2025
  • Visits back to the UK aren’t always a holiday – when those you love aren’t well. February 6, 2025
  • Celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a long weekend on the Gold Coast – June 2024 January 6, 2025
  • ‘Last time’ moments on a spring visit to the UK, May 2024 January 2, 2025
  • Race Tekapo 50km September 29, 2024
  • Running the stunning Motatapu Trail Marathon May 30, 2024
  • 50km for 50 years! How I saw in the first day of my fifties running the 50km Faultline Ultra! May 21, 2024
  • Six month catch up! March 9, 2024
  • Ten blissful days in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. August 8, 2023
  • Marlborough Food & Wine Festival Birthday Celebration August 7, 2023
  • A few running events to kick off the year & a sub-4 PB at the Rotorua Marathon! May 10, 2023
  • Auckland mid-week break away for Harry Styles! April 4, 2023

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