I heart my hood
This month we are launching the I Heart My Hood Project. This is your chance to celebrate your hood by sharing stories, photos or video. We really want to see and hear about the people in your neighbourhood. Portraits or videos of our neighbourhood champions, or the people that to you personify your community or ‘hood’. This year we’re doing it a little differently. To help focus (excuse the photography pun) we’ve chosen three themes.
1 – I Heart the History of My Hood
Everywhere we live has history, and stories. Do you know your hood’s history? Or maybe you know someone who has lived in the community for what seems like a million years, and know the place like that back of their hand. Was your hood the birth place of the women’s vote, or maybe site of the biggest lamington ever made way back in 53′ ….(Yes I know, random, but honestly we’re interesting in anything and everything)… By the way – this is also an awesome way to get our older ‘story tellers’ involved.
2 – I Heart Diversity in my Hood
New Zealand really has become a melting pot and that brings with it the rainbow of diversity of all kinds. Maybe you have the ‘united nations’ living on one street, maybe your neighbourhood pot luck dinners are better and more interesting than an international food fair could every dream of! We want to see and hear about it.
3 – I Heart My Healthy Hood
With our clean green image, amazing fresh foods, picture perfect outdoor environment, we know there are neighbourhoods out there that personify ‘health’. Is your neighbourhood or neighbour one of them? It could be through a neighbourhood walking group, or a ‘from garden to plate thanks to the shared neighbourhood community garden’ kind of thing. It might be a neighbourhood that has committed to getting the kids off screens and outside, or maybe its a whole street of cross fit power vegans ….. probably not … but you never know. What ever it is, we want to see and hear about it.
To enter go to our website and ‘share your story’
So get snapping and chatting. We have more information on I Heart My Hood available on facebook and on our website.
Here is a link to our first posting - I heart my healthy hood by Heather of Glen Eden. neighboursday.org.nz...
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Warnings about scams
This Fraud Awareness Week, we’re reminding everyone to stay sharp and look out for the warning signs of scams to stop them before they start.
Here’s what to watch out for:
🔍 Unrealistic offers or promises of easy money that are too good to be true
🔍 Pressure tactics: Scammers may rush or threaten you to act immediately.
🔍 Requests for personal info: Be cautious if you’re asked for bank details, passwords, or sensitive information.
🔍 Unusual payment methods like gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
🔍 Unverified contacts: Emails, calls, or messages from unknown or suspicious sources.
How to protect yourself:
✅ Stop and think before sharing personal details or making payments.
✅ Don't click on any links until you know that it is safe.
✅ Verify the source: Contact the organisation directly using official channels.
✅ If something’s not right, it's OK to hang up, walk away, ignore it and move on.
If you wish to report a scam, contact Police on 105 or report it online via 105.police.govt.nz/use-105.
Tactile texture
Welcome texture into your room by using leftover Resene Anaglypta wallpaper to accentuate furniture and décor items. Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.