On those long summer days, nothing beats an ice-block. The Icebar Co takes ice blocks seriously and has released three classic flavours. The cold, delicious burst of flavour will refresh you in an instant. Now us grown ups can enjoy an ice block, without having to have the kids’ ones. There’s no crazy colouring, candy drops of bubble gum noses; it is just a tasty iceblock, the way it should be.

Lemon, Lime & Bitters: Made with New Zealand lemons and limes, it is the classic summer drink and now ice block. This is my personal favourite.

Old Fashioned Lemonade: Made with delicious lemons from the sunny Hawkes Bay. It is very hydrating for those long summer days. They don’t taste like the usual sickly sweetness that you get from other lemonade ice blocks, but instead a yummy lemon and refreshing taste.

Classic Brewed Ginger Beer: It is made from real brewed ginger beer extract. This tastes so much better than any ginger beer drink. Be sure to try out some new cocktails with this delicious flavour.

The Icebar Co ice blocks are available nationwide in dairies, petrol stations, supermarkets and convenient stores. They are so yummy and made with all natural ingredients. I absolutely love their debut range so be sure to get one the next time you have an ice block craving.

Nothing beats the freshness and delicious taste of freshly picked fruit and vegetables. Summer is here and caring for your garden over summer is very important. Retaining soil moisture, keeping the weeds down and de-heading will ensure that your garden is looking top notch.

Vegetables & Fruit: This is the time of year when your plants will be growing rapidly so ensure that you are watering well them. Plant seedlings of beetroot, lettuce, cabbage, silverbeet, radish and carrots. Kumara and yams should also be planted in the summer until late March to harvest in Autumn and winter. Tomatoes should be taken extra care of and firmly staked. Strawberry season is almost at an end so keep watering and feeding them and hopefully you will be rewarded with delicious strawberries right until the end of summer. Another great tip is if you would like to retain moisture for longer in your garden then add a layer of compost mix.

Pests: Give the plants a healthy dose of what’s good for them so that the pests stay away. Caterpillars are top on the list for summer and if they don’t have their own plants to eat they will go to your vegetable plants. Whitefly is also a huge menace, as well as slugs and snails. Apply slug bait around young plants to protect them as much as possible.

Flowers: It’s time to deadhead those roses and rhododendrons which will promote new autumn blooms. Trim your petunias to encourage fresh new flowers and keep your garden tidy and weed- free to ensure that those beautiful flowers will be out in force.

Summer is a wondrous time in the garden. Grab a glass of your favourite beverage and take time to sit back and appreciate your garden. Happy summer gardening everyone!

Lasoo are giving you the chance to win $2,000 of Pascoes jewellery for Valentine’s Day!

Whether you’re looking to spoil that special someone, your best friend or even yourself, Pascoes has got so many gorgeous gifts of love to choose from! It’s easy to enter!

All you need to do is:

• Register with us

• Check out the Pascoes Valentine’s Day Catalogue

• Add $2,000 of your favourite Pascoes jewellery to your Wish List (The Shopping List)

• Share your Wish List (The Shopping List) with your friends!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY FROM LASOO!

Competition closes 5pm Monday 13th February 2012. For full terms and conditions please click here.

Congratulations to Kim Henderson for winning our Gifts of Love Valentine’s Day competition.

Camping is a great activity that is loved by adventurous, outdoorsy people throughout the world. It is fun, can help clear your mind and you will also never see a prettier sight than a sky full of bright stars when you are camping. However camping can also provide certain dangers and it’s important to adequately prepare yourself.

Tent: The tent should have a waterproof exterior (especially in this New Zealand weather) to ensure that all your belongings are kept dry and so that you can get a good nights sleep. You also need to think about how big you need the tent to be to accommodate for the amount of people that will be coming.

Food and water: When you are packing food think of what is light and easy to cook such as nuts, instant oatmeal and instant soup. Pack all of your food in plastic bags to keep the moisture out. Make sure that you have an adequate supply of water and take some iodine drops or water purifying tablets to add to water if you come across a spring.

Warm clothing: While it is usually warm in summer you never know when cold weather will strike. It’s always good to have at least one lightweight pair of pants with you to keep you warm and to help keep away the mozzies. Avoid jeans because they are heavy, don’t dry quickly and will be hard to lug around.

Sunscreen and bug spray: Sunscreen is needed to protect you from the harsh sun in the day and bug spray is needed to protect you from the mozzies at night. You don’t want to be stuck with mozzie bites or sunburn on your camping holiday.

Survival kit: You need a kit with a flashlight, waterproof matches, swiss army knife, whistle, batteries and a map. It is vital that you have a first aid kit in the event of an injury. It should contains essentials such as a bandage, tweezers, plasters, cream.

Sleeping bag, mat and pillow: Ensure that your sleeping bag is warm enough for the cold nights that can come at any time. A mat is light to carry around but will also provide that extra comfort instead of sleeping straight on the ground. If you have room then a pillow is a great luxury but if you don’t have much room then make a pillow out of some of your clothes.

Conclusion: Camping can be a great fun adventure but make sure that you are prepared for all of the elements. It is great to reconnect with the outdoors and have fun with family and friends. To ensure that you are adequately prepared for your trip, make sure that you go through these checklists of items.

Well Summer is here and while that means it’s lovely and warm, it also means that you can end up sunburnt if you are not careful. After my colleague at work complained about her sunburn all week I decided to write a blog on how to treat sunburn. During summer you should take extra care with your skin by moisturising often and wearing sunscreen. If you do end up getting sunburnt then there are some after sun care remedies to soothe sunburnt skin.

What is sunburn? The sun produces two main types of light, UVA and UVB. The UVB is the one that will cause you to turn red and it has two main effects. It causes a reaction in the skin that causes chemicals to be released which results in the redness and it also damages the DNA in the skin.

Aloe Vera Gel: Aloe has amazing soothing properties when it comes to burns or skin damage. It’s antibacterial, and helps to stimulate our immune system so we can begin healing ourselves. In fact, it’s actually used in many hospitals to treat burn victims. The aloe does feel slightly sticky but that’s because it’s locking in moisture by forming a film over the skin.

Hydrate yourself: Due to your skin burning, your body will be trying to hydrate itself to cool it down. If you feel a headache coming on it will be due to your body not being hydrated enough. A drink with electrolytes in it such as Powerade can help you hydrate quickly and help your body recover faster.

Other tips: If you do get sunburnt, make sure you treat the burn as quickly as possible to stop the damage and allow your skin to heal. Avoid Petroleum Jelly or any moisturiser with oils as this will hold the heat and intensify the burn deeper. It is sometimes also necessary to take some panadol to help take some of the pain away. If you have cucumbers in your fridge grab them and cut them up and let the chilled slices rest of your sunburn. This will help nourish the skin and stop the inflammation.

If you do find yourself burnt this summer follow these tips and you should be on the road to recovery in no time. However these remedies can’t treat more serious sun consequences such as cancer so next time remember to apply sunscreen and avoid being in the sun in the middle of the day.

Have you seen Dysons latest invention? The air multiplier,also commonly known as ‘a bladeless fan’ is a circular tube mounted on a pedestal. If you looked at it, you would not expect to feel a breeze coming from it. It is greener, safe and more efficient than a traditional fan. The design is simple but effective.

The air multiplier produces a stream of smooth air to cool the room. There is a electric motor which pushes air upwards into the loop and it is amplified 15 times. Amazingly, it can generate 405 litres of air per second and can generate 15 times. It is safer due to the lack of fast moving blades which means that it is great for those with children. Another bonus is that it is super easy to clean.

What I love most about this product is how quiet it is. The noise levels are also significantly lower than traditional fans. Now you can fall asleep with a nice cool breeze going without the noise disruption. The breeze is also more steady than a standarad fan because there are no rotating blades producing short gusts of air.
The base can be pushed forward or back to tilt the entire device to ensure that you are getting the amount of breeze than you want. Dyson claims that it generates a breeze with 15 times more air than what the device actually takes in.

While it may not look like any fan that you have used before, it worked almost like every other fan I had used before. These are great for Summer so be sure to pick yours up today and start experiencing a fresh and almost soundless breeze.

Are you heading back to school or need some stationery? We have an amazing stationery prize pack for one lucky winner. The prize pack includes a school bag filled with lots of stationery goodies to ensure that you are fully equipped to take on 2012.

All you need to do is tell us what your favourite memory of school is?

And if you would like to dig out those old photos of yourself on your first day of school or take a photo of your child with their school bag we would love to see them on our Lasoo Facebook page.

Competition finishes Friday, 27th January 2012.

Congratulations to our winner Michelle Cooke. Contact us at nzlasoo@gmail.com to claim your prize.

The new school year is nearly here and Lasoo can help you with all your stationery needs.

Are you a parent buying your childs stationery or heading to university or just need some general stationery? We are here to help. While it is great to have the kids going back to school it can also be a stressful and nerve-wracking time for children heading to school for the first time. Below are the top eight stationery deals.

1. Paper Mate 3 Assorted Inkjoy Pens from Warehouse Stationery

2. Casio FX82 from Whitcoulls

3. Stabilo Swing Cool Highlighters from Paper Plus

4. Impact 1B8 Exercise Book from Warehouse Stationery

5. Backpacks from Whitcoulls

6. Inkie Jotters from Paper Plus

7. Impact Beautone Neon Back To School Stationery Range from Warehouse Stationery

8. Faber-Castell Highlighters from Paper Plus

Lifestream Acai Supreme Antioxidant is the perfect way to start your day. In an easy capsule or powder form, they are bursting with vitamins and minerals. Stir in with your smoothie, sprinkle over your yoghurt or have it by itself for a delicious, health boosting, nutrient rich way to start your day.

Acai berries have taken the world health market by storm. So what are they? Acai berries come from the acai palms native to South America. They are high in protein, antioxidants and dietary fibre. They help support weight management and have anti-aging properties. Think energy giving and anti-aging. Powerful stuff!

Lifestream Acai Supreme Antioxidant is a unique blend of 7 nutrient-dense berries which includes the super berry Acai, Noni, Pomegranate, Cherry, Blackberry, blueberry and raspberry. Bursting with vitamins and minerals they are a perfect way to start the day. It is rich in antioxidants to protect from DNA damage, oxidative stress, free radicals and cellular breakdown. 100% vegetarian, vegan and free from all artificial additives, what better way to start your day?

Age gracefully the natural way and get your daily berry and antioxidant fix with Lifestream Acai Supreme Antioxidant.

Competition: We have a box of Lifestream Acai Supreme Antioxidant capsules to give away. Tell us what your health goal for 2012 is?

Are you after that youthful appearance that you have always dreamed of? Trilogy certified organic rosehip oil is officially a natural skin miracle. It’s a serum, treatment and moisturiser all in one.

Trilogy certified organic rosehip oil is nature’s way to achieve your most beautiful skin. As an avid beauty fan, I had heard about it but never really tried it. I was always wooed by other products with their many ‘magic’ ingredients. But with no fillers, additives or fragrances this is one hard working little miracle oil. My skin felt instantly nourished and when I woke up I had baby soft skin with a lovely glow. This has instantly become part of my daily beauty ritual.

If you skin sometimes feels dry, irritated or dull then this could be a sign that your body is lacking the essential fatty acids. The rosehip oil is extracted from the seeds of the rosehip. Clinical trials have shown remarkable results in the treatment of damaged skin tissue helping to minimise the appearance of wrinkles, spots, scars and smoothing skin. This golden oil contains Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids and powerful antioxidants, Lycopene and Beta-carotene, to balance the skins natural oil. It is absorbed instantly and helps the skin to breathe naturally without clogging your pores. The oil is suitable for sensitive skin and is ideal for facial and body moisturiser.

From 2009 to 2011, it has won 14 awards and is one of the most awarded beauty oils in the world. Based in Wellington, New Zealand we are lucky to have such a little miracle right on our backdoor.

Rosehip is definitely a hit! You will not regret buying this little miracle. Massage 2-3 drops into a cleansed face or body and be ready to see your skin transform. Take advantage of mother nature’s beautiful gift.

Competition: We have a certified organic rosehip oil to give away to one lucky fan. Just tell us why you would like some rosehip oil? Prize drawn Tuesday 17th January 2012.

Congratulations to Anita Marija Erceg who is the winner of the Trilogy Rosehip Oil. Please contact us at nzlasoo@gmail.com