Is the Royal Wedding killing bees in New Zealand?

NZ Herald reported yesterday that Kate Middleton may be using the latest in beauty therapy, a Bee Venom Mask. Touted as an alternative to botox, the cream has supposedly been used by Camilla, and celebrities such as Dannii Minogue and Michelle Pfeiffer. The beauty therapist whose cream they use sources the bee venom from organic hives in New Zealand. To collect the venom, a pane of glass is placed alongside the hive and an electrical curent encourages the bees to sting the glass. The venom is then diluted to just 1 per cent of the cream, but the recipient still feels a tingling, stinging sensation which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.

But wait! Don't bees die after they sting? This is well known.

It's OK. Relax. Nowadays the bees who contribute their venom by stinging the pane of glass do not die. In fact it is important that they don't as it can affect the quality of the venom. They only die if they lose their 'stinger' which is what happens when they sting, say, a person. But this doesn't happen when they sting the glass.

So the royal guests, if not Kate herself, can rest assured the cream is OK to use. We don't list it on Kiwigiftsonline, but maybe we should. A 50ml jar evidently costs over $100.

Enjoy the Royal Wedding.

Dione

Up and away

Balloons over Waikato is a festival which takes place each year. This year it was at the beginning of April. Each morning the 31 balloons entered are inflated at Innes Common, Hamilton soon after dawn. Fantastic sight.

The first hot air balloon which carried passengers was launched in Septemebr 1783. The passengers were a duck, a sheep and a rooster. Within two month the first manned untethered balloon ride was made. The heat was generated by a fire of straw, kindling and rotton meat: although the balloon finally caught on fire the pilot had achieved his aim. Balloons were used in warfare from 1874 to 1945 as trasnfport, surveying and communication. Their biggest advantage was that they made no noise.

The altitude record for a hot air balloon is 65,000 feet set by Per Lindstrand in 1988. He was also the first to fly the Pacific when he flew with Richard Branson from Japan to Canada in 1991, at times reaching speeds of 245mph.

"There's something in a flying horse,
There's something in a huge balloon" - Williams Wordsworth in 'Peter Bell'

We will work on the flying horse another time.

Meanwhile Easter if not far away. Sending Easter Eggs by mail in dodgy as they can so easily break. But these Queen Anne Easter Eggs are less fragile. They are filled with dense delicious marshmallow and a big enough for the hungriest appetite.

Enjoy Easter.

Dione
Kiwigiftsonline

What gifts do people search for most online?

Are people looking for ideas or a specific gift? Let us know - and remember, gifts for yourself still count.



John Lewis is a large London department store, and in a recent newsletter they listed what people search for most. I can hardly believe that sofas or an armchairs are in the top three, cushions more likely and handbags yes.



I suspect that many searches are not for 'aim-to-buy-online' as I for one spend a lot of time looking without any intention of buying. Retail therapy without the 'Can I help you?' from the pushy sales lady. Good fun.



Let us know what you have looked for in, say, the last month whether or not it is made in New Zealand.