Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 18, 2021 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

When I was a little girl, I used to think that I had two dads,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. “One was sitting right next to me, while the other one lived in a little box in the lounge!” She’s talking about one of New Zealand’s acting royalty, Rawiri Paratene, 67, who hosted the popular series Play School during the ’80s, when his family was young. When the Weekly catches up with the pair at Rawiri’s home in Auckland, Marama’s running late, due to very wet weather and when she arrives, clutching toddler granddaughter Raeya, pronouncing her to be still in her pyjamas and “unbreakfasted”, Rawiri just grins fondly and reaches in for a warm hug with them both, while his wife Lester quickly rustles up toast and Marmite.…

After doing the maths on when she was conceived, Bayleigh and Tim Ballantine joke that their six-month-old daughter Lainey is quite possibly New Zealand’s first “lockdown baby”. But when the wee battler grows up to hear how she came into the world amid a pandemic, it will be just one of several wild stories her parents share about her arrival. Since finding out they were pregnant in May last year, the Ha¯wera couple have moved house twice, got married and finally brought Lainey home following an emergency flight, a risky Caesarean delivery and two months in hospital. “You don’t realise how much your family can handle until you’re thrown into something,” says Bayleigh, 30. “I wouldn’t have thought I’d cope well, but I’ve surprised myself.” One day, the couple will…

PENCIL If you have an hourglass shape (curvy with a well-defined waist), then a pencil skirt will accentuate your curves. Pair with a slim-fit knit worn tucked in. PLEATED Take a clue from the skirt’s shimmering metallic textile for your accessories. Adding different textures of gold will have you glittering from head to toe. SWING A swing skirt is ideal for apple and athletic figures as they either follow your curves or create curves depending on your body type. A belt draws the eye inwards to the waistline. TIERED A tiered and ruffled skirt flatters all body types. The important thing is not to overwhelm your silhouette, so tuck in the front of your knit. A long necklace draws the eye down.…

BEETLE BREW I was just starting to do the morning tea dishes when I noticed some cotton hanging from the spout of the teapot. I pulled at the “cotton” and out of the spout came a very dead weta. The invader must have crawled into the spout overnight, so we must have had at least three brews over his dead body. Yikes! In spite of the “creepy” addition, the tea did not appear to be any “weta” than usual. Ida, Auckland HE GETS IT! My poor sister-in-law was complaining that all she ever seemed to do was cook, clean and look after children. “There’s nothing to looking after children!” snorted her husband in disgust. “Unless, of course,” he added as an afterthought, “there’s something else that you’re trying to do…

It was a fond farewell as the Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest in the way he would have wanted last week. As people fr om around the world passed on their condolences, the royal family was united in grief. But there was also a glimmer of hope with the beginning of a reconciliation between William and Harry. It was heartwarming to see Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge seemingly effortlessly bring the brothers together . Read all about Kate’s strength and elegance, and how she is making such a difference to the royal family on page 6. And this week, we celebrate mums ahead of Mother’s Day on May 9. We feature a delicious party with food and drink to really spoil her on page 38 and if you’re short…

JEANETTE THOMAS & MIA Jeanette Thomas’ motherhood motto is you’re only as happy as your unhappiest child and that is why she always encourages her teens to follow their passions. Whether it’s the environment or potentially following in her footsteps into the media world, the 48-year-old is always a cheerleader for her kids Charlie and Mia. Youngest of the family Mia, 17, joins Jeanette for the Weekly’s Mother’s Day photoshoot and chat, before going shopping for a dress for her upcoming Year 13 ball. Looking almost like sisters, Jeanette admits that apart from desperately trying to get her children to clean their rooms, she has never told Mia off. “It’s so odd, but it’s wonderful. It’s probably not quite normal,” she laughs. “And it’s not like we’re best friends and…

Daydreaming has become an ancient notion with the distractions of modern life – but staring into space is surprisingly good for your mental health. Boredom is a crucial part of human behaviour, but the word only entered the language in 1852 and has received less attention than it deserves. We think keeping children busy with scheduled activities will stop them from getting bored, but unstructured play as a child has had a proven connection to overall health as an adult. Studies show that childhood experiences which were devoid of this type of play have often led to higher rates of criminality, substance abuse and addiction as adults. Not being in the moment also means we’re not developing the part of us that observes, empathises and savours moments. Instead of being…

You will need: • 2 x offcut pieces of leather• Pin• Measuring tape• Pencil or pen• Scissors• Bulldog clips• Leather punch• Suede lace STEP 1 Place the two pieces of leather on top of each other on a flat surface with the shiny sides facing in. Pin the end of the measuring tape to the centre of the pieces. Measure the diameter of the stool’s seat Halve this to get the radius. STEP 2 Lay the measuring tape flat and put the pen at the radius point. Swing the pen and measuring tape around to mark out a circle. STEP 3 Mark another circle 2cm further out from the first circle. Cut the two pieces of leather out at the larger circle marks. STEP 4 Place measuring tape around the…

TAURUS Apr 21 – May 21 You are more than happy to take a risk, bend the rules and create a shortcut to get there. There will be warnings that you cannot or should not do it – and you will do it anyway because you know you have the intellect, the drive and the instincts to get the job done. There will be some people who will back off because they are scared, but those who follow your lead will share the rewards. GEMINI May 22 – Jun 21 Someone wants to have some fun with you! It is romantic, passionate and very tempting. If you’re single, then go for it! Understand it is not forever, but ever so much fun for now. Those with partners need to think…

The good news is, you’re unique! The bad news is this means you have a unique set of triggers which will upset you way more than the people around you. Mine is toilet rolls. Why don’t any members of my family ever put a new roll on the holder? Every time I go into the bathroom, I check and every time there will be that manilla-coloured cardboard core hanging there uselessly, goading me. And when I say every time, I mean sometimes. Or it’s more obnoxious cousin: the barely covered roll holding the last one or two creased segments – a gossamer-thin covering giving the last person some sort of excuse not to refresh the roll. I wasn’t always like this. I’m sure there was a time I gave such…

MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN, RENT ON YOUTUBE The sequel to the ABBA musical is just as joyous as the first. On the verge of motherhood herself, Sophie deals with the grief of Donna’s death as she brings her dream hotel to life. Then we’re taken back to a young Donna when she first arrives on the Greek island and her journey that led to Sophie’s birth. Plus, there’s Cher! GILMORE GIRLS, NETFLIX In the early 2000s, there was no greater mother-daughter duo than Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. As a young single mother, Lorelai has an unbreakable bond with her daughter and will do anything to help her, even if that means reconnecting with her estranged mother to help pay for Rory’s expensive school tuition.…

This is a fairly short and very sweet novel about a group of people leading ordinary small-town lives. It’s as special as it is understated and I absolutely loved it. The author’s previous book, Standard Deviation, was similarly wonderful, so I already knew she wrote pitch-perfect, witty prose about everyday lives and relationships. But this time she has created a book that is warm, touching and real, filled with so many small moments that ring true. It is happy and sad, and everything in between. The story begins in 2002. Jane Wilkes has moved to the small town of Boyne City, Michigan, where she works as a primary school teacher. She has lived there only a month when she locks herself out of her house and local handyman Duncan rolls…

‘She showed herself to be a beacon of light in the darkest of hours’ It was subtle but incredibly significant – a thoughtful gesture by a woman who has proved by her gentle and generous actions that one day she is going to make a wonderful Queen consort. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, helped to break the ice between her husband Prince William and his brother Prince Harry, who have been feuding for several years, in the moments after the funeral for their grandfather Prince Philip. “She showed herself to be a beacon of light in the darkest of hours,” says royal writer Sarah Vine. As the small group of royal mourners left St George’s Chapel, Windsor, after the service, Kate, 39, turned to her brother-in-law Harry and started talking to…

The jewellery Kate wore to Prince Philip’s funeral was not only stunning, but significant. Loaned to her by the Queen, it paid homage to Her Majesty and Philip, and to Kate’s late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. The four-strand pearl and diamond choker was given to the Queen by the Japanese government in the 1970s. Her Majesty has often worn it herself, and lent it to Diana for one of her first royal engagements in 1982. Kate previously wore it to the Queen and Philip’s 70th anniversary celebration in 2017. The diamond and pearl drop earrings were given to Her Majesty by the ruler of Bahrain for her wedding to Philip in 1947.…

Harry Potter star Helen McCrory made friends and family keep her cancer diagnosis a secret from the world. The actress, however, finally lost her battle aged 52 on April 16, leaving behind her Homeland star husband Damian Lewis, daughter Manon, 14, and son Gulliver, 13. “She has been utterly heroic in her illness,” says Damian of his wife, best known for her roles as matriarch Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders and Narcissa Malfoy in the final three Harry Potter movies. “Constantly reminding us all of how lucky we’ve been, how blessed we are. Her generosity has extended to encouraging us three to live fully, take opportunities, have adventures. “Only a couple of weeks ago, she said to us from her bed, ‘I want Daddy to have girlfriends, lots of them,…

Some people move to a new house, others renovate – but when Philippa and Joe Cameron had their first child, they left their self-described “city slicker” life behind and moved to a 40,000-hectare high country farm in a town with fewer than 200 people. There, with Joe’s father Hugh, they run 30,000 merino sheep and 500 cattle, and feed a team of farm workers who battle the elements every day. Four years on and Philippa, a 39-year-old former teacher, is firmly ensconced in her new career as the station cook at Otematata, which includes starting her day at 5am to make smoko for the farm workers. She’s also a dedicated mum to Evelyn, four, and Flora, five. Joe, 36, was no stranger to farming. He’s the fifth generation of Camerons…

Strawberries & vanilla sugar Combine 250g quartered strawberries and 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar in a small bowl; stand for 15 minutes. Spoon strawberry mixture on pancakes, then dust with ½ teaspoon sifted icing sugar. Lemon & sugar Mix 2 tablespoons caster sugar with 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind in a small bowl. Sprinkle lemon sugar on pancakes, then drizzle with 1/3 cup lemon juice. Serve with lemon wedges. Caramelised apple Peel 2 medium green-skinned apples, then core and cut each into eight wedges. Melt 20g butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Add apples and 1 tablespoon brown sugar; then cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes or until golden. Spoon apples on pancakes and serve with ½ cup…

1 Sunscreen SPF is the number-one anti-ageing product you can use, so applying a product rich in it from an early age can help to reduce the amount of ageing you’ll see later in life. That said, it’s never too late to start. Applying sunscreen with a high SPF every day will go a long way towards keeping this vulnerable area looking youthful. Try (1) Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen Oxybenzone Free Formula, $47, or new multipurpose sunscreen (2) Naked Sundays SPF50+ Collagen Glow Crème, $34.95, which is packed with skin-loving ingredients. 2 Gentle exfoliant Like your face, “exfoliation is essential to keeping the neck looking smooth and bright, and encouraging a healthy turnaround of skin cells”, explains Emma. But steer clear of physical scrubs. Harsh scrubbing may…

For a pattern when cutting a circle, use a pot rather than a plate, as it’s much easier to handle. – Happy-go-Lucky When posting a gift for the occasion of a wedding, 21st birthday, new baby or similar event, indicate the nature of the gift discreetly on the back of the greeting card. This is a great help to the receiver – particularly to a bride – who often has a lot of thank you letters to write and is likely to become confused when cards get separated from the actual presents. – Helpful, Oamaru When choosing a candlewick bedspread for a gift, remember the one with a centre pattern but no design on the pillow will wear much longer, as it may be turned around when starting to wear…

When it comes to lifetimes, there’s no such thing as ordinary, so I’m thrilled to hear from Weekly readers sharing their tales of loss, wonder, war and more. How wonderful so many of you like the idea of “ordinary” people talking about their often extraordinary lives (Kev’s Corner, NZWW, April 12). I agree with you all – everyone has a great story to tell, but we seldom hear them. I think my days of making TV shows are over, so I don’t think my interviewing “ordinary people” idea will happen, but that shouldn’t stop you from writing about your own experiences. If you’ve got tales to tell that are more interesting than the celebs, go for it. They’ll become a precious part of your family archives. I encourage you all,…

Ididn’t get up to watch the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, but I did watch it back a couple of days later. It was all everyone at work was talking about, so I watched a replay of it on television. And it was quite lovely. It really did seem to be a funeral that was all about Prince Philip having the final say. I’d felt in the lead-up to the funeral that there had been so many tributes – verbal, pictorial and familial – that I could appreciate just how highly he was regarded by so many people. The tributes gave a much more honest portrayal of Philip the man than the rather one-dimensional character he was in the TV series The Crown. Gosh, that series must have ignited his infamous…

THE HOUSE THAT £100K BUILT, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 7.30PM, CHOICE Architectural journalist Kieran Long and award-winning architect Piers Taylor meet brave self-builders who are attempting to create their dream home on a tiny budget. We follow the emotional journey of the build and their innovative low-cost designs. 2ND CHANCE CHARLIE, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 9.30PM, THREE Over eight punishing weeks, five young rugby players will compete for the ultimate second chance. Hand selected by All Black legends Stephen Donald and Liam Messam, they select the deserving players who will be put through their paces. 9-1-1, MONDAY, MAY 3, 8.30PM, THREE The new season picks up in the wreckage of Los Angeles’ 7.1 earthquake and tsunami with the city in chaos. As always, the team of…

She lives in Washington DC with her husband and children, and used to live in Boyne City, Michigan, where this novel is set. This is her second novel. This novel was inspired by… I wanted to set a novel in Boyne City, and I wanted that novel to include lots of sunsets and my favourite beaches and parks,and lots of dinner-parties-gone wrong, which is my absolute favourite thing to write about. I chose teaching as the main character’s occupation because my son’s second grade teacher told me that once the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) had raided her house by mistake (they got the address wrong). It was Pyjama Day, and she and her husband, also a teacher, had to go home and deal with the DEA while wearing their pyjamas.…

The Little Book of Mum (Wellbeck, $14.99) Motherhood has highs and lows, as every Mum knows, and this lovely little book is all about providing a few moments of peace amidst the chaos. It’s a happy blend of wisdom and love, and full of inspiring quotes, useful tips, heartfelt reflections and amusing anecdotes, so is ideal for busy mums to dip in and out of. Glossy by Nina-Sophia Miralles (Hachette, $37.99) Vogue magazine has been part of women’s lives for the past 128 years. We last got a glimpse inside its extraordinary world with the hit documentary The September Issue. Now this fascinating book traces its previously untold history, from gossip magazine to style bible. This is a story of passion and power, and of course high fashion, as it…

My dad rocks! Dwayne Johnson, 48, celebrates his adorable daughter Tia’s third birthday, saying, “My greatest joy is being your daddy.” WHO’S WATCHING?! Mulder and Scully have a new sidekick! Gillian Anderson, 52, and her X-Files co-star David Duchovny, 60, are under guard by her pooch Stella. MAKES SCENTS Cindy Crawford, 55, reminds us all to take a moment to stop and smell the roses. Blunt style Emily Blunt, 38, reminds the world of her movie-star status with three stunning looks, as she celebrates A Quite Place II finally coming to cinemas. ACTION HERO Aqua is not his favourite colour?! Jason Momoa, 41, models his new sportswear line. Love the scrunchie. FIFTY SHADES Jane Seymour, 70, trades in her signature red locks for grey as she gives us a sneak…

Keith Urban, 53, and rising star Mickey Guyton, 37, teamed up to celebrate the best in country music at the ACM Awards last week. And it wouldn’t be a night of country without a cameo from the queen Dolly Parton. Miranda Lambert, 37, kicked off the night alongside a five-months pregnant Elle King, 31, performing their fun party anthem Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home). Though she didn’t take home any awards, Miranda’s four nominations made her the most nominated woman in the history of the show. After delivering a sizzling performance alongside her husband Ryan Hurd, 34, Maren Morris, 31, snagged two of the biggest honours of the night, winning Female Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for her chart-topper Bones.…