Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 49, 2021 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

Move over Joe Biden – Sandra Bullock says her nine-year-old daughter Laila is going to take over the Oval Office one of these days! Laila “is going to be president of the United States… it’s just a fact!” the Gravity actress laughed during an appearance on chat show Red Table Talk. Sandra, 57, then joked she would be “doing some redecorating” when she visited her daughter at the White House. Sandra adopted her now 11-year-old son Louis in 2010, followed by Laila in 2015, and the proud mum says, “I love who they are. Every day I get to see who they are. I am one of the lucky individuals that gets to be around my children all the time and see who they get to grow up to be.”…

It was a special family occasion that the Queen really didn’t want to miss. So, despite the fact she’s still recovering from a bad back strain, Her Majesty made the effort to attend a double christening for her great-grandsons August Brooksbank and Lucas Tindall. Two royal babies being christened at the same time is a rare occurrence and would have been a key event for the Queen, says royal author Penny Junor. “I’ve never heard of two royal babies being christened together like this,” she tells. “The Queen is very spiritual. A christening is a very important occasion for the head of the Church of England and being there will have been of great importance to her.” Penny says the Queen, 95, is very fond of Lucas’ parents Zara and…

As she prepares for the fight of her life, Ghislaine Maxwell is a shadow of her former self. The glamorous socialite – who rubbed shoulders with the world’s rich and powerful before her association with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein attracted the long arm of the law – is due to stand trial on November 29 on charges of procuring and abusing young girls for her former lover. But instead of preparing for her legal showdown from the comfort of one of her designer mansions, the sunken-cheeked 59-year-old has been living in a 3m x 3.6m prison cell, wearing shapeless overalls and surviving on rice and beans. It’s an unimaginable predicament for a woman who was born into one of the wealthiest families in Britain and counted royalty among her closest…

Barbecued butterflied chicken with avocado salad PREP TIME 20 MINS COOK TIME 1 HOUR SERVES 4 Waitoa free-range butterfly manuka honey and rosemary chicken Drizzle of Olivado extra virgin macadamia nut oil AVOCADO SALAD 3 NZ Avocados, scooped, sliced 200g broad beans, steamed, shelled 2 small courgettes, peeled in thin ribbons Zest of 1 lemon, ribboned 100g feta, cubed ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional) 1 cup Superb Herb basil, mint, crazy peas, to garnish ½ cup FreshLife macadamia nuts, roughly chopped, lightly toasted, to garnish CREAMY AVOCADO DRESSING 1 NZ Avocado, scooped ¹/ ³ cup Superb Herb basil leaves ½ cup FreshLife macadamia nuts, presoaked, drained ¼ cup Olivado extra virgin macadamia nut oil 1 garlic clove, crushed Juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp manuka honey ¹/ ³ cup water,…

Tis the season for giving, so we’ve lined up some of our favourite holiday sets and gifts for the beauty fan in your life – or just as the perfect end-of-year treat to self! It’s a great time to grab mini versions of your favourite products too, making packing for the bach or road trip that little bit easier… The gift of forty winks This Works Dream Team kit, $22, contains miniatures of two of the UK aromatherapy-based beauty brand’s signature sleep aids: Deep Sleep Pillow Spray and Stress Check Breathe In. Deep Sleep Pillow Spray contains the label’s signature superblend of lavender, vetiver and chamomile to help unwind body and mind for sleep, while Stress Check Breathe In is a roll-on essential oil blend of eucalyptus, frankincense and lavender…

Who forgets childhood Christmases? My mum would wake me at 11pm on Christmas Eve and dress me for Midnight Mass. It was the only night of the year I was allowed up so late. At 11.30pm, we’d all pile into our Austin 12 to go to church, dad driving. But just as we were leaving, my mother would announce she’d forgotten something. It never occurred to me until well beyond childhood that my mother’s forgetfulness recurred at that same time every Christmas Eve. My mum would dash back into the house. Whatever she’d forgotten always seemed to take ages to find. Eventually, she’d emerge and we’d finally head off to Midnight Mass, spotting glittering Christmas trees in people’s windows as we passed. “Decades later, I discovered gifts aren’t necessary for…

Letters to the Editor ROYAL ROLE MODEL • Winning letter Every Tuesday, in my letter box, my Weekly arrives and I drop everything to read it from cover to cover! Like so many other readers, it is the highlight of my week! If I admire any woman in the world, it would have to be Queen Elizabeth II, our Monarch. Do I see New Zealand as a Republic, well, I definitely do not. Our Queen is the most stable person I know and fulfills her duties, without question, and sometimes copes with the most trying of times. Family always comes first and always her constant concern for the Commonwealth. Technology has never beaten her, and still a friendly face, seen chatting to all, on Zoom. Queen Elizabeth keeps us all…

“When children are little, they still believe in magic, and it takes me back to when I used to believe, too” The twinkly lights and waving Santas have started going up on the houses in our neighbourhood, which means it’s time to go shopping for the perfect Christmas tree. And by perfect, I mean perfect for us. It doesn’t have to be perfectly symmetrical and endearingly bushy. My daughter has had a long history of choosing the runts of the litter when it has come to past Christmas trees. Show us your droopy, your listless, the trees that look like they have mange and they would be the ones we would end up loading into the back of the car and taking home. To be fair, Kate was a dab…

BOOKS FOR THE GROWN UPS LOST AND FOUND: MY STORY OF HEARTBREAK AND HOPE by Toni Street (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) Some celebrities lead fairly unremarkable lives when away from the screen. But radio and television star Toni Street has a compelling and often devastating personal story that she has shared in this courageous autobiography. From a childhood marked by the tragedies of losing three siblings, to her own life-or-death health battle and the joy of having her own children, the youngest of which was surrogate birth, hers has been a life of staggering ups and downs. This memoir has been topping the bestseller charts for good reason. NEW ZEALAND’S WILD WEATHER by METSERVICE (Penguin Random House, $55) It is difficult to…

Two cute Model mum Cindy Crawford, 55, and daughter Kaia Gerber, 20, had a day of pampering before they hit the red carpet for the Omega San Francisco Grand Opening. LIKE OLD TIMES It’s a Desperate reunion! Teri Hatcher, 56, and her former TV husband James Denton, 58, stepped out in New York to promote their new holiday movie A Kiss Before Christmas. It is the first time the old friends have worked together since their time on Wisteria Lane. Model date After a long day of press in Milan for her new movie The House of Gucci, Lady Gaga, 35, relaxed with her co-star Adam Driver. Baby daze Kiwi acting legend Sam Neill, 74, is the proudest granddad around as he shows off his two-week-old grandson Nahlo, who he…

And just like that it’s almost Christmas! We are kicking off the festive season with Sam Wallace and his gorgeous family. I’m sure their heartwarming story about their first Christmas as a family of five, as well as the stunning photos, will make you smile. In our team, there are some, like me, who really embrace the season – I’ve been playing carols for a couple of weeks now, despite protests of “Mum, it’s only November!” It’s a time of year designer Demi loves too – with three siblings, it’s the only time they get together in the same place. They head away to the beach and just love her mum’s Beef Wellington. Meanwhile, writer Rebekah is looking forward to Christmas this year more than ever. She’s in Auckland, so…

When it comes to sustainability, the Duchess of Cambridge can talk the talk and walk the walk! Kate Middleton, 39, has already proven she’s the queen of re-wears by recycling her favourite outfits and at the Royal Variety Performance in London on November 18, she did it again in a Jenny Packham gown that she first wore during a tour of Pakistan in 2019. The duchess – mum to Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three – dazzled the crowd at the Royal Albert Hall in the emerald beaded gown and also turned heads with her new hairstyle of loosely-curled locks, swept to the side. Comedian Alan Carr, who hosted the evening, told Kate, “You look absolutely beautiful!” before turning to Prince William, 39, and adding, “Sir,…

Their relationship raised more than its fair share of eyebrows when it first came to light 26 years ago. Dame Emma Thompson – who had recently split up from husband Kenneth Branagh – was revealed to be dating actor Greg Wise at the end of 1995. She was seven years older than little-known Greg, who’d worked with her on the period drama Sense and Sensibility earlier that year and had only just ended her six-year marriage to Kenneth, touted at the time as the next Sir Laurence Olivier. Emma and Kenneth, 60, had been the golden couple of British cinema, and her romance with Greg came as a surprise to many people. It was generally assumed theirs was a rebound relationship unlikely to last long. But nearly three decades later,…

DECEMBER 25, 1961 Ghislaine is born in France, the youngest of nine children to media tycoon Robert Maxwell and his wife Betty. 1983 Ghislaine starts working for her father’s companies. NOVEMBER 1991 Robert Maxwell drowns in the Canary Islands while under suspicion of embezzlement. That same year, Ghislaine meets financier Jeffrey Epstein. 2006 Epstein is charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Florida. Two years later, he cuts a deal and serves 13 months in jail. 2009 Virginia Giuffre alleges that Ghislaine recruited her for sexual services when she was a teenager and that Ghislaine and Epstein used her as their “sex slave”. Epstein settles the lawsuit without going to prison. 2015 Virginia Giuffre claims that Epstein and Ghislaine directed her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she…

After a “massive” year that saw pregnancy and birth complications with her youngest child Kenzie, as well as her teen daughter Eva undergoing major back surgery, Tiff McLeod would be forgiven for wanting to lie low and just focus on her own family this Christmas season. But during a recent stint in Auckland’s Starship Children’s Hospital, as vulnerable Eva recovered from having her spine reconstructed and a subsequent collapsed lung, Tiff was still out there trying to help others. Using her social media platforms, the tenacious mum-of-four has been rallying followers to help donate toys for the hospital’s play specialists who work with supporting sick kids and their siblings needing distraction and joy during their stay. “The play specialists are our angels,” she tells the Weekly. “And now with this…

Royal icing MAKES 1 1/2 CUPS PREP TIME 10 MINS 1 ½ cups icing sugar, plus extra, if required 1 egg white ½ tsp lemon juice Few drops glycerine, if required 1 Sift icing sugar several times through a fine sieve into a large bowl. 2 Lightly whisk egg white in a medium bowl using a wooden spoon. Add icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. 3 Continue beating until icing holds its shape – add extra sugar if soft. Mix in lemon juice. Cover icing tightly with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the icing to prevent it from developing a crust. The icing will harden on standing – to soften, add a few drops of glycerine and mix well. Note…

Outwardly, it looks a little bit like we are ready for Christmas because the deck of our house is festooned with twinkly lights. Our neighbours, however, will attest that these lights have been up the whole year, forced to work the kind of overtime on long winter nights that New Zealand-based Christmas lights should not have to face. Three reasons – and thanks for asking. One is that there was a bit of drama putting them up. They were, in fact, the second set of Christmas lights purchased. The first set lasted only a couple of days and then needed to be unwound and returned to the store, which had since run out of stock. I don’t know if you’ve tried to arrange a credit note in a store in…

Here comes the bride This really happened at a maternity ward at which I was a guest about 18 months ago. A roommate was very disappointed at missing her best friend’s wedding. However, she didn’t miss out entirely, for her mother had somehow or other arranged for the bridal party to visit her in the ward on the way to the reception. It was quite a thrill for us all to see the bride, groom and their retinue come sweeping into the room, and we talked about it for hours afterwards, having a laugh also at the groom’s embarrassed face – though by now he might be quite familiar with the interior of a maternity ward. I wonder if our roommate will remember this incident should she happen to read…

BOOKS FOR THE KIDS IN THE COMPANY OF GARDENERS by Juliet Nicholas and Sue Alison (Penguin Random House, $55) Travel through some of the most beautiful and unusual gardens in the land, learning the stories of how they were created and finding inspiration for your own backyard. Brimming with gorgeous photography, the places it will take you to include a dry garden in Cromwell, a sub-tropical jungle in K¯piti, a community garden in Christchurch and a productive M¯ori garden on the East Coast. Green-fingered folk and those who are only just discovering its pleasures will find plenty to love here. THE WILD TWINS: TALES OF STRENGTH AND SURVIVAL by Amber and Serena Shine (HarperCollins, $39.99) Twins Amber and Serena Shine were raised on a farm in…

British crooner Ed Sheeran is proof that anyone can break bad habits. The Perfect singer says in his early years of fame, he used to go to clubs and bars by himself because he didn’t have anyone to accompany him. “I lived in America for a year. I didn’t have security and it was only me touring – and all my touring crew were like 50 and not wanting to go out,” shares Ed, 30. “It was very reckless. I could have got robbed, kidnapped or anything.” The star also says he transformed his lifestyle before his wife Cherry Seaborn, 29, gave birth to their daughter Lyra last year. “I loved chicken wings, wine, beers and I never exercised,” says Ed. “Not being on tour was the worst thing for…

Throughout her time on The Great Kiwi Bake Off, Jasmin Hohaia has made many culinary tributes to her beloved family. But behind her happy demeanour on the show, the 35-year-old carried private pain. Currently in lockdown in Auckland with her husband Dwayne, 43, and their two sons Boston, six, and Connor, two, Jasmin is excited restrictions have eased so she can be reunited with her parents and sisters, who also live in the City of Sails. The whanau have a very close bond, which was made even stronger when Jasmin’s sisters Hayley, 39, and Melissa, 34, gave her the gift of motherhood. Jasmin was just 13 when she found out she wouldn’t be able to carry children, and she confesses she went through a dark time in her 20s when…

CANDY CANE Look sharp in classic red and white for those happy family photos. To up the bling factor but stay comfy, opt for these silver platform sneakers. EMERALD ENVY For a show-stopping occasion, this green satin dress fits the bill nicely with its flattering bodice, full pleated skirt and voluminous sleeves. RADIANT IN RED It’s not only the guy in the big red suit who will steal the show! This romantic linen dress is both flattering and comfortable to wear. GORGEOUS GREEN Bring a plate and elegance to the Christmas get-together in this pretty pleated print dress. Simply undo the belt for post-feast ease.…

Matchbox string-light village You will need • Matchboxes (enough to cover half the amount of bulbs on the string)• Pencil• Small craft knife• Glue or a hot glue gun• Small paintbrush• Water-based white paint• Battery-operated wire copper lights, preferably with small shapes on bulbs• Batteries INSTRUCTIONS 1 Remove drawers of matchboxes, then take the outside sheath of the matchboxes and pry the cardboard apart so it lays down flat. 2 Using the photo (left) for reference, draw the house fronts you want on the large panels of the matchboxes. 3 Placing the matchboxes on a folded newspaper, using the craft knife, carefully cut out the windows and door panels. 4 Using glue or a hot glue gun, revert the flat panel to its original box shape and glue closed. 5…

CAPRICORN Dec 23 – Jan 20 There is a danger of becoming totally exhausted and you know what happens when you get to burn-out stage – you end up flat on your back with injury or illness and then you have to rest anyway. You can do it the easy way by regulating the workload, taking breaks and being aware of tiredness. It’s for the best. AQUARIUS Jan 21 – Feb 19 Everyone wants to cry on your shoulder – and, of course, you will let them. It is not in your nature to turn anyone away. Just leave some time to go to a movie, binge Netflix or read a book to lighten your mood. Be ready at short notice to go out somewhere quite different. PISCES Feb 20…

“Surely, said mother and father, you mean a pedal car? But no, I was adamant, what I wanted more than anything was a pedal tractor” Here in Auckland this year, we’ll be holding a rehearsal for the Christmas that my family dreams of – the one where we’re all together in the same place at the same time, probably making so much noise, the neighbours call the cops. But with half my children and most of my grandchildren still out of reach in Australia, that’s unlikely. When I was a kid, our family Christmases were small and on the quiet side. My relatives didn’t add up to many in those days – one brother, a set of parents, one set of grandparents, an aunt and uncle, and a couple of…