Favourite Finds

Boy, it's been a while since I've done a "favourite finds" blog post, but I've been really busy pinning, posting, saving, coveting, discovering, watching and learning, so there's lots to show you. Friday seems like the perfect day to share some of these things with you, and you may even decide to try or check them out for yourself over the weekend.

I recently pinned this gorgeous kitchen and shared it on Facebook. The beautiful Morris & Co wallpaper was originally designed in 1876, but still looks amazing in this modern day space. I love it teamed with the crisp white tiles - green and white is a favourite kitchen colour combo of mine, it's so fresh. The wood and copper accents help to bring out the blush of the flowers. Old and new, it's the way to go.

In my job I use a camera a lot to take 'before' and 'after' photos of our clients' spaces, as well as pics for our Instagram feed. We have a large SLR camera that we use for work purposes, but more often than not it's just my iPhone that gets used for everyday snaps. I recently came across the Olympus Pen E-PL7, and it's now high on my wish list.

As well as looking super cute, it's small and compact enough to carry in my handbag, while serious enough to take some great photos. The LCD screen flips down, and can be turned around around making it the perfect selfie accessory (not that I'm a selfie kinda gal).

Definitely my favourite new app is PocketYoga. For just over NZ$5 you can download the app to your phone and/or tablet and be ready to practice your yoga anytime, anywhere. I absolutely love it! You can choose between different practices, different durations and different difficulty levels. Wherever you are, home or away, just roll out your yoga mat, make your selections and you're ready to go. With soothing background music, let a calm voice talk you through the practice. Once downloaded you don't need wifi to use the app, so it's great to take on holiday with you.

I came across these wise words earlier this week and I knew I had to share them with you. So true, and such good advice. Make sure you follow this link and read them all.

Every year on my birthday, I always ask for the same thing - no fighting from my kids, and pizza and bubbles for dinner (I'm easy to please). This Friday Night Pizza is the best, and since it's Friday you should make it tonight - everyone will love you for it. If you live in Napier, pop into Vetro for your prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, and other cheeses. They also sell the delicious Pizza Pazzi bases. Or if you can't be bothered cooking, just buy the whole thing from Pizza Pazzi.

If I'm not drinking bubbles with my pizza (sometimes I'm the responsible driver) I'll be drinking my new favourite, Höpt Soda. My friend Mandy introduced me to it, and it's so delicious. I like to pour mine into a wine glass or one of our crystal tumblers, and have even tried it with a splash of gin (when I'm not the driver, of course) - yum! There are four delicious flavours. I have now tried them all and my favourite is Pear & Basil.

I'm currently saving for a pair of Juliette Hogan Japanese Denim Ankle Jeans. I'm a huge JH fan, and these jeans are the perfect length, just above the ankle. They look fab with heels, ankle boots, sneakers, and even my fave pair of Havianas. Can't wait to get them in my wardrobe.

Last on my list to share with you today are my two latest TV obsessions. I had heard a lot of hype about the series Breaking Bad, so over the holidays I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I'm now midway into season 3 and am well and truly hooked. Sometimes I cringe, but you just have to keep watching to see what happens. 

And new to TV One and OnDemand is the series Blindspot. We've only seen one episode so far, but already I love it, and am intrigued to see the mysteries unravel each week. Check it out this weekend, and let me know your thoughts on it (and any of my favourite finds).

My Food Bag

As a wife and a mother, I (like many others, I'm sure) have come to dread those age-old words "what's for dinner?". If I'm perfectly honest there are about a million things I'd rather be doing than cooking a meal night after night, but the health of my family deems it necessary ;) Now, if someone told me what to cook each night and delivered all the food to my door, that would be half the battle. My Food Bag to the rescue... the concept is brilliant - a nutritious weekly menu with all the ingredients and step-by-step recipes for four to five meals, delivered to your door at the start of each week.

Head chef and dietitian, Nadia Lim, works with a talented team to design delicious, easy-to-follow recipes each week. There are five different food bags to choose from:

My Classic Food Bag: 5 recipes to feed 2 adults and 2-3 teens, or 4 adults. 

My Family Food Bag: 5 recipes to feed 2 adults and 2-3 younger children. 

My Gourmet Food Bag: 4 recipes to feed 2 adults. 

My Veggie Food Bag: 4 vegetarian recipes to feed 2 adults.

My Own Food Bag: 4 recipes for 5 meals to feed 1 adult (1 recipe feeds 2 adults).

Once you've chosen the Food Bag that suits you can choose to have it delivered every week or every fortnight, and either on Sunday or Monday. A few days before the bag arrives you'll be emailed your menu and notified of any staple ingredients you'll need eg: flour, olive oil (things you generally have in your pantry already). This gives you time to pick anything up you don't have. Your Food Bag is then delivered to your door with the freshest ingredients, and all seasonal produce (free-range and sustainably farmed products are used whenever possible).

My Family Food Bag

My Classic Food Bag

Hawke's Bay is one of the latest areas to receive My Food Bag deliveries, so Dael and I were super excited to try it out. Dael chose My Classic Food Bag, and I decided to try My Family Food Bag so that we could compare the two. We were emailed our menu for the week ahead and on Sunday afternoon everything was delivered to our door.

There was a large chillbox holding all the meat and deli items, and two paper bags filled with everything else - delicious, fresh veges, eggs, spice mixes, bread crumbs, rice etc. You also get a free recipe folder with the week's recipes. The recipe cards are fantastic and really easy to follow, including the prep and cook time, and nutritional information.

It was lovely to feel so organised and know exactly what was for dinner each night. I really enjoyed the cooking experience and trying new ideas, and there was much excitement, as well as critiques from my family when they sat around the table in the evening.

Dael's family loved their meals too. Her husband, Lee, had taken the week off work to look after their two girls during the school holidays, so for them the delivery of My Food Bag was perfect timing. With everything he needed on hand and instructions, meal time was a breeze, and it was lovely for Dael to come home to. One night when they had friends over for dinner they gave the kids something simple and served their guests 'Char Siu Pork with Sticky Sesame Pea Rice and Veges'. Needless to say the guest were most impressed!

After trialling My Food Bag for a week, Dael and I both highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take the stress out of meal times. With the busy lifestyles most of us live, it's a fantastic way to make sure your family is getting a beautiful, healthy and delicious meal. You don't have to be a Master Chef either, if I can do it, you definitely can. Why don't you give it a go.

NutriBullet Goodness

There was much excitement in our household this weekend as we tried out our amazing NutriBullet for the first time. I have heard a lot about how fantastic this machine is, and with the amount of processed/convenient food available these days, I love the idea of getting extra nutrition into my family's diet.

The NutriBullet is a powerful superfood nutrition extractor that completely blitzes and blends any ingredients, including fibre, pulp, seeds and skin of whole fruits and vegetables. This means you extract the highest degree of nutrition from your food, and the silky smooth texture makes it easy to digest. No more partially blended spinach leaves or berry pips. There are so many ingredients you can use, and we've had a lot of fun making up recipes to please the whole family.

We started with a couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves, a green apple, a pear, and chopped pineapple topped up with coconut water. It's amazing how quickly it blends into a smooth and super healthy drink.

The NutriBullet comes complete with a tall cup, two shorter cups (one with a handle), two resealable lids, the extractor blade, and a milling blade which turns dry ingredients into powders (perfect for milling oats, nuts and seeds). So next time you're running late and don't have time for a sit-down breakfast, you could simply throw your favourite fresh ingredients into the NutriBullet, pop a lid on and take it with you. Now that's what I call "fast food"!

I whipped up a ginger and citrus flu-fighter recipe from two whole oranges (skin removed), the juice from half a lemon, a teaspoon of fresh ginger, and a couple of teaspoons of maple syrup to sweeten. You can tweak these recipes to suit your taste - less ginger, more maple syrup... it just takes a bit of experimenting.

The kids wanted a berry smoothie so we went quite traditional with a banana, lots of frozen mixed berries, yoghurt and milk. I added a dash of vanilla and organic carob powder. Needless to say, they loved it. It really is a fabulous way to get fussy eaters to get their fruit intake. My eldest doesn't like bananas, her favourite recipe so far includes mango, pineapple, coconut flakes, almonds, almond milk and yoghurt - delish!

The last drink I made was a mix of some of my favourites, and was just like a healthy dessert. I used almond milk, a shot of cold coffee, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and two tablespoons of organic rolled oats. Once blitzed I added two tablespoons of chia seeds and let it sit for ten minutes, stirring regularly. Topped with coconut flakes, slivered almonds, and chocolate chips, it was a delicious guilt-free treat.

I would highly recommend a NutriBullet to anyone wanting a quick and fun way to create exceptionally healthy drinks and meals. Check out the website to see where you can buy yours, and lots of great recipes.

Tea Pea School

Dael and I have had the pleasure of working with Meg, Scott and the wonderful Tea Pea team over the years, and we were really excited to hear that they were expanding their thriving business to include a Tea Pea School.

As well as being extremely creative herself, Meg has had the opportunity to meet and work with a plethora of other talented people. Wanting to share the joy and the knowledge, "The School" was established to teach, and inspire others to express their creativity in a diverse range of ways.

make a wreath with adaptation to a floral chandelier

ceramic bunting making

Launching this month, there are over twenty workshops, talks and demonstrations for you to choose from. Try your hand at Shibori dying, or learn to make ceramic tea lights; have you always wanted to learn the art of writing, or how about cake decorating? There are so many options and more are being added all the time.

the art of writing

ruffles and roses cake decorating

You can book and go alone to your favourite workshop - use it as an opportunity to network and meet other like-minded people. Another fun idea is to gather a group of your girlfriends or work mates together. Contact the Tea Pea team to see if you can organise your own special workshop - what a great team-building idea!

make a kokedamas

tricks and tips for decorating a child's space

As well as the knowledge, the experience, and the yummy refreshments, you will also take away with you a lovely goodie bag. Classes start from just $45, so go and check them all out now. To keep up to date with any new classes, join the Tea Pea mailing list and follow them on Facebook too.

Gifted | Gifts for Smart Cookies

The other day the courier delivered the most intriguing package. I wasn't expecting anything, what could it be?..

I followed the instructions to tear the tab and all four sides dropped down to reveal a little message. Beneath the card was a selection of individually wrapped, delicious looking cookies from Gifted - gifts for smart cookies!

Made in New Zealand using only the finest quality ingredients, they're the ultimate treat. Baked fresh the day they are sent, these generously proportioned cookies just melt in your mouth - yummo!

The flavours are "to-die-for"! White chocolate & orange, dark chocolate mint, choc-a-block, anzac, hot chilli choc, and my personal fave - salted caramel & peanuts. If you can't decide you can choose one of three mixed selections.

What a fabulous gift to send and to receive. You can order and send a box from anywhere in the world to anywhere in New Zealand. Choose from one of the "ready to go" boxes for special gift days such as Valentines Day, or design your own gift box. You choose your box, your cookies, and your card from a fabulous range. These smart cookies are also perfect as corporate gifts.

With Mothers Day approaching I suggest you get ordering and indulge Mum with her very own box of heavenly cookies. I guarantee she'll love them. These were, quite simply, the most divine cookies I've ever tasted!

Favourite Finds

Happy Monday everyone! I have one daughter back to school tomorrow and the other two next Monday, then work life will get much easier for me :) In the meantime, check out some of my favourite recent finds...

I have Jen of Interiors Addict to thank for my first find - a Marble Macbook Skin. I've been looking for some kind of cover for my Macbook Pro for a while now, and this was the perfect solution for me. It comes all the way from Canada, but shipped relatively quickly, and was so easy to apply. You can see (below) that I chose a white marble skin, but they're also available in black marble - very cool!

These wall murals created in France are quite stunning, don't you think?! There is a range of equally amazing scenes to choose from, you can see them all here.

If you're interested in creating your own personalised wall mural (and purchasing it closer to home) our super talented sign writer can create photos and murals printed on a self adhesive material that is applied directly to the wall. He created this old fashioned world map for his son's room, and can do the same with any image you choose, as long as it's a reasonably high quality. If you live in Hawke's Bay contact me and I can help you order one.

Inspired by industrial crates these Bias Shelves look fantastic hung on the wall or used as a side table. Made in the US by Evan Clabots and Louis Filosa, they do ship internationally, and although NZ is not listed on their shipping page, you could try getting in touch for a shipping quote.

Last, but not least, this Chocolate Pumpkin Bread looks delicious! Pop a slice in the kids' lunchbox, they'll never know that they're eating veges :)