JulieBhosaleAchive

Ice Ice Baby!! Summer is coming and so is the heat! Keeping little ones hydrated is so important when it is hot. Our current Ministry of Health Guidelines are for children to just have water or milk offered as drinks and if juice is given that this should be watered down. Sadly this is not always the case with 5000 children under the age of eight currently being admitted and going under a full anesthetic to have decaying teeth removed. The ONLY time our boys have ever had juice has been at their birthday party once a year and that is always diluted down with either water or soda. One alternative that both of them love is a cold brew herbal tea (Red Seal do a great range). At our eldest's sons four year old party this year we actually did not even have juice, rather just soda water and some herbal tea for everyone - it worked so well. For something a little fun last weekend, we had a go at making some ice cubes (in animal and heart shapes) from herbal tea and they were such a hit! T...

The worlds of business and academia are harsh and at times, unforgiving. Behind the highlights of corporate attire, trips away and television interviews is the under belly of pushing deadlines, working in the wee hours, having to call people to put off payments, and huge self-doubt. Plus, I am still a mum with all the sleep-less nights, snotty noses, scraped knees, tantrums and a truck-load of mothers guilt thrown in there too. If I said to you that I never felt like giving up – it would be a down right lie. The last couple of weeks have been especially tough. Battling the never-ending juggle of invoices, feeling the fatigue of the year and struggling with some very tight deadlines ahead of me.  I am particularly feeling the pressure with my book. And it is not just the book, it is making the jigsaw pieces fit. I know it seems like you receive a book deal and ride off into the sunset, writing away and a quiet table under the trees with a vino beside you. It is not like that, least not ...

My hubby LOVES cheese cake, it is his go to dessert. Mine is always chocolate cake, however anything with the word ‘cake’ and I am right in there too. We all have our weak spots! After many married years, I was finally successful in developing a healthy, but easy cheesecake with my new Lemon, Ginger and Blueberry Cheesecake – made with the help of the Ginger Stem Nairns Oat Biscuits...fast track from this original post and I have combined both my loves (chocolate and cheesecake)....to create a Mini No-Bake Cheesecake creation from the Chocolate Nairns Oat Biscuits. Below I have analysed both of my cheesecake creations in comparison to two popular premade options from Sara Lee and Crofters. Let us have a little look (all nutrients listed here are per 100g for comparison and you may need to turn your phone sideways to see full table). Energy (Kj) Sugar (g) Carbohydrate(g) Fat (g) Protein (g)  Mini Chocolate Cheesecake  1687  5.8  19  36  4.1 Lemon, Ginger & Blueberry Cheesecake 1529...

  Cheesecake is my husbands all time favourite dessert. I will be honest though, out of all the things to make in the kitchen, cheesecake has not been a strength of mine! When we were first together I had a couple of, not so great attempts, trying to use gelatin and then, well kids came along and cooking for hungry monkeys is hard enough without failed dessert attempts..... However, now I think I have nailed it! Well nailed a simple, healthy version that is with a little help from Nairns Oat Biscuits! I am quietly pretty chuffed with how my creation turned out especially as there is no complicated steps or special ingredients...well blueberries are pretty special actually. Even more so with the amount of nutrients I managed to pack in but keeping flavor at an all time high! This will be a great option for Christmas parties and family gatherings that are all coming around the corner. Nairns Oat Biscuits make for a really healthy alternative for the base of this cheesecake.  I have p...

I wrote this while at the airport waiting for my flight home after the Wellington earthquake hit at midnight (a week ago now). I was meant to be doing work but for once my ability to compartmentalise totally failed me; my brain felt like scrambled eggs. I have never been in an earthquake. It was without question the most terrifying and longest night of my life. I was staying on the top floor (the 9th floor) of the hotel (will never will do that again). At midnight I was woken with some shaking and thought “what is this?”, felt nauseous and then, as my brain caught up to what was happening, realising the whole building was swaying and shaking from side to side and things started falling - the fridge, the ironing board and I was like “holy crap this is actually happening.” My heart thumping I got out of bed and was basically thrown against the desk I was trying to get under. I literally thought “oh my god, this is it, and I am not going make it out alive….My boys! My boys” - I was scram...

I am not usually one to publicly weigh in on big political issues…well not yet! My husband has long joked that one day he sees me going for a political position and he will be my campaign manager….it’s growing on me too thinking maybe the Minister of Health? On a more real and serious note this week has been a historical turning point in the world. As of yet we do not know the implications of this but what has resulted is a global outcry and with it fear, threats of violence, racism, sexism, anxiety and worry. What do we tell our children? I have pondered this as I am sure many of you have as well. It was my four-year-old that held the answer for me – my children always have the answers. As I tucked him in bed last night he looked at me with his big brown eyes and said in the most innocent voice “mummy I love you will you marry me?”. To which, just as quietly I said to him “of course my darling.” You see in his little world, he yet does not know of the fear and terror sweeping the worl...

  Sunday was a hard day. So was yesterday. We have just spent 3 days in Wellington for two events, with a day to do some business work in between. It was amazing! One of the highlights of the year. I got to meet amazing mums, spend time with my husband and had sleep. Oh glorious sleep. I felt like I slept more than I had in two years. Just two full nights deep sleep will do that. When I first left both my babies to go away for work I wrote this blog . It stands true today. Going away is good for me. It makes me a better mother. I feel so fulfilled. Working in different locations both here in NZ and around the world is part of what my husband and I have (and continue) to create for our businesses as well as our lifestyle. It also does not mean it is easy. With children work is never easy. Going away is never easy and nor is coming home. The logistics are there regardless. The guilt is there regardless. I find for me I already start thinking of ‘coming home’ even before we have left....

We first went to Butterfly Creek at the end of last year as a belated birthday treat for our big boy at the time. I had just finished my Doctoral thesis and Smushie was not even one yet (or walking). Arjun recently asked to go again on a Sunday morning - in a "please mummy and daddy....pleeaaaase" kind of way....we could hardly so 'no' and with now two very active and on-the-move toddlers, activities that enable them to run around freely are always a winner! Animals Our two animal loving children ran around all the animal exhibits with such glee. Smushie was actually doing this little dance which was just adorable (we managed to capture a bit of it on video!). There is a tropical butterfly house, lizards, tuatara's, bugs, monkeys birds and more! There are also two huge salt water crocodiles, Scar and Goldie, which I believe are the only ones here in New Zealand (‘snap snap’). Animal Feeding Nestled within Butterfly Creek is Buttermilk Farm. It is a really interact...

Ok. Confession time. Last night I was the Halloween Grinch. Actually it’s quite possible I am just the Halloween Grinch full stop. Did I think about Halloween for the kids? Hmmm yes. But that was about it. A fleeting thought and then all in the too hard basket. Last year was the same – counting down 3 weeks until the deadline of my thesis I can promise you that Halloween was not a priority. The year before that? I was just pregnant with our angel baby (who we lost a couple of weeks later)…you get the picture here! And do not even get me started on the lolly-business. I know that it can be a fun time, a great excuse to get the kids out in the community but for now I am just the Halloween Grinch and last night was case in point. We had just come home from a full day of work, kids were in bed and we relieved the nanny, about to continue on working….and a group of children came shrieking up the driveway and banged on the door. All ready irritated I prayed our boys would not wake and opened...