Mae MacDonald

1 week ago | nzwomansweeklyfood.co.nz | Nici Wickes |Mae MacDonald

What could be more comforting than a bowl of soup to keep your family warm this winter? Try more of our deliciously warming soup recipes – we have something for everyone, with meaty treats and vegetarian delights from all over the globe.

Jan 16, 2025 | nowtolove.co.nz | Mae MacDonald

“Working in my office, I heard a gentle knock at my door. ‘Take a seat, Kylie,’ I smiled at the woman who came in. It was April 2022 and I tutored at a beauty school. Kylie, 27, was one of my students. I’d taught her for eight weeks and knew she had kidney disease. We hadn’t spoken about it, but I kept an eye on her in case the workload got too much. Today, though, I was worried. Kylie was paler and looked exhausted. She slid a newspaper clipping across my desk.

Jan 16, 2025 | nowtolove.co.nz | Mae MacDonald

How are you spending this summer? Relaxing where possible and trying to win games of Finska [woodchuck game] in the backyard. Walks on the beach. There’s also a Scrunchy Millers ice cream caravan that is a two-minute walk from home, so they’ll be sick of the sight of us by summer’s end. What lessons from 2024 are you bringing into the new year? When something good is happening, really embrace it and soak it all in. Take photos and make memories.

Jan 15, 2025 | nzherald.co.nz | Mae MacDonald

Campbell Johnstone and Ben Thomson on their wedding day. Photo / Amour Weddings, Jarrad JohnstoneFormer All Black Campbell Johnstone and his groom Ben Thomson made the grandest of entrances for their wedding ceremony at The Flaxmill in Oxford. The pair were choppered in by none other than rugby legend Richie McCaw. “Richie did this really steep loop around the property and I lost my stomach a bit,” laughs Ben. “Then he landed and we got out.

Jan 14, 2025 | nowtolove.co.nz | Mae MacDonald

With the world so full of opportunities and attractions just begging to be explored, we see how picking the location of your next trip can be overwhelming. To help make matters easier for you, we’ve collated our top forty destinations worth booking your travel around in 2025. If you’ve already got a trip overseas booked, have a scan and see if any of these destinations are near your plans.