Kid Magazine Issue Twenty Nine

June/july 2016 - issue twenty nine

! p u y s co

Everything you need for a cracking winter!

rainy day fashion and play - winter warmer soups - immune boosting foods - declutter & get organised

Editor’s letter

Cover image: Photography by Elise Garner lecoco.com.au Check out the rest of the shoot on page 8

Image by Elise Garner, lecoco.com.au

hi!

I

f you have missed my news, I’m excited to let you know that I’m expecting another baby. Slightly terrifying but truly exciting to think that in November I will be back to those newborn days. The sleepless nights are not something I am looking forward to.

Over the last two-and-a-half years as I have watched my Little Miss grow and develop, so too have I watched Kid Magazine, this other baby of mine, grow. I’m scared of how I will manage. Do I have enough capacity to do it all? But then I remember that we all have doubts.

Whether those doubts are over our skills as a mother or our ability to go for a new and exciting job. But if we can turn that fear into positive energy, we all know we can do it. So, for the next few months I will be doing exactly that. Turning fear into something amazing and getting myself ready for a new sweet bundle of joy. I can already smell the newborn scent!

In this issue I have published my first short story (p.60). Can you relate to the character? I would love to hear your feedback on that and anything else in the magazine so I can keep growing it and bringing you content that matters to you.

Until next issue, you can find us at www.kidmagazine.com.au for more of the things you love.

Sara

Editor and Chief Kid sara@kidmagazine.com.au kidmagazine.com.au

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Watermelon print leggings, from $7.50, www.next.com.au; Frankie girls yellow raincoat, $64.95, frenchsoda.com.au; Pink long gumboot, $44.95, frenchsoda.com.au Padded vest in mustard, $32.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Sloth monochrome stripe raglan sleeve tee, $24.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Chinos in sand, $44.95, www.bodenclothing.com.au; Skeanie navy stripe gumboots, $28.95, www.tiptoeandco.com.au; Owl zoo umbrella, $29.95, www.thestorknest.com.au

Life through the lens of our Editor and Chief Kid, Sara. Join us at instagram.com/kidmagazineau

Keep up to date with our Facebook posts, full of fashion tips, latest articles, competitions and interviews. Follow us at facebook.com/kidmagazine

INSIDE

58

08 32

10 things to eat to stop your kids getting sick

sunshine on a rainy day

24

60

declutter & get organised

34 the mask

rain, rain, go away

26

64

the magic in the dress up box

38 behind the blog mums take five

winter warmers

30

wonderful wintery science experiments

PLUS...

40

preparing for bad weather while travelling with kids

Editor’s Letter

3

Giveaways 6 New Kids on the Block 28 Kid Magazine Loves 36 5 minutes with Kelly Sheargold 56

cabin fever

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Stepping out in style 62

FRIDAY 22 JULY Wear your PJ’s for the day and make a difference to the lives of children in foster care.

Register for your free Pyjama Day kit today! www.thepyjamafoundation.com

giveaways

To enter visit www.kidmagazine.com.au/win Competitions close sunday, 31 july 2016 at midnight AEST. Full competition terms & conditions at www.kidmagazine.com.au/terms--conditions

An add-hoc girls accessories pack valued at $105

Seven STAEDTLER FIMO kids form&play sets valued at $15 each

A voucher for two pairs of Specsavers Minions glasses valued at $199

Three b.box toddler snack essentials kits valued at $45 each

A Master and Miss deluxe gift set valued at $135

A Sparrow and B dress up prize pack valued at $164

A Sipahh Sunset Choc Orange prize pack valued at $100

Three ABC Kids double CD sets valued at $29 each

Two Nude by Nature Complexion Essentials Starter valued at $59 each

One HoMedics Duo Pro valued at $549

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sunshine on kidmagazine.com.au/subscribe 8

Photography b lecoco.c

n a rainy day

by Elise Garner com.au

Paint Me Happy Sweat Top, $32.95, www.tinytribe.com.au

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Boys 5 pocket skinny jeans – black, $25, www.target.com.au; Camm senior rainboats, $20, www.target.com.au Paint me happy full circle skirt, $34.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Skeanie pink stripe gumboots, $28.95, www.tiptoeandco.com.au Girls jeans, $29, www.target.com.au; Hunter Boots military red – childrens original, $96, www.hunterbootsaustralia.com.au

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Watermelon print leggings, from $7.50, au.nextdirect.com; Frankie girls yellow raincoat, $64.95, frenchsoda.com.au; Pink long gumboot, $44.95, frenchsoda.com.au

kidmagazine.com.au/subscribe 13

Padded vest in mustard, $32.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Sloth monochrome stripe raglan sleeve tee, $24.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Chinos in sand, $44.95, www.bodenclothing.com.au; Skeanie navy stripe gumboots, $28.95, www.tiptoeandco.com.au; Owl zoo umbrella, $29.95, www.thestorknest.com.au

Pocket T-shirt, $20, www.next.com.au; Anorak, $55, www.next.com.au; Boys 5 pocket skinny jeans – black, $25, www.target.com.au Paint me happy full circle skirt, $34.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Slicks jacket, $34.95, rjsp.com.au; Owl zoo umbrella, $29.95, www.thestorknest.com.au Girls jeans, $29, www.target.com.au; Billie navy raincoat, $64.95, www.frenchsoda.com.au

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Billie navy raincoat, $64.95, www.frenchsoda.com.au

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Slicks jacket, $34.95, rjsp.com.au

Pocket T-shirt, $20, www.next.com.au; Anorak, $55, www.next.com.au; Boys 5 pocket skinny jeans – black, $25, www.target.com.au; Camm senior rainboats, $20, www.target.com.au

kidmagazine.com.au/subscribe 18

Watermelon print leggings, from $7.50, www.next.com.au; Frankie girls yellow raincoat, $64.95, frenchsoda.com.au; Pink long gumboot, $44.95, frenchsoda.com.au; Essential princess umbrella, $17.95, www.pinkpoppy.com.au Padded vest in mustard, $32.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Sloth monochrome stripe raglan sleeve tee, $24.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Chinos in sand, $44.95, www.bodenclothing.com.au; Skeanie navy stripe gumboots, $28.95, www.tiptoeandco.com.au; Owl zoo umbrella, $29.95, www.thestorknest.com.au kidmagazine.com.au/subscribe 19

Camm senior rainboats, $20, www.target.com.au Skeanie pink stripe gumboots, $28.95, www.tiptoeandco.com.au Hunter Boots military red – childrens original, $96, www.hunterbootsaustralia.com.au Owl zoo umbrella, $29.95, www.thestorknest.com.au

kidmagazine.com.au/subscribe 20

Padded vest in mustard, $32.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Sloth monochrome stripe raglan sleeve tee, $24.95, www.tinytribe.com.au; Chinos in sand, $44.95, www.bodenclothing.com.au Frankie girls yellow raincoat, $64.95, frenchsoda.com.au

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Rain, Rain, Go Away…

Renée meier, Née Say

I’ve always been partial to cold, rainy weather.

Snuggling up on the couch with a good book or movie appeals to my inherently lazy side.

Unfortunately, being trapped inside with three children does not.

Needless to say, doona days are few and far between around here. Unless someone is sick of course, but that doesn’t mean I get to laze about, even if I am the one who is unwell.

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Don’t get me wrong, my kids are great at being couch potatoes. On a beautiful sunny day they love nothing more than to veg out staring at the TV or playing on a device for endless hours. We live less than a kilometre from the beach, are surrounded by awesome parks and have two very energetic dogs. We even have a fort in our very own back yard! Nevertheless, I’m sure they would be sedentary from sun up to sun down if I let them.

However, when it comes to involuntary confinement, it seems like it’s a completely different story. Take a

deliciously cold and rainy day, perfect for nothingness and something overcomes them. All of a sudden they are full of beans literally wanting to climb every mountain and forge every stream, which in the house translates to climbing walls and running laps around the dining table.

Cabin fever seems to set in before I’ve had time to decide which book I’ll be devouring. Ha! Even as I type that, we all know it is nothing but pure fantasy.

Cries of “I’m bored” will undoubtedly assault my ears before the breakfast dishes are even clear. I usually direct them to the ridiculous amount of toys overflowing from their rooms, hoping they will find something to occupy themselves for a while. Despite everything they have, Lego is often the winner here.

I like to sneak a peek at them during these elusive moments. Seeing one’s offspring playing together in harmony is a rare and magical sight for any mother. The trick is not to be caught spying because as soon as you are, the spell is broken. Even if you do manage to stealthily retreat, it is only a matter of time before the bickering starts.

I know there are some of you that will see a day indoors with the kids as a wonderful opportunity to create special memories. Maybe baking, doing craft or having fun trying one of the many great ideas in the pages of this very magazine.

I’m sorry but if you haven’t already guessed, I’m not that kind of mum. Over the last 10 years of my parenting career I have tried, truly I have. I’ve “nailed” the Pintrest crafts and baked so many choc chip cookies there was enough flour spread around my kitchen could have been mistaken for a ski field. But as much as I love spending time with my kids, these days a couple of colouring pages and two rounds of UNO pretty much does me for close quarter family fun time.

“He’s got the grey piece I want!”

Although I must say, one of my favourite family activities is introducing the kids to old movies. Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the like. It is truly the perfect rainy day pastime. The kids especially love the old musical numbers and if we are lucky the toddler can be bribed with popcorn to sit through the majority of the film. So, for an hour or two I get my rainy day doona time, snuggled up with my little loves.

“She took the head off my astronaut and now he can’t breathe!”

And hopefully, by the end of the movie, their devices are fully charged.

“He LOOKED at ME!!!”

END

“MuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUMMMMMMM! You know the drill.

Getting them to pack up whatever chaos they have created in this short period will kill some more precious time, although inevitably leads to more arguments. By this stage I will be contemplating hooking up an IV to the Nespresso machine and googling the international clock to see where in the world it’s currently cocktail hour.

Strangely, it is times like these that there is usually “nothing” on TV, despite having access to countless DVDs and the entire Netflix catalogue. Or there will be an all-out war because one wants to watch Frozen for the eleventy billionth time while another wants to watch strange anime cartoons that never make any sense to me.

And what is it with the cruel, inconvenient twist of fate that has batteries of devices mysteriously flat when you actually want your children to be glued to them?

facebook.com/NeeSayer

Renée Meier is a freelance writer, aspiring novelist and mother to three rambunctious children. When she’s not being distracted by social media or drinking copious amounts of coffee, Renée can be found wandering along one of her beautiful local beaches with her two dogs.

Her lifelong dream is to earn enough money to afford a housekeeper. Renée blogs about all these things at Née Say (neesayer.com).

twitter.com/NeeSayer

www

www.neesayer.com

BEHIND THE BLOG Mums Take Five Bel started Mums Take Five in 2009 and hasn’t looked back. She is a mum of two, studying for a Diploma of Business, renovating her house and blogging! I asked this busy mama to take us behind the blog with a few questions about blogging and life.

Tell us a bit about Mums Take Five I started Mums Take Five back in 2009 eek that seems so long ago now. It was a silly suggestion from hubby - start a blog. So I did! Turns out it was exactly what I needed. It’s certainly grown and changed from those first couple of years.

I blog about all things that are of interest to me as a busy mum. Lots of recipes and crafts, there’s a little gardening some reviews, giveaways and handy information on study, exercise and tips for around the home.

When you aren’t blogging, what are you doing?

My kids are first and between schools and all their commitments they do take up a lot of my time! I have been studying the last twelve months part time and hope to finish very soon with a Diploma in Business. I also work a few hours a week for a couple of small businesses helping them with their social media. I love to cook and bake so I tend to spend too much time playing in the kitchen. Throw in some renovations and a very close relationship to my Nespresso machine and that’s about it.

How do you manage the balance between being a mum, blogger, wife?

I’m far from an expert in time management. I can’t do everything and don’t think I do. I blog and study at night mostly. If I can squeeze in something during the day great but most of my blogging happens after 7.30pm. My days are running errands, working and doing things with and for the family.

instagram.com/mumstakefive

What has been your biggest blogging achievement?

I had to think a long time about this; it really depends on how you measure it. I’ve crossed some personal goal lines, had wonderful opportunities and made some beautiful treasured friends. I think my biggest achievement however has been knowledge and that massive spike on the learning curve. I knew nothing when I first started my blog. There has been a lot of tears, online courses, lots of late night reading and many a trial and error in this journey. Pretty sure I did it all the hard way but I now know so much more than I could have ever imagined.

Why do you love blogging?

It fills my needs. I like to do, make, create and write stuff and I like to share it. I love that people like to visit my blog to see it. It’s a little like show and tell. I love the community that has evolved from blog. I have made some wonderful friends from all over the place through Mums Take Five - it’s been really worthwhile.

What advice would you give to other mums thinking of starting a blog?

Have a little plan. Decisions you need to make along the way vary a lot between a bit of fun, something to do and world domination. Yes there are easy ways of doing things but things will work better and be easier for you if you spend the time learning and understanding how things work.

What impact has blogging had on your life?

It is a part of my life. It’s kinda like a pet, it’s an endeared part of life. I tend to it often, make sure it’s okay, give it love and attention and it makes me happy.

You have been on the blogging scene for a number of years now, how has it changed in that time?

It sure has! It’s a much bigger experience being a blogger now. The necessity to stay on top and up to date with technical information has grown. It’s a lot faster. Trends

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change faster, applications come and go faster and also bloggers come and go faster.

What is your favourite quote/mantra?

I don’t have a single one really I have lots that I love and I do share them on my blog of course. One I probably say to myself the most is “life is like a box of chocolates” because it’s so true, you never know what you’re gonna get. I guess it’s a bit like my life - things can change so fast. One minute you’re having a great day and off on an outing the next someone has thrown up all over themselves and in the car or the opposite happens, I have to go to the shops (which I dread) and then I bump into a friend and we have a quick chat and a coffee and my trip turns out to be awesome. That and I seem to say “Never a dull moment” a lot.

Do you have any favourite bloggers you love to follow?

I prefer blogs that give me information rather than just a story. If I’m giving blogs my time I like to gain something from it. Food blogs, gardening blogs, technical blogs I don’t really mind as long as it’s interesting and of value.

What is next for Mums Take Five?

Well for now I’m pretty happy. All the things that need to grow and get bigger are and so that keeps the technical side of me happy. There’s lots of opportunities, some I take - but not all. I just really like doing my thing - there is no goal to take over the blogging world with Mums Take Five - just keep doing what people seem to like having a look at.

END

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new kids on the block

While she may be a more recent addition to Australia, Sophie the Giraffe has certainly taken our Aussie babes by storm! This year Sophie is turning 55 and two new products have been launched. A Sophie Colour Teething ring and adorable soft toy Cherie to delight teething babies all around the country! www.lesfolies.com.au

b.box is leading the way in innovative baby products with three new feeding products for toddlers. A bowl with removable slip and straw for drinking and a snack cover insert. An award winning cutlery set designed in consultation with an occupational therapist and a divided plate for keeping food separate! bbox.com.au

Just one minute is all it takes to prepare a delicious winter warmer dessert with the new Cake in a Cup from White Wings.

Choose from three decadent flavours: Double Chocolate, Salted Caramel & Choc Chip, and Raspberry & Coconut. Simply add milk, microwave for one minute and away you go! www.whitewings.com.au

Designed for the delicate skin of girls aged 7-14+, Girl Lane is a range of skincare, bodycare and haircare made from natural botanicals without any of the harsh chemicals which can damage young skin. The product of three mothers, Girl Lane empowers tween girls to be their healthy best with a product specifically designed for their skin. girllane.com.au

The Sharp R34DM microwave is sure to peak your interest with it’s stylish appearance AND built-in weight scale, to not only help with accurate defrosting of food but also to act as a scale for everyday cooking. Weigh items inside the microwave or simply pop them on top of the unit. Easy! www.sharp.net.au

Get your pram winter ready with the new range of Bugaboo Light Cotton Blankets. Available in three fun colour combinations, they are made from 100% natural cotton and super soft to the touch. For colder days, the Bugaboo Soft Wool Blanket has had an update with new colours and a new more contemporary pattern. bugaboo.com/retail-locator

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We are all aware of the need to take pregnancy multivitamins for conception and pregnancy but I wasn’t aware of the importance of taking a supplement while breastfeeding.

Elevit has launched a new breastfeeding multivitamin to their suite of products for women, with essential vitamins, minerals and Omega 3 to help mothers meet the increased nutritional requirements of breastfeeding. www.bayer.com.au

Love to shop but love a sale even more? Then head over and join the new Savvy Mama Shoppers Facebook group. At Kid Magazine, we are across what is happening in the world of shopping and are bringing that knowledge to you with a few group to find all the latest sales, exclusive special offers and more added each week! facebook.com/groups/SavvyMamaShoppers

With winter skin ailments already striking, two products new to Australia are sure to be a hit! S.O.S Labbra Lip Balm combines key natural ingredients with natural active principles to soothe, moisturise and protect lips. S.O.S Pelle Skin Rescue Cream, both made in Italy by the same company, soothes general skin irritation, insect bites, burns, chafing and more.

Available now from Priceline and leading independent Pharmacies

For instant teeth whitening on the go, try the new White Glo Bright Nights. The dissolving whitening films instantly give teeth a whitening top up. With no mess, they are easy to use for an instant brighter smile without the fuss. Keep them in your handbag to use on the run. www.whiteglo.com

Little Minions fans can now channel their favourite characters as the Minions have joined the Specsavers Kids eyewear lineup. With six colourful pairs of glasses to choose from, they feature a flex-hinge and scratch resistant SuperTough lenses to provide high impact resistance so little ones can avoid their own Minions mishaps. specsavers.com.au

Featuring fashion forward monochrome with pops of metallic, the new Star Struck baby range from Skip Hop is just too cute for words. Available in Lightning or Stars design the capsule collection includes a short sleeve Kangaroo romper, skirted bodysuit, bodysuit and full length footie and hat set. www.gear4baby.com.au

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Rough seas ahead Preparing for bad weather while travelling with kids

Christine Knight, Freelance Writer and Blogger If only travelling with kids came with perfect weather, so you could enjoy the best of what every destination has to offer.

We often find ourselves at the mercy of bad weather, so have become veterans at coping with a small child in the cold/heat/rain and snow. From torrential rain storms in Cairns to blizzards in New York, we’ve seen it all, and the best way to cope is preparation, preparation, preparation.

Pack indoor activities In case the weather is so bad you can’t go out, I highly recommend stocking up on some new colouring books, sticker packs, or new games for the iPad that can be whipped out if the only option is staying in the hotel.

Research indoor activities I try to do this before we leave on a trip so I have ideas on hand, but you can also ask the concierge at your hotel for ideas. I have found that blog posts from other local families or families who travel a lot offer the best tips on where to take kids of various ages however, so suggest you do some Googling as a jumping off point and make some notes on your phone of bad weather ideas. The best bets for us are children’s museums, art galleries or museums that cater to kids, movies, bowling centres, indoor play centres and even shopping centres.

with a stroller, don’t forget the rain cover or a stroller blanket. If you’re staying at a hotel with a pool, bring swimmers even if you don’t plan on swimming. It’s an excellent bad weather back-up plan.

Prepare for heat We are fans of heading to warmer climates when winter hits Australia - but if it’s too hot, the weather can be almost as bad as bucketing rain or snow. I make sure we have wide-brimmed hats, plenty of sunscreen (I like the Cancer Council Kids one), long sleeve rashies for swimming, and light cover ups so our shoulders, chests and arms don’t get sunburned.

Make a game of it Bad weather can seriously ruin a trip if you let it. Staying in a hotel? It’s your chance to explore! What can you discover - secret passageways, hidden gardens, cafes where hot chocolate might be served? Ask the concierge if they have a stash of board games or DVDs that can be borrowed for in-room entertainment if all else fails.

Take all-weather gear If it even looks like a hint of rain at your destination, bring raincoats (we all have very light ones that don’t take up much space), travel umbrellas, and either wet-weather shoes or extra shoes in general incase shoes get soggy.

Pack a few extra sets of clothes, and warmer layers incase it’s actually colder than what you’re used to. If you travel

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END

Christine Knight is a Sydneybased writer. Her blog, Adventure, Baby!, is a guide to navigating the world and parenthood. Follow her travel, food and parenting adventures over Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

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christineknight.me/

shop where the cool kids shop

With the plethora of online businesses popping up all over the web, knowing where to shop can be the hardest decision you need to make. We’ve done the leg work for you and tracked down some of the hippest places to shop for you and the kids. Whether you are after funky party supplies, new maternity clothes, a fabulous photographer or toys for the kids, you will find it all plus more in the new Kid Magazine DIrectory.

Want to find out how you can join the directory? Email sara@kidmagazine.com.au for the details on our affordable packages.

www.kidmagazine.com.au/directory

12 Decluttering and organising projects for a rainy day

Amanda Lecaude, Organising You As winter approaches us in the southern hemisphere it often means staying in doors a little more. Why not use one of those gloomy days to declutter and get more organised.

I am sure, like with most people, there are projects in your home that you have been saying you will get to one day but never do. More often than not these projects are weighing you down both mentally and physically and wouldn’t you love to feel like you have finally completed at least a couple of them? Don’t put off these projects for another day any more!

Check out the list below for 12 ideas of projects you can do on the next rainy day. How many of these are things that you have wanted to tackle?

Clean out your filing cabinet or catch up on your filing How long since you did either of these? Are your drawers over flowing or you have piles of paper on your desk still to file? Usually your filing cabinet should contain current information and most historical information can be archived in another place.

Go through your warranty and instruction manuals When did you last do this? I bet you probably don’t even own some of the items that you have warranties or instructions for.

Get your tax returns up to date Many of my clients are often behind in this area. If this is you why not collect all the necessary documentation and catch them up and then you don’t have to stress and worry about them anymore.

Sort through your children’s artwork and memorabilia Another one of those projects where maybe you have kept a lot and it just keeps piling up. Naturally you can’t

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keep it all, as you would end up with boxes and boxes over the years of your child’s school life. Ideally you need to have one spot where you store and keep it all together.

Sort your physical photographs These days our photos tend to be in electronic form but how many of you still have boxes or packets of photographs that you want to sort and organise? If you are like a lot of people, including many of my clients, you have boxes of photos lying around. In many cases often the photos have just all been dumped into boxes or tubs and will need to be categorised and organised first before deciding what to do with them next.

This is probably the biggest project of all those listed and might seem overwhelming and too hard. My suggestion is that it might be useful to tackle it in stages and not all in one go.

Sort your digital photographs These might be on your phone, device or computer and more than likely you can cull your photos by quite a bit.

Remove those that you have duplicates of and those that aren’t up to scratch. May sure you then back up these photos as you would hate to lose them.

Back up your computer First and foremost when was the last time you backed it up or have you at all? This is extremely important and something you should ensure is set up to do regularly.

Many people don’t think anything will happen but it does and you can potentially lose all the information and photos stored on it.

Go through and sort your inbox Are you someone who has a lot of items in your inbox and doesn’t do anything with them? Maybe it is time to go through it. You can do this by actioning items, archiving, unsubscribing and deleting. Go on see how low you can get it – you might surprise yourself!

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www.organisingyou.com.au

Clean out your pantry Often this gets left until the point where you get annoyed and can’t find what you are looking for. The first step is to usually clear your bench or table space so you can pull all items out and throwing away out of date items at the same time. As you put items onto the bench ensure you sort like with like. Give your pantry a good wipe down and when you put items back in consider those that you access on a regular basis and put these on those shelves in the middle.

There is no point having these items too high or too low and save these shelves for things you don’t access as much.

Clean out your fridge and freezer Start by tackling one shelf at a time, throw away expired items and then wipe each shelf down. Consider reorganising both the fridge and freezer when you put items back in like storing like items together ie condiments, END yoghurts, sauces and having a spot where you always put leftovers so the whole family know where to look for a quick meal.

Organise your junk drawer Has this drawer gotten out of control? If the answer is yes then pull all items out and give it a clean. You might like to consider some containers or dividers to organise the drawer better and only put back items that you regularly use. For those that you are not sure about keeping put them in a shoe box and label, to donate in 6 months, if you don’t go to it to get an item to use before that date.

Go through your children’s wardrobes or even your own When was the last time you went through your children’s clothes? Are all the clothes they have current and fit them?

What can be boxed up for another child or donated? It is important when organising a wardrobe space that you again store like with like so t-shirts together, pants together and so on. The same goes for your own wardrobe space should you decide to tackle this.

So which one of these projects will you tackle on the next rainy day? If you are not sure and get overwhelmed by many of these then start with the junk drawer and then work your way through other projects in time.

Amanda Lecaude is professional organiser who loves being able to help people – her clients – get organised. She see’s the difference it makes in their everyday lives, particularly families, just to have a way to create some TIME, SPACE and BALANCE! She also very passionate about equipping school students with organising skills for life to maximise greater results primarily in secondary school and limit the overwhelm and frustration for both them and their parents.

This is the focus of her new business Organising Students which she launched in 2015.

For more detailed tips and ideas on many of these projects please visit my blog at www.organisingyou.com.au.

Get in touch 0409 967 166 amanda@organisingyou.com.au

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The magic in the dress up box Sara Keli, Kid Magazine Editor When you receive an invitation to a dress up party, do you: A. Immediately decline, no thanks!

B. Ring your best friend in a panic asking if she has a wig you can borrow C. Head to your closet to put the perfect costume together For most people, the answer is probably somewhere between A and B. The dread of not wanting to look silly combined with the lack of anything remotely fancy dress in your wardrobe.

The power of dress ups in this encouragement of dreaming big is that it teaches our kids not just about dreams but about possibilities. The little girl who carries her stethoscope with her everywhere learns that a Dr is someone she can be, not just someone who she visits when she is sick. Anything is possible if a child is presented with the power to make it possible.

As kids play in an imaginary world they are learning about the world around them. The way a bird flaps it’s wings or a mouse scampers around the house with all but a tiny “squeak”. Playing house and mimicking the way they see their parents interacting over the everyday banalities of life. The intersection of real life and make believe.

But as kids, dress ups is an adventure and just part of life.

Ballerina one day, pirate the next! Kids don’t care if they look silly, in fact the sillier the better. Ask a child to make a funny face and you will some pretty amazing creations.

Ask an adult and see them stick out their tongue.

Somewhere along the way, we lose that ability to not care what others think and to live in the moment. Not just with how we dress but in so many other areas of our lives.

They learn about colours and textures, engaging their senses. They squeeze themselves into costumes they have long grown out of but just can’t let go of. They have to share with siblings or friends and take turns in being the teacher, doctor, mummy… They learn leadership as they do this, holding a room of toddlers captive as the leader of the pirates is no easy feat!

But engaging our imagination is a vital skill to learn and practice. Sure we can’t go to work each day in our finest dinosaur attire, but we can find moments in our lives to let our imaginations run wild. And often those moments come when we spend time with our kids. So the next time your kids drag out the dress up box and you groan at the thought of the mess they will make or them pulling you into their make believe world, consider what the contents of that box is teaching them.

So what do you learn in all of this? You know how to share, how to dream, what noises an animal makes.

But what imaginative please teaches you, in the words of Queen Elsa, is to let it go. To enjoy the silliness of childhood and to accept the crazy rules of a made up world, no matter how nonsensical they may be. So the next time you see the kids with the dress up box open, think about all the things they are learning, put on the silly hat, don your sword and CHARGE!

As Albert Einstein said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” When we engage our imagination, we open up doors to worlds we never thought possible. We are no longer bound by four walls but by the limits of where our minds can take us. Dressing up is one of the most powerful ways to engage the imagination and explore worlds unknown. You don’t need to get on a plane to experience distant cultures, real or made up.

Encouraging our kids to develop their imagination is setting them up for a life where creativity is the norm. And creativity doesn’t just come with a paintbrush on a canvas.

The ability to problem solve and think outside the square.

To approach life with an “anything is possible” attitude.

And to dream of bigger things and a better world. facebook.com/KidMagazine

END

Sara is the Editor and Chief Kid at Kid Magazine.

When she isn’t writing, designing, creating and blogging, she is out and about in Sydney with her family or spending time on her back deck enjoying the sunshine and her daughters laughter.

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Costumes available from Sparrow & B Mouse capelet/poncho, $65 Pastel feather crown, $29 Cherub bird wings, $70 www.sparrowandb.com.au Or head to page 6 to find out how you can win the set! kidmagazine.com.au/subscribe 35

Kid Magazine Loves

This June and July, Frozen will come to life on the ice in the Disney on Ice Magical Ice Festival. Along with the adventures of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Tangled and Beauty and the Beast, Elsa and Anna will charm their already loyal fans around the country with daring choreography and stunning costumes. www.disneyonice.com.au

Get your dancing shoes ready for the iHeartRadio Little Rockers Red Nose Disco! Being held at Luna Park on June 16, the disco is a free event (for a gold coin entry donation) with all funds raised going to SIDS and Kids’ research, education and bereavement programs. Pre-registration is essential (click on ‘Red Nose Disco’ under the ‘Get Involved’ tab on the Red Nose Day website). rednoseday.com.au

Combining the wholegrain goodness of Weet-Bix with different combinations of grains and fruit, the Weet-Bix Blends range is the ideal balance between taste, texture and nutrition. With the delicious new Cranberry + Coconut, Multi-Grain +, Hi-Bran + Honey and Energize Protein the range is high in nutrients and essential vitamins, perfect for growing families. www.weetbix.com.au

I love stylish baby products that can blend with the rest of the house and the Stokke Tripp Trapp chair is one of those. A chair that grows with your child, the Tripp Trapp is now available in three brand new pastel colours. Soft Pink, Wheat Yellow and Hazy Grey. Just gorgeous! www.stokke.com/en-au

For everything baby shower you can now head to the BabyLove baby shower hub. The hub includes party themes, recipes, game ideas and more! You can also receive a free baby shower gift from BabyLove for an expectant friend by registering to receive a gift certificate which can be redeemed at Babies “R” Us. www.babylove.com.au/babyshower kidmagazine.com.au/subscribe 36

Combining IPL and Freeglide technologies, the Duo Pro, by HoMedics, is a powerful hair removal and skin rejuvenation product for busy mums on the go. It offers fast and easy treatment for hair reduction while also giving tone to your skin, evening out wrinkles and giving you a brighter, more luminous appearance. homedics.com.au

Join close to 60,000 mums in The Healthy Mummy & Lose Baby Weight Support Facebook Group and gain access to one of the most inspiring groups of mums I have been a part of. The group offers recipe inspiration, personal stories and a forum to ask for help from other mums in the same boat as you. www.facebook.com/groups/losebabyweight

Sip a glass of lovely warm milk this winter with one of the Sipahh winter straw colours and flavours. Think Lamington Dream, Hokey Pokey Honeycomb, Sunset Choc Orange and Smooth Caramel. Sipahh has matched it’s top 10 winter straws with gorgeous winter accessories to enjoy magical winter moments. Head to page xx to win your own Sipahh winter pack! sipahh.com.au

A backpack made for mums! The new Skip Hop Chelsea backpack is practical and stylish. It is a good size for all your baby essentials and can easily clip on to your pram or stroller.

With multiple compartments, insulated bottle pockets and changing pad, the lightweight backpack is perfect for mums on the go. www.babyvillage.com.au

If it is time to upgrade your kid’s bed linen then check out these new designs from Snurk. Budding soccer stars can kick goals in their dreams or soothe your little ones into a softer sleep with a field of flowers. Single bed doona cover sets are $159.95 (Flower Fields is also available in Queen size for $279.95). www.krinkle.com.au

Add a pop of bright to a dreary winter with the latest range of throws from Ardour Wolf’s ‘Aves of Ardour’ collection. Made from 100% cotton, the are super bold, bright and playful and the perfect statement piece for your living space. I’ve got my little eye on the Sparrow Throw! www.ardourwolf.com

If your little ones love to dress up and twirl the day away then Pink Poppy is the brand to know. With sparkles and tutus and glitter and frills, they have dresses to suit every Princesses desire.

My ballerina is currently crushing on the Floral Petal dress and My ballet tutu dress. Sparkalicious! www.pinkpoppy.com.au

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3 ingredient sensory snow dough

Ice cube excavating

Cloud in a jar

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3 wonderful wintery science experiments to try at home Lauren Hunt, Teacher Types Brrrr it’s getting colder these days as Winter sets in. It’s a time for cosy indoor activities, movie days and hot bowls of soup! In this month’s issue I’ve put together three winter inspired science experiments for you and your little ones to try at home on a chilly day. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, homeschooler or child-care educator, you’ll find something fun.

Starting with the experiments suitable for the very young, and then moving up to the older kids.

3 ingredient sensory snow dough You will need: Cornflour Vegetable Oil Glitter Tub or bowl for play time Extra items for scooping, molding and decorating Optional: Shaving cream Just combine the ingredients and enjoy! It’s tricky to give specific quantities for this recipe – you just have to keep adding oil until you’re happy with the consistency.

It’s especially fun for those of us who live in parts of Australia where we don’t get real snow. Pictured here Miss M enjoyed playing with her Frozen figurines and glass gems. We took this experiment further by adding in some shaving cream!

Pop everything in a large tub ready for play. Your little one might need a bit of guidance to excavate the frozen objects, but as they start to melt it will get easier to free them. Be sure to talk about the process of the ice melting and turning back into water again.

Cloud in a jar You will need: Jars or glasses Shaving cream Food colouring (diluted) Teat pipette Half fill the jar with water and squirt some shaving cream on the top. Ask you child if it sinks or floats. Then carefully add a few drops of the diluted food colouring into the cloud (this is the rain) and watch it fall (you’ll have to be patient). This experiment is a great teaching tool to learn about where rain to comes from. It’s really engaging and magical to watch. A sensory delight for the eyes!

Science is often a forgotten learning area in the home.

Parents are focusing of hearing their child read, practicing spelling words and addition sums (and rightly so). But there are some powerful learning opportunities about our world and everyday life that Science experiments can provide.

END

Ice cube excavating You will need: A variety of ice cube trays Food colouring Small interesting objects A large tub Excavating play tools such as a chisel and hammer Begin this activity with your child’s help and get them to fill the ice cube trays with water and pop in the objects – this will help them begin to understand the changing of water from a liquid to a solid. Put in in the freezer and come back later! (After your warm bowl of soup perhaps?) facebook.com/teachertypes

Lauren is an Early Childhood Teacher, currently on maternity leave whist juggling a new baby boy and an energetic three year old daughter. She is passionate about play-based learning and inspiring parents and educators of young children.

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Cabin fever Photography by Elise Garner lecoco.com.au

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5

Minutes with Kelly Sheargold

Kelly Sheargold is the mum behind Central Coast based Yummy in Their Tummy, preparing and delivering home made baby food and toddler meals to Sydney and Central Coast families. Kelly is taking the baby food market by storm so we asked her a few questions to get some insight into the mum behind the brand.

Three words to describe your style Versatile, casual & comfortable Top fashion brands for you and the kids Target, Kablooie, Bonds Beauty product you swear by Nivea basic cream - I have a lot of allergies and this is the only one that does not react to my skin. Love it!!

Advice for juggling motherhood and work Be realistic. You are essentially doing two jobs. Do your best and give yourself some credit - Always!

Favourite room in your home The kitchen of course!!

Words of wisdom to new mums Listen to all of the advice you are given (while smiling), take what you like, throw the other stuff out, and at the end of the day - Mum Knows Best!!!

Quote/mantra you live by ‘It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees’ Peter Garrett - that sounds a bit heavy, but essentially don’t give up, stand tall and be proud.

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Shopping - online or bricks and mortar?

Both. I love supporting small biz online, but bricks and mortar when shopping for me. It’s gotta fit - in all the right places!! Am I right!!?

Technology you can’t live without It’s a cliché, but it has to be my iPhone. It’s my direct portal to my business, family & friends. I see orders as soon as they arrive, take calls and emails from customers and do the important scheduling of playdates, school activities and family time all from this one little friendly dictator in my pocket!

Ultimate holiday destination I would looooove to go to Fiji. Cocktails, pool, kids club…

But in reality, I would settle for a room with a bed and a full night’s sleep!!

Best toy you ever bought your kids Our Wii. We all love the Just Dance game. My kids are outdoorsy and have a ridiculous amount of energy. This games is great on rainy/cold days. Keeps them moving and happy!

What is next for Yummy in Their Tummy Mr Yummy has just been appointed CFO (he is qualified) so the business side and planning for the future are underway. We will have a commercial premises in the next few years where we can have a Mums & Bubs cafe for Mothers Groups and Playgroups as well as an area for parent education & socialisation. From here we will continue to manufacture the Yummy In Their Tummy Meals that are home delivered and operate our Kids Party Catering Service. I am also passionate about creating flexible employment for other mums in a caring environment. Phew - that’s a lot! I better get cracking!!

END

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10 things to eat that can help stop your kids getting sick Stacey Clare, A Healthy Mum

It’s that time of year. Kids are bringing home god knows what home from daycare. They’re coughing and sneezing and all too often handing those bugs around to the whole family – even us big folk that need to look after the wee ones and go to work 5 days a week. It’s a really tough time of year. Now, being a health coach, I do understand the benefit of ‘safeguarding’ against a cold but I also understand the reality of a sick baby and I pass no judgment on those who really need medicine to get them well again.

When we look at how to stop the kids getting sick it’s important we look at the spot in our body that controls the majority of our immune system. Amazingly, it’s our gut. It, in fact, holds about 80-90% of our immune system.

Amazing, huh? This is why you hear so much noise about putting good food in and why what we eat has such a huge effect on our sickness threshold. So here goes. Here are 10 things to eat that can help stop your little ones getting sick: Onions and garlic – I’m starting here because these are both really easy to sneak into the kids’ dinners. Onions and garlic have anti-viral effects plus they’re packed full of prebiotics. Prebiotics are the food for the probiotics (the good guys that fight infections in our gut).

Mandarins – These perfect winter fruits for little fingers are packed with Vitamin C. We now know that while this powerhouse antioxidant can’t always prevent a cold, it can help us cut down on the duration and severity of colds. That’s a welcome relief. Us mummas can handle a 3 day cold, not a 2 week one.

Beef – The secret of beef is its high zinc levels. Beef is believed to be the second highest form of zinc, with oysters winning the first place (if you can get oysters into your little ones instead, power to you mumma!). Zinc plays a big role in boosting the immune system and has been shown to stop the growth of some micro-organisms in the body including some bacteria and viruses that cause the dreaded common cold.

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Chicken broth – Mumma was right. A good bowl of chicken soup will heal anything. I make my own broth in the slow cooker by simmering the bones for at least 12 hours and allowing all the gelatine to leach out in to the water. Here’s how I do it - https://www.staceyclare. com/blog/how-to-make-bone-broth-video/). I get it into my babes daily, in a bunch of different meals, and they’ve grown to really love it. Latest research has shown the broth helps control the production and spread of inflammation.

Tuna – This fish is packed with glutamine, an amino acid that helps boost your immune system, and is especially great for those battling an upper respiratory infection.

When my little ones are sick, I’ll make a big batch of brown rice cooked in chicken broth and will serve it to them for lunch with a really good tinned tuna and a bunch of veg on the side. They love it.

Ginger – A strong-tasting herb but is a cinch to hide in a delicious curry. We love ginger because it helps to relieve congestion and is fantastic at soothing your adrenals and digestion.

Sweet potato – Not only are they completely delicious and a kid’s favourite, their Vitamin A content makes them a winner too. Vitamin A plays a key role in maintaining the health of your mucosal surfaces and especially your skin.

Your skin is the first point of call for your body to fight infection.

Leafy greens – Leafy greens are packed with protein and Vitamin C. As we saw in my mandarin example, Vitamin C helps cut down on the severity of the cold. The general rule when choosing your greens is the darker the greens, the higher the nutrient content. Pop a handful into the kids’ smoothies, chop it fine and stir it through your bolognese sauce or go ahead and make kale chips.

Sounds crazy but they are kids favourites.

Yoghurt and other fermented food – Putting the good bugs in your gut will not only kick out the bad bugs which make us sick but it will also boost your immune

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system, digestion and metabolism. If you’re looking for a dairy option, full fat is the best and always try and buy fermented foods that are as unprocessed as possible.

Pumpkin seeds – Amazingly, these guys are packed with protein and zinc. Just like in beef, the zinc helps boost our immune system and stops the bad sickness causing bacteria to grow. I use these seeds a lot in baking – in any recipe that calls for a nut meal, you can grind these up and use them 1:1 in their place.

Here’s hoping a few tweaks to your diet will see you all stay healthy this Winter.

END kidmagazine.com.au/subscribe 59

Stacey Clare is a healthy mum to two young boys and an accredited health and nutrition coach to the masses. She spends her days running after her busy babes who always seem to be getting in to something.

Her nights are spent cooking for her website or helping other mummas on their own family’s health journey in her health coaching services. Her food philosophy is all about simple, easy-to-cook food the whole family wants to eat. Yep, same food for the 9 month old and 35 year old, because really who has time to cook multiple meals? You can visit Stace’s website here to check out all her recipes, connect with her on Facebook and Instagram or grab a copy of her lunchbox eBook which is packed full of healthy recipes that can be stored in the freezer.

The Mask

Sara Keli, Kid Magazine Editor

She looked at the barefaced reflection that stared back at her in the mirror. The lines ran deeper than they had a few years earlier and the dark circles under her eyes had become a permanent fixture of her appearance.

shoulder to cry on, always with an ear for listening.

Sometimes distracted but always there. She couldn’t be prouder than she was of her children and the little people they are becoming. And she made them. The biggest miracle there is.

It was so rare that she even took the time to look in the mirror these days. Maybe she didn’t have time. Life was hectic. Three kids, a job, a husband. Or maybe she didn’t like the reflection that stared back at her.

Her relationships have changed. Old friends lost and new ones made. Her marriage made it through those newborn days and toddler tantrums to the other side. The other side where the kids are more independent and adult conversation flows more freely.

All the demands of her life had taken their toll. She was no longer the carefree spirit she had been in her 20s.

Lists had invaded her everyday. She collapsed into bed at night exhausted from the hustle of the day. She couldn’t remember the last time sex with her husband was more than just a quickie before the kids woke up.

And yet, day in and day out she did everything all over again. School and day care drop-offs. The commute to work. Sitting at a desk doing a job she hated just to keep her foot in the door and avoid a gaping hole in her resume that she knew would make it harder to progress when the kids were older.

She used to throw dinner parties for her friends and spend hours in the kitchen preparing. She loved to cook, once. But now felt the drain of cooking multiple meals each night for kids who could survive solely on chicken nuggets alone. There was no time for the homemade pastas she was known for and all her cookbooks sat gathering dust on the shelf, unopened for some time.

Somewhere, in amongst the years of nappies and breastfeeding, tantrums and tears, starting school and becoming a taxi for her kids, she had lost who she was.

How had she let that happen? The young woman who was once so sure of who she was, was now lost in a maze where every turn led to a dead-end. She wanted to find her way out but the exit signs had lost their light many years ago.

Who was she now? Mum. Mummy. Mama. And a good one at that. Expert boo-boo fixer, birthday cake baker extraordinaire, unsurpassed in her hugging ability,

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But perhaps she wasn’t lost, just changed. The inevitability of motherhood is that priorities change, interests change.

Getting drunk on a Saturday night is no longer practical when a sleep in on Sunday morning is all but a dream. As is calling in sick on a Tuesday to just stay in bed all day to finish a novel.

Now her life was about early morning starts, snuggles in bed if she was lucky, reading picture books and watching cartoons, spending family moments together. Life really was good though, wasn’t it? Isn’t this the life that many people would do anything to have? A life with happy, healthy kids, married to her soul mate.

Life has just taken a different path. It certainly wasn’t how she pictured family life when she was a naïve 20-something dreaming about marriage and babies. You can’t understand the exhaustion of having kids until you have experienced it yourself. And while the path she has ended on is not without it’s bumps, it is her path.

Regardless of how tired she is, how far off her path she has strayed, everyday she puts on her mask. It’s not a mask to hide behind, if there is anything she has learnt in this journey of motherhood, it is that she doesn’t need to hide anything about her self. Self-confidence is the most powerful weapon a woman can have.

Her mask is a message. A message to the world that she is ready to face the day. That she is strong. Stronger than the circles under her eyes or the lines on her face can ever reveal. She is tough. She has carried, birthed and raised three babies. She has earned her mask.

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END

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Mummy fiction

Sara Keli is the Editor of Kid Magazine and mum to a two-year-old girl plus a baby on the way.

A passionate reader, writer and creative, Sara has a cast of short story characters and plots brewing in her mind just waiting for her to find the time to put pen to paper and bring them to life. She lives in Sydney with her family and can usually be found on her back deck enjoying the sunshine and laughter of her daughter.

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Stepping out

Step out in style with one of these ankle boot beauties and make a statement this winter.

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Available now

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only $14.95

maple & ginger lamb, ve carrot soup & barle

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egetable ey soup

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roasted pupkin & cumin soup

Winter warmers

Soup is one of those winter essentials.

It warms you right through and fills that desire for comfort food that strikes when the temperature drops. These are three of my favourite home cooked soups. I usually make a double batch and store the extra in the freezer for those nights when cooking just seems all too much. Here are a ‘souper’ tips just for you! * For any liquid, such as soups, pour into snap lock bags and lie flat in the freezer. This way they don’t take up too much room and are quick to defrost. * If you find you have lost some of the liquid while reheating the soup, add a little boiling water from the kettle. Season with salt and pepper accordingly. * Cheap cuts of meat, like chuck steak or lamb offcuts are ideal for making soup.

Cook them for hours to bring out the flavour. However, be careful of bones if serving to your little ones.

* If making soup for your kids, leave the seasoning until the end. Too much salt isn’t good for kids. Use a salt reduced stock and add salt if you need it at the end. Adding cheese can also add some flavour and is another good way to get the kids to eat what you are serving. * Soup is really easy to experiment with. Try adding different vegetables or even pasta or noodles. Some noodles thrown into a pot with some stock, a little shredded leftover bbq chook and some thinly sliced vegetables is a really quick and yummy dinner. See what ingredients you have and think about what you can do with them. * Limp vegetables are the perfect candidates for a vegetable soup. Blitz them in the food processor and add them to whatever other base ingredients you have. No waste! * If you are cooking soup for a few hours, be sure to check on it regularly and give it a stir. Burnt soup on the bottom of your pan is not fun to get off! * Start your kids early with soup. Thicken it up for them with some added pasta or noodles or keep the pieces chunkier. It is such an easy dinner, and because it freezes so well perfect for families.

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Maple & ginger carrot soup Serves 6 If you’ve ever tried a maple roasted carrot then you will know where the inspiration for this recipe came from.

Sweet and earthy with a kick from the garlic and ginger.

Serve as an entrée at a dinner party or a tasty dinner for the family.

Ingredients 1kg carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3cm slices 1 tbsp grated ginger ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1.5 lt vegetable stock Method Preheat oven to 200C. Add carrots, grated ginger, maple syrup, olive oil and crushed garlic into a roasting pan. If you have a heavy based dish suitable for making soup that is ok for use on the oven and stovetop then use this instead. Roast the carrots for 40 minutes, turning twice.

Move the carrot mixture to the stove top (be sure to get all the juices from the pan if you have used a roasting tray) and add the vegetable stock. Cook on a medium heat for 30 minutes or until the carrots are very soft and tender.

Using a hand mixer, puree the carrot to a soup consistency.

Lamb, vegetable & barley soup

Roasted pumpkin & cumin soup

Serves 4-6

Serves 6

This soup takes me straight to my grandma’s kitchen where she always makes the most delicious soups. This is great for kids who aren’t veggie eaters as you would barely know there is even a vegetable in it!

This pumpkin soup recipe only takes an hour but most of that time is roasting and simmering so you aren’t chained to the kitchen bench. Cumin is my favourite spice and I like using the whole seeds for this soup but you could use ground cumin if you prefer. Enjoy!

Ingredients 2tbsp olive oil 2 lamb shanks (approx. 1kg) 2.5 lt vegetable stock 2 large carrots, peeled 200g broccoli 150g green beans, ends trimmed 1 cup pearl barley Method Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb shanks and brown on each side. Add the vegetable stock to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let simmer for two hours.

Meanwhile, add the carrots, broccoli and green beans into the food processor and blitz until very fine. If you prefer you can also chop the vegetables instead. The beauty of this soup is that you can use any vegetables you like.

Sweet potato, pumpkin and cauliflower also work really well so dig around the bottom of the vegetable crisper and see what you can find.

When the lamb has been cooking for two hours, carefully remove it from the saucepan onto a board. Shred the lamb from the shank and place it back into the soup.

Discard the bone. Add the vegetables and pearl barley and simmer for a further hour or until the barley is tender.

If the stock is low, top up with boiling water from the kettle.

Serve with warm, crusty bread.

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Ingredients 2kg Jap pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 5cm pieces 1 tbsp cumin seeds 1 litre vegetable stock2 tsbp olive oil 4 garlic cloves, peeled Method Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the pumpkin and garlic cloves in a roasting tray and sprinkle the cumin seeds over the top. Coat with the olive oil. Place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes.

Remove the roasting tray from the oven and pour the contents into a saucepan with the stock already at the boil. Boil for about 20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft through.

Using a hand held blender, puree the soup. You can add a little extra water if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Serve with croutons or a little cream swirled through the centre of the soup.

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June/July 2016 - Issue twenty nine