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Going for gold! How Libby Trickett lost 23kgs in 10 months

The Olympian is already back to her pre-pregnancy weight after welcoming her darling daughter Poppy in August.
Libby Trickett

On Thursday, Libby Trickett announced via Instagram that she had already reached her pre-pregnancy weight, just 10 months after welcoming her beautiful daughter.

Sharing a snap of her standing atop a set of scales that read 69.2kg, the proud mum wrote: “10 months and 23kilos later – I’m back at my pre-pregnancy weight!”

You go, girl!

“I’m most proud of the fact that I was in love with my body through all of its changes and was comfortable in it again months ago,” she went on.

“I didn’t lose it all because I worked out constantly (I can barely even say it was consistently!) but I listened to my body, gave it what it needed and enjoyed myself along the way.”

“I finally have a healthy relationship with food and I only hope I can pass that onto my little girl.”

Since welcoming her “fierce” baby girl, the proud mama shared a sweet yet candid comparison pic, dedicated to all the new mums out there – detailing the reality of being a parent.

“This flashback fail pretty much sums up the last 9 months of motherhood for me.”

“In the first photo at 37 weeks pregnant on our babymoon, you have such peaceful and excited expectations of the time ahead with your new baby. Second picture… Well that speaks for itself.”

The new mum gave her fans a candid look into her life as a new mummy.

“Poppy is vibrant, fierce, intense and just a little bit nutty.”

“The last 9 months have been some of my most challenging – I constantly question what I’m doing and how I’m doing it and I constantly question whether I can do it or whether I am enough for her,” she went on.

Check out how Libby got back into shape in the video player below!

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“But I am doing it and I am enough and gee whizzles it’s hard but I wouldn’t want it any other way!! Big shout out to all mums who are doing it. This is a reminder that you are enough xx”

Last year, Australia’s golden girl and her husband Luke announced on Instagram that they’d welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world.

“Luke and I are so thrilled to announce that our little girl, Poppy Frances Trickett arrived into the world (a couple of weeks early!) on the 31st of August at 9.23pm!”

She added: “She weighed 2.98kg and was 51cm long. We can’t believe how lucky and blessed we are to have this gorgeous little being in our lives! We are so in love and beyond happy! X”

The proud parents are absolutely besotted with their little girl!

Luke and Libby announced their pregnancy in March this year, just months after it was revealed that the pair suffered a tragic miscarriage.

The 30-year-old confessed to The Sunday Telegraph at the time: “Luke dealt with it in a far more logical and reasonable way but it really knocked me around.”

Before continuing: “I was only eight weeks pregnant but you don’t realise how attached you become to the prospect of motherhood in that time.”

The former Dancing with the Stars contestant also quipped that the feeling of becoming a mum is, “a thousand times greater than I felt for swimming.”

“I adore this intense little serious soul as crazy as she is and I am bloody loving getting to know her.”

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Judy Murray dishes on what Duchess Catherine is really like

The mother of tennis world number 2, Andy Murray, recalls the moment she and the Duchess of Cambridge engaged in a friendly match.
Judy Murray Duchess Catherine

Back in February, the Duchess of Cambridge went on her first solo engagement to Edinburgh, Scotland to take a swing in a game of tennis with Andy Murray’s mother, Judy at a local high school.

The 34-year-old royal enjoyed a fun-filled day visiting multiple schools before she made a quick costume change into a $440 pair of Monreal London tracksuit pants to attend a tennis coaching session at Craigmount High School from the Wimbledon winner’s proud mother.

The active mum was right at home on the court!

Recalling the memorable moment the two women went head to head on the court, Judy said, “She came and joined us in Edinburgh when she was on one of her visits.”

“And it was wonderful because she is a huge tennis fan.”

Watch the two hit it out in the video player below! Post continues…

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“She’s also a parent and I always say that the parents are the hidden workforce. If they can help the kids to develop the skills they need to play the sport, then they come into your sport better able to do it,” the 56-year-old went on, noting the importance of an active upbringing.

“For me it was wonderful to have her there because she was genuinely so enthusiastic and meant it.”

At the time of the visit, Judy, who runs a tennis coaching workshop called Tennis On The Road, had just become a grandmother to Andy and Sophia’s baby Sophia Olivia, so naturally, the two women had plenty to talk about.

According to Mrs Murray, Kate couldn’t wait to start teaching her own little ones the UK’s favourite game!

“She had lots of questions during the session and many, many after the session and that’s a really good sign. She was keen to be able to understand how she could help her children to enjoy sport,” she said at the time.

Can you just imagine little George teaching his sister how to serve?

“She was talking about at what age can a child hold a racquet. It’s about strength. I was saying to her with children of George’s age you start with a balloon and the hand. It is about doing the right thing at the right time.”

Yes, we’re thinking it too… Perhaps the next generation of royals will be pros on the court!

If Prince George, two, and Princess Charlotte, one, are anything like their mum, they’ll be naturals!

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Own these books? You could earn a fortune

Look through your bookshelves - you could be sitting on a goldmine!

Holding onto some old books you read as a kid for sentimental value? Well if you’re looking to be rid of them, you’ll get a good price.

Depending on the particular edition, that is!

Here are the top 10 books that could put some big dollars into your pocket – if you can bear to part with them!

Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey will rustle up $5,044 (£2,800) for the 1941 version.

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle is worth a cool $144,000 (£80,000) for the 1902 first edition.

Who doesn’t own a copy of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling? First editions are worth around $144 (£80), but if you’ve got a full set signed by the author herself, you could rake in $54,000 (£30,000).

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman could fetch as much as $900 (£500) for each book’s 1995 edition.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle came out in 1969 and will go for $9,000 (£5,000).

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins only hit shelves between 2008 and 2010, but if you’ve got a first-print copy of all three, you can score $685 (£380).

A 1960 copy of Green Eggs And Ham by Dr. Seuss will go for as much as $6,400 (£3,550).

Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg came out in 1981 and will go for $793 (£440).

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was written in 1983 and if you have the first version (till 1901), you can fetch $90,000 (£50,000).

The 1900 version of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum with 24 colour illustrations is going for $4,324 (£2,400).

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Life hacks for all parents

These helpful little tricks will make life a lot easier!

If you’re a parent and haven’t come across a Facebook page called Ideas Tips Hours just yet, your mind is about to be blown.

It shows easy DIY ideas that make life easier for parents with young children.

Click through to have a look at the simple tricks.

So your child doesn’t unravel rolls of toilet paper.

A rubber band across a door’s lock will mean your child is never locked in a room.

Breakfast on the go by using old milk bottles.

Stopping children getting into cupboards. But if your boy or girl is super smart, they’ll probably get through it quick smart!

We think even adults would find this helpful!

Cutting a sticker in half to help kids differentiate left from right.

So the toys never go floating to the other end of the bath!

A mobile number in case a child ever wanders off and gets lost.

To stop the door from slamming.

You’ll never have to pick up this sippy cup again!

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6 reasons single mums are awesome

If you’re a single mum, you’ll know all these points to be true.
6 reasons single mums are awesome

I was raised by a single mum, and I’ve been a single mum myself, before I remarried. And some of my best friends are single mums. It always strikes me as odd that in 2016, some people still have a predisposed idea of what single mums are like – and it’s often not a flattering picture.

The fact is, single mums have skills that the rest of us can only dream of.

They can prioritise

There is nothing like being a lone parent to help you decide what’s important and what’s not. You have one set of hands and 24 hours in your day to get everything done that needs doing. Important things go to the top of the list, unimportant things fall by the wayside. There’s no time to waste time and there’s no point in worrying about stuff that doesn’t matter.

They can multitask

I’ll often call one single mum friend in the late afternoon, when she’s helping her son with his homework, cooking dinner, and prepping lunchboxes for the next day. And she still can still carry on a reasonable conversation with me and somehow get the cat fed at the same time.

They know how to take care of everything

When I was growing up, I thought my mum was Superwoman (I actually still do). There wasn’t anything she couldn’t take care of. Leaky taps, broken mowers, a football through a plate glass window, a broken heart…she knew how to fix it all. I asked her about this recently and she just shrugged her shoulders, “I just had to,” she said. “Who else was going to do it?”

They don’t need your approval

The buck stops with single mums. They make the calls and that’s that. What’s the point of agonising over decisions, or seeking the approval of others that they’re doing the right thing?

They know their kids well and they rock the awkward conversations

Single mums tend to be super close with their kids. They have lots of one-on-one time together, and there are a lot more deep and meaningful conversations going on. And because they can’t palm off any of the tough conversations, they have got all the awkward stuff covered too. My poor mum had to talk my brother through puberty. I don’t even want to know how that went.

They’re great role models

Resilient, adaptable, loving, tough, and organised – single mums set a great example for their kids. They know life doesn’t always go according to plan, but they make the best of what they’ve got going on. Who couldn’t learn something from that?

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Why you shouldn’t fear speaking out

“I’m not sure that I’m brave for speaking up, at least, not anymore. Courage is being scared of something and doing it anyway, and I no longer fear speaking out” says Kerri Sackville.
Why you shouldn’t fear speaking out

Recently I wrote something online that many people agreed with…. and plenty didn’t. This isn’t unusual. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being a writer, it’s that people will disagree and agree, no matter what I write. But this was different, because it was one of those ‘difficult’ topics. You know the ones. Controversial subjects likes abortion and marriage equality and racism and feminism and human rights. Topics that get people angry, no matter what position you hold.

After I wrote it, I had several people contact me privately to tell me how ‘brave’ I was. “I completely agree with you,” they said, “but I was scared to say it.”

I’m not sure that I’m brave for speaking up, at least, not anymore. Courage is being scared of something and doing it anyway, and I no longer fear speaking out.

I used to, however, and I know the chest-tightening anxiety of disagreeing with another’s opinion. It is particularly hard for women to say what we feel, especially in the context of workplaces and relationships. I spent many years pushing down my own opinions, trying to align my belief systems with others’ just to keep the peace.

As a result, I was full of frustration and anger, often directed towards other people, but no doubt deflected from myself.

And really, I’m too old to do that anymore. I don’t want to live in frustration or anger, and I don’t want to align my beliefs to anyone’s other than my own.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that I know how I feel about most things. I am aware that other people know far more about certain topics than me, and I will defer to their greater wisdom.

But when it comes to issues I feel passionately about, I will speak out. And if I am hurt in a relationship, which still happens occasionally, I will say so.

Now, obviously we don’t need to argue over every little thing. Yes, it is possible to disagree with something on the internet, or to listen to another person’s perspective, and move on. There is no obligation to debate every tiny difference of opinion.

And of course it is vital to stay respectful and polite, even if a person’s opinion dements you. A person is not necessarily ‘wrong’ for thinking differently to you, even if they think you are wrong for thinking differently to them.

And yes, sometimes you need to let things slide. You are never going to win that argument about marriage equality with Uncle Bob, who has been holding the same ideas for the past 90 years. For the sake of family harmony, and your own precious sanity, it might be better to let that one go.

But in general, speaking your mind is far less scary than it sounds. People may disagree with you, and some may even get angry, but they may just respect you for speaking up, too.

And ultimately, what matters is the peace of mind that comes with being true to ourselves. Harmony is nice in relationships and online, but it is much more important within ourselves.

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Iggy Azalea discovers Nick Young’s ex is four months pregnant

Is this the real reason why the Australian rapper called off their engagement?
Iggy Azalea Nick Young

When Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea announced her shock split from fiancé Nick Young, she cited that it all came down to a lack of trust.

Now, a new report out of the US is claiming that she discovered that basketballer’s ex to be four months along with his child, causing her to draw the line for good.

Life & Style magazine claims that Nick waited four months before confessing his infidelity to the 26-year-old.

“Nick waited until Keonna was four months pregnant to tell Iggy the news,” alleged a source close to the couple.

The basketballer and his former flame have a history together.

That same insider revealed that the sportsman, who already shares a four-year-old son with his ex Keonna Green, “was drunk and had a lapse in judgment.”

‘”He said it was a one-night stand and will never happen again.”

“This is something she can’t ignore, and it ruined their future together.”

Watch Iggy admit that she’ll “castrate” a cheating partner in the video player below! Post continues…

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The gossip publication claim that they approached Keonna, who they say was “clearly expectant”.

She allegedly confirmed that the impending arrival was Nick’s before shutting the conversation down the with the words “no comment”.

The Mullumbimby-born blonde revealed the split last week in a heartfelt note published to her Instagram account.

Iggy’s message to her fans came from a place of support. Nick’s however, was one-worded.

“Unfortunately although I love Nick and I have tried and tried to rebuild my trust in him — It’s become apparent in the last few weeks I am unable to,” she shared with her 8.9 million followers.

“I genuinely wish Nick the best. It’s never easy to part ways with the person you planned your entire future with, but futures can be rewritted and as of today mine is a blank page.”

Her ex’s message however, wasn’t quite as meaningful. He shared a simple update by the means of the word, “single.”

Since their split, Nick has been non-stop partying while Iggy has flown to Sydney in preparation for The X Factor.

Reports originally circulated claiming that the split came down to a shock video in which the 31-year-old admitted to cheating on his wife-to-be in front of his LA teammates.

Shortly after, Iggy moved out of their mansion in the hills and jetted off to her home country, where she is set to replace Dannii Minogue as the latest judge to hit the X Factor panel.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the blonde beauty revealed that her grand plan when tackling the other judges which include Guy Sebastian and Adam Lambert, is to simply not be “boring”.

“I am really excited about it but at the same time I’m a little bit nervous because I hope I give them entertaining advice for people watching.

“I don’t want to be a boring judge but also I hope I can actually give something productive that can help these people and hopefully make them win.”

Now that the newly-single singer is back and ready to take on a new challenge, filming season 8 of The X Factor, which is well and truly underway.

It seems that these two stand-up guys are getting her through her heartbreak.

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Hilarious Snapchats from around the world

These Snapchat users got VERY creative with their pics.
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Sydney to get an ‘ice room’

Drug experts are lobbying to open a drug inhalation room in Sydney so addicts can smoke safely.

Do you think that having a room specifically for drug addicts to smoke ice will improve Australia’s current ice epidemic?

Well that’s the question that was asked on last night’s ABC episode of 7.30, with an Aussie drug expert, Dr Alex Wodak, believing it should come into place.

Along with Matt Noffs, author of Breaking the Ice, the two experts think that creating a medically supervised room will make things safer from drug users and the community, and would help addicts get into treatment.

This controversial idea is emulated from a similar room in Switzerland which has been in place for 30 years.

Germany also has a drug inhalation room which allows people to take cocaine and heroin while being supervised.

Noffs said he feels like Australia is behind in the times in this regard, and needs to follow in the footsteps of Europe.

Former Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Palmer told 7.30 that there’s more to be done in the ice epidemic.

“There is a wide recognition among law enforcement colleagues, including young officers as well as more experienced ones, the current arrangements aren’t achieving the outcomes we would like to achieve,” he said.

Dr Wodak and Noffs believe Sydney’s west could do with an ice inhalation room, believing that Liverpool is the right place to put it.

But Liverpool Chamber of Commerce president Harry Hunt disagrees, saying it would project an image of Liverpool as a “drug capital”.

Sydney’s King Cross has an injection room which has seen a drop in people dying from heroin.

Dr Wodaks and Noffs believe this is proof it could work, but the NSW Government told 7.30 they wouldn’t support the plan.

Despite this, the two men still want to move forward with the plan.

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Rescued seal returns to wild after Sydney storm

A young fur seal nicknamed 'Elvis' has been released back into the wild after being washed ashore by Sydney's recent wild storms.
Rescued seal returns to wild after Sydney storm

An 18-month-old long-nosed fur seal has been released back into the wild outside Sydney heads, less then two weeks after being rescued when much of the NSW east coast was hit by wild storms last month.

The young seal was taken to Taronga Wildlife Hospital on 17 June after he was found exhausted and malnourished on South Curl Curl Beach in Sydney’s north. He soon gained his nickname, ‘Elvis’, for the way he shuffled on the soft matting at the wildlife hospital.

Elvis’s release was a joint operation by Taronga vets, marine mammal rescue organisation ORRCA, and the RSPCA.

“He was initially a bit hesitant to get in the water, but eventually he dived in and started swimming strongly,” said Taronga’s Senior Veterinarian, Larry Vogelnest.

Larry said Elvis’s speedy recovery was thanks to treatment with antibiotics and fluids and a healthy diet of fresh fish.

“He’s one of the lucky ones. He was pretty feisty when he first arrived at the hospital, which was a good indicator that he’d be a suitable candidate for short term care and release,” Larry said.

Shona Lorigan, the Vice President of ORRCA, said Elvis was part of a sudden spike of young seals running into trouble in and around Sydney. She said volunteers have already responded to 62 seal incidents, compared with 26 from the same period last year.

“Our belief is that this year’s large numbers are the result of a very successful pupping season in 2014-2015, combined with the huge storms earlier this month that really smashed the little seals around,” said Shona.

Larry explained that Elvis may choose to stay in the waters around Sydney in the short-term, before eventually heading south in October.

“He looked fantastic and alert in the water, so we can only hope he grows up to be a big, healthy seal,” he added.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) asks anyone who comes across a seal that has come ashore to give them space to rest and recover. Intervention is considered a last resort and, in most cases, the seals will depart of their own accord.

People can report injured seals to NPWS by calling 13000 PARKS (13000 72757) or ORRCA on (02) 9415 3333.

This story originally appeared on Australian Geographic.

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