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May 31, 2016

Why your next holiday should be to Palm Springs

Desert sunsets, toasty year-round temperatures and stunning mountain views, this southern Californian city has it all.

Writer_contributorNatalie Babic

As you cruise through the streets of Palm Springs, you can’t help but wonder what tales the streets could tell.

Once the playground for Hollywood’s Old Glamour elite – like Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presely – the Southern Californian city oozes charm.

Just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, Hollywood’s Who’s Who would pop in to escape the hustle and hustle of Tinseltown to spend their days relaxing and of course, partying.

Nowadays, the quirky desert town has become the stomping ground for a variety of people – from nature lovers to architecture fans to those who simply want a place to relax.

With its palm tree-lined streets and toasty year-round temperatures, here’s why you need to visit Palm Springs now.

Resorts for everyone

Regardless of your budget, you’ll find a resort that fits your every need.

If you’re after a spot to just chill by the pool and have cocktails on rotation, the V Palm Springs is your place.

The vibe is fun, the décor is fresh and the view of the mountains is simply stunning.

Arrive also features stunning rooms with the necessary pool at your doorstep.

There are fires lit at night so that when the temperatures drop, you can still enjoy a cocktail by the water’s edge.

V Palm Springs

Get adventurous

Head out into the San Andreas Fault to watch the sunset for a truly unique experience.

Jump aboard a Red Jeep Tour and wind your way in and out of the labyrinth of geological cuts and canyons of the Fault Zone.

Heading there at dusk will also mean you’ll likely spot a desert critter from a coyote, fox or owl.

Cruise the San Andreas Fault in style.

Food for days

Palm Springs has got restaurants aplenty.

Treat yourself to brunch at Norma’s at The Parker – a known celeb haunt – and make sure you order the Nova Smoked Salmon Ring.

You won’t be disappointed!

But if you’re feeling really adventurous, try the Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata…for a mere US$1000!

Norma’s at The Parker.

For lunch with a beautiful view, State Fare at The Ritz-Carlton is your place.

Our tip: try the avocado fries!

Or, if you’re after a quick little treat, pop into the trendy Ace Hotel.

Palm Springs is the date – as in the fruit – capital of the world and the Ace makes the most incredible date milkshakes. They’re an absolute must.

The view from the Ritz Carlton is stunning.

House hunting

Even if you’re not particularly a fan of architecture, you’ll be impressed by the quirky designs in Palm Springs.

Think flat roofs, bright colours and pools, pools, pools.

Take a tour with a guide who’ll point out Leonardo DiCarpio’s latest holiday home and walk through Elvis and Priscilla’s honeymoon home.

For more information, visit The Modern Tour.

Pamper, pamper, pamper

What holiday is complete without a massage?

Two Bunch Palms offers a tranquil location so you can switch off from the world and just relax.

If you’re up for something completely different, treat yourself to the Mud Bath and Arnica Wrap. Heaven!

For more information, visit Greater Palm Springs Visitor Information.

Writer_contributor Natalie Babic

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May 31, 2016

The many faces of dementia

As the population ages, the incidence of dementia is rising at an alarming rate, but it’s not one single disease and some forms can be reversed, says Professor Kerryn Phelps.

CelebrityProfessor Kerryn Phelps

As the population ages, the incidence of dementia is rising at an alarming rate, but it’s not one single disease and some forms can be reversed, says Professor Kerryn Phelps.

Alzheimer’s Australia has estimated that without a medical breakthrough, there will be nearly 900,000 Australians with dementia by 2050.

The 2015 Intergenerational Report projected that the proportion of Australia’s population over the age of 85 will increase from 2 per cent of the total population to almost 5 per cent in that time and that of people over the age of 65 will increase from 15 per cent to 22.6 per cent.

Age is the biggest risk factor for dementia – one in three people over the age of 85 and almost one in 10 people over 65 – develop the condition. These disturbing statistics mean that many Australian families will be affected by dementia.

Dementia is not one single disease.

The term “dementia” refers to a deterioration of intellectual capacity and personality changes caused by damage to neurons in the brain.

Some of the many forms of dementia you may hear about include Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson’s disease and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (related to severe thiamin deficiency caused by excessive alcohol).

Alcohol-related dementia is most likely a combination of a direct toxic effect of alcohol on brain cells and a result of alcohol-related vitamin deficiencies, particularly thiamin. It can be recognised by changes in personality, problems with memory and learning, difficulty with balance and impaired judgement and social skills.

Males who drink more than six standard alcoholic drinks a day and women who drink more than four (equivalent to half a bottle of wine), are at increased risk of developing alcohol-related dementia. The condition is reversible in the early stages if alcohol consumption stops and nutrition is corrected with diet and supplements.

Some but not all causes of Alzheimer’s disease have a known genetic influence. There are so-called “risk genes”, such as ApoE 4, where the risk of dementia is increased, but developing dementia is not inevitable.

In fact, half of the people aged 85 who have two copies of this gene do not have symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease at that age. And then there are the rare “deterministic genes” (amyloid precursor protein or APP, presenilin-1 and presenilin-2), which, if present, mean that person will inevitably develop dementia.

Whether to have the test is a big ethical and philosophical question. If you know that you are carrying the gene for increased risk, you may be more careful with your lifestyle decisions throughout life and it may help with planning for later life.

Until a cure is available, each individual has to consider whether they want to know that they will develop dementia at some time in the future. Specialised genetic counselling is essential before you consider having testing.

The early signs of dementia usually include difficulty remembering the details of recent conversations, names or events.

Depression and apathy, irritability, disorganisation, impaired judgement and difficulty making decisions are also frequent features in the early stages.

However, age is not the only risk factor and lifestyle habits do have a big influence on brain function in older age, too.

Interestingly, in the same week as the release of the Intergenerational Report, the Queensland government announced what it described as a major breakthrough in dementia research.

Scientists have found that non-invasive ultrasound technology can be used to break apart the neurotoxic amyloid plaques that result in memory loss and cognitive decline.

This research has been performed on animals and has not yet been tested on humans, but it indicates that research activity is making progress.

If you suspect that you or someone close to you has the early signs of dementia, the first step is to see your GP for a full medical assessment.

Some medical conditions, such as depression, may mimic the early signs of dementia. There may be a referral for neuropsychological assessment and imaging, such as a brain MRI.

At this stage, medication is at best only minimally effective in delaying the progression of dementia, once the process has begun.

This makes it all the more important for you to do whatever you can to protect your brain function throughout life.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BRAIN

There is no 100 per cent guaranteed formula for protecting your brain function into old age, but there are some lifestyle factors that we know will reduce your risk of dementia.

1.Don’t smoke.

2.Do regular daily physical exercise.

3.Do mentally challenging activities (daily cognitive exercise).

4.Avoid activities likely to cause brain injury.

5.Stick to a healthy low (saturated) fat diet with a high intake of plant foods and Omega-3 fatty acids.

6.Have regular check-ups of your blood pressure.

7.Keep your cholesterol in the healthy range through a healthy lifestyle.

8.Prevent Type 2 diabetes by controlling blood sugar levels with exercise, nutrition and weight control.

9.Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol.

10.Maintain supportive social networks.

For more information, visit alz.org/dementia/types-of-dementia.asp.

This story originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Celebrity Professor Kerryn Phelps

Professor Kerryn Phelps

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May 31, 2016

How to treat male infertility

From fertility tests to increasing sperm count, there are many ways to deal with male fertility issues, says Professor Kerryn Phelps.

CelebrityProfessor Kerryn Phelps

You have decided the time is right for you to make babies, but things aren’t going to plan. What do you do?

For many prospective parents, it is the beginning of a long and often physically and emotionally painful process of fertility testing and treatment.

When it comes to problems with fertility, sometimes it is a female factor, sometimes there is a problem with both male and female, and in about a third of cases the problem is with male fertility.

Because most fertility testing and procedures for women are more invasive than those for men, we usually begin by ruling out or treating the male factor fertility issues.

Male infertility refers to being unable to conceive, most commonly due to low sperm count, sperm problems such as poor form or motility, or a blockage in the tubes obstructing the passage of sperm.

Sperm quality is described in terms of sperm count (the number of sperm in a semen sample), sperm motility (how well the sperm move) and sperm morphology (whether their shape or form is normal).

Addressing male infertility is a process of working out the nature of the problem.

There are many causes of male factor infertility, including hormonal issues, nutritional deficiencies, unhealthy lifestyle, overheated or abnormally formed testes, damaged testes, prostate inflammation and erectile dysfunction.

The man’s GP will arrange initial tests, including a semen analysis to assess sperm quality, blood tests for hormone levels and a general physical examination. He will then be checked for sexually transmissible infections, such as chlamydia.

If there is a problem with the sperm analysis or a structural problem, he may be referred to a fertility specialist for further investigation, such as testicular biopsy.

Decisions will then need to be made about how best to achieve a pregnancy and this may involve various assisted fertility techniques.

Improving male fertility

Some lifestyle measures can improve your chances of a successful pregnancy.

Quit smoking tobacco or cannabis: Smoking lowers sperm count and reduces sperm motility. Cannabis lowers sperm count and increases the number of abnormal forms.

Avoid alcohol: Alcohol can reduce the sperm count and increases the numbers of abnormal sperm.

Weight: If overweight or underweight, get into a healthy weight range.

Nutrition: Nutritional quality is important to sperm quality. A study in The Journal Of Nutrition found that men eating a higher amount of oily fish experience a boost in their sperm count. A fish oil supplement may help.

Avoid processed meats: They reduce sperm quality.

Avoid anabolic steroid injections: They will shrink testes and reduce fertility.

Take supplements: Zinc is needed for hormone production and normal sperm production and motility. Vitamin C avoids “clumping” of sperm and increases sperm motility and viability. Coenzyme Q10 can increase sperm count and motility. Other micronutrients, such as selenium, folate and magnesium, are also essential for optimal fertility.

Avoid toxins: Eliminate environmental and dietary toxins as much as possible. For example, opt for organic foods and products whenever you can.

Be active: Exercise regularly, but don’t overdo it.

Be cool and comfortable: Wear loose-fitting underwear and stay out of the sauna to avoid heat stress.

This story originally appeared in the October 2015 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Celebrity Professor Kerryn Phelps

Professor Kerryn Phelps

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May 31, 2016

I was a Kings Cross madam at 23

One young woman's story about her time working as a madam in a Kings Cross brothel. As told to Danielle Colley.

Writer_contributorDanielle Colley

You hear a lot of seedy stories about brothels and drugs and violence, but my experience was nothing like that.

I loved running the brothel and I loved the girls that I worked with. We respected each other and I looked after them.

All of the girls worked at the brothel for their own reasons but they were basically just trying to make their way. It’s easy money, it’s fast money and it’s good money. Just because they get paid to have sex doesn’t mean they aren’t smart, beautiful ladies who are good people.

I studied arts and majored in photography. My major work was portraits of my grandmother who had dementia and everyone told me how moving they were and I realised I wanted to work more with portraiture, and humans in their raw states.

I asked myself what the rawest thing I could photograph was and I decided it was porn. I didn’t even watch porn so I had no idea how to become a porn photographer, so I looked online and a few brothels popped up.

I fired off some emails requesting a meeting and I got a phone call from a raspy throated woman who invited me in for an interview. The building looked like an ordinary terrace in the back streets of Kings Cross, and when I entered I felt really comfortable there.

The moment the woman saw me she said I could easily be a prostitute for her, but I explained that I just wanted a job in reception and see how the business worked and maybe take some photographs of the girls.

It didn’t take long for me to form relationships with the girls – we built a mutual respect which I earned by treating them nicely and kindly, and making their welfare my highest priority.

We were a high class brothel, and the guys had to pay 50 per cent before they even came in the front door, which they did not get back if they were thrown out for bad behaviour. I never had any trouble. You hear of it occasionally, but we weren’t that kind of place.

We had mostly bankers and lawyers, guys that can afford that kind of money for an hour or two with a young, glamourous woman.

Brothels are an incredibly important part of society. They allow men to play out fantasies, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a community service in many ways. We had some girls who looked very young and some clients, I’m not suggesting they were paedophiles but they liked really young girls, they can come to a brothel and have sex with someone who is over 18 and fully consenting or they can go out and what? Underage sex? Worse?

Also, in this society people are encouraged to work 60-80 hours a week, how are we supposed to have relationships? You’re either at work or you’re asleep. You can come to a brothel, have some no-strings-attached affection and you go home again. Everyone needs some affection.

Sometimes a new girl would could to me, desperate for money. My priority was not to ensnare a vulnerable girl and put her to work. My priority was to find out how much trouble she was in. How could I best help her?

I would ask her why she was in trouble. Maybe she was a single mum who needed money immediately to pay an electricity bill or buy groceries, or maybe she was a student in debt up to her eyeballs.

I would always ask exactly how much money she had in her bank account and how much money she needed to get out of this immediate trouble … then how much money she needed to survive from there on out. We would work out how many shifts she needed to work and what that would look like in reality. I didn’t sugar coat it, but I never took advantage of their situations.

If they had kids I would pay for their childcare, knowing that the what we would all earn in eight hours would more than adequately make up for it, and my girls felt they were supported.

We saw drugs in there, but drugs are everywhere in the night time world. It wasn’t the girls who brought them in, it was the clients. The girls might do some cocaine or ice with them but I rarely saw any of the girls with a drug problem. They were too careful with their money. They weren’t messy, drug addicts, these were classy ladies.

I never tried to get them to leave, or encouraged them to get a different job, why would I? The money was great, and the hours were flexible. It was a workplace of women that supported women.

I’m a young, cute blonde so now and again I would be asked by clients if I was willing to have sex for money and I admit I was tempted but I had a boyfriend, firstly, but also it’s just not what I was there for. I was more of an observer, or a guardian of the situation.

I took my photos, sometimes I’d shoot the girls with their clients if that’s what they wanted, and I got everything and more than I wanted out of the job.

My time in the brothel created nothing but great friendships and good memories. I would go back there if I ever needed to but I decided it was time to try something different. It’s a really diverse industry that is often thought of negatively, but people need to open their minds to the idea that it’s just a service like any other that gives women so much sexual and financial freedom.

What other industry does that?

Writer_contributor Danielle Colley

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May 31, 2016

The perils of putt-putt

Ever discover that a cherished childhood memory is actually a mirage? Amanda Blair comes face to face with a terrifying home truth.

Writer_contributorAmanda Blair

The flyer arrived in my computer inbox offering a half-price special for the whole family. I clicked the VIEW DEAL button and up popped a glossy promotional photo featuring a smiling family. Happy kids. Happy parents. Happy everything.

I was struck by a sudden wave of nostalgia; yes, of course, I loved doing this when I was younger. I was that happy kid in the photo and my parents were those happy parents. We were that happy family – metaphorically speaking, of course.

I purchased immediately and printed off my pass with an inexplicable sense of urgency. After all, the offer expired in January 2017.

I called out to the family, directing them to assemble in the lounge room at once as I had a big, exciting, life-changing announcement. I took a deep breath and said, “We’re going to play MINI GOLF”.

Squeals of delight echoed around the room.

The reaction was just like Tom Cruise on Oprah Winfrey’s couch – screaming, jumping up and down and excessive hand clapping. It was great, I was really getting into it until the kids told me to stop, I was embarrassing.

They were completely uninterested, which came as no great surprise as they don’t really engage with my suggested games, particularly the ones involving competitive teeth-cleaning and bed-making.

But I explained that this was different, this was something we could all do together. Mini golf is a game in which no skill is required, all you need is a miniature putter, shoes with arch support and a desire to win at all costs.

It was perfect for me and I was on the road to the Holy Grail. Finally, I stood a chance at beating the kids at a sporting activity and I was deliriously happy.

Hey, don’t judge, I didn’t want it to be like this, but my husband’s sporting genes arm-wrestled mine in utero and, as per usual, mine lost.

I psyched myself for competition by listening to Eye Of The Tiger, which reminded me that it’s the thrill of the fight and rising up to the challenge of our rivals that’s important in life. Even if our rivals are all under 11 and you gave birth to them.

The day came and we loaded into the Tarago, nervous yet excited about the 18 holes we were about to fill. We got out putters and strode to the green, but it wasn’t green like in the Photoshopped brochure.

The circa 1978 synthetic turf system had faded like a former member of Young Talent Time and was more of a pale mint puke colour.

Yet the tired infrastructure didn’t exhaust our enthusiasm and we had a vigorous contest on the first fairway.

Child number two was an early leader, putting in for three. Hole two, I took over with a canny two putt.

Hole four, my eldest, the most competitive and most capable, got a hole-on-one, much to my disgust. I know, being his mother, I’m supposed to happy for him, but it meant he was now winning and this isn’t how the book was supposed to read.

Hole five, child number three joined the game with a nice tap in for two.

Yet by hole six … well, by hole six I’d fallen into a deep hole I didn’t think I’d get out of. I had come to the realisation that mini golf was actually the most boring game invented.

Yes, even more boring than “big” golf, a game that appears to go on for hours without any point whatsoever except the opportunity to wear a pastel-hued skort and have spiffy drinks and salted nuts in the clubhouse at the end.

In this “mini” game, there were no drinks or nuts, just four kids gleefully talking about how they beat Mum again. How could I have got it so wrong? Why did I think it had been the time of my life?

Then it hit me, that Kodak moment of my childhood, the photo in my mind’s eye when we were all a happy smiling family enjoying a day out at mini golf … Well, first, my parents were probably on Valium, as most parents were in the 1970s, so their glassy smiles were permanently etched onto their faces.

Second, the only explanation I have is that that photo must have been taken on the 18th hole when we all realised the game was finally over. No wonder Jason Day cried so much when he won the US PGA.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Amanda Blair lives in Adelaide with her four children and a husband she quite likes when she sees him. In her spare time, she talks a lot and sometimes does it on the radio and the telly.

This story originally appeared in the October 2015 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Writer_contributor Amanda Blair

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May 31, 2016

Vote in the 2016 Mother & Baby Awards….and Win!

Your opinion matters for the 2016 Mother & Baby Awards.

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The 2016 Mother & Baby awards is your chance to tell us your favourite products in the nursery and baby industry.

Now in its fifth year, the Mother & Baby awards highlight the best baby and nursery products.

You can cast your vote below for a chance to win one of ten Babies “R” Us vouchers, valued at $50 each.

HOW TO VOTE

There are eight online categories in the 2016 Mother & Baby Awards.
Click “vote” next to your favourite product in each category.
You can only vote for one product in each category.
Once you have voted in all eight categories fill in your details for your chance to win one of ten Babies “R” Us vouchers, valued at $50 each.
Entries close 24th of June.

THE ONLINE VOTING CATEGORIES:

Most popular product for mum
Most popular product for baby or nursery
Most popular maternity bra
Most popular maternity brand
Most popular kids fashion brand
Most popular family holiday destination
Most popular babymoon destination
Most popular family car

To see all the products in more detail visit our online gallery here

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Jessica Alba and her eldest daughter look exactly alike in new photos

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Jamie Durie’s family life with Ameka and his three children is a “dream come true”

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The Bachelor Australia star Anna Heinrich and her baby daughter Ruby.

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May 31, 2016

Should I stay or should I go?

Are you living in relationship limbo? Here’s how to decide whether you should stay or leave.

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Should I stay or should I go?

How many people are in relationship limbo, not knowing whether they should stay in the relationship or leave it?

I see them all the time, mentally adding up the positives and the negatives, weighing them up against each other, hoping to come to some logical decision about whether to stay or go.

Trying to weigh up the positives and the negatives as a means of deciding whether the relationship is good or not is never very effective. Some days it weighs in favour of one decision, some days another…

It doesn’t come down to whether the positives outweigh the negatives. It actually comes down to some simple, key points.

Mira Kirshenbaum outlines these in her brilliant book Too Good To Leave Too Bad To Stay (Plume, 1996), which I highly recommend if you’re in relationship limbo, or what she calls ‘relationship ambivalence’.

By examining these key points, and answering yes or no to some simple questions, you’ll get a feel for whether you want to stay in your relationship and whether you want to do the work necessary to make it better.

Some of the key points include:

Does your partner respect you? And do you respect your partner?
Is there a power imbalance so your partner makes you feel humiliated? Or does s/he bombard you with obstacles so that you can’t get even your smallest needs met?
Have you given time for hurts to heal? Does your relationship have the capacity for forgiveness?
Has your partner breached a bottom line?
Is the relationship abusive?
Was it ever really good? If not, it probably never will be.
Are you both capable of change?
Do you actually like your partner, and does s/he actually like you?
Despite everything, have you still got more to give?

Your responses to questions like these will give you a greater insight into the decision you need to make than any amount of comparing the good and bad. As Ms Kirshenbaum points out, you can’t be like a lawyer piling up the evidence for and against, you need to be like a doctor making a diagnosis.

So, the take home message here is that if you’re in limbo unsure of whether to stay or go, focus on the few important issues rather than all the positives and negatives.

Once you’ve made your decision, stick to it and stop tormenting yourself with the constant weighing up of pros and cons.

If you decide to stay, commit to that and making the changes needed (even if it’s simply letting go of stuff); and if you decide to go, pull the bandage off quickly, and go.

Jacqueline Hellyer is a sex therapist and relationship coach. This story originally appeared on her blog Love Life.

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May 31, 2016

Three women prevent date rape

When three women were out on Friday night and witnessed something shocking, they knew they couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

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Not all heroes wear capes.

That’s the premise of three women who put a stop to a potential date rape.

Sonia Ulrich was out with her friends Marla Saltzer and Monica Kenyon at Fig restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel in California, US, on Friday night, and Monica said she’d seen some guy put something in a girls drink.

Sonia wrote a lengthy post on Facebook about the entire incident, which has now been shared more than 110,000 times.

She continued: “They had a bottle of wine they were splitting. It seemed like a first or second or third date. After a few ‘Oh god. What do we do’s, I got up to find her in the bathroom to tell her. Warn her. Tell her to get up and leave this creep. Make him drink it. Something.”

Sonia waited for the woman to come out of a bathroom stall and when she did, she told her what her friend Monica had seen.

She asked the woman how well she knew the guy she was with.

“I was expecting to hear ‘We just met,’ but I got: ‘He’s one of my best friends’.”

Shockingly, the man and woman had known each other for a year and a half and worked together.

Sonia’s friend Marla notified the manager to see if there was anything they could do. He approached the table of the man and woman and offered her a glass of sparkling water, and then returned to Sonia’s table to say because he hadn’t witnessed the spiking himself, he couldn’t do a lot. He had, however, alerted security.

Monica explained what she saw: “He pulled her glass toward him, kind of awkwardly, then he took out a little black vial. He opened it up and dropped something in.

Then he tried to play it cool, like checking his phone and hiding the vial in his hand and then trying to bring it back down slyly.”

Sonia made this meme to “get your attention”.

Sonia wrote in the post: “The poor woman had to sit through 40 more minutes, sitting across from ‘one of her best friends’ knowing that he was trying to drug her.”

“Marla noticed him several times chinking his glass to hers to get her to drink. She played it cool. Mostly, I believed, just stunned. The staff wanted to jump in and dump the glass, dump him, do something! I was going through fantasies of walking up and demanding he drink the tainted glass of wine.”

When the two did finish dinner, the staff ‘delayed’ getting the bill, blaming it on something being wrong with the computer. Then the police showed up.

According to Sonia, he didn’t protest at all.

She continued: “The head of security came by and said that because we notified them immediately, they were able to go back and review the footage from the security camera.

“They got him on tape. They had proof of him drugging this girl. They took the glass away as evidence. They kept us for statements.”

They asked the woman if she needed a lift home, but she said her car was at the guy’s place, something that “must have been part of his plan”.

The three women were praised by people in the restaurant for being brave enough for speaking up, and Sonia also thanked the staff of the restaurant for helping catch the man.

“We are well aware how many people would not have taken what we said seriously. Not taken action. Said their hands were tied.

“So thank you, everyone at Fig and Fairmont in Santa Monica for keeping this guy from harming someone.

“And thank you in advance to everyone who sees this and shares this and reminds each other that yes, you SHOULD say something. Even if it’s awkward or weird or just uncertain if anything can be done.

“Know that YOU did something. And that it helped.”

You can read the full post here.

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May 31, 2016

Kate Moss ditches her 28-year-old toy boy for an even younger catch!

The supermodel has been caught cosying up to the son of a friend.

CelebrityElizabeth Best

She’s known for being able to snag handsome, young men with her beguiling looks, but have Kate Moss’s cradle snatching ways gone too far?

Her most recent boyfriend, Count Nikolai von Bismarck was 28 years old, compared to Kate’s 42 years but her new rumoured romantic lead is just 18!

Jake finished high school a year ago.

The willowy blonde was spotted zipping around the Cotswolds in a sleek topless vintage MG with a (very) young lad by the name of Jake Curtis.

Jake is the barely adult son of Kate’s close friend Richard Curtis, the director of the smash hit film Love Actually.

And the young man looked plenty happy to be accompanying Kate on her travels in the wake of her split from party boy Nikolai.

Richard Curtis and wife Emma have been friends with Kate since before the birth of their son in 1997.

“Yes, it is true that she and Nikolai are not currently together,” a friend of Kate’s confessed.

“And it’s also true that she’s been enjoying spending time with Jake, who is clearly potty about her.”

“She’s had a thing about younger men ever since she hit 30. It’s like a badge of honour to her that she’s with the hip young crowd and not turning into an old fogey.”

But is the age gap this time just a bit too much?

It was only last year that Jake was still in high school. And rather than entering the workforce or moving forward to university studies, he’s decided to take a gap year to let off some lose steam.

And who better to let it off with than one of the sexiest women in the world?

As far as their relationship goes, Jake remained coy, simply delivering a “no comment” when asked of the fling.

But his sister Scarlett couldn’t contain the news anymore.

She spilled everything on social media with the comment “They say gap years are all about finding yourself, about discovering who you are, and it appears Jake Curtis has finally found his true self…”

Nikolai von Bismarck was Kate’s former flame

The 20-year-old went on to poke fun at her brother filling the shoes of Kate’s last toy boy, posting “Count Nikolai von Bismarck, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to the family…”

The children’s father Richard and his wife Emma Freud have been friends with Kate since before either of their kids were born.

Awkwardly, Richard has previously admitted to having an enduring crush on the leggy blonde at various times in his career.

He even admitted to writing “Kate Moss” characters into most of his films.

We’re not so sure he’s going to be proclaiming the new relationship as Love Actually quite as soon as young Scarlett.

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Celebrity Elizabeth Best

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May 31, 2016

Girl who loses leg to cancer becomes model

23-year-old Jess Quinn is proving the only thing that can hold you back is attitude.

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Jess Quinn lost her leg to bone cancer at nine-years-old and has now become a model and poster-girl for body diversity after a posting an image on Instagram reports Daily Mail.

The 23 year-old New Zealander is busting perceptions about body image and has amassed 55,000 followers on Instagram with her sunny and positive outlook being as compelling as her images.

Determined not to let her disability hold her back, Jess is training to run a 10km race by the end of the year and is set launch her own blog, Limbitless, in 29 days.

Her Instagram followers have astounded her with their overwhelming support of her photo shoot for the blog.

“I’ve never considered my cancer story any different but I am starting to realise how my outlook on life can help, people thrive on the real stories.

“I want to reach out, not just people with disabilities but also anyone living with insecurities.

“That’s my goal, to help everyone from young and old to male or female. I don’t want to put myself in a category.”

Having always been into health and fitness, Jess ordered “blades” in order to help her achieve her goal of running 10kms – a huge step after initially finding the use of a prosthesis overwhelming.

“It was hard getting used to the prosthetic, I had expected to jump on it and be sweet. I didn’t realise the amount of work going into it, it was quite shocking.

“I’m still trying to figure it out now, it’s one of those ongoing things.”

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