If you’d rather bury your head in the sand (quite literally) than face winter’s rain, hail and storms, there are a few places you can escape to. Complete with sunshine, culture, beaches and plenty of R&R. Sound good? A holiday always does.
We’ve done the planning. All you need to do is pack your swimsuit.
For the foodie: Bordeaux, France
Treat yourself to a grape escape with a river cruise through the Bordeaux region APT River Cruises recently added the renowned location to its line-up.You’ll eat your body weight in cheese, drink some of the best wine in the world and come back immensely relaxed as everything’s organised and taken care of for you. And you never know, you could be so inspired by the fancy French cuisine that you enter MasterChef next year.
APT Luxury Cruises & Tours are now offering river cruising in Myanmar and Bordeaux, France for the first time, and special discounts for some group bookings.
For those on a budget: Port Douglas, Queensland
We’re not totally starved on sunshine when winter hits. One destination closer to home that offers up a relaxing holiday feeling (with temperatures in their late 20s to boot) is Port Douglas. It’s not cheap by everyday standards, no. But definitely a good option for sunshine on a budget. Be sure to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef – don’t forget the underwater camera – and it’s well worth doing a tour of Daintree Rainforest.
For the best beach break: Ocho Rios, Jamaica
If two weeks in the sun catching up on the latest novels and drinking pina coladas poolside is right up your alley, away to Jamaica you go. August is a great time to visit if you’re trying to keep costs down, but still want your daily dose of vitamin D. Ocho Rios is still full of beach-front accommodation and pretty pools, but often comes up a little cheaper than more well-known (and tourist-filled) destinations like Montego Bay.
For the city breaker: Budapest, Hungary
Like your holidays action-packed and full of culture? Head to Hungary’s capital. It’s fair to say that no one does city breaks quite like Europe – and yes, we do get stung on the airfare there, but that will be the furthest thing from your mind when you’re catching a sunset over the Danube. Or checking out the Royal Palace. Or visiting the Turkish baths. Also a distant memory? Winter.
For the family: Bali, Indonesia
Bali remains a great option if you’re looking to take the family away in the July school holidays. Not all of it is cheap, so it won’t be as spontaneous as some of these other holidays – you will have to do a little research. Try Kuta Beach which is usually blessed with good weather throughout winter and has a decent beach and waterpark to keep the little ones entertained. It’s fairly reasonable too.
The blonde beauty took to Instagram on Wednesday to reveal her brand new tresses to the world.
Trading in her classic blonde lob, the TV star showed off her new look – a brilliant mop of long light extensions.
“It’s very important for me to change my look after wrapping each season,” the actress. began
“I love playing Penny, but it’s good for me to bring it back to Kaley. Last year, I chopped it all off – this year I’m doing the opposite,” added the 30-year-old actress.
And just like that, the bob is gone!
Shortly after posting the announcement pic – which has racked up over 80,000 likes since its upload – the star followed it up with another shot of the full, finished look.
“End result! Baby’s got her hair back!” She quipped.
And it seems that fans absolutely adore the actress’ new look, with commenters leaving sentiments of praise left right and centre.
“Short hair, long hair, no hair – you’re still you. Keep shining from the inside out!” One kind fan remarked, with another adding: “Love it! Love it short too! Whatever makes you happy. It looks fab either way.”
Kaley’s new tresses were met with many positive comments.
Kaley has been all over Instagram as of late, sharing everything with her 2.6 million followers from pictures of her horses, to her dog Norman.
But the subject of a lot of her snaps lately has been her handsome new boyfriend, 26-year-old professional equestrian rider, Karl Cook.
The star has never looked happier!
In a particularly cute pic, the star presses her nose against her beau’s cheek as he smiles into the camera, completely content with his leading lady.
“That’s what happy looks like,” she captioned the sweet moment.
Spice sisters Tasia and Gracia take out MKR finale
Today we are celebrating MKR winners Tasia and Gracia (and planning to try the MKR recipes that made them a success).
But we are also looking back at the lessons we have learnt during MKR episodes over the years.
Here, we share 10 priceless lessons from the MKR kitchen.
1. Don’t skip the hair-nets
Even for the most conservative diners who would struggle with sending back an over-cooked steak; it’s pretty difficult to look past a stray hair tossed through your meal. But this year’s show was full of them, with one team serving up three separate hair-laden dishes in one evening.
If Mitch and Laura’s ultimate instant restaurant round was anything to go by, it’s important to make sure your hair is tied back and covered well at all times. And boys, that means you, too!
2. Offal is the new black
While a few years back, we’d expect to see mostly seafood and red meat on the instant restaurant menus, the 2016 series was all about a nose-to-tail approach.
Possibly inspired by the introduction of Colin Fassnidge as one of the show’s judges, contestants have started experimenting with offal cuts more than ever before.
This season we saw crumbed brains, livers, kidneys and lamb sweet breads (neck glands) presented to the judges, with mostly positive critiques all round. It’ll be interesting to see if this sustainable approach to cooking hits home with the kids, though.
We know – it’s a hard pill to swallow when someone questions the credibility of your family’s secret spaghetti bolognese recipe, especially after you’ve spent the last twenty years of your life reiterating how brilliant it is.
But My Kitchen Rules is evidence that sometimes it’s better to mix it up. This season, we got to witness Zana’s epic facial expressions shift quickly to a look of horror as she was told her grandmother’s tesphixe recipe was not enjoyable. The pastry was described as dry, with a slightly savoury flavour, prompting feedback that the recipe needed to be altered and modernised.
4. Pressure cookers are your new best friend
Tender, juicy lamb-shanks without spending several hours simmering your meat on low heat? Surely not!
My Kitchen Rules introduced us to the world of pressure-cooking, where trapped steam allows temperature to rise rapidly, mimicking the effects of slow-cooking, in a fraction of the time. Many of the teams opted for this style of cooking as they could create tender, hearty dishes in less than two hours.
These convenient machines are perfect for busy cooks who want to whip up a comforting dinner at the end of a busy day. Check out this collection for some pressure-cooker recipe inspiration.
If you’ve followed the show religiously over the years, you’re probably guilty of adopting some of the contestants’ memorable catch-phrases (perhaps without even realising).
Some notable favourites from the season include Nev’s infamous line, “the duck’s nuts” – used (confusingly) to describe a sense of success and achievement.
And who could forget Lauren’s “totes inapprops” (read: totally innappropriate), and “two fiddy k” (two hundred and fifty thousand, we believe).
It might sound ridiculous, but you’d be surprised how quickly it catches on.
6. The power of the sous vide
Forget everything your mother told you – cooking in plastic isn’t as bad as you think. If you’re using the right equipment, that is.
My Kitchen Rules has opened up the minds of every day home cooks to a technique that’s been used in restaurants for years – the sous vide, where food is vacuum-sealed in airtight plastic bags and cooked in a water bath or steam-oven.
Since the show, more shops have started shocking sous vide machines, with every day people seeking out perfectly tender chicken breast, steaks and salmon fillets.
Along with hairs, there isn’t anything much more disappointing than stumbling across the thin, black – er, intestinal trail – in your prawns.
Zana and Giani’s ultimate instant restaurant reinforced this claim for us, as judges and contestants struggled to eat the whole king prawns (shell, poo-tube and all).
The act of cleaning prawns itself isn’t all that difficult, says judge Pete Evans. “All you need to do with a prawn like that is a little skewer behind it’s neck, and underneath the intestinal track, and just gently pull it out.”
And as Pete eloquently pointed out, “do we want to be taking the vein out when we’re dressed like this?”
8. When in doubt: deconstruct
The concept of a deconstructed meal takes all the flavours of the traditional dish, and breaks them down into separate elements. For example, a deconstructed pavlova may feature separate dollops of crushed meringue, thick cream and fresh berries on the same plate.
Although you’ll probably find at least one deconstructed dessert on most fine-dining menus, My Kitchen Rules proves that as well as being irresistibly pretentious, ‘deconstruction’ is a great option for covering up boo-boos.
When Mitch and Laura’s caramel tart failed to hold it’s shape, they simply broke up each element of the complete dessert and acted like it was intentional.
If you find yourself barking at your partner to create a quenelle of creme fraiche to sit atop tonight’s quiche lorraine, you’re not alone. One thing the My Kitchen Rules producers have done brilliantly is brought traditionally restaurant-exclusive techniques into the home kitchen.
From tempering chocolate, to creating thin almond tuiles finish off our desserts, there are many cooking and styling techniques that everyday home cooks are adopting after watching them on-screen.
Did you know what a ‘jus’ was before the show? Stop and think about that…
10. You can never have too much sauce
For devout My Kitchen Rules watchers, Manu’s luscious French accent demanding ‘where’s the sauce?’ probably still echoes in your head.
In fact, if you were to join the show yourself, you wouldn’t dream of serving up a lamb fillet without a generous serving of blue-cheese dressing or red wine jus.
And if this is the most important lesson we take away from the season, at least you can be assured your family will never eat a dry meal again.
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Explosive new claims from a team of UK researchers are saying that anorexia nervosa may not be psychological, but in fact a bacterial infection.
Scientists are suggesting that anorexia may be caused by bacteria with then confuses the immune system. This leads it to attack the brain and trigger feelings of personal disgust.
They also believe that this same infection can cause chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The researchers from Lancaster University are sure that psychological factors are not the main cause. The traditional view is that it is caused by these factors, plus environmental and social.
Women are more susceptible to auto-immune diseases, which could like to why women are more likely to suffer from anorexia.
Dr Quenton Wessels, at Lancaster University, says the immune system can attack healthy parts of the brain.
“Auto-antibodies acting on the brain’s limbic system could induce extremes of emotion including disgust and fear,” he said.
“These then become linked, in the minds of adolescent girls, to culturally determined ideas of what is, and what is not, the ideal body shape and size. It is then a small step for disgust and fear to be directed to food and obesity which the fashion industry currently demonizes.”
“We think specific bacteria is setting it off. It is almost like the microbes within you can determine you mood, which is profound in itself.”
The research team will be trying to isolate the particular bacterial infection and if that is discovered, it could lead to potential cures for disorders which have been difficult to treat.
If the hypothesis is proved to be true and that it does come from bacteria, that means anorexia could be physically contagious. A recent study has discovered that the eating disorder is also socially contagious, as it is more prevalent in single sex schools.
Trending video: Watch Prince Harry high-five a kid who asks if he’ll be king
In case we needed another reason to love Chris Hemsworth!
In celebration of National Administrative Professionals Day, Ellen DeGeneres and Chris Hemsworth decided to stop by the Warner Bros. offices in Los Angeles to do something special for the employees that often miss out on greeting their celeb idols.
“Even though we’re on the lot here, there are a lot of people who work who don’t get to meet celebrities,” she explained on Wednesday’s show.
“Since Chris Hemsworth plays an administrative professional in the new Ghostbusters movie, I invited him to go surprise some people who work hard – very, very hard every day.”
Ellen made Chris commando crawl so as to not alert suspicion.
As Chris and Ellen creep into the offices – Chris doing a commando crawl like the athlete he is – they round the corner to surprise what is perhaps the biggest Thor fan in the building.
The look on the woman’s face is of complete shock and awe as she stares into the face of the man she so dearly adores, as pictured of the actors face adorn the walls of her cubicle.
“Are you kidding me?” The secretary asks before Chris greets her with a hug.
The excited fan joked about never wanting to shower again after meeting her celeb crush.
“We knew you liked Chris because I snoop around at night, I do a lot of cleaning at night,” Ellen joked as the woman remained speechless.
“He’s actually going to take care of you today seeing as you’re so used to taking care of other people.”
The father-of-three then proceeded to massage the excited administration worker, and when Ellen asked if there was anything else she would like – suggesting coffee or massage oil – the woman quipped back, “Can we get naked?”
Watch the hilarious moment in the video player below! Post continues…
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“He’s married!” Ellen piped up, but the woman, who knew all about Chris’ wife Elsa Pataky, simply complimented the burly Aussie on his gorgeous three kids. “You have beautiful children, by the way.”
The remainder of the office, who were quite clearly jealous of their co-workers massage, were then treated to a game of limbo where the prize was a shot of tequila.
Gosh, sounds like a pretty tough day in the office!
The workers were offered tequila, which they happily excepted!
It’s been an eventful time for Chris, who has very busy in the lead up to the release of the Ghostbusters reboot.
Earlier this week, the 32-year-old took to Facebook with a video that clearly pointed out the flaw in the upcoming film Captain America: Civil War, and that flaw is that he isn’t in it!
“Where was the invite for me and Hulk?” He said while simultaneously doing pull-ups. “Just leave two of the strongest, biggest Avengers out of this one did you?”
The proud father went on with his tangent, but it was pretty hard to take in what he said considering that he dropped an arm to do single handed pull-ups.
The video, which was filmed by The Russo Brothers, has since been viewed over 5 million times.
See the clip for yourself in the video player below!
While giving birth is definitely not a spectator sport, a growing number of women are employing birth photographers to capture the delivery of their babies.
But what is it like to be a birth photographer and witness such an intimate event through the lens of a camera?
The Weekly Online spoke to birth photographer Minna Burgess to find out.
Burgess says that although her role requires her to be physically present during a birth she tries to be as discrete as possible.
“I stay in the background and am very respectful of the birthing environment and the staff,” she says.
“I am a very quiet person with a sensitive nature, and I have found that I fit into this role naturally.”
You may imagine that birth photography is all about capturing the graphic detail, but Burgess says that the process is actually more about story telling.
“It isn’t just about that one moment the baby enters the world, in fact far from it. In essence it is about connection and a celebration of their relationship and this new chapter in their lives,” she explains.
Pic via Minna Burgess Photography
So what does Burgess look out for during the shoot?
“I look for the subtle, gentle moments of connection; The touch of a husband’s hand as he brushes the hair away from his wife’s face in between contractions, the squeeze of a hand when the pain gets too much, a gentle look between two people who are on an incredible journey together, the strength of a woman as she endures contractions.”
“My favourite part is capturing the moment the baby is placed on Mum for the first feed. I love capturing their little fingers resting against Mum’s chest and the calmness and happiness on the parents’ faces at this point,” she says.
Of course, with the exception of elective Caesareans, the timing of births can be highly unpredictable. This means that birth photographers like Burgess are on call around the clock from 38 weeks onward.
“I make sure they understand that they can contact me at any time with updates if they think something might be happening. I want to be prepared and would rather come in for a false alarm than miss the birth all together,” she explains.
Pic via Minna Burgess Photography
Burgess notes that every labour and situation is completely different so it is difficult to be fully prepared. “A lot of the time it is a guessing game. I have found that I get a certain gut feeling around when to leave for the hospital, and I always go with my gut even though it seems it might be too early,” she says.
There are many reasons why birth photographers do what they do – but for Burgess, the decision came after having a photographer at the birth of her second daughter.
“My daughter had the cord wrapped around her neck so tightly that the midwife was unable to loosen it. I was told to stop pushing and my baby-girl, Isabel, was without oxygen for a minute while they cut her free from the cord.”
“She was almost lifeless when I delivered her and needed oxygen and massage to bring her back. It all only lasted around five minutes and all of a sudden she had a beautiful pink colour and was wide awake looking around at us,” says Burgess.
Having the birth captured in a series of photographs enabled Burgess to come to terms with what had happened.
“I think that if I hadn’t had a birth photographer there to document it all for me I would have focused on this very stressful part of the birth. I might have described the experience as traumatic and decided it was a horrible birth. But it wasn’t.”
“Looking through my images it was a beautiful day, so much support and love from my husband, the midwives, my friend.”
The experience was so positive that Burgess decided to expand her photography business and add birth photography to her offerings.
“It is the most incredible, blessed, beautiful experience to be a part of,” she says.
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This may be the end of McNuggets as we know it – but it could be a good thing.
McDonalds in the US are testing out a preservative-free version of the highly processed food product in a bid to make it more healthy.
This may be great news for parents who want healthier alternatives for their children.
The fast food chain began testing the new recipe last month in 140 different stores in the states of Oregon and Washington.
This change comes as there has been a marked loss in customers over the past few years, and the company wants to improve perceptions of the quality of their products.
While McDonalds hasn’t revealed what’s different about the new McNuggets recipe, they said it’s “simpler” and that “parents can feel good” about it.
Sure, they may be trying to make one product a bit healthier, but they’re also looking into launching all-you-can-eat fries, so a bit of consistency would be nice.
They’re currently getting feedback from customers about the new-tasting nuggets, with the official national launch-date unknown at this time.
A young mother from the Sunshine coast has passed away just days after losing her unborn baby reports the Courier Mail.
31-year-old Gemma Louise Rane was 38 weeks pregnant when she stopped breathing during her sleep. Suffering from breathlessness was a side effect of a heart condition the 31 year old suffered, called atrial fibrillation.
Her partner, Christopher woke up while Gemma was struggling to breathe and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. She was then rushed to hospital for an emergency Cesarean.
Sadly, it was too late for the baby, a little boy who the couple had already named Deegan.
Gemma flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, where she fought for her life.
Tragically, Gemma passed away two days later after her family and friends agreed to turn off her life support.
The local community are rallying around Christopher and the couples 19-month-old son, Chase as they face life without Gemma and baby Deegan gofundme page has been set up to help offer financial support during this difficult time.
Gemma’s friends have taken to Facebook to express their heartache and shock. One friend posted:
“The memories you have given us are so joyous and will never be forgotten, you will live on through your handsome boy, Chayse. Gemma Louise May, you and your beautiful lil Deegan [soar] high with your new wings.
“My heart is breaking and things will never be the same. My thoughts, prayers and strength are with your family and friends. We love you Gem and the hole left behind is never going to be filled!”
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Article by Alastair MacGibbon, the Children’s eSafety Commissioner
Many women in abusive relationships have found technology – usually a force for good in their lives – is used against them – to humiliate, threaten and control.
Social media is used to abuse and humiliate. Smartphones are used to harass and threaten. And at the extreme end, women are tracked without knowing it.
And when things turn ugly, few women have enough information to act quickly to make their devices and accounts secure.
Sadly, research shows that one in six Australian women have experienced violence from a current or former partner. A recent, smaller scale, survey also indicates the vast majority of domestic violence workers had clients who had experienced technology facilitated abuse.
My Office has spearheaded a new initiative – eSafetyWomen – to empower women to take control online. It provides practical information to help women use technology safely.
No matter their circumstances, this site ensures women can continue to connect and participate online – after all, going offline is simply not an option. Why should a woman have to cut herself off from ways of finding support and information?
eSafetyWomen is my Office’s contribution to the Federal Government’s Women’s Safety Package to stop the violence against women, recognising the disturbing increase in the use of technology to control, stalk and abuse Australian women.
Our new program is all about managing technology, so it can be used to protect rather than harm – from understanding and using safety features on iPads, iPhones and Android devices, to having safer experiences on social media.
Women’s stories on our website, based on true events, illustrate violent and controlling behaviour and how it can be countered. Practical advice is offered on addressing the abuse, and getting the support needed.
Women who are experiencing technology abuse need ready access to useful resources that speak to their experience. With this in mind, the eSafetyWomen site includes:
• Step-by-step guidance on how to enhance privacy and security on portable and home devices, when browsing online, sharing photos, and using apps and social media services.
• eSafety check-ups to check awareness of privacy and security with different technology.
• Virtual tours identifying the technological risks associated with the home, car and personal devices.
• Case study videos showing ways women can be empowered by technology.
We will continue to update the site with new information and resources so it remains true to its tagline -empowering women to take control online.
Importantly, eSafetyWomen is more than just a website. We will soon be rolling out training around the country to frontline professionals working with women affected by domestic violence, enhancing the support they provide to women on technology safety.
The eSafetyWomen training materials were jointly created by my Office and WESNET, with support provided by the Department of Social Services.
We’re pleased to be playing our part in tackling violence against women and their children. Let’s be clear, our role in delivering technology safety for women is a challenging one, as both technologies and abusive behaviours evolve. But, it’s a challenge we won’t back down from.
Tips covered in eSafety website include:
1.How to secure your car’s GPS navigation system to clear journey history.
2.How to protect your home alarm from remote activation or deactivation.
3.How to protect information on your wearable fitness device on your training route.
4.Adjusting privacy settings on all portable devices.
5.How to make your home computer and laptop safe from hacking and malware.
Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley make their fashionable return as Eddy and Patsy in the new full-length trailer for Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.
The beloved Brits are still living the high life, making their way round the top hangouts of London while continuing to irritate Eddy’s sensible daughter Saffy, played by Julia Sawalha.
Watch the hilarious trailer in the player above!
The trailer opens with a familiar sight of PR guru Edina falling out a car, after another wild night on the town.
The clip sees the comedy duo embark on a mission to sign up model Kate Moss, after they find out she is changing her PR.
“We’ve got to get her, Kate Moss darling!” Shouts Patsy in the teaser.
Supermodel Kate Moss has a starring role in the film.
But the plot to advance their career status with the model takes a disastrous turn, as Eddy is accused of killing Kate Moss when she is knocked into the River Thames.
The A-list cast doesn’t stop with Kate Moss. Joining the fun in the hilarious movie is Stella McCartney, Emma Bunton, Lily Cole, Jon Hamm, Joan Collins and Rebel Wilson to name a few.
Aussie fans of the hit TV series will have to wait until August 11th before the movie hits the big screen.
So get the Bollinger at the ready!
From Emma Bunton, Lily Cole and Stella McCartney – the film is overflowing with A-list cameos!
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