Bart and Nele Verboven have lived in some of Sydney’s ritziest suburbs over the past six years.
They have lived in two-bedroom units and multi-million dollar mansions, they’ve fed dozens of cats and walked scores of dogs and, in between moving 24 times, they have found time to get married, become Australian citizens and start a family of their own.
The Verbovens were Belgian backpackers from Antwerp when they arrived in Australia six years ago in search of adventure. Now, this young couple are house-sitters extraordinaire. With their two sons, six-month-old Anton and three-year-old Lode, they hop from home to home, moving sometimes up to four times a month to keep a roof over their heads.
Nele and Bart’s first foray into house-sitting happened by chance, when a woman they were renting a room from asked them to look after her cat while she went travelling overseas. “When we started out, we only had a suitcase each and our laptop to move,” says Nele, 35. “It was only when we started having children that it was a bit more tricky. There are some things you need – a cot, pram, play gym, some toys and clothes.
“It is hard for Lode,” she admits. “He can’t have a personalised room of his own, or friends round to play. He gets attached to pets at the houses we sit, and hates to say goodbye when we leave. But he does love exploring the new places we move to.”
Read more about the Verboven family’s lifestyle in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale January 16, 2012.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hit the red carpet at the 2012 Golden Globe awards where Angelina’s directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey was nominated.
She wore a Atelier Versace gown while Brad wore a three-piece tux.
Elle Macpherson
Aussie beauty Elle Macpherson hit the Golden Globes Carpet with a few ruffles and some bangles with quite a bit of bling!
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
Fellow Aussies Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban also glammed up the globes.
Nicole looked stunning in a floor length, body-hugging Versace gown.
Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba stole the show in this glittering Gucci gown.
Natalile Portman
Natalie Portman looked elegant in this Lanvin fuchsia strapless gown with Victorian style gathering.
Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek certainly dazzled in Gucci at this year’s Globes with a gold bodice and long, flowing black train.
George Clooney and Stacy Keibler
Glamour couple George Clooney and Stacy Keibler managed to stun once again on the red carpet.
Clooney is nominated for lead drama actor for “The Descendants” and screenplay and director for “Ides of March,” both of which are up for best drama picture.
Sofia Vergara
Sofia Vergara knows how to show off her curves, and she did just that in this custom-made Vera Wang peacock strapless mermaid gown.
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon hardly ever gets the red carpet wrong and this year was no exception!
She looked fresh-faced and flawless in this red gown.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams was the perfect picture of beauty in this printed floor length gown.
She picked up the Golden Globe for best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy for her role in My Week With Marilyn.
Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet opted for black and white this year, but spiced things up with a bejewelled belt. Her black hammer silk gown with an ivory silk crepe skirt are all by Jenny Packham.
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne was one of the first to hit the red Carpet in Hollywood wearing this full length blue gown.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron certainly knows how to pull off Hollywood glamour. Wearing Christian Dior, her look is a winner!
Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren has walked the red carpet many times, but the 66-year-old has absolutely still got it!
She dazzled in this full length ruffled gown.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar was certainly a stand out, bringing some blue to the red carpet in this Monique Llhuillier gown.
Nicole Richie
The always stunning Nicole Richie showed off her figure in this silver number.
Jessica Chastain
The Help actress Jessica Chastain looked elegant and enchanting in this white beaded gown.
Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum kept it simple in this nude number by Calvin Kein, but dazzled it up with some stunning turquoise jewels.
Claire Danes
As one of the first to arrive at the Awards Claire Danes certainly set the bench mark high in this black and white silk crepe J. Mendel gown.
Want to know how to lose five kilos in two weeks? Elle Macpherson’s trainer James Duigan shows you how!
When it comes to losing weight, just like everything in life we need to a little bit of inspiration to achieve our goals. Elle Macpherson’s trainer James Duigan has come on board for the Woman’s Day diet in 2012 and shares with us all of his top tips. “I am thrilled to contribute to The Woman’s Day Diet 2012,” he said.
“You’ll find all your favourite WD diet recipes – kJ-crunched, cooked and tested in the WD test kitchen – plus a few of my own recipes, diet tips and the workouts that get my celebrity clients in tip-top shape.”
Top tip: Please note foods in bold are free kj and you can eat as much as you like.
You should lose 1-2kgs a week (up to 5kgs for heavier women), depending on your starting weight. The total daily kJ count is 5500-7000kJ. This compares to the average of 8000-9000kJ for a 70kg Australian woman;
Eat lots of green vegetables or a fibre supplement. Fibre helps reduce “bat wings” and “bingo arms” by eliminating toxins;
Limit alcohol to four standard drinks a week. A 400kJ glass of wine replaces one snack.
Your body converts wheat to sugar faster than any other grain. So try and avoid bread and pasta, if you can.
All breakfasts on the diet can be swapped with other breakfasts, lunches with lunches and dinners with dinners.
One coffee per day is allowed. After that, drink green tea.
All beakfasts on the four week diet are interchangeable with other breakfasts, lunches with lunches and dinners with dinners;
Studies show that low-fat yoghurts, for instance, are loaded with sugar and sodium to make up for the blandness of having no fat. So, eat real butter, yoghurt and milk and cheese. Keep the doses small, though, says James.Snack ListEach day choose from any two of the following:1 apple and 1 matchbox-sized serve full-fat cheese (700kJ);
Vegetable sticks and ¼ cup hummus (600kJ);
1 piece of fruit and a handful of nuts (400kJ);
100g natural yoghurt with berries, cinnamon and almonds (400kJ)
1 small latte (400kJ)
2 Corn Thins with 1 teaspoon no added sugar peanut butter (400kJ)
Make a yoghurt paddle pop (with fruit and nuts) (450kJ)
Frozen grapes and bananas (480kj)
Fruit smoothie with added fibre or bran (400kJ)
4 squares dark chocolate (400kJ)
Green smoothie (blend up celery, cucumber, lime, ginger, mint) (negligible).
1 apple and 1 matchbox-sized serve full-fat cheese (700kJ);
Vegetable sticks and ¼ cup hummus (600kJ);
1 piece of fruit and a handful of nuts (400kJ);
100g natural yoghurt with berries, cinnamon and almonds (400kJ)
1 small latte (400kJ)
2 Corn Thins with 1 teaspoon no added sugar peanut butter (400kJ)
Make a yoghurt paddle pop (with fruit and nuts) (450kJ)
Frozen grapes and bananas (480kj)
Fruit smoothie with added fibre or bran (400kJ)
4 squares dark chocolate (400kJ)
Green smoothie (blend up celery, cucumber, lime, ginger, mint) (negligible).
1 serve of rice or pasta = a fist
1 piece of meat, fish or chicken = the size and width of a deck of cards
1 serve of cheese = one slice, or 4 small cubes that could fit in a matchbox
1 serve of butter = your fingertip
For more great diet and work out tips, plus the full diet plan, see Woman’s Day on sale January 9, 2012.
DISCLAIMER: Please do not embark on a vigorous exercise program without speaking to your doctor first. This advice is general only and does not replace the advice of your doctor or exercise physiologist.
Want to know how to lose five kilos in two weeks? Elle Macpherson’s trainer James Duigan shows you how!
When it comes to losing weight, just like everything in life we need to a little bit of inspiration to achieve our goals. Elle Macpherson’s trainer James Duigan has come on board for the Woman’s Day diet in 2012 and shares with us all of his top tips. “I am thrilled to contribute to The Woman’s Day Diet 2012,” he said.
“You’ll find all your favourite WD diet recipes – kJ-crunched, cooked and tested in the WD test kitchen – plus a few of my own recipes, diet tips and the workouts that get my celebrity clients in tip-top shape.”
Top tip: Please note foods in bold are free kj and you can eat as much as you like.
You should lose 1-2kgs a week (up to 5kgs for heavier women), depending on your starting weight. The total daily kJ count is 5500-7000kJ. This compares to the average of 8000-9000kJ for a 70kg Australian woman;
Eat lots of green vegetables or a fibre supplement. Fibre helps reduce “bat wings” and “bingo arms” by eliminating toxins;
Limit alcohol to four standard drinks a week. A 400kJ glass of wine replaces one snack.
Your body converts wheat to sugar faster than any other grain. So try and avoid bread and pasta, if you can.
All breakfasts on the diet can be swapped with other breakfasts, lunches with lunches and dinners with dinners.
One coffee per day is allowed. After that, drink green tea.
All beakfasts on the four week diet are interchangeable with other breakfasts, lunches with lunches and dinners with dinners;
Studies show that low-fat yoghurts, for instance, are loaded with sugar and sodium to make up for the blandness of having no fat. So, eat real butter, yoghurt and milk and cheese. Keep the doses small, though, says James.Snack ListEach day choose from any two of the following:1 apple and 1 matchbox-sized serve full-fat cheese (700kJ);
Vegetable sticks and ¼ cup hummus (600kJ);
1 piece of fruit and a handful of nuts (400kJ);
100g natural yoghurt with berries, cinnamon and almonds (400kJ)
1 small latte (400kJ)
2 Corn Thins with 1 teaspoon no added sugar peanut butter (400kJ)
Make a yoghurt paddle pop (with fruit and nuts) (450kJ)
Frozen grapes and bananas (480kj)
Fruit smoothie with added fibre or bran (400kJ)
4 squares dark chocolate (400kJ)
Green smoothie (blend up celery, cucumber, lime, ginger, mint) (negligible).
1 apple and 1 matchbox-sized serve full-fat cheese (700kJ);
Vegetable sticks and ¼ cup hummus (600kJ);
1 piece of fruit and a handful of nuts (400kJ);
100g natural yoghurt with berries, cinnamon and almonds (400kJ)
1 small latte (400kJ)
2 Corn Thins with 1 teaspoon no added sugar peanut butter (400kJ)
Make a yoghurt paddle pop (with fruit and nuts) (450kJ)
Frozen grapes and bananas (480kj)
Fruit smoothie with added fibre or bran (400kJ)
4 squares dark chocolate (400kJ)
Green smoothie (blend up celery, cucumber, lime, ginger, mint) (negligible).
1 serve of rice or pasta = a fist
1 piece of meat, fish or chicken = the size and width of a deck of cards
1 serve of cheese = one slice, or 4 small cubes that could fit in a matchbox
1 serve of butter = your fingertip
For more great diet and work out tips, plus the full diet plan, see Woman’s Day on sale January 9, 2012.
DISCLAIMER: Please do not embark on a vigorous exercise program without speaking to your doctor first. This advice is general only and does not replace the advice of your doctor or exercise physiologist.
She may be just five days old, but Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s new baby girl Blue Ivy Carter has already made history.
She is the youngest person ever to debut on the Billboard music charts after she was featured crying during her dad’s new song Glory, Billboard.com reported.
But that’s not all. She was also named as a contributor, with her father officially billing the song as “featuring B.I.C.,” an abbreviation of Blue Ivy Carter.
“It’s historical. The charts are almost 72 years old, so to be the youngest ever to chart is something,” Billboard’s editorial director Bill Werde, told the New York Daily News. Jay-Z released Glory on Monday, two days after Blue was born and the same day the pair officially spoke about her birth.
Releasing the track online, it instantly became a viral sensation and will next week enter the Billboard music chat at number 74.
If her parent’s track record is anything to go by, Blue will be breaking a lot more records in her lifetime.
Want to know how to lose five kilos in two weeks? Elle Macpherson’s trainer James Duigan shows you how!
When it comes to losing weight, just like everything in life we need to a little bit of inspiration to achieve our goals. Elle Macpherson’s trainer James Duigan has come on board for the Woman’s Day diet in 2012 and shares with us all of his top tips. “I am thrilled to contribute to The Woman’s Day Diet 2012,” he said.
“You’ll find all your favourite WD diet recipes – kJ-crunched, cooked and tested in the WD test kitchen – plus a few of my own recipes, diet tips and the workouts that get my celebrity clients in tip-top shape.”
Top tip: Please note foods in bold are free kj and you can eat as much as you like.
You should lose 1-2kgs a week (up to 5kgs for heavier women), depending on your starting weight. The total daily kJ count is 5500-7000kJ. This compares to the average of 8000-9000kJ for a 70kg Australian woman;
Eat lots of green vegetables or a fibre supplement. Fibre helps reduce “bat wings” and “bingo arms” by eliminating toxins;
Limit alcohol to four standard drinks a week. A 400kJ glass of wine replaces one snack.
Your body converts wheat to sugar faster than any other grain. So try and avoid bread and pasta, if you can.
All breakfasts on the diet can be swapped with other breakfasts, lunches with lunches and dinners with dinners.
One coffee per day is allowed. After that, drink green tea.
All beakfasts on the four week diet are interchangeable with other breakfasts, lunches with lunches and dinners with dinners;
Studies show that low-fat yoghurts, for instance, are loaded with sugar and sodium to make up for the blandness of having no fat. So, eat real butter, yoghurt and milk and cheese. Keep the doses small, though, says James.Snack ListEach day choose from any two of the following:1 apple and 1 matchbox-sized serve full-fat cheese (700kJ);
Vegetable sticks and ¼ cup hummus (600kJ);
1 piece of fruit and a handful of nuts (400kJ);
100g natural yoghurt with berries, cinnamon and almonds (400kJ)
1 small latte (400kJ)
2 Corn Thins with 1 teaspoon no added sugar peanut butter (400kJ)
Make a yoghurt paddle pop (with fruit and nuts) (450kJ)
Frozen grapes and bananas (480kj)
Fruit smoothie with added fibre or bran (400kJ)
4 squares dark chocolate (400kJ)
Green smoothie (blend up celery, cucumber, lime, ginger, mint) (negligible).
1 apple and 1 matchbox-sized serve full-fat cheese (700kJ);
Vegetable sticks and ¼ cup hummus (600kJ);
1 piece of fruit and a handful of nuts (400kJ);
100g natural yoghurt with berries, cinnamon and almonds (400kJ)
1 small latte (400kJ)
2 Corn Thins with 1 teaspoon no added sugar peanut butter (400kJ)
Make a yoghurt paddle pop (with fruit and nuts) (450kJ)
Frozen grapes and bananas (480kj)
Fruit smoothie with added fibre or bran (400kJ)
4 squares dark chocolate (400kJ)
Green smoothie (blend up celery, cucumber, lime, ginger, mint) (negligible).
1 serve of rice or pasta = a fist
1 piece of meat, fish or chicken = the size and width of a deck of cards
1 serve of cheese = one slice, or 4 small cubes that could fit in a matchbox
1 serve of butter = your fingertip
For more great diet and work out tips, plus the full diet plan, see Woman’s Day on sale January 9, 2012.
DISCLAIMER: Please do not embark on a vigorous exercise program without speaking to your doctor first. This advice is general only and does not replace the advice of your doctor or exercise physiologist.
The average Australian woman is a size 16, but most models are less than half that size.
PLUS Model Magazine – which exclusively showcases bigger beauties in its pages – has shot a daring fashion spread for its January 2012 issue to highlight this fact.
The shoot features size 16 model Katya Zharkova (size 12 in US sizing) posing nude alongside a traditional size zero runway model.
“There is nothing wrong with our bodies… not everyone is meant to be skinny,” the magazine’s editor-in-chief Madeline Figueroa-Jones said.
Katya showing off her size 16 body in *PLUS Model Magazine*.
Katya showing off her size 16 body in PLUS Model Magazine.
Anyone with a skin contact allergy — most commonly to nickel, which is found in jewellery, nail polish and remover, some cleansers and shampoos and countless other products — will tell you how frustrating the condition is, as well as how unsightly.
Anti-inflammatory creams can help, but the only sure cure is avoidance, which can be tricky.
However, there may be an upside to the problem, with a British Medical Journal study suggesting that women with contact skin allergies have much lower rates of breast cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer.
Researchers at the Copenhagen University Hospital tracked nearly 17,000 adults over a 25-year period, and found a significant difference between incidences of these cancers in people with the allergies and those without.
The reason, they suggest, is that ‘hyperimmunity’ — a condition which may give a person added protection against certain cancers — often has the side effect of an increased likelihood of allergies.
Your say: Do you suffer from skin contact allergies? How do you manage your condition?
Sometimes, getting and staying healthy can seem like all too much hard work — and then along comes a piece of health news that makes you think, ‘Can it really be this simple?’
Here is one such item: a study published in Neurology has shown that regularly using olive oil in cooking and salad dressings can significantly lower your risk of a stroke.
Researchers from the University of Bordeaux and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research assessed 7,625 people, whose olive oil consumption was classified as either ‘no use’, ‘moderate use’ or ‘intensive use’.
After taking into account variables such as diet, exercise, weight and other risk factors for stroke, they found that those people who used olive oil regularly were a whopping 41 percent less likely to have a stroke.
Of course, olive oil’s cardio-protective properties are already well-known, but few studies have shown such a dramatic result from making just this one simple little change to diet.
Roro Duncan with her 14-month-old son Shane and Cherilda Murray with her six-month-old son Jharal.
Pregnant bellies and a splash of plaster are coming together in country Australia to create a mini health revolution, Bryce Corbett reports.
It’s just after midday in an annexe of the Moree Base Hospital in country NSW. The air is heavy with humidity and the earth under foot is still moist from the region’s worst flooding in decades.
Mosquitoes the size of small birds flit menacingly among the gums. Inside the annexe, kids run about screaming; their mothers sit stoically still, patiently waiting for the plaster to dry on their hands, arms, feet and torsos.
It looks for all the world like a triage ward in your average rural community hospital — albeit a community unusually affected by a spontaneous spate of broken limbs.
Yet there is nothing at all broken about this community of women — proud members, every one, of the Gamilaroi nation of Aboriginal people.
They have come into town to have casts made of their pregnant bellies and, in so doing, play their small, individual roles in a mini health revolution that is rippling its way across the country.
It’s part of a project called Mubali (“swollen belly” in the local dialect) the brain-child of Armidale-based community arts organisation Beyond Empathy.
When its executive director, Kim McConville, was contacted by midwives at Moree Hospital keen to encourage pregnant women from the local Aboriginal population to visit more regularly in the lead-up to childbirth, she and her colleagues conceived the belly casting program.
Women would come to the hospital to cast their pregnant tummies with a view to eventually painting them in collaboration with local artists. Once there, the prenatal care, advice and wisdom of health professionals wouldbe dispensed.
Seven years after its introduction in Moree, Mubali has led to a marked improvement in the birth weight of babies born to local Aboriginal women and created greater awareness of pre- and post-natal healthcare.
It has also spread across the nation, with projects in indigenous communities in Bowraville on the NSW North Coast, Logan on the fringes of Brisbane, Armidale in country NSW and even in the Kimberleys in WA.
On the day The Weekly visited a Mubali workshop in Moree, grandmothers, fathers, children and mums (both expectant and practising) sat around tables plastering, chatting and painting.
Casts of a little girl’s hand cupped in that of her grandmother’s, plaster replicas of babies’ feet and bulbous bellies of late-term pregnant women were all lovingly tended to.
While, in one corner of the annexe, 23-year-old Kathleen “RoRo” Duncan sheltered behind a hessian screen as a team of other mums made a cast of her seven-months pregnant belly, 25-year-old mother of three and three-time belly caster, Cherilda Murray braved the mosquitoes outside to strike a proud pose with her youngest son, six-month-old Jharal.
“I figured if it was good enough for Demi Moore, it was good enough for me,” says Cherilda of the naked posing and belly casting process. “I was a bit nervous and embarrassed at first, but I will never see my body like that again. It’s something to be celebrated.”
Like many Aboriginal mums in the bush, Cherilda’s experience of motherhood hasn’t always been straightforward.
Her partner left her during one of her pregnancies — a development that only spurred her on to embrace it.
“Doing the belly built-up my self-confidence,” she confides. “I finally decided there was no point being embarrassed about being pregnant. A lot of girls are ashamed and won’t go to see a doctor. But it’s natural, it happens.”
For expectant mum RoRo, mother of 14-month-old Shane, taking part in the belly casting is a chance to celebrate a new life and create a unique souvenir. “It’s a good memory for when your baby gets older,” she says, with a shy smile.
According to Jo Davidson, lead artist and coordinator of the Mubali project, transforming the hospital experience has been vital to the program’s success.
“Art works really well as a means of getting pregnant women to come in to hospital,” she explains. “It turns into a neutral, non-threatening environment.”
“Historically, babies were taken away when a pregnant woman from these communities went into a hospital,” says Kim McConville. “And while that doesn’t happen anymore, there was still an historical reluctance that we had to overcome.
“We’ve hit upon the simplest of formulas. Mubali has proven to be as much about young people taking pride in their culture as it is about healthcare.”
No one knows this better than Paula “call me Auntie” Duncan. With her dark mane of hair, imposing stature and ready laugh, the artist and volunteer is a pillar of the Moree Aboriginal community.
She tells me that her mother, Pearl, had 12 children and fostered eight others. All of Pearl’s biological children were born “down by the river”, says Paula.
Mubali, she adds, is a program the manifest benefits of which her late mother could only have dreamed of.
“Traditions and stories are passed from one generation to the next,” Paula says, proudly. “This program has been the nearest thing to being back in a tribe that I have experienced. We’re getting back to a lot of the traditional stuff.”
Female elders of the local Aboriginal community, known as “aunties”, are vital to the Mubali project. Some come to support their daughters or granddaughters, others to sit, paint and remind the girls of their rich heritage.
Either way, a happy side-effect of the program has been the sense of community it has fostered among the different generations who make up the Moree mob.
“We’ve not only encouraged young Aboriginal women to talk among themselves about their pregnancies, but also tap into the generations of female wisdom that exists on their doorstep — sometimes in their living rooms,” says Valerie Quinlin, an Aboriginal artist from Nambucca Heads and a Mubali coordinator.
“The aunties sit and paint the stories of their people onto the bellies. They are literally painting the history of their people onto casts of the next generation. It’s amazing to watch.”
“These bellies represent the future. Across the country, we have helped communities repair themselves,” says Jo Davidson.
Following the first Mubali project in 2004, the painted belly casts were hung in the Moree Plains Gallery and toasted at an exhibition opening attended by more than 250 locals.
One of Cherilda’s bellies was painted by local artist Pauline Briggs-Smith and travelled to Canberra for an exhibition.
Cherilda takes up the Mubali “brag” book and points proudly to a photograph of a dot-covered belly cast. “That’s my belly there,” she says, beaming. “It went all the way to Canberra.”
From a health point of view, the program has also been significant. A greater engagement by mothers at the pre-natal end of baby-making is followed by more participation in mothers’ groups, playgroups and even school groups.
For Annabelle Simpson, a local educator who works closely with both the hospital and the Aboriginal population, the Mubali project has been nothing short of revolutionary.
“The midwives have been able to encourage expectant mums to stop smoking, eat well and look after themselves and their babies,” Annabelle explains.
Back in the annexe, Jo pushes a strand of grey hair from her face with a pair of white-spattered fingers. As the last of the mums and aunties wheel strollers back out into the heat, Kim pauses to take stock.
“We’re not trying to stop young women falling pregnant,” she says. “We are here to make sure they have healthy babies. These are beautiful, sensitive, robust young women who love their babies deeply.
“The challenges they face aren’t always of their choosing and they do the best they can. These women are among the most resilient I have ever met. It’s a gift to be able to work with them.”
For further information on Beyond Empathy and the Mubali project, visit beyondempathy.org.au.
Read more of this story in the January issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Your say: What do you think about the Mubali project?
One of Cherilda’s bellies was painted by local artist Pauline Briggs-Smith and travelled to Canberra for an exhibition.
Cherilda takes up the Mubali “brag” book and points proudly to a photograph of a dot-covered belly cast. “That’s my belly there,” she says, beaming. “It went all the way to Canberra.”
From a health point of view, the program has also been significant. A greater engagement by mothers at the pre-natal end of baby-making is followed by more participation in mothers’ groups, playgroups and even school groups.
