Advertisement
Home Page 5045

How vacuuming can help you lose weight

Did you know that doing the housework, walking around the supermarket and even getting up to change the channel on the television all burn kilojoules?
How vacuuming can help you lose weight

Thinkstock

Did you know that doing the housework, walking around the supermarket and even getting up to change the channel on the television all burn kilojoules? These everyday activities are examples of “incidental exercise”, which is any physical activity that is part of your daily routine.

Incorporating more incidental exercise into your daily routine is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall general health and fitness. So if you find it hard to fit in the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, try increasing your incidental exercise. And remember, it all adds up to a healthier you!

In pictures: Ten gym habits that are holding you back

How to increase your incidental exercise

  • Instead of looking for the closest car park to the shops, be content to park further away. Not only will you find it easier to get a park, you will also get in a few minutes extra walking to and from the car.

  • Leave the car behind if you’re only going a short distance. Most people can walk 1km to 2km quite easily.

  • Go to the park and play with your kids after school. Either push them on the swings (good for upper-body strengthening), play tag or throw around a ball.

  • Get enthusiastic about the housework. Turn on some music and have a dance around the house while you are vacuuming or sweeping.

  • Dig around in the garden, weed and mow the lawn on the weekend.

  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator in shopping malls, or walk up and down the escalators rather than waiting for them to deliver you to the next shopping level.

  • Get up to change the channel on the television or the volume on your stereo, rather than using the remote.

This information is provided by the Sanitarium Nutrition Service.

Your say: Do you have any tips for sneakily increasing the amount of exercise you do?

Video: Can you get a better body by simply changing your shoes?

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

World’s first unretouched beauty ad launched

World's first unretouched beauty ad launched

A French make-up company has published the world’s first unretouched beauty ad.

The campaign for Make Up For Ever’s new foundation appeared in US magazines this week, and marks a refreshing change from the usual flawlessly airbrushed images.

In pictures: Beauties who have banned airbrushing

The ad features a natural-looking model holding up a camera to take a photo of herself. While the model’s complexion is unblemished and shine-free, there is a distinctly natural feel to the image, which has been certified as 100 percent unaltered by a French notary.

The cosmetics firm decided to release an unretouched image to prove its new HD Invisible Cover range was effective, but industry experts believe it is part of a wider move to more natural images.

The Weekly made headlines in 2009 when we published an unedited image of Sarah Murdoch on the cover of our November issue.

In the magazine, Sarah spoke out against photoshopping and said she wished women could just grow old gracefully.

“I think when I’m retouched in photographs it’s worse, because when people see me in real life they go, ‘Oh God, isn’t she old?’,” Sarah said last year.

“It makes me mad that we can’t embrace the beauty of ageing, because we’re all going to do it.”

Sarah agreed to allow the unretouched image to be published after the Weekly‘s editor Helen McCabe suggested it would ease the former model’s fears about looking unnatural.

While it marked a coup for the magazine industry in Australia, Helen said she couldn’t promise future covers wouldn’t be airbrushed.

“I can’t possibly commit to that, I’m a realist,” she said at the time. “There are real business imperatives why magazines have gone this way. It’s a very competitive industry and I’m — at this stage — just taking a little baby step and seeing how this goes for now.”

In pictures: Airbrushed stars before and after

After Sarah’s shoot, several other celebrities followed suit, permitting untouched images to be published. Claudia Schiffer, Jennifer Hawkins, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Marion Cotillard and Sadie Frost have all proudly displayed their beauty au natural in magazines all over the world.

Your say: Do you think more beauty companies should publish unedited images?

Video: Photoshopping in magazines

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

How vacuuming can help you lose weight

How vacuuming can help you lose weight

Thinkstock

Did you know that doing the housework, walking around the supermarket and even getting up to change the channel on the television all burn kilojoules? These everyday activities are examples of “incidental exercise”, which is any physical activity that is part of your daily routine.

Incorporating more incidental exercise into your daily routine is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall general health and fitness. So if you find it hard to fit in the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, try increasing your incidental exercise. And remember, it all adds up to a healthier you!

In pictures: Ten gym habits that are holding you back

How to increase your incidental exercise

  • Instead of looking for the closest car park to the shops, be content to park further away. Not only will you find it easier to get a park, you will also get in a few minutes extra walking to and from the car.

  • Leave the car behind if you’re only going a short distance. Most people can walk 1km to 2km quite easily.

  • Go to the park and play with your kids after school. Either push them on the swings (good for upper-body strengthening), play tag or throw around a ball.

  • Get enthusiastic about the housework. Turn on some music and have a dance around the house while you are vacuuming or sweeping.

  • Dig around in the garden, weed and mow the lawn on the weekend.

  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator in shopping malls, or walk up and down the escalators rather than waiting for them to deliver you to the next shopping level.

  • Get up to change the channel on the television or the volume on your stereo, rather than using the remote.

This information is provided by the Sanitarium Nutrition Service.

Your say: Do you have any tips for sneakily increasing the amount of exercise you do?

Video: Can you get a better body by simply changing your shoes?

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

Why the bullying video shocked the world

Why the bullying video shocked the world

An overweight 12-year-old boy from Sydney’s western suburbs became an international sensation this week, when a video of him lashing out at a school bully went ‘viral’ online.

The boy, known only as ‘Casey’, is the unwitting star of the clip that was filmed on a mobile phone in the grounds of Chifley College’s Dunheved campus, north of St Marys.

Related: The stars who beat bullying

Casey is seen backed up against a wall, while a smaller bully punches him and taunts him until Casey snaps, picking up his tormentor and throwing him on the ground.

Another boy filmed the attack and uploaded it onto the internet. It has since been viewed by millions of people and has appeared on chat shows and news broadcasts all over the world.

Related: A parent’s guide to bullying

Casey, who has reportedly been suffering at the hands of bullies for years, has been branded a hero, while the bully has become a laughing stock. Both boys have been suspended from school for four days.

While many people find this incident funny, it also highlights some alarming points:

  • That bullying is still happening in 2011;

  • That kids are videoing it;

  • That the video was uploaded onto the internet;

  • That millions of people are watching that video online;

  • That it went on to be shown in news broadcasts in the UK and US;

  • That the child who fought back, injuring his tormentor, has been hailed as a hero with Facebook tribute pages in his honour;

  • That the school did nothing to stop this child being bullied for years and;

  • That the school is powerless to stop students bringing mobile phones to school to film such incidents.

Your say: Which of these do you find most disturbing?

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

Royal engagements from 1855 to 2010

Loading the player...

Prince William and Kate Middleton stunned the world last December when their official engagement pictures showed them – shock – looking affectionate.

The images, shot by renowned photographer Mario Testino, show the young couple cuddling and grinning and have been praised as some of the most relaxed and intimate royal images ever taken.

To put that comment into context, here are some of the most awkward, unromantic and downright glum royal engagement pictures from 1855 to today.

Engagement of Princess Royal Victoria to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia in 1855

Engagement of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1862

More than 1 hour

Engagement of The Duke of York and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck in 1893

Engagement of Princess Maud of Wales and Prince Charles of Denmark, 1896

Engagement of Prince Albert, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, 1923

Engagement of Princess Elizabeth and Lt Philip Mountbatten, 1947

Engagement of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, 1972

Engagement of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Philips, 1973

Engagement of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, 1981

Engagement of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, 1986

Engagement of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, 1999

Engagement of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, 2005

Engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton, 2010

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

Eva Longoria ‘wants to cry’ when she talks about divorce

Eva Longoria 'wants to cry' when she talks about divorce

Despite recently hosting her own Hollywood birthday bash and surrounding herself with friends, it seems Eva Longoria isn’t coping as well as she is letting on after her split from husband Tony Parker.

The 36-year-old actress has said it has been “very hard” to get used to her break-up from the basketball player who prompted the split after reportedly sending inappropriate texts to a teammate’s wife.

“I’m kind of having to find new patterns because … I’m used to always being on a plane and flying to a basketball game,” she told Allure magazine in the US.

“Every time I talk about [divorce], I want to cry. It’s been hard. Very hard. I’m just trying to get through it as gracefully as possible without any drama.”

But Eva, who has been separated from Tony since November, hasn’t been alone for long. She is rumoured to be romantically linked to Penélope Cruz’s brother, Eduardo Cruz, and the pair have been spotted together on a number of occasions.

But the Desperate Housewives star isn’t giving anything away about the new relationship, or anything else for that matter.

“I’m in a transition stage, settling into a new routine, and I welcome it,” she said.

“It’s hard for me to censor myself, because I like to be honest and free and say exactly what I’m thinking or feeling.”

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

Stunning royal wedding gowns and crowns

The wedding gown worn by Princess Margaret on her wedding day in 1960.

With the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William looming, we take a look back at some of the most stunning royal wedding gowns, crowns and the women who wore them.

Diana, Princess of Wales: The dress

Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding dress was designed by virtually unknown British designers David and Elizabeth Emmanuel.

The hand-embroidered wedding gown had a full skirt over a multi-layered, tulle petticoat, with bodice panels and had more than 10,000 tiny mother-of-pearl sequins and pearls. It also had an eight metre silk train – the longest in royal history.

Diana, Princess of Wales: The Tiara

Diana’s family’s tiara was worn by a number of Spencer women but was most famously worn by Princess Diana on her wedding day as her something borrowed.

She wore it during a number of royal duties and swapped between this and the Lover’s Knot Tiara that was given to her as a wedding gift from the Queen.

Sarah, Duchess of York: The dress

Sarah Ferguson’s 1986 dress was not an easily designed dress. It was made with a structured top that fell out into a full skirt, which sounds simple enough, but the ivory duchesse satin gown featured a bodice detailed with intricate embroidery and bugle beads.

But the most detail was seen on the long train and veil, which had bumble bees, anchors, thistles, flowers, and a large A for Andrew embroidered into the satin train.

Sarah, Duchess of York: The Tiara

Sarah Ferguson wore a wreath of flowers during the wedding ceremony.

It wasn’t until she was officially the Duchess of York that she revealed the diamond tiara underneath the wreath, which was chosen by Sarah and purchased for her by the Queen.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark: The dress

Queen Margrethe’s 1967 wedding dress was a simple, yet elegant one made from satin and lace. The low square neckline dress was fitted around the waist with a full flowing skirt and long satin sleeves.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark: The Tiara

Queen Margrethe’s wedding tiara was a gift from the Khedive of Egypt, which the bride’s mother, Queen Ingrid, had inherited.

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark: The dress

Princess Mary was married in 2004 in a dress designed by Danish designer Uffe Frank. It is made up of long panels that open 10cm from the waist. The gown was sewn in such a way that between each panel old lace, which is almost 100 years old, can be seen.

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark: The Tiara

Mary’s tiara was a gift to her from her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Prince Consort of Denmark.

From the tiara falls the veil made of Irish lace, which was a gift to the late Queen Ingrid’s mother, Crown Princess Margret of Sweden, who wore it on her wedding day.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden: The dress

Princess Victoria’s dress was made from cream-coloured duchess silk satin and her shoes were made in the same fabric. The sophisticated short-sleeved gown had a turned-out collar, which followed the rounded neckline.

The back of the dress was V-shaped with covered buttons and had a five metre long train.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden: The tiara

Princess Victoria wore the cameo tiara on her wedding day in 2010, which was made of gold, pearls and gem cameos.

The central cameo depicts Cupid and Psyche from Greek mythology. The tiara was also worn by Queen Silvia at the royal wedding on June 19, 1976.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex: The dress

Princess Sophie’s ivory silk and organza bridal gown was designed by Samantha Shaw. The dress-coat-style gown was covered in 325,000 cut-glass and pearl beads and was accompanied by a full-length train and veil.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex: The tiara

Princess Sophie’s diamond tiara was chosen for her by the Queen from her own private collection. It was then designed and remodelled by the Crown Jeweller, David Thomas, for the 1999 wedding.

Princess Máxima of the Netherlands: The dress

Princess Máxima’s Valentino couture gown was made of ivory Mikado silk with lace detail and featured an train inset with delicate embroidered flowers.

Princess Máxima of the Netherlands: The tiara

Her diamond star tiara was made especially for the royal wedding in 2002 and was made up of a base taken from a tiara owned by Queen Emma and the stars from one owned by Emma’s daughter, Queen Wilhelmina.

Queen Elizabeth: The dress

Queen Elizabeth II’s 1947 wedding was the first royal celebration after World War II. In order to make her dress she famously collected ration cards in order to get the materials.

Her stunning dress, which was made by dressmaker Norman Hartnell, was made of ivory duchess satin and decorated with around 10,000 white pearls imported from the US, silver thread and tulle embroidery.

Queen Elizabeth: The tiara

Queen Elizabeth II’s “something borrowed” was her mother’s a diamond fringe tiara, which had been passed down by her grandmother.

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon: The dress

Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, wore a stunning white silk organza gown with a satin-bound silk tulle veil on her wedding day in 1960. The beautifully simple dress had not one stitch of embroidery.

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon: The tiara

Her hair was wrapped up gracefully in the tall Poltimore tiara, which was made in 1870 for Lady Poltimore, and was purchased at an auction especially for Margaret’s wedding day.

Princess Anne: The dress

Princess Anne’s 1973 wedding dress was an embroidered Tudor-style gown with a high collar and mediaeval sleeves.

Princess Anne: The Tiara

Queen Elizabeth leant her granddaughter Princess Anne her fringe tiara, which has been passed down by the royal family, for her wedding day in 1973.

Princess Grace of Monaco

The stunning American actress-turned-princess Grace Kelly’s dress was quite unique and a challenge to put together. The bodice was put on first and was attached to an under bodice and a ruffled skirt support.

The skirt itself included three attached petticoats, one for foundation, one ruffled for volume, and the top petticoat for smoothing. A separate cummerbund brought the top and skirt together. Princess Grace chose not to wear a tiara on her wedding day in 1956, but opted for a beaded Juliet cap which her veil was attached to.

Queen Anne-Marie of Greece

Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark married HM King Constantine II of Greece, making her the Queen of Greece in 1964. Her incredibly simple wedding gown was detailed beautifully with a simple silk waistband, mid-length sleeves and flowing train.

Her tiara is the Khedive of Egypt Cartier tiara, which was inherited by Queen Ingrid of Denmark and is worn by Denmark’s female descendants on their wedding days.

Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece

Princess Marie-Chantal’s Valentino 1995 wedding gown was put together by 25 seamstresses at a cost of $225,000. Her gown was made of ivory silk and featured a lace bodice with opaque beading, accented with rose appliqués and sleeves decorated with floral motifs.

The veil itself took two months to create alone and was finished with a tiara borrowed from her mother-in-law, Queen Anne-Marie.

Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant

Designed by Edouard Vermeulen, Princess Mathilde’s 1999 wedding gown has been acknowledged as one of the most stylish of recent royal weddings. The sophisticated gown is a tailored coat-style, which buttons down the front and has a high and open collar.

Her glittering diamond vintage tiara was borrowed from her mother-in-law, Queen Paola.

Are you a Kate Middleton lookalike? Send us your photos!

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

Middletons pay ‘six-figure sum’ towards wedding

Middletons pay 'six figure sum' towards Kate's wedding

Michael and Carole Middleton

Kate Middleton’s parents have reportedly contributed a “six-figure sum” to help pay for her April 29 wedding to Britain’s Prince William.

Michael and Carole Middleton have broken with royal tradition by insisting they give some money towards Kate and William’s wedding bill.

In pictures: The most amazing royal wedding dresses

An unnamed Buckingham Palace source told the UK’s Vanity Fair magazine the Middletons had contributed a “six figure sum”, which William’s family accepted.

“It is something they absolutely wanted to do, and William graciously accepted,” the royal aide told the magazine.

While the Middleton’s offer is extremely generous by ordinary standards, it won’t stretch very far at this wedding, which is expected to cost more than $10 million.

Michael Middleton was a pilot, and met his wife Carole while she was a flight attendant. They founded party supplies company Party Pieces in 1987 and quickly became millionaires.

Related: Sausage sizzle on the royal agenda

Meanwhile, the itinerary for Prince William’s imminent Australian visit has been released. The royal will arrive in flood-ravaged north Queensland on Saturday, and will spend two days touring areas damaged by the floods and Cyclone Yasi, including Townsville, Cardwell, Tully, Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley. He will then tour Victoria’s flood-damaged regions.

William’s Queensland tour will follow a visit to New Zealand to attend a memorial service for the earthquake victims in Christchurch.

Your say: Do you think Kate’s parents should help pay for their daughter’s wedding? Would you offer money if you were in the same circumstances?

The Weekly will be tweeting live from London on April 29. Follow @AWW_London and @WomensWeeklyMag for the latest news and gossip.

Video: Meet the man behind William and Kate’s wedding cake

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

Middletons launch royal-themed scratch cards

Kate Middleton's parents launch royal-themed scratch cards

Kate Middleton’s parents have sparked fresh controversy after they launched a set of royal-themed scratch cards on their company’s website.

The Middleton’s mail-order party supply firm, Party Pieces, is now selling sets of Britannia Scratch Cards designed to be used as entertainment at royal wedding bashes across the UK.

In pictures: The most amazing royal wedding dresses

The cards, which come in packs of 10, are emblazoned with pictures of crowns and feature British trivia questions. Revellers can then scratch to reveal the answer to the questions, with those who answer correctly being declared “Queen of England”. Those who choose incorrectly, are labelled “The Queen’s corgi” or warned “Off with your head”.

Michael and Carole Middleton have already been accused of profiting from their daughter’s impending marriage to Prince William. Their website already sells corgi cake toppers, plastic hats emblazoned with the Union Jack, paper plates and cups featuring official-looking coats of arms and cake stands featuring the image of a queen’s head.

Almost all of these items sold out within hours of being launched.

Related: Sausage sizzle on the agenda for Prince William’s visit

Carole Middleton, a former flight attendant, set up Party Pieces in 1987. The business quickly became successful and Carole and Michael are now millionaires.

Kate and William will wed at London’s Westminster Abbey on April 29.

Your say: Should Kate’s parents be allowed to sell royal wedding-themed party supplies? Do you think they are trying to profit from Kate’s impending marriage?

Video: Meet the man behind William and Kate’s wedding cake

Related stories


Advertisement
Home Page 5045

How to curate the perfect wardrobe

How to curate the perfect wardrobe

Images from Stella McCartney's Spring 2011 catwalk show

For now, fashion isn’t about trends, per se. Words such as minimalism, pared-back and subtle (meaning simple and classic, in non-fashion speak) have dominated the last few seasons, with designers giving women the kind of clothes that feed our pent-up desire for grown-up, flattering, and simple but sexy dressing.

Thankfully, it seems fashion has become more about reinventing your “classic” pieces (or investing in the classics you should own, but don’t), rather than a constant obsession for the latest must-haves.

Related: How to wear the new skirt length

When I say classics, I mean the most basic and simple basis of every grown woman’s wardrobe: the white shirt, a pair of chinos, a cashmere cardigan, the blouse and a well-cut trench coat.

When I say reinventing, I just mean trying something a little bit different. Pick-up a red cashmere cardigan instead of the black, cinch your trench coat in at the waist with a colourful leather belt, try a printed instead of a plain blouse, or unbutton your white shirt a little bit and put on a statement necklace. And if wearing too much jewellery or print isn’t your thing, a simple spark of colour can turn the most sober classic into something that is effortlessly chic but still ultimately, you.

Investments, by the way, don’t have to be costly. One of the recession’s positive developments is the emergence of well-made and simply tailored pieces in some of our favourite affordable stores, whether it’s Country Road, Witchery, or something cheaper.

Related: Melbourne Fashion Week kicks off

Other investments? Navy cigarette pants, the unembellished and sensibly-sized bag, a pair of relaxed linen trousers and most importantly, the blazer.

The best advice I ever received on the matter came from The Weekly‘s style director who wisely said, if you have nothing else in your wardrobe (really meaning a whole lot of must-have, trend-driven purchases that equal a pile of nothing in the end), make sure you have one beautiful blazer to throw on. Perfectly put together, polished, and effortlessly stylish will be the words on everyone’s mind.

Your say: What is your favourite go-to outfit? Do you have any tricks for making old clothes look stylish again?

Video: Melbourne Fashion Week

Related stories


Advertisement