Now to Love

Monica McInerney’s latest and fifth book Family Baggage (Penguin Books) was selected as the Great Read by The Australian Women’s Weekly and was a bestseller. To all aspiring writers, Monica highly recommends Stephen King’s On Writing. Here are Monica’s four top writing tips: 1. Space Set aside a writing area in your house that won’t […]

Chuckie, our shih tzu/border collie cross (yes, it is possible) has many anxiety problems and had a couple of biting incidents. After contacting a behaviouralist, Chuckie was placed on anxiety medication, which continued for approximately 10 months. It helped a lot, together with some heavy retraining, but we decided that it was time to come […]

By Lucy Hine A quick learner, eager to please, gentle and non-aggressive ? the Labrador is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world and a great family pet. The Labrador is a well-adjusted and adaptable dog that can just as easily be the devoted companion of an elderly person as a children’s […]

I spent many long, hard hours over the first five years of my marriage trying to build a business for my husband and myself. Unbeknown to me, he had been bankrupt twice and had few employable skills, so I established a business using mine. He was to do the selling. After mortgaging, pawning and losing […]

Paula Madigan, a high school teacher from Newcastle, NSW, used to love munching on potato chips. But when this 40-year-old mother of one knew it was time to lose weight, she decided to crunch on salads instead … and she’s lost more than 20kg! “I never wanted to be a skinny mini; just smaller and […]

Being overweight is not normal — get active and do something about it. In Australia, we are fatter than we have ever been. Fifty years ago it was rare to see an obese person and those who were fat more often than not suffered from a glandular condition. Today more than half the population is […]

I’m a 27-year-old female from Melbourne. I have just read French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mirielle Guiliano and it’s by far the best book about food/diet that I have ever read. I have put the author’s philosophies into practice and have noticed results in only two-three weeks. For starters, I have reduced my portion […]

Question: I want to get an eyelash perm. I just want to know if it’s safe and will it damage my eyelashes? Where is a good salon I can go to? Ava June Answer: I would suggest you invest in a great eyelash curler instead. There is no need to perm your lashes, especially with […]

Question: How do I stop my cockatiel from biting me or anyone that comes near him? He is eight months old and beautiful. Mary Nelson Answer: Biting birds are certainly not unusual. They usually do it if they feel a little frightened or out of control. They also do it for play reasons, so it […]

Question: My cat has been losing hair from her stomach and thighs. The hair loss started 16 months ago when my son was born and is steadily getting worse. I assume she is stressed. How do I calm her and stop her over-grooming? Suzanne Casson Answer: I think you are right on the money thinking […]