Now to Love

Question: I am newly arrived in Australia from the United States. I have been advised that tipping employees of many establishments is not customary here. My question is: do I tip the hairdresser and beauty therapist? I want to make sure I am giving my girls proper compensation. Melissa, via email. Answer: No, unlike the […]

MEASUREMENTS MATERIALS: 7 x 50g balls Panda Regal 4ply; 4.00mm crochet hook or size required to give correct tension; knitter’s needle for finishing ends. TENSION: This poncho has been designed at a tension of 3 patts to 8cm and 6 rows to 10cm over patt, using 4.00mm hook. ABBREVIATIONS: alt = alternate; approx = approximately; […]

Question: I have blue eyes. What colour eyeshadow should I use to bring out my eyes? Thanks. Kelly Sloan Answer: The best colours are warm browns and of course, the new pastel blues that are available. Keep the rest of your make-up simple and wear a lip-gloss instead of lipstick.

As I grew up, there was little stability in my life and I had little confidence in what the future would bring. My father left my mother and me for another woman when I was just two. My poor mother never came to terms with the devastation of losing the family for which she had […]

By Annette Campbell Linda McRae knew she was on the verge of developing Type 2 diabetes and had every intention of not letting it happen. “I’d had a pre-diabetic condition (was glucose intolerant) for a while and had been warned that it could develop into diabetes,” Linda explains. “It did scare me a lot, so […]

Many owners believe that dog training is only for those who wish to compete in obedience trials. This is akin to believing that only children who grow up to be doctors and lawyers should attend primary school! Unlike “training” children, we are unable to sit down and explain to a dog why we wish for […]

When she turned off the ignition that evening, Barbara Havers remained inside the Mini, once again listening disconsolately to its sputtering engine. She rested her head on the steering wheel. She was knackered. Odd to think that spending hours upon hours on computers and telephones was more exhausting than hoofing round London to track down […]

The past, for many, is a place viewed with misty-eyed romanticism, a place where memories are happily tinted by warmth, love and respect. For Today show co-host Tracy Grimshaw, 44, the past is all of that, but it is also a place that resonates with pain, sadness and the lingering torment of opportunities lost. Like […]

Turn those horrible stretches of concrete out the back or front of the house into flowers and greenery with these six tricks to make your balcony flourish.

Fifteen years ago I married a wonderful man who already had one child. He had lost his wife in an accident a few years earlier. A year after the wedding I gave birth to our son. I don’t know if I was prepared for a ready-made family. Having my own baby made me realise how […]