With society’s idealised image of beauty a painfully thin size zero, it has never been more important to ensure that your teenage daughter has a healthy body image and does not lean toward self-harm as she aspires to conform. Award-winning educator Dannielle Miller, CEO of Enlighten Education, asks, “What conversations aren’t we having with our […]

At just eight years of age, Romeo Beckham has beaten the likes of Prince William and Jude Law to take out the number 26 spot in Britain’s GQ magazine 50 best-dressed men list. The youngster landed himself only 10 spots behind his football star dad David Beckham, who came in at number 16. Romeo has […]

Some married men might enjoy this news more than their wives, but UK researchers have found that husbands are more attractive to other women than single men. Psychology researchers at the University of Stirling and University of Aberdeen have found that when deciding if someone is attractive, we take our cues from others, the UK’s […]

FOR THE LOVE OF NATURE: E. E. GOSTELOW’S BIRDS & FLOWERS BY CHRISTOBEL MATTINGLEY, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA, $29.95. An unexpected gem of a book, not just for the delicate colour plates of Australian wildflowers and birds, but for the story of the man who painted them. Born in 1866, Ebenezer Edward Gostelow was a […]

STORIES OF LOVE & WAR BY REBECCA BRITT, NEW HOLLAND PUBLISHERS AUSTRALIA, $35. The pain of longing for a loved one is exquisite. Yet when that emotion is set against the backdrop of war, it is almost too heart-wrenching to contemplate. In this beautiful collection of love stories from The Australian War Memorial, author Rebecca […]

When it comes to nutritional supplements for the mother-to-be, folic acid — the B-group vitamin that is critical for helping to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida — gets all the press. However, several studies suggest that choline, a less well-known water-soluble nutrient that is also classed with the B-group vitamins, is just as […]

Nothing beats the thrill of a pillowcase stuffed with toys – even now. So it was, so it is, so I hope it will always be. The sound of Christmas of my childhood is the sound of Christmas now, and I hope until my last year on earth. It is the marvellous thump-thump-thump-THUMP of the […]

Commitment phobia is real. Seek comfort in knowing that it might be getting easier to switch from one money lender to another.

If chillies weren’t so delicious (in small amounts, unless you love dragon’s breath) we’d grow them for their beauty. A chilli bush in full fruit is a stunning plant: bright green leaves and even brighter red fruit that hangs there for months. As I write this I’m looking out at our beds of perennial chillies […]

Have you ever asked yourself, “What makes me happy?” Your answer might be your good health, seeing your family healthy or liking what you see in the mirror. But these answers differ greatly from those identified by Canadian and US researchers who claim that your happiness, or lack thereof, might rest in your spouses’ hands. […]