Who would have thought sitting at home watching Oprah would inspire an everyday working mum to create one of the most giving charities in Australia. Mother-of-two Alessia Figliano operates World of Smiles, a charity that assists other charities to host events and raise money and awareness. She says watching an episode of Oprah helped her […]

Conjoined twins Emma and Taylor Bailey’s parents face an agonising decision about their future. Isabel Jensen reports. When Emma and Taylor Bailey blew out the candles on their third birthday cake a few months ago, their mother Mandy was close to tears. Her twin girls had defied doctors who said they wouldn’t survive. But while […]

I’m sure I’m not alone in this, but I’m equally sure that it’s the type of thing which would cause raised eyebrows and a lot of disapproval, which is why I haven’t told anyone. However, it’s an arrangement which has worked very well for me for the last three years and I hope it continues. […]

I always looked up to my big sister Natalie. She’s two years older than me and has always been one of those people whose life just turns out right – academic, good at sport and even as her brother, I can see that she’s pretty enough to turn heads. For a while she sang with […]

When Oprah started giving suggestions on “living your best life,” one woman decided to take her advice — literally. Lucy Chesterton reports. There’s no doubt Oprah Winfrey wields a lot of influence over women, but for one exhausting year of Robyn Okrant’s life, the TV queen’s words were law. The 37-year-old yoga instructor transformed herself […]

When her brother was drowning, tiny Meghan didn’t hesitate to dive in. Warren Gibbs reports. Three-year-old Meghan Mandikos, who learned to swim before she could even walk, has been hailed as Australia’s youngest “lifesaver” after saving her big brother from drowning in their backyard pool in Brisbane. The little water babe, weighing just 13kg, bravely […]

This should be the time when my best friend Laura and I are making huge plans and laughing together all the time. Instead I can hardly bear to be in the same room with her. She recently got engaged to a guy I think is the scum of the earth. She has only known Martin […]

My kids’ primary school had a busy bee during the school holidays so parent volunteers could get in and tidy up the large unruly gardens around the grounds of our school. We had a great turn out of about 15 parents and soon got into the work of stripping out the dead plants and making […]

Teacher Helen Wright says she’s setting a good example going back to her teaching job straight after having a baby. Jon Kaila reports. Helen Wright went into labour in the morning … and was back at work by lunchtime. She keeps baby Jessica with her throughout the day so she can breastfeed her – and […]

When you’re seriously considering marriage, should money ever come into it? It had never crossed Chris’s mind, but then he met Katie… Katie’s fun, quite attractive and easy company. I met her a year ago on a night out and it was clear she was really interested in me, so I suggested we meet up […]