Exclusive extract from the Great Read in the June issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly: Family Baggage by Monica McInerney, published by Penguin/Viking. It was all coming back to her, Harriet Turner realised. The key to being a successful tour guide was to think of herself as a duck. A mother duck, to be precise. […]

Call Me Elizabeth, Wife, Mother, Escort – A True Story by Dawn Annandale (Time Warner $29.95) When Dawn Annandale’s marriage falls apart she is confronted with a pile of debts and a burning desire for her children to stay at their posh schools. Needing to make a lot of money very quickly, she decides to […]

Walking into a cosy Manhattan cafe, Brooke Shields pulls off a huge hooded coat to reveal a dramatic new look. Wearing absolutely no make-up, she nonetheless is striking – particularly because it appears that she has recently been struck. A large bruise, swollen and dark, covers the right side of her face. Yet there is […]

Throw combining crocheted and knitted squares Download the pattern for the individual squares and the complete rug. MEASUREMENTS Throw measures (approx) 170cm x 140cm MATERIALS Cleckheaton Country 8 ply (50g balls) Main Colour (MC) – 27 balls 1st Contrast (C1) – 2 balls 2nd Contrast (C2) – 3 balls 3rd Contrast (C3) – 14 balls […]

In the 1980s a new type of naturally occurring dietary fibre was discovered and named resistant starch, as it “resists” digestion in the small intestine and makes its way to the large bowel. Good bacteria in the large bowel ferment the resistant starch and in the process enhance protection against bowel cancer. Over the last […]

In days gone by there wasn’t a lot of choice in milk. In most cases it came straight from the dairy or in glass bottles, with cream on top and delivered to your front door. Now, the dairy case is bursting with a huge range of milks, plus there’s the convenience of UHT long life […]

Try taking a journey through your bones. Stand in front of a full-length mirror in your underwear or something tight fitting. Have a close look at the general shape of your posture and begin to identify some of the bony landmarks, working from the ground up. Feet Place the feet underneath the hip joints, about […]

Align your bones in the standing position, with hands on hips and use your fingers to monitor activity in the oblique muscles. Remember to direct your sit bones towards the floor, lengthen the natural curves of the spine and soften the knees. Begin to move the pelvis by directing your sit bones forward to the […]

Pick your favourite treatment, or better yet, try them all! Relax in the bath An Epsom salts bath is an inexpensive way to make your skin feel much smoother. Add 2 cups to bathwater. Polish your body Combine 1 cup oatmeal, 2 tsp each honey, olive oil, and powdered milk, and sufficient water to make […]

There's nothing worse than finding the motivation to drag yourself out of the house for that run, swim or cycle than to be struck down with a cramp or stitch. The pain can really hit you hard and literally stop you in your tracks.