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The older you get, the harder it is to make new friends. I’m lucky enough to have retained my mates from school. We keep in touch mostly through messages, as life gets in the way. When we finally find a date to meet, It’s like no time has passed. My mum always has a core set of friends she chats to and meets up with but they’re as busy as she is, being dedicated to caring for kids and grandkids. Recently though, Mum’s started going on excursions for retirees and even attending weekly bingo. Through that she’s met a great group of new friends! They do karaoke, dance and get up to no good, which is how it should be when your kids are grown and it’s time to enjoy…

Sipping my glass of wine, I pondered what my friend had just suggested. “You don’t have to be naked or even wear lingerie – just something nice,” she said. It was 2017, and I’d been moaning to her about how sick I was of the corporate rat race. I worked nine to five, five days a week, yet barely had enough savings for a house deposit. She brought up waitressing at an adults-only club as an option. The money sounded good, and if I could keep my clothes on, even better. For my first shift, I slipped into a cute dress and popped a jacket on top. While the shift was long, the tips I came home with were incredible. Before long, I was taking home thousands of dollars a…

Garlic & lemon roast chicken SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINS AIR FRY 45 MINS 1.8kg whole chicken 125g butter, softened 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1 lemon, zested and halved, plus extra cheeks to serve 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra sprigs to serve 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme 1 Pat dry chicken, place on tray and leave in fridge uncovered, overnight to dry out skin (this ensures a crispy chicken skin). On day of serving, mix butter, 2 garlic, zest, rosemary and thyme in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Gently lift skin from breast to create a pocket. Press butter under skin, place lemon halves in cavity and season. Tie legs together with string. 3 Place chicken breast side up in the basket of a…

One minute it’s August and the next it’s Christmas. Where does the time go? Chances are you’ve been busy. It probably also means you’re in desperate need of a holiday, but you’ve been too busy to plan one. The irony! Rest assured – it’s not too late. Sure, that holiday to Fiji might have to wait, but there are some ways you can plan a last-minute – and cost-friendly – holiday over the Christmas period. 1 BE FLEXIBLE You might not be able to book for a specific date if you’re trying to plan a budget-friendly holiday. Make a list of possible dates that work for you and then compare prices. Flights and accommodation tend to be more expensive the closer you get to Christmas Day. 2 STAY LOCAL Flights…

The tall man in front of me held out his hand. “I’m Neville,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you.” Taking his hand, I shook it and smiled coyly. “Nice to meet you, too,” I replied. We were at a party in Wandoan, Qld, where we had mutual friends. Neville was very handsome and we hit it off instantly, chatting for hours. Sharing our stories, we realised we were both widowed. My husband, Graham, had died in 1997 and Neville had lost his wife, Jennifer, in April 2017. It was October 2018, and at 70, I’d let go of any thoughts of meeting someone else. But Neville and I clicked. He was only a year older than me and was so lovely I was sad when it came time to…

Standing in front of the mirror, I tugged at my dress. So unflattering, I thought. I’d struggled with my weight for as long as I could remember. Always the biggest kid in class, I turned to comfort eating to help manage my emotions. By 30, I was almost 146kg and a size 24. “I don’t want to be like this anymore,” I told Mum. After trying every diet and weight-loss pill, I visited my GP. She said I’d qualify for gastric band funding, but I decided to take out a loan and have the surgery overseas, where it was cheaper. Thankfully, the operation was a success. Over the next few years, I lost 38kg. “You look amazing,” Mum said. Only there was a snag – I was left with an…

If your fridge has a nasty smell and baking soda doesn’t fix the problem, look for the drip tray at the back of the fridge and give it a clean. Worked for us, and our friends. Roseanne Edwards, Sunshine West, Vic. If you only have a small fridge, buy a vacuum sealer with bags so you can make your food smaller, and then you can fit more food into the fridge and freezer. Vicky Walker, Geraldton, WA. Save money on power bills and stop food getting icy by making sure your fridge temperature isn’t set too low. You have to keep it between 3 and 5 degrees. Mary Collins, Nelson, NZ.…

Hannah Prosser, 36. Sitting cross-legged on the lounge room floor with my sister, I clutched my favourite doll and toy horse. I was only four but already knew what fear felt like. Mum’s muffled voice came from behind the bedroom door. “I only wanted to let the kids go to the park,” she pleaded. Dad’s furious roar followed. “My children will not learn disrespect from other kids!” When they emerged, Mum’s face was red and tear-streaked, while Dad slumped into his armchair, ignoring her completely. That was our normal. Dad was an emergency doctor – respected and admired by others – but behind closed doors, he was a tyrant. Mum homeschooled five kids, kept the house spotless and stayed obedient. Even as a little girl, I knew something wasn’t right.…

Black forest trifle SERVES 8 PREP 30 MINS 2 x 85g packets raspberry jelly 300ml thickened cream ¼ cup icing sugar mixture 600g store bought mud cake, chilled (see tip) ⅓ cup sweet sherry 500g fresh cherries, pitted, halved, plus extra whole to serve 500ml thick vanilla bean custard Milk chocolate shards, to decorate 1 Make jelly following packet instructions. Cool, then pour into rectangular slice pan, set overnight in the fridge. 2 Beat cream and icing sugar in large bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks. 3 Cut jelly into large cubes. Cut mud cake into 3cm cubes. To assemble, put half the cake in the base of an 4 8-cup capacity trifle dish. Drizzle with half the sherry. Arrange half the jelly and cherries over the cake.…

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My phone pinged with another funny text message, and I couldn’t help giggling. That was what I loved most about Dale – he made me laugh every single day. It was 2019 and we’d met on social media the week before. I was instantly attracted to his rippling biceps and perfect six-pack, and when we started chatting, I discovered he was charming, too. So, when he suggested we meet up, I jumped at the chance. He came round to mine and we clicked straightaway. Afterwards, he wanted to be with me all the time. It felt a bit stifling, but I told myself it was a compliment. He just really likes you, I told myself. A few weeks later, Dale’s grandfather passed away, and he invited me to crazy about…

When TV presenter and health communicator Casey Beros learned her dad was terminally ill, she moved her family across the country to become his carer. Here, she explores the challenges of being sandwiched between caring for her father and her kids – while navigating the usual hustle and bustle of everyday life… Every day of the week, people are trying to care for the people they love while working and parenting and maintaining friendships, exercising, paying their bills, and not drowning in their own lives. Their dreams, goals and basic needs are placed on a shelf to gather dust because there simply is no room left for them once all the doing is done. They end the day with more on their to-do list than when the day began, and…

Arriving at the school gates on Spud, my black fluffy Shetland pony, I grinned as kids ran over. “You’re so lucky you get to ride him to school,” one said. “I know,” I replied proudly. I was eight and already knew how horses helped people. They certainly helped me. Diagnosed with ADHD and OCD, I found comfort and stability in their company. My primary school teachers encouraged my creativity. “You’re going to be an actor when you grow up,” my year six teacher told me. My dream was to appear on Play School. But high school was harder. I couldn’t perform plays for other kids anymore, and when I admitted I had ADHD, they teased me. I grew ashamed of being loud and sensitive. In Year 10, my miniature pony…

Feeling liquid oozing from my bottom, I froze. “What’s that smell?” one of my classmates shouted, pinching his nose. Sniffing, another boy pointed straight at me. “Mr Poo Pants!” he yelled. The class erupted with laughter. It was August 1969. I was only five years old and utterly humiliated. I didn’t move until Mum, Wendy, 26, came to get me. We both walked home crying. “We’ll deal with this together,” she said softly. She’d spoken to my teachers many times about my condition, but there wasn’t much they could do. I’d been born with an imperforate anus (IA) – also known as an anorectal malformation – meaning I had no anal opening. Right after birth, surgeons performed a lifesaving colostomy, so that my body could pass waste. Eighteen months later,…

Scott and Yarmila Falater, both 41, had built the kind of life many would envy. Married for 20 years, they lived in a sprawling suburban home with a sun-drenched deck and a sparkling pool. High school sweethearts, the pair had married during their final year of uni. Both went on to earn master’s degrees and forge successful careers. Scott was an electrical engineer and product manager at Motorola, while Yarmila – known affectionately as Yarm – was a preschool teacher. She was the heart of the home, nurturing and warm, while Scott’s ambition kept the family comfortable. As devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Scott often rose at dawn to teach religious education classes before heading to work. They were also proud parents to two…

Candy cane butter biscuits MAKES 76 PREP 1 HOUR COOK 15 MINS 250g butter, softened 1 cup caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 cup self-raising flour 2 tbsp milk Red and white sprinkles, sliced strawberry sour straps, mini red M&Ms, to decorate ICING 1 egg white 1½ cups pure icing sugar, sifted ½ tsp fresh lemon juice Red gel food colouring 1 Line three large oven trays with baking paper. 2 Using an electric mixer, beatbutter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add sifted flours with milk. Mix on low speed until combined. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide dough in half, form into flat discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 30 mins. 3 Roll…

DEC 4-10 PISCES Feb 19–Mar 20 You may find yourself telling people that this was the week that you finally turned a corner. You’ve done the hard yards and you were at the very last straight of a very long and possibly quite challenging cycle. Freedom awaits you. ★ Just keep going a little while longer. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23–Dec 22 Make sure you don’t come out all guns blazing this week. You will only alienate people if you get angry with them. To be more persuasive, rely on your ability to make people laugh, even when they’re super triggered. Yell and you yell alone! ★ Work through your fears, too. ARIES Mar 21–Apr 20 So this is it. The long slow march towards the end of a nearly 30-year cycle.…

Sitting in the back seat of the fire engine, my heart thudded in my chest. “Nicole, you do this one,” the officer in charge that day, Peter, said. “Okay,” I said, nervously. We got to the car that was engulfed in flames and jumped out of the truck. I grabbed the high-pressure hose and with another volunteer, Richard, behind me, I cautiously approached the blaze. Pointing the nozzle at the flames, I sprayed the hose. It took about 20 minutes but eventually the fire was out. “Great work, well done,” Peter said, smiling. “Thanks,” I grinned. I felt both relieved and absolutely pumped. It was 2003, I was 16 and had just attended my first fire as a volunteer for Taradale Fire Brigade. No-one in my family was a firefighter,…