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A topic of hot debate among the team this week is whether a real or fake Christmas tree is better. The majority of us went with fake, as it lasts, is light and isn’t as messy. A few of us went with real, for the pine smell that can’t be replicated and the simple magic of it. Growing up, my family had fake trees but we’d go to my aunty’s place every year for a festive feast and I remember smelling her real tree the second she opened the door. It’s so comforting! I just don’t know how she kept all the needles off the floor! That said, it’s sad walking the streets in early January and seeing all the discarded tree carcasses. I’m sure it brought plenty of joy…

Summer can be filled with social events – from office Christmas parties to beach barbecues. However, for those who find it hard to be in groups of people day in, day out, this time of the year can pose a challenge. Tammi Kirkness, life coach and author of The Panic Button Book, outlines ways to help you be more effortlessly outgoing. INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT? There are a lot of myths when it comes to extroverts and introverts, but Tammi explains that being outgoing is not a trait exclusive to extroverts. Rather, it’s about how social situations make you feel. “Extroverts recharge their energy stores around groups of people, in contrast to introverts, who generally recharge on their own or with one other person,” Tammi says. “Contrary to what we often…

Looking at the tanned, muscular bloke staring back at me through my phone screen, I thought the Tinder gods had delivered. I swiped right, and it was an instant match. Those steely blue eyes are so dreamy, I thought. Tim told me he was 41, an offshore scaffolder, and had never been married. I was a real estate agent and a single mum to three – Cleo, 16, and nine-year-old twins, Fletch and Milla. As we chatted, we discovered how much we had in common, such as a love of food and travel. A week later, in December 2012, we went on our first date. Tim was charming, thoughtful, and attentive. He opened car doors and showered me with compliments. When I introduced him to the kids, they warmed instantly.…

Strawberry watermelon trifle SERVES 6-8 PREP 30 MINS ½ watermelon (approx 2kg), plus extra to decorate 450g madeira cake 2 x 250g punnets strawberries 600ml thickened cream ¼ cup icing sugar mixture, sifted 2 tbsp rosewater Chopped pistachios, dried edible roses, meringue kisses, to serve 1 Cut watermelon and cake into 3cm cubes, hull and halve strawberries. 2 Using a stand or hand mixer, whip cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Gently fold in rose water. 3 In a large trifle dish, layer cream, watermelon, cake and strawberries to the top of the dish. Dollop over a layer of cream. 4 Using extra watermelon, cut out shapes with a tree cutter. Arrange on top of cream. Sprinkle over pistachios, roses and meringues.…

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Opening my eyes, I saw a doctor leaning over me. “You were in a car accident,” he said gently. It was Christmas Day 1991, and I was in hospital. My boyfriend and I had been driving from Mandurah, WA, into town to meet my family for Christmas breakfast when another car collided with me head-on. As well as losing the sight in my left eye, I suffered multiple injuries, including swelling at the base of the brain, facial fractures, a broken jaw, a broken left arm and a fractured pelvis. I had to have titanium plates inserted into the top of my skull and wire inserted into the left side of my face, nose and chin. “You’ve got a long road to recovery ahead,” the doctor told me. He wasn’t…

Plumping up my daughter, Ellie’s, pillows one last time, I leaned in to kiss her goodbye. “Call me as soon as you’ve moved to the ward,” I said to her. Christmas was just around the corner, but today – December 20, 2022 – our family had another reason to celebrate: I was about to be a grandma. “Thanks, Mum,” Ellie, 19, smiled, resting her hand on her bump. I’d taken her to hospital after she worried about reduced movement from the baby. She was due on January 3, 2023, so I wasn’t taking any chances. I hated leaving her there, but I knew she was safe. My younger girls, Leila, 16, and Mya, 13, were staying with friends or their dad, so arriving home around 5.30am, I couldn’t wait to…

A sparkly pair is perfect for New Year’s! TIP If you left sky-high stilettos firmly in your 20s, pick a pair of on-trend wedges, or opt for a platform heel for max comfort and style. Natural fibres are 10/10 for daytime events. PRICES ARE IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS. PLEASE CONFIRM PRICESWITH LOCAL RETAILERS. STOCKISTS: ANKOTARGET.COM.AU; BIGW BIGW.COM.AU; BILLINI BILLINI.COM.AU; H&M HM.COM/AU; IKEA IKEA.COM/ AU; KMART KMART.COM.AU; NOVOTHEICONIC.COM.AU; OPENOOK BIGW.COM.AU; PILLOWTALK PILLOWTALK.COM.AU; RUBI COTTONON.COM/AU; SPURRTHEICONIC.COM.AU; TARGETTARGET.COM.AU Fun details take classic black next level! PINK Christmas Ditch tradition and add splashes of pink to your dining table on the big day! COMPILED BY ALIX NICHOLSON…

Pulling my T-shirt over my head, I was startled by my friend’s gasp. “Oh my God, Brittany!” she squeaked. “What if my brother comes in?” “So?” I replied, genuinely confused – I was literally just trying to put on my pyjamas. I was 12, and in my house, nudity was as normal as cornflakes for breakfast. Mum regularly wandered from the bathroom to the bedroom after a shower without a towel. Nakedness had never been sexualised for me, so I couldn’t see the problem. It wasn’t until I started staying at friends’ houses that I discovered not every family treated clothes as optional. Apparently, other households didn’t consider nudity a casual vibe. Entering my teens, I started to become more body-aware, especially around boys. Naked and free – it felt…

Retro grazing platter SERVES 6 PREP 1 HOUR COOK 5 MINS 100g thinly sliced mild salami 300g red and green grapes 200g tub French onion dip 1 stick cabanossi, sliced 1 cup cheddar cheese cubes 6 cream cheese and feta-stuffed baby peppers 100g Edam cheese, sliced ⅓ cup Pimento-stuffed green olives ¼ cup red and white cocktail onions Assorted crackers, to serve CRUMBED CAMEMBERT 1 cup Jatz crackers 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 egg 200g round camembert Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying 1 CAMEMBERT Process Jatz until finely crushed. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in paprika and season with salt and pepper. Whisk egg in a separate bowl. Line a small tray with baking paper. Cut camembert into 12 wedges. Dip one piece into egg, then toss in crumb mixture to…

Plonking myself beside my husband on the couch, I wiped the sweat from my brow. It was Christmas night, 2005, and the first time I’d been off my feet all day. All four kids, Rachel, 17, Nathan, 14, and Georgia and Melanie, both 13, were now fast asleep. “Done and dusted,” I laughed wearily. Michael, 46, and I had married earlier that year and built our dream home in Picton, NSW, with a huge deck for entertaining. Because it was our first official Christmas as a blended family, I’d wanted to make it extra special. I’d transformed the whole place into a rustic Aussie wonderland using native floral wreaths. Four Christmas trees sparkled around the house. The big one in the living room was sprinkled with holly and gold, while…

As music blared down the stairs from my daughter’s bedroom, I rolled my eyes. Not Madonna again, I thought. Julie, 15 – my eldest of five – was obsessed with her. I could hear her and my youngest, Christopher, five, shouting the lyrics over the music. Chris loved copying everything his big sisters did. It was August 1985 and, with five kids, life was hectic for me and my husband, Philip, 33. There’d be giggles one minute and squabbles the next. I never got a moment to myself, but I’d never been happier. Chris was the cheekiest, always up to something. He’d race down the hill where we lived on an old go-kart. “Slow down!” I’d yell. But he’d just giggle and fly by, faster than ever. As he grew…

Of all the things that get people fired up about at Christmas, very few subjects push buttons like money. It can be even harder when everyone is on a different budget, taking old family squabbles to new heights. “The cost of Christmas may be a particularly thorny issue, given the current cost of living issues,” says Helen Baker, a licenced financial advisor and founder of On Your Own Two Feet financial planning. “Imbalances among relatives on different incomes can create tension, and most families have people in various positions, so it can be a hot time with expectations.” BE UPFRONT If you’re on a tight budget while others are splashing the cash, don’t feel like you need to keep up. “Sometimes honesty is the best policy. If your family know…

Mulled wine glazed ham Mulled wine glazed ham SERVES 8 (WITH LEFOVERS) PREP 15 MINS COOK 1 HOUR ½ cup red wine 1 cup sweet orange marmalade 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 cinnamon stick 4kg half leg of ham, shank end Whole cloves, to decorate 1 Place wine, marmalade, mustard and cinnamon in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat. Cook for 5 mins or until marmalade is melted. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 mins or until mixture reduces slightly and thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 2 Line a large roasting pan with baking paper. Using a sharp knife, cut around the shank end of the ham around 10cm from the end. Starting at the opposite end to the shank, run your…

The little flying elephant decorations were strung across the Christmas tree. I’d had them made to honour a children’s book I’d written called Elephants Have Wings. “It looks perfect,” my daughter Tory, 36, said. “Very Christmassy.” The doorbell rang as the first guest arrived. It was Christmas Day, 2024, and my turn to host Christmas lunch. Tory and I had cooked a huge turkey. My son Jamie, 39, entered with his wife and my two grandkids, Sebastian, 12, and Lara, 9. My brother and sister brought their families, and soon the house buzzed with laughter. “How’s your back?” my sister Elizabeth asked. “It’s fine,” I said. Two weeks earlier, I’d had surgery to repair spinal damage from rheumatoid arthritis. The operation had gone well, and I was determined not to…

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23–Dec 22 Angry Mars in your sign clashing with nasty old Saturn this week means it might be slightly more challenging than usual for you to keep your spirits up. Try to breathe through any dramas. Don’t worry – this too will pass! Especially avoid letting family issues drag you down. ★ Keep on smiling, even through gritted teeth. CAPRICORN Dec 23–Jan 20 Your biggest enemy right now is negative thinking. As they say, you can’t afford the luxury of it. It’s far better to use current energies to be really disciplined mentally. Train your brain to focus on what you do want and not on what you don’t want. ★ Expect good things to happen very soon! AQUARIUS Jan 21–Feb 19 There are two tender points for…