Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019 i The Australian Women's Weekly

There is no busier month in The Weekly calendar than September. Not only are we deep into planning two very special Christmas issues – complete with treats for our valued readers (see right) – it is also the month we crown our Women of the Future winners. This year we did so at an elegant lunch at Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House. The sun shone brightly on the harbourside venue as it filled with a who’s who of Australia’s most accomplished women. But as impressive as the location and the guest list were, it was our nine young finalists who attracted the most awe and attention on the day. It was incredibly moving to watch the likes of Ita Buttrose, Dame Quentin Bryce, Lisa Wilkinson and this month’s cover…

THE YOUNGEST Royal, baby Archie, had his first official engagement while on tour in South Africa, sharing a warm moment with Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu on day three of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tour. At just four months of age, Archie is reportedly travelling happily despite being the youngest royal ever to go on tour. There was laughter as the press clamoured for shots of baby Archie, with Prince Harry reportedly commenting: “He is used to it already.” The couple said they were honoured to introduce their son to one of the world’s great champions of equality.…

It was late, well past the time when visitors to Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital were due to leave. But Kerri-Anne Kennerley wasn’t going anywhere. She sat in the same chair she had occupied for much of the past few weeks, caring for her husband, John, who now lay critically injured and fighting for life in the bed beside her with a catastrophic injury to his spinal column. “It had been a long day for both of us,” recalls Kerri-Anne, who is in her mid-60s. “John had been through an operation to help him breathe properly, through an intubation tube in his throat, but at that stage we didn’t know if he would be able to breathe on his own without the tube and a machine. “As I sat there…

It’s hard to imagine but this time last year, the seemingly unsinkable Deborah Hutton was holed up on her living room couch, too afraid to venture out. “I was in a really bad way, I was just a mess,” the media personality admits, her blue eyes clouding over. Deborah’s estranged partner had just been arrested for staging a break-in at the Sydney beach house they shared, in a bizarre bid to intimidate her into staying with him. Earlier that morning, a devastated Deb had chatted to her close friend Jenny Haretuku, who lives two-and-a-half hours out of Sydney. Suddenly, there was a knock at her front door. “And Jenny was standing there with all the ingredients for chicken soup – literally. She had an overnight bag and said, ‘I am…

Lion Sharpest in the morning, lions are early risers who wake full of energy. They are optimistic go-getters who are often leaders, and have a get-it-done attitude. Analytical and organised, they avoid risks. Famous lions include: Maya Angelou and Benjamin Franklin. Bear Bears follow a normal day-night schedule, with sleeping patterns that follow the sun. Team players who are active during the day, they are playful and affectionate and enjoy close friendships within larger society. Famous bears include: Stephen King, George Orwell and Ellen DeGeneres. Dolphin Dolphins tend to wake up  feeling groggy, but become sharper as the day progresses. They have productivity spurts throughout the day and are most alert at night. Intelligent perfectionists, they can be prone to anxiety. Famous dolphins include: Dickens, Shakespeare and Richard Branson.…

Liza Minnelli wants to tell this story about her mother. It’s one she knows people don’t often hear about the legendary Judy Garland, but it’s so endearing and fabulously showbiz that all these years later, Liza still gets a kick out of recounting it. “I was five years old,” she begins, explaining it was 1951 and her mother was performing on Broadway. “I was standing in the wings, where they let me hold the water. It was the end of the show, Mama bowed dramatically and the curtain came down.” Liza says Judy then jokingly collapsed. “So I ran out and said, ‘Mama, are you all right?’ And she said, ‘What do you want, Chinese or Italian food [after the show]?’ And I said, ‘Oh, Italian.’ She said, ‘Good, get…

What should you look out for if you do need to go into more formal aged care? Feros Care’s community services chief operations officer Rebecca Wilkinson says pricing structures can be confusing because they’re not standardised, so ask your provider to explain exactly how the fees and funding work. She also warns to watch out for exit fees. Myagedcare.gov. au has made finding a care provider much easier and more transparent. Cost is just one factor. “Ask yourself what defines value for you? For me it would be when can my services start? It could be weeks or months, depending on what funding you’re going for.Myagedcare.gov.au is your starting point,” Rebecca says.…

1 hort hair Rows of nylon pins are ideal for fringes and short hair. Use rows 1-2 to lift, 1-4 to curl and all rows to straighten. Try Y.S. Park Pro Wood Styler Brush 508, $95. 2 Long hair Dense bristles make for easier blow drying, while varied bristle lengths give a shinier finish. Try Christophe Robin Curved Blow Dry Hair Brush, $141. 3 All hair Soft, densely-packed bristles distribute oil and smooth down hair. Try Mason Pearson Boar Bristle and Nylon Brush, $109, from amazon.com.au 4 All scalps Combing and massage stimulate relaxing acupressure points on the scalp. Try Jade Crystal Comb, $75 from whitelotus.com.au…

Natio Self Tan Lotion, $19.95, has a built-in green base for lighter skin, and a violet base for deeper skin. They ensure your tan looks beautifully natural. Plus added shea butter and aloe keep skin soft.…

VISIT YOUR DENTIST Make regular visits to your dentist. This is an opportunity to identify and treat tooth decay or gum disease. REPLACE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH Do this every few months. Don’t wait for it to go shaggy. Brush teeth, gums and tongue gently, morning and night. FLOSS AFTER EATING If gums are sore, avoid those areas but keep flossing other teeth. If gums are bleeding, ask your doctor to check your platelet level as a low count can cause gum bleeding. BIN THE MOUTHWASH  Mouthwashes, particularly any containing alcohol, irritate your mouth lining and exacerbate dryness. RETHINK TOOTHPASTE  To reduce your overall chemical exposure, choose a toothpaste without chemicals, such as sodium lauryl sulphate. EAT A BALANCED DIET  Oral health requires the right foods. Eat fresh fruit, vegetables and protein.…

Braised artichokes SERVES 6 AS A SIDE OR ENTRÉE PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR. 1½ cups (375ml) verjuice 6 large globe artichokes 2/3 cup (180ml) extra virgin olive oil 8 black peppercorns 3 fresh bay leaves 200g fresh ricotta ¼ cup flat leaf parsley 1 Place the verjuice in a glass or ceramic bowl. Trim the artichoke stems to approximately 3cm from the base and remove any tough outer leaves; peel stems. Cut in half lengthways and remove the hairy chokes from the centres. Place the artichokes in the verjuice to stop discolouration. 2 Drain the artichokes, reserving the verjuice, then pat them dry with kitchen paper. 3 In a large frying pan, heat ⅓ cup (80ml) of the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the artichokes cut…

Sometimes I serve this delicious ragù with testaroli, a Tuscan pancake, that is cut into thick strands like pasta. However, it can be something of a labour of love to make, which is why I’ve suggested using bought pappardelle here. Or, you can make fresh pasta and hand cut it.Jude Everyone always goes crazy for this classic when I make it. I’ve made it in various shapes over the years, both loaf and round, but often come back to this way as it means you use one pan. The mixture of mince gives you the best of both types. If you want to just use beef, don’t use lean mince or it will be very dry!Jude Parmigiana meatloaf with arrabbiata sauce SERVES 6 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30…

Lyrical fiction There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett, Hachette Two sisters are now grandmothers of two children living in different countries, Australia and the Czech Republic. And while history and circumstance has separated them, their bond is strong and their love runs poignantly deep. The story is set in 1980 but flits back in time as well and is told through the eyes of the children. There’s free-spirited Ludek who lives in Prague with his Babi (grandma) and loves to run around its cobbled streets shouting at the statues of the saints on Charles Bridge; and “Mala Liska” as she is called by her Czech grandpa, because of her red hair – it means little fox in Czech – who lives in Melbourne experiencing snippets…

Short stories MOUTHFUL OF BIRDS by Samanta Schweblin, One World A collection of 20 brilliant stories. The gleaming South American heat rises from a highway in the opening “Headlights”, as abandoned bride Felicity sits picking grains of rice from her wedding frock. Jaded older woman Nene tells her to stop crying; she’s fed up with the “wailing jilted girls”. In the fields, voices of plaintive women repeat the names of their husbands over and over. In “Preserves”, Manuel carries trays of food to his pregnant wife, as she stuffs, waiting for “Teresita” to arrive. She’s had to stop studying, but there are many things in life still to do – “like renting a car in one country and returning it in another.” She takes a tablet – “Teresita must wait…

MUST TRY Do like the locals and grab an onigiri – a stuffed rice ball wrapped in nori – for an easy breakfast on the go. MUST SEE The Tokyo skyline is spectacular by night and there’s no better place to take in the view than at Park Hyatt’s New York Bar, made famous in the film Lost In Translation. Sip cocktails while listening to the resident jazz band. MUST VISIT It’s sensation overload at Akihabara Electric Town but the lights and sounds and incredible array of gadgets on offer leave an indelible impression. Head there after lunch at the famed Tsukiji Fish Market or a visit to the Imperial Palace East Gardens.…

My partner sighed as I bought a pandanus headband from a village woman. “You’ll never get that back into Australia,” he said. “Actually we are in Australia,” I reminded him, but the mental lapse was understandable. Catching a SeaLink ferry to the pristine Tiwi Islands, 80 kilometres off the coast of Darwin, it’s easy to forget where you are. Indeed, until the release earlier this year of Miranda Tapsell’s Top End Wedding film, most Australians had probably never even thought of visiting these lush tropical islands. Notable exceptions are Princess Mary, who ordered her Danish wedding feast’s barramundi from here, and AFL talent scouts: Cyril Rioli and Michael Long are among the stars who have been recruited from this footie-mad community. “You should see us on Grand Final Day. We…

It’s become a buzzword that real estate agents and interior designers are rather fond of, but the idea of an “outdoor room” is one that makes sense. Why have lots of outdoor space if you’re not going to use it as regularly as your living room? An outdoor room is not just about entertaining, although for many this is highly desirable. Ideally, the yard is a place where you can relax, play, entertain and even cook or work (if you put in an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue, and create a space to bring your laptop to enjoy the sunshine if you work from home some of the time). The outdoor room should also enjoy generous views of the rest of your garden and preferably blend in harmoniously with it…

READER’S PRIZE HINT If you spill fake blood on the carpet this Halloween, spray it liberally with shaving foam, massage in, then wipe off as the stain lifts. Repeat until all colour is removed, then wipe with a damp cloth to remove residue. V. Williams, Leichhardt, NSW. Stand to attention To help single flower heads stay buoyant when you float them in a bowl of water, cut circles, slightly smaller than the flowers, from polystyrene meat or vegie trays and make a hole in the centre to thread the stem through. Sour solution Don’t throw away lemon wedges when you’ve squeezed the juice – one or two skewered on the wire “arms” of the top shelf of your dishwasher (or in the cutlery holder) will disinfect, deodorise and make your…

Scorpio OCT 24-NOV 22 Welcome to a lush birthday month in which Venus spices up the love front for long-time couples, while solo Scorpios will find no shortage of adventurous playmates. You’re on fire in more ways than several, though with Mercury in your sign serving up a side order of mischief, some incoming attention may be unwelcome. In which case don’t take the bait, but do make sure you’re legally protected and are extra attentive to any fine print. When Mars sizzles into Scorpio for the first time in two years on November 21st, your aura’s almost tangible, and important talks or launches are set to go gangbusters. Sagittarius NOV 23-DEC 21 Sagittarians enjoy talking, so this month’s reticence might drive you wild – in your case not always…

When you were a little kid, what were your big fat dreams? In your dress-up games, in your bed at night, who were you? Astronaut? Teacher? Vet? Famous actor? How about just a proper grown-up with enough money in your pocket to buy your own lollies at the milk bar, any time you pleased? As children, it feels normal to name our dreams, hopes, wishes. It did to me. My dream (beyond the lolly thing) was to sing, dance, tell stories and make people laugh. So, that’s what I did. I didn’t waste time worrying: I was too busy starring in the show in my own head. Maybe you were the same. Somewhere along the line, on the way to becoming an adult, I lost that freedom – started second-guessing…

Libby Trickett doesn’t exactly remember the details of the day when her entire world came crashing down, but when it did, it came fast – way faster than any 100-metre final she’d swum during her career. Struggling with motherhood after the birth of her first daughter, Poppy, the retired four-time Olympic gold medallist and former world champion felt that, if she could just get to the Mum’s and Bub’s class at her local gym to get those endorphins pumping through her weary body, then everything would be okay. She was once the fastest woman on water. Now, she was barely functioning. Most days it was an effort even to shower. But that morning she was determined to do something for herself, so she buckled her “howling like a banshee” eight-month-old…

Women are carrying their heels as they hobble across stony ground. A cold, spiteful wind is blowing dust high in the air and tossing fascinators, hats and synthetic wigs asunder. The horses flying around the track are lost in clouds of that insistent red dust. Under a pale blue desert sky, the legendary Birdsville Races are reaching critical mass. Through the excitement, the noise, the swirling dirt walks Nell Brook: tall and straight backed, with patrician bearing; her bobbed hair somehow remaining immaculate; warmly greeting everyone she meets, from the punters in varying states of disarray in the stands to the gussied-up graziers in the VIP tent. A touch on the arm, a genuine inquiry into their wellbeing, she moves through the crowd with gracious, practised ease. Nell and David…

An ominous chill hung over Brisbane in the early hours of October 21, 1989, when self-proclaimed vampire Tracey Wigginton trawled the empty streets under cover of darkness, hunting for human blood. Shunning daylight and mirrors, the former grammar school student’s nocturnal existence had ignited an obsessive interest in the “dark side” which saw her stalking graveyards by moonlight and living on a bizarre liquid diet of pig and cow blood. Now, however, she had hatched a much more grisly plot. Cruising around the deserted city with Prince’s Batdance blasting on her car radio, Tracey, 24, her lover, Lisa Ptaschinski, also 24, and their girlfriends Tracey Waugh and Kim Jervis, 23, spied father-of-five, Edward Baldock, trying to hail a cab after a boozy night out. Tracey’s vampire fantasy descended into reality.…

Penny Wong says raising her two daughters is the most difficult job she has ever done. Most parents would say that. But when Penny makes the claim, it forces reflection on the other jobs she has held. Penny Wong is leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. If Labor had won the federal election in May, she would have been Foreign Minister at the most difficult time in Australia’s history since the second world war. Previously, she was Minister for Climate Change and Water in the Rudd government, during the attempt to put a price on carbon and tackle climate change. To cap that off, she was Minister for Finance during Julia Gillard’s Prime Ministership, trying – unsuccessfully – to deliver a promised surplus…

“Who we are as women has never been more important.” My annus horribilis was 2018. When the wheels fell off my life, I very nearly lay down and let it crush me. There was an underlying sense that I’d wasted so much time being the person the world expected that I’d become divorced from who I truly was, or who I wanted to be. In 2019, I worked harder, dreamed bigger, but more work meant less time – for friends, for my little family. Some days the tasks I set are so daunting, so numerous, I’m not always sure what my goals are. Even more terrifying, I’m not really sure who I am anymore... In the 21st ccntury, the world is supposed to be our oyster and the globe our…

It was inevitable that our desire for healthier living would eventually lead to our hair, and less styling is a step in the right direction. Here are some more new ways to take good care of your hair. Bond builder A game changer for anyone with damage. It fills in broken bonds, leaving hair feeling brand new. Olaplex Bond Smoother Leave-In Reparative Styling Cream, $50. Scalp scrub Clear away oil and dirt, creating a healthier environment for your hair to grow. Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt, $69. Night serum Residue-free, rinse-free sleep serums make an easy treatment and may help protect against pillow friction. Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum, $64. Hair oil A beautiful all-rounder for all hair types that can be used for light moisture,…

If you buy your skincare off the shelf and keep it happily in the bathroom cabinet you might be wondering why beauty fridges have become a thing. Turns out chilling can be helpful for your beauty stash. Here’s why. Skincare Have you ever felt like your skincare stopped working? “Active ingredients lose their power. The sooner they get from the lab to your skin, the better,” says UniverSkin’s Dr Harry Arampatzis. While skincare should be safe to use for many months, some actives inside can lose their efficacy. A fridge or cool, dry cupboard helps preserve them. A fridge can also chill masks and rollers, making them even speedier tonics for flushing and puffiness. Nail polish Keeping bottles cool slows the natural discolouration that can occur if you keep your…

Kefir some tummy love? Water kefir (from the Turkish word for “feelgood”) is a delicious, caffeine-free, lightly sparkling drink that’s less acidic than kombucha or kraut. To gently start adding fermented foods to your diet, try this: 1. Start with ¼ cup water kefir each day, working up to a full cup. When comfortable… 2. Try a daily spoonful of kraut (starting with juice) to broaden good bacteria and enzymes. 3. Switch it up with other fermented foods like yoghurt and kombucha. Love Your Guts Water Kefir comes in four flavours. $4.99. Change of heart Eggs are back on the plate, according to The Heart Foundation. As well as scrapping the weekly limit on eggs, it now gives the nod to full-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt, and up to three…

Glazed pork with udon noodles SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 15 MINUTES ½ cup (125ml) malt vinegar 1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons bottled crushed garlic 1 fresh small red Thai (serrano) chilli 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 8 pork loin medallions (1kg) 270g packet fresh udon noodles 250g packet rainbow salad mix ¼ cup (60ml) Asian noodle dressing 1 cup (80g) snow pea tendrils 1 Combine the vinegar, sugar, garlic and chilli in a bowl. 2 Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook pork for 2 minutes each side or until browned. 3 Pour over vinegar mixture, reduce heat; simmer, turning, for 6 minutes or until pork is cooked and glaze has thickened slightly. 4 Meanwhile, place noodles in a…

Although cooking is my obsession, food is always about our tight-knit family. It’s at the centre of our regular get-togethers and celebrations and is the stuff of our collective memories. Just as I learned to cook from my mother and grandmothers, I’ve taught my girls to cook and when they check in now, it’s often for culinary advice. My daughter Charlotte will phone me from her home in New York City to ask about making nokedli, a type of Hungarian noodle which has become her fiance’s favourite. The two girls living in Sydney regularly bring friends home for mid-week dinners. Then there’s the Friday-night Hungarian dinners, inspired by my husband’s mum. She was an incredible cook and left us so many beautiful memories around cooking and dining together.…

Racing party Thinking about throwing your own car park party at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival? It’s one of the most unique traditions in the racing calendar, so prepare a stylish antipasto platter as you gather a posse of friends for a spring carnival feast. The golden rule is to keep it simple and choose foods that travel well. Our top tip is to transport items separately then arrange them on a board. Take marinated fetta, add char-gilled chorizo, asparagus, mushrooms and a fresh baguette and you’re ready for the excitement of the races and a champagne! For more information or to purchase tickets visit flemington.com.au Breakfast on the run Smoothies are a great way to boost your fresh fruit and vegetable intake. Our dairy-free avocado and almond protein smoothie…

Favel Parrett, 45, was born in Melbourne and raised in Hobart. “It was the 1970s and children played outside! I was a daydreamer and created whole imaginary worlds that were very real to me (most included fairies),” recalls Parrett. As a teenager she started her own mini magazine – “a collection of stories, rants, band interviews and observations. I didn’t realise it at the time, but this was the beginning of my writing career.” Parrett began writing once more in her thirties and her debut novel, Past The Shallows, was an award-winning bestseller. Today she lives in coastal Victoria with her husband, David, and two dogs, Dougal and Bear.…

MUST TRY Before boarding your bullet train, pick up a freshly packed bento box at the station. Warning: there are so many fillings to choose from that you will be tempted to dither and may miss your ride. MUST SEE The Ninja Temple may be a place of worship but it earned its name from the labyrinth of hidden tunnels, secret rooms and traps built in to make it a disguised military outpost during the Edo Period. MUST VISIT In Kanazawa’s former samurai district, Nagamachi, stroll the winding walkways to step foot inside the residences of the famous footmen.…

STAY DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade has the biggest pool in the CBD; swim laps or enjoy meals or drinks alongside. Rooms include good-size suites with the  bedroom separate from the living space, plus two premier suits with kitchen, dining room and massive balcony - perfect for a party. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, two doors up, has smaller spaces but all rooms have sea view and Juliet balconies. EAT  Choose from pretty much any cuisine in the world at Mindil Beach Markets on Thursday evening or Parap Markets on Saturday morning where you’ll find the Darwinians queuing for breakfast Laksa. This includes the local museum and arts centre plus the photogenic Catholic church, where the talented Tiwi artists have decorated the walls and main altar with traditional paintings and the…

The rose garden at Flemington has been the centrepiece of the Victoria Racing Club’s premier racetrack since the 1960s. For the past 43 years, head gardener Terry Freeman has tended the garden, ensuring gorgeous blooms for the spring racing carnival and Australia’s most famous race, the Melbourne Cup. Here, Terry gives his advice for creating your own beautiful spring garden. Winter clean up The first step is to remove dead leaves and debris. “We start with a clean garden bed coming into spring,” says Terry. So get rid of all dead plants and branches and, to avoid fungal diseases in the soil, remove leaves and debris. Leave bulbs such as jonquils and daffodils in the ground, but remove tulip bulbs, pop them in an onion bag and keep them in…

Money All of us have aspects of our lives we want to improve, but large-scale change can seem overwhelming, particularly when it comes to our finances. It doesn’t have to be that way. CommBank Behavioural Economics Senior Manager Nathalie Spencer says there’s a lot of research that shows goals are important for effecting change and can help you get what you want faster. “We tend to do better when we have goals than when we just have a vague intention to do our best,” Nathalie says. “Many people say: ‘Oh, I want to get healthier or I want to improve my finances’. But if you can make it really specific and moderately difficult, that’s when goals tend to be really powerful.” She shares insights on setting goals and staying on…

Women of the Future 2019 FUTURE LEADERS in sustainable fashion, cancer prevention and young carers were the pioneers that shone brightest at this year’s Women’s Weekly AGL Women of the Future Awards. Luminaries and leaders including Dame Quentin Bryce, Ita Buttrose and Carla Zampatti gathered in Sydney’s Bennelong restaurant to celebrate the finalists’ achievements and address the challenges that remain for women. When Little Dreamers CEO Madeleine Buchner took the stage to accept her award, she seized the opportunity to speak up for the young carers she supports all over the country. After an impassioned speech she revealed the Little Dreamers fundraiser still didn’t have an MC, and asked if any of the women in the room could help. Virginia Trioli’s hand shot straight up in the air. The room…

Prince Edward has visited Australia 11 times and never with his family. While his eldest brother, Prince Charles, and his nephew, Prince William, regularly take their children on official overseas’ tours, for Edward, 11th in line to the throne, leaving Lady Louise, 15, and James, Viscount Severn, 11, at home somehow seemed more practical. “It’s always difficult with school and I know I’m a bit strange that I didn’t travel with my children when they were smaller but what was the point? They weren’t going to be able to appreciate the country and the schedules are so busy, we actually never get much time to see them, so why disrupt their lives for that?” It’s a very pragmatic approach and totally in keeping with Prince Edward’s head down attitude to…

The moment Resie Alcott saw her son Zack fly past the kitchen window on a skateboard, she knew it was only a matter of time before his younger brother Dylan would follow. “Whatever Zack did, Dylan wanted to do too,” she smiles, “and we treated them exactly the same so when Dylan decided he wanted to go skateboarding with his brother, we found a way to do it.” Modified skateboards for disabled kids weren’t readily available in the 1990s, but as they’d done many times before, when a hurdle was placed in front of Resie and Martin Alcott, they simply jumped higher to overcome it. “We always found a way for Dylan to do what he wanted to do,” she says. “We made our own skateboard – we bought a…

The line at the cafe is longer than usual and I’m already late. Again. But I can’t start the day without coffee so I join the queue and will it to move quickly, yawning as I give myself my usual reprimand — tonight I will go to bed early. Tonight I will get a good sleep. I order a latte and request sugar for extra energy because I haven’t eaten breakfast. Caffeine transfusion complete, I retire to my desk and tap morosely at my keyboard for half an hour until my brain joins the rest of me in the land of the living. If this morning routine sounds familiar, you might be among the 40 per cent of the adult population that identifies as a night owl. You prefer to…

Wave, hello! Finally, we’re seeing all types of hair texture being celebrated. If you’re used to fighting against your hair and colouring, washing and styling heavily, then letting go can be a difficult thing to do. Here’s advice how to get started, according to Anthony Nader from Raw Salon, Sydney. Fine Salon • You need a few shorter layers – a few lighter pieces for lift and volume. • If you want to cover greys, go ahead, but add highlights around the face and part for softness. Styling • Air drying is okay, but you’ll get more lift using your blow dryer. Use a small to medium round brush with loads of boar bristles – these volumise each strand. • A soft to medium hold mousse is your best friend. Smooth through the top…

Did you know your skin has a microbiome and it’s been observed all the way down to the subcutaneous fat layer? A healthy mix of microbes helps reduce sensitivity, slow ageing and maintain moisture. PROBIOTICS are good bacteria added to strengthen the skin’s barrier. Rosken Biomexa Probiotic Moisturiser, $7.95, contains probiotics from yoghurt to moisturise. PREBIOTICS feed the good bacteria already on your skin. Murad Prebiotic 4 in 1 MultiCleanser, $58, has a prebiotic powder and prebiotic hydrating sugars to cleanse while caring for your skin.…

Q I’m 68-years-old and just received good news from physical checks. I walk daily, eat a healthy diet, drink alcohol in moderation and sleep well. Why then am I starting to dribble out of the left side of my mouth? C.G., Qld. This is a symptom you need to report to your GP as it suggests loss of control of the muscles around your mouth. It could be the onset of Bell’s palsy or a sign of a minor stroke or other neurological problem. Don’t ignore it. Q One of my nostrils is very dry and crusty inside, but I’m not congested. When I blow my nose, what comes out is black and sometimes bloody. How can I get rid of this? B.J., ACT. You need to ask your doctor…

Lifesaving leftovers Make larger quantities and pack leftovers for lunch the next day. Or find recipes that make two meals from one – leftover beef stew can easily become a pie with a pastry or mashed potato top. Cook it, freeze it On the weekend make big batches of soups, stews and curries that freeze well. Label, date and freeze individual or meal-sized servings in plastic containers. Keep it interesting Don’t bore yourself and the family with the same old recipes week after week. In our Fast Dinners cookbook we have a huge variety of recipes easy and quick enough for you to prepare on a weeknight. Keep adding to your repertoire, mix it up and keep the family interested – it can be as simple as substituting fish for…

Fiction prequel LOST ROSES by Martha Hall Kelly, Penguin Kelly’s debut novel, Lilac Girls, was a tender tale of sisterhood during WWII. The book took a fresh look at war from the perspective of women all connected to notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp. Jewish Kasia was sent to Ravensbrück, where Nazi Herta is a surgeon. Debutante Caroline Ferriday is a Manhattan charity worker. Lost Roses is the compelling backstory. It’s 1914 and Eliza Ferriday, a New York socialite with a social conscience and mother of Lilac heroine Caroline, is helping White Russians escape the revolution. Secrets & lies SWALLOWTAIL SUMMER by Erica James, Hachette Four old friends get together at Alastair’s English riverside cottage every 30 years. But this year it is different. Alastair’s sculptress wife Orla drowned, and after the…

For many dreaming of heading to Japan, it is images of blooming cherry blossoms, neatly cut bonsai gardens, traditional temples, glorious geisha and the hustle and bustle of Tokyo’s shopping district that pop into their heads. But for this writer, the lure of steaming bowls of ramen, glistening arrays of freshly cut sashimi, displays of neatly packed bento boxes and the unmistakable scent of sizzling okonomiyaki dictated my travel timetable without ever having to miss a cultural beat. First stop, Tokyo No matter the hour, people are dining in Tokyo so despite arriving late at night, I made my way to a local izakaya. These casual bar/restaurants abound in Japan: you sit at the bar, a high table or use a traditional tatami mat and low table to drink local…

NARA Just a short train trip from Kyoto, handfeed the deer in the Nara national park before visiting Todaiji and Horyuji temples. The former houses a towering 15 metre bronze Budda, the latter has an incredible five-story pagoda. KOYASAN One of the holiest sites in Japan. Ascend the mountain by cable car before taking the must-do walk through mystical Okunoin. Over 200,000 tombstones, some dating back to 816AD, lead the way to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. OSAKA This thriving city is famed for its foodie culture and castle, which is spectacular in cherry blossom season. Sample takoyaki (dumpling balls filled with octopus and topped with mayonnaise and bonito) and okonomiyaki, (grilled savoury pancake with delicious toppings).…

APT has a range of special deals on its 2020 tours to the Kimberley region. Book before December 15, 2019 to take advantage of fly free deals and savings of up to $4000 per couple on selected Kimberley land and cruise combinations, and savings of up to $1600 on selected land tours, including the best-selling 15-day Kimberley Complete, which is priced from $9195 per person twin share. Details at aptouring. com.au/KWA2020…