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Here’s why having chocolate can make you feel great or a bit sick – plus 4 tips for better eating

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saman-khalesi-366871">Saman Khalesi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p>Australians are <a href="https://www.retail.org.au/media/sweet-spending-boon-predicted-for-easter-retail">predicted</a> to spend around A$1.7 billion on chocolates, hot cross buns and other special foods this Easter season.</p> <p>Chocolate has a long history of production and consumption. It is made from cacao beans that go through processes including fermentation, drying, roasting and grounding. What is left is a rich and fatty liquor that is pressed to remove the fat (cocoa butter) and the cacao (or “cocoa”) powder which will then be mixed with different ingredients to produce dark, milk, white and other types of chocolates.</p> <p>There are several health benefits and potential problems that come in these sweet chocolatey packages.</p> <h2>The good news</h2> <p>Cacao beans contain <a href="https://foodstruct.com/food/cocoa-bean">minerals</a> like iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus and some vitamins. They are also rich in beneficial chemicals called <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23150750/">polyphenols</a>.</p> <p>These are great antioxidants, with the potential to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465250/">improve heart health</a>, increase <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25164923/">nitric oxide</a> (which dilates blood vessels) and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3488419/">reduce blood pressure</a>, provide food for gut microbiota and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/7/1908">promote gut health</a>, boost the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465250/">immune system</a> and reduce inflammation.</p> <p>However, the concentration of polyphenols in the chocolate we eat depends largely on the cocoa solid amounts used in the final product.</p> <p>In general terms, the darker the chocolate, the more cocoa solids, minerals and polyphenols it has. For example, dark chocolates may have around <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2011.614984">seven times more polyphenols</a> compared to white chocolates and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2011.614984">three times more polyphenols</a> compared to milk chocolates.</p> <h2>But also some bad news</h2> <p>Unfortunately, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/treat-or-treatment-chocolate-is-good-but-cocoa-is-better-for-your-heart-3084">health benefits of cocoa solids</a> are easily offset by the high sugar and fat content of modern-day chocolates. For example, milk and white chocolate eggs are on average 50% sugar, 40% fat (mostly saturated fats) – which means a lot of added kilojoules (calories).</p> <p>Also, there may be some side effects that come with ingesting chocolate.</p> <p>Cocoa beans include a compound called theobromine. While it has the anti-inflammatory properties responsible for some of the health benefits of chocolate, it is also a mild brain stimulant that acts in a similar way to caffeine. The mood boost it offers may also be partly responsible for how much we <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2015.00030/full?crsi=662496658&cicada_org_src=healthwebmagazine.com&cicada_org_mdm=direct">like chocolate</a>. Dark chocolate has higher theobromine compared to milk and white chocolate.</p> <p>But accordingly, overindulging in chocolate (and therefore theobromine) may lead to feeling restless, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3672386/">headaches</a> and nausea.</p> <h2>What else is in your chocolate?</h2> <p>Milk and dairy-based chocolates may also cause stomach upset, abdominal pain and bloating in people with <a href="https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/health-advice/lactose-intolerance">lactose intolerance</a>. This happens when we don’t produce enough lactase enzymes to digest milk sugar (lactose).</p> <p>People with lactose intolerance can usually tolerate up to 6 grams of lactose without showing symptoms. Milk chocolate can have around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310258/">3 grams of lactose</a> per 40 grams (the size of a standard chocolate bar). So two chocolate bars (or the equivalent in milk chocolate eggs or bunnies) may be enough to cause symptoms.</p> <p>It’s worth noting that lactase enzyme activity dramatically declines as we age, with the highest activity in newborns and children. So lactose sensitivity or intolerance may not be such an issue for your kids and your symptoms may increase over time. Genetics also plays a major role in how sensitive people are to lactose.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6815241/">Allergic reactions</a> to chocolate are usually due to the added ingredients or cross-contamination with potential allergens such as nuts, milk, soy, and some sweeteners used in the production of chocolate.</p> <p>Symptoms can be mild (acne, rashes and stomach pain) or more severe (swelling of the throat and tongue and shortness of breath).</p> <p>If you or your family members have known allergic reactions, make sure you read the label before indulging – especially in a whole block or basket of the stuff. And if you or your family members do experience symptoms of an allergic reaction after eating chocolate, <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/allergic-reactions-emergency-first-aid">seek medical attention</a> immediately.</p> <h2>4 take home tips</h2> <p>So, if you are like me and have a weakness for chocolate there are a few things you can do to make the experience a good one.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202848/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <ol> <li>keep an eye out for the darker chocolate varieties with higher cocoa solids. You may notice a percentage on labelling, which refers to how much of its weight is from cocoa beans. In general, the higher this percentage, the lower the sugar. White chocolate has almost no cocoa solid, and mostly cocoa butter, sugar and other ingredients. Dark chocolate has 50–100% cocoa beans, and less sugar. Aim for at least 70% cocoa</li> <li>read the fine print for additives and possible cross-contamination, especially if allergies might be an issue</li> <li>the ingredients list and nutrition information panel should tell you all about the chocolate you choosing. Go for varieties with lower sugar and less saturated fat. Nuts, seeds and dried fruits are better ingredients to have in your chocolate than sugar, creme, syrup, and caramel</li> <li>finally, treat yourself – but keep the amount you have within sensible limits!</li> </ol> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saman-khalesi-366871">Saman Khalesi</a>, Postdoctoral Fellow of the National Heart Foundation & Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-why-having-chocolate-can-make-you-feel-great-or-a-bit-sick-plus-4-tips-for-better-eating-202848">original article</a>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

Busting a king-sized myth: why Australia and NZ could become republics – and still stay in the Commonwealth

<p>The imminent coronation of King Charles III is an ideal time for Australia and New Zealand to take stock of the British monarchy and its role in national life – including certain myths about what becoming a republic might mean.</p> <p>In particular, there is a common assumption that both nations must remain monarchies to retain membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. It might sound logical, but it’s entirely wrong. </p> <p>There is no basis for it in the rules of the Commonwealth or the practice of its members. Australia could ditch the monarchy and stay in the club, and New Zealand can too, whether it has a king or a Kiwi as head of state. </p> <p>Yet this peculiar myth persists at home and abroad. Students often ask me about it when I’m teaching the structure of government. And just this week a French TV station interpreted the New Zealand prime minister’s opinion that his country would one day <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/01/new-zealand-will-ideally-become-a-republic-one-day-says-chris-hipkins">ideally become a republic</a> to mean he would <a href="https://www.bfmtv.com/international/oceanie/nouvelle-zelande/nouvelle-zelande-le-nouveau-premier-ministre-souhaite-que-son-pays-quitte-le-commonwealth_AN-202305010328.html">like to see</a> it leave the Commonwealth.</p> <h2>What does ‘Commonwealth’ mean?</h2> <p>The implication that breaking from the Commonwealth would be a precursor to, or consequence of, becoming a republic relies on a faulty premise which joins two entirely separate things: the way we pick our head of state, and our membership of the Commonwealth. </p> <p>It would make just as much sense to ask whether Australia or New Zealand should leave the International Cricket Council and become a republic.</p> <p>The confusion may derive from the fact that the 15 countries that continue to have the British sovereign as their head of state are known as “Commonwealth Realms”. </p> <p>What we usually refer to as the Commonwealth, on the other hand, is the organisation founded in 1926 as the British Commonwealth of Nations. This is the body whose membership determines the competing nations of the <a href="https://www.commonwealthsport.com/">Commonwealth Games</a>, the highest-profile aspect of the Commonwealth’s work. </p> <p>King Charles III is the head of state of the 15 Commonwealth Realms and the head of the international governmental organisation that is the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth has 56 members – but only 15 of them continue to have the king as head of state.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said Monday he personally favors his country becoming a republic, though it’s not a change he intends to push for as leader. <a href="https://t.co/1XEiFFtqPT">https://t.co/1XEiFFtqPT</a> <a href="https://t.co/aftsZ0hHmV">pic.twitter.com/aftsZ0hHmV</a></p> <p>— The Diplomat (@Diplomat_APAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Diplomat_APAC/status/1653406552693395457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <h2>Joining the Commonwealth club</h2> <p>To be fair, confusion over who heads the Commonwealth is nothing new. A <a href="https://www.royalcwsociety.org/_files/ugd/e578ea_5642f282aad345faa0b39c9eebd465e5.pdf">2010 poll</a> conducted by the Royal Commonwealth Society found that, of the respondents in seven countries, only half knew the then queen was the head of the Commonwealth. </p> <p>A quarter of Jamaicans believed the organisation was led by the then US president, Barack Obama. One in ten Indians and South Africans thought it was run by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.</p> <p>Given the king’s overlapping leadership roles and the different use of the word in the contexts of Commonwealth Realms and the Commonwealth of Nations, these broad misunderstandings are perhaps understandable. In fact, it was this ambiguity that allowed for the development of an inclusive Commonwealth during the postwar years of decolonisation.</p> <p>However the confusion arose, it is also very simple to correct. The Commonwealth relaxed its membership rules regarding republics when India became one in 1950. </p> <p>According to Philip Murphy, the historian and former director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, this decision was based on the erroneous idea that India’s huge standing army would underwrite Britain’s great-power status in the postwar world. </p> <p>From that point on the Commonwealth of Nations no longer comprised only members who admitted to the supremacy of one sovereign. To make the change palatable, a piece of conceptual chicanery was needed. Each country did not need a king, but theking was to be head of the organisation comprising equal members.</p> <h2>Monarchy optional</h2> <p>Since then, the number of Commonwealth members has steadily increased to the 56 we have today.</p> <p>As early as 1995, membership was extended to countries with no ties to the former British Empire. With the support of Nelson Mandela, Mozambique became a member, joining the six Commonwealth members with which it shared a border. </p> <p>Rwanda, a former German and then Belgian colony, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/oukwd-uk-commonwealth-rwanda-idAFTRE5AS1C520091129">joined in 2009</a>. It became an enthusiastic member and hosted the biennial meeting of states known as CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting). The most recent countries to take up Commonwealth membership are the <a href="https://thecommonwealth.org/news/gabon-and-togo-join-commonwealth">former French colonies of Togo and Gabon</a>. </p> <p>According to the <a href="http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=174532">Commonwealth’s own rules</a>, membership is based on a variety of things, including commitment to democratic processes, human rights and good governance. Being a monarchy is entirely optional. </p> <p>The new king offers the chance for a broader debate on the advantages of monarchy. But let’s do so knowing Commonwealth membership is entirely unaffected by the question of whether or not the country is a republic.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/busting-a-king-sized-myth-why-australia-and-nz-could-become-republics-and-still-stay-in-the-commonwealth-204750" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Legal

60-plus women are ditching the hair dye

<p><em><strong>Susan Krauss Whitbourne is a professor of Psychology and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She writes the Fulfilment at Any Age blog for Psychology Today.</strong></em></p> <p>If you’re tired of those monthly visits to the salon, or even your own sessions over the sink, you’re not alone. <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/fashion/shes-done-with-washing-it-away.html?_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leah Rozen</a></span></strong>, writing in the <em>New York Times</em>, announced to the world that she’s grey, 57, and loving it, proudly announcing that “Blondes may have more fun, but we grey gals have it made in our shade.”</p> <p>How about you? Are you battling those tell-tale roots, or revelling in the glory of your own grey locks? If so, perhaps you share Rozen’s feeling of liberation. If not, you might ask yourself whether looking young is really worth all that expense and effort.</p> <p>There are plenty of reasons to cover up our signs of a maturing scalp. In fact, as Rozen herself acknowledges, she’s definitely got the “old lady” look going for her. In our youth-oriented society, showing your age may preclude you from certain opportunities. Despite legislation, ageism still exists and can take many forms, ranging from biases against the abilities of older workers to stereotyped beliefs about their personalities and work attitudes. As their self-image and abilities change, older workers can begin to doubt their self-efficacy. A self-fulfilling prophecy can develop, resulting in their further losing the ability to perform up to par. To prevent this outcome, many older women and men take the preventative action of keeping up their youthful personas.</p> <p>Ageism may take many forms outside the workplace. One way is for younger adults just to avoid you altogether. They may not be openly hostile but instead make older adults “invisible” — that is, not worthy of any attention at all. Perhaps they’re afraid of being tainted by the aging vibes you give off.</p> <p>Risking the wrath, visible or not, of ageism can make going grey a dangerous proposition. However, thinking about how and why you’re trying to maintain your youthful image for as long as possible can give you important insights into understanding yourself and your feelings about life changes.</p> <p>You might ask yourself to what lengths you go, and are willing to go, to remain young-looking. Of course it would be ludicrous to suggest that women, and men should give up all attempts to look good. But looking good doesn’t have to mean looking young. You can get out of the youth trap and still feel great about the persona you present to the world, if not your own inner sense of self.</p> <p>Take an honest look at yourself right now. What is working and what isn’t? Which aspects of your hair, makeup and clothing reflect how you really feel about yourself, and which reflect your desire to blend in with the young crowd? If you don’t trust yourself to give the right answer, you might want to consult someone who’s objective to get a second opinion (NOT your children). It’s hard to find someone whose opinion you can trust, because virtually anyone working in clothing, makeup counters or hair salons benefits from selling you their youth-oriented products. (Just think about how much those skin creams are costing you.) If you feel that these people aren’t being honest, you might consider talking to a friend, co-worker or family member (again, not the children) who pulls off an age-appropriate look.</p> <p>Thinking about the image you try to present to the world can give you great insight into your own identity and feelings about how you are changing -and improving- over time. As we cross each aging threshold, including the changes in our hair, skin and bodily functions and appearance, there’s an opportunity to reflect on the deeper meaning of these changes to our sense of who we are. Many people try to put off the inevitable as long as possible, but eventually bounce back as they incorporate this new view of themselves into their identities. Whether grey or not, by bringing your outer image in line with your inner self, you’ll be better prepared to negotiate whatever changes come your way in the years ahead.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

8 bite-sized renovations you can do on the weekend

<p>We’re all time poor but that doesn’t mean you have to develop renovation inertia. By chunking down the big tasks you need to do around your home into bite-sized, weekend-worthy nibbles you can power through a number of renovation items piece by manageable piece.</p> <p><strong>1. Replace your handles</strong></p> <p>Upgrading your old, tired <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/why-reddit-is-losing-it-over-doorknobs-20160323-gnpe5q/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">door handles</a></strong></span> is as simple as measuring the distance between the holes and searching online or in store to find a straight replace. Unscrew the old ones, hanging onto the existing screws, as otherwise you may have to cut the ones supplied with the new handles to size, and screw the new ones in place. Simple.</p> <p><strong>2. Changing cupboard fronts</strong></p> <p>A wonderful visual upgrade, you need to check that your kitchen has standard-sized cupboards for this to be an easy weekend upgrade. Standard cupboard and drawer sizes will have plenty of options in stores and online. You’ll need to check the location of hinges, the height and width of fronts and the condition of your carcasses but by unscrewing and replacing cupboards you can transform your kitchen or bathroom cabinets completely. You’ll find some <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/cabinet-fever-on-the-rise-20120706-21kkk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interesting colour, texture and pattern options</a></span></strong> The only impediment is your creativity.</p> <p><strong>3. Paint your doors</strong></p> <p>While painting your whole home might be a bit more than you can manage in one sitting, a nice bite-sized job is to apply a couple of coats of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/for-the-love-of-the-coloured-front-door-20151127-gl5boi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coloured paint to your existing internal and external doors</a></strong></span>. Sure, you might not get through them all in one weekend but you can chip away at this task after work or in the mornings and add amazing contrast and interest to your interior scheme. Remember to use an enamel paint for doors and timber work.</p> <p><strong>4. Replace your shower head and toilet seats</strong></p> <p>One of the things I do routinely when moving into a new property is replace the shower head with a new one. Most replacement shower heads come with thread tape and you don’t need to be a plumber to do this straight replace as it doesn’t interrupt the fitting connection. If you can manage that the toilet seat replacement is a cinch.</p> <p><strong>5. Regrouting tiles</strong></p> <p>Scrape out any old or worn grout and replace with a new colour or a replacement of the existing. A word to the wise – don’t grout floors in white as they will be mid grey in no time.</p> <p><strong>6. Replace bathroom accessories</strong></p> <p>Another quick trip to the hardware store or bathroom supplier and you can <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/budget-bathroom-makeovers-can-make-big-difference-20150703-gi12es/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">give your bathroom a facelift</a></strong></span> to complement that lovely new shower head.</p> <p><strong>7. Fill gaps and scrapes</strong></p> <p>There are different fillers for different tasks. A quick-dry, all-purpose one like Selley’s Rapid Filler is great for scratches and scrapes on walls or filling in bumps in timber work before painting. Fill gaps between skirtings, cornices and walls with no more gaps. Use a two-part filler like builders bog for areas that need a more hard-wearing but still sandable solution.</p> <p><strong>8. Remove redundant “features” and install new ones</strong></p> <p>Pulling out old, dated or worn shelving and storage cabinets can free up wall space and liberate your rooms from a tired look. Installing wall hung units or floating shelves can give you an opportunity to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/advice/moving-house-how-to-let-it-go-declutter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clear your home of clutter</a></strong></span> or create a place for you to best display your favourite items.</p> <p><em>Images and extract from HomeSpace and Easy Luxury by Darren Palmer (Murdoch Books, RRP $39.95 each), with photography by Felix Forest. </em></p> <p><em>Written by Darren Palmer. First appeared on <a href="http://www.domain.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au.</span></strong></a></em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

6 ways to make friends when you’re 60-plus

<p>When you’re a kid, it’s so easy to make friends. Basically you see another person your age and walk up to them and start playing. But once you reach a certain age, it’s not so easy to just walk up to people you don’t know and form a friendship.</p> <p>Things can be especially difficult if you’ve had a partner for a long time and then later find yourself left on your own. The idea of putting yourself out there to make new pals seems daunting and a little scary.</p> <p>But before you get so desperate for someone to see a movie with that you resort to putting an ad in the local paper, try some of our ideas below. Who knows, you might just meet your new best mate.</p> <p><strong>1. Group travel</strong></p> <p>Organised group travel is a great way to meet like-minded individuals who have a passion for travel. It’s also a terrific way to see the world, as you have your accommodation and transport already organised – plus there’s no worry about missing any of the great attractions.</p> <p>Whether you jump on a bus, a boat or a train, you are sure to find some people that you click with. Once the tour is over, offer to trade email addresses or phone numbers to keep in touch with those people that you hit it off with. You could even suggest ideas for the next adventure.</p> <p><strong>2. Volunteering</strong></p> <p>Another great way to meet people is to offer your time to a charity or an organisation that you feel passionate about. It could be a one-off event (such as handing out flyers for a political party) or even just a day a month where you help out in a soup kitchen. Start with something as simple as “Have you been volunteering here for long?” and let the conversation flow naturally.</p> <p><strong>3. Wine tours</strong></p> <p>If you are passionate about wine, or just keen to learn more, sign up for an organised winery tour. It could be one winery or a whole region, but either way there are generally small to medium sized groups that you can join for a day or a weekend.</p> <p>Sharing an experience like this where you are learning new skills is a great conversation starter. Asking something as simple as “Do you prefer the pinot or the shiraz?” can really get the ball rolling with a fellow wine fan.</p> <p><strong>4. Photography Courses</strong></p> <p>Whether you’re improving your skills with your digital SLR camera, or just wanting to learn how to take better snaps on your Smartphone – there really are so many options for photography classes these days.</p> <p>Often photography classes are held outdoors, in a park or by the sea, so it is a great way to learn and meet new people in a natural environment. Why not suggest to someone interesting that you meet for a photo shoot at another location next time such as a lighthouse or rainforest.</p> <p><strong>5. Book clubs</strong></p> <p>What better way to connect with new people than by discussing a book that you have all read. Even if people have different ideas, it’s a great way to get an insight into whether you have common tastes and interests depending on how they felt about the novel.</p> <p>The next step is to suggest meeting someone that you’re keen to talk to more for a coffee after the class.</p> <p><strong>6. Cooking classes</strong></p> <p>Even the great cooks among us can still learn a lot from a one-off cooking class. It could be to brush up on your baking skills or to learn the basics of a new cuisine such as Mexican or Thai. Sharing a kitchen with people and then sitting down to eat is a great icebreaker.</p> <p>You’ve got so much to talk about – the process of cooking, any issues you had, any advice you might need to perfect your soufflé for next time, and then of course the food itself. If you really hit it off with someone you could invite them over for afternoon tea or a casual meal one evening.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

“So disappointing”: Rebel Wilson’s fashion line slammed for lack of inclusivity

<p dir="ltr">Rebel Wilson has come under fire after the launch of her clothing line was slammed for a lack of size inclusivity. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Australian actress recently launched R&R Club, a loungewear fashion brand, with her partner Ramona Agruma.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the initial launch raised eyebrows of Rebel’s fans, as the first collection is only available in sizes XS, S, M, and L/XL. </p> <p dir="ltr">The largest size in this collection, which roughly equates to a size 14-16, excludes a lot of larger-sized people who are fans of the actress and wanted to get their hands on her new products. </p> <p dir="ltr">Rebel herself was formerly “plus size” before embarking on her “year of health” in 2020 which saw her lose more than 30kgs.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, fans have been left “bitterly disappointed”, with many taking to social media to slam the actress’s choice. </p> <p dir="ltr">In a TikTok video captioned “can we talk about the lack of size inclusivity in Rebel Wilson’s brand”, one woman said she was “confused” by the move.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t understand how someone who was plus size for the majority of her career and majority of her life, as someone who knows how hard it is to be fat and to shop for clothing and actually find it in your size...” the TikTok user said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t understand how someone with that background, that knowledge, could release a brand that only goes up to an XL.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“People’s biggest argument for this is always, ‘oh it’s so expensive to have so many size ranges,’ but it’s Rebel Wilson. She’s got money.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The video quickly racked up thousands of views, with many agreeing it was “ridiculous”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s so disappointing when you see something you love and are so excited and they do not offer in my size,” one commented. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another said, “Wow. I’m disappointed in her. She knew how this felt.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Out of all the people I thought she would have bigger sizes since she was bigger than a XL back in the day so disappointed in her,” another raged.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Why the size of your glasses matters

<p>It can be frustrating when you’ve picked up your news glasses only to find the frame presses against your head or the glasses keep slipping down your nose. Getting the right pair of glasses isn’t just about the right prescription, finding a comfortable frame is also key to enjoying relaxed and (almost) perfect vision. So if you’ve ever suffered buyer’s remorse after a glasses purchase, here are the tips to follow so you always get the perfect fit for your new glasses.</p> <p><strong>The lens</strong></p> <p>In general, the thinner and lighter the lens, the more comfortable the spectacles will be to wear. If possible, choose a thinner lens so your glasses won’t feel as heavy on the nose and ears.</p> <p><strong>The nose bridge</strong></p> <p>As one of the few points of contact with your face, it’s important to carefully consider the comfort of the glasses’ nose bridge. You want the nose pads to sit solidly on your nose, otherwise they can quickly lose their grip and keep sliding down.</p> <p><strong>The sides</strong></p> <p>The sides of your spectacles shouldn’t press into your temples. Some people mistakenly believe pressure means the glasses fit properly, but there should never be any heaviness felt on the temples. You might feel some pressure behind the ear, but that’s ok as this keeps the weight of the glasses from being borne wholly by your nose.</p> <p><strong>The frame</strong></p> <p>As a general rule, when you look through your glasses it should be at the middle of the lens. The top of the frame should sit below the eyebrows but above the fold of the eye and the frame should not be much wider than your face.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Eye Care

50-plus Baywatch star blows away body-shaming bullies

<p dir="ltr"><em>Baywatch</em> star Donna D’Errico shared a photo showing off her stunning figure and youthful looks.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 54-year-old took to Instagram wearing a light pink bikini and was squatting on the coffee table.</p> <p dir="ltr">D’Errico’s seemingly innocent photo was however a clap back at women who called her out for wearing an American flag-printed two-piece as she celebrated the Fourth of July. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Quite a few women complained about the 4th of July video I posted in a red white & blue bikini because they thought I was 'classier than that' and 'too old to wear a bikini' and, my favorite, 'desperate',” she wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Let me tell you something that might surprise you. I can actually wear and do literally whatever I want. </p> <p dir="ltr">“On that note, here is me in a bikini squatting on a coffee table.” </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgGM80mDOOY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgGM80mDOOY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Donna D'Errico (@donnaderrico)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Despite telling followers that she can “wear and do literally whatever I want”, D’Errico limited comments on her post. </p> <p dir="ltr">Those who were able to comment praised her comeback telling her that ignore anyone who tries to bring her down. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Be you. You are an amazing person no matter what,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Gorgeous and F anyone who tries to tear you down. You look incredible period,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Good for you! If I looked that good I’d be posting pictures in a bikini every day!” another person wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Body

Rare snaps of William revealed plus gift from the Queen

<p>In celebration of Prince William's 40th birthday, members of the royal family have shared a collection of unseen family photos throughout the years. </p> <p>Prince Charles and Camilla shared a series of snaps to the Clarence House Instagram page, as they wished the Duke of Cambridge a very happy birthday. </p> <p>The photos show a young William with his father throughout the decades, which begin on the day he was born and showcase heartfelt family moments. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfDyOVQgIHW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfDyOVQgIHW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Clarence House (@clarencehouse)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The official royal family social media account also shared photos of Prince William at times throughout his life with his grandmother the Queen, as they shared details of William's birth. </p> <p>"Prince William Arthur Philip Louis is the elder son of The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales. He was born at 9.03pm on 21 June 1982, at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London. A bulletin, placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace announced that he weighed 7lb 1 1/2 oz," the caption reads. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfD4_iEsD8_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfD4_iEsD8_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>On top of sharing the throwback snaps, details of Queen Elizabeth's gift to her grandson have also been revealed, with Her Majesty reportedly giving permission for Prince William and Kate Middleton to host a joint 40th birthday party at one of her royal residences.</p> <p>Prince William has been given the green light to host the birthday bash at his grandmother's Windsor Castle home, or at Sandringham Estate, in the coming months. </p> <p>Kate Middleton's 40th birthday will also be celebrated, as her own party plans in January were cancelled due to rising Covid-19 cases in England. </p> <p>It is understood that the Queen, 96, will decide whether to attend on the day of the party due to her ongoing mobility issues.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Young woman on $100k-plus salary shares her spending habits

<p dir="ltr">A woman who earns $104,600 a year has shared how she spends her lavish pay cheque. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 24-year-old producer based in Melbourne, Australia, submitted her salary and breakdown of her spending habits to Smart Women Society.</p> <p dir="ltr">The breakdown is then shared into a short clip on TikTok revealing how much money goes where.</p> <p dir="ltr">After tax, HECS and superannuation, the young woman is left with $5,468 to take home. She also has a side hustle which brings in $1,000 monthly.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman’s main goal is to set aside at least $60,000 for a house deposit, as well as having a safety emergency fund.</p> <p dir="ltr">A breakdown of her monthly spending habits shows $1,424 on rent, $140 on bills, $40 on her phone, $50 on transport, $90 on the internet, $74 on insurance, $300 on groceries and $160 on psychologist appointments. </p> <p dir="ltr">Once she’s got the important stuff out of the way, the woman is left with $3,728 of which $700 of it goes towards her home savings and $300 to the emergency fund.</p> <p dir="ltr">The only debts she has are a $363-a-month Invisalign treatment and her $26,000 HECS which is automatically taken out from her pay. </p> <p dir="ltr">She is then left with $2,582 for “fun” stuff such as shopping and eating out. </p> <p dir="ltr">Viewers shared their suggestions to the woman saying it would be better to put more toward the home savings.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That's a lot of money spent on 'fun' - I think I would try and save $1500 for my house,” one commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You need to live like you actually have a mortgage now and add those extra bills into it because when you have a mortgage you don’t get 2500 a month fun,” another added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’d be dropping an extra bit of cash into the house/emergency fund,” someone else shared.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

“Pint-sized explorer” takes on Kosciusko to honour his late mum

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A six-year-old boy has spent a day conquering Australia’s highest peak for a cause that is incredibly close to him and his family.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ollie Finnane, accompanied by his cousins Finn Gibson, ten, and Ted O’Hare, eight, trekked to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko for a good cause: to raise money for the Torie Finnane Foundation, established in honour of Ollie’s late mother.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The boys wanted to do something for the foundation,” Ollie’s dad Liam Finnane told </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/torie-finnane-foundation-schoolboy-climbs-mt-kosciuosko-raise-money-for-mum/09f55c71-4a8b-41fc-abb2-148549d06dfa" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">9news.com.au</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“So they set the goal of climbing Australia’s highest peak on Australia Day, and hoped to raise $5000 to $10,000 along the way.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When they made it back to Thredbo on Thursday night, they discovered the figure was well over $20,000.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There was no whinging and no sore feet,” Liam said.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZLHV_BPK-w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZLHV_BPK-w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Torie Finnane Foundation (@toriefinnanefoundation)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Torie Finnane, Ollie’s mum, was a popular and respected midwife at the Orange Hospital, in the city of Orange in NSW’s central west.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In December 2020, while celebrating the birth of her third child Maisie and the family’s first night at home as a family of five, Torie began experiencing headaches.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Within just a few days, Torie had succumbed to bacterial meningitis, passing away in the very same hospital where she had assisted in the birth of so many babies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her death greatly affected the close-knit community, with Liam now caring for three children under five on his own.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With her family and friends wanting to honour her passion for healthcare, the Torie Finnane Foundation was established in December 2021 - a year after Torie’s passing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation aims to provide the highest quality midwifery and nursing services in regional areas by purchasing much-needed equipment and providing training scholarships and placements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Through the foundation, regional midwives and special care nurses will spend a month training and learning from experienced obstetricians in Sydney, before returning to regional areas to utilise their skills.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Investing in nurses and midwives means we invest in patient safety and clinical care in our community,” Orange Hospital General Manager Catherine Nowlan told the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABC</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in December.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ollie, Finn and Ted’s climb marks one of the first fundraising efforts for the foundation, with their climb announced on social media little over a month before it began.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXkB9rGPx3K/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXkB9rGPx3K/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Torie Finnane Foundation (@toriefinnanefoundation)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Look at these little legends! Meet Torie’s son Ollie Finnane (6), nephew Ted O’Hare (8) and nephew Finn Gibson (10),” a post on the foundation’s Instagram page reads.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These pint sized explorers are going to tackle a 13km walk across the top of Mt Kosciuszko on Australia Day to honour Torie, with the aim to raise $10,000 for TFF.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We thought we can make a difference,” Liam said after the climb.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Even on Kosciuszko, people saw the boys in their Torie Finnane Foundation shirts and were offering them cash halfway up the mountain.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.toriefinnanefoundation.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">foundation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is still accepting donations, with the first nurse placements expected to start later this year.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @toriefinnanefoundation (Instagram)</span></em></p>

Family & Pets

Amazing audio of Cleo's rescue, plus Premier owes her a new pair of shoes

<p dir="ltr">WA Police have released audio of the moment 4-year-old Cleo Smith was rescued. One officer can be heard reassuring Cleo as they pick her up, saying “I’ve got you bubby”, while another asks Cleo, “What’s your name, sweetheart?” To this, she responds, “My name is Cleo”, to which the officer responds, “Your name is Cleo”, while another says “Hello Cleo”.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s a heartwarming moment, as is the moment Cleo is carried outside the house she was found in, which police released video footage of on Wednesday soon after announcing she had been safely located and returned to her family.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"My name is Cleo." <a href="https://t.co/xiy59x4kjP">pic.twitter.com/xiy59x4kjP</a></p> — WA Police Force (@WA_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/WA_Police/status/1456102974502047744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The moment Cleo was rescued 👏 <a href="https://t.co/arusYi9kCa">pic.twitter.com/arusYi9kCa</a></p> — WA Police Force (@WA_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/WA_Police/status/1455784205548359682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In a press conference earlier today, Detective Senior Sergeant Blaine said that Cleo was found awake in a room with the lights on, playing with toys. The home was in Carnarvon, the Western Australian town where the Smith family lives. She had been missing for 18 days when she was finally found around midnight on Wednesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Blaine said that Cleo appeared to be in good spirits, "From our point of view, I'm amazed she seems to be so well-adjusted and happy, it was really, heart-warming to see.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She is playing in the backyard, exactly how you would expect, like how my daughter did when she was four-years-old."</p> <p dir="ltr">Premier Mark McGowan had the opportunity to meet her on Thursday, bringing with him two teddies – one for Cleo, and one for her younger sister Isla. They named the teddies Cameron and Rod, after the detective who rescued her and the lead investigator on the case, but he wasn’t sure if those names would stick, joking to reporters that “Cleo didn’t seem too enamoured with those names.”</p> <p dir="ltr">McGowan also revealed an embarrassing moment that transpired during the meeting. “I unfortunately trod on her new Barbie shoes and broke one of them, so I owe her a pair of shoes,” he said. Despite that unfortunate incident, the Premier said she was a “very bright, upbeat, sweet little girl” and described the Smith family as “very humble” and “very well adjusted” considering their ordeal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a lovely experience to meet her. She was, I thought, very well adjusted considering and the family were very appreciative of everything that has been done for them. They’re ... fundamentally decent, honest human beings ... they’re really lovely people and it’s great to meet them and acknowledge what they’ve been through.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Obviously, there’ll be a way to go from here but they’re certainly on the right pathway.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: WA Police</em></p>

News

Woman gives birth to 5.6kg baby

<p>A mother took to TikTok to reveal the size of her enormous 5.6kg baby as people joked he was "already the size of a three-year-old".</p> <p>Viewers were stunned at the size of the newborn, joking that he "should already be paying taxes".</p> <p>The mum was responding a question sent in by a fellow TikTok user.</p> <p>@tawnee117 posed the question to her followers: “I wanna see who had the biggest baby. Whoever sees this video, tell me the weight of your biggest baby.”</p> <p>Mum @erikasilenceweber took up the challenge and uploaded a response video.</p> <p>She said: “So everyone keeps tagging me in this and telling me I should do this.</p> <p>“At 37 weeks I went in for an ultrasound and my son was weighing in at 9lb 15oz (4.5kg) so we scheduled for a C-section.</p> <p>“I ended up being put into labour the day before C-section and I still went with a C-section because the doctor highly advised that, and … I had a baby that was 12lbs 6oz (5.6kg)!”</p> <p>The video has been viewed by more than six million fellow TikTok users many of whom were blown away by the size of the tot.</p> <p>One said: “Bro came out with a whole credit score.”</p> <p>Another said: “So you gave birth to a football player.”</p> <p>While another joked: “That child came out already three years old.”</p>

Family & Pets

Behind the new Samsung Fold: how the quest to maximise screen size is driving major innovation

<p>To enlarge a phone, or not to enlarge a phone? That is the question. In the world of flagship smartphones, there seems to be one clear trend: bigger is better.</p> <p>Manufacturers are trying to strip away anything that might stand in the way of the largest possible slab of screen. There is also growing demand for thinner phones with diminishing <a href="https://www.lifewire.com/bezel-4155199">bezels</a> (the area surrounding a screen).</p> <p>This trend has now culminated in the latest innovation in smartphone design, the <a href="https://www.t3.com/au/news/best-folding-phones">foldable screen phone</a>. These devices sport thin <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/what-is-oled">OLED</a> self illuminating screens that can be folded in half.</p> <p>The newest release is the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/21427462/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-2-review">Samsung Galaxy Z fold 2</a> – a device that is almost three-quarters screen and has extravagant overtones rivalled only by a hefty <a href="https://www.samsung.com/au/smartphones/galaxy-z-fold2/buy/">A$2,999 price tag</a>.</p> <p><strong>Hear from them</strong></p> <p>But to prevent the phones themselves from growing to unwieldy size, manufacturers are having to find ways to balance size with usability and durability. This presents some interesting engineering challenges, as well as some innovative solutions.</p> <p><strong>Internal design complexities of folding phones</strong></p> <p>Modern phones still typically use a thin LCD or plastic OLED display covered by an outer glass panel.</p> <p>Folding displays are a new category that exploit the flexibility of OLED display panels. Instead of simply fixing these panels to a rigid glass panel, they carefully engineer the panel so that it bends – but never quite tightly enough to snap or crack.</p> <p>Internal structural support is needed to make sure the panel doesn’t crease, or isn’t stressed to the point of creating damage, discolouration or visible surface ripples.</p> <p>Since this is a mechanical, moving system, reliability issues need to be considered. For instance, how long will the hinge last? How many times can it be <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/4/20898484/samsung-galaxy-fold-folding-test-failure-durability">folded and unfolded</a> before it malfunctions? Will dirt or dust make its way into the assembly during daily use and affect the screen?</p> <p>Such devices need an added layer of reliability over traditional slab-like phones, which have no moving parts.</p> <p><strong>Large screen, thin phone: a recipe for disaster?</strong></p> <p>Each generation of smartphones becomes thinner and with smaller bezels, which improves the viewing experience but can make the phone harder to handle.</p> <p>In such designs, the area of the device you can grip without touching the display screen is small. This leads to a higher chance of <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/study-19-percent-of-people-drop-phones-down-toilet/">dropping the device</a> – a blunder even the best of us have made.</p> <p>There’s an ongoing tussle between consumers and manufacturers. Consumers want a large, viewable surface as well as an easily portable and rugged device. But from an engineering point of view, these are usually competing requirements.</p> <p>You’ll often see people in smartphone ads holding the device with two hands. In real life, however, most people use their phone with <a href="https://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-design/research-on-mobile-interaction-behaviour-and-design/">one</a> <a href="https://alistapart.com/article/how-we-hold-our-gadgets/">hand</a>.</p> <p>Thus, the shift towards larger, thinner phones has also given rise to a boom in demand for assistive tools attached to the back, such as <a href="https://www.androidcentral.com/best-popsockets">pop-out grips and phone rings</a>.</p> <p>In trying to maximise screen size, smartphone developers also have to account for interruptions in the display, such as the placement of cameras, laser scanners (for face or object identification), proximity sensors and speakers. All are placed to minimise visual intrusion.</p> <p><strong>Now you see it, now you don’t</strong></p> <p>In the engineering world, to measure the physical world you need either cameras or sensors, such as in a fingerprint scanner.</p> <p>With the race to increase the real estate space on screens, typically these cameras and scanners are placed somewhere around the screen. But they take up valuable space.</p> <p>This is why we’ve recently seen tricks to carve out more space for them, such as <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/this-is-the-worlds-first-smartphone-where-half-the-screen-is-a-fingerprint-scanner">pop up</a> cameras and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=phone+screen+hole+for+camera&source=lmns&bih=598&biw=1280&rlz=1C5CHFA_enAU871AU871&safe=active&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjXvcyoveDrAhUwhUsFHXvqBYMQ_AUoAHoECAEQAA">punch-hole</a> cameras, in which the camera sits in a cutout hole allowing the display to extend to the corners.</p> <p>But another fantastic place for sensors is right in front of us: the screen. Or more specifically, under the screen.</p> <p>Samsung is one company that has suggested placing selfie-cameras and fingerprint readers behind the screen. But how do you capture a photo or a face image through a layer of screen?</p> <p>Up until recently, this has been put in the “too hard basket”. But that is changing: Xiaomi, Huawei and <a href="https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/262497-samsung-patent-shows-phone-camera-inside-display">Samsung</a> all have patents for <a href="https://www.phonearena.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s21-s30-under-display-camera_id125174">under-display cameras</a>.</p> <p>There are a range of ways to do this, from allowing a camera to see through the screen, to using <a href="https://www.rp-photonics.com/microlenses.html">microlenses</a> and camera pixels distributed throughout the display itself – similar to an insect’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/insect/Nervous-system#ref250944">compound eye</a>.</p> <p>In either case, the general engineering challenge is to implement the feature in a way that doesn’t impact screen image quality, nor majorly affect camera resolution or colour accuracy.</p> <p><strong>Laptops in our pockets</strong></p> <p>With up to 3.8 billion smartphone users <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/">expected by 2021</a>, mobile computing is a primary consumer technology area seeing significant growth and investment.</p> <p>One driver for this is the professional market, where larger mobile devices allow more efficient on-the-go business transactions. The second market is individuals who who <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/779/mobile-internet/"><em>only</em> have a mobile device</a> and no laptop or desktop computer.</p> <p>It’s all about choice, but also functionality. Whatever you choose has to get the job done, support a positive user experience, but also survive the rigours of the real world.</p> <p><em>Written by Andrew Maxwell. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/behind-the-new-samsung-fold-how-the-quest-to-maximise-screen-size-is-driving-major-innovation-145700">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Art

“Human-sized” bat leaves people horrified

<p>A “human-sized” megabat has gone viral on social media.</p> <p>A photograph of the creature, which was spotted in the Philippines, reportedly first appeared on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/963rm3/what_do_you_do_when_you_see_a_flying_fox_in_your/">Reddit</a> before it was circulated around social media pages in recent weeks.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Remember when I told y'all about the Philippines having human-sized bats? Yeah, this was what I was talking about <a href="https://t.co/nTVIMzidbC">pic.twitter.com/nTVIMzidbC</a></p> — Alex☔ (@AlexJoestar622) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexJoestar622/status/1275653432897126401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Various captions described it as the endangered giant golden-crowned flying fox (<em>Acerodon jubatus</em>), but the animal in the picture does not seem to have the characteristic golden fur on its head. Some suggest that the animal could be a large flying fox (<em>Pteropus vampyrus</em>).</p> <p>The megabat’s wingspan could reach up to 1.7m, but its body generally only grows up to 32cm in length and weighs less than 2kg.</p> <p>Flying foxes are also known to feed on flowers, nectar and fruits. Unlike their microbat counterparts, flying foxes lack the ability to echolocate and instead rely on eyesight to navigate.</p>

Travel Trouble

“Why aren’t I allowed to play?”: 11-year-old’s heartbreak as he’s told he’s too big to play minutes before match

<p>An 11-year-old boy was left devastated after being told that he was too big to play in a rugby union competition with his friends.</p> <p>Leonidas Hinekiteao was taken from the field in the fifth match of an eight-week Spring Sevens rugby tournament in Sydney earlier this month.</p> <p>He played with his teammates in earlier rounds of the competition but was removed from the field by an NSW Rugby Union official.</p> <p>Leonidas is twice of the size of the children he plays against and was taken off the field due to the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rugbycoachweekly.net/rugby-coaching/blog/australia-age-grade-size-for-age-guidelines-official-document/" target="_blank">Rugby Australia size for age policy</a>.</p> <p>The policy states that players in under-10 to under-15 age groups must be assessed if they’re taller than a certain height and heavier than a certain weight.</p> <p>An under-11 player, which was the category Leonidas was trying to play in, must be assessed if they are more than 164cms tall and weigh more than 65kgs.</p> <p>While unclear as to what Leonidas measurements are, he was above these measurements.</p> <p>His mother Ayla took to Facebook to share her outrage.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Foceania88%2Fposts%2F2499142673515131&width=500" width="500" height="985" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>“Just before the whistle blew an official from Waratahs approached us to say the ''big kid'' can't play anymore,” the boy's mother, from Christchurch, New Zealand said.</p> <p>“If there was an issue with him playing in his own age group, don't go and accept his registration and take my money,” she said.</p> <p>“Call me to discuss this during the week, don't go and tell my kids can't play when he's already tied his boots and is ready to kick off.”</p> <p>Leonidas attempted to take to the field with his team, but the referee refused to blow the whistle until he was off the field in tears.</p> <p>Leonidas’ teammates left the field with him and forfeited the game.</p> <p>“Sorry for posting this Leo, but at the end of the day you are still a kid and crying because you don't fully understand what is going on and why you cannot play is allowed,” Ms Hinekiteao's post continued.</p> <p>Rugby NSW issued a statement to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7730169/Why-arent-allowed-play-11-year-old-breaks-told-hes-BIG-play-rugby.html" target="_blank">The Daily Mail</a><span> </span>about the incident.</p> <p>“While it is not NSWRU or SJRU intention to prevent any player from participating in rugby, the player involved had been previously assessed in accordance with the policy and it was deemed he was required to compete in an older age division,” the statement read.</p> <p>“We recognise that perhaps further attempts could have been taken to speak to all those involved; family, players and club; to minimise impact to the player, his team mates and the wider competition.</p> <p>“While the matter had tried to be addressed since the opening round of the competition, the miscommunication between all parties meant the matter had not been fully addressed.</p> <p>“We want to see the player involved stay part of our competition and we are continuing to work with the club to ensure he and his family can stay involved.”</p>

Body

Di, Kate and Meghan's royal plus-size fashion recreation

<p>A plus size blogger has recreated previously worn outfits by members of the Royal Family in a bid to “supersize” the stylish looks into wearable moments for everyday women. </p> <p>Kate Sturino, 36, has shared her inspired outfits to her Instagram page with over 400 thousand followers to prove you don’t have to be slim and trim to dress like royalty!</p> <p>Katie became inspired to recreate looks worn by the Duchess of Cambridge and Sussex to show how plus sized women can be stylish without breaking the bank or their confidence. </p> <p>The blogger even goes the extra mile and gets her friend Ryan Dziadul, a male plus size blogger, to stand in as her royal hubby.</p> <p>However, she has made it clear she is not trying to outdo anyone, and stated “It’s not about who wore it better, style has no size!”</p> <p>Unfortunately, Ms Sturino is no stranger to controversy or criticism, and recently took to social media to speak about the disparaging comments she received for taking on outfits worn by Duchess Meghan. </p> <p>“My #SuperSizeTheLook shots with Meghan Markle got picked up and the comments are brutal...they do not hurt my feelings, but they are scary!” she said in a post. </p> <p>“It’s scary that a woman who is almost the average size in this country would be regarded with such shock! </p> <p>“Also, they don’t stop at my body, they are equal opportunity women haters who take shots at MM as well!”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the plus size blogger take on royal outfits.</p>

Beauty & Style

The one-size-fits-all financial advice you should follow

<p>Just like clothes and shoes, financial advice can be a good fit for some and not applicable for others. However, there is one universal tip that everyone should adhere to.</p> <p>While it may seem obvious, many people tend to overlook the fine print when they sign a contract or make a purchase. This covers a wide range of situations, from online shopping and credit cards to housing, loans and rentals.</p> <p>Failing to read the small print can lead to big problems. Apart from extra charges and fees, you may get caught up in unfair policies that prevent you from resorting to legal actions such as arbitration or class action lawsuit.</p> <p>To get ahead of the issue, here are <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/09/follow-this-one-size-fits-all-financial-advice/" target="_blank">a few things</a> you can do:</p> <ul> <li>Find out what the business would do if certain situations arise – for example, if your parcel goes missing in the mail, or a contract needs to be terminated earlier. Make sure these are spelled out in the contract.</li> <li>Check the store’s policy for cancellations, returns, refunds and/or warranties.</li> <li>See if your subscription automatically renews after the free trial.</li> <li>Make sure that verbal agreements are documented in the closing papers.</li> </ul>

Retirement Income

The Japanese hotel room that comes with a life-size flight simulator

<p>For aviation enthusiasts, the flight may be the best part of a trip. But that might change after a Japanese hotel came up with a special accommodation option.</p> <p>The Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu has installed a <span><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/japan-hotel-flight-simulator-intl-hnk/index.html">flight simulator</a></span> inside one of its rooms.</p> <p>Guests can come in and enjoy a 90-minute flying session in the “Superior Cockpit Room” suite, where they will simulate the experience of piloting a Boeing 737-800 from Haneda to Itami Airport in Osaka.</p> <p>The hotel said visitors can “experience the sense that you are actually maneuvering by tilting the landscape by operating your control stick.”</p> <p>The hotel, which is located at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, offers the simulator experience for 30,000 Yen (NZ$414), complete with a flight instructor to guide you through the cockpit. You can also book the room for an additional 25,300 Yen (NZ$350) per night.</p>

International Travel

Who says you can’t be 50 plus and fashionable?

<p>If I had a dollar for every 50 plus woman who complains that fashion doesn’t cater to them, I’d be retired in the Caribbean by now.</p> <p>Women over 50 tend to fall in to two main categories when it comes to fashion: they are either the proverbial ‘mutton dressed up as lamb’ or women who dress much older than their years.</p> <p>The irony is that there is some great fashion out there for women over 50, it’s all about being brave and knowing where to look.</p> <p>58-year-old Sydneysider and empty-nester, Maria Manissian, laments that she cannot seem to find the right style (or size) of clothes to make her feel sexy and confident any more.</p> <p>“I have always really loved fashion, but I am constantly disappointed by the style of clothes and the stores marketed to women my age,” she says.</p> <p>Suzy Black, an Australian Personal Shopper and Stylist who gives wardrobe make-overs recently appeared in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald addressing the issue.</p> <p>Suzy believes the common mistake mature women make is dressing frumpily and not accentuating the right areas.</p> <p>"Women my age are used to being second best. For years they've put their family first so they fade away and let themselves become invisible when this is the time to re-invent yourself. I'm here to help them get their mojo back," she told <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/australias-trinny-bringing-style-back-to-the-50-set-20130506-2j32l.html#ixzz32VnjZCYZ">SMH</a>.</p> <p>Suzy advocates shopping in chain stores such as Supre, Country Road and Zara and even sharing your wardrobe with your daughters. You not only look better, but it won’t hurt the hip pocket.</p> <p>Below are some handy tips you should keep in mind if you decide to overhaul that wardrobe:</p> <ul> <li>If you really lack confidence in choosing the right clothes, invest in a personal stylist, it could be worth every penny! (Even chain stores like <a href="http://m.myer.com.au/mobile/latest-news/myer-personal-shopping-service.html">Myer</a> and <a href="http://www.davidjones.com.au/Store-Services/Fashion/Personal-Shopping-Service">DJs</a> offer this service affordably.)</li> <li>Make sure you are wearing the right undergarments: bras need to be properly fitted to uplift and support (avoid sagging breasts) and underwear needs to be seamless; Shapewear like <a href="http://www.spanx.com/">Spanx</a> might be something you also need to invest in to avoid the visible panty line</li> <li>Go to the large chain stores before leaping in and spending a fortune in a boutique specifically marketed to 50-somethings.</li> <li>Avoid the two main pitfalls: dressing either too young or too old for your age. For example, either wearing very short skirts and dresses, overly tight tops and stiletto heels, or wearing loose baggy pants and oversized t-shirts or frumpy long shapeless dresses.</li> <li>Sometimes style needs to win out over comfort. For example, opt for nice tailored pants rather than elasticised waisted pants.</li> <li>Black can be slimming, very stylish and chic, especially when accessorized with a splash of colour.</li> <li>Use accessories to your full advantage. For example, a chunky colourful necklace or scarf can do wonders for a plain outfit.</li> <li>Invest in attractive, good quality, yet comfortable shoes. Go for a mid-height heel, black or tan knee-length fashionable boots in winter or cute ballet flats if you can’t wear heels.</li> <li>Dress up, rather than down for a special occasion – too many 50-plus women feel it’s ‘all too much of a bother’. Make the effort and you will feel better about yourself.</li> <li>Jeans are a 50-plus woman’s best friend. Update them regularly, they can be extremely flattering at any age. (Tip: darker jeans are more dressy and slimming)</li> <li>Track pants and Ugg boots in public are never acceptable.</li> </ul> <p><em>Written by Danielle Cesta. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/wyza-life/who-says-you-can%E2%80%99t-be-50-plus-and-fashionable.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

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