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Give the gift of luxury on any budget

<p dir="ltr">As the weather starts to warm up, a lot of us are kick starting our summer holiday and Christmas plans. </p> <p dir="ltr">While trips away and what’s on the menu for Christmas lunch are obviously vitally important, it's also good to get a jump on buying Christmas presents for your loved ones. </p> <p dir="ltr">It can be hard to think of a thoughtful gift for that special someone, especially when that person may seemingly have everything. </p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily, L’Occitane’s Christmas gift giving guide has you covered. </p> <p dir="ltr">Featuring everything from affordable stocking fillers, to the most luxurious product packs, the L’Occitane 2023 Christmas collection is certain to have something for everyone. </p> <p dir="ltr">For those looking to really spoil their loved one, they have limited edition sets for the ultimate pamper experience. </p> <p dir="ltr">This year, L’Occitane have three collections on offer, each featuring heavenly scents and full-sized products for $129 each. </p> <p dir="ltr">For those on a tighter budget, or those looking to add in a little extra something special as a stocking filler, L’Occitane’s iconic mini baubles are back for another year. </p> <p dir="ltr">The baubles feature a range of mini products in varying scents for $25, giving each person a chance to fall in love with their new favourite product before committing to a full size version. </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/ClnauzdvCFO/?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/ClnauzdvCFO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by L’Occitane en Provence | ANZ (@loccitaneanz)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">L’Occitane has a whole range of stocking fillers available, such as hand cream packs, deluxe Christmas crackers, and much more. </p> <p dir="ltr">For those who simply can’t wait until December 25th to unwrap their L’Occitane goodies, the luxury brand has brought back their deluxe Advent Calendars for another year. </p> <p dir="ltr">With both the Classic and Deluxe beauty advent calendars on offer, enjoy a little luxury everyday of December until Christmas Day.</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/CxIEHK7PDpG/?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/CxIEHK7PDpG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by L’Occitane en Provence | ANZ (@loccitaneanz)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">You can feel good about gifting L’Occitane goodies for Chrstmas this year, as the brand continues to make improvements to the materials they choose to package their products in. </p> <p dir="ltr">This year, L’Occitane has reduced the use of single-use materials by a further 8%, as they make it their mission to create a positive impact for both people and the planet. </p> <p dir="ltr">So when it comes to picking the perfect present for your loved ones this festive season, look no further than the luxuries of <a href="https://nz.loccitane.com">L’Occitane</a> to give the gift of indulgence to those who matter most. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Beauty & Style

Kylie Minogue drops big career news

<p>Kylie Minogue is set to return to TV with her own special that will highlight her incredible career. </p> <p>The iconic singer will feature in British broadcaster ITV's <em>An Audience With… </em>show at The Royal Albert Hall in London. </p> <p>"It's been hard to keep this one a secret... Get ready for an unforgettable evening! 🤩An Audience with Kylie, coming later this year to ITV1 and ITVX," the broadcaster announced to Instagram on Tuesday. </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/Cwh-LrdMDE-/?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/Cwh-LrdMDE-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by ITV (@itv)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The show will take place in December and the broadcaster has promised that they will take the special TV event to the "to the next level", according to the <em>Huffington Post</em>.</p> <p>The <em>Can't Get You Out of My Head </em>singer, will perform and chat about her career, and even answer questions from the audience members, including specially invited VIP guests and celebrity superfans.</p> <p>"I'm so excited to announce that I am teaming up with ITV for An Audience with at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall!" she said. </p> <p>"I'll be performing some of my favourite tracks from throughout my career and no doubt answering some surprising questions from the audience. I can't wait to share this moment with you all."</p> <p>The singer will perform some of her top hits including her more recent chart topper <em>Padam Padam </em>and a few favourites from her award-winning back catalogue.</p> <p>This comes just two years after ITV did the special for Adele, which was met with overwhelming success, reaching over 5.4 million viewers during its peak. </p> <p>Tickets for the show will be on sale from September 8.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Kirstie Alley slammed over deleted Ukraine tweet

<p>Ballroom dancing champion and former Dancing With the Stars contestant Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who’s been posting live updates from inside war-torn Ukraine, has called out Kirstie Alley for tweeting that she doesn’t know what’s “real” and “fake” about Russia invading his home country.</p> <p>Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who’s been posting live updates from Ukraine has called out Kirstie Alley for tweeting she doesn’t know what’s “real” and “fake” about Russia invading his home country.</p> <p>“I don’t know what’s real or what is fake in this war. So I won’t be commenting. I’ll pray instead,” Alley wrote in a since-deleted tweet.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/New-Project-3.jpg" alt="" width="585" height="503" /></p> <p>Chmerkovskiy then posted a screenshot of the tweet, writing, “Dear Kirstie, We haven’t spoken in a while, but I clearly remember being right next to you while you were organising trucks of aid during hurricane Sandy and I remember all that you were saying to me about situations where innocent are suffering.”</p> <p>“That same energy is needed right now.”</p> <p>He added, “No one needs your prayer if you don’t know what’s real or fake.”</p> <p>The US Dancing With the Stars alum has been in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, as Russia’s attacks on the country continue.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">“I’m safe,” he assured fans on Friday. “We haven’t been told to move, and I’m just following instructions. That’s all I can say.” He also shared that citizens are “being mobilised” and “the whole country is being called to go to war.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">It’s unclear if he was including himself in that, but it’s unlikely as he became a US citizen in 2019. The pro dancer’s wife Peta Murgatroyd who’s also a <em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;">DWTS</em> alum pleaded on social media for his safe return.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Meanwhile, Alley took down the tweet and posted instead, “I’m sorry that I’m not an expert on APPARENTLY EVERYTHING. like some of you jack wagons. It’s OK to admit you don’t know things.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">She added, “OMG people are obsessed with hatred. they wait to pounce like rabid dogs no matter what is said. They will TWIST any words to fit their hateful agendas. I think these type of people are the saddest people on Earth.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">However, it only took a few days before she was posting links to her 1.5 million followers of places they can donate to help Ukraine.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"> </p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"><em>Images: Twitter & Getty </em></p>

News

Man who helped his father die finds out his fate

<p><strong><em>Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide which may be distressing to some readers</em></strong>.</p> <p>After a lengthy battle against aggressive bowel cancer, in May 2021, Colin Stratton decided he'd had enough.</p> <p>Just a few days shy of his 81st birthday, the loving man asked his family to do something for him.</p> <p>Colin, along with his late wife, had been long term supporters of the voluntary euthanasia bill and members of Dying with Dignity.</p> <p>On May 24th, Colin visited his GP and asked for a suicide pill in order to die on his own terms.</p> <p>When the doctor hold him the paperwork would take up to two weeks, he informed his GP he would simply take matters into his own hands.</p> <p>Impaired from extensive chemotherapy, Colin was unable to complete the task of ending his life by himself.</p> <p>Instead, he asked his 54-year-old son Glenn to help him. Glenn initially refused.</p> <p>“Don’t make me make a bloody mess of it, I can’t do it by myself,” Colin told the middle of his three children.</p> <p>Glenn and his father exchanged "I love yous", and Glenn completed one last task for his father.</p> <p>“The psychological pressure on you must have been enormous,” Victorian Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said in a renewed hearing on Wednesday.</p> <p>“You finally pulled the trigger spontaneously out of love and respect for his wishes,” she said.</p> <p>Glenn explained to the court that his father had always done everything he could for his family, and in return they would've done anything for him.</p> <p>His family are all supportive of his actions, as they saw the impact Colin's illness had on the last years of his life.</p> <p>“They also understand how important it was for him to be able to end his life on his own terms when the pain and burden of illness became too great for him,” Justice Hollingworth said.</p> <p>“They describe your actions in helping your father achieve his wish as loving, courageous and selfless.”</p> <p>Glenn Stratton was initially charged with murder after confessing his actions to police, and he spent 46 days behind bars, causing him to miss his father's funeral.</p> <p>Glenn pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting his father's suicide, and Justice Hollingworth declared there would be no benefit to keeping him in jail.</p> <p>He was instead ordered to undergo mandatory counselling.</p> <p>Mr Stratton's family have said they hope voluntary euthanasia will become more widely available so other families don't have to go through the same thing.</p> <p><strong><em>If you or a member of your family need help in a crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image credit: 7News</em></p>

Legal

5 minutes with author P J McKay

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">5 minutes with the Author</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, <em>OverSixty</em> asks book writers about their literary habits and preferences. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next in the series is <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.pjmckayauthor.com/" target="_blank">P J McKay</a>, a novelist and mum-of-three based in Auckland. After training and working as a food scientist, McKay began writing while undertaking her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Auckland. During her studies, McKay was inspired by her travels through former Yugoslavia to pen her debut novel, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Telling Time</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. After winning the 2020 First Pages Prize, McKay’s novel is now available.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OverSixty</span> </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">sat down with McKay to chat about representing New Zealand’s Croatian community, her current reads, and the role cooking played in her novel.</span></p> <p><strong>O60: What book(s) are you reading right now?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My current book on the go is <em>Betty</em> by Tiffany McDaniel — insights into the Cherokee Indian culture are an added bonus and despite the tough themes I’m enjoying cheering this resilient young woman on.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And I have just finished two novels:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Crazy Love</em> by Rosetta Allan — A love story with a twist. A triumph of love conquering adversity. A no-holes barred insight in the realities of supporting our mentally unwell. This is Rosetta’s third novel. She manages to inject humour into what’s a tough subject to tackle and never allows the story to wallow.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And for something much lighter, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Take me Home</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by Karly Lane — transports the reader from Australia to Scotland. A feel-good story with a dash of romance. </span></p> <p><strong>O60: Does your training in food science influence your writing in any way?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Great question! There are a few food descriptions peppered through <em>The Telling Time</em>. My love of cooking (and consuming food!) has most definitely influenced this. Some reviewers have noted it as a bonus to be transported by these descriptions. Any reference to food is of course relevant to the era and/or the setting but given the aroma, taste or even just the sight of food transports us to different settings it can be a useful and fun tool to employ: think Greece and Mediterranean dishes, or traditional Australasian sweet treats — lamingtons for example — or food which is typical in Croatia, such as <em>črostule</em>, <em>njoki</em>, <em>špek</em> or the local wine on Korčula, <em>Pošip</em>. As an author I invite the reader to use all their senses when imagining my characters in scene. If I get their taste buds watering then that’s a bonus. </span></p> <p><strong>O60: How did you start writing historical fiction?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s the genre which I enjoy most as a reader and my background roles in research were also very helpful. The nugget for this novel came from my own experience when backpacking in the late 1980s tied in with my interest in the immigrant experience and for <em>The Telling Time</em>, the Croatian diaspora. I also wanted the novel to encompass the mother/daughter relationship, hence the dual timeline that includes the late 1950s and 1989. It’s scary to think that these two eras now count as historical! When researching for a novel like this it means going back even further in time. <em>The Telling Time</em> references events from the early 20</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Century, WWIII, and the events that followed afterward, particularly in the former Yugoslavia. I love that historical fiction often gifts the reader information they didn’t previously know. This for me is the joy of historical fiction writing; finding those facts to thread through the fiction to ensure the ‘world of the novel’ is credible. </span></p> <p><strong>O60: <em>The Telling Time</em> was inspired by your travels and the connections you made with the local Croatian community. How did it feel to represent this community with your novel? </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel privileged to have been privy to stories from the Croatian community and delighted to shine some light on what makes this group unique, but also what unites their stories with other immigrant groups. It is always tricky finding the balance when representing a community that is not your own lived experience. For me, it was important to observe and listen at the local Dalmatian club when attending club nights and events. There were excellent resources to draw on at the club — their cultural museum and language tutor who checked my use of Croatian words/phrases in the novel — and having the novel reviewed by Dr Nina Nola from the University of Auckland’s English department was another essential step. Nina’s mother immigrated to New Zealand from Hvar in the 1950s. This is a novel, and therefore a work of fiction, but staying true to the culture and customs is an essential component and the feedback from readers of Croatian heritage suggests I have succeeded in getting the balance and details right. Of course, when Croatian publishers Znanje d.o. bought the translation rights for the novel earlier this year (to be published there in June 2022) this was a further seal of approval. I felt both proud and delighted that I would soon be able to gift copies of the translated novel to the club. </span></p> <p><strong>O60: What book or books do you think are underrated?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s a curly question! <em>The Lost Lights of St Kilda</em> by Elisabeth Gifford is a gentle historic novel, published last year which I thoroughly enjoyed but don’t hear a lot about now. And I’ll put in a plug for fellow New Zealand author, Rosetta Allan, mentioned above. Along with <em>Crazy Love</em>, her two other novels, <em>Purgatory</em> and <em>The Unreliable People</em>, are both fabulous reads that deserve more air-time!!</span></p> <p><strong>O60: How do you deal with writer’s block?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I found the best solution was to chat more. By this I mean nutting out a problem with trusted friends or asking a question which then often provided a lead, or new tangent to explore. There was one dire moment of writer’s block when I was desperate to get my character, Gabrijela, out of the house. I asked Mum for ideas about social events in the 1950s and she told me how popular a day at the races was along with a personal story about backing an outside runner called Red Glare. Bingo! Guess where Gabrijela was now off to! Critique was also a valuable tool, especially during my Masters in Creative Writing year at Auckland University. It challenges you to think harder and strive to improve, to iron out the creases waiting to trip the reader out of their suspended disbelief.</span></p> <p><strong>O60: Which author, dead or alive, would you most like to have dinner with?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Has to be Janine Cummins, who wrote </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">American Dirt</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Supplied</span></em></p>

Books

5 minutes with author Christine Sykes

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">5 minutes with author</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over60</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> asks book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next in the series is Christine Sykes, a novelist and memoir writer based on Sydney’s south coast. After working as a Public Servant for 30 years and volunteering at Dress for Success Sydney for four, Sykes is now enjoying life’s simple pleasures and is regularly involved in tap dancing, acting, painting, and playing the flute. Her debut novel, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Changing Room</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was inspired by the experiences of the women behind the charity Dress for Success. Her latest title, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gough and Me</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, is out now.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over60</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> talked with Sykes about writing routines, Jenny Hocking, and tough reads.</span></p> <p><strong>Over60:What book do you think more people should read?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aside from my two books! There are so many wonderful Australian writers to choose from.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The book I think people should read to get an understanding of the way history can be manipulated is </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Palace Letters</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by Jenny Hocking. It is a gripping account of the ground-breaking work undertaken to reveal the truth behind the sacking of the Whitlam government and the extraordinary steps to hide that truth.</span></p> <p><strong>How did you make the transition from the Public Service to writing?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While I was in the public service in Canberra, I undertook short creative writing courses at ANU. This resulted in me writing many short stories and rediscovering my love of children’s stories.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I retired, I decided to treat it as a writing sabbatical and try writing longer works. The Year of Novel Writing course at Writing NSW, gave me a structure to my time and a great foundation for writing my first published book, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Changing Room</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. I continued to explore writing through other courses and writing groups which led to the publication of my memoir, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gough and Me</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><strong> What was the last book that made you laugh?</strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by Joanna Nell was hilarious, and a book I wish I’d written.</span> </p> <p><strong>What does your writing routine look like?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most of my writing is done in the morning, which is my most creative time. I usually begin writing in longhand in exercise books, and move to typing on the computer when the story has taken shape. The afternoons are good for walking and letting the story settle in the back of my brain where new connections are made. Some people call this composting and it’s an important part of my creative process.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I edit, I tend to work into the afternoon and often find different places to read the manuscript, which gives me an alternative perspective.</span></p> <p><strong>What is your best writing tip?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Invest in your writing, through whatever means are available to you, such as doing a course, having a professional mentor or editor, being part of a writing group or having a writing friend. This really helped me when I didn’t feel like writing or was questioning my ability to write. I also give myself permission to write badly – it’s better to have something on the page which I can then edit and mould, than swirling thoughts in my head.</span> </p> <p><strong>Which author, deceased or living, would you most like to have dinner with?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My first choice would be Anais Nin – a prolific writer of journals, novels and essays. I adored her descriptions of the soirees she held in Paris with interesting people from the arts, politics and life. I hope she’d bring some with her and would love for her to include Gough and Margaret Whitlam.</span></p> <p>What do you do when you can’t seem to finish reading a book?</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Usually I push through, hoping the author will grip me again, and sometimes I skip sections which are less interesting. There have only been a few books which I have abandoned.</span></p>

Books

Fan favourite takes out Dancing With The Stars again

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Luke Jacobz has claimed his second Dancing With The Stars mirror ball trophy after winning the show’s all-star celebrity season.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Going up against former soap star Bec Hewitt, Jacobz and professional dance partner Jorja Freeman won the grand final.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/COEW5cHhMaV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/COEW5cHhMaV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Luke Jacobz (@lukejacobz)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Earlier in the episode Kyly Clarke, Lincoln Lewis, Ada Nicodemou, and Manu Feildel were kicked off.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“To win is honestly the greatest achievement of my life,” Jacobz told AAA.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I have never wanted something so much in my life.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The now 40-year-old dedicated his win and the $20,000 cash prize to the Charlie Teo Foundation, a charity that funds brain cancer research.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">He came... and he conquered the Ballroom once again! A big congratulations to Luke Jacobz and his incredible partner Jorja. 🙌✨ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DancingAU?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DancingAU</a> <a href="https://t.co/UYc0sK6qp3">pic.twitter.com/UYc0sK6qp3</a></p> — #DancingAU (@DancingAU) <a href="https://twitter.com/DancingAU/status/1386269226093084672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Home and Away actor, whose real name is Luke Jacob Ashwood, won his first trophy in 2008 with his partner Luda Kroiter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This year’s season saw celebrity contestants return to the competition, including Tom Williams, Fifi Box, Jamie Durie, and wildcard contestants Schapelle Corby, Renee Bargh, Matty J, Jessicca Gomes, and Erin McNaught.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the announcement of his win, Jacobz said, “Thank you for asking me to come back, when I did this show in 2008, I was always like if they do another one and ask people back, I want to have a go at it, because I really enjoyed it last time.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m so grateful to be partnered with Jorja, she works so incredibly hard, her passion and love for dancing is so inspiring.”</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CN7ZiGGBCEU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CN7ZiGGBCEU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Luke Jacobz (@lukejacobz)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With his win, Jacobz is hoping more opportunities will come up to follow his passion for performing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I really hope that winning can open doors for me to perform on a live stage,” he said. “To tour with other dancers or to be part of a production would be a dream come true. Next is unwritten … but I am hungry for more so, if the opportunity arises, I will be there to take it but I am a duo so Jorja is coming with me.”</span></p>

Music

Beloved 98-year-old grandma turned Facebook chef dies of coronavirus

<p>Lucy Pollock is not the only person who turned to cooking and baking during the coronavirus lockdown.</p> <p>However, she is one that stuck out after her videos, originally meant for friends and family, online began to gain traction and stick in the hearts of everyone watching her.</p> <p>Over time, the beloved 98-year-old’s cooking show<span> </span><em>Baking With Lucy</em><span> </span>amassed over 40,000 followers.</p> <p>Sadly though, the woman did not make it long enough to share any of her delicious Christmas recipes, passing away on Sunday after being diagnosed with coronavirus and suffering from a fatal lung infection.</p> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/inhercozykitchen/posts/232858605036662" data-show-text="true" data-width=""> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <p>As Lucy would say, " Happy Tuesday!!" Here is a beautiful photo of my mom and me at an art show Latrobe Art Center when...</p> Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/inhercozykitchen/">Baking With Lucy</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/inhercozykitchen/posts/232858605036662">Tuesday, November 24, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> <p>The Pennsylvania woman’s daughter Mary Ellen Raneri was the one who announced the sad news in a video shared to Pollock’s popular baking video page.</p> <p>"The beautiful, lovely Lucy, talented woman and amazing mother, passed away last night at 3 in the morning," she explains in the video.</p> <p>"It was very unexpected. It was due to a lung infection and also, she tested positive for COVID, so it's quite an eye-opener for us and for everybody.</p> <p>"It's kind of ironic that what she struggled so hard to help people with eventually ended up hurting her."</p> <p>Raneri was able to visit her mother prior to her death and sang<span> </span><em>You Are My Sunshine</em><span> </span>in their final moment together.</p> <p>She closed her eyes, she looked really happy, and she was at peace," she said in the video.</p> <p>Pollock brought joy to thousands in her humble kitchen, cooking up almost a century's worth of family recipes, baking dishes that had been passed down through generations, donated by friends, and taken from frayed, handwritten notes.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838935/lucy-pollock.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4ef471798165452e895bde030b4f8207" /></p> <p>In mid-March, Raneri shared a photo on Facebook of her mother making cinnamon scrolls.</p> <p>The pair were then encouraged to make "live videos" of themselves cooking up more dishes.</p> <p>Raneri would often stand nearby and read out recipes while her mother baked due to her poor eyesight.</p> <p>Pollock would bake while her husband Phil filmed her and the humble, family-friendly videos took off quickly – with Pollock earning worldwide recognition, an upcoming cookbook and a national television appearance on NBC's Today show,</p> <p>"I can't believe that I'm sitting here on a Sunday morning doing this," Raneri said in the sad video.</p> <p>"Because at this point we'd all be scurrying around, yelling at each other 'Who's going to get the flour?' and 'Where are we going to put it?' But life has twists and turns.</p> <p>"I feel like my heart is breaking right now. But I wanted to tell everybody that I think right now she's in a really good place, and I'm going to go with that."</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838934/lucy-pollock-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/10634dde307746af8dd66b63045051a8" /></p> <p>Pollock's cookbook will go ahead as planned.</p> <p>"I don't think I knew how much I loved my mum until we started to do this project together," Raneri said of the cookbook.</p> <p>"I loved her, but I don't think I knew how much I admired her. She was an amazing person."</p> <p>Pollock will be buried in a private service on Friday.</p> <p>The service will be live streamed at 11 a.m. on the Baking with Lucy Facebook page.</p>

Food & Wine

Gone With the Wind dropped for being racially unjust

<p>The classic US film<span> </span>Gone With The Wind<span> </span>has been removed from HBO’s streaming platform due to mass protests worldwide against racism.</p> <p>The Oscar-winning US Civil War epic was released in 1939 and remains the highest-grossing movie of all time.</p> <p>However, its depiction of happy slaves and heroic slaveholders has garnered criticism.</p> <p>“’Gone With The Wind’ is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society,” an HBO Max spokesperson said in a statement.</p> <p>“These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible.”</p> <p>“12 Years A Slave” writer John Ridley said in a Los Angeles Times op-ed Monday that “Gone with the Wind” must be removed as it “doesn’t just ‘fall short’ with regard to representation” but ignores the horrors of slavery and perpetuates “some of the most painful stereotypes of people of colour.”</p> <p>The film will return to the streaming platform at a later date, along with a discussion of its historical context.</p> <p>No edits will be made “because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.”</p> <p>“If we are to create a more just, equitable and inclusive future, we must first acknowledge and understand our history.”</p> <p>It comes after Netflix has pulled British comedy series<span> </span>The Mighty Boosh<span> </span>and<span> </span>The League of Gentlemen<span> </span>for their use of blackface.</p> <p>Netflix also removed four popular Chris Lilley shows from its platform, which were<span> </span>We Can Be Heroes, Summer Heights High, Angry Boys<span> </span>and<span> </span>Jonah From Tonga.</p> <p>Netflix and Chris Lilley are yet to comment.</p>

Movies

Perfect summer meal: Barbecued tuna steaks with walnut sauce

<p><em>Serves 4. </em></p> <p>This quick, simple dish showcases meaty tuna with a walnut sauce based on tarator, a Middle Eastern sauce often served with fish in Lebanon and Syria.</p> <p>Freshness is the key and Californian walnuts work best for this moreish sauce.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>4 x 180g sashimi-grade tuna steaks (see notes)</li> <li>Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste</li> <li>⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>100g wild or baby rocket, washed and dried</li> <li>1 lemon, quartered</li> </ul> <p><strong>Walnut Sauce</strong></p> <ul> <li>100g shelled walnuts</li> <li>1 clove garlic, finely chopped</li> <li>1 slice stale white bread, soaked in water</li> <li>1 tablespoon white wine vinegar</li> <li>3 teaspoons lemon juice</li> <li>⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. Place the walnuts and garlic in a food processor. Squeeze the water out of the bread and add to the walnuts. Pulse until walnuts are finely chopped. Add vinegar, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Chill until ready to serve.</p> <p>2. Heat a barbecue or char-grill plate.</p> <p>3. Brush the steaks with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the steaks for 3 minutes on one side, then turn and cook the other side for 1 minute, so that they are still pink in the centre, or until cooked to your liking. Rest fish in a warm place for a few minutes before serving.</p> <p>4. Meanwhile, arrange rocket leaves on plates, drizzle with remaining olive oil.</p> <p>5. Place a steak on top and spoon walnut sauce over each steak. Serve with a lemon wedge.</p> <p><strong>Tips</strong></p> <ul> <li>Remove the fish from the fridge 20-30 minutes before you cook it, to allow it to come to room temperature, this is particularly important if it is being served rare in the centre.</li> <li>Sashimi-grade fish is normally sold trimmed, if it is not, trim off any skin and dark muscle before cooking.</li> <li>Alternative species: Albacore, bonito, mackerel, salmon, striped marlin, swordfish.</li> </ul> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/barbecued-tuna-steaks-with-walnut-sauce.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

Turia Pitt inspires emotional movement in wake of new bushfire crisis

<p><span>Turia Pitt has penned an inspiring and heartbreaking post on social media which has resulted in an incredible movement in the wake of the bushfire crisis.</span></p> <p><span>The athlete and motivational speaker took to Instagram on Monday to speak about her own distress and desperation due to the harrowing bushfires that has plagued Australia.</span></p> <p><span>Turia’s own home in the New South Wales south coast region is located in a spot heavily impacted by the fires. The effect on Pitt and her husband Michael Hoskin and their two-year-old son Hakavai has been devastating.</span></p> <p><span>The 32-year-old wrote: "I watched, my mouth agape, as two angry plumes from the fires north and south of us joined together over Mollymook Beach. And then, the power went out."</span></p> <p><span>She further explained the grave concern she felt as she witnessed the toll of the bushfire and detailing the experience of seeing and feeling her home become “an apocalyptic quiet”. detailed the "It's been a tough few weeks for me emotionally. I've had to focus on not letting my emotions and own experiences get the better of me."</span></p> <p><span>"I'm exhausted. I feel like I've done 10 marathons. And we can't relax because it's only the start of summer, and it's not over yet. So just like in a marathon, I've realised I have to pace myself."</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B69tZHSA2Ek/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/B69tZHSA2Ek/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Turia (@turiapitt)</a> on Jan 5, 2020 at 8:07pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>Turia alluded to her own terrifying experience in in 2011, where she was trapped in a Western Australia bushfire while running an ultra marathon -she endured burns to 65 per cent of her body as a result.</span></p> <p><span>"I've had recurring nightmares about running through flames with my son in my arms," she added of the current situation.</span></p> <p><span>"It's been difficult to sleep, eat or think and all I've really wanted to do is tap out, put my head in the sand and pretend that nothing is going on."</span></p> <p><span>Her words seemed to have an impact though, and Turia has decided to take matters into her own hands to begin an inspiring movement. .</span><br /><span></span></p> <p><span>"Once these fires are finally 'over', it won't be over for many of the local businesses in fire-ravaged towns," she explained.</span></p> <p><span>"A lot of these places (like my home in Mollymook, and Mallacoota, Kangaroo Island, Eden etc) rely on the tourist dollar for their very survival."</span></p> <p><span>Pitt mentioned the hashtag: #GoWithEmptyEskies movement, kickstarted by Tegan Webber who is encouraging people to travel to fire ravaged towns to buy their products in bulk, as well as the Buy From the Bush campaign which has encouraged people to buy from drought-affected farmers since October.</span></p> <p><span>Turia said: "So this is what I'm doing. I've created @spendwiththem, a place to feature businesses in fire-affected towns. So, if you want to buy something (now, or in the future), check out @spendwiththem and buy something from one of these places.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B69jz3VgHPb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/B69jz3VgHPb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Turia (@turiapitt)</a> on Jan 5, 2020 at 6:43pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>"This is a way to put money directly in the pockets of the people and communities who need it the most, and need it NOW."</span></p> <p><span>"Help them rebuild. Make them feel heard. Spend with them."</span></p> <p><span>She also sent an invitation to businesses who have been affected to contact her to be featured - telling them to visit the page, Spend With Them.</span></p> <p><span>Using her influence for good, it seems the country has reacted with elation over Turia’s emotional post.</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/B6_rAkQADWm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6_rAkQADWm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Hey guys! Grace and I are completely amazed by all of you! Thank you for supporting the businesses we’ve featured on @spendwiththem so far! We’ve been totally overwhelmed by your thousands of messages of support. So, if you’ve sent us a DM requesting we feature your business and we haven’t yet responded, please email us at spendwiththem@turiapitt.com with product pics and instructions on what people can buy online or over the phone. We’re struggling to keep track of DMs right now, so email will be best! Please know that as much as we want to support all businesses in fire-affected towns, we can’t yet encourage visitation to these areas. So, online and phone ordering options are all we can promote for now. When it is safe to do so, we’ll absolutely find a way to encourage road trips to your towns! Big love to you all - you absolute legends! ❤️❤️❤️</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/turiapitt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Turia</a> (@turiapitt) on Jan 6, 2020 at 2:25pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>Her new Instagram page has since shot up in the ranks and received 108,000 followers.</span></p> <div class="c-message__content c-message__content--feature_sonic_inputs" data-qa="message_content"> <div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text"> <div class="p-block_kit_renderer p-block_kit_renderer--absorb_margin" data-qa="block-kit-renderer"> <div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first"> <div class="p-rich_text_block"> <div class="p-rich_text_section"><em>OverSixty, its parent company and its owners are donating a total of $200,000 to the Vinnie’s Bushfire Appeal. We have also pledged an additional $100,000 of product to help all those affected by the bushfire crisis. We would love you to support too! Head to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw" target="_blank">Vinnie's website to donate!</a></em></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="c-message_actions__container c-message__actions" aria-label="Message actions"></div>

Money & Banking

How to: Dating with confidence

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marina’s advice on dating with confidence will assist you to begin to make changes in the way you believe, think and feel about yourself so you can begin moving towards fulfilling your love goal with confidence.</span></p> <p><strong>Confidence equals attraction</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Confidence has been attributed to the greatest attraction factor for both men and women. So let’s start by becoming clear about what confidence is. Basically confidence is being comfortable in your own skin – confidence reflects what you think and feel about your abilities. Therefore, I know my worth, I know my life matters, I know how to promote my internal assets and more importantly I pursue my goals with passion and purpose. Confidence is not about trying to be like others – confidence is accepting yourself as you are and allowing your uniqueness to shine.</span></p> <p><strong>Know your worth</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, what it is the fastest way to increase your confidence? Knowing that your life has meaning and that your contributions to the world are of value is one of the quickest and fastest ways to increase your confidence. But confidence is not something we can fake. It is a feeling we give out to others – people feel what we think and believe about ourselves. A common mistake many people make when they begin dating is that they only focus on their external assets; their hair, going to the gym, losing weight, buying a new wardrobe or a new car, Botox and the list goes on. Although good looks, sexy clothes and a great body may attract men and women to you it is no guarantee that they will fall in love with you or want to establish a long term relationship. Research informs us that men do not necessarily fall in love with the prettiest and sexiest of women and not all women fall for the best looking guy (or the one with the most money).</span></p> <p><strong>Tips to increase your Dating Confidence</strong></p> <p><strong>Let go of past relationships and attachments: </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is one of the biggest reasons why people prevent the right partner from finding them. They are still emotionally attached to a past love/s.</span></p> <p><strong>Make a list of your strengths and your good qualities:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Become clear about why you are a great catch and more importantly why you will no longer accept anything less than what you deserve. Remember having something is not better than having nothing; particularly when it comes to love.</span></p> <p><strong>Break free from your comfort zone: </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you still doing the same thing you always have to find the love of your life? Then the chances are high that you will keep attracting the same type of person or situation.</span></p> <p><strong>Re-evaluate and then re-create your “must-list”:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Think about what is on your ‘must have’ list when it comes to a partner. Then look honestly at yourself and identify what qualities you could still do some work on to strengthen. Then take positive steps to become the best you can be to attract the person you would like in your life. Remember, like attracts like!</span></p> <p><strong>Spend time with friends that celebrate you:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The calmer and happier you are, the more confident you will feel about attracting your special person. The way people treat us directly impacts on our self-esteem.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Read more from Marina about how to find new love </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/lifestyle/boomer-life/preparing-for-love-in-your-50s.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here.</span></a></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Marina Bakker. Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/relationships/dating-with-confidence.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wyza.com.au.</span></a></em></p>

Caring

The Gone With the Wind mansion could be yours - Can you guess for how much?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The beautiful antebellum property which inspired Margaret Mitchell’s </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gone With the Wind </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">is now up for grabs. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Located in Covington, Georgia, the plantation-style property was featured in Twelve Oaks, where one of the key characters, Ashley Wilkes, lived. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Mitchell wanted little to do with the film adaption of her novel, she came across a mesmerising photograph of a mansion built in 1836 and immediately cut it out and posted it to then director David Selznick saying it was identical to the house she envisioned for Ashley Wilkes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film went on to win numerous Oscars. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Greek-revival mansion could be yours - with the bid starting from US$1 million. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After a full blown renovation on the 12-bedroom, 13-bathroom property, it looks much different to when Michell first accidentally came across it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With a massive, state-of-the-art kitchen, and a classy fresh feel, it is a home many could find solace in. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The area in which the house is located has been dubbed the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hollywood of the South</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with over 125 films being shot there to date. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With beautiful hardwood floors, and soaring 11-foot ceilings - it is the ultimate home for entertaining. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The home also boasts a large dining room, new kitchen, a formal parlour, and personal library.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The home sits on over 3 acres of land, and includes Tesla charging station for cars and golf carts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside, is a swimming pool with a historic pergola, covered porches and an expansive deck which is the perfect entertaining space. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the last seven years, the special home has served as a bed and breakfast, and has also been an extremely popular venue for hosting weddings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll through the gallery above to see the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gone With the Wind </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">home. </span></p>

International Travel

Braised beef short ribs with beans

<p>Try this hearty slow-cooked beef to fill you up on a cold winter's night.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>4 bone-in beef short ribs (about 800g)</li> <li>2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes </li> <li>5 carrots, cut into short lengths, halved lengthways</li> <li>1 onion, sliced</li> <li>4 garlic cloves, chopped</li> <li>1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped</li> <li>325g cooked white beans (140g dried)</li> <li>Salt and freshly ground black pepper</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. Position rack about 12cm from grill and preheat grill.</p> <p>2. Place short ribs in a roasting tin and grill for 8–10 minutes until well browned on both sides.</p> <p>3. Preheat oven to 160°C.</p> <p>4. Add tomatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and rosemary, cover with foil and cook for 3 hours.</p> <p>5. Stir in beans, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.</p> <p>6. Using a fork, shred meat away from bones. Season to taste.</p> <p><strong><em>Image and recipe from</em></strong><em> <strong><a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http://www.booktopia.com.au/one-pan-roasts-molly-shuster/prod9781760522520.html">One Pan Roasts by Molly Shuster</a>, Murdoch Books, RRP $35.00.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/braised-beef-short-ribs-with-beans.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

Tips for travelling with grandkids

<p>As we get into our senior years it becomes more difficult for us to take holidays on our own. If you want to still enjoy the pleasures of a vacation, the alternative is to take your grandkids with you when you holiday. This may seem a daunting prospect (especially if you have your own children to cater for too), but with the right approach and some smart planning it can be a success. Here's what to consider making it work.</p> <p><strong>Finding the right location and accommodation</strong></p> <p>This choice of holiday venue can make a big difference to the success or failure of a joint vacation. The key factors to making it work are firstly to ensure that accommodation is central to amenities, such as shops, clubs, beaches or places of interest. You don’t want to have to far to travel once you arrive and having everything close by may give you greater independence if you are mobile enough.</p> <p>Generally speaking, it’s best to settle on just one destination, rather than doing a lot of moving around and having to re-pack several times. Check that accommodation has easy access and is suitable for those who have limited mobility issues. It is also very helpful if the accommodation has pleasant surroundings and outlook, so that it is still an appealing place to spend time if you are not able to get out and about as much as your grandkids. Garden areas, pools, cafes and recreation facilities will help in this regard.</p> <p>The type of accommodation needs some forethought too. It’s preferable to have sufficient space to give your grandchildren some privacy and their own area to retreat to, so that everyone is not on top of each other all the time. This is especially true if you have children with you too. A home or apartment that can give you your own living space and bathroom is a good idea. If it is a hotel, then a separate room for them is preferable.</p> <p><strong>Plan and agree on schedules and expenses</strong></p> <p>While there is no need for a rigid schedule, it is important to allocate time for doing things jointly and for doing some things separately. This can help avoid the stress of being together full time and ensures that all parties get proper relaxation and regeneration. Ideally this should be discussed with your grandchildren in advance and perhaps a rough schedule agreed upon so that everyone is on the same page before you go.</p> <p>Make sure also that things like meals, transport and touring activities are discussed in advance so that you are not packing too much in and that there is agreement on how costs are being shared. If you are doing organised tours or attractions, don’t feel it is essential to do everything together – it may cause unnecessary tensions. Meal arrangements can be varied too, so that there is a combination of joint meals and some private time too.</p> <p><strong>Planning your packing</strong></p> <p>Make sure medicines are in good supply and spare prescriptions arranged. If there is any medical equipment that needs to be taken, make sure you investigate the type of power supply and if adapters are required, if you are going to a foreign country. It’s wise to have spare spectacles and hearing aid batteries on hand too. Pack light too, if you are planning on multiple destinations; you will already be carting extra luggage for them, so you don’t want to make this a bigger burden than necessary.</p> <p>Travel insurance needs to cover all persons on the trip to avoid nasty bills if there are any medical emergencies.</p> <p><strong>Test the waters before making a big commitment</strong></p> <p>If it is the first time you have taken a break together, it may be best to start out by trying a shorter break first to see how things pan out and what issues arise. Even a weekend away may be enough to test the waters to see how the dynamics will work. It is possible to achieve a successful holiday together, as long as the right planning and a little common sense are applied.</p> <p><em>Written by Tom Raeside. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/tips-for-traveling-with-parents.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Retirement Life

Delicious roast tomato and capsicum soup with crispy chorizo and fresh basil

<p>Packed with flavour you’ll be making this soup again and again, it’s perfect for the whole family and really cheap to make.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>4 large capsicums</li> <li>6 large vine ripened mixed tomatoes (yellow, purple, red etc)</li> <li>1 punnet cherry tomates</li> <li>2 garlic cloves</li> <li>2 celery stalks</li> <li>1 red onion</li> <li>1 tbs tomato puree</li> <li>120g chorizo sausage (cut into cubes)</li> <li>½ bunch basil</li> <li>1 tin kidney beans</li> <li>Olive oil</li> <li>Salt and pepper</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. Cut the top off your capsicums and scoop out the seeds then place upside down onto an oven proof tray lined with greaseproof paper. Slice the large tomatoes into ¼s and place on the tray with the whole cherry tomatoes. Slice your red onion into ¼s and add them to the tray.</p> <p>2. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper and make sure all the veg is coated. Roast in the oven at 220°C for 15-20 mins until they start to colour and the skin from the capsicum blisters. Once cooked remove and leave to one side.</p> <p>3. In a pan slowly fry the chopped garlic and sliced celery. Remove the thin skin from the chorizo and dice then add ½ of the sausage and some finely chopped basil stalks to the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins until golden brown.</p> <p>4. Next add the tomato puree to the chorizo and cook for another 2 mins, add a little water so the tomato puree doesn’t burn.</p> <p>5. Once the capsicum has cooled, carefully remove the skin then roughly chop. Add the capsicum, roasted tomato and onion to a large thick bottomed pan along with the chorizo mix in the pan.</p> <p>6. Add 1 litre of boiling chicken stock to the pan and bring back to the boil. Whilst the soup is coming to the boil fry off the other half of the diced chorizo until really crispy then tip onto some kitchen roll to remove some of the grease.</p> <p>7. As soon as the soup starts to boil remove from the heat. Blend until smooth and adjust the seasoning, careful not to add too much salt. Add ½ bunch of basil leaves and blend once more.</p> <p>8. Finally mix in a tin of drained kidney beans into the soup and serve. Top with crispy chorizo.</p> <p><strong>Tips</strong></p> <p>Double the batch and freeze it until you need a quick dinner one evening. Remember this has meat in it so make sure to remove from the freezer the night before and heat until piping hot before serving.</p> <p>Recipe courtesy of Richard Kerrigan, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rkthebeachlife/">The Beach Life</a>, Qualified Chef and Personal Trainer.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/roast-tomato-and-capsicum-soup-with-crispy-chorizo-and-fresh-basil.aspx"><em>Wyza.com.au.</em></a></p>

Food & Wine

You can now dine with your dog at this Japanese restaurant

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A restaurant chain in Japan has realised that many people do enjoy dining with their dogs. Therefore, to keep their customers happy, they have involved your dog in your overall dining experience.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuV_J3yjMJE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/BuV_J3yjMJE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by emi (@emi11dai02)</a> on Feb 26, 2019 at 3:36am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ushisuke, which is a chain of restaurants in Tokyo and Tokahham, are serving grilled meat to their customers and their furry friends, according to </span><a href="https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/03/japan-has-bbq-restaurants-for-you-and-your-dog/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kotaku</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yes, that’s right. The restaurant grills meat for you AND your dog.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The restaurant has also gone one step further to make sure that your dog feels included in the dining experience.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs0Sm-4AkSI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/Bs0Sm-4AkSI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ✭ アモル ✭ (@amor_album)</a> on Jan 19, 2019 at 5:00am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pets are able to sit at the table and order from a specific menu that’s catered to dogs. Items include a selection of rice, veggies and thick slices of meat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the dogs are up at the table in their special seats, they are able to patiently wait for their food to be cooked.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Would you take your pooch to a restaurant like this? Let us know in the comments.</span></p>

Family & Pets

Are Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson “friends with benefits"?

<p>After rumours circulated around Fergie’s and her ex-husband’s relationship while on a trip together, the fiery red head was <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/just-friends-fergie-forced-to-deny-she-and-prince-andrew-have-reunited" target="_blank">forced to deny any of the rekindling allegations.</a></p> <p>However, new reports are claiming the pair are “friends with benefits,” and that the rollercoaster relationship – which has followed the two over the last 30 years – is back on, and it's here to stay.</p> <p>The couple divorced in 1996 while raising their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.</p> <p>Now on top of the rumours both Fergie and the prince are back together, follows the newest claim by <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/8802905/sarah-ferguson-prince-andrew-friends-benefits-charles-philip/" target="_blank"><em>The Sun</em></a>, which says they are back in a romantic relationship which friends claim makes them “friends with benefits.”</p> <p>Prince Philip no longer “cares” about the tumultuous relationship, while Prince Charles reportedly is still “not OK” with Fergie and still “can’t stand her.”</p> <p>“He thinks she’s brought embarrassment to the Royal Family in the past and his relationship with his brother has been strained as a result,” a royal insider told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/8802905/sarah-ferguson-prince-andrew-friends-benefits-charles-philip/" target="_blank"><em>The Sun</em>.</a></p> <p>“There’s so much baggage because he feels she sided with Diana over Camilla all those years ago.</p> <p>“The fear with her is that she will never stop promoting herself and looking for ways to make money off her royal position.”</p> <p>The Duchess of York’s official words are that she and her ex-husband remain “good friends as they have for many years, and nothing has changed.”</p> <p>While this seems to be the understanding, royal fans are constantly left confused by the two’s strange relationship.</p> <p>Last year, Fergie told an Australian radio show she and Prince Andrew had never “really left each other.”</p> <p>She also said they were the “happiest divorced couple in the world.”</p> <p>“He's still my handsome prince, he'll always be my handsome prince,” the 59-year-old royal member has also been quoted saying.</p> <p>The Duchess of York still appears to be in the Queen’s good graces, and has been invited to Balmoral for summer visits for the last three years.</p> <p>Along with being invited to the high-profile wedding between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May of last year, Fergie is also said to have joined Her Majesty for tea at Ascot and Windsor Castle.</p>

Relationships

Should your elderly parent live with you?

<p>The prospect of providing in-house care to an aged parent can be daunting. This kind of significant change often requires the careful consideration of important emotional, economic and social issues. Nonetheless, having a parent 'move in' is an increasingly popular course of action.</p> <p>Here's what you need to know before your parent moves in with you.</p> <p><strong>Are you able to have a parent move in?</strong></p> <p>Personal and other circumstances may make it difficult to accommodate an older parent requiring aged care. You must carefully consider whether your home is appropriate and whether there is space for your parent. Families with children still living at home will often find that the balance can be challenging, but it's not impossible.</p> <p>Ideally, the house should not be too difficult to navigate (two-storey houses and large spaces may prove to be tricky). You may also require certain renovations or additional fixtures in the bathroom, around staircases and in common areas (rails, space for a medical device or aid etc.).</p> <p>If you find that you are unable to afford these kinds of significant renovations (or that your home is simply not an ideal fit for your older parent) then take the time to consider other options before moving ahead with an unworkable plan.</p> <p><strong>Understand their needs</strong></p> <p>Depending on the exact nature of your parent's illness (or their age or relative level of mobility), you may or may not be able to provide an appropriate level of care. A discussion with the family doctor or health care provider is often the best way of first determining these needs. These often include rigorous management of medication and medical appointments and your on-going ability to provide day-to-day care (including bathing, feeding, dressing or maintaining medical devices).</p> <p>In some cases, age-related illnesses can also lead to a deterioration or change in your parents demeanour or personality. For example, families of Alzheimer's sufferers will often report changes in nature and disposition. Sometimes these changes can be negative, with the sufferer exhibiting signs of anger or frustration. This isn't always the case, as many Alzheimer's patients can be very calm.</p> <p><strong>Consider the impact</strong></p> <p>It's important to think about the impact of your parent moving into your family home. If your family has a history of helping and interacting with your parent, the transition to the family home might be easier. Additionally, a good family network can ease the burden of the care-giving needs and even help socialise an older parent.</p> <p>Essentially, there are many benefits associated with a parent moving in. If your children are younger, and your parent's medical needs aren’t too restrictive, the addition of a 'time-rich' adult can be a huge help. And if your kids are old enough to interact well with their grandparent, this can be an inspiring relationship as your children will learn to know and care for their grandparent.</p> <p>For those who've lived through an in-home care-giving situation, it is often a life-changing and truly humbling experience. However, for others, the situation may be less than ideal. Consider the best interests of your family, and don't be afraid to face the reality of your own relationship with your parent. Care giving is difficult, and an already-tenuous relationship is not going to get any easier.</p> <p><strong>Talk about finances</strong></p> <p>It's an awkward topic of conversation, but before you have a parent move in it is important to know that the financial burden is not entirely yours. Though home-care can be costly, the truth is that it often saves the family a lot of money.</p> <p>If you have siblings or others involved with care-giving, it's essential that they understand the reasons behind any financial arrangements, which might include contributions to rent, food and medical care. If it is just you then do you finances and work out how you will be able to afford to care for everyone.</p> <p>Having a parent move in may result in a change to the well-established family dynamic. After years of being the responsible adult, your parent might resent their child taking over the important roles once played by them; in short, the child may become the responsible, ‘parent-like’ adult. Be sensitive to this and consider seeking professional advice if needed.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/relationships/moving-an-elderly-parent-into-your-home.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Caring

Planning a trip with the grandkids? Here’s how to make it fun!

<p>In order to make sure that your trip with your grandkids will be fun for everyone, it's important to keep a few things in mind before heading off.</p> <p><strong>Get their input</strong></p> <p class="p3">Rather than just planning everything out for the kids, why not get them to help make a decision about the itinerary. By getting them involved in the decision making process it will make them feel more of an equal player on the trip. </p> <p class="p3">Ian Jackson, Boomers Travel Insurance Managing Director, says it's increasingly common for New Zealanders to take their grandchildren on overseas holidays, exposing them to difficulties not ordinarily encountered at home.</p> <p class="p3">“Different countries have different policies on allowing children to enter and leave without their parents,” Jackson advises. “Children travelling with a guardian can leave and return to New Zealand with only their passports, but other countries have strict rules that require documents beyond the regular passport and visa.”</p> <p class="p3">Jackson also says it is important to check requirements with the embassy, high commission or consulate of each destination country.</p> <p class="p3">Some countries required evidence that a child had parental permission to travel, or might request other documents to identify the parents such as birth certificates, adoption papers or custody orders.</p> <p><strong>Save on insurance</strong></p> <p>Selecting a travel insurance is important to ensure that you are covered when things don’t go to plan. Be sure to choose a plan that offer cover for children when travelling with their parents or grandparents. This is often at no extra cost, as long as they are up to the age of 25 years, not in full-time employment, and are travelling with the policy holder.</p> <p><strong>Plan out the trip</strong></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s2">Travelling with young grandchildren, whether domestically or internationally, requires some extra planning.<span> </span></span>It is advisable to have a letter from the parents giving permission for to be travelling together, with their contact details, who is going on the holiday, how you are connected and all of the holiday details.</p> <p class="p2">Carry copies of the parents’ passports and the child’s birth certificates. Make sure you also have copies of any relevant papers when it comes to custody of the child.</p> <p class="p6">Make sure your grandchildren have proper identification, including local and home contact information on them at all times during the trip. It’s also a good idea to have a recent photo of them in case they do get lost.</p> <p class="p6">By also emailing yourself important information and current photos to an email account you will be able to access anywhere, and you can ensure you will always have the information you need close at hand no matter what.</p> <p class="p3">If your grandchild will be taking any medication during the trip, make sure you are completely clear on the medications and the dosages. Also, ensure you have a notarised authorisation form from your grandchild's parents in case he or she needs medical attention during the holiday. </p> <p class="p3"><strong>Top ideas to ensure it is a great trip for everyone</strong></p> <ol> <li>Talk to the parents who will know if their child is ready to be away from home without them, and what they enjoy. Learn their sleeping and eating schedules, and try to stick to them as best as you can even with time zone differences. </li> <li>Take the child out for the day before the big trip – perhaps to the zoo or to the beach – as a test run if you don’t usually spend much time alone with them. It will also give you a chance to test your endurance against that of your grandchild.</li> <li>Discuss the planned holiday with the children to get their input and to get them excited about it. </li> <li>Keep in mind that the memories from time spent together are going to be more important, long term, than where you go.</li> <li>Remember that you are going to have to put their interests first and plan accordingly. And be prepared to change plans midway if things aren’t working out. </li> <li>Don’t be too ambitious – particularly with activities that are regulated like a stage show or a museum.</li> <li>Be prepared to give everyone a little space rather than being in each other’s pockets 24/7.</li> <li>Pack on the light side but if your grandchild has a particular favourite toy having that along may help sleeping in strange rooms and cities. Taking along familiar (packaged) snacks is also a good idea at least for the journey from Australia.</li> <li>Give the kids some of their own spending money. It’s even more exciting for them to work out what souvenirs to buy when it’s a foreign currency.</li> </ol> <p>Have you taken a trip with your grandkids? Did you all have fun? Let us know in the comments!</p> <p><em>Written by David McGonigal. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/planning-a-trip-with-the-grandkids-here%E2%80%99s-how-to-make-it-fun!.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

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Planning a trip with the grandkids? Here’s how to make it fun!

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Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

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Information

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Search

Give the gift of luxury on any budget

Kylie Minogue drops big career news

Kirstie Alley slammed over deleted Ukraine tweet

Man who helped his father die finds out his fate

5 minutes with author P J McKay

5 minutes with author Christine Sykes

Fan favourite takes out Dancing With The Stars again

Beloved 98-year-old grandma turned Facebook chef dies of coronavirus

Gone With the Wind dropped for being racially unjust

Perfect summer meal: Barbecued tuna steaks with walnut sauce

Turia Pitt inspires emotional movement in wake of new bushfire crisis

How to: Dating with confidence

The Gone With the Wind mansion could be yours - Can you guess for how much?

Braised beef short ribs with beans

Tips for travelling with grandkids

Delicious roast tomato and capsicum soup with crispy chorizo and fresh basil

You can now dine with your dog at this Japanese restaurant

Are Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson “friends with benefits"?

Should your elderly parent live with you?

Planning a trip with the grandkids? Here’s how to make it fun!

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