Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 30, 2025 i that's life!

I have a confession that I’m not proud of. I’m a bit of a potty mouth. Born to a boatie – my dad Nick – who literally swore like a sailor, I never stood a chance. And it seems it runs in the family. My sister Jemimah was picking up her four-year-old daughter Elsie from day care recently, when the very lovely teacher pulled Jemimah aside for a quiet word. Elsie had sidled up to her teacher and asked conspiratorially, ‘Do you know about the effing fs?’ Our Elsie didn’t censor her words though. She’d used the real deal – just like the potty-mouthed parrot named Hendrix in this week’s Trending (p14). Hendrix is up for adoption but, due to his constant cursing, he comes with a warning, ‘This bird…

Sian Habgood, 32, Rotorua, NZ YOUR real-life stories Taking a seat at the dining table across from my husband Jethro, 35, I scanned the menu. It was March 2024, and we were enjoying a date night, after dropping off our kids Lukka, 12, Malakhai, eight, and Aria, six, to my parents Iain, 55, and Hayley, 52. It was around 5pm and from my view next to the front window, I could see the sun was just setting. ‘I hope the kids are behaving,’ I said, taking a bite of garlic bread. ‘They’ll be fine. Your parents can handle them for a few hours,’ Jethro replied, smiling. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw headlights coming straight for me from the right. Realising the car had veered off the…

HALOUMI SWEET POTATO AND ZUCCHINI BAKE SERVES 4-6 PREP & COOK 35 MINS 3 sweet potato (1kg), trimmed, cut into 1cm-thick slices 4 medium zucchini (700g), cut into 1cm-thick slices 500g jar tomato and basil pasta sauce 260g jar chargrilled capsicum, drained, coarsely chopped 1½ cups grated Pizza 3 Cheeses 180g block haloumi, thinly sliced 1 Place sweet potato in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on High for 6-8 mins, or until just tender. 2 Heat an oiled ovenproof frying pan (26cm in diameter) over a medium to high heat. Add zucchini. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 4 mins, or until browned. Stir in sweet potato, pasta sauce and chargrilled capsicum. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. 3 Scatter over cheese.…

WELLNESS WARRIORS Habits of people who stay healthy in winter For many of us, winter often means getting sick. Everywhere you turn, there are people coughing, sniffling and sneezing. Meanwhile, others manage to avoid ever catching a bug, spending the whole season in good health. And they may have more than just good luck on their side. If you feel like you spend all winter fighting off lurgies, there are some things you can do to help boost your immunity. Here are the top habits of people who never seem to get sick… THEY EAT NUTRITIOUS FOOD While it may be tempting to reach for comfort food during the colder months, your best bet for maintaining good health is to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and…

Real suede! WINTER hair HELPERS Just like our skin, our strands can suffer in cold weather. Dehydration from hot showers, indoor heating and icy winds can cause mayhem, leaving us with an oily scalp and fried ends. Try these hair helpers to keep your locks lush all season. 1 $20 Hairification H24 Complex Leave-In Hair Repair Mask (50ml) adorebeauty.com.au 2 $24.40 The Ordinary Hair Care Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA for Scalp theordinary.com/en-au 3 $22 Fraim Moisture Shampoo or Conditioner with Hyaluronic Acid priceline.com.au 4 $27.50 Moroccanoil Original Treatment (25ml) ozhairandbeauty.com 5 $42 Kitsch Shower Cap mecca.com.au…

Whether you’re a dog lover, cat whisperer, or reptile enthusiast, your choice of pet can reveal a lot about your personality and lifestyle. Read below what your furry (or scaly) friend says about you. If you don’t have a pet, don’t worry, just choose the one you’d most like to have and read on! Dog owners – loyal & outgoing If you have a dog, you’re likely social, active, and loyal. Dog people enjoy outdoor activities and thrive on companionship. You’re probably responsible and you may also be a natural leader, as dogs look to their owners for guidance. Whether you have a labrador, staffy, beagle or cavoodle, your pet reflects your warmth and love of connection. Cat owners – independent & thoughtful Cat lovers tend to be introspective and…

WE PAY FOR EACH PHOTO USED Guido’s very first boat trip on a south-coast holiday. Abdool Outim, The Ponds, NSW My daughters Taylah and Katie find their own fun!! Tania Steward, Kensington Grove, Qld Peanut is taking time out to smell the flowers. Janelle Pearce, Northlakes, Qld $50 CASH WHAT’S ODD? PUZZLE HOW TO WIN... This image has been taken from the film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. We’ve tinkered with the image and added something that doesn’t appear in the original scene (8). Write only which object doesn’t belong on the entry coupon, and you could win. Turn to entry coupon (p50) to enter! ME AND MY PET My sister-in-law Margaret loves her regular visits from Louis at her nursing home. Judy Ridley, Warren, NSW We all had a…

STRAWBERRY FUNFETTI CAKE SERVES 10 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 10 MINS 510g packet vanilla cake mix ⅓ cup hundreds and thousands, plus extra to decorate 1 tsp strawberry flavoured essence Pink liquid food colouring, to tint Halved fresh strawberries, to decorate 1 Grease a 20cm round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper, extending the paper 2cm above the pan edge. 2 Prepare cake mix according to the packet directions, reserving frosting mix sachet. Stir in the hundreds and thousands. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth over top. 3 Cook in a 160°C preheated oven for about 45-50 mins, or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 4 Using…

In June 2002, Butler and Ramirez faced court. Butler denied everything and even claimed Michelle had masterminded the robbery. Astonishingly, he suggested the two of them had previously had an affair, and Michelle had recruited him for the bank robbery at a supermarket. Butler’s defence picked apart Michelle’s financial history, her sex life and even her maternal instincts, querying why she’d return home to endanger her daughter if she still had dynamite stuck to her back. After deliberating for five days, the jury found Christopher Steven Butler guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnapping for robbery and kidnapping for ransom of Breea and Kimbra, but not Michelle. Lisa Ramirez was acquitted despite admitting her involvement to police. Butler was initially sentenced to three life sentences plus 64 years. He appealed, and…

TOURIST TUMBLE When Logan Moore booked a one-way flight to Switzerland with his cousin, he was excited for their upcoming backpacking adventures. Both keen hikers, they planned to meet their friends for a mountain hike in scenic Interlaken. As the group reached the top of the mountain, Logan whipped his phone from his pocket and clicked the record button to capture the views. But as he panned the camera around, he lost his footing on the mossy ledge, and fell over the cliff’s edge. It all happened so fast there was nothing anyone could do. In a matter of seconds, Logan had plummeted a stomach-churning 15 metres. On the way down he hit his head on a rock, causing him to black out, before landing head-first in a crevice. When…

EDITORIAL Editorial Director Kate Kirsten, Editor Sarah Firth, Deputy Editor Beth Young, Art Director Darren Monaghan, Picture Editor Holly Campbell ARE MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Jane Huxley, Director of Sales Anna Quinn, Director of Content Sally Eagle, General Manager Entertainment Susan Armstrong, Commercial Brand Manager Jessica Ashworth, Director of Marketing Carly Bowra Subscription enquiries: Customer Service 136 116 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST) International +61 2 9692 3535 Email magshop@magshop.com.au Website www.magshop.com.au Advertising enquiries: advertising@aremedia.com.au Published by Are Media Pty Limited (ABN 18 053 273 546), 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. ©2025. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission. that’s life! is a registered trade mark of Are Media. Use of trademark strictly prohibited. Licensing Inquiries: www.contentshop.com.au / syndication@aremedia.com.au…

Sian Goodsell, 36, Cranebrook, NSW As the sun began to set over the sparkling blue water at Bunbury Beach, WA, my boyfriend, Jason, then 30, got down on one knee. ‘Will you marry me?’ he asked. ‘Yes!’ I screamed. It was February 2017, and we’d spent the last seven months doing a lap of Australia in our camper trailer. Our days had been filled with fishing and snorkelling. And we talked about starting a family. ‘I’d love two or three kids,’ Jason had said. But the following week our world was turned upside down after Jason underwent a colonoscopy. He’d been having issues with the urgency and frequency of his bowel movements for a while. And he’d noticed blood in his stool, which we’d put down to drinking more and…

CHEAT’S CHICKEN LAKSA SERVES 2 PREP & COOK 25 MINS 1 tbsp peanut oil 2 cups shredded barbecued chicken, reserve chicken skin ⅓ cup laksa paste 2 cups chicken stock 270ml can coconut milk 1 tbsp fish sauce 1½ tbsp lime juice 2 tsp brown sugar 200g thin rice stick noodles ½ cup coriander leaves, shredded green onion, lime wedges and fresh sliced red chilli, to serve 1 Heat peanut oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook reserved chicken skin for 3 mins, or until crisp. Remove skin from pan. 2 Heat laksa paste in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, for 3 mins, or until fragrant. Add stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add shredded chicken. Reduce heat and simmer for 10…

Jolene Babyak, 78 Crammed into a small wooden boat with our luggage, the vessel rocked back and forth in the choppy water. ‘It’s beautiful!’ I beamed, spotting our future home in the near distance. I was just seven years old, in April 1954, when me and my family – my parents, Arthur, then 44, Evelyn, 45, and my older siblings, Corinne, 18, and Phillip, 17 – moved to the notorious nine-hectare prison island, Alcatraz, in California, US. Dad had taken a job as an office manager there. The maximum security prison had caged infamous gangsters such as Al Capone and George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly. And murderer Robert Stroud, known as the Birdman of Alcatraz because of the canaries he raised in his cells, was still a resident. Despite sounding scary,…

Ms.MONEY$AVER with Samantha Ireland Relying on a pension, unemployment benefits or other government payment can be stressful. I remember when I was a single mum and receiving a part parenting payment. I had to carefully account for every dollar just to survive. Sadly, there are scammers out there taking advantage of that vulnerability by posing as Centrelink or government entities like Services Australia. To report a scam email you can reportascam@ servicesaustralia.gov.au or if you’ve fallen victim to a scam, call the government’s Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk on 1800 941 126. Here’s what you should know about these scams. ONLINE SCAMS While online recently, an ad caught my eye. Thousands are missing out on this little known $1800 government payment, it read. Years of writing this column mean my…