Innehållsförteckning för TAK2420 från Take 5

I’m one of those annoying people who can sleep anywhere. And once I’m off, I go deep. So much so, that the bed covers are still pretty much perfectly made around me when I wake! So I couldn’t believe the incredible sleepwalking stories on page 54 this week and the things people got up to at night! It got us all talking in the office and our Senior Copy Editor, Trudi, had some bedtime stories of her own. “I have a long history of sleepwalking,” Trudi said, “often leaping up in the middle of the night, dragging the doona off my partner Gerry and walking out with it. Or sitting bolt upright, turning to him and asking, ‘Having you been casting spells?’. Not creepy at all!” But the worst was…

My girl’s school project made international headlines Kristy Glenfield, 51, Blue Mountains, NSW. Waving goodbye to my daughter Emma, seven, after dropping her to school, I saw one of the dads running for the school building. A magpie was divebombing his head. “Look out!” I yelled. The dad managed to get inside but a moment later one of the male teachers was being swooped. Emma and her friends had told me of a local magpie they’d dubbed Mr Swoopsalot. That must be him, I chuckled to myself. It was September 2021, and as spring progressed, many became scared of Mr Swoopsalot, including my husband, Jamie, 46. “Why didn’t you tell me how bad he was?” Jamie complained after being attacked twice in one day. “I didn’t even see…

I hired a bodyguard to feel safe, but something unexpected happened… Elise Stevens, 37. Stroking my baby’s forehead, I tried to block out my boyfriend’s hateful words. “She’s ill because of something you’ve done,” he snarled. It was 2008, and I’d only given birth to our daughter, Gracie, four weeks before. The pregnancy had been unexpected, and Chris, 26, and I barely knew each other when I found out, but I didn’t want to be a single mum, so I’d decided to give him a go. I’d moved in with him in a town 450km from my family, and Chris had turned nasty within days. He was controlling and wouldn’t let me use my phone or leave the house without him. I hoped things would improve when I brought Gracie…

GEMINI May 22–June 21 You’re in two minds. On the one hand, you’re chomping at the bit to get to the next exciting phase of life. On the other, you’re oh so tired! This week, rest and restore. Eliminate distractions. Meditate if you can. ★ The choices you’re deliberating over require a still mind to solve. VIRGO Aug 24–Sept 23 You know the saying, opportunities multiply when they are seized? Right now, there are opportunities opening up for you and the world could be your oyster. Open up to a fresh perspective. ★ Ask yourself ‘what if’ to see what could be. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23– Dec 22 Life has been crazy busy for you for such a long time. By now, it probably feels like second nature. Soon, the…

We travelled 16,000km on land to see my sis in Oz… Shannon Coggins, 58. Watching the news, guilt crept over me. “Global warming is getting worse,” I sighed to my partner, Theo, 44. It was July 2002, and we were growing increasingly worried about the environment. “We should give up flying,” Theo said. “It leaves a bigger carbon footprint than anything else.” We loved to travel but agreed it was the right thing to do. Our actions wouldn’t change the world, but it was better than nothing. When we told our friends, most thought we were totally bonkers. “The plane’s going anyway, mate,” one said. Even those who understood admitted they couldn’t do it themselves. In January 2004, we had our daughter Rosa. “I hope we can make the world…

My cafes help those with dementia, one cuppa at a time Kirsty Porter, 45, Blackburn, Vic. I showed the newspaper ad to my husband, Chris. “Look,” I said. “There’s a dementia cafe being held at a neighbouring village.” It was January 2016, and Chris, 38, and I were on holiday in the UK, with our daughters, Emily, eight, and Lauren, six. My grandma Dawn had recently been diagnosed with dementia, so I was intrigued as to what this was. I worked as a nurse and had just completed a course in aged services management. Popping in that Friday, Chris and I were astounded to see the village hall packed with 100 people. Forty or so were couples in which one had dementia. The rest were volunteers. “Can I help you?”…

My racy farmyard footage paid for my property Brittney Woods, 29, New Zealand. Are you sure this is the right decision?” my mum asked. It was 2015, and I’d just dropped out of my Business and Marketing degree at uni. I’d grown up on a large rural property, riding horses and surrounded by animals. Two years sitting at desks in the big smoke had got me down and I craved the country life so I’d taken a position on a dairy farm. “It is for now,” I said. “I’ll work on the farm until I figure out where to go next.” Soon, working outdoors was having a positive impact upon my mental health and after six months, I couldn’t see myself returning to a desk. I’d miss the cows too…

My girl’s dreams for her future will never come true now Leah Freeman, 55, Melbourne, Vic. My daughter Allecha expertly changed her sister’s nappy. “There you go, Tammara,” she said. “All clean.” I chuckled to myself. “You’re going to make a great mum one day,” I said to Allecha. “I can’t wait,” she replied. She was only seven but already showed strong maternal instincts, fussing over her two younger sisters and older brother. She was a chatty little girl, but everything changed when she was eight. A teenage boy sexually abused her and she lost her confidence. Counselling didn’t help, but being around her family, especially my mum Shirley, did. They cooked Mum’s cheesecake, which kept Allecha’s mind off things. This worked until her teens when she started partying and…

I carry a notebook in my handbag to write down all the good ideas and important realisations I get during the day. There’s no way I’ll remember them later! Kay Patel, Hurstville, NSW. I leave a teaspoon in the fridge that I put on the skin under my eyes for a few minutes when that area is puffy. Angie Russo, Kellyville, NSW. Put onions in the freezer for 15 minutes before chopping them, so they won’t make you cry. Ellen Lopez, Cairns, Qld. When I’m making chocolate cake from a packet mix, I add milk instead of water. It tastes so yummy! L. Evans, Rockingham, WA. When your toothpaste is starting to run out, roll the tube from the bottom and secure it with a bobby pin to push the…

I’m using fitness to help mums find their power again Patsy Tierney, 53, Varsity Lakes, Qld. Taking a fortifying sip of my wine, I plastered on a smile. “Watch, Mummy,” my son Xavier, three, said, doing a little dance. “Very good,” I said, but behind my smile, I felt flat. After I’d finally got Xavier and his sister Amelia, one, to bed, I flopped on the sofa. Before having kids, I’d been incredibly fit and active. I’d won the World Sport Aerobics Championship twice, once in 1998 and again the following year. After getting engaged in 2006, my fiancé and I had Xavier that same year, then Amelia in 2008. But three months after her arrival, we separated. Now, I worked as a lawyer and a single mum but felt…

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