Innholdsfortegnelse for Jan/Feb 2026 i Fairlady

Podcaster and journalist Katie Gatti Tassin’s subject is personal finance, always from an interesting angle. She recently wrote about an unforeseen consequence of setting extreme personal boundaries. ‘We’ve been inundated with therapy-speak that provides a script to let ourselves off the hook when we’re not in the mood to show up for people in our lives,’ she wrote. ‘The most dramatic example is that cursed copy-paste paragraph that recommended telling friends you didn’t have the emotional bandwidth to care about them so could they take their personal crisis elsewhere or schedule a different time to need you? This emotional boundary-setting is often encouraged under the guise of “selfprotection”: Always putting yourself first is what’s best for you. ‘But what if it isn’t? What if this is shortsighted selfishness, and ultimately…

1 Daily ritual I found these beautiful hand painted cups while browsing The Local Edit and I just had to share. Like ceramic brand Tday’s founder, artist and potter Lika Horn, I think the cup you drink your coffee from matters. ‘How we spend our days is how we spend our lives, and homeware made intentionally reminds us to appreciate the simple things,’ she writes. When the pandemic hit and Lika found herself with time to kill, she started playing around with making ceramic mugs and moulds in her garage. Curious to see if she could generate sales, she launched an online store. And the rest is history! Today, Tday’s collection includes ceramic vases, butter bells, bowls, milk-and-sugar sets, candleholders, serving dishes, ramekins, flower frogs, trinket trays and planters –…

From heartfelt conversations about menopause and perimenopause to bursts of laughter, expert insights, and celebratory and restorative sips of bubbly, the morning was all about learning, connecting and empowering women every step of the way. It was life-changing in the best way! A HUGE THANK-YOU TO OUR INCREDIBLE EXPERTS FOR SHARING THEIR INSIGHTS: • Dr Simone Silver, functional medicine specialist • Dr Nokubonga Khoza, dermatologist • Tshiamo Sibanyoni, psychologist • Tasvi Naik, pelvic floor specialist • Nicki Brivik, sex coach AND A MASSIVE THANK-YOU TO OUR AMAZING PARTNERS: SKIN Functional, Masodi Beauty, Revlon ColorStay, Solal and Laborie Wines. Here’s to every connection made, every insight gained, and the powerful energy in the room. Until next time!…

So where does the name ‘Olivie’ come from? ‘I needed something to use when I decided to start writing fan fiction,’ she says. ‘Olivie Blake was the first name that popped up on a name generator late one night.’ While she is mostly described as a fantasy writer, Olivie branches out into new genres all the time. ‘With each book I write, there is more of a question mark,’ she says. ‘I come from a fantasy background. I am a lover of fantasy but I have literary sensibilities. I like to experiment with form and I’m interested in finding new and interesting ways to tell stories.’ She loves quieter stories too. ‘I don’t need a lot of plot. I’m totally fine to just watch one character have a very slow…

◗ Personal Finance with Warren Ingram WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A weekly podcast with practical advice on saving, investing, retirement and debt – tailored to South Africans. PERFECT FOR… Anyone juggling family responsibilities, debt and long-term financial goals. ◗ Easy Does It by EasyEquities WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Released every two weeks, this podcast makes investing and money management simple, with beginner-friendly chats and relatable guests. PERFECT FOR… New investors or anyone intimidated by financial jargon. ◗ The Broke Generation with Emma Edwards WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A weekly podcast featuring conversations about the emotional side of money: spending shame, lifestyle inflation and budgeting habits. PERFECT FOR… Millennials and Gen Zers looking for relatable, real-world advice. ◗ The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A collection of stories that explore how human behaviour shapes…

Where a recipe calls for stock, use fresh – it will make all the difference to the flavour. 1 CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES, LEMON, CHILLI & DILL SERVES 6 This recipe is proof that once you’ve nailed the chicken formula, the sky’s the limit. • 6 free-range skinless chicken breasts, pounded lightly• a large handful of dill, chopped finely• zest and juice of 1 lemon• 100ml (⅖ cup) olive oil, plus extra for marinating• flaky sea salt and black pepper• 1 lemon, sliced• 1 tin marinated artichoke hearts, cut into quarters• 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock• 30ml (2 tbsp) Dijon mustard• 1 red chilli, chopped finely 1. Place the chicken breasts in a mixing bowl, add half the dill, the lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and rub…

Whether you’re craving sparkling water without the plastic waste or need a smoothie to get you out the door, today’s smart countertop gadgets promise to save time, cut costs and lighten your environmental footprint. SPARKLING WATER MAKERS SODASTREAM ENSO SPECS: 1-LITRE BOTTLE; COMPATIBLE WITH 60-LITRE SODASTREAM QUICK CONNECT CO2 CYLINDERS R3 999; sodastream.co.za Delivering a consistently strong burst of CO2, the Enso carbonates water quickly and efficiently. Just three presses produce a lively fizz with large, crisp bubbles that stay sparkling for hours. It is intuitive to use – simply insert the bottle neck into the snap-lock system, push it up and back, and press the top button for carbonation. It is compact and easy to clean; the stainless-steel exterior does need the occasional polish to stay spotless. The CO2…

Mervyn Gers Blush ceramic cake stand I am not a cake stand kind of gal, but I do love this one fiercely: It’s all about the minimalist design (they’re usually fussy things, cake stands), and the gorgeous serenity of this particular shade of pink. I did put a cake on it once, but mostly it’s carrying a bunch of flowers or candles in the middle of the dinner table. It offers a simple elevation that’s deeply pleasing to me. Toy Fights: A Boyhood by Don Paterson Scottish poet, writer and musician Don Paterson is widely recognised as one of the great writers of his generation, and I’m embarrassed to say that I’d never read him before Toy Fights – hands-down one of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read. Paterson wrote it…

HOW TO CREATE A WRITER’S ROUTINE Author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin, author of Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives specialises in the areas of happiness and habits. Here’s her advice on cultivating both. SELECT YOUR WRITING TIME AND FREQUENCY For some, writing every day works best. Others prefer Saturdays or lunch breaks. If you’re a morning person, schedule early writing. If you’re a night person, write later. Putting it on the calendar helps ensure it happens. CONSIDER YOUR SPACE Study, kitchen table, sofa, café…? Find what suits you. CHOOSE YOUR SOUND ENVIRONMENT Do you need silence, music, white noise or coffee shop clatter? UPGRADE YOUR TOOLS Beautiful tools make work a joy, and bad tools make work unnecessarily irksome. If you’re dealing with inadequate light or an…

When Cosmopolitan fashion director Cleo Marcopoulos Aitken and retail buyer Natasha Liesner launched Style Rotate, they weren’t just starting a rental platform – they were rethinking the way South Africans consume fashion. With Cleo currently on maternity leave, creative director Georgina Bennett was happy to step in for a chat. Where did the idea for Style Rotate come from? Natasha: Cleo was working at Cosmopolitan and doing a business course at UCT, where she had to pitch a business idea. The name, logo and concept for Style Rotate came from that pitch. We had worked together before in magazines, but I’d since moved into retail. When I resigned, unsure of what to do next, Cleo reached out. She showed me the pitch deck in September 2019, and by November we…

◗ One of my favourite books from my childhood is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. I definitely cried over that book a lot when I was a teenager. Anytime I’m sad, I want to reread it. Things that make me cry are usually cathartic. ◗ One of my favourite writers is V.E. Schwab – she’s my favourite classic fantasy author. I’m sure that would make her feel old if I said it that way! But I think The Shades of Magic series is the quintessential fantasy series. ◗ One of my favourite books of all time is Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas. I would be so excited if she wrote another one. ◗ I love Isabel Cañas. Her next book is a Gothic romance titled The Possession of…

When my colleague asked if I wanted to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, I hesitated for all of 10 seconds before agreeing to join him. These endangered animals can now be found in the wild only in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo – in the Virunga Mountains, a chain of active and dormant volcanoes where the three countries meet, and in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the Kigezi Highlands in Uganda. Since we were heading to Kigali, Rwanda, for work, it was the perfect opportunity to go on a gorilla trek from there. Volcanoes National Park is reasonably close. As African citizens or residents, the permit from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) would cost us US$500 each, which is pretty steep, but everyone we knew who’d…

The statistics are startling. One in 31 American children is now diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to an April 2025 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report – up from one in 150 some 20 years ago. And although less data is available in South Africa, the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Autism Research in Africa reported a 76% increase in autism between 2012 and 2016 in schools studied, with an average increase of 15% a year. Dramatic increases in diagnosis are reported, too, for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and, especially, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. One in nine children and adolescents in the US was diagnosed with ADHD in 2022, some 7 million in total – 1 million more than in 2016, noted the CDC in 2024. The South…

Cryptic puzzles ACROSS 1. After Lent there are three ways one does it up (7) 5. One is wrong to be in it when fright doesn’t start (5) 8. Burning it produces smell that may inflame one to anger (7) 9. Pack-man always with a merry jest? (5) 10. So employed, one will profit to the utmost (9) 12. Drinker who starts sipping one’s Tokay (3) 13. Make the mind take in sort of bum that is surrounded (5) 17. A lout who has removed the top of the bread (3) 19. Emotional pain with which he might give her a cat (9) 21. It is a serious French accent (5) 22. It may get knotted, only to get trodden on (3,4) 24. Some hair, rest of which one starts…

Write to flmag@fairlady.com – and remember to put the word ‘Letters’ in the subject line. Winning letter A real difference I wrote a feature for FAIRLADY in 2002: ‘24 hours with the Child Protection Unit’, which followed dedicated police officers as they helped abused children and hunted the perpetrators of violence. It was clear how overwhelmed the police felt. The article moved Kerrin Marcon to start an organisation called Friends of Child Protection (FCP). FCP has been supporting the police by supplying them with comfort packs to hand to abused children – with items such as a soft toy, snacks, a facecloth, tissues, underwear, soap, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, crayons and a colouring booklet. They provide a bit of solace in the trauma of the first hours after a…

So where do you begin? Here are a few tips to get you started: ➊ Lower your bar for delight. It’s easy to believe that for something to be worthy of delight, it has to be pretty special. Let me disabuse you of that notion: It does not. Fresh socks are a delight. The way the air smells first thing in the morning is a delight. Taking off your bra or shoes at the end of the day is a delight. The bar is really, really low. ➋ Look for the consistent moments. Humans are creatures of habit, so odds are there are certain things you do every day that give you a tiny jolt of joy already – all you have to do is shine a spotlight on them.…

IF you were hoping for a soothing article about how AI is here to help, not hinder, I’m sorry to disappoint. My main objective is to make your angst more well-rounded and multifaceted. (Just kidding… but also, probably not.) If you work for a big corporate business, I’m guessing you’ve recently sat through an ‘AI integration meeting’ and you’ve heard some variation of, ‘AI is going to help us. AI will take the grunt work out of everyday tasks. It won’t take your job; it will double your capacity. You need to embrace it. Bow down to your robot overlords.’ (That last bit was implied.) Are you thinking, ‘But I don’t really even use AI’? Think again. The call is coming from inside the house. You have to actively go…

IF enjoy scrolling through images of dreamy interiors and appreciate a beautifully set table, chances are you’ve encountered the magic of House of HarHaz. Founded by designer and creative Zahrah Moosa, this South African brand marries craftsmanship and timeless design with intentional living. From embroidered linens to handblown glassware and lacquer trays, each piece tells a story, elevates the everyday, and invites you to slow down and savour life’s moments. What inspired you to launch House of HarHaz? I wanted to go into fashion for as long as I can remember, but I wanted to start something of my own rather than work for someone else. I’m always designing and creating in my head, no matter where I am. I studied fashion design and interior design, did a short course…

WHO CAN JOIN? You don’t have to be an entrepreneur or have a business background! This course is for anyone who wants to start a business, grow a business WHAT DO I GET? 1. Access to all the course material online – you can do the course in your own time. 2. A proper understanding of every aspect you need to know to run your own business successfully, including how to turn a good idea into a marketable product. 3. Insight from successful entrepreneurs Lesley Waterkeyn and Dawn Nathan-Jones, and the opportunity to learn from local case studies. 4. An excellent online business course for a fraction of the cost you’d normally pay for such courses: only R950! And you can choose to pay either the one-off amount of R950,…

A few months ago, a friend confided that she had barely spoken to her sister in almost a decade. They had fallen out years ago while caring for their ageing mother. It started as a small grudge that snowballed over time. After their mom passed away, my friend said she felt little inclination to reach out to her sister. ‘It’s not that I don’t miss her,’ she admitted. ‘It’s that I can’t get past the way she abandoned me when I needed her.’ What struck me as she spoke was how much it seemed to be weighing her down, all these years later. Resentment is a universal human experience. Whether it’s a colleague who got the credit for your work, a partner who consistently ignores your needs, or a family…

1 Bottled sunshine You couldn’t dream up a scent more summery than this one. Dressed in radiant yellow and adorned with Gucci’s iconic Flora pattern (vibrant blooms originally painted by illustrator Vittorio Accornero de Testa in 1966), the brand’s first ozonic gourmand floral fragrance owes its unique energy to perfumer Marie Salamagne. Her innovative creation blends the familiar sweetness of creamy vanilla with marine notes, delivered through the bright, airy ozonic accord at the base. This unconventional fusion highlights the sensual vanilla orchid heart note, elevating its richness to new heights. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid EDP (R2 950 for 100 ml)3 2 By popular demand Powered by hyaluronic acid, aloe and rose quartz to provide a sheer wash of colour, this buttery-soft balm/gloss hybrid clocked up more than 230 million views…

CRISP GARDEN VEGETABLES WITH ANCHOVY DIP SERVES 6 PREP + COOKING TIME: 35 MINUTES • 200g fine green beans• 500g red radishes, halved• 400g baby carrots, peeled• 4 Belgian endives, or witlof (500 g), halved• 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved• 10 ml (2 tsp) extra-virgin olive oil ANCHOVY DIP • 12 garlic cloves• 180ml (¾ cup) milk• 4 drained anchovy fillets• 180ml (¾ cup) olive oil• 30ml (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar• 30ml (2 tbsp) warm water, approximately 1. MAKE ANCHOVY DIP: Bruise garlic using the flat side of a large knife; remove peel. Place garlic in a small saucepan with milk, bring almost to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until milk is reduced to the consistency of pouring cream. Blend or process milk…

Send Flowers by Emily Buchanan Eco-influencer @FoliageFifi – Fiona to her friends and family – hasn’t left her apartment since her boyfriend Ed died. She’s sunk deep into grief, shut away from everything except her jungle of house plants (and let’s be honest, she could’ve done with one small comfort, but her mom whisked away her and Ed’s cat Bruce – ‘for his own safety’, of course). When a house plant mysteriously appears on her doorstep with an anonymous note attached, something shifts. It’s not just any plant; it’s Ed’s favourite. Convinced it must be a sign, Fiona mixes Ed’s ashes into the soil and wakes up the next morning to find the plant in full, impossible bloom. And talking. There’s only one logical conclusion: Ed is back… as a…

Winners! Congrats to our WINNERS MegaXword 201 P. Alderton, Harfield Village, Cape Town Brainteaser 200 M. Prout-Jones, Vermont S. Coverly, Kariega W. Lombard, Kraaifontein HOW TO ENTER MEGAXWORD & BRAINTEASER The MegaXword and Brainteaser crossword competitions close on 10 February 2026. Scan or photograph your completed crossword and email it to puzzles@fairlady.com with MegaXword 203 or Brainteaser 202 in the subject line, and provide your name, residential address, email address and phone number. Digital copies of the crosswords are allowed, but photocopies are not allowed. Delivery of prizes may take up to six weeks after notification. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. Competitions and giveaways are open to permanent residents of South Africa over the age of 18. 2. Staff members of the respective prize sponsors and Media24, as well as…

Grey Cat waits for us in the driveway like a grizzled old colossus, only deigning to move out of the way at the veeeeeery last minute. There’s nothing scaredy about this cat. None of us remembers how old Grey is, but we also can’t remember a time he wasn’t around. But when Twenty-Six and Twenty-Five moved out, and the Pug and Lemon the Boxer stepped onto their respective rainbows, Grey realised that since my husband and I clearly couldn’t be trusted with the defence of the homestead (we’re literally leaking able-bodied men, for heaven’s sake!), he needed to take charge. He has leapt several dozen rungs in the hierarchy and is now, in his view, Lord of All He Surveys, which includes us. Grey prowls the perimeter every night, stampeding…