Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 40, 2025 i that's life!

This week I was lucky enough to be invited to a friend’s wedding. One of the first thoughts I had was What shall I wear? When I was younger, I’d almost certainly have started thinking about how much I could afford to spend on a new dress, because a new outfit seemed essential for a wedding! But these days I don’t care whether I’ve worn something once – or 20 times – when I get dressed for a special event. I’d much rather keep the cash than worry about looking the same in different photos! So I’ll be wearing a dress I’ve worn to plenty of weddings before. This is why I particularly enjoyed this week’s Ms MoneySaver (page 59), about the We Do Not Care Club. It’s women deciding…

Hello little one,’ I cooed, stuffing the tiny magpie chick down the front of my dressing gown to keep it warm. It was November 2017 and my friend Roz – also a wildlife carer – had popped around that morning with a box. Inside was a tiny ball of fluff with a few scrappy black and white feathers. My heart broke hearing how the tiny baby bird was traumatised after she fell from her nest onto the road, narrowly avoiding being crushed by a four-wheel-drive. ‘I brought her straight here,’ Roz said. She had eight birds in her care and didn’t have space for another. ‘Everything will be okay,’ I promised the sweet magpie as she snuggled in close. I decided to call her Jellybean, because she was so small!…

PAN-FRIED HONEY LIME FISH WITH AVOCADO & FOUR-BEAN SALSA SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 35 MINS 4 x 150g white fish fillets (such as rockling, ling, flathead tails), cut into 3 cm cubes 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp Cajun Spice Blend or Fish Spice Blend 1 tbsp honey AVOCADO & FOUR-BEAN SALSA 2 x 400g cans four-bean mix 2 Lebanese cucumbers, diced 2 red capsicums, diced 1 cup very finely shredded red cabbage 3 tomatoes, diced 1 red onion, very finely diced 1 large avocado, diced 1 handful coriander leaves, very finely chopped YOGHURT & LIME DRESSING ½ cup Greek yoghurt Juice of 1 large lime 1 handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped ½ jalapeno chilli, deseeded and finely sliced Pinch of salt flakes 1 SALSA Combine all ingredients…

SIMPLE SWAP When my hubby Shannon and I went to Bali this year we didn’t want to take our normal debit or credit cards in case they were lost or skimmed. We quizzed our well-travelled friends and found out about the multi-currency Wise card. Wise allowed us to preload our cards in Australian dollars with the option to automatically convert funds when the exchange rate was high. We then had the local currency stored on the cards ready to use. You can transfer money from your main bank account while overseas and only keep what you need on the Wise card itself. That way, if the worst happens the bulk of your money is still safe. You can store 40 currencies with Wise and it’s accepted in 160 countries including…

Best in J BEAUTY You’ve heard of K beauty… but have you met J beauty? Japanese skincare is quietly on the rise in Australia, thanks to its affordability, and because it’s just plain good. Here are some of the high-achievers in this beauty category 1 $15.50 Bifesta Micellar Water amazon.com.au 2 $34.95 Muji Fermented Rice Bran Booster Serum (50ml) muji.com.au 3 $6.95 Hada Labo Moisturizing Facial Sheet Mask adorebeauty.com.au Bestseller! 4 $46 Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam amazon.com.au 5 $29.95 Muji Sensitive Skin Moisturising Cream muji.com.au…

Our beautiful Tigga cat in front of the daffodils on his favourite stump. Cathy Dent, Hallora, Vic I ♥ THAT’S LIFE! At a lunch with my sisters and our partners. As one of our sisters could not attend, we made her and her husband out of cardboard, so they didn’t feel left out! Johanna Lee, Jolimont, WA Hugo our adorable toy poodle celebrated his fourth birthday and the cake was a hit. Lisa Cusmano, Richmond, Vic $50 CASH HOW TO WIN... This image has been taken from the film North by Northwest. We have tinkered with the image and added something that doesn’t appear in the original scene (4). Write which object doesn’t belong only on the entry coupon and you could be a winner. Turn to entry coupon (p50)…

O ne, two, three… 44,’ I counted out, my steps echoing down the street in suburban Newcastle. It was February 2023 and from the road I could see the home of Gordana Kotevski’s aunt Sonia. It was where Gordana, then 16, was heading when she was snatched from Powell Street one night in November 1994. Forty-four steps were the difference between making it from the shops to her family’s home, and vanishing forever. That poor girl, I thought. She was just steps away from safety. But here on the footpath was where the teen’s discarded wallet and torn shopping bag were found by her uncle Greg, when Gordana had failed to arrive at the house. Police were called, family notified, and leads followed – until the case went cold. In…

Ping! Ping! Lauryn Licari’s mobile buzzed as texts flooded in. You are worthless and mean nothing, read one. It was late 2021, and Lauryn had been receiving abusive texts from an unknown number since October 2020. The texts began in a group chat with the then 13-year-old and her boyfriend Owen McKenny, also 13. Owen is breaking up with you. He no longer likes you and hasn’t liked you for a while, the texter taunted. Thinking it was just someone messing with them, the pair did their best to ignore the prankster. For a while, the messages stopped. But 11 months later, in September 2021, they started up again. How’s the happy couple? Preparing for the end of the golden relationship? one read. In some texts, the sender referred to…

THREE BERRY UPSIDE DOWN SLAB CAKE MAKES 12 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 10 MINS 175g butter, softened ¾ cup caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 3 eggs 1¼ cups self-raising flour ¼ cup custard powder ⅔ cup milk 2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed TOPPING 75g butter, melted ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 tbsp golden syrup 2 x 125g punnets raspberries 125g punnet blackberries 125g punnet blueberries 1 Grease a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending 3cm above pan edges. 2 TOPPING Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Spread evenly over base of prepared pan. 3 With long side of pan facing you, arrange one punnet of raspberries over one-quarter of butter mixture, arrange…

SEND US YOUR CLEVER IDEAS Dust with a damp sock – just slip it over your hand for use on skirting boards, blinds, small items and tricky spots. Mix ½ cup finely ground oats with ¼ cup honey or plain yoghurt, and 2 tablespoons coconut or almond oil for a gentle face scrub. To save money and cut down on waste, put a cardboard box in the kitchen for ‘use-itup’ pantry items that are close to expiry. To keep moths out of your food cupboard, spread some bay leaves on the shelves. Use a little olive oil on a cloth to make taps, sinks, and appliances shine. Cheaper cuts of meat are perfect for slow cookers – they cook up tender and flavourful without great expense. Try a new use…

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…

That’s the one I want, Mum,’ my son Carson, then nine, said, pointing to a photo of a sleek black puss on the computer. ‘He’s beautiful,’ I agreed. Following my divorce a year earlier, my boy and I had been living in rental accommodation. But as soon as I bought a house, in December 2018, the first thing on my list to get was not a Christmas tree – but a cat! I hadn’t been able to have one in our rental, and I’d always loved cats. I let Carson choose one from our local shelter’s website after our move. But when I read the description, my jaw dropped. At just six months old, the kitty had been rehomed twice. It broke my heart. That poor puss, I thought, and…

T here’s something undeniably powerful about a full moon night. The sky is alight with possibility, and ancient traditions tell us that this is the perfect time to tap into our personal power. Whether you’re yearning to draw something new into your life or finally ready to let go of emotional baggage, a full moon ceremony is a beautiful way to align with the moon’s energy and your own intention. But you must choose one direction. The full moon is potent, yes – but it’s not a multipurpose tool. You’re either attracting what you desire or releasing what no longer serves you. Trying to do both at once dilutes your focus and muddies the energy. Think of it as setting your GPS – are you heading toward something or leaving…

Being both a ghost hunter and a funeral director, there was no way I was going to have a conventional baby shower when I fell pregnant. With over 100 vintage ouija boards, and spirit communication being part of my everyday life, it felt right that my baby shower should reflect that too. To me, bringing new life into the world was also about honouring those who came before us. So I decided on a paranormal-themed celebration – and sent out the invitations on ouija board cards. ‘A paranormal baby shower?’ cried my friend, Lauren. ‘Count me in!’ Other mates were equally enthused. I’d chosen the perfect spot – an old hotel reportedly so haunted guests had to sign a waiver when they arrived. It also meant friends could stay afterwards…

CAESAR CHICKEN BAKE SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 35 MINS 200g packet short cut bacon, cut crossways into 2cm strips 500g chicken tenderloins 250g punnet cherry tomatoes ½ x 450g packet garlic Turkish bread, cut into 2cm cubes ½ cup grated parmesan ¼ cup bottled creamy caesar salad dressing 1 Heat an oiled, large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp. Transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish (10-cup capacity). 2 Add chicken tenderloins to the same heated pan. Cook, turning, for about 3 mins, or until browned. Transfer chicken to dish with bacon and add tomatoes. Gently toss and spread into an even layer. 3 Place bread cubes and half the parmesan in a large bowl. Generously spray with olive oil. Toss to…

PASSIONFRUIT MARSHMALLOW CHEESECAKE SERVES 10 PREP & COOK 25 MINS ½ x 250g packet Nice biscuits ¼ cup desiccated coconut 75g butter, melted White chocolate roses and curls, to decorate FILLING 140g white marshmallows ⅓ cup fresh passionfruit pulp, plus extra to decorate  100g white cooking chocolate, melted  2 tsp powdered gelatine  250g cream cheese, chopped  ½ cup icing sugar mixture  300ml thickened cream, whipped 1 Invert base of a 22cm springform pan (base measures 21cm). Grease and line base and side with baking paper.  2 Process biscuits and coconut in a food processor until finely crushed. Add butter. Process until combined. Press over base of prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling. 3 FILLING Place marshmallows and passionfruit in a large heatproof bowl. Microwave on High for about 1 min,…

Opening the front door, I clocked my darling husband, Hamed, then 38. ‘Hello, sweetheart!’ he smiled, arriving home from work. ‘Wait a minute,’ I arched my brow. ‘You’re not my husband!’ I laughed, spotting the small mole above his lip. As they’re identical twins, people often struggled to tell Hamed and his brother Mahdi apart, but over the years I’d picked up their unique traits, and the subtle differences in their facial features. Being an identical twin myself, I was used to people mistaking me for my sister, Nahid, who was born five minutes before me in Iran, in January 1993. Nahid and I have been besties since day dot. Our parents, Zahra and Seyed, as well as our older sisters, Neda and Nasrin, absolutely doted on us. Growing up,…

Looking down at the pregnancy test, my heart skipped a beat. ‘It can’t be,’ I stammered, staring at the positive result. After five years of trying for a bub, and one heartbreaking miscarriage, my partner Jason, then 33, and I were close to giving up. We had children from previous relationships – my daughter Morgan, then 22, and his son Carson, nine – but we’d always dreamed of having a baby together. Although I was slightly nervous, after miscarrying at six weeks three days in 2021, the positive test still felt like a miracle. As weeks passed with mixed emotions of joy and fear, I clutched Jason’s hand at every scan, praying for good news. At our 26-week appointment, we found out we were having a boy, but then our…