Issue 50, 2023

that's life

The magazine with heart

that's life2 min read
Letter From The Ed
This week’s What Would You Do dilemma (Page 53) about a husband’s unusual gift-giving style had the that’s life! team in stitches recalling our own disastrous presents. Our anonymous reader had been given scissors by her hubby, but Lisa felt she coul
that's life4 min readCrime & Violence
We Caught Our Girl’s Killer
I’m just gonna say goodbye to a friend, I’ll come right back,’ Sarah Butler, 20, said to her mum. Lavern handed her daughter, a student, the keys to her minivan that day, November 22, 2016. But Sarah had told a white lie. The truth was she was sneaki
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My Christmas gift Uncovered The Truth
Walking through arrivals at the airport, I took a deep and very nervous breath. I can’t believe this is happening, I thought. Aged 53, I was about to meet my birth mother – the woman I would have called Mum if life hadn’t had other plans. My upbringi
that's life3 min read
I Stole The Man Under The Mistletoe
Pouring myself another cup of eggnog, I gazed around the room filled with party guests wearing Santa hats and Rudolf earrings. Two weeks before Christmas, my sister and I were at our aunt Mary’s festive get-together. She was our only family nearby. W
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THE Buzz
Tigga Mac is not your average sweet treat maker. Melbourne based baker Katie and decorator Tigga have been creating amazing cartoon cakes that look like they’ve come straight out of a comic book. ‘You line everything in black,’ Tigga explained on a F
that's life2 min readDiet & Nutrition
Create & celebrate
Glaze can be made up to two days ahead. Reheat before using. Ham can be prepared up to two days ahead. Cover ham with the rind to protect it while it’s in the fridge before glazing. For an extra flavour hit, sprinkle vegetables with ground paprika or
that's life1 min read
Cheerful Cherries
Wreath can be made up to one day ahead. Keep covered in the fridge. Drizzle cold espresso coffee or coffee-flavoured liqueur over the cake for a delicious adults-only version. This dessert is best made aday ahead to allow the flavours to develop. Dec
that's life4 min read
Jumping in Puddles
Peering through the window, I frowned. It was pouring and my daughter Natasha, 16, was about to go on school camp. Around 40 Year 12 kids from Elim Christian College, Auckland, NZ, including Tasha and her best friend, Portia, 16, were attending a fiv
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I Quit My Job To Save Wombats!
Look, Toby, there’s a wombat,’ my dad, Neil, said, pointing to a round, squat hairy lump. It was 2006, and, aged eight, after the week at school in Sydney, I loved weekends with Dad on his property bordering a national park in the Macdonald Valley ju
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It’s Your Life!
This is me and my lovely wife Semi with Santa. Being from Bali, she enjoyed her first ever photo with Santa at Glenelg, SA. Alan Bristow, Virginia, SA Cooper is ready for the surf this Christmas! Tracy Hart, Glengowrie, SA HOW TO WIN... This ima
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Our dream Come True
The fertility doctor smiled warmly. ‘It’s good news,’ she told me and my husband Andrew, 42. ‘We’ve retrieved lots of viable eggs.’ I let out a sigh of relief. Our baby dreams were one step closer to reality. But embarking on my first round of IVF, I
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This Week We’re Loving...
Pudding can be made up to one month ahead. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, bring pudding to room temperature, then invert pudding onto a microwave-safe plate lined with baking paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave
that's life2 min read
Bungled Christmas presents
One year for Christmas my partner gave me a pair of scissors, another year it was a knee rug – in the middle of summer! And last year he gave me a brown blouse that was way too big and in a fabric and colour I never wear. I wasn’t impressed but alway
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Re-gifting without The Guilt
Some people are really difficult to buy for and you end up wasting money on something they either won’t use or don’t need. Why not consider making a donation to a charity on their behalf? It stays true to the spirit of giving at Christmas and, as lon
that's life3 min read
Say No To Stress This Silly Season
Christmas is famously the most wonderful time of the year, but for some of us, the holiday season can be filled with worries and anxieties. From financial woes to dealing with fickle family members, there can be quite a lot of stress in the lead-up t
that's life2 min read
Brain Waves
Use the slots of a wine bottle carrier to organise your wrapping paper rolls. Cathy Shamal, Wellington, NZ ■ A mixture of cinnamon and honey can be applied to insect bites to help disinfect the area and ease pain and itching. ■ For a natural altern
that's life3 min readCrime & Violence
Deadly Argument
Teresa and Paul Hanson’s 33 years of marriage should have been a fairytale. Childhood sweethearts, the hairdresser and construction site manager, both 54, had wed in 1989. They had two children, Ryan and Sherri, who they adored and who adored them ba
that's life4 min read
We Have A nude Yule!
Finishing work early, I headed home to surprise my boyfriend, Simon, then 40. We’d met at school, both aged 13, and years later, in 2007, we’d become Facebook friends. Married at the time, my love and attention was focused on my daughter, born a few
that's life2 min read
Volunteer Of The Week
Keith Stark, Exmouth, WA Watching the crowds descend on Federation Park in Exmouth, WA, I felt a buzz in the air. ‘Would you like a candle?’ my daughter, Edyn, 19, and other volunteers dressed as angels asked people. It was December 2022, and our jo
that's life2 min read
Living Well
THIS WEEK I’LL... GO SANDAL SHOPPING Summer is the season to slip on thongs or jandals, but they can increase your risk of developing foot problems and other injuries if you wear them constantly. Instead, leave those flip flops for the beach and inv
that's life1 min read
Give Mozzies Their Marching Orders
They’re the ultimate summer killjoy, gatecrashing picnics, camping trips, sports events and pretty much any other outdoor activity that we enjoy this time of year. While this usually only means a few annoying stings, mosquitoes also carry a potential
that's life1 min read
Living Well
A It will have taken a lot of courage to tell you of her issues with alcohol, but accepting that she has a problem is the first step in her recovery. She should see her doctor and, if there’s a counselling service offered through her work, they may b
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My Boy’s Stomach Burst Open
My son Xavier, then eight, was always covered in cuts and bruises. So I took him to the doctor, and he was referred to a paediatrician. Tests showed he had vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) – a genetic condition that causes issues with joints an
that's life3 min read
Chrissie Chaos
Why does Santa have the same writing as you?’ Alice asked. Six was such a suspicious age. I’d already had a whole series of similar questions. ‘Is Santa older than the dinosaurs, Mum?’ she’d asked me. ‘Um, they’re roughly the same age,’ I’d replied.
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Santa’s Spectre
What an incredible house,’ I said to my partner Chris, then 34, as we strolled around the historic homestead for rent. ‘It is,’ he said, as smitten as I was by the beauty of the place. ‘Let’s take it.’ Facing the picturesque Huon River, Tasmania, the
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Have Yourself A Mystical Christmas
WITH PSYCHIC MEDIUM Mich elle De Angelis Crystals come in many shapes and forms, from tiny tumbled stones to elaborately carved angels, hearts or animals. There is also crystal jewellery – bracelets, pendants, earrings and rings. Any crystal seller c
that's life2 min read
Your Stars
Is a lack of energy stopping you moving forward with a life-shifting decision? It’s about to lift, Aries, leaving space for you to be bold and finally sign on that line. If single, a pre-Christmas introduction may morph into love. LUCKY NUMBERS 13, 2

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