The door of the warehouse I worked at opened, and I looked up. Seeing a man walking in, I gasped.

Half his face was missing!

I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was imagining things, but his appearance remained the same.

He must’ve been in some sort of accident, I thought sympathetically, trying not to stare.

In the following days at my job as a packager, I found out his name was Joseph.

He seemed friendly enough, but I was too nervous to speak to him, in case I said the wrong thing.

But, one day, I was having trouble working one of the machines at my workstation, and he came over.  

Using a type to voice converter on his phone, he asked if I needed a hand.

“If you don’t mind,” I said, smiling.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t fix it.

“It’s probably best to move to another station,” he said.

I went to grab my stuff, but he stopped me.

“Allow me,” he said, scooping it up.

What a gentleman, I thought.

We started chatting regularly after that.

Every day, Joesph, 41, would bring me a drink, and he’d make me laugh until my sides hurt. I loved his sense of humour!

We spoke about serious things, too.

He told me he wasn’t long out of a 10-year relationship.

“It was on and off,” he said.

“I’ve been in some bad relationships, too,” I told him.

I never asked Joseph about his face, but one day he brought it up.

“I was born with a condition called Otofacial syndrome,” he said “So, I was born without a jaw or chin.”

He told me that when he was two days old, he was given multiple surgeries, including a bone and skin graft, as doctors tried to construct a jaw for him, but as he grew, his body rejected it.

His birth mum then put him up for adoption and although he was taken in by a loving family, he’d dealt with judgement from others all his life.

“I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that,” I said.

Over time, I found myself becoming drawn to Joseph, but my feelings confused me.

So, when he asked me on a date to a comedy club, I didn’t go.  

I wasn’t ready to be in a relationship and worried what people would think, but as much as I tried to push aside my feelings for Joseph, I couldn’t.

When he asked me out again on Valentine’s Day, I said yes. We went dancing and had so much fun.

“I’m glad I came,” I told him.

We continued dating after that.

We’d go to places neither of us had been before and do activities we’d never done.

We also went to a lot of restaurants, even though Joseph couldn’t eat anything. He could have solids but they had to be blended, as he ate through a tube in his stomach.

“I just want you to be happy,” he told me when we dined out.

In time, I introduced him to a few of my family and friends.

Most were shocked but they soon realised how happy Joseph made me.

My mum, Janice, worried I’d have to spend my life looking after him.

But once she realised Joseph was fiercely independent and wanted to look after me, she fell in love with him, just as I had.

Then, in 2020, a year into our relationship, Joseph and I started discussing marriage. It was something we both wanted.

There was no big proposal or ring. We just decided one day to go and get a marriage licence.

While we were there, the lady issuing it had a question for us.

“Do you want to get married today?” she asked.

My heart leapt in my chest. It felt wild and spontaneous, but something made us say yes!

We wouldn’t have been allowed a big do during the pandemic anyway.

So, in front of strangers and casually dressed, we said, “I do”.

We moved in together afterwards.

I’d lived with my mum before and when I told her I was married, she was shocked.

“You two are crazy,” she said. 

“Maybe,” I laughed. “But we’re in love.”

Often, when we’re out in public, people will point and stare.

Sometimes they even take pictures.

We try to ignore them but occasionally Joseph will confront them and call them out on their ignorance.

We’d rather people come up and ask us questions and try to understand.

Joseph knows he looks different, but he’s still a person with a heart, feelings and a brain.

He should be treated with respect, just like anyone else.

I don’t even see his disability anymore.

Sometimes when I’m making a drink, I’ll automatically make him one and put it in front of him.

When I realise he can’t sip it, we both burst out laughing and Joseph pretends to toss it back.

His ability to stay positive is one of the many things I love about him.

When we can afford to, we’re going to renew our vows and finally have the big white wedding we’ve never had.

I want the whole fairytale, as that’s what marrying Joseph is to me.

We’ve spoken about children, but now we’re both older, we’re more drawn to the idea of adoption.

It would mean a lot to Joseph to give a child, who’s in a similar situation to him, a loving home.  

It would mean the world to me too.

Whatever path we decide to take, we’ll take it together.

Our love for each other is eternal, no matter what others say.

I was attracted to Vania from the first time I saw her, but I thought she was too pretty for me. I was just happy with being around her and us being friends. But over time, feelings developed on her side, too, and she started to see that I was a good, honest man and I’d always be there for her and protect her.

Joseph, 42, says:

The post I married a man with half a face appeared first on Now To Love.

Walking past the bathroom, I caught a whiff of something that made me gag.

“Seriously guys,” I said crossly as I entered the lounge room. “Please can you use the air freshener I bought?”

It was during the 2020 COVID lockdown and I lived with my boyfriend, Matthew, and a male housemate in a small flat with only one bathroom.

With all of us working from home, this meant we became a little too intimate with each other’s toilet use!

So, to try and remedy the problem, I bought all sorts of air fresheners.

But the ones out there were synthetic and I didn’t love the idea of the spray getting on my skin, or even breathing it in.

None of them looked that pretty either.

“I wish there were products out there that you could proudly display in the bathroom,” I told Matthew.

It made me think that I could potentially create my own solution to our stinky toilet problem.

The science bit

I did an online essential oils chemistry course.

At home, I experimented to find the perfect mix of natural essential oils that nullified unwanted toilet smells and replaced them with a citrus scent within 30 seconds.

I learned that if I used a sugar cane alcohol base, then with a few drops of the oil into the loo after flushing, they would sink to the bottom. The fragrance would then rise, trapping any odours.

Next, I designed a sleek recyclable glass bottle for it.

Keeping it classy

My friends and family tested it and loved it, so I made 1000 bottles to sell. I posted about it on social media and gifted 20 to friends who also posted about it and word spread.

I called it No. 2 – a cheeky reference to Chanel No. 5 – with the tag line “Keeping your reputation intact”.

Within two weeks, I’d sold out completely.

“Wow,” I said to Matthew. “I’m onto something here.”

“You’d better make some more,” he said.

So, I found a manufacturer and I sold out again four times over.

One busy day, I sold $11,000 worth of products!

By December 2023, I sold my software business to focus on my post-flush perfume drops full time.

Now, I sell them on my website and social media pages to people all over Australia and New Zealand.

They’re used in boutique hotels and I do guerrilla campaigns where I sneak into the bathrooms of fancy restaurants and leave my bottles there.

The response from happy customers has been great.

“From a married man that shares a bathroom with his wife, this is a must-have,” said one reviewer. “Trust me, it’ll save your marriage.”

In fact, many people have called it a “marriage saver”!

These days, we have a travel-size edition you can take on planes or to dinner which has proven popular.

Now, we’re launching in the US and I have other products in the works.

I’m so proud of my loo fragrance. Who knows, one day it might even make me stinking rich!

No.2 is available in 100ml ($29.00) and in a mini travel size ($15.00). To shop, click here.

No.2 is a boujee loo fragrance that is Australian made and all natural, that rids the loo of unwanted smells & keeps your reputation intact.

Coming to the rescue in the workplace, on first dates, hosting guests, entertaining at home, maintaining happy marriages or travelling on long-haul flights, No.2 is an essential-oil based formula of drops, pipetted directly into the loo after flushing.

Within 30 seconds, notes of mandarin, geranium & bergamot nullify unwanted smells and replace them with a beautiful citrus scent.

Sitting pretty in a sleekly-designed glass bottle, No.2 looks chicer than synthetic aerosol options.

How to banish toilet odour?

The post Aussie’s $29 ‘marriage saver’ can stop embarrassing bathroom smells appeared first on Now To Love.

• He couldn’t get the soundtrack song, Heart Asks Pleasure First, out of his head, so he bought a copy of the sheet music and started practising again.

• In 2019, he started playing piano all over Tasmania, including Kingston Bridge, Hydro Tasmania and the Huon River.
• Here, Kelvin Smith, 45, from Margate, Tas, shares his story

I closed my eyes and hummed the song Heart Asks Pleasure First, mimicking playing the piano with my fingers. It was 2016, and I’d just finished watching Jane Campion’s film, The Piano, which featured the song in its soundtrack.

I want to be able to play that, I thought.

I’d started piano lessons at 10, but by 15, I’d lost interest. The film had sparked it again.

I bought myself a copy of the song’s sheet music and practised on our home piano at every free moment.

“It’s about time you used that thing,” my wife, Kath, said, smiling.

We’d bought it 15 years before, hoping it would make me play again, but it never had.

My progress was slow. For weeks, I clumsily banged away on the keys, hoping to somehow make music, with little success.

“Dad, do you have to?” my son Hyland, 16, moaned.

My two other children, Hannah, 18, and Theo, 10, weren’t fans either.

But after six months and hours of practice, I finally mastered the song.

Afterwards, I started learning other pieces and even picked up a paid gig at a local hotel.

Then, in early 2019, my friend Tony, a piano removalist, set up a grand piano outside a property he owned, across the road from Kingston Beach and invited me round to use it.

With the sea breeze on my face as I played, I thought about how wonderful it would be to perform on the beach.

I asked Tony about logistics.

“I could help you do it safely,” he said. It was all I needed to hear.

The home piano was spoiled, so I got a new one for free after telling the lady selling it that I wanted to play it in beautiful locations across Tasmania.

Then, in December 2019, I set up on Kingston Beach.

I started playing, and a crowd formed. I’d been worried about the acoustics, but the music carried over the water beautifully.

People kept telling me I’d made their day. One lady even tried to hand me $50, but I politely declined.

“This is my gift to the people of Tassie,” I told her.

After two hours, I finished up, but I enjoyed myself so much I started performing outdoors twice a month.

I set up a Facebook page called A Piano Of Tasmania, where I shared my journey.

I’d also ask people where they’d like to see me play and used it as a guide. Some locations were government property and required authorisation, so took longer to organise.

Then, in March 2020, a lady from Hydro Tasmania called me.

“We’d like you to play on the Gordon Dam wall,” she said.

There were 250 steps to where they wanted me to perform, so she told me they’d arrange a helicopter.

“That’s so cool,” I replied.

After two months of paperwork and a wait for the right weather, I finally stood on the top of the dam as a drone was manoeuvred into place to record.

I watched nervously as the helicopter flew towards us, swinging side to side with the weight of the 210kg piano, which hung 40m underneath.

Please don’t fall, I prayed. Fortunately, all was well. The experience was unreal.

On another occasion, I played on the deck of a sailing ketch on the Huon River and, another time, on the balcony of the historic Hadley’s Hotel in Hobart. Then, in September 2022, the CEO of a construction company called me.

“We have a big crane that we’d like to hang you from,” he said. They’d acquired a working-at-heights licence so I could play my piano 30m above the ground on the Hobart waterfront at sunrise on the day of the Hobart Airport Marathon.

I played for five hours from dawn in front of hundreds of people.

As the sun peaked over the distant hills, it took my breath away.

It has been an adventure with over 70 locations in the last four years. And I’m sure there are more to come.

The post I played the piano in the Tasmanian sky appeared first on Now To Love.

Here are the main events of the next six months, the dates to watch, and everything love, luck and money in your star sign…

September 2: Pluto moves into Capricorn

This is the last chance to clear out work issues and to detox wherever possible.

September 18: Full Moon eclipse in Pisces

Time for some radical forgiveness – it will change your life! 

October 2: New Moon eclipse in Libra

A new start for lovers (and ex lovers) all over the world

November 2: Jupiter aligns with Chiron

Be one of those people who decides to heal an emotional upset

November 19: Pluto into Aquarius

A new cycle is starting for the world – expect tech breakthroughs and charitable change.

Mercury Retrograde – Think before you speak

Mercury is the planet which influences communication, so when it is in retrograde during the second half of the year, take care with the details of whatever you are focused on. Confusion can come up and misunderstandings, too.

It can all end up feeling rather stressful – life is wild enough without people taking things the wrong way, or feeling like you’re just being misinterpreted, agreed? However, there is a plus side to Mercury retrograde; see it as a chance for a ‘do over’ and you’ll get the best out of it. Think of it as a chance to rethink, revise, revisit, revamp and reconsider anything and everything – Mercury retrograde really does offer up second chances!

When is Mercury in retrograde July – December 2024?

Mercury retrograde begins in Virgo on August 5, 2024 and ends on August 29, 2024.

Mercury retrograde begins in Sagittarius on November 26, 2024 and ends on December 16, 2024.

Aries

March 21 – April 20

YOUR LOVE LIFE IS CHANGING (AGAIN!)

LOVE & FAMILY Expect big things in the coming six months – there’s a New Moon eclipse in your Love Zone on October 3 which can only mean one thing – expect the unexpected when it comes to love and romance between now and 2025!

WORK & MONEY You still have the planet for sudden surprises Uranus in your Money Zone so the truth is that there is still going to be a little chaos about anything to do with cash for you. Just set something aside for a rainy day and all should be okay.

LUCK You have a great blessing now – lucky and optimistic Jupiter in your Mind Zone. Look on the bright side and your life could start to fall into place!

Power dates

July 6 Channel your energy into ambitious projects.

July 16 Expect unexpected shifts or sudden opportunities, especially regarding finances.

October 4 You’re extra passionate and charming.

Taurus

April 21 – May 21

CAREFUL WITH CASH

LOVE & FAMILY If you’re in doubt about how loveable you are, use this six-month period to really big yourself up in terms of doing whatever it takes to bolster your self-esteem. The more you value yourself, the more others will value you too.

WORK & MONEY You have the power to really boost your bank account during this time. What you need to be careful of is expanding too fast or having too much blind faith in everything working out. Come with a plan!

YOUR LUCK On the one hand, you could be about to move into the most financially lucky time you’ve had for between six to 12 years. On the other, stay smart when it comes to cash. Financial lessons don’t need to be painful!

Power dates

July 15 Unexpected changes or revelations lead to personal breakthroughs

August 16 & 19 Challenges or obstacles may arise – be patient!

October 2 Focus on restarts in partnerships of all kinds

Gemini

May 22 – June 21

THIS COULD BE YOUR LUCKY SIX MONTHS

LOVE & FAMILY The end of the year sees the planet of communications, Mercury, making a visit to your Love Zone, so December and into the New Year is ideal for having whichever conversations you need to with the people who matter most.

WORK & MONEY Careful! With demanding  – and let’s be frank – sometimes downright depressing Saturn in your Career Zone right now, you could be so consumed with thoughts about how well you’re doing, or not doing professionally, that you’ve barely got time for what matters most – your personal life!

YOUR LUCK Since April, you’ve had the lucky planet Jupiter in your sign. Have you felt it at all? If not, then use this information now and decide that the Universe is henceforth on your side. What do you want to pull off with Lady Luck’s assistance?

Power dates

July 15 A day of insight and creative breakthroughs, ideal for unlocking hidden potential.

September 18 A critical moment for making significant decisions related to your career.

November 3 An opportune time for discussions leading to beneficial agreements, particularly around finances and shared commitments.

Cancer

June 22 – July 23

THE PRESSURE IS OFF

LOVE & FAMILY Right now you will experience more happiness and fulfilment if you find a good balance between your home life and your ambitions. You are normally family-focused but remember, worldly success can make you smile widely too.

WORK & MONEY You could feel as though the brakes are on financially around the end of the year when push-forward Mars does a reverse cycle in one of your Money Zones. Do chase up old unpaid debts. Don’t stall money-wise.

YOUR LUCK Your fortune is in your ability to go within at the moment. That might sound vague, but the truth is that the more you look at yourself, work through fears and connect with your Higher Self via meditation, the luckier you will feel. Give it a go.

Power dates

July 20 This day brings a focus on personal reinvention and the initiation of new personal projects or identity transformations, as significant energy highlights your first house of self.

September 18 Expect revelations or culminations in areas related to education, travel, or your beliefs

October 2 A pivotal time for partnerships for this horoscope, marking a new beginning or significant development in business or personal relationships, emphasising balance and harmony in connections.

Leo

July 24 – August 23

WISHES CAN COME TRUE NOW – SO MAKE THEM!

LOVE & FAMILY You’re on the cusp of possibly the most intense love cycle you’re ever going to experience this lifetime. You may have already had a taste of it. Make sure you are not being manipulative or involved with anyone trying to manipulate you!

WORK & MONEY Work might currently feel like an endless roller-coaster but money still needs to be earned, at least for most Leos out there. If that’s the case, put your head down and be as reliable as you can be.

YOUR LUCK You have the lucky planet Jupiter in your 11th house which is the part of your chart that sees dreams come true. It’s also your social circles. If you need help with anything now, start by asking your friends.

Power dates

July 22 Creative energies and personal expression are heightened, opportunity for showcasing your talents.

September 18 Focus on financial strategies or investments, and reassessment of resources, debts, or shared assets.

October 2 Focus on health and daily routines, implement positive lifestyle changes or new work habits.

Virgo

August 24 – September 23

THE LESSONS PEOPLE ARE TEACHING YOU …

LOVE & FAMILY With serious and sombre Saturn in your Love Zone and an eclipse there too, you’re going to be getting lots of lessons, welcome and otherwise, from the people in your life. Avoid shrugging them off. These are life lessons needed to learn to go to the next level!

WORK & MONEY You really do have amazing work stars at the moment, so try not to let the Saturn energies bombarding you get you down. Think big and aim high professionally, and you could reach some once-a-decade heady heights.

YOUR LUCK You’re particularly ‘in luck’ when it comes to your career and ambitions now. If you want to expand yourself professionally, you definitely have Lady Luck on your side, in the form of lucky Jupiter in your Career Zone.

Power dates

July 15 Healing is around private matters coming to light for resolution.

September 18 Endings could pave the way for beginnings in personal and professional partnerships.

October 2 Creativity, romance, and self-expression flourish.

Libra

September 24 – October 23

YOUR CHANCE TO BEGIN AGAIN

LOVE & FAMILY The second half of 2024 brings the last of the major disruptions in your home life – at least to the levels seen over the past few years. Don’t be tempted to go it alone now if someone is offering to stand by you.

WORK & MONEY The ups and downs continue thanks to the long-term presence of chaotic Uranus in your chart. Your best bet is to work for yourself – even an online side hustle would be perfect, so that you get the best of the energies. Explore your entrepreneurial side!

YOUR LUCK Luck will be on your side when you travel, especially long haul, or take a course of study. This is a time for you to widen your world view – doing so will help you to see how lucky you are and that will attract more good things to you!

Power dates

July 12 A vibrant period for self-expression and romance, encouraging Libra Rising to shine in love and creative endeavors.

August 5 A time for meticulous attention to relationships and projects, enhancing practical support and detailed expressions of affection.

October 8 Harmonious energies blend passion with action, ideal for pursuing desires in relationships, and artistic pursuits with balance and grace.

Scorpio

October 24 – November 22

AND BREATHE OUT…

LOVE & FAMILY Use the last six months of the year to clear out any negativity or toxicity in your family unit, including with your partner or ex. The more you do this now, the easier the next decade or two is going to be!

WORK & MONEY You have the planet of good luck and good times, Jupiter, in your Money Zone in the second half of this year. That sounds like a blessing, and it might be, but also remember that Jupiter often spends like there is no tomorrow – and there will be a tomorrow!

YOUR LUCK You really do have financial luck on your side during this six-month period. In particular, any joint ventures you enter into are blessed by the Goddess Fortuna. That doesn’t mean you don’t need to do your due diligence. Far from it. But the financial stars are on your side.

Power dates

July 6 Energies align for a productive push toward long-term ambitions, making it a great day for focused progress on challenging projects.

July 16 A day and overall period marked by unexpected developments, offering the chance for quick, decisive action that could lead to innovative breakthroughs.

October 4 A harmonious time for strengthening connections and pursuing passions with both intensity and balance, ideal for deepening relationships or artistic expression.

Sagittarius

November 23 – December 22

WISHES CAN COME TRUE

LOVE & FAMILY Even though you’re in an overall quite lucky cycle, you do have some pretty tough home and family stars to deal with. Your personal life has lots of lessons to teach you, but you also have happy Jupiter giving your love life a big boost!

WORK & MONEY You’re emerging from one of the most intense financial astrology cycles possible. It’s been going for around 15 years but it’s ending now. September and October are good for forging ahead with whatever your financial goals are.

YOUR LUCK Your horoscope really has two sides to it. The lucky side is all your most important one to one relationships, including personal and professional. Now is the time to focus on the people who make you happy and the people that you make smile.

Power dates

August 15 A time ripe for expanding knowledge and exploring new horizons, encouraging broad thinking and optimism.

October 12 An excellent day for connecting with others, where shared visions and collaborative efforts can lead to meaningful progress.

December 20 A period that highlights personal growth and understanding, perfect for reflecting on your journey and planning future adventures.

Capricorn

December 23 – January 20

YOU WON’T RECOGNISE YOURSELF SOON

LOVE & FAMILY If you make healing your aim now, at home and in your personal life, you will be taking best advantage of the current energies. Home is definitely where your heart is right now, so don’t avoid it because you’re so tied up with achieving! Family first, even if you have to kiss and make up first.

WORK & MONEY The karmic lunar nodes are offering you a choice – are you going to take the easy way out of life and just do what’s easy and familiar, or are you going to take life and run with it? While staying stuck feels easier, ultimately, it’s not. Choose your hand.

YOUR LUCK Your challenge now is to believe in your own good luck – if you can get your head around doing that, you can actually have a good six months! Try to find at least one thing a day to be grateful for and see how that transforms things.

Power dates

July 6 A great day for making significant headway on projects, where hard work and careful planning pay off.

August 20 A pivotal time for reflection and strategic adjustments, turning challenges into stepping stones for future success.

September 30 An optimal period for focused efforts and achieving goals, thanks to a strong drive and disciplined approach.

Aquarius

January 21 – February 19

LOVE & FAMILY With the planet of chaos and madness in your Home Zone for another year, it’s either going to be chaotic at home, or you wish it was! Now is the right time to do things differently when it comes to love and family. Dare to think outside the proverbial!

WORK & MONEY September looks good for you work-wise and when it comes to cash. There’s a Full Moon in Money Box suggesting you have taken Saturn’s medicine and learned your lessons of the past and are ready to turn things around.

YOUR LUCK You have a big blessing in your chart this year; the lucky planet Jupiter in your Fifth House. This is great because it means that no matter what else is going on, you could be able to find a way to have some fun in your personal life, either to do with kids (your own or someone else’s), a pregnancy, a romance or a creative project.

Power dates

July 16 Expect a surge of creativity and a push towards independence, making it a prime time for breakthroughs in personal projects.

July 19 A day that brings unexpected opportunities for growth, urging you to step out of your comfort zone and explore new possibilities.

October 8 Harmonious energies encourage you to balance your individuality with connections to others, fostering both personal and collective progress.

Pisces

February 20 – March 20

LOVE & FAMILY You have the lucky planet Jupiter in your Home and Family Zone so hopefully this will be a super happy time for you with anything and everything to do with your home and family. Regarding romance, Saturn is driving you so hard – you need to find the time for it!

WORK & MONEY Saturn back in Pisces for the first time in around 30 years really is dictating a lot of the energy in your chart at the moment. Work with Saturn by being a grown up, knowing your limits, working hard and being as real as you can be!

YOUR LUCK If you’re thinking about taking a little bit of a risk in your home or personal life, assess the risks very carefully. If you really think it’s worth a shot, know that you’re extra lucky for the rest of the year when it comes to home and family. 

Power dates

July 12 A period of heightened intuition and creativity, encouraging deep emotional connections and artistic expression.

September 18 A significant day for spiritual growth and understanding, offering clarity on personal beliefs and inspiring compassion in relationships.

November 19 An excellent time for reflection and inner growth, where dreams feel closer to reality, and personal boundaries expand to embrace new possibilities.

Our astrologer Yasmin Boland says, “Remember to read your Rising Sign, if you know it, for a more accurate prediction.”

If you don’t know it, find it out for free at moonmessages.com/freechart

The post Your Mid-Year Horoscopes July – December 2024 appeared first on Now To Love.

I picked up the beautiful hand-painted vase in my hands and smiled.

Better keep this safe, I thought.

It was 2021, and my husband Trevor, 67 and I had bought the ornament which had our names painted on the front of it during a trip to China. But when Trevor’s dear mum, May, 94, passed away four years earlier, it became her urn.

We were planning to move from the Gold Coast to Cairns and knowing how rough removalists could be, I packed the urn inside its decorative box, labelled it with fragile stickers and a note.

Mum’s urn – ashes, it read.

I put it inside the microwave for further protection, then boxed it all up.

Everything went into storage while we travelled.

We finally settled in a rental home in Cairns in August 2023, we’d not unpacked our things from storage.

Then, four months later, floods tore through town, turning our community upside down.

We threw ourselves into the clean-up process and visited our storage unit to see what was salvageable and what we could donate to people who’d lost everything.

At the local community centre, I dropped off boxes of practical things, including a couple marked ‘kitchen’.

A few of weeks later, I was strolling along The Esplanade listening to the local radio when a report caught my attention.

“In today’s odd news,” began the announcer, “a local’s newly donated microwave came with a surprise – a box marked ‘Mum’s ashes’!”

Who on earth would do something like that? I thought, grinning.

Then it hit me.

Oh no! May! I gasped.

Running home with my heart pounding, I wondered how I’d tell Trevor I’d accidentally donated his mum!

“You did what?” he said as I spilled the beans.

“I tucked her into the microwave for safekeeping,” I explained, “And now she’s ended up at the community centre!”

I quickly called ABC to confess what I’d done, and next thing, Trevor and I were live on air!

We were so nervous; we couldn’t stop laughing.

“What are the odds I’d be listening at that exact moment!” I exclaimed.

Afterwards, we rushed to the Holloways Community Hub and the volunteers were beside themselves when we rocked up to claim the ashes.

Rennae Brant-Goodwin, the volunteer crew leader, told us our donated goods had been passed on to flood-affected families needing essentials.

In the rush to help, the sealed box with the microwave had been handed over without a check. The new owners had contacted them after they’d made the awkward discovery.

“We tried everything to return the urn to its owners,” she said. “We even posted about it on Facebook but no one came to collect it.”

Thankfully, the post was widely shared, leading to it being featured in the local paper and on the radio.

“We can’t thank you enough,” I told them.

When I phoned our kids – Blake, 36, Nathan, 34, and Katie, 29 – to tell them what had happened to their nan, they laughed.

“Nan loved cooking, and she loved her microwave,” Blake joked. “She was probably quite comfy there.”

I still can’t quite believe the ashes made their way back to us.

But now that May is home, I won’t let her out of sight again!

The post I stored Mum in the microwave for safety… then I lost her! appeared first on Now To Love.

The 36-year-old recently appeared back in court in Italy, where she was convicted for slander. The court found that she had wrongly accused bar owner Patrick Lumumba of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher shortly after the shocking 2007 crime.

AMANDA KNOX FREE AT LAST?

The fact that Amanda doesn’t have to face any more time behind bars must come as a huge relief to the US author and activist. She’s worked hard to turn her life around in recent years.

In pictures from last week, the mum-of-two was seen strolling through the streets of Rome with her husband, Christopher Robinson. They looked like any other tourists as they explored with their young children, Eureka, 2, and nine-month-old Echo.

While she looks at home with motherhood, Amanda has admitted on social media that she has struggled to reclaim her identity since her exoneration.

“It’s not easy. And I often feel like I’m trying to invent good choices out of bad whole cloth,” she said.

“I know that I cannot 100 per cent protect my daughter from the kind of treatment I’ve suffered. But I’m doing the best I can.”

Amanda has also drawn on her daunting experience of being behind bars to work on the podcast Labyrinth, which she hosts with her husband.

A NEW ADVENTURE

The podcast series, which began in October 2020, sees Amanda and Christopher explore true crime stories through interviews, philosophy and debate.

Talking about the podcast with Vulture, Amanda says she knows what it’s like to be at the centre of an entertaining story.

“Being able to speak to that when looking at other cases seemed like a really great opportunity,” she explained.

It would be completely understandable if Amanda resented Italy. The country wrongly convicted her of murdering her friend while on student exchange back in 2007. However, Amanda has no hard feelings towards the country.

“I’ve got all my life to live, I’ve got all my love to give… Still love you, Italia,” she shared on Instagram while visiting the country for her court case.

The post From foreign prison to US podcast host, Amanda Knox has completely reinvented herself appeared first on Now To Love.

“It’s my guilty pleasure,” she tells Woman’s Day. “The costumes and scenery are a real feast for the eyes. Lady Danbury is my favourite, hands down. She always slays.”

Over the years, her obsession has fuelled a dressmaking hobby. And Amber’s travelled all over the world to events in which to wear her creations.

She recently attended a costume ball at Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte in France, where guests dress up in period costumes and live the life of 17th-century nobles.

AMBER LYSTER AS THE ‘PRINCESS OF PERTH’

Amber and her partner Chris, 38, who proposed at the 2023 event, call themselves the Princess of Perth and the Duke of Downunder on their social media accounts.

“This year, my dress took about 56 hours to make. Chris’ was more difficult as there’s a lot of embroidery, so that was more like 180 hours work,” says the commercial coordinator.

Amber sources their wigs from a shop in Sweden, with each one costing around $500. But she managed to do Chris’ hat on the cheap, using something she found in Kmart!

“It’s an expensive hobby, but we plan for ages. And we both love it,” she says.

After returning from France in June, Amber was thrilled to discover an event much closer to home. Immersive Bridgerton Balls, originally held in US cities such as New York, LA and San Francisco, recently launched in Melbourne.

Naturally, Amber was quick to book tickets. “I was excited that my dress would get another outing,” she says. “Plus, I have transporting it down to an art with a custom box in carry-on dimensions!”

Then on June 9th, Amber was again the Bridgerton belle of the ball, alongside Chris and her friend Ali, 34.

AN IMMERSIVE PARTY EXPERIENCE

The intimate fan event is billed as an immersive party experience. Therefore, it includes a cast of actors and dancers who involve the audience in the performance. The event is then concluded with the Queen selecting her “diamond” – the pick of the night.

“There were some magical locations for photos. And I loved the big throne, which fit my big dress!” Amber shares.

“The atmosphere was great. There was a large group in Regency style. Everyone made a huge effort. And they did an amazing job decorating. You forgot you were in a warehouse.”

Now it’s onto the next event, which Amber is organising herself – a Renaissance-themed wedding. “It won’t happen until 2026 because I have a lot of costumes to make for that,” she says.

For more information, visit bridgertonexperience.com.

The post Aussie Amber Lyster is living her best ‘Bridgerton’-inspired life appeared first on Now To Love.

Three key signs your cat or dog is feeling the cold

According to an article published by The Conversation, postdoctoral researcher, Melissa Starling shares this rule of thumb:

“If I can feel [the pet’s] ears or feet are a bit chilly to touch, that suggests their core temperature might be a bit low.”

Aside from cold ears or paws, shivering is the most obvious sign that your beloved fur baby is feeling the chill.

Keep an eye on your pet’s posture, too. Are they sleeping tucked into a little ball? Or are they walking around with their spine hunched over? These are common signs that they might need some extra snuggles to warm up.

It’s also important to monitor your pet’s behavioural changes once temperatures plummet. Some pets will become more lethargic and begin avoiding cold floors. Others will sleep all day or retreat to a warm spot in the house, like a patch of sunlight. Alternatively, some pets will let their discomfort be known with excessive barking, meowing and even whining.

In particular, smaller or senior pets are more likely to feel it when the temperature drops lower than seven degrees, due to their struggle to retain body heat.

But remember, However, that doesn’t always apply to breeds like Pomeranians, Alaskan Malamutes or Persians, who have thick fur and an undercoat to keep warm. Dog or cat breeds with shorter coats are the ones who really need to make up for their lack of fluff. Think Italian Greyhounds or Chihuahuas – they’re not just shaking for fun! Keep an eye out for how they’re doing. If you’re concerned check out these pet first aid tips and consult your vet.

How to keep your pets warm

If you notice any of the above signs, it’s time to bring your four-legged friend inside. If you don’t want to sit outside in the cold, then your pet certainly doesn’t either!

Now, if you’re trying to save on heating or don’t have an air conditioning unit in your home, the best way to keep your furry friends warm is to help them rug up.

Thankfully, leading pet supplier Petstock has all your snuggly needs sorted with its new winter collection.

With a lineup of cosy clothing and accessories, Petstock caters to pooches and cats alike. From warm fleece jumpers to waterproof rain jackets and even insulated puffer vests, there’s something for every pet – big or small.

Our five top picks from Petstock’s winter range

DGG Chunkly Fluffy Knit, $34.97

Nobody – not even our pets – can resist a cable knit. This chunky knit has been a Petstock favourite for five years and comes in five stunning colours, including taupe, musk, teal, sage and caramel.

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DGG Puffer Jacket Racer, $44.97

Who says puffers are only reserved for humans? Match in style on an outing to your local café by kitting your dog out in one of these stylish jackets. Lined with polar fleece on the inside, it’ll keep them warm and toasty even while outside.

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FuzzYard Flipside Dog Raincoat, $64.97

Nobody likes getting caught out in the rain, let alone your four-legged friend. This water-resistant raincoat features a reversible design so they can rock a block colour one day, and a fun geometric pattern the next.

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Buddy & Belle Bolster Bed, $119

To best prepare your four-legged friend for winter, you’ll need to invest in some cosy bedding. Available in small/medium or large/extra-large, this pet bed was designed for chilly nights. Featuring a reversible and removable cushion, it’s easy to chuck in the wash if your pet comes in covered in mud after a wet day.

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Lexi & Me Cat Cave, $49.97

All cats love a good hidey hole when it’s cold, and there’s nothing they love more than sequestering themselves somewhere protected and warm. And while most cats prefer to sleep anywhere but an actual bed, this cat cave is sure to pleasantly surprise both you and kitty.

SHOP NOW

PetStock’s winter range is available both in-store and online here. Get same-day delivery if you place an order by 4pm or select Click & Collect for fast and easy pick-up.

The post How To Keep Your Pets Warm All Winter Long appeared first on Now To Love.

Heather Mack was destined for a life of privilege.

Her dad, James Mack, was a famous jazz composer and her mum, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, was a socialite and publisher, who was part of an elite social circle.

The family lived in an opulent home and Heather was set to inherit millions of dollars, thanks to a generous family trust fund.

But, in 2006, when Heather was just 10 years old, her dad died from a pulmonary embolism at age 76, while the family was on holiday in Greece.

Her entire world imploded and with her grief, she set off down a path of destruction – drinking, taking drugs and going to wild parties.

It strained her relationship with her mum, and they fought often, with police being called to their home after disturbances more than 80 times.

Match made in hell

One wild night out, when Heather Mack was 17, she met Tommy Schaefer, 20.

He was a college dropout and aspiring rap artist – and Heather was attracted to his bad-boy persona.

They soon started dating.

Sheila didn’t like Tommy, which drove an even bigger wedge between her and her teenage daughter.

When Heather fell pregnant aged 18, Sheila was desperate to show her she was going down the wrong path.

As a last-ditch attempt to salvage things, she booked them a luxury holiday to Bali.

They flew business class and checked in to the five-star St Regis Hotel.

It was supposed to be a few weeks in paradise where Heather could reconsider her life choices, but it turned out she had other plans…

Holiday horror

Using her mother’s credit card, Heather booked Tommy an $18,000 business class flight to Bali and a room in their hotel.

When Sheila found out he was there – and she was paying for it – she was furious, exploding at her daughter in the hotel lobby.

Next day, a taxi driver alerted security to a heavy suitcase that had been abandoned in his boot.

At first, he had thought that guests were coming back to collect it but then he’d noticed it was stained with blood.

Inside the case was the mutilated body of Sheila.

The 62-year-old had been bludgeoned repeatedly and had suffocated on her own blood.

CCTV footage from the hotel revealed Heather and her boyfriend had rolled the suitcase to the front, and asked a taxi driver to put it in the boot of his car while they returned to their room to collect something.

The couple hadn’t returned so the driver alerted hotel security who called police. Officers then made the gruesome discovery and launched a murder investigation.

Plot to kill

Footage from earlier that day showed Tommy Schaefer approaching Sheila’s room with something – which later turned out to be the metal handle of a decorative fruit bowl – hidden under his shirt.

Next day, the pair were found hiding out at a nearby budget hotel.

At first, they denied the murder, saying Sheila had been killed by a local gang.

But text messages quickly revealed they’d planned to murder Sheila.

Schaefer had texted his cousin Robert Bibbs telling him Heather Mack had offered $74,000 to help kill her mother.

Tommy and Robert then discussed possible ways to do it, including suffocation and drowning.

Money on their minds

The motive appeared to be Heather’s $2.4million future inheritance.

One message from Schaefer to Heather, sent as she boarded her flight to Bali read: I can’t wait to be rich… I seriously can’t wait. I’m so geeked. I’m like thinking of lavish lifestyles.

Texts showed the pair compared themselves to Bonnie and Clyde.

Tommy Schaefer eventually admitted beating Sheila to death with the fruit bowl handle but said he’d acted in self-defence.

He claimed they had argued after she had found out about Heather’s pregnancy and she’d threatened to kill the baby, repeatedly making racial slurs towards him.

Heather admitted her part in the crime, saying she’d helped Schaefer to stuff her mum’s body into a suitcase before they fled.

Many of their claims didn’t stand up in court though. Texts proved the murder was premeditated. And emails from Sheila to her friends showed she knew about the pregnancy before the holiday.

How long was Heather Mack sentenced to?

In April 2015, Heather Mack, 19, was convicted of being an accessory to murder and given a 10-year prison sentence.

Tommy Schaefer, 21, was convicted of premeditated murder and given 18 years.

The couple escaped the harshest Balinese punishment of death by firing squad, because the judge didn’t want their baby to be raised without parents.

During the trial, Heather gave birth to a baby girl, Stella, and had no choice but to raise her daughter in her cell.

“I don’t regret killing my mother”

Later, Robert Ryan Bibbs, 26, was sentenced to nine years in prison on one count of conspiracy to commit foreign murder of a US citizen.

In 2017, a video of Heather finally confessing to the crime was uploaded to YouTube. In it, she says, “I don’t regret killing my mother.”

She added that she did regret “trapping an innocent person into this”, referring to Schaefer.

In another twist, just days later, Heather Mack claimed the confession was false, and she’d been coerced into it a year earlier by Schaefer.

She told prison officials she didn’t know how the video ended up online. 

Where is Heather Mack now?

On October 29, 2021, Heather Mack, 26, was released after seven years, due to good behaviour.

She was deported and the moment she touched down in Chicago a few days later, she was arrested again and charged with conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and conspiracy to commit foreign murder of a US national.

Heather Mack initially pleaded not guilty, but later accepted a plea deal, admitting the charges. She faces up to 28 years in jail.

Her daughter is now in the custody of Heather’s cousin.

According to reports, Schaefer, who is still in prison, is a born-again Christian who has baptised other prisoners.

He could face the same charges when he is eventually released and returned to US soil.

“I used to sit at home watching crime shows on TV with my mum and remember asking myself, ‘How is it possible to kill someone? How do they do it?’ And now, here I am, in jail for murder in Bali. It seems surreal,” he says.

The post Heather Mack had everything… then she helped murder her mum and stuff her body in a suitcase appeared first on Now To Love.

Waking up, I winced in pain. It felt like a vice was tightening around my skull.

It was 2012, and I was supposed to be enjoying a day off from my retail job, but, as I slid out of bed, I was horrified to find I could barely move my legs.

What’s going on? I fretted to myself.

My husband and 10-year-old daughter weren’t home, and my son lived with his father, so I called my GP.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” the receptionist asked.

My splitting head wasn’t giving me the words to say.

“Something… wrong,” I finally uttered.

She urged me to go to hospital so I texted my husband to take me.

On my way, he immediately responded.

Shortly after, a neurologist assessed me.

“I’d say it’s a migraine,” he said unsympathetically.

I was given ibuprofen and sent home in a wheelchair with the expectation it would pass. It didn’t.

After weeks of compromised movement and speech, I was sent for occupational therapy but even that didn’t work.

I was devastated. I tried to carry on with life but I’d often end up falling and suffering concussions.

Sadly, my marriage ended under the pressure and my daughter and I had to move in with my parents, Jim and Faye.

Dad was already caring for Mum, who had many health issues including liver cirrhosis from excessive drinking when she was younger.

Now, he also had to help me around the house.

When my sister, Robin, visited me in 2013, she was shocked by my condition.

“I feel like I’m waiting to die,” I told her in tears.

“Jana, this has gone on long enough!” she stated.

With her persistence for answers, I was referred to the leading neurologist at a medical university.

Looking at my MRI results, he frowned. Then he measured the circumference of my head.

“You’re within days of dying,” he gasped.

I had hydrocephalus which meant swollen ventricles were pressing my brain against my skull.

He arranged emergency surgery for the following day, which allowed for the spinal fluid to flow, taking pressure off my brain.

After the procedure, I could finally walk, talk and think clearly again!

I’ve got my life back, I thought, overjoyed.

But three months later, I struggled to walk again and this time, there was nothing doctors could do.

An occupational therapist helped me get back on my feet with a cane, but I’d never return to my old self.

Life became very dark until, in 2016, I reconnected with my old boyfriend, Kenny, on Facebook.

Kenny and I had broken up when I was 14, but I’d never forgotten him.

He eventually revealed he was a single father with a son, Aiden, five, and an adult daughter who lived in another state.

Thankfully, he wasn’t put off by my condition, and before long, Kenny and I rekindled our relationship.

He’d come around to watch movies and eat pizza with me and my daughter, and his bright outlook started rubbing off on me.

We married in 2018 and flew over to London for our honeymoon.

Arriving at Heathrow airport, Kenny headed off to the bathroom.

Where am I? I suddenly fretted, clutching my cane.

Not recognising my surroundings or the strangers rushing by, I became paralysed with fear.

Kenny returned and calmed me down, but I knew that something wasn’t right.

Early onset dementia

It was two years before a neuropsychologist could see me, then she delivered a devastating blow.

“You have dementia,” she said after conducting tests.

I was just 49 years old.

“That and the hydrocephalus were caused by foetal alcohol syndrome,” she continued.

With the concussions I’d suffered, it had created the perfect storm.

By then, Mum had passed away, but I was furious her choices had taken so much from me.

In time, a counsellor helped me understand that Mum had been battling her own demons and I forgave her, but it didn’t change the fact I was losing myself.

“If I could take this from you and give it to myself, I would,” Kenny told me.

In 2021, I began posting videos about my life with early onset dementia on TikTok in the hope of connecting with other early sufferers.

I shared how difficult it could be to tie my shoelaces or process a text message, and how I’d forget to take my medication or let my dog, Emma, out.

They got thousands of views. People wanted to hear about this.

Within two years, I gained over 89,000 followers and connected with many others who were suffering early onset dementia.

You’ve given me the courage to start sharing my journey, one wrote.

The prognosis for me is uncertain, but I’m rapidly declining. It terrifies me that one day I’ll forget my family entirely.

I can’t stop the degenerating effects of dementia, but I’m spreading the message that it’s okay not to be okay.

My dad had a saying that I now live by; “every day on this side of the grass is a good one”.

Follow Jana on TikTok and Instagram.

What are the symptoms of early onset dementia?

The signs of early onset dementia may not be immediately obvious. Signs and symptoms of dementia can include:

• Forgetting things or recent events
• Losing or misplacing items
• Confusion
• Getting lost when walking or driving
• Personality of behaviour changes
• Loss of ability to do everyday tasks

How long do people with early onset dementia live?

• The type of dementia a person has can affect how long they live with dementia, so the life expectancy varies.
• Someone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, can live for around eight to 10 years.
• Life expectancy is less if the person is diagnosed in their 80s or 90s.

The post Early onset dementia at just 49 rocked Jana’s world. This is her message to you. appeared first on Now To Love.

Clad in hot pants and bedazzled talk tops, his upbeat and inclusive approach to fitness saw him star in infomercials, publish cookbooks and make regular appearances on television.

His 1998 fitness video Sweatin to the Oldies was a record-breaking success. It grossed over $200 million in sales.

EXERCISE THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY

But in 2014, the flamboyant fitness guru mysteriously vanished overnight from the public eye, sending fans into a worried frenzy.

Speculation ran wild with claims he was being held captive by his housekeeper, that he’d had gender affirmation surgery, was terminally ill or had gained so much weight he was physically incapacitated.

This inspired the hit 2017 podcast Missing Richard Simmons made by one of his former fitness class attendees, which attempted to solve the puzzle.

Finally, Richard responded by issuing a statement on Facebook saying, “I’m not ‘missing’, just a little under the weather”.

Earlier this year when it was announced that American comedian Pauly Shore was set to play him in a new biopic, Richard swiftly responded saying that he hadn’t given permission for the production.

The now 75-year-old recently surprised fans. He announced that he’s working on an interactive Broadway show about his life and appears to be back in the public eye.

“I am so excited,” he wrote “I have so many ideas and I’m writing them all down… Broadway is in my blood!”

‘YOU GOTTA MOVE!’

Australian born fitness and diet guru Susan Powter was a mid-nineties self-help sensation telling fans, “You gotta eat! You gotta breathe! You gotta move!” in her infomercials.

With her bleached-blonde crew cut and stiletto heels, Powter raged against the scourge of diets and fat substitutes. She claimed they only set women up for failure.

“Stop the insanity,” she told them. In 1993 alone, Powter sold more than $50 million worth of simplified, common-sense wellness advice. “If you can’t pronounce it,” she told followers, “Don’t eat it.”

However, in 1995, three days before her third book was due to be released, Powter filed for personal bankruptcy. She blamed legal battles with her business partners.

“I am broke,” she said. “I just don’t have any money.”

While Powter largely disappeared from the mainstream media spotlight, she still remains active to her followers through online consultations and private sessions.

‘AEROBICS OZ STYLE’

Aerobics Oz Style helped Australia get up and moving every morning with exercise between 1982 to 2000. The beloved Channel Ten show served up upbeat music and funky leotards against the backdrop of iconic local landmarks.

Instructors included June Jones, Jodie Low, Wendi Carroll and others such as Kelly Martinovich.

After joining the show in 1998, Kelly become a standout personality. But when the show’s production ended, she faced personal challenges.

In August 2022, Martyn Williams stormed into the Perth gym he jointly owned with Kelly, carrying a sledgehammer. He angrily yelled at the high-profile fitness instructor.

Kelly had reportedly tried to end their business partnership. But on facing court, Martyn denied threatening anyone. Just weeks later, Kelly’s son Jaden was charged with murder after allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old in the heart during an apparent botched drug deal.

Jaden, 18, pleaded not guilty to murder. He claimed he was defending himself during an alleged carjacking. His next hearing is in August.

EXERCISE AND ‘FEEL THE BURN’

When actress Jane Fonda released her first exercise video sporting a striped leotard and burgundy stirrup leg warmers with her hair fluffed to heaven, she sparked a fitness revolution.

Released on VHS tape in 1982, Jane Fonda’s Workout was an unprecedented success. It launched a fitness series that sold over 17 million copies. “Feel the burn!” and “No pain, no gain” became her catchphrases.

Despite netting millions, the business wasn’t owned by Jane but the organisation she and her then husband Tom Hayden founded to further his political career.

“Tom hated it,” Jane later said of her incredibly successful second career. “Even though all the money went to the organisation. He thought it was all about vanity.”

The couple divorced in 1990 and since then Jane has attributed her dedication to fitness as a crucial part of her recovery from a lifelong eating disorder.

Now 86, Jane has released 22 workout videos.

The post Behind the leg warmers and fluoro, scandal was brewing for these exercise icons appeared first on Now To Love.

“It’s such a beautiful day,” I told him.

He barked in agreement before tugging on the lead, eager to meet new people that he could stop and have a cuddle with.

Though wolf-like in appearance, he was a teddy bear at heart.

My partner, David, and I had got him in March 2018, when he was 12 weeks old, and he settled into our home perfectly.

He was cheeky, and loved testing the limits of what he could do – like snuggling with us on the couch or the bed – but we loved him for it.

Now, he was 18 months old, with bundles of energy. Once we’d finished our walk, we headed back towards home.

We were around 200m away, when suddenly I felt a thud on my back and everything went black.

When I came around, I was in the hospital, covered in wires. David was by my bedside.

“What happened?” I croaked. I couldn’t remember a thing.

David explained a woman had been driving down the quiet road where Max and I were walking when her vehicle lost control, mounted the pavement and hit me, propelling me head-first into a rock wall, cracking my skull open and exposing my brain.

The wall was surrounded by trees and bushes, meaning my lifeless body was hidden from sight from anyone walking past.

The vehicle had eventually crashed onto its roof further down the road.

Fortunately, Max had escaped unharmed.

Realising I needed help, our clever boy ran home to raise the alarm.

He pawed at the door until David opened it.

“He was covered in your blood, and I knew something must have happened to you,” David told me.

When I didn’t answer my phone, he grabbed Max’s lead and let him lead the way.

Before reaching me, David came across the police at the scene where the driver had crashed.

“Please, help me. I can’t find my partner!” he shouted to them.

With the help of Max, they found me hidden behind a tree, unconscious and bleeding from my injuries.

The ambulance arrived and took me to the hospital, where I was put in an induced coma for 27 days.

I’d sustained a traumatic brain injury and needed to go through an 11-hour reconstructive surgery because every bone in my face was broken.

My neck, pelvis and wrist were all fractured, too, plus my liver was ruptured. I also had five of my bottom teeth knocked out.

“You wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for Max,” David told me, teary-eyed.

The paramedics said if I’d been left there 10 minutes more, I’d be dead. Max had saved my life.

Over the next few weeks, I was in ICU and then the neurology ward, slowly healing. I couldn’t see Max at that time as he wasn’t allowed inside the hospital.

“How is he?” I asked David.

“He’s worried,” David replied. “He keeps looking for you.”

My heart ached for him. When I was finally well enough to be moved to the brain injury rehabilitation unit, David brought Max to visit me in the outside grounds.

Seeing me, he sprinted over and jumped right into my arms.

“Mummy’s okay,” I told him through my tears. “All thanks to you.”

It was a precious moment. I never wanted to let him go.

I got home from my three-month stay in the hospital right before Christmas.

The recovery was long, but having Max by my side helped me to cope.

In time, the driver pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention causing grievous bodily harm.

She was sentenced to two months jail, suspended for nine months.

Then, in September of 2021, I received wonderful news.

“I’m pregnant,” I told David.

We had been trying for a while, and I’d just come back from seeing the doctor for nausea.

Other than gestational diabetes and having to take medication to prevent blood clots, I had a healthy pregnancy.

On May 5, 2022, we welcomed our beautiful son, Isaac.

When I introduced him to Max for the first time, my heart was bursting with love.

“He’s here because of you,” I told Max.

For his bravery, Max was awarded the Animal Hero Award by the RSPCA in 2020 for saving my life.

We were all so proud of him.

Tragically, Max passed away at five and a half years old after a series of health issues, leaving us devastated.

Isaac’s now two, and we tell him stories about our hero dog, Max.

We’ll never forget what he did for our family.

The post Hero husky saved my life appeared first on Now To Love.

A common fear that stops us from acting on that dream and turning it into reality is the belief that we’ve left it too late, especially for those who’ve been in the same kind of role for many years. Not to mention worry that we could end up working more hours than ever before. Or of course, the business will fail due to our lack of experience and expert guidance. 

Still, more Aussies are taking the leap in 2024. We’re changing jobs at the highest rate in a decade, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. And those aged 25-54 are among the age groups leading the charge.

How Jayde started her business

Aussie mum Jayde Magill spent 20 years working for other people, but just six months after leaving her role to become a V.I.P. Home Cleaning Franchisee, she already has around 70 clients and employs three people – yet somehow, has more free time with her family than she ever dreamed of.

“I was looking for a way to earn more and have a better work-life balance,” Jayde says.

“I worked long hours, never had enough time to be involved with my kids, and had no energy left for the weekend to enjoy life.”

Now, thanks to the flexibility that her set-up as a small business franchisee offers, Jayde says she’s always around for school pick-up and drop-off and can even fit in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes three times a week with her husband David.

A similar experience was shared by former bus driver Rameshinder Jassal, from West Pennant Hills, NSW. Now a V.I.P. Lawns & Gardens franchisee, he made the leap into small business to have more flexibility and spend more time with his family.

“I can schedule my working hours according to my family commitments,” he said. “I have become more fit than I was before, I have more free time and my earnings have almost doubled.”

His longer-term goal is to expand his workforce and work fewer hours.

“There is great scope to expand your business if you’re happy to employ others,” he said. “Ultimately you can change this business into a passive income business.”

Choosing the right business structure is key

Those considering taking the leap into becoming a small business owner may understandably be concerned about the many requirements involved before they get started. Regardless of the type of field they’re looking to pursue, worries can include not having the experience and business acumen needed, for the heavy time cost and complexities of administration.

This can include tax management, permit requirements, revenue concerns – and cash flow including the need for any business loans. For Jayde, it was about knowing how much money she’d need upfront to get started so she could plan accordingly, especially in the early weeks and months – managing income with outgoings to meet the cost of living expenses.

What made all the difference to Jayde in not just giving peace of mind on that front but managing to achieve good work-life balance so early on – was the business structure.

It was a huge benefit not having to build a company from scratch, thanks to the set-up as a V.I.P. franchisee. Aside from the business name, brand and logo already being provided, the pricing, uniforms, technology and other equipment is also already organised for franchisees.

That meant Jayde could get cracking with her home cleaning small business from day one. Plus, V.I.P. offers ongoing training and help with accounting, managing bookings, liaising with clients and marketing. She says that level of support was key.

Duane Slabbert from Parkside, South Australia, has had a similar experience. He’s a V.I.P. Home Cleaning franchisee who’d been working as a data analyst in the life insurance industry. When the time came for him to make his own mid-career change, the set-up gave him the confidence to step away from full-time employment to become his own boss.

“The franchise model offers a proven business strategy that reduces the risk typically associated with starting a new business,” he said. “Being part of a recognised brand opens many doors and provides a level of trust with clients that would be hard to achieve on your own. It’s an ideal path for those looking to venture into entrepreneurship with a support system backing them.”

Jayde’s secrets to starting a small business

Starting a business always has its challenges. But here are Jayde’s four top tips to help set yourself up for success:

1. Be in business to solve a problem. Don’t worry about having an original idea or competition – just focus on solving a problem for your customers at the right price.
2. Draw on your experience. You’re never really starting from scratch when you make a mid-career change. All of your previous work and life experience will likely come in handy at some point.
3. Know your costs. Understand how much money you’ll need to spend upfront and ongoing, so you can calculate your cash flow. As a V.I.P. franchisee, you can access marketing support (including a tailored local area marketing plan), which Jayde says has been invaluable for efficiently finding and converting leads – giving her more time to focus on getting out and making money.
4. Be a good boss. Take the time to get to know your team and their needs, so they have fun at work and want to help grow your business. And share the spotlight by celebrating and thanking them for their efforts. Jayde does this quickly and easily by taking screenshots of client feedback and sending it to her team.

To learn more about starting your own small business, click here.

The post Starting a small business from scratch – four top tips! appeared first on Now To Love.

The inmates can decorate their cells with pink bedding and towels, are able to pet animals to keep themselves calm, visit a stocked library and even go shopping for snacks and clothes.

Letby’s new cell at the privately run HMP Bronzefield near Ashford, Surrey, is even better, with an ensuite bathroom, phone and TV, reports The Sun.

She has also been able to dye her hair brown and, unlike other inmates, doesn’t have a full-time job.

“She is in a nice cell and on her own. [It’s] no wonder she’s been looking so happy,” says a source.

INSIDE LETBY’S PINK CELL

Former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has been denied permission to appeal her convictions nine months after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another six.

In a case that shocked the world, the former neonatal nurse was found to have killed five boys and two girls in her care while working at the Countess of Chester hospital in 2015 and 2016.

Last August, when she was found guilty, Letby became the third woman alive in the UK to be handed a whole-life order, meaning she can never be paroled. Her application to appeal, already rejected in January, was based on a claim that the original judge for her case had wrongly refused applications made on her behalf during the trial.

Letby, 34, is also due to face a retrial later this month on a single count of attempted murder of a newborn girl.

Despite this, the serial killer nurse – described as “beige” and “average” by police – maintains her innocence.

In December, when she was officially struck off the nursing register, the deciding panel heard that she did not accept that she was “guilty of any of the allegations” in the submitted paperwork.

Letby’s parents John, 77, and Susan, 63, and her best friend Dawn Howe are still convinced of her innocence.

CONVICTED MURDERER

Throughout their daughter’s 10-month trial, the Letbys were a constant presence in court, while neighbours on the comfortable cul-de-sac, where they’ve lived since the convicted murderer was little, said they had become virtual recluses from the moment of her shocking arrest in July 2018.

“I did it, take me instead!” Letby’s mother is reported to have wailed at the arresting officers at the time in a last desperate bid to protect her only child.

Dawn, too, refuses to believe Letby committed the crimes, saying, “Unless Lucy turned around and said I’m guilty, I’ll never believe that she’s guilty.”

Support for the serial killer nurse has come from outside her close circle too. Statistics professor and academic Richard Gill has made repeated claims that the criminal investigation into Letby made mistakes in handling statistical evidence, and on his website he writes that he believes her case was a “major miscarriage of justice”.

Last week UK MP David Davis spoke in parliament about a recent piece in the New Yorker, which challenged Letby’s verdict but was blocked from publication in the UK, reportedly due to a court order.

CHILLING NOTES FROM LETBY

It was Letby’s colleagues who initially voiced concern that she might be behind the unusually high number of deaths on the neonatal ward where she worked.

During police searches of her three-bedroom house – where her bedroom was decorated with multiple fluffy toys and fairy lights – a number of tiny chilling notes were discovered.

On one was written, “I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them.”

In another, she admitted, “I am evil I did this.”

Letby was not present at her sentencing, with the judge noting this was “one final act of wickedness from a coward”.

She is reportedly now being housed in the women’s-only Bronzefield prison, once home to serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy.

According to The Sun, Letby is receiving around-the-clock protection, with an insider revealing that, “She seems to be being treated with kid gloves because of who she is.”

The post ‘Deadly nurse’ Lucy Letby has lost her bid for freedom and faces another murder trial appeared first on Now To Love.

It definitely didn’t look like your average business meeting.

But sitting on plastic chairs in my driveway with gin and tonics in our hands, my friend Jo, 39, and I were brainstorming.

“How do you feel about sex toys?” Jo asked.

“In a business or pleasurable sense?” I grinned.

It was March 2020, and our hometown of Mount Maunganui, NZ, like the rest of the world, was in COVID lockdown.

A socially distanced drink with Jo was one of the highlights of my day, and it was a great way to combine business and pleasure.

We were both entrepreneurs.

I’d launched a sportswear business after finishing my uni degree and Jo had created her own personalised cookie company after having her two sons, Jake, 16, and Arlo, six, allowing her to work from home.

We’d often talked about collaborating, and with no end in sight to lockdown, we had plenty of time to come up with ideas.

“There’s a popular sex toy that keeps popping up on my Instagram feed,” Jo explained. “But the design is awful. It looks so ugly.”

She showed me and I agreed.

“Women want toys that are cute and feminine,” she said.

“And not to have to walk into a seedy sex shop or scroll through hundreds of models on a website to get one!” I agreed.

Just like that, we’d found a gap in the market.

And the more we researched, the more we fell in love with our idea.

Especially when a friend of mine confessed she’d never pleasured herself until she was 25 years old.

“It was never talked about!” she said.

And it was true. Conversations around self-pleasure were always male-centred and the more we investigated, the more we realised most sex toys were marketed with a male gaze in mind.

“There’s so much shame around female sexual pleasure,” I said to Jo. “I can’t wait to eradicate it!”

It took us a year to create a website and an Instagram for Girls Get Off – Jo’s fabulous suggestion for our brand name – and get our first toy made.

We started with one to keep it simple.

‘Missy’ was a small, sleek, pink clitoral stimulator. We knew women would love her.

When we launched in March 2021, we started doing daily giveaways on Instagram to get the word out.

Soon, the orders were absolutely flooding in.

Where has Missy been all my life? one customer asked.

We knew we were on to something.

When lockdown was over, I moved to Sydney to really make a go of the business, while Jo remained fully involved but living in New Zealand with her family.

One day, to advertise it, I dressed up as a labia and went down to various big beaches in Sydney with a boombox and a sign, asking women to show me their best sexy dance in exchange for a free vibrator!

As women young and older twerked and jiggled their bits for us, we handed out free sex toys like they were going out of fashion!

Within 18 months, we’d launched another four toys, as well as lube, wipes and an adult book.

To date, we’ve sold 25,000 Missys and thousands of our other products.

We’re just about to launch a brand-new model and we know women will love her.

It’s been a pleasure to help women find theirs!

The post We created a sex toy for our friend who’d never had an orgasm! appeared first on Now To Love.

I was glad for the chance to get my steps in while 
I recorded my lines. Later that day, I planned to use 
it as a voiceover for a fitness-themed video I was creating for TikTok.

It was 8.30am and only 
a few people were around. I was relieved there wouldn’t be any distractions.

Confidently, I started to say the first line.

A moment later, seemingly out of nowhere, I felt something hit my face.

Have I been punched? I thought in shock.

A blurry black-and-white form shot straight across my line of vision.

I need to get out of here, 
I panicked.

Feeling shaken, I hurried back to my parked car.

Once safely inside, I checked my phone.

Did I catch what happened on video? I wondered.

To my shock, I had. I’d captured the exact moment a large and angry bird had swooped me!

It was November 2023, and it suddenly dawned on me that magpie swooping season was in full swing.

Oddly, I’d never seen magpies in this area, much less along the promenade.

It’s one of the reasons I was happy to stroll there – I’ve got a huge fear of birds.

With shaking hands, I sent the video to my mum, Summah, 44.

Oh my God! Are you okay? she messaged back.

By now, the shock was wearing off.

My left eye is starting to hurt, I texted back.

Mum told me to go and have a look at it, so I headed to a nearby public toilet.

Looking in the mirror, 
I was surprised.

It looks fine, I thought.

I drove straight home, still feeling a bit shaken by what had happened.

A few hours later, my partner, Jackson, 25, got in.

“Why are you home so early?” he asked.

I handed him my phone.

“Check this out,” I said.

He played it through once. Then, a second time, which he slowed down.

Watching with him, 
I shrieked. I could barely believe what I was seeing.

As the bird swooped, it had actually lodged its entire beak in my eye socket!

Waves of revulsion and disgust hit me. I felt like I was going to throw up.

Immediately, 
I searched online:
What diseases do birds carry?

The list on the screen was horrible.

The first result showed birds and humans can transfer influenza, mites, and E coli or salmonella infections to each other.

I felt myself spiralling.

“Is my eye going to fall out?” I wailed.

“I think you better go to the hospital,” Jackson said.

My eye hurt more than it had earlier, and it felt really irritated.

It’s redder as well, I thought, rechecking it.

Still, I knew it would take ages to get seen at our local hospital’s emergency department, so I decided to wait and see how it looked the next morning.

Throughout the evening, I continued to flush my eyes with warm water. Each time I did, I felt the irritation lessen a bit.

The next day, I wasn’t in any pain or discomfort.

It feels fine, I thought, thankfully.

As a fitness and health influencer I’ve got 200,000 followers on TikTok.

Wanting to raise awareness of swooping, I decided to share the video on my social media account.

I also spoke about how I suffer from ornithophobia, an extreme fear of birds.

Since posting the video, it has received more than six million views and over 8000 comments.

I’d never leave the house again, wrote one person, adding, My fear of birds is already unreasonable but nope after that.

Many comments were also really supportive.

Lots of people said while the video was hard to watch, they were glad I hadn’t lost my eye.

Right now, I want to avoid exercising outdoors or anywhere near where the attack happened. For the moment, I’m using the treadmill in my home.

If I do need to go outside, I’m extra careful.

I hope to return to the waterfront in time, but I’ll stay closer to the water than the trees.

And one thing’s for sure, I’ll no longer go on any walks without a hat and my sunnies for protection!

The post Aussie influencer catches the gruesome moment a magpie lodged its beak in her eye appeared first on Now To Love.

“I’ve met some people who have been helped by the Salvos, and they’ve definitely had a positive impact on their lives,” he tells Woman’s Day in an exclusive interview on the eve of The Salvos annual Red Shield Appeal.

“The people I met were at various stages of the help they needed from The Salvos. Some were just learning what it was like to be helped and encouraged to try and fix their lives.”

LIFESAVING WORK

“Others had been there for a while and were quite comfortable about the fact they were going forward in the care of the Salvos. And still others were about to leave and go and have a crack on their own because they had been repaired, for want of a better word.”

Ray, who this year notches 35 years playing loveable ‘Alf Stewart’ on Home And Away and has no immediate plans to hang up his Akubra, acknowledges he’s had a fortunate life. But he also admits that he didn’t always know where the next meal was coming from.

“I haven’t [needed The Salvos] touch wood. And that’s a bit of good luck more than anything,” he says, admitting that early in his career he lived pay cheque to pay cheque just like so many Aussies are forced to do today.

It’s a big part of why he loves The Salvos and the work they do to help people doing it tough. He’s visited their treatment and outreach centres to see first-hand just what lifesaving work they do.

“It just seems to me that whenever there has been any sort of crisis, any sort of drama, anything where people were in need, The Salvos are always there,” Ray says.

THOSE IN NEED

“The Salvos are such a fair dinkum, straight up and down charity that really does help people out there. And while things are tough for everybody at the moment, whatever you can afford to give, please give to the Salvos.

“It doesn’t stay with the Salvos. It’s given on and passed onto people who have a need in the community. I find it very difficult to say no to the Salvos, and I never have! I’d just encourage people to do that – to support the Salvos.”

“I’M A THIRD-GENERATION SALVO!”

Miriam Gluyas had her heart set on becoming a professional golfer until she encountered an older woman who grew up in foster care. She had never experienced a loving family Christmas.

“I call it my defining moment,” shares Miriam who is now the head of The Salvation Army and responsible for 17,000 officers and 8000 employees in 400 centres around Australia – that provide help to millions of Aussies.

“She told us the story of being born and above her crib was no name. No-one ever wanted her, and she went from foster family to foster family and never had a real Christmas.

“We invited her to lunch and gave her some little gifts, and she just cried. That was my defining moment in life. I thought I never wanted someone to go without … the Salvation Army has to be there for anyone in need.”

Miriam grew up steeped in a tradition of service with parents and three grandparents who were devoted Salvos. With the current cost-of-living crisis impacting millions with poverty, and homelessness and domestic violence on the rise, she is asking Australians to dig deep this year if they can.

Visit www.salvationarmy.org.au and help the Salvos deliver food, shelter and services.  The doorknock appeal runs from May 25-26.

The post Ray Meagher on why the beloved Salvation Army charity will never stop helping Aussies appeared first on Now To Love.

I’d been experiencing dizzy spells, exhaustion and terrible moods.

Aged 40, I had three kids under 10, and I wanted to be the best mum to them, and wife to my husband, Clive.

After lots of back and 
forth with doctors looking 
for an answer, one had recommended a glucose tolerance test.

And now, the results were surprising.

I wasn’t overweight, but I was hypoglycaemic and pre-diabetic.

The doctor asked me to list the foods I ate over a day.

“Some days I’ll demolish half a Sara Lee cheesecake for breakfast and a packet of biscuits in the afternoon,” I confessed. “Chocolate is my weakness. I can eat an entire block before coming to my senses.”

Saying it out loud, a terrible thought entered my mind: I’m a sugar addict.

I discovered the benefit of adding more protein, which helped keep me fuller longer.

A small amount of fresh fruit helped with sweet cravings.

Months later, tests showed steady blood sugar.

My energy had returned, and I was exercising.

A year on, I embraced a more moderate approach.

I would have two squares of dark chocolate every day and when I went out for a meal I’d have half a glass of wine or strawberries and fresh cream for dessert.

Then, aged 53, I was in the US with Clive, a property developer, for a business trip.

By chance, I found myself chatting with a woman who introduced me to a natural, sugar-free alternative – Xylitol.

“You can bake with it and enjoy the foods you love,” she said, offering me a few sachets to try.

Back home, I made lamingtons, cheesecakes, chocolate mousse and ice- cream. They were delicious!

Eighteen months later, in 2002, I brought a small shipment to Australia.

From there, I built my business SweetLife to distribute Xylitol across the country and share recipes and healthy living tips.

I hadn’t worked for 25 years as I’d been a stay-at-home mum, but I taught myself to use a computer, spent three years taking business classes at night and began doing 90-hour weeks.

SweetLife is now in its 22nd year and is a big success.

I’ve had the opportunity to speak to thousands about transforming my health and help them with theirs.

“The healthier and fitter you are, the more you’ll enjoy life,” I tell them.

Today, I’m 76, a grandmother of four, and I’m very fit, thanks to tennis, yoga and weekly Pilates.

And I’m as happy to wear a bikini on Perth’s Cottesloe Beach as I was 40 years ago.

People are always surprised when I tell them my age.

If they ask how I stay looking so youthful, I say I’ve been sugar free for 35 years.

This year, Clive and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage – and I can credit part of its longevity to my commitment to being the best I can be.

Age is just a number, but AGE is also my mantra for living: A is for attitude, G is for gratitude, and E is for ‘ego-tude’.

I made the last word up, but we all need a little healthy ego, it’s what drives us to be our best!

‘Honestly’ Sugar Free Baking is available now at sweetlife.com.au

The post I look better in a bikini at 76 than I did at 40! appeared first on Now To Love.

But Molly’s son will now grow up without her because, in the early hours of April 22, the 28-year-old was found dead inside her home in Forbes, NSW. Her ex-partner has been charged with her murder.

“I can’t put into words the effect Molly had on everyone’s life. She was a beautiful person. Her mum was her best friend, she was so close to her dad and her son was her world from the moment he was born,” Molly’s close friend Jacinda Acheson, 41, tells Woman’s Day.

MOLLY’S LAW

Only three weeks before Molly’s death, the same man was charged with stalking and rape. Despite police opposition, a registrar in Dubbo granted him bail and issued an apprehended violence order (AVO). The AVO banned the man from going within 100 metres of Molly’s home, the childcare centre where she worked or Forbes.

But the apprehended violence order apparently made no difference.

“Only three weeks before [she died], Molly had the courage to tell police what she’d been going through,” says Jacinda. “The police did everything they could to protect Molly, but the first time he fronted court in Dubbo, a female registrar allowed him bail.”

Two weeks later, the man fronted court again and was bailed again.

“If these perpetrators are given bail, they must be electronically monitored so police can see when they break the conditions of their AVO. If this had been in place for Molly, I think she’d still be here,” says Jacinda.

Molly’s family and friends are now calling for “Molly’s Law” – a system that ensures authorities and victims know the whereabouts of bailed perpetrators, facing domestic violence charges.

“How else can victims feel safe if they don’t know where these monsters are?” says Jacinda.

As the number of women killed by partners or ex-partners continues to rise, grieving families, friends and communities across Australia are saying enough is enough and taking to the streets to protest.

In the first four months of this year, 28 women were killed by violence, according to research by Counting Dead Women Australia, a national register that has verified and kept count since 2012. This is a sharp increase compared to the same time last year.

NSW Premier Chris Minns just proposed tougher bail laws for “serious” domestic violence offenders, with legislation expected to be introduced to parliament this week. Jacinda reacted to the news, saying, “It is too late for Molly and the 100s of victims before her. Announcing these changes is a great step towards change. Now they need to be implemented.”

The Australian government has announced $952.2 million will be spent over the next five years to establish the Leaving Violence Program. The program includes a $5000 package of cash, goods and services to help victim-survivors fleeing violent relationships.

Janet Jukes, CEO of Refuge Victoria, says the investment is welcome but more crisis accommodation is needed. The organisation is on the frontlines of women escaping some of the worst family violence.

In an average year, Refuge Victoria supports more than 600 women and children, but a lack of beds means about 70 per cent of women assessed as high-risk return to the homes they escape.

“The women who come to us need to hide from someone who is pursuing them – they need help, so they aren’t killed or harmed. It’s hugely concerning that we don’t have enough refuge beds,” says Janet.

As well as providing secure accommodation, the service helps women “clean” their phones and electronic devices, so they can’t be traced by a violent ex.

After decades in the field, Janet hopes the growing focus on the number of violent deaths will achieve change. “Society is outraged and that is a hopeful sign of change,” she says.

BROKEN SYSTEM

Dr Vincent Hurley passionately voiced his outrage when he appeared on the ABC’s Q+A. The criminologist, ex-NSW police officer and long-time advocate for stronger measures to end domestic violence, says toxic politics are costing lives.

He says the attitudes of police towards domestic violence have vastly improved since he was an officer in the early 1980s, but the legal system is letting down women and children.

“In the 1980s, if someone committed an armed hold-up, whether someone was physically injured or not, the offender had no presumption for bail. Why can’t we do that for men with a history of crimes of domestic violence?” he says.

“I’d like to see perpetrators unable to apply to have their bail reviewed for a week, so women have breathing space to get out of danger. If a perpetrator is then released, they should be referred to a service like the Salvos or Uniting Church so they can vent, cool down and get a reality check. The latest government funding is welcome, but it’s a drop in the ocean.”

Jacinda says a weak and broken justice system is letting down women like Molly.

“Molly won’t see her little boy’s weekend football games, his first try of the season, she won’t celebrate his birthdays and she won’t be there on his wedding day,” she says.

“When Molly was brave enough to ask for help, she was killed. Our bail laws and justice system have Molly’s blood on their hands. The system utterly failed her.”

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

The post Domestic violence death rates soar, leaving Australians reeling appeared first on Now To Love.

He was a priest at the parish of East Devonport, Tasmania and had invited the local teenage boys out for a fishing trip. My school mates had met him while playing badminton at the church hall.

It was 1979, and I was 13 years old.

As the boys cast their lines, Hawkins approached me.

“What’s your dad do, Steve?” he asked.

My dad, Ted, had left when I was five, leaving my mum, Annette, to raise my siblings and me.

“I haven’t got a dad,” I told Hawkins.

His face lit up.

I was overcome with seasickness but when we returned to the rectory, Hawkins handed me a beer.

“This’ll settle your tummy,” he explained.

Mum’d never let me do this, I thought taking a sip.

“My mum’s pretty strict,” 
I told the priest.

“I’d like to meet her,” he responded.

That week, he came over to introduce himself to Mum.

“He’s charming,” she said to me afterwards. “It’ll be good for you to spend 
time with him.”

Hangouts with Hawkins became frequent. He’d take us boys on boat trips, hunting or snorkelling.

Sometimes, it’d just be the two of us and he’d buy me gifts, like a wetsuit and goggles. I felt like I was his favourite.

Over time, Hawkins got more familiar with me.

“Geez, you’ve got a nice little arse,” he’d remark, smacking my bum.

“Get stuffed you dirty old man!” I’d quip.

I didn’t like it when he touched me, but I had no other father figure for comparison.

It must be what all dads do with their kids, I assumed.

Father Hawkins had 
a reputation at school and other kids warned me to stay away from him. But I was convinced he was a good guy. After all, he was a priest.

Whenever he was drunk though, I remained on high alert as he’d try to sneak up and grab my genitals.

At school, I felt like an adult in a kid’s world, and I went from an A-grade student to the class clown.

Halfway through Year 9, I dropped out. Soon after, Hawkins was transferred by the diocese to Triabunna on the east coast.

“Why doesn’t Steve come live with me,” he suggested to Mum. “I’ll help find him a job.”

“Great idea!” Mum said, fully trusting him.

She did everything she could to provide good opportunities for us.

Hawkins got me work at 
a fish factory and didn’t mind when I brought mates home – he even encouraged it.

Every perk of my life at the rectory had a dark underside I couldn’t comprehend.

Hawkins would let me drive his HQ Holden through the paddock next door, but only if I sat on his lap first and let him rub my stomach.

At night, he’d beg me to come to bed with him, but 
I always refused.

Once, I came home to 
find him hosting a booze-up with 10 other blokes from 
the ministry.

One of them approached me in the kitchen.

“Why don’t we go up to 
the bedroom and have 
a play?” he slurred.

I told him to get stuffed.

“Oh that’s right, you’ve been Garth’s boy for years,” he smiled. It sounded to me like Hawkins had been telling the other priests that he was having sex with me.

He’s not a great guy at all! 
I finally accepted. I need to get out of here.

I moved back to Devonport soon after and cut all ties with Hawkins. Desperate to move on from that chapter of my life, I kept silent about Hawkins’ actions.

It wasn’t until 1996, aged 30, that we reconnected when I asked him to be 
my wedding celebrant.

I believe now this was a subconscious desire to show him he hadn’t stopped me turning out okay.

After the service, I gave him a bottle of scotch as a thank you gift. He drank half of it before the reception.

I cringed when my mate invited him to make a speech.

“I met Steve before he had any pubic hair,” Hawkins slurred into the microphone.

My guests went into stunned silence.

“I used to wonder if he took his jeans to the fitter,” he continued, “they were always so tight around his arse!”

My dad, who’d since come back into my life, rushed up to me afterwards.

“What did he do to you?” he asked me, alarmed.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” I assured him.

But I began to wonder if my time with Hawkins was connected to the PTSD I’d battled since my youth.

Sadly, this PTSD persisted, and I was unable to make my marriage last beyond a year.

After the separation, I told a close friend about Hawkins.

“You could always speak to the police about it,” she said.

When I did, my sole testimony wasn’t considered enough for an arrest.

The media, however, caught wind of my story and wanted to tell it. To share my story publicly, I had to fight a law which prevented victims being named.

I can’t let Hawkins take away my voice again, I thought.

Successfully gaining an exemption, my story went public and other survivors who’d been abused by Hawkins came forward. Some were guys I’d brought to the house.

I felt devastated.

In 2003, with seven complainants, aged 13 to 17 at the time, Hawkins was arrested in South Australia.

The following year, Garth Stephen Hawkins, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault, three counts of sexual intercourse with a young person under the age of 17, four counts of maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person, and two counts of having carnal knowledge against the order of nature.

He was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail, where he went on to change his name by deed poll to Robin Goodfellow.

The court process brought vindication of my trauma, but the sentence seemed minor compared to the lives he’d destroyed.

That year, I established an organisation, Beyond Abuse, to provide survivors with therapy and legal advice I wish I’d received sooner to bring perpetrators like Hawkins to justice.

Since then, I’ve met my fiancée Wanny, and helped many survivors fight suppression orders so they can get their voice back.

Sadly, paedophiles are 
still among us. But when survivors share their stories, it educates communities 
on the warning signs of grooming and abuse.

By learning these, you may save another child from having their life destroyed.

For support, call 1800 737 732 (Aust) or 0800 88 33 00 (NZ).

The post My wedding celebrant abused me appeared first on Now To Love.

“Tay, you shouldn’t come here,” my mum said when she caught me.

It was 2010 and even at 10, I knew my dad did drugs.

Addicted to meth, he slept all day, was always tired and could never concentrate during a conversation.

Strangers visited our house at odd hours and we moved around a lot, without any explanation.

Dad often fought with his own parents, but they were the ones who took me and my brothers, John, seven, and Nathan, four, to school recitals and sports events.

“You need to grow up,” Grandma said to my parents bitterly one day. “You both need to get jobs.”

My father was 16 when I was born, and my mother 18.

Neither of them finished high school.

Every weekend, they dropped us off at our grandparents’ house.

“Why can’t you stay with us?” I often asked Mum, but her reply was always the same.

“I need to go away with Dad for a bit,” she said.

I loved my parents but also hated them for abandoning us.

While I could see they loved each other, they fought all the time, too.

Often, we came home from school to find them sulking or shouting at each other.

When this happened, I took my brothers out to play with Nerf guns or we rode our bikes around the neighbourhood.

Only my best friend, Angelica, knew what my home life was like. I kept it a secret from everyone else at school.

In April 2012, our brother Blayte was born.

I wondered how my parents would provide for him, but we all adored Blayte and took him under our wing.

One day, when I was 12, my cousins and I were at a bowling alley when my Aunty Kelly arrived.

“Taydam, I need a word with you,” she said.

“What happened?” I asked.

We stepped outside and she handed me the phone.

“I’m going to be going away for a while…” my dad told me.

I began to cry.

He’d been caught dealing drugs and was going to jail.

At first, we visited Dad regularly in prison, but after a few months, Mum stopped going and started seeing someone else.

John, Nathan and I went to live with our grandparents.

When Dad got out of prison two years later, Mum got back together with him.

“This is a bad idea,” I said to her. “Let Dad sort himself out first.”

She didn’t listen to me and soon I noticed she’d lost weight, had dark circles around her eyes and was always angry.

“Are you doing drugs?” I asked her.

“Of course not!” she said, but I knew she was lying.

I felt so ashamed that both my parents were addicts.

I hated myself and wondered what I’d ever 
do with my life.

Then, when I was 14, a woman approached me at 
a shopping centre.

“You should consider modelling,” she said, handing me a card.

I asked my grandma what she thought.

“Give it a go,” she urged, and helped me get an ABN.

Modelling gave me confidence and I realised I had a choice.

I could choose to feel sorry for myself or I could make a go of my life. I decided on the latter.

In my final year of high school, I did a journalism course and loved it so much I enrolled in a Bachelor of Journalism and Film at the University of South Australia when I left school. At uni, I interned at a community radio station which offered me a regular gig.

Then, I was approached by George, the founder of The Adelaide Set – an online youth platform.

He gave me a job interviewing local politicians and musicians for their radio show.

In October 2020, George, 30, and I were attending an event together.

We’d become close so I decided to tell him about my rocky childhood and the problems my parents had.

I was nervous about how he’d react to what I told him, but he smiled at me.

“Look at how amazing you turned out regardless of your situation,” he said. “You should be proud.”

“You’re right,” I said, grinning at him. “I am proud of myself.”

After four months working together, George and I became a couple.

He encouraged me when I started an Instagram account advising businesses on how to grow their social media output.

I also started running online social media courses.

My career has gone from strength to strength, and in October last year George and I got engaged.

Over the years, I’ve met people from wealthy backgrounds with family members who are addicts. It taught me that addiction doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor. It’s a health issue.

Everyone has a choice in how they react to life’s challenges.

When I was a teenager I felt a lot of shame around my family situation, but now I’m proud of what I’ve achieved despite all that.

My brother John, 20, is now working with horses and living with his girlfriend. Nathan, 17, and Blayte, 11, are still at school.

While I’m not close to my parents, I forgave them a long time ago.

I hope my story inspires others to keep going. Life can be beautiful, no matter your upbringing.

For support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Aust) or 0800 543 354 (NZ).

The post I caught my parents doing meth. Now I’m helping others appeared first on Now To Love.

“I had a pretty good cry this morning,” he tells Woman’s Day, just two days after the Westfield Bondi Junction massacre that left six people dead, including his “beautiful” friend and running partner, Ashlee Good, 38.

Reidy, 44, was caught up in the attack after driving to Westfield to shop for a bunk bed for his two daughters and son, aged three to five years old, only to soon discover that a knifeman was on the loose.

And when he heard shots and saw bloodied bodies scattered on the floor of the shopping centre, this brave dad didn’t hesitate. “I could see a woman bleeding really badly and I thought I’ve just got to get down there and help,” says Reidy, who was safe, locked behind shuttered roller doors in Myer, before he insisted a security guard let him out so he could help the victims.

“When we heard the shots fired – bang, bang, bang – that’s when we knew how serious it was.”

BRAVE ACTIONS

Reidy first went to the aid of a woman near Lululemon, grabbing some clothing off shelves in Cotton On to help stem the bleeding, before helping two police officers who were trying to save the life of another woman. “I started doing CPR,” shares Reidy.

It was then that he noticed 
an abandoned pram near a woman who was also severely injured. He would later find out that the pram was left behind when his friend Ash and her nine-month-old daughter were rushed to hospital.

It was as he left the shopping centre, covered in blood and reeling from what he had witnessed, that Reidy found out the young mother and her little girl were both stabbed, with Ash later dying of her injuries.

He met Ash eight years ago through a mutual love of running when she signed up for the 440 Run Club, and he saw her just three weeks ago at a friend’s 30th birthday party.

“Ash was a beautiful soul, one of the nicest people you could ever meet, never had a bad word to say about anyone, just beautiful – it’s devastating,” Reidy says, revealing that the running group met two days after the attack to share their grief.

REMEMBERING HIS MATE

“I started to think about Ash… and everything that had happened in those 48 hours 
got the better of me and I had 
a good cry.”

There were four heroes who stood out to him that day, but none more so than Ash, who handed her baby to a stranger to help save her life.

“I think that’s an incredibly heroic act. I’ve got three kids, and for me to hand them to a stranger would be the hardest thing,” he says.

Reidy says Damien Guerot and his mate Silas Despreaux, who used bollards to stop the killer going up an escalator, were also extraordinarily brave. And he’s also in awe of “cool, calm and collected” Inspector Amy Scott, who shot and killed the knifeman. 

“She’s a real hero. I just did first aid, which is what I’m trained to do,” he says.

Reidy, who had to return to the scene on Monday afternoon to pick up his car, says the ordeal has reminded him of just how precious life is.

“Just cherish life, don’t take life for granted. It showed that in the blink of an eye, someone can do something extremely stupid or malicious, and life can be gone. Value it and cherish it.”

The post Hero Andrew Reid: The Bondi Rescue star put his life on the line appeared first on Now To Love.

“No, Richard*,” I pleaded. “Let’s wait till our wedding night.”

As Christians, Richard, 22, and I had agreed to abstain from sex until marriage, but recently he’d been trying it on.

I was terrified, but he insisted until he got his way.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated afterwards in tears. “I got carried away. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

He explained he’d been abused as a child and he’d been seeing a counsellor to work through it.

He’ll grow out of it once we’re married, I told myself.

Truth was, I knew very little about the man I was marrying.

We’d met earlier that year when he came into the health food shop where 
I worked to buy supplements.

It was 1988, Richard was a member of the RAF, and I was just 18.

Once we got together, he bombarded me with professions of love.

My childhood 
had also been dysfunctional, so this overload of affection was disarming, and I chose 
to ignore parts of our relationship I didn’t like.

Six weeks in, Richard  proposed to me.

“Make sure you keep your ring sparkling,” he ordered me, “otherwise I’ll sell it.”

His controlling behaviour only worsened once we married. He’d tell me what to wear, what to eat and even make me explain how I’d cleaned myself in the shower. He also expected sex on demand.

“I’m the head of this house and you’ll put out whenever I want
 it!” he’d yell.

I desperately wanted freedom, but was too scared to escape.

Maybe having children will fix things, I prayed.

Our first child, Kylie*, arrived in 1992.

Richard soon became jealous the baby was taking my attention. “I’m starved of sex, Xenia,” he’d complain. “You’re withholding what’s rightfully mine!”

As Kylie grew, her strong-willed personality aggravated him.

Once, he was trying to teach her to count and when she couldn’t remember what came after five, he slapped her across the head.

“Richard! Don’t!” I cried.

“You don’t know how to parent properly,” he hissed.

Maybe he’s right, I thought. He’d diminished my self-confidence.

Over the next five years, we had three more children, but this didn’t quell Richard’s violence and I had no idea how to leave.

Occasionally, I contemplated ending my life, but I couldn’t risk the kids finding me.

Finally, in April 2005, Richard announced he wanted to separate.

“I know it’s not what you want, but it’s the only way,” he said.

Little did he know, my prayers had been answered!

“But I want to see the kids,” he clarified.

Although I didn’t like the children being alone with Richard, I reluctantly agreed for them to stay with him regularly.

Feeling lonely after we separated, I joined a Christian chat site and connected with a man named Simon, 39.

He was on the Gold Coast, a world away from my home in the UK, so I felt safe telling him my story.

During our phone calls, I found myself falling in love.

In August 2006, I visited Simon, and we soon decided to marry. When he came to live with us the following year, the kids warmed to him quickly, but his loving nature was foreign to me.

He’d bring me coffee in bed. “What’s this for?” I asked him.

“Because I love you,” he said, smiling.

After years of abuse, being respected was difficult to fathom.

I hoped our family was starting a new chapter but later that year, when Kylie was 14, she started acting erratically.

I suspected something was wrong.

I asked her if the 19-year-old boy she’d been hanging out with was touching her.

“You’re way off,” she laughed.

The kids stayed with Richard for the next few days. When they returned, Kylie asked to speak with me.

“You know how you asked if someone’s been touching me?” she said, trembling. “It’s Dad.”

Stunned, I hugged her tightly and we sobbed.

“I’m so sorry,” was all I could muster.

I didn’t want to know the details.

Even after all Richard had done to me, I never imagined he’d hurt one of our kids like this.

I felt sick, but needed to be strong.

Together, we told Simon.

“We need to go to the police,” he insisted.

Over the next six months, police conducted their investigation, revealing what Richard had done to my daughter.

I was heartbroken.

Richard went to trial in 2009 and was found guilty of 14 charges of sexual activity with a child.

“You are a selfish, sex-obsessed, dominating, arrogant and manipulative individual,” the judge declared.

Richard, 43, was sentenced to just nine years in jail.

I felt relieved it was over but it didn’t seem like justice.

At the kids’ request Simon officially adopted them, and in January 2010, we moved to the Gold Coast to start over.

Inspired by the story of Noah’s Ark, Simon and I built a place for families who were in similar storms to the one we’d weathered.

We started a charity called At the Ark aimed at preventing sexual abuse, and protecting victims.

I couldn’t protect my child, I thought, but now I’ll protect as many as I can.

I also published a series of children’s books called Brave Little Bear advising kids on how to protect themselves from predators.

In 2020, I received Heart of Women’s Woman of the Year award, and this year their Making a Difference group award for At the Ark.

All my kids have grown into well-rounded adults.

For a long time, I carried guilt about what Richard put us all through, but through the healing power of grace we are closer as a family than ever.

Looking back, I realise that before Richard’s abuse became physical, it had already started as subtle manipulations.

I share my story so other victims of abuse might identify these warning signs and see there’s always hope.

*Names have been changed.

For info, visit attheark.org.au

If you have been abused and need support, call 1800 737 732 (Aus) or 0800 456 450 (NZ)

The post “Too scared to escape” Evil husband abused me, and my child appeared first on Now To Love.

The 2600-capacity cruise ship is spacious, easy to navigate and never feels crowded, while the staterooms are decked out with luxe bed linen and bath products, so we feel extra special from day one.

With the balcony a nice extra, our stateroom is not much smaller than our bedroom at home, and we settle in with ease. Once unpacked, it’s time to visit the bar for ‘sail away’ drinks as we hit the harbour on the way from Canada into Alaska.

Our cruise takes us first along the Inside Passage – 
a route that takes the ship from Vancouver along the scenic coastline and up to Juneau. Here, we disembark and explore the Alaskan town, eating oysters at a food truck and shopping in the town’s many souvenir shops, before boarding a coach for our first excursion – whale watching! Our boat heads out to sea where 
we spot humpbacks as 
they dive under the water – an amazing sight!

Back on the ship, we explore the food options – settling for Lido, a food-court-style restaurant with an array of different cuisines available, before we head to the B13 Kings Blues club for some seriously good music.

Next we get to scenic Skagway – a gold rush area filled with saloons and trading posts and a narrow-gauge railway which connected the 
town to the Yukon. There’s lots to see here and we spend much of the day wandering the streets. Back on board, we try out one of the five non-included restaurants on the ship – and for a small charge at the Pinnacle Grill, we eat some truly amazing steaks.

While at sea for the day, as we head towards the spectacular Glacier Bay, we have a chance to really explore the ship. We book into the Greenhouse spa for treatments and I get a luxurious facial. We also do a wine workshop called Blend, where we make our own bottles of wine!

Glacier Bay National Park is a true highlight of the cruise. We sail into the scenic bay, surrounded by glaciers and mountains before the main attraction comes into view and the captain turns the ship around slowly so everyone can see the majestic Margerie Glacier. It’s awe-inspiring to see this huge ice flow and to watch seals swimming in the water alongside giant icebergs.

Another highlight? A scenic seaplane flight over the port of Ketchikan as we head to a salmon hatchery to try and spot bears. The flight takes us over beautiful bays and beaches where we watch eagles soar.

We find time to try the other special restaurants on board on our journey back to Vancouver. Rudi’s Sel de Mer is a seafood lover’s paradise; sushi at Nami is some of the best we’d ever eaten, while Canaletto serves tasty pasta. It’s said that everyone puts on kilos on a cruise, and we feel like our waistbands are tighter – but it’s worth it!

Another sea day at the end of the trip means we get to relax on our balcony – drinking a mimosa, 
reading then having one 
last dinner onboard.

As the scenery of the Inside Passage glides by once more, and we have to start thinking about repacking our bags, we vow we’ll do this again… Alaska and the Koningsdam have won our hearts!

Uncover the magic of a COSMOS tour with Flight Centre’s USA & Canada sale! Find out why New York is the city that never sleeps, explore the historic landmarks of Washington, and marvel at the majestic Niagara Falls. Don’t miss out on the adventure of a lifetime – book now & save!

Five tips for cruising in style

1. Do at least one of the organised excursions on offer – they’re worth it, even though they can seem pricey! You come away with knowledge you don’t get from simply getting off the ship for a look around.

2. Do get off the ship and look around, too. Each town you visit is bound to have something to interest you, from shopping to food to hidden treasures and experiences.

3. If you’re planning to have a few drinks, buy a drinks package or a preloaded beverage card – alcohol adds up and you will find this is the more economical option.

4. Opt in for unlimited laundry – it works out far cheaper than sending individual loads, and there is nothing nicer than coming back to your stateroom to a bunch of clean, pressed clothes! Take laundry sheets (we used Re.Stor, available at Woolworths) with you for handwashing delicates.

5. Go to a show or three! To be watching a blues band or a dance show on a ship makes the experience even more special.

The post Top tips for how to cruise through Alaska appeared first on Now To Love.

“Thanks, love,” I mumbled.

“Something on your mind, Mum?” she asked.

“I’ve been single for 13 years today,” I said, reflecting.

Amanda reached for my hand and squeezed it.

“I’m so proud of you for having the courage to leave Dad,” she said.

It had been a miserable marriage, where I’d been subject to brutal beatings and raped by my husband.

Finally, after 33 years, enough was enough and I went to the police.

He was sentenced to 17 years in jail, but ever since, my self-esteem had been in tatters. I’d been terrified of men and entering a new relationship.

Deep down, I really wanted someone loving to share my life with, though.

One day, I opened up to 
a girlfriend.

“I haven’t been with anyone sexually for 13 years,” I admitted.

“You should try an escort service,” she said.

She explained that after separating from her husband, she’d had several lovely dates with a male escort.

“It really helped my confidence,” she said.

I was intrigued.

“Maybe,” I said. “But it would be hard to fit it in with work and the kids.”

I had three beautiful daughters and seven grandchildren, and I also ran my business, We Care Professional Support, which offers round-the-clock care to those in palliative care and individuals with disabilities.

It had been nominated for 10 awards in the past two years, and recently I’d been invited to another fancy ceremony, this 
one in Sydney.

“It’s a bit embarrassing sitting on my own at these things when everyone else is with their partner,” I confessed to Amanda.

It got me thinking about the conversation I’d had with my friend.

What if I could pay someone to accompany me?

Sitting on the couch that night, I went online to the escort site my friend had suggested. It was expensive, but I had some money saved.

Flicking through the different escorts, Christian’s kind eyes got my attention.

Aged 30, he was 22 years younger than me, and gorgeous.

Offering a ‘boyfriend experience’, he promised 
four hours of love and companionship for $1000.

Four hours of romance? 
I didn’t think I’d ever experienced that.

I can’t believe I’m really doing this! I thought, pressing the ‘confirm’ button.

Christian and I talked for weeks before the event to make sure I was comfortable.

One evening, he sent me 
a photo in his suit.

What do you think of this bow tie, will it match your dress? he’d written.

I nearly fainted!

Amanda and I are so close I decided to tell my daughter about my plan.

“I’m not going to go to the event in Sydney alone after all…” I began. “I decided to book an escort!”

When I showed Amanda Christian’s photo, she burst out laughing.

“Oh my gosh, Mum! How old is he?” she giggled.

“Don’t worry, we’re not dating, it’s just a contract,” I reassured her. “I’m so excited, I bought a new dress and I’ve been working out. I already feel so much more confident.”

“I’m proud of you, Mama Bear,” she smiled. “I think this could be really good for you.”

But later, the nerves set in and I texted Christian.

I’m feeling really scared, my ex was abusive and I’m afraid to be alone with men, 
I admitted.

Can I call you? he replied.

He spent hours on the phone listening and reassuring me I’d be safe.

By the time I boarded 
the flight from Brisbane to Sydney three weeks later, all 
I felt was excitement.

Christian was at the hotel to meet me.

“Welcome to Sydney,” he said, hugging me and taking my bags.

Treating me like a princess from the minute I arrived, he escorted me to my room to get ready.

And when my sequinned dress was too big from 
all the exercise I’d been doing, Christian found a sewing kit and took it in.

“How did you learn how 
to treat a woman so well?” 
I asked, choked up.

“I learned from all the wonderful women in my life,” he admitted.

Christian was the perfect gentleman all night. He opened doors, pulled out seats for me, held my hand, and was a beautiful dinner companion with dazzling conversation.

I’m shy, but he effortlessly brought me into the conversation with other people at our table.

When I was announced runner-up, I didn’t mind.

“You’re already a winner,” Christian said. And I felt it, for the huge steps I’d taken to be here.

Back at the hotel, he walked me to my room.

“Can you undo my zipper?” I asked nervously.

“Of course,” he said, following me in.

We flirted and laughed together, but I wasn’t ready for it to go any further.

“You’ve restored my faith in men,” I told him.

“I’m sorry anyone ever treated you the way you’ve been treated,” he said, pulling me in for a hug with tears in his eyes.

Christian was with me for more than double the time I paid for, plus weeks of calling and texting, and he wouldn’t accept an extra cent.

“How was it?” Amanda asked eagerly when 
I got home.

“It helped me realise the problem was never me,” I said. “Christian showed me how a woman should be treated.”

The experience proved there are good men out there and my past experiences don’t dictate my worth. 
I want other women to 
know this too.

I’m now open to dating. I won’t be rushing to use the apps, but I’d like to meet someone organically.

I’ve already texted Christian for my next awards night in Sydney in April.

I know the option is there if I’d like to take it further and be intimate.

I don’t know how it will go, but I know I’ll feel safe and respected whatever happens.

The post After years of abuse, I hired an escort… and something remarkable happened appeared first on Now To Love.

“You go into survival mode,” Holly tells Woman’s Day. “The things I saw, I couldn’t believe. You’d look into [other prisoners’] eyes and there was nothing there any more. That was scary as that could be you someday.”

Holly, now 52, was arrested in 2000 after being caught with 30 grams of heroin and spent seven years at Lard Yao Women’s Correctional Institution in Chatuchak, Thailand.

After growing up in a violent household where drugs were always around, Holly’s own addiction began when she was just 15 after being given heroin by her mother. “I wish I’d never tried [it] because that was the beginning of the end for me,” she says.

SURVIVAL MODE

Charged with drug trafficking and possession alongside her friend and fellow drug smuggler Bob Halliwell, Holly ended up being the longest incarcerated Australian prisoner returned from Asia.

Nicole Kidman’s famous 1989 miniseries Bangkok Hilton showed the grim conditions inside the prison, but Holly says the reality was even worse.

“It was sweltering in that cell with everyone’s bodies pressed against each other,” she says, describing the experience of living alongside 2000 inmates with no food, personal space or medical care.

“Every day you were fighting for everything. If you didn’t get to the shower in time, there was no water left. [It was the same with] food, toilet paper, bottled water. A lot of people were thieves – not because they wanted to, but they had to.”

The moment she watched a pregnant inmate rummaging through a rubbish bin for food still haunts Holly.

“I had a visit that day and received a punnet of strawberries. Most of them were rotten so I threw them away. But I watched her get them out,” she says. “I told her not to eat them and gave her something [else] to eat. You’d see that daily.”

Holly, who also served time in Australia on drug charges, admits she spent her first few months in Lard Yao abusing drugs to cope. But 10 months into her sentence, she stopped and has been clean ever since.

“I woke up and looked at my surroundings and that flicked a switch for me. I thought, ‘What am I doing? I’ve ruined my life,’” she says. “I knew I was done.”

KIND STRANGERS

Frustrated at not being able to understand the language, Holly began studying Thai and learned to sew and made silk flowers and clothes. She also became friends with Thai inmates and “foreigners” like herself and is still in contact with many of them.

Everything at the prison had to be bought by the inmates. Visits from her brother Mark and late sister Amy were also a huge support for Holly and they would bring her food and other supplies, while visiting Aussie tourists would also help.

“The visits I loved were the genuine people who came just because they knew I was there,” she says. “It made my day because you’re getting news of what’s going on outside – we didn’t know 9/11 had happened until two weeks later.”

In late 2007, Holly’s prison transfer request was accepted, and she was moved to Bandyup Women’s Prison in Perth, where she served another five years. After spending 12 years behind bars, on December 6, 2012, Holly was finally free.

RELEASE & RECOVERY

Holly has spent the years since then writing about her horrific prison experience, her recovery and desire to return to Thailand. After she was freed, Holly also reunited with the “love of her life” Stephen Wallace, who sadly passed away in 2023 from cancer.

“I thought that being in a Thai prison was the worst thing to happen to me, but it didn’t compare to living each day with the knowledge that my time with Stephen was running out,” she writes in Holly’s Hell.

Now trained in youth work and counselling, Holly wants to help others overcome their addictions and warns of the dangers. “I used to think I didn’t have many regrets. But I suppose I do,” she says. “I’ve spent about half my life in jail because of that drug. I can’t get back the years I wasted inside prisons.”

Holly’s book Holly’s Hell – Seven Years in a Thai Prison is available to purchase from Booktopia. You can buy it for $27.95 here.

The post EXCLUSIVE: After spending half her life in prison, Holly Deane-Johns is ready to talk appeared first on Now To Love.

“We’ve got no milk,” I sighed.

It was 1975 and as a farmer’s wife, it was my job to make sure the workmen had a tasty treat for afternoon tea.

Living in the country town of Beverley, two hours inland from Perth, simply popping to the shops wasn’t an option. 

Growing up, my family lived on a remote farm, too, so improvising while making a recipe was second nature.

Scanning the pantry for a milk supplement, I stumbled across a tin of condensed tomato soup.

This’ll do, I thought, pouring it in and hoping for the best.

An hour later, I pulled the loaf out of the oven and was pleased to see it looked okay, but the proof would be in the pudding.

Serving it up, I waited with baited breath as the workmen took their first bites.

“This is delicious,” they finally said, flooding me with relief.

“What’s in it?” one asked me.

“Tomato soup,” I replied.

The surprised look on their faces made me chuckle.

“Incredible,” they beamed.

It went down so well, I started baking the cake a few times a year.

It was a firm favourite among my three kids, Angie, 47, Cathryn, 45, and Steven, 41, and still is now.

Then recently, after years of living on my own I moved, with my Maltese-Shitzu, Chelsea, to the Serenitas’ Tuart Lakes over-50s lifestyle village in Baldivis, south of Perth.

There’s a wonderful community with many morning teas and sporting events.

I’ve baked all sorts of cakes for morning tea, including my tomato soup cake.

Then one day a staff member at the community asked if I was interested in submitting a recipe to the annual Mother’s Day Sweet Moments Cookbook.

Each year, it’s gifted to all of the residents in the community.

“Of course,” I beamed, knowing exactly which recipe to submit.

This May, seeing my Mystery cake recipe in print was a real treat.

And the residents loved it!

I hope by sharing my recipe, I can inspire others to get creative in the kitchen – you may just create a masterpiece! 

Robyn’s Mystery Cake recipe

PREP TIME: 20 mins COOK TIME: 45 mins

2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

60g butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

320g can condensed tomato soup*

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins or sultanas

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

2 Sift the self-raising flour and add salt, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl.

3 In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.

4 Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the condensed tomato soup, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Fold in the chopped walnuts and raisins or sultanas.

5 Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

6 Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

7 Serve the loaf with butter or a dollop of double cream. *Note: if you can’t find a 320g tin soup, use a 420g tin and serve remaining soup mixed with a little boiled water in mugs alongside the loaf.

The post My shocking secret ingredient that will make your cake taste better! appeared first on Now To Love.

The heartbreaking milestones never stop for Rosie, and this February marked a decade since Luke’s death at 11 years old from a horrendous act of violence by his father.

“For two or three weeks [in the lead-up], I felt sad and antisocial and I gave myself permission to be like that and to know that unhappiness will sit on my shoulders for a bit but that I’ll come good again,” Rosie tells Woman’s Day.

FIERCE ADVOCATE

It’s a way of being Rosie, 62, has learned to live with over the past decade. But for a woman who has become a fierce advocate against domestic violence, earning accolades and respect from
all over the world, it’s by no means all she’s mastered.

“When you see someone on the news whose life has been changed and you think, ‘I can’t imagine surviving through that and ever enjoying life again,’ it’s important to see that, as much as there is struggle and pain, people do go on and can succeed on levels you can’t imagine,” she says.

This is also the reason Rosie has penned her second book, Hope, which tells her story and that of other family violence victims and survivors. “For anyone feeling like life is hopeless and there’s no end to the pain and loss, it helps to see others have got through it,” she says.

Since Luke’s shocking murder, after practice at his local Tyabb cricket club in Victoria, Rosie started a nationwide conversation that led to Victoria launching a Royal Commission into family violence in 2015.

“We have very confronting statistics in Australia. It’s a social problem on a significant scale and we’re still a long way from recognising that,” she says. “Men need to stop murdering women.”

Rosie’s advocacy snowballed in the year after her son’s death as she gave hundreds of speeches and interviews raising public awareness and pushing for change. In 2015, she was named Australian of the Year.

“Immersing myself was the distraction that helped me through those early years,” Rosie explains. “I felt I had to maximise the opportunity, especially when I was Australian of the Year. I wanted to create a momentum that couldn’t be stopped.”

Years on, Rosie can see she was walking a fine line and wasn’t coping as well as she projected. “I’d overreact to things that should have just been irritating and then I’d be full of self-loathing,” she says.
“I was conflicted about the pedestal people put me on.

I was still human and in pain and not as perfect as people believed.”

Amid her advocacy and work, for the past 10 years, Luke has of course always been in Rosie’s thoughts.

“I often wonder what he’d be like now,” she goes on. “Maybe a builder, entrepreneurial, I think. I still see his friends around sometimes but it’s hard to see them as young men and women, marrying, having children themselves. Luke was such a little boy [when he died] and his friends have so quickly grown up.”

“Next year will be 11 years. I only had him 11 years and that will be a significant realisation.”

SOUL-SEARCHING

With the closing of the Luke Batty Foundation in 2018 and time spent alone during the pandemic lockdowns, Rosie was ready and able to go through boxes of photos, cards and Luke’s schoolwork.

“It hurt,” she says. “I felt alone and did a lot of soul-searching but ultimately COVID was a circuit breaker for me.”

As for what she will do next, Rosie isn’t certain.

“I’m mindful of the fact I’m approaching retirement and I need to be thoughtful of the next stage of my life,” she says.

But wherever she goes, people still share how her and Luke’s story inspired them to get out of dangerous relationships. “I was so proud to be helping,” says Rosie. “Even as a young person, Luke stuck up for things that weren’t right, so inevitably, he’d be proud of me too.”

Hope by Rosie Batty is out April 3 (Booktopia, $26.25).

The post Ten years after her son’s death, Rosie Batty is still helping others appeared first on Now To Love.

Ever since she was little, she’d wanted to help others – and had quickly learned sharing her aptitude for maths was the way she could do that.

Her friends described her as “energetic” and “compassionate” in her quest to teach in a school. She graduated from teaching college in 2011, then completed a masters the following year.

By 2013, when she was 24 years old, Colleen had landed a position teaching ninth-grade algebra at Danvers High School, where she was adored by her students and colleagues.

“You couldn’t have asked for more from a teacher or from a friend,” one said.

Outside of school, she loved her family, posting games and quizzes for her students on Twitter, and listening to Taylor Swift.

On October 22, 2013, Colleen was at work as usual.

Her teaching day finished at 2pm, but she stayed back to help students with extra tutoring and after school activities.

That day, 14-year-old Philip Chism was one of the students who’d stayed behind after class.

Philip was new at the school, having moved from another state a year earlier after his parents’ tumultuous split and subsequent divorce.

While he’d joined the soccer team, he was otherwise known to be quiet and distant.

That night, Colleen’s parents, Peggie and Tom, became worried when their daughter didn’t come home for dinner, which she usually ate with them every evening.

They tried calling her phone, but she didn’t answer.

It was completely out of character.

Tom went to the school to look for his daughter and noticed her car was still in the parking lot, so he went inside the building to check on her.

But she wasn’t in her classroom and none of the other teachers had seen her that afternoon.

Worried, Tom reported his daughter missing. Then, at 9pm that night, the principal of the school sent an email around to say that a student was also missing.

That student was Philip Chism.

Once police made the connection that Philip had stayed back for tutoring with Colleen, they began looking for them both, thinking they may have run off together.

It was far worse than they ever could have imagined.

On a footpath close to the school, they found Colleen’s empty handbag.

Later that night, police found Philip Chism walking along a highway, his hands covered in blood.

When they frisked him, they discovered he was carrying Colleen’s driver’s licence and credit card.

Chism lied, saying he’d broken into Colleen’s car and stolen the items.

He was taken to the police station where his backpack was searched. Inside, police found Colleen’s underwear, a black hoodie and a box cutter knife stained with blood.

When asked whose blood it was, Chism replied: “It’s the girl’s. She’s buried in the woods.”

At 3am, upon following Chism’s directions, they found Colleen’s half-naked body covered with leaves. She’d been raped, her throat had been slit and she’d been stabbed at least 16 times.

There was a handwritten note beside her body that read: I hate you all.

Chism was charged with the murder, aggravated rape and armed robbery of Colleen Ritzer.

He was tried as an adult in December 2015 and pleaded not guilty. Chism admitted killing Colleen, but said he was suffering mental illness at the time.

At his trial, it was revealed that Colleen had ‘triggered’ Chism by talking about his move from his former hometown.

CCTV footage revealed Colleen leaving her classroom at 2.54pm that day and heading into the women’s bathroom. The video showed Chism following her, slipping on gloves and covering his face with a hoodie.

He followed her into the bathroom where he raped and stabbed her.

Further footage showed him exiting the bathroom, changing his jacket, before returning with a large recycling bin.

A camera picked him up wheeling the bin – with Colleen’s body inside – down the footpath outside the school while wearing a ski mask.

The court heard that after dumping Colleen’s body, he took her credit card and used it to buy a ticket to a Woody Allen film.

The jury didn’t accept Chism’s mental illness defence, instead finding him guilty on all charges.

Ahead of the sentencing, prosecutor Kate MacDougall asked for a life sentence for Chism, saying: “These are crimes that make one’s soul ache.”

Philip Chism, 16, was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 40 years in prison. He showed no emotion as the sentence was read out.

Superior Court Judge David Lowy said: “The crashing waves of this tragedy will never wane.”

Colleen’s family read emotional impact statements. Her dad, Tom, felt he had failed his daughter.

“I didn’t protect Colleen,” he said. “A dad’s job is to fix things. I would do anything if I could fix this for Colleen.”

Her mum Peggie said her daughter’s death had left her “so very broken”.

“Now, I isolate myself from people I love because pretending to be happy is so difficult,” she said.

Of her daughter’s killer, she said: “He is pure evil and can never be rehabilitated.”

Diana Chism, Philip’s mum said: “Words can’t express the amount of pain and sorrow these past two and a half years have been.

However, there is no-one who has suffered more than the Ritzer family.

My utmost esteem, prayers, and humble respect is with them today as they continue their journey to heal.”

The post Beloved teacher, 24, murdered by her teen student appeared first on Now To Love.

Steering my pram into the bustling cafe, I took a seat.

“Better get this little one fed,” I said to the other new mums I was with.

I scooped up my son, Theodore, six weeks, and fumbled for the hem of my top to discreetly yank it up.

My loose-fitting maternity T-shirt was designed to keep me covered in moments like this, but the functionality of it – minimal at best – came at the cost of fashion.

As Theo fed, I glanced around at my friends and noticed they were wearing the same type of go-to uniform – leggings and baggy T-shirts.

“Imagine a nursing top that looked great, made feeding easy and guaranteed you wouldn’t accidentally flash your boobs,” I said to the girls.

“I’d take one in every colour,” one mum chimed.

“I’d pay good money for that,” said another.

Everyone agreed comfort, discretion and style didn’t seem to exist for breastfeeding mums.

I wondered if there might be a niche for a fashionable nursing garment to do double duty as maternity wear.

Before falling pregnant with Theo, I’d had a great career in banking spanning 13 years. I loved the busy days and late nights and the thrill of solving complex problems.

My husband, Matthew, 34, was supportive at home but kept busy in his job as an engineer.

Without my career, I had no idea what to do with my spare time.

“I feel like my brain is turning to mush,” I told Matthew one day.

Coffee with the mums had left me feeling inspired, and I started sketching out designs for better breast-feeding tops.

I wanted to create a trendy fitted T-shirt that made breast-feeding easy with zips that allowed for easy access.

“Just have fun with it,” Matthew encouraged. “See where it takes you.”

His words struck a chord.

With a more relaxed approach, I took my idea to a pattern maker who helped me develop early T-shirt samples.

I named the business MylkSociety, and between feeds and nappy changes I worked on getting it off the ground.

Finally, in November 2019, I launched the range online.

Despite telling people about it on social media. sales were slow and when Covid lockdowns hit in 2020, I didn’t get a single order.

It was disheartening but I persevered.

I came up with a new slogan: Breastfeed with ease – anywhere, anytime, especially at home!

Suddenly, online orders went through the roof. The new campaign had worked!

My 100 per cent Australian made T-shirts sold for $69 each, and incredibly, in the first year, sales reached six figures.

I was gobsmacked!

In time, it became a multi-million dollar business.

Despite the success, I kept my job in banking but extended my maternity leave to 20 months to nurture it more.

That came in handy when I fell pregnant again with my second child, Charlotte, who arrived in 2021.

This year, to focus more on motherhood and my career, I sold MylkSociety but on the same day I signed the deal, I was made redundant.

I took it as a positive sign I was ready to step into the next version of me.

Today, in between juggling two kids, I have an online business where I coach, consult and guide women who are building their own businesses. My aim is help women acheive financial freedom.

Sure, the journey is sometimes unpredictable, but I’ve learned a healthy dose of fun – and the right mindset – goes a long way. 

For more on Karina’s business, visit www.ecomco.com.au

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