Features Archive

Fashion, style, beauty, hair, health, fitness, life issues, lifestyle, home, garden and anything else that matters to the woman in her prime of life.

How to recognise a quality garment - part two, cut

The cut of a garment is as crucial as its style - here's how to tell the difference.

There are three major quality criteria to consider when you're buying a garment - here let's look at cut.

How to recognise a quality garment - part one, fabric

What to look for in a quality fabric

When it comes to buying clothes, how do you tell what is a quality fabric?

The wabi-sabi home - floors

Flooring is an important part of wabi-sabi - after all, it's one sixth of the area of every room

In a wabi-sabi house, hard floors rule the day.

Family snapshots

I found a family photo recently, and it reminded me of why I don't look at them.

I don't keep family photographs, and here's why.

Ways to lose weight - part 5. Basics

Losing weight isn't rocket science - follow these basic tips for some ideas

Basic tips for weight loss and healty eating

Ways to lose weight - part 4. Circadian rhythms

Listen to your body and learn to eat according to the phases of the day.

If you eat your meals according to the phases of the day, you'll put fuel in the tank when you need it most, without overloading your system

Ways to lose weight - part 3. Drinks

Drinking is something a lot of people do very badly. Not enough water and too much alcohol are the main culprits

Drinking is something a lot of people do very badly. Not enough water and too much alcohol are the main culprits

Ways to lose weight - part two

If you want to lose weight, or simply eat healthily, here are some guidelines to follow (part two)

Food is medicine, and what you eat, and how you eat are among the most important decisions that you make on a daily basis.

Ways to lose weight - part one

If you want to lose weight, or simply eat healthily, here are some guidelines to follow

Losing weight can be as easy as simply eating healthily.

 

The wabi-sabi home - the seasonal changeover

In spring and autumn each year, think about giving your house a seasonal makeover

I normally do the seasonal changeover on about April 1 and October 1, or thereabouts.

The Wabi-sabi home - surfaces

If you want a cleaner, less cluttered, more relaxed environment, wabi-sabi is the way to go

Wabi-sabi arose from Zen Buddhism but it enables you to live a simpler and less-cluttered life whatever your situation or beliefs. Earlier I wrote about the tokonoma, a special alcove or area that you can have in a room as a focal point, but here I'll deal with surfaces.

The Wabi-sabi home - the tokonoma

When I wrote about wabi-sabi in your home, since there was such a strong response, I thought I'd elaborate on it a little.

Wabi-sabi, of course, arose in Japan, so to apply it in your home, it helps to know a little about what a traditional Japanese house looks like, though very few Japanese still live in them.

Look good when you're feeling rubbish

Since it doesn't help your morale to look rubbish when you're feeling rubbish, here are some makeup and clothing tips for when you're down with the lurgy.

It doesn't help your morale to look rubbish when you're feeling rubbish, so here are some makeup and clothing tips for when you're down with the lurgy.

Top tips for a successful relationship

Most of us are in relationships - here are some basics on making things work

If you don't like yourself, you won't believe that others do either. In other words, everyone requires self-esteem to be in a successful relationship.

 

 

Find meaning in your life

Your life is full of potential meaning - but how do you find it? Here are ten top tips to find happiness

I believe that our lives are what we make of them - but that finding the right path can sometimes be difficult. Try these ten tips to help you focus on how to be happy.