In the past week an alleged victim of sexual harassment has been forced to relive her nightmare. Just like in the first instance, without her consent and not by her choosing. Read more on the blog.
Like life, any horse on any day can win. The important thing is to show up.
"The drought is really just horrible. Today we were expecting some rain, and it hasn't come. I know how much it upsets me and I can see how much it upsets and frustrates the farmer and there isn't anything we can do."
Imagine waking each morning trying to maintain hope amidst growing debt and the feeling you’ve failed your family’s legacy while jeopardising your children’s future.
As we mark World Teacher’s Day this October that small moment sums up the incredible power of a true teacher – a person who will take those in need under their wing as they lead the group to achieve
We may groan and complain about them. But at the end of the day we love them dearly and we wouldn't do without them.
Around 7 years ago I was nearing the end of my first pregnancy when I was hospitalised with sustained Atrial Fibrillation (AF). I was very sick and this was serious for both myself and my unborn child.
...Clinton has just told of his relationship with Nelson Mandela and how Mandela taught him a lot about love and forgiveness. I am inspired by what he said and can relate so strongly to his words that in a strange way, I feel the story is being told directly to me, for me.
An anonymous dear molly member responds to a recent article, which featured in the Australian newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald.
The power of female friendships and knowing that your closest mates have your back.
A survey of over 15,000 Australian women has revealed two-thirds feel anxious or on edge, with women aged 18 to 35 most likely to feel the strain.
The inaugural National Rugby League Women's Grand Final will take place tomorrow afternoon.
There's little appreciation, often a tremendous amount of criticism and let's face it, they're not bringing home the big bucks for all their troubles and sacrifice. Yet thousands of men and women choose this very career. They are doing it for the greater good, and we should all be grateful. Every day, but especially today.
A lot of families use school holidays to take a ‘break' get away and go camping or fishing or visit a resort of some kind. But is it really a break?
Every now and then, a series of seemingly innocuous, unrelated events conspire to turn those sage words and astute wisdom against us.
Perspective. It's an interesting word. Right at this moment, I am trying to get some, while it feels like my ‘work world' is falling apart.
As a society, we have to ask ourselves how we can protect our most vulnerable? Our disabled, our women and most significantly our children are the ones that we as a progressive society need to care for.
Agreeing with Pauline Hanson doesn't come easily to me, but I have to say I stand with her on this one.
It's a point in time where we can all remember where we were, how we heard the news and what we were doing.
The final was not what anyone expected, least of all her opponent little known Naomi Osaka, a 20-year-old Japanese national playing in her first ever grand slam final.
2018 Queensland Makeup Artist of the Year Amanda Ramsay has over 15 years experience working the red carpet, celebrity, advertising and fashion circuit in Sydney.
"I think the difficulty is they can't see a woman do that kind of job, no matter how proficient she might be and how competent and experienced she might be, and that is a real difficulty for the party to deal with."
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes it’s easy to let the basics slide, particularly when it comes to health and wellbeing.
If that sounds like you, this week is Women’s Health Week, an important opportunity to reflect on our wellbeing and take some time out to tend to our physical and mental health. It’s also the chance to note some interesting women’s health statistics, while looking to the improvements we can make.
As we walk, run or Zumba our way into Women’s Health Week, here’s what you need to know…
Granted, it’s a first world problem, but for many parents, we’ve all been there…standing outside the loo wondering which gender toilet to send your child into while weighing the pro’s and cons of safety, convenience and propriety.
Well, for one Noosa father it ended in an interesting national debate that shaped up a little like this…
“Your daughter is unlikely to survive. Her injuries are too great.” These are the words the emergency doctor said to my parents following the accident.
The death of Senator John McCain, aged 81 to brain cancer is a loss for us all.
No matter what your political persuasion, Republican or Democrat, you have to admire the man for his bravery, his heroism and above all his patriotism- his love for his country and his fellow countrymen.
Are you going anywhere exciting for Christmas? No doubt you have your flights booked, your hotel sorted and your passport ready. But have you thought about what vaccines you may need? Or what medications you should take with you in case you get sick?
#Yoga4Dignity 2018 is a women’s charity yoga event that will bring thousands of women from all over Australia together to touch our toes, open our hearts and Share the Dignity.
Six strange beauty trends that make Botox seem banal
In an age where success is plastered across our social media accounts and news feeds, here’s a quick insight into failure, why we should embrace it and encourage our kids to relish it as well.
The difference between these the two stars was night and day.
All right ladies, set down the judgmental glances and discard the defences, this week is Breastfeeding Week – a beautiful ode to a natural act that raises more than the occasional hackle in otherwise rational women.
Whether it’s the sly comment about a colleague, or the outright session discussing the endless negative attributes of your neighbour, at one time or another we’re probably all guilty of having a damn good bitch.
The International Day of Friendship began in 2011 as an effort by the United Nations to promote friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals. It is observed on July 30. For children in poverty, the day takes on special meaning, as friends can be a source of strength, support and social development.
Pornography is moulding and conditioning the sexual behaviours and attitudes of boys, and girls are being left without the resources to deal with these porn-saturated boys.
Yesterday afternoon I sat down to read about what some of the wealthy Sydney mums who reside on the lower North Shore have been up to.
Like many things, book clubs are a great way for girlfriends to come together.
It would be nice to think we’d learned some lessons and the generation of girls currently growing up in our homes will have a future framed by equality. But a recent report indicates this may not be the case.
Every now and then a tragedy beyond our comprehension prompts us as a society to look in the mirror. In the past few weeks, Australia has done just that, examining our reflection in the wake of comedian Eurydice Dixon’s rape and murder in Melbourne.
As the entertainment industry nurses its annual hangover, here are three reasons to love the Logies and two women who managed to keep it real amidst the theatrics of reality TV…
My clinic Family Doctors Plus recently presented an education session at a local Primary School. It was a session on “Puberty for Girls” and for this session, Heather came up with this brilliant idea of highlighting connections amongst women.
So, it’s the fifth day now that women in Saudi Arabia have been able to drive. Good on the Crown Prince. But while you are at it and you're lifting bans to enable women to do more, how about you focus on the following things that women still can't do.
With 2018 well and truly here and New Year’s resolutions perhaps becoming a fading memory, I thought I would share some of my revised thoughts on what is important to me as a working mother. So here is why trying to have it all but also remaining sane is more important FOR EVERYONE.
It was four in the morning, and I was on the bathroom floor, hugging the toilet bowl; struck by a severe gastro bug for the second time in a month. Since my two-year-old had started day care, it seemed we were hit by a different virus every week. To make matters worse, I was heavily pregnant. And I was due on a plane in two short hours, to manage a major conference as part of my marketing job at a big bank.
“Yes of course I’ll look after your kids for the weekend, help you move house, bake 150 cupcakes for the school fete, meet that unreasonable work deadline, and spend my Saturday on a cold sporting field manning the canteen!”
Put your hand up if you are a murderer? There seems to be a lot of us women out there who are just that. That is, according to a pro-life Christian group who have recently been filmed harassing women as they enter an abortion clinic.
News headlines over the last week have canvassed two celebrity suicides, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Both people had, according to us, the outsiders looking in, the greatest of lives.
As the temperature begins to drop, Australia is bracing for another flu season. And if last year is anything to go by, 2018 could be a shocker. In 2017, the influenza outbreak was the worst in a decade, and a quarter of a million people were formally diagnosed with the virus.
As we brace for winter 2018, here are the top tips for fending off the flu...
Dear Mr Joyce,
It has come to my attention your media advisor is currently on maternity leave, so attached is my application for what I understand to be a challenging role.
I’m gluten free. Yes, I’m one of those people. But let me be clear. It’s not by choice. Hell, I wish I wasn’t.
I’m going to come right out and say it. I’ve always viewed Facebook with a little trepidation and fear. So much so that up until recently my personal profile featured a blank image, no information and a long-abandoned maiden name. That’s despite the fact I work in social media and enjoy a livelihood based on telling other people’s stories.
It doesn't define you, it doesn't test all those characteristics that make you 'you'.
She may have a league of fans, but this week Kim Kardashian is under fire for a move that many say promotes eating disorders.
That's the question that many women, all of us grown up, mature adults, have been asking each other the past few days? For me, the 19 May 2018 has been locked in the diary for weeks.
Asking a baby if it is okay to change their nappy; seriously?
According to the author of this statement, ‘it teaches the child about consent'. Deanne Carson who made this statement has received a lot of flak for it.
I’ve heard it a 100 times. The ‘before I had kids’ line. Like ‘before I had kids I’d jump out of a plane. Before I had kids I’d take that risk. I’d take rides in small aircraft. I'd do that trek, I’d bungee jump…skydive’ and so on. The lists are long and diverse yet the one thing which women who make such a statement often follow it up with is. ‘Not now, not with the kids being as young as they are. I’d never take that risk’.
We’ve come a long way since bra burning and talk of glass ceilings but if you think women have attained equal status with men, think again.
Over the next week will see an abundance of cards, a bevvy of flowers and pretty much every school classroom in Australia hard at work whipping up all manner of crafty delights for the annual event that is Mother’s Day.
On the 25th of March 2018 I reached my “2000 days of gratitude” milestone, in essence, every day for more than five years I had found things in my day to be grateful for and I have written those moments down. When people find out that I have kept gratitude journals for over five years they will often ask me to share with them some tips about starting a journal. I often share these five things that I believe one should keep in mind when starting a gratitude journal.
I have that sick feeling in my stomach. The nervous butterflies have been there for the last few days. Not the good ones either.
dear molly is about to get a whole lot more interactive with the launch of our all-new Dynamic Chat feature this week.
“Your what?” We hear you ask…well reach out for that coffee and let us take a moment to explain. We’re a little bit excited about the potential it offers.
A few days ago Barbara Bush passed away at the grand old age of 92. She was known more for her role as wife and mother to former US Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush than career woman.
Everyone leads such busy lives these days and as a woman, your needs are often on the bottom of the pile (after your husbands work event or your daughter's ballet class) but there is nothing quite so rewarding as carving out an entire weekend to go away with good girlfriends. Here are 5 top girls weekend destinations.
I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of sledger. ‘It’s not a game, it’s a shame’ has been coming from my mouth quite regularly these past few days. It’s easy to sledge when you’re winning and aren’t we just! It’s a gold rush and it’s all the Aussie way. And it brings out the worst in me. I can’t help it. It’s my competitive nature coming out. But last night, as my 6-year-old did the ‘Dab’ that Usain Bolt is so famous for and chanted my words, I thought ‘perhaps it’s time to reign it in a bit’.
We’ve all been there. Or most of us have if we have had the onerous task of compiling a guest list for our wedding. Arguments with our partner over whom we should and shouldn’t invite are commonplace. I remember my now husband saying to me when we were in dispute over our guest list. ‘He’s a really good mate, we have to invite him’. ‘If he’s such a good mate, then why is this the first time in 3 years that I’ve ever heard his name mentioned’… Great Aunty Shirley, twice removed just has to be on the family table because we won’t be able to face her at Christmas if she isn’t invited….and so the saga continues. The joys of organising a wedding. Many times over I’ve heard friends lament: ‘wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper if we just went to Vegas?’
Seems like fewer people are opting for surgery, well yes and no…instead plasticsurgery.com.au notes people are scheduling injectables before they elect the knife.
That’s their big-ticket trend for 2018 and here’s an insight into why…
It was just a brief glimpse in the wing mirror of the family station wagon that elicited the murmur of horror.
A couple of previously endearing crows’ feet had been joined by a troupe of deep facial rivulets, the fiord in the brow was now more a crevasse than a crease.
Welcome to your 40s, the wing mirror silently screamed, where the rigours of life run deep!
Remember that wink? You know, from 1982…When Matilda the boxing kangaroo came around the track at the Opening Ceremony of the 1982 Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane and gave the crowd including the Queen her famous wink. When Rolf Harris (if only we knew) sang ‘Tie me Kangaroo down sport’ as the youngsters dressed as kangaroos jumped on trampolines. It was the early 80’s in Brisbane and as a 5 year old, I sat high in the stadium seats watching on with my parents. I guess what we now call the ‘nose bleed’ section is where we were.
I am one of the lucky ones. I can’t claim to be a part of any of the women’s movements that have been circulating since the scandalous tales of Harvey Weinstein became public. You see, I’ve never been sexually harassed in the workplace. I’ve never had to deal with the trauma that that entails.
The #MeToo movement launched in America and the #NOW Australia campaign, started by Australia’s Tracey Spicer are wonderful initiatives. They acknowledge and draw attention to the very real and sad circumstances surrounding so many women in the workplace. Harassment, intimidation and abuse are just some of the things that many women have suffered in silence from. Now, thanks to some incredibly brave women leading the charge, the cover surrounding such atrocities is being lifted and women everywhere are telling their own stories.
In Australia, today, the 21 March 2018 marks Harmony Day. It is a day to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, based on the successful integration of migrants into our community.
I’m a mother of two sons and a daughter. My daughter is very little but both my sons are at school, albeit very junior grades. Each day I drop the older one off and I hide behind the bag racks and watch him and his mates for a minute or two.
International Women's Day has come and gone for another year. The lunches, the morning teas, the high teas, the afternoon teas, the inspirational quotes so widely circulated on social media are over for another year. It's a day that women should and do celebrate. It's a time to catch up with friends, connect with other like-minded women and listen to inspiring stories told by women.
Well, it depends what you mean by “old”. Certainly, if you consider over 50 “old”, then you are right – because more than 4.7 million people over 50 in Australia have poor bone health, and subsequent increased risk of fractures. However, even quite young athletes, such as distance runners, can have very low bone density, and suffer stress fractures.
A pelvic floor – we all have one (males and females), but, like most of our body parts, we don’t think much about it until something goes wrong. Unfortunately, something goes wrong with our pelvic floors pretty darn often. In fact, according to statistics, over 5 million Australians experience bladder or bowel control problems. This translates to 1 in 3 women having some type of urinary incontinence. However, most women seem to just accept this as “part of the package”, and very few seek help for this most treatable of issues.
Recently I watched a commencement speech given by Admiral William H. McRaven, a retired U.S Navy Seal, in 2014 to the graduating class at the University of Texas. I was so intrigued listening to his speech which recounted 10 lessons he learned from his 6 months of gruelling, demanding, tiring and debilitating Navy Seal training. These 10 lessons not only apply to life as a Navy Seal, but it equally applies to the challenges that each and every one of us endure as human beings living in an uncertain world.
As a Travel Agent I am often asked what the best destination is for a family holiday is-here are my top 5 choices.
Dementia is an umbrella term for a cluster of symptoms that affect cognition, behaviour, and functioning.
dear molly founder Clare Sultmann sits down for a one-on-one with international best selling author, TV presenter, international speaker, motivator and award-winning businesswoman, Kim McCosker founder and author of 4 Ingredients. With close to 9 million copies sold across the 4 Ingredients titles, Kim McCosker shares her story from a humble start to international success.
A truly successful Au Pair working relationship comes from investing in the working relationship from Day 1.
Ok, so you’ve thought about it and you feel you may be at the point where you want to start the process of looking for an Au Pair. This is the crucial bit–don’t be too desperate to find someone, make sure you wait for the right person.
Are you considering hiring an Au Pair for the first time? Vanessa Douglas gives us her top tips for hiring an Au Pair.
There’s a new Royal in town. On the 19th May this year the Royal family will welcome with open arms Meghan Markle to its tightly knit clan. Details are emerging of the big day. It’s got me thinking. About the fairy tale we all grew up with. In 1981 when Charles married Di, one of the most televised events in history, I was a 4 year old living in the Qld mining town of Mt Isa. I remember it as if it was yesterday. We all sat around our small television and watched the fairy-tale unfold. The beautiful bride in the flowing dress marrying her handsome prince. Ok prince. As the years unfolded the union would be anything but the fairy tale we all thought it to be.
It’s a constant battle. You want your children to have more than you did as a child. You want for them every opportunity, every experience, everything that you had growing up and more. It’s just a natural thing. Every parent knows the feeling.
Teaching your kids about money can be just as important as maintaining their health with a well-balanced diet. Children grow smarter every day and encouraging them to practice good money habits now is a great way to help them stay in control of their finances later on in life.
But the question is what lessons should you be passing on? And more to the point, how? Well, every family works differently, but below I’ve outlined some money lessons that get taught in my household, and might be worth introducing in yours as well.
Happy New Year! The New Year always brings lots of resolutions, for example, to lose weight and/or exercise more. It is also the time when women start thinking about pregnancy. The first step is to conceive, in other words, to get pregnant. And a common question that my patients ask me is - when should you stop drinking alcohol and start eating like you are a pregnant?
Here is an excerpt from my book “Mum’s guide to..pregnancy” by Dr Maria Boulton (available through www.drmariaboulton.com) that answers that question and also discusses the accuracy of pregnancy tests.
We all know that in order to be healthy, happy, and to achieve their potential, children and young people need to eat a variety of nutritious foods every day. And contrary to popular (my children’s) belief, it is possible to provide them with a healthy school lunch that not only tastes great but is good for them. I know I am not alone when I say that preparing school lunches is one of my least favourite chores. However, I have vowed that this year, it will not be my undoing each weekday morning.
I’m a gastroenterologist, it would be professionally embarrassing to be diagnosed with bowel cancer. So I dutifully fronted up for my second colonoscopy recently, and I bought my sister along with me to support her through her first time. She can’t quite reconcile that I work and socialise with the doctor who performs my colonoscopy, that I have the procedure performed at the endoscopy unit where I work each day, or that I return the favour every 3-5 years for several nurses, doctors and friends when they are due for their colonoscopy. She feels the same way about my GP who is a good friend and doesn’t turn a hair when I turn up for my PAP smear.
"What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have," Oprah Winfrey.
Oprah speaks about what she knows for sure often. Indeed she has written a whole book about it. She has mastered the phrase in every sense of the word.
Only a few days ago the whole world welcomed the new year and a new chapter in our lives begun.
As we are still in the early stages of 2018, it’s always refreshing to take a moment out of the busyness to reflect on the year that was and how far we have come. I reflect on what I’m grateful for and appreciate what I’ve been able to experience thus far. I also like to ponder how many more years I have left and what I want to do in that time, along with the aspects of my life I want to change.
Reflection can be a revitalising experience, it can help you refocus, take stock and open your mind up to new direction and opportunities. Sometimes though, a moment of reflection can be a painful task, bringing up memories and decisions we would rather forget, but cannot shake off.
Having been raised in a family of lawyers, with a father who was a respected Queen’s Counsel and had an utter dedication to, and love of, The Law, from an early age the standards of excellence required to be a high calibre lawyer were instilled in me.
So, in the spirit of Dear Molly, I thought it may be beneficial over coming weeks to jot down a few general points to bear in mind when it’s time to lawyer-up. The points are not the be-all and end-all and are not legal advice, but hopefully provide some useful general guidance.
As a profession, television journalism isn't pretty. Yes, it's exciting and yes, it can be glamourous (who doesn't love free clothes?) however, it's also downright brutal and often very bizarre.
Christmas may be my most favourite time of the year, but tennis season in Australia which follows just after, is a close second.
Some of the greatest life lessons I’ve learned have come from the tennis courts. Competitive sport gives you a work ethic, provides comradery, teaches you tenacity, discipline, self-respect and perhaps, most importantly, resilience.
Life’s craziness is taken to a whole new level by present purchasing, large-scale entertaining, holiday organizing and constant indulging… such that getting financially fit is probably way down your 2018 priority list.
But it should be near the top. So I’m going to lay out for you – at a go-get-‘em-girl glance – the four money moves that could save your busy self more than $5000 this New Year.
I am sick, really sick with some hideous flu-type virus and have picked up gastro on top as a real treat. So, I have been lying here, deep in thought, trying to distract myself from my own temporary misery.
As I lay here, I am being nursed by my eight-year-old son, Tom. He has so far managed to keep the other two boys inside (we are on acreage) and bring me water and a wet cloth, as he said I felt hot.
For some, the idea of returning to work after having a baby can be an intimidating process. Just as the fog of sleep deprivation starts to slowly lift your return to the workplace may be looming around the next corner.
Christmas comes but once a year, and it’s a great opportunity to show a little home-baked love with easy recipes that are destined to delight.
Sadly not all pregnancies progress to a happy ending. A quarter of pregnancies will miscarry in the first trimester, some pregnancies will not proceed past the second or third trimester, and some babies will sadly pass away at birth, shortly before birth or soon thereafter.
Not only do the expectant parents have to cope with grief but also the loss of the dreams that were carried in the womb. Dreams of seeing their baby in the nursery they prepared so lovingly will remain just that, dreams.
“It’s impossible,” said pride. “It’s risky,” said experience. “It’s pointless,” said reason. “Give it a try,” said the heart.
(author unknown)
When was the last time you did something just for yourself, had some much-needed ‘me time’?
What can we, as parents and caregivers, do to ensure a bright, healthy future for ourselves and our families? Read our top five tips for a healthy lifestyle for our children.
In July 2015, I had reached my goal of 1000 days straight being grateful. Once I had reached my goal I decided to aim for 10 years straight. I figured if Oprah could do it, then I could do it.
In a beautiful twist of fate, in the same year that I completed my 1000-day goal and set my new 10-year goal, Oprah happened to come to Brisbane on a speaking tour.
Oprah heard that I had completed a gratitude journal for 1000 days straight and during her show she asked me to stand up to talk about it.
It’s Monday morning at my son’s school and the mothers are giving my face a second glance. No wonder. I have two large red marks on the side of my chin, which look like I’m going through puberty again.
‘How was your trip?’ someone asks me...
Humans make decisions every day of their lives - what to eat, what to wear, who to interact with.
For some of us those decisions are more significant or have the potential to have serious consequences. For example doctors aim to practice evidence-based medicine where science points us in the right direction, but sometimes we don’t have a definite answer.
In 2015 there were 48,517 divorces granted in Australia compared to 113,595 marriages. This means that about one in every two couples in Australia who say ‘I do’ eventually say ‘I don’t’.
“One in three women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime. This is an appalling human rights violation, yet it remains one of the invisible and under-recognised pandemics of our time.” Nicole Kidman
I went on my first diet at age nine and continued on the diet carousel well into my late 20s developing some pretty damaging eating practices and body image issues along the way.
From puberty to menopause, women have shifting levels of hormones but it’s only in fairly recent times that researchers have discovered links between these fluctuating hormones and our range of emotion.
Strength, support, loyalty, courage and friendship are what the name dear molly means to me.
Your home is a reflection of you, your family and your loves. What you surround yourself with should create a feeling of happiness, comfort and practicality regardless of budget.
Here are the top tips for creating your dream home!
People end up becoming expats for lots of different reasons. For many it is about job opportunities, others fall in love, and some just seek a different life from what they’re used to at home. I am a hybrid of all three.
For many women, getting the opportunity to go away for a few days may not be feasible and that’s ok.
I know that I have become more paranoid. I am acutely aware that bad things can and do happen to any of us at any time, with no warning signs.
Think of your life and now think of your friendships. Think of your inner circle.
I guess you would think you know a lot about your friends and you probably do. I certainly feel that I know my friends, but how well do you really know them?
I’m secretly cringing as I type this but it’s the truth and it’s the case for many women.
