DEAR Jasminda, I HAVE been going really well with my eating and exercise plan, but over Easter it went out the window. I’m feeling very guilty and disillusioned. Fiona W. Dear Fiona, This is completely relatable, and I’m sure many of our readers will be feeling post-Easter remorse. In a 24-hour period, I somehow managed […]

DEAR Jasminda, MY daughter’s class is holding a fundraiser to raise funds to paint the play equipment. I’ve let the relatives know and now they are getting competitive with their offers. Kylie G. Dear Kylie, Fundraisers used to be done in a clandestine way, much like nanna slipping little Jimmy a cool fifty bucks in […]

DEAR Jasminda, I am doing a complete clean out of my home, but I can’t decide what to keep and what to cull. How do I make these decisions? Claudia D. Dear Claudia, I am the wrong person to ask about this. When I decide to clean my bedroom, I enter the zone of nostalgia. […]

DEAR Jasminda, HOW do we agree on a movie as a family? I’m so sick of scrolling through trying to locate a movie everyone will enjoy. Heather P. Dear Heather, You are right. Trying to find a movie that incorporates everyone’s interests is a nightmare. How is it possible, for example, to find a movie […]

DEAR Jasminda, My wife recently picked every green mango off our tree because she was worried about possums and bats. Now we have green mangoes all over the house and they don’t seem to be ripening. Has she made a fatal mistake? George F. Dear George, Since I’m not a mango expert, I was tempted […]

DEAR Jasminda, MY ex-boyfriend is in many significant family photos such as Christmases, weddings, birthdays and other occasions. Now we are no longer together, what on earth do I do with all the pictures? It upsets me to look at them, but I don’t want to forget the occasions. Rachel P. Dear Rachel, This one […]

Dear Jasminda, Kids on e-bikes are on the rise. How do we share the road safely with them? Hayley S. Dear Hayley, Having recently observed two young girls powering across a T-intersection on their e-bikes without looking left or right, and after conversations with friends who have similar stories, the safety issue you raise is […]

Dear Jasminda, I was driving up a long and winding road in my ute on the weekend when I passed a cyclist. She seemed to be doing it very tough and wasn’t making much progress. Should I have offered her [and her bike] a lift to the next town? I’m now regretting that I didn’t […]

DEAR Jasminda, Frequently when I go shopping someone pushes a trolley into my ankles. How do I avoid this painful scenario? Jim R. Dear Jim, In the wrong hands, a trolley can be a weapon of mass destruction, thrust into the legs of an unsuspecting shopper when they are simply trying to reach for a […]

DEAR Jasminda, We have a few family members who work from home and our mannerisms and work styles are getting on each other’s nerves. How do we improve our work-from-home balance? Megan P. Dear Megan, Research by Roy Morgan (2025) stated that more than 6.7 million Australians work from home at least some of the […]