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These 7 genius hacks will revive almost any plant

Look for signs of life If your plant has turned brown and lost some leaves, don’t give up on it just yet. There is hope that you can revive a dead plant if the plant still has a few green leaves and pliable stems – buds are a sure sign too. Melinda Meyers, star and producer of Melinda’s Garden Moment TV and radio segments, says that reviving a plant takes patience (sometimes even years). Think about the water Plants that are over-watered appear wilted and may have brown or yellow leaves that make it look dead but with very moist soil. By contrast, if you have forgotten to water your plants, the leaves will be brown but dried around the edges or curled up. Master gardener, Kristena LaMar, says that if you suspect over-watering is the cause of your plant’s demise, repot your plant in dry dirt. And if your plant is thirsty, water it! However, hold off on fertilising until the plant is in better health. Meyers warns that, “Fertilising a struggling plant can injure the tender roots of a recovering plant.” Consider your lighting situation If you recently moved your plant to a new spot, it’s possible it’s no longer getting enough light. Even if you didn’t move it, it’s possible its lighting situation changed. Did you recently buy heavier drapes? Plant a tree outside that’s now blocking the indoor sunlight? Try moving your plant to a sunnier window if it needs a lot of light. (Same goes with a plant that’s now getting too much sun; try a different location in your home.) Find a humid spot Plants absorb water through leaves as well as roots. So keep your plant in a humid spot that’s not too sunny and not too dry to help it recover. Feed your plant carefully People and pets aren’t the only things in your house that need food; plants can get malnourished, too. (Signs are discoloured leaves or slow or no growth.) Meyers recommends a fertiliser/nutritional supplement. Depending on the nutritional deficiency, providing the nutrition can help the plant recover nearly immediately within days. Other deficiencies may take longer – as in weeks – while others are chronic and may not ever fully recover, although these are rare with houseplants. IV for plants Another option for malnourished plants is a water-soluble fertiliser that will slowly release nutrients and is less likely to burn your plant’s roots. Add it to the watering can before watering plants. Only use fertiliser during the time when your plant should be growing. Over-fertilising or using the wrong fertiliser can burn the roots of the plant. Compost If you’ve tried everything, and your plant still can’t be revived, it might be time to let go. By composting your plants, the remains can be recycled as nutrient-rich dirt that can help your next houseplant thrive. Don’t beat yourself up – and next time buy a hearty, nearly kill-proof cactus. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/7-hacks-that-will-revive-almost-any-plant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

King Charles III revived a royal tradition by riding horseback in the first Trooping the Colour since he was crowned, marking the British sovereign’s official birthday. Although the King’s birthday is officially in November and typically celebrated privately, the ceremonial event on June 18 showcased all the pomp and pageantry expected of royal celebrations, drawing massive crowds to central London. Accompanying 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and hundreds of musicians, Charles filed the short distance from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in St James’ Park for the ceremony viewed by members of the royal family. It was a sight not seen for nearly 40 years, with Queen Elizabeth II being the last reigning monarch to ride in the procession in 1986. Dressed for the occasion, King Charles was wearing a Welsh Guard uniform, with a leek emblem on the collar and green and white plum on his bearskin. He was followed on horseback by various royal colonels including Prime William, also donning a uniform of the Welsh Guard, the regiment he inherited from his father in December 2022. He rode alongside Princess Anne Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals and Prince Edward, who is Colonel of the London Guards. Behind them was a horse-drawn carriage carrying the Queen, Catherine, Princess of Wales and her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The royal party was joined by a Sovereign’s Mounted Escort of soldiers from the Household Calary’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals. The traditional military spectacle was flooded with well-wishers dressed in fascinators and draped in Union flags ahead of the parade to claim their prime position along the Mall outside the royal residence. Speaking to CNN, broadcaster and royal watcher Bidisha Mamata, said there was “a real sense of celebration”. "The coronation was very serious … there was a lot of medieval pageantry. This is much more military focused. This is so much more about connecting King Charles with his own history in the Marines, the RAF - he has a strong connection to the military," she said. The ceremony saw Queen Camilla join her husband to watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards troop their colour in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers. The regiment carried out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to music, with Kensington Palace previously describing the 2022 musical program as having “a distinctly Welsh theme”, with new compositions from the band written accordingly. After the parade, the royal party returned to Buckingham Palace following the same route. They there made a balcony appearance to watch an extended military flypast and greet a sea of royal supporters. Image credit: Getty

International Travel

Kate Bush reflects on hit song revival

British singer-songwriter Kate Bush has reflected on a new generation of fans discovering her music that was made popular in the 1980s. After appearing in the highly-anticipated new season of the Netflix series Stranger Things, Bush’s 1985 hit song Running Up That Hill has found itself back in the top 10 of the international music charts. In a rare interview, the singer told <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb">BBC’s Woman’s Hour</a> radio show how wonderful it has been to have a new legion of younger fans. She said, “Well it’s just extraordinary. I mean, you know, it’s such a great series, I thought that the track would get some attention. But I just never imagined that it would be anything like this. It’s so exciting. But it’s quite shocking really, isn’t it? I mean, the whole world’s gone mad.” She added, “What’s really wonderful I think is this is a whole new audience who, in a lot of cases, they’ve never heard of me and I love that. The thought of all these really young people hearing the song for the first time and discovering it is, well, I think it’s very special.” Bush also discussed the meaning of the song and how it has been reinterpreted by the show, giving the track a new life. She said, “I really like people to hear a song and take from it what they want. But originally it was written as the idea of a man and a woman swapping with each other. Just to feel what it was like, from the other side.” She also revealed that the show led her to listen to Running Up That Hill for the first time in a long while, admitting “I never listen to my old stuff.” “But then you know, when things like this come along, I’m normally involved in something like you know, maybe doing an edit or revisiting the track for some kind of other reason, I’m working on it. So yeah, I hadn’t heard it for a really long time.” Image credits: Getty Images

Music

7 hacks that will revive almost any plant

1. Look for signs of life If your plant has turned brown and lost some leaves, don’t give up on it just yet. There is hope that you can revive a dead plant if the plant still has a few green leaves and pliable stems – buds are a sure sign too. Melinda Meyers, star and producer of Melinda’s Garden Moment TV and radio segments, says that reviving a plant takes patience (sometimes even years). 2. Think about the water Plants that are over-watered appear wilted and may have brown or yellow leaves that make it look dead but with very moist soil. By contrast, if you have forgotten to water your plants, the leaves will be brown but dried around the edges or curled up. Master gardener, Kristena LaMar, says that if you suspect over-watering is the cause of your plant’s demise, repot your plant in dry dirt. And if your plant is thirsty, water it! However, hold off on fertilising until the plant is in better health. Meyers warns that, “Fertilising a struggling plant can injure the tender roots of a recovering plant.” 3. Consider your lighting situation If you recently moved your plant to a new spot, it’s possible it’s no longer getting enough light. Even if you didn’t move it, it’s possible its lighting situation changed. Did you recently buy heavier drapes? Plant a tree outside that’s now blocking the indoor sunlight? Try moving your plant to a sunnier window if it needs a lot of light. (Same goes with a plant that’s now getting too much sun; try a different location in your home.) 4. Find a humid spot Plants absorb water through leaves as well as roots. So keep your plant in a humid spot that’s not too sunny and not too dry to help it recover. 5. Feed your plant carefully People and pets aren’t the only things in your house that need food; plants can get malnourished, too. (Signs are discoloured leaves or slow or no growth.) Meyers recommends a fertiliser/nutritional supplement. Depending on the nutritional deficiency, providing the nutrition can help the plant recover nearly immediately within days. Other deficiencies may take longer – as in weeks – while others are chronic and may not ever fully recover, although these are rare with houseplants. 6. IV for plants Another option for malnourished plants is a water-soluble fertiliser that will slowly release nutrients and is less likely to burn your plant’s roots. Add it to the watering can before watering plants. Only use fertiliser during the time when your plant should be growing. Over-fertilising or using the wrong fertiliser can burn the roots of the plant. 7. Compost If you’ve tried everything, and your plant still can’t be revived, it might be time to let go. By composting your plants, the remains can be recycled as nutrient-rich dirt that can help your next houseplant thrive. Don’t beat yourself up – and next time buy a hearty, nearly kill-proof cactus.

Home & Garden

Sex and the City revival drops first teaser

And Just Like That, the long-awaited sequel to Sex and the City, has finally dropped its first teaser that clocks in at just three seconds. Popping up at the 24 second mark of an ad featuring upcoming shows and films on HBO Max, three of the four original main characters can be spotted in reprised roles. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SrGkkfzAlIE?start=22" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis are expected to return as Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte, but Kim Cattrall will not be appearing as Samantha Jones. Despite her absence from the first series, a production insider told The Daily Mail that the “door is open” for Kim Cattrall to return in the already-greenlit season two. HBO Max recently announced a series of new additions to the show, including Sara Ramirez, Nicole Ari Parker, Sarita Choudhury, and Karen Pittman. The reboot is expected to follow the fashionable trio as they “navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s”. The teaser also showed moments from anticipated films Dune and The Matrix Resurrections. Image credit: @justlikethatmax / Instagram

VB revives classic ad to join the vaccine push

The growing list of companies encouraging Aussies to roll up their sleeves for a COVID-19 jab has a new addition: Victoria Bitter. The iconic beer brand has rehashed their classic jingle in a new campaign video, arguing that you can’t get “a hard earned thirst” from being in lockdown. “Right now, you can’t get it goalin’. You can’t get it bowlin’. You can’t get it taking a vow, or chasing a cow,” the iconic voiceover says. <img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843950/f68a6b112d50f34d3a585c614e3e9c71fee536d7-16x9-x29y0w1941h1092.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b690f15f2e6141c99571bb74099ab130" /> Image: Supplied “A hard earned thirst comes from being all over town, not from being in lockdown. “So if you’d like to get back to leading a band, or lending a hand, rolly up your sleeves and get the jab.” VB spokesman Brian Phan said the company has joined the vaccination push “so we can re-open all of Australia’s pubs, clubs, construction sites, offices, shops and everywhere you earn a hard earned thirst”. <img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843949/vb-matter-of-fact-get-the-jab-tvc-via-clemenger-bbdo-melbourne-0-28-screenshot.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/df5f2fa515ba4ab89c654868316f3f62" /> Image: Victoria Bitter “And let’s be honest, you can’t really earn one sitting on the couch or doing a puzzle,” he said. “It’s a serious issue, but our Aussie sense of humour is still important during a pandemic.” Watch the ad here. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T7GZ10PCjXY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Image: Victoria Bitter

Caring

“We’ve hatched the plan”: Kelsey Grammer excited about potential Frasier revival

With what was arguably the most successful spin-off in television history, it’s safe to say that fans are thrilled with the news that Frasier Crane might be returning to the small screen. Frasier Crane, played by Kelsey Grammer, is entertaining the idea of returning to his iconic and neurotic character. "My hope is that we can bring it back," he said excitedly. "We're shopping for the right idea because I don’t think we should just pick up where we left off. Will and Grace has done a continuation, which is like the next day after they were last on the air–they picked up right where they left off. I don't think that's appropriate for Frasier,"<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a26835452/kelsey-grammer-frasier-crane-revival-pay-tribute-late-john-mahoney/" target="_blank"> he explained to </a><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a26835452/kelsey-grammer-frasier-crane-revival-pay-tribute-late-john-mahoney/" target="_blank">This Morning</a>. "He was leaving town at the end of the show previously, he was going to go and explore his life in Chicago with his new lady love. Whether that went badly or it went swimmingly, who knows, these are all themes we need to settle on and figure out what he's going to do next." This isn’t the first time that fans of the show have been teased with news, as Grammer said that he has approved a tentative story for the show. However, a network hasn’t been secured. “We’ve got it hatched. We’ve hatched the plan, what we think is the right way to go,” he said,<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/11/kelsey-grammer-says-frasier-reboot-will-happen-in-2020.html" target="_blank"> during an appearance on In Depth With Graham Bensinger</a>. “We’re sort of on standby a little bit. Working out a couple of possible network deals that we’re circling. Frasier is sort of in a second position to that at this point. So there’s still stuff going on. But a revisit to Frasier, Frasier’s world is I think definitely going to come.” While official details are slim at this point, Grammer has admitted that he wants a full cast reunion if possible. "We would need to deal with [Mahoney's passing] within the storytelling, but I'd want everybody back, if they want to come back," <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a26812750/fraser-reboot-kelsey-grammer/" target="_blank">he said</a>. This would mean his brother Niles, played by David Hyde Pierce, would be returning to the show. Grammer has also confirmed that Frasier has moved on from his role on the radio. "He’s passed the radio show. He might be an art dealer he might be a professor. We don’t know yet," <a rel="noopener" href="https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/12/frasier-revival-kelsey-grammer-james-corden/" target="_blank">Grammer told James Corden during an appearance on the Late, Late Show.</a>

News

Living in your seventies: How to revive your best life

Andrew Fuller is a clinical psychologist, author and Fellow of the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Learning and Educational Development at the University of Melbourne. Here now, in an excerpt from his book Your Best Life At Any Age (Bad Apple Press, 2019), he discusses how people aged 71 to 77 could navigate their lives. Most people don’t fear being old when they finally get there. They do fear being bored, lonely or being treated as invisible, silly or confused. Loneliness can stem from the lack of close intimate relationships or social networks. The sense of indignity that can affront people at this age is life robbing. If you are surrounded by people who act as if you are mentally deficient or unable to complete rudimentary tasks it can cause feelings of deep hurt, rage and embarrassment. Extreme embarrassment can kill you years before your time. There is a lot of bunkum written about this time of life. Despite the prevailing myth that these years are accompanied by fragility and senility, only 5 per cent of people over sixty-five are in nursing homes and less than 10 per cent will ever be. Only 5 per cent of people over sixty-five suffer from dementia. Psychiatrist Gordon Livingstone wisely says that old age is not for sissies. It’s not, but it’s also not a time to turn into a dodo. Author and physician Oliver Wendall Holmes, at the age of eighty–four, upon seeing a beautiful woman said, ‘Oh to be seventy again!’ People are just as smart, switched on and shrewd as ever but the world seems to be intent on labelling them as incapable and old. Ageing does not have to mean growing old. This is the time of life to insist on being in the world; being part of your community and spending time with people that you love. It is easy to feel that you should really pack yourself off somewhere – to a home, to a gated community (or penitentiary for the aged) or to a highly desirable but almost inevitably lonely location. People may want to make arrangements and plans for you. Tell them decidedly to go and get stuffed. There is a dignity in controlling your own destiny. Others want to be helpful. Let them help but don’t let them control what happens to you. It is a time when the body does not work as it once did. Twinges turn into aches, aches turn into pain, power turns to frailty. Sleep can prove elusive. You may be up roaming in the middle of night and then unable to keep your eyes open after lunch. Names can fail to arrive on your lips. Clarity of purpose can become wayward. This phase of life is unknown territory. Most of your ancestors did not achieve this age. For most of history people couldn’t dream of living into their seventies. Across history the average life span has varied dramatically. In classical Greece and Rome it was twenty-eight years, in medieval Britain it was thirty-three years, by the end of the 19th century in Western Europe it was thirty-seven. Historically speaking, you are doing very well. There has been a 50 per cent increase in life expectancy since 1900, especially for women. Despite this, many people use this additional time waiting and ailing and complaining. It is an important time of life to question the contemporary view of ageing, and ask how are you going to use this additional lifetime. Will you embrace life or just spend more time being old? I was delighted to discover a 1933 issue of Time magazine that contained an interview with Li-Chang Yuen, a man who purportedly lived to the age of 256. For those of you interested in attaining this fine age, I include Li-Chang Yuen’s four-step formula for living for your consideration: <ol> <li> Keep a quiet heart.</li> <li> Walk sprightly like a pigeon.</li> <li> Sit like a tortoise.</li> <li> Sleep like a dog.</li> </ol>

Books

Can you revive the spark in a long-term relationship?

At the beginning of a romantic relationship, passion is not in short supply. The thrills of learning all about your beloved, sharing new experiences, and having plenty of sex, create an exhilarating state of desire and romantic love. In fact, a number of scientific studies have shown that this kind of love actually <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-love-you-and-thats-not-the-dopamine-talking-5217">changes the chemistry of the brain</a>, making us temporarily addicted to our partner. But this flame typically dims over time, and a different – perhaps deeper – emotion takes over. Research has shown that this so-called “attachment phase” is linked to a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/love/">decrease in “pleasure” hormones</a> like dopamine and serotonin and a boost in “bonding chemicals” like oxytocin. Given these extreme physical changes, is it possible for someone in a long-term relationship to revert back to being infatuated, say, in time for Valentine’s day? Love on the brain The physiological basis of love and infatuation <a href="https://theconversation.com/darling-i-love-you-from-the-bottom-of-my-brain-37516">has been studied a lot</a>. In one <a href="http://jn.physiology.org/content/94/1/327">study</a>, researchers used <a href="http://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging-fmri/">fMRI</a>, which measures brain activity by looking at changes in blood flow, to scan participants who had recently fallen in love while they looked at pictures of their partners. It found that, compared to when they looked at photos of neutral acquaintances, participants showed greater activation in areas of the brain, like the dopamine-rich ventral tegmental area that is associated with reward seeking and goal pursuit, while looking at their beloved. These same brain regions are also activated after receiving an injection of cocaine or eating chocolate, suggesting that passionate love produces a “high” that we seek out again and again. But as anyone who has been in a long-term relationship knows, this rarely lasts. As couples build a life together, these highs are joined by the difficulties of maintaining a household, caring for children, and navigating delicate relations with in-laws. All of these situations create opportunities for conflict and negative emotions that temper feelings of love. Long-term studies of couples show that feelings of satisfaction, sexual activity and displays of affection like compliments and shared laughter decline over time, and these declines are especially pronounced after the <a href="http://sf.oxfordjournals.org/content/79/4/1313">first few years of marriage</a> and after the birth of a couple’s <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812012/">first child</a>. Although relationship satisfaction tends to stabilise after these big transitions, the all-consuming, addictive passion that accompanies falling in love rarely returns fully in long-term partnerships. This reality may seem grim, but some couples do manage to maintain passionate love over time. In another <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277362/">brain imaging study</a>, researchers recruited participants who had been married at least ten years and who reported that they were still madly in love with their spouse. When these individuals viewed photos of their mates, their brains showed strong activation in the same reward and motivational systems activated by people looking at the face of a new love. So what’s their secret? The routine trap Studies suggest that couples who sustain passion over time have something in common: they frequently share <a href="http://spp.sagepub.com/content/3/2/241.full">new experiences</a> with their partners. It’s easy to see why this is crucial. Couples often fall into predictable routines – eating at the same restaurants, sticking to the same schedule, and engaging in the same sexual activities. These routines may eventually lead to boredom – a formidable enemy of passion. But by sharing new experiences together, couples can shake up these routines. In another study, social psychologists set up an <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10707334">obstacle course and asked couples to complete it together</a>. There was one catch: couples had to complete the course while bound to each other at their wrists and ankles. The researchers measured the couples’ feelings of satisfaction before and after completing this silly but new task. Compared to couples completing a more mundane activity together, these participants reported increased feelings of satisfaction and love after the obstacle course. Videos of these couples were shown to objective observers, who agreed that couples who had just completed the obstacle course showed greater relationship satisfaction – that they showed more accepting behaviour towards each other and had more intimate conversations. Other experiments have repeated this finding with different types of new activities. For example, couples who had an <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01276.x/abstract">intimate, revealing conversation</a> with another couple they had just met reported feeling closer to their partners and learning more about their partners. These couples even showed a small increase in closeness up to one month after the interaction. This research suggests that making new friends can liven up a relationship and bring couples closer together. Sharing new experiences increases feelings of love because it allows us to learn new things about our partners and use it to improve our understanding of ourselves – a process social psychologists call self-expansion. Meanwhile, engaging in physically challenging activities also increases physiological arousal, like elevating heart rate and breathing. When these psychological and physical effects combine, couples experience a state much like the first flush of passionate love. So rather than dining at the usual restaurant, try something new with your partner – a painting class, paddle boarding at the beach, or even just sharing something you’ve never told them before. Integrating new experiences into your relationship may make you one of the lucky few who remain madly in love after decades together.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/54602/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Sarah Gomillion, Postdoctoral research fellow in social psychology, University of Aberdeen. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/can-you-revive-the-spark-in-a-long-term-relationship-science-reveals-all-54602" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

Relationships

Quick tips to revive your lawn

If your lawn is invaded by moss and weeds, give it a quick renovation in autumn. With a few tricks up your sleeve, in spring your lawn will be as good as new and you’ll avoid a more time-consuming revamp. On a day when there’s no wind, apply a selective lawn weed killer and leave it to work for around 10 days (check all lawn products to make sure the one you use suits your lawn variety). Borrow or rent a dethatcher, choosing a power model for more than 100 square metres of lawn. Water the lawn to loosen the soil, then five days later go over it thoroughly lengthways and widthways with the dethatcher fitted with a catcher to eliminate moss. Scatter coated grass seeds in the bare areas and spread slow-release fertiliser granules, that gradually release their nitrogen, over the whole surface of the lawn. The repeated addition of lawn foods can result in soil becoming acidic, which favours weeds, so add lime to your lawn occasionally to reduce acidity and cut down on time spent weeding. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.handyman.net.au/quick-tips-revive-your-lawn">Handyman Australia</a>.

Home & Garden

How to revive tired eyes with the help of yoga

Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community. Yoga isn’t just for stiff shoulders or sore joints – revive tired eyes and even improve your vision with eye yoga. If you spend a lot of time reading or working at a computer, you’ll be familiar with the feeling of tired eyes. Perhaps your vision has become blurrier or it takes you longer to adjust your focus. This video works on eye fatigue, mobility of the eyes and improving peripheral vision. Even if you don’t feel the need to exercise your eyes because there aren’t any immediate symptoms, consider using this self-care yoga practice as preventative. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bk7FFe48MlY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Body

Ready to revive the lost art of the Sunday drive?

The Sunday drive, once a family institution, has fallen out of favour as our busy lives have taken over. However, it’s great tradition that deserves to be revived – and when better than on Mother’s Day? This is a wonderful opportunity to take your mother, mother-in-law, partner or someone special out for a drive. Here are eight scenic drives to take from all of our eight capital cities. <ul> <li><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/travel/explore-the-beauty-of-australia-at-kakadu-national-park.aspx" target="_blank">Explore the beauty of Australia at Kakadu National Park</a></li> <li><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/travel/12-of-the-best-ever-aussie-road-trips.aspx" target="_blank">12 of the best ever Aussie road trips!</a></li> <li><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/travel/what-you-need-to-know-before-a-long-driving-holiday-around-australia.aspx" target="_blank">What you need to know before a long driving holiday around Australia</a></li> </ul> Sydney While Wollongong and the Royal National Park have appeal, the best place for a drive out of Sydney is the Blue Mountains. Head straight for Leura and perhaps a visit to the crafts (or enticing chocolate and lolly) shops around Leura Mall then follow the signs to Leura Cascades, a charming place for a picnic. Continue around to the Three Sisters where the lookout is well worth exploring. While in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/travel/explore-the-best-of-inland-nsw-this-autumn.aspx" target="_blank">Katoomba</a>, it’s always worth having tea at the Art Deco Paragon Café that will definitely take your Mum – and you perhaps – back to the tea shops of her youth. But don’t stop there. Head west down the highway to Medlow Bath and the newly renovated <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.hydromajestic.com.au/" target="_blank">Hydro Majestic</a>. It offers the most magnificent vistas over the Megalong Valley. Then it’s downhill nearly all the way home. Melbourne There’s certainly enough to fill a day on the Mornington Peninsula. Maybe the day could be based around the noon Mother’s Day lunch at <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.woodmanestate.com/index.php/mother-s-day-dining" target="_blank">Woodman Estate</a> in Moorooduc. Looking over the lake this is like an English country house. For some hot craft action, visit <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.gordonstudio.com.au/art_glass_studio.html" target="_blank">Gordon Studio Glassblowers </a>in Red Hill where you can watch glass art being created between 10am and 5pm every day. <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.redhillestate.com.au/" target="_blank">Red Hill Estate</a> winery is a good place to visit too, both for tasting and buying. Or nearby <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.montalto.com.au/" target="_blank">Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove</a> provides a chance to sample olive oils and wines while surrounded by some great contemporary sculpture. Brisbane <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.malenyqueensland.com/" target="_blank">Maleny</a> really is another world not far north of Brisbane. Once you arrive it can be a bit challenging to find but it’s worth seeking out the quirky <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.malenybotanicgardens.com/" target="_blank">Maleny Botanic Gardens and Birdworld</a>. The views across to the Glass House Mountains from here is excellent and the chance to interact with the exotic birds in the giant aviary is great. There’s no shortage of restaurants in Maleny so the ideal may be to park the car and walk around the village. Continue on to Montville if just for a look at the <a rel="noopener" href="http://thechapel.website/" target="_blank">Montville Chapel</a> that has a grand vista and is made of natural stone and lots of glass to make the most of it. Montville is another pretty village that’s well worth a walk. Adelaide Why not head for the hills? <a rel="noopener" href="http://southaustralia.com/en/places-to-go/adelaide-hills%20" target="_blank">The Adelaide Hills</a> have a lot going for them, whether it’s a visit to the <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.beerenberg.com.au/" target="_blank">Beerenberg</a>Strawberry Farm (and jam emporium) or a visit to <a rel="noopener" href="http://udderdelights.com.au/" target="_blank">Udder Delights</a> for good cheese including one very expensive one (well $150 for 500g of King Saul Raw Milk Blue) there’s no shortage of food options around Hahndorf. There’s a good chance that your mother will love the charming <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.hansheysen.com.au/" target="_blank">Cedars</a> the home of Hans Heysen the German artist who so well captured his adopted homeland. The best way to see the hills is to take the challenge of visiting all the sculptures along the <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.adelaidehillssculpture.com.au/sculpturetrail/" target="_blank">Sculpture Trail</a>. These works have been created locally by Australian and International artists and each well fits into its location. Perth This distances are always a bit greater in WA so under 500 kilometres for the day should be okay, shouldn’t it? A trip up to Cervantes still requires less driving than aiming for Margaret River for the day – and you simply can’t drive to Rotto. As Australia’s lobster capital, Cervantes is the perfect place to spoil anyone with a taste for crustaceans. If she prefers her organisms more primitive then go east of town one kilometre to Lake Thetis where you can see living thrombolites, rock-like secretions of blue-green algae that go back to the beginning of life on earth. More spectacular, however, is the <a rel="noopener" href="https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/nambung" target="_blank">Pinnacles Desert</a>. Particularly around sunset the thousands of limestone spire protruding from the coastal sand look like the setting for a sci-fi movie. It’s easy to drive a conventional vehicle around the 4km loop road. Hobart For a place with such a violent past, both historic and recent, <a rel="noopener" href="http://portarthur.org.au/planner/" target="_blank">Port Arthur</a> presents an air of tranquillity. The ruins of the prison stand in manicured coastal gardens and lawns. In recent years the site has been extensively renovated and is consistently rated as one of Australia’s major tourist attractions. If you haven’t been for a few years, you’ll soon see why the recent conservation project has won so many awards. And it’s less than 100 km from Hobart. While the main attractions are the penitentiary, the commandant’s house, the hospital and separate prison it can also be leisurely with a harbour cruise included in your ticket price and the chance to take a stroll past the civil officers’ row to the ruins of the convict church. Darwin Less than 120 km from Darwin, a picnic at <a rel="noopener" href="https://nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park-to-visit/litchfield-national-park" target="_blank">Litchfield National Park</a> is a great day out. More specifically, doing the park as a loop coming off the Stuart Highway and back through Berry Springs ensures you hardly double up on any part of the trip. While Florence Falls is going to be less crowded your mother needs to be pretty mobile to access it so the vast pool at Wangi Falls may be the better option. If you really want to spoil her, consider visiting the park by <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.litchfieldhelicopters.com.au/#_=_" target="_blank">helicopter</a> on a half-day tour. At this time of the year, it will be a longer flight from Noonamah so it isn't cheap but it is spectacular. Canberra The Snowy Mountains in autumn is a great day trip from Canberra. Consider heading through the <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.snowywine.com/#_=_%20" target="_blank">Snowy Vineyard and Microbrewery</a> on the banks of the Snowy River in Dalgety. Past Jindabyne, take the Alpine Way to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thredbo.com.au/" target="_blank">Thredbo</a> where the resort has moved from being a winter ski hill to a year-round destination. The location is so pretty that just a walk around the village (blissfully without the ski crowds) is pleasant in the crisp mountain air. There’s a special Mother’s Day lunch and tea in the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thredbo.com.au/restaurants-bars/cascades/" target="_blank">Cascades Restaurant</a>. Depending how active you all want to be, it will be a very memorable Mother’s Day if you take the Kosciuszko Express chairlift onto the main range and do the 13 km return walk to the top of Australia. It’s a moderate walk that takes between four and six hours. Still, summiting one of the world’s Seven Summits is worth the effort. Do you remember going on Sunday drives with your family as a kid? Join the conversation below. Written by David McGonigal. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/ready-to-revive-the-lost-art-of-the-sunday-drive.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Art

Can you revive the spark in a long-term relationship?

Sarah Goillion is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Social Psychology at the University of Aberdeen. At the beginning of a romantic relationship, passion is not in short supply. The thrills of learning all about your beloved, sharing new experiences, and having plenty of sex, create an exhilarating state of desire and romantic love. In fact, a number of scientific studies have shown that this kind of love actually <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-love-you-and-thats-not-the-dopamine-talking-5217" target="_blank">changes the chemistry of the brain</a>, making us temporarily addicted to our partner. But this flame typically dims over time, and a different – perhaps deeper – emotion takes over. Research has shown that this so-called “attachment phase” is linked to a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/love/" target="_blank">decrease in “pleasure” hormones</a> like dopamine and serotonin and a boost in “bonding chemicals” like oxytocin. Given these extreme physical changes, is it possible for someone in a long-term relationship to revert back to being infatuated, say, in time for Valentine’s day? Love on the brain The physiological basis of love and infatuation <a href="https://theconversation.com/darling-i-love-you-from-the-bottom-of-my-brain-37516" target="_blank">has been studied a lot</a>. In one <a href="http://jn.physiology.org/content/94/1/327" target="_blank">study</a>, researchers used <a href="http://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging-fmri/" target="_blank">fMRI</a>, which measures brain activity by looking at changes in blood flow, to scan participants who had recently fallen in love while they looked at pictures of their partners. It found that, compared to when they looked at photos of neutral acquaintances, participants showed greater activation in areas of the brain, like the dopamine-rich ventral tegmental area that is associated with reward seeking and goal pursuit, while looking at their beloved. These same brain regions are also activated after receiving an injection of cocaine or eating chocolate, suggesting that passionate love produces a “high” that we seek out again and again. But as anyone who has been in a long-term relationship knows, this rarely lasts. As couples build a life together, these highs are joined by the difficulties of maintaining a household, caring for children, and navigating delicate relations with in-laws. All of these situations create opportunities for conflict and negative emotions that temper feelings of love. Long-term studies of couples show that feelings of satisfaction, sexual activity and displays of affection like compliments and shared laughter decline over time, and these declines are especially pronounced after the <a href="http://sf.oxfordjournals.org/content/79/4/1313" target="_blank">first few years of marriage</a> and after the birth of a couple’s <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812012/" target="_blank">first child</a>. Although relationship satisfaction tends to stabilise after these big transitions, the all-consuming, addictive passion that accompanies falling in love rarely returns fully in long-term partnerships. This reality may seem grim, but some couples do manage to maintain passionate love over time. In another <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277362/" target="_blank">brain imaging study</a>, researchers recruited participants who had been married at least ten years and who reported that they were still madly in love with their spouse. When these individuals viewed photos of their mates, their brains showed strong activation in the same reward and motivational systems activated by people looking at the face of a new love. So what’s their secret? The routine trap Studies suggest that couples who sustain passion over time have something in common: they frequently share <a href="http://spp.sagepub.com/content/3/2/241.full" target="_blank">new experiences</a> with their partners. It’s easy to see why this is crucial. Couples often fall into predictable routines – eating at the same restaurants, sticking to the same schedule, and engaging in the same sexual activities. These routines may eventually lead to boredom – a formidable enemy of passion. But by sharing new experiences together, couples can shake up these routines. In another study, social psychologists set up an <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10707334" target="_blank">obstacle course and asked couples to complete it together</a>. There was one catch: couples had to complete the course while bound to each other at their wrists and ankles. The researchers measured the couples’ feelings of satisfaction before and after completing this silly but new task. Compared to couples completing a more mundane activity together, these participants reported increased feelings of satisfaction and love after the obstacle course. Videos of these couples were shown to objective observers, who agreed that couples who had just completed the obstacle course showed greater relationship satisfaction – that they showed more accepting behaviour towards each other and had more intimate conversations. Other experiments have repeated this finding with different types of new activities. For example, couples who had an <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01276.x/abstract" target="_blank">intimate, revealing conversation</a> with another couple they had just met reported feeling closer to their partners and learning more about their partners. These couples even showed a small increase in closeness up to one month after the interaction. This research suggests that making new friends can liven up a relationship and bring couples closer together. Sharing new experiences increases feelings of love because it allows us to learn new things about our partners and use it to improve our understanding of ourselves – a process social psychologists call self-expansion. Meanwhile, engaging in physically challenging activities also increases physiological arousal, like elevating heart rate and breathing. When these psychological and physical effects combine, couples experience a state much like the first flush of passionate love. So this Valentine’s day, rather than dining at the usual restaurant, try something new with your partner – a painting class, paddle boarding at the beach, or even just sharing something you’ve never told them before. Integrating new experiences into your relationship may make you one of the lucky few who remain madly in love after decades together. Written by Sarah Gomillion. Republished with permission of <a href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. <img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/54602/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/>

Relationships

7 actors who revived iconic roles

Franchises can be tricky waters to navigate in Hollywood. Some are notorious for their outrageous budgets while others are known for the frequent recasting of the titular character. Sometimes all a franchise needs to win their audience back over is the return of a favourite actor. Scroll through the gallery above to see seven actors who revived iconic roles. What is your favourite movie franchise? Let us know in the comments below.

Movies

5 ways to revive your living room

You don't need to rip down a wall or get out the paintbrush to freshen up your living room. These simple steps will help you reinterpret what you have, and add a little liveliness to your living area. 1. Review your activities Interior designer Nicola Manning suggests evaluating what you use your lounge for before you begin a makeover. "Be aware of how use the room," said Manning. "Is it sitting with friends and family talking, or is it watching TV? Or is it reading? Because that can really influence how you consider a room and the furniture that you need in there." How you use your living space may also change seasonally. To keep in step, she suggests you change out <a href="https://shop.oversixty.com.au/collections/bedroom/product-type_pillowcases?utm_source=Over60&utm_medium=in-article-link-pillowcases&utm_campaign=Over60Shop&utm_content=pillowcases" target="_blank">cushions</a> and <a href="https://shop.oversixty.com.au/collections/living/product-type_throws?utm_source=Over60&utm_medium=in-article-link-throws&utm_campaign=Over60Shop&utm_content=throws" target="_blank">throws</a> and perhaps move furniture. 2. Find the focal point "It's an important thing to sort out the focal point," said Manning. "People find it difficult if the focal point of a room is split; if they have a fireplace and a TV that aren't in the same place." To remedy this, if you have a fireplace that you like to gather around, it might be worth wall-mounting your television above it. Or if you prefer your living area as a conversation space, consider relocating your television to a smaller alternative space such as a den, study or breakfast nook. 3. Reframe your art Got art you already love? Give it a new look. "The other thing that I think can make a huge difference, and actually I've just done it in my lounge, is look at the art that you've got and see if it needs reframing," said Manning. “Reframing doesn't actually cost that much but can really transform art." "Say if you've moved and brought art from a previous house, maybe the framing doesn't suit the new house. It may make a significant difference to how it pulls together the room." 4. Coordinate colour Anthea Baker, director of Homebase, suggests making your living room exciting again by bringing in a lively, feature colour. "I think just adding colour is always the best thing," said Baker, "and probably the most inexpensive way would be to add some cushions or some artwork or a few accessories, just to brighten it up." For triple the impact, choose one colour and bring it throughout the new additions. "Coordinating the three would certainly help," she said. 5. Add a feature chair Baker also recommends recovering an existing armchair in a contrasting fabric, or adding a feature chair and ottoman in two different shades. "If they have a neutral sofa, they could bring in a single chair with a different fabric on it. There's some beautiful velvets and things around at the moment, so maybe even an ottoman as well, which could be done in a separate colour." Colours to consider are bright jewel tones. "So you might bring in something in a bright purple or a chartreuse, something that's just going to add some vibrancy to the room." What are your living room decorating tips? Let us know in the comments below. Written by Anabela Rea. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a> To find your home essentials <a href="https://shop.oversixty.com.au/?utm_source=over60&utm_campaign=Over60Shop&utm_medium=in-article-link-o60shop&utm_content=over60-shop%20%20%20" target="_blank">head to the Over60 Shop for high-quality offerings.</a> <a href="https://shop.oversixty.com.au/collections/living?utm_source=Over60&utm_medium=in-article-banner-living&utm_campaign=Over60Shop&utm_content=over60-shop" target="_blank"><img src="http://media.oversixty.com.au/images/EditorialAddon/201706_Shopnow_EditorialAddon_468x60_Living.jpg" alt="Over60 Shop - Living Range"/></a>

Home & Garden

How to revive timber furniture

Most timber pieces can be made over quickly and easily with a couple of coats of paint. Generally, this is a simple, three-step process that only takes an afternoon or two. Set yourself up in a nice spot in the garden, with a drop sheet and all your painting equipment (and perhaps a little Vivaldi playing in the background to make it even more enjoyable). For most furniture projects, a satin finish works well as it gives a mid-level gloss – hardier than a matte finish but more forgiving of fingerprints than high-gloss. What you will need: <ul> <li>Warm damp cloth</li> <li>Sandpaper</li> <li>Acrylic paint in satin</li> </ul> What to do: 1. Clean your furniture thoroughly with a warm, damp cloth. Allow to dry. 2. Sand back until smooth and then wipe away any dust. 3. Apply two coats of paint. Allow for plenty of drying time between coats. Extra painting tips: <ul> <li>Remove any hardware such as handles and hinges if you don’t want paint on them (we didn’t worry with this project as the hardware had already been painted over previously) and protect any fixed fittings with masking tape.</li> <li>In these projects, we’ve sanded rather than stripped furniture. This is because I don’t like the heavy chemicals used in most commercial paint strippers. For most pieces, sanding is easier and less messy. However, if you have an old piece with intricate mouldings, it is better to use a stripper as you may wear away the detail if you sand too vigorously.</li> <li>Use the right size brush. Small brushes for small pieces, large for large.</li> <li>The glossier the finish, the hardier it will be. A satin finish will suit most items but high gloss will be more suitable for hard working items such as kitchen tables. Matte finishes are best for more decorative pieces.</li> </ul> This is an edited extract from Luxe Vintage by Tahn Scoon published by New Holland Publishers.

Home & Garden

6 ways to revive a nearly dead houseplant

More black than green thumb? Fear not! All may not be lost. There are a number of ways to revive an almost dead house plant. And the best bit? They’re super easy (no expert gardening skills required). 1. Repot your plant Running out of room and becoming root bound is one of the primary house plant killers. Moving a struggling succulent into a larger pot with plenty of room to grow and fresh soil and fertilizer can make a world of difference. 2. Improve its feed Plants appreciate a good feed as much as the rest of us! Replacing your old soil with high quality potting mix and a specifically designed fertilizer can help renew and revitalize. 3. Here comes the sun If your plant is on its last legs, a small dose of sun therapy might be in order. Abruptly moving plants into the hot sun can do more harm than good but gradually introducing indirect sunlight then small burst of direct sunlight can work wonders. 4. Ease off the water Too much water can be too much of a good thing! The majority of plants have dormant periods whereby they don’t require as much watering. Knowing when to water and when to hold off can help your plants to thrive long term. 5. Say sayonara to pests If the leaves of your plant are looking a bit worse for wear, bugs might be the problem. The easiest way to get rid of unwanted visitors is by gently wiping or spritzing leaves with a mild soapy water solution. 6. Try a greenhouse Some plants enjoy a little humidity. The majority of us don’t want to turn our homes into a sweatbox so an individual greenhouse for your plants is the perfect solution. All you need is a small plastic bag secured over the plant for 4-5 days. This will create the perfect conditions to help restore life to your drooping plant. Are you a house plant fan? What’s your number one tip for long term growing success? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/how-to-grow-plants-from-cuttings/">How to grow plants from cuttings</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/concealing-your-backyard-eyesores/">Concealing your backyard eyesores</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/07/how-to-grow-australian-native-orchids-in-your-backyard/">How to grow Australian native orchids in your backyard</a>

Home & Garden

Brisbane stores revive co-op movement

Brisbane stores are leading the way in a resurgence of co-operative movement and swap stores.Co-ops are businesses that are owned and run by members who share the costs and profits, while swap stores allow good to be exchanged rather than sold for profit.Director of the Centre for Social Change and diverse economies expert Dr Amanda Cahill told ABC that the co-op movement was experiencing a revival, estimating there were over a billion members worldwide.“I think in Australia it might be a bit different to some other places in that people might be a member of a co-op and not even think about it or understand what that obligation is,” she said, adding, “But as things get economically tighter I think we're going to see a lot more people saying: ‘Just a minute, I'm not just a consumer of this; I can actually drive this and I can actually make very different decisions about how the money is spent’.”Emma-Kate Rose from Food Connect, an enterprise that delivers food from farmers to co-operatives and Brisbane residents, has noticed the revival in co-ops. From serving one or two in 2012, the number today has risen to 32 co-ops and buyers groups.“We all know here in Australia back in the 90s a lot of the co-operatives, particularly the agricultural co-operatives, were pretty much wiped out through corporatisation and eventually being taken over by big multinational companies, particularly in the dairy industry we've seen that,” she said.“I guess this is almost like a backflip back to the old days but doing business in a new and exciting way, using the technology resources that are out there now. So it’s quite exciting.”Photo credit: FoodConnect

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These 7 genius hacks will revive almost any plant