Polly Simons

IT might seem one of the easiest parts of the building process, but choosing the right colours for your interior can be one of the most demanding. As if selecting a colour that you’re not going to hate in six weeks isn’t hard enough, there are still dozens of shades, strengths and paint finishes to decide on before you leave the paint shop.

AS Sydneysiders we might be spared the worst of the winter weather but that’s not to say our skin doesn’t suffer when the cooler temperatures arrive. “People regularly come in with a concern that their skin is feeling dryer, which is generally caused by the change in seasons,” says Hayley Fahd, field trainer for Ella Bache.

BACKYARD pools have come a long way since the standard kidney-shaped pools of your childhood. Today’s generation of pools are as stylish as they are convenient, come in all shapes and sizes, are self-cleaning, self-maintaining and can be operated from your mobile phone. Thanks to developments in technology, they can even be used all year round – which means you could be enjoying your new outdoor space well before summer arrives.

AS any parent who has ever had to drag their child past a Frozen or Skylanders merchandise stand will understand, children’s obsessions can be all-consuming and often fleeting.

HEADING back for the new school year after a long break can be hard enough. But add in an important transition — the first day of kindergarten, going to high school or starting at a new school — and the stress and anxiety is suddenly amplified.

FROM baguettes to bistro food, Avalon is a foodie's paradise.

Model, singer, actress, computer game character...is there anything Erica Heynatz can't do? The down-to-earth star, soon to be seen as Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show, shares her health and fitness secrets.

WHEN it comes to looking after ourselves, it seems Australians are an optimistic bunch. Not only do we have one of the highest life expectancies in the world (79 for men and 84 for women), but when rating our wellbeing, more than half of us describe our health as excellent or very good.