It’s only 115 sleeps to Christmas, which means my family is already starting to make noises about where Christmas is going to be held, who is going to cook and what the present budget will be (as we’ve branched into different economical backgrounds, a ‘present budget’ is decided every year so...

The use of worms to aid in gardening practice has been an open secret of gardeners the world over for centuries. The tiny little Eisenia Fetida, or composting worm, is the single handiest element of my backyard master plan. Never mind that it is also my ONLY handy element – my garden lacks...

Fuel prices have been driving people crazy all around the world. It’s becoming incredibly expensive to even run basic errands. Although fuel prices have started to decline, consumers haven’t felt the relief at the pump yet. It also doesn’t help that the government is pushing to pass...

I was thinking about my ancestry the other day. I’m not sure why, it must have something to do with the fact that I’M GETTING OLDER. I can’t believe I just said that, anyway… I was looking around on the web and having a think about how I would go about it when I stumbled across this ancestry...

It would take many lifetimes to see the entire world; alas, we are but mere mortals with only one life to live. Deciding which places get on our ‘must-visit’ list makes haggling in a foreign language seem easy.  Before you reach the ‘final destination’, A Pampered Life recommends you try the...

The Olympics are over! It didn’t seem that long since the amazing opening ceremony was taking place and now it’s time for everyone to sit back, relax and wait four years until the next event. Waiting a century to host the Olympics, China put on a massive display for the World. From the specially...

Outside it’s cold. Sub-zero to my chilblained fingers. Sleety rain is dripping from the sky and snow is being reported in the country’s colder climates. All I want to do is jump into bed (heater on) with a good book, Milo and flannelette pjs. Instead I’m out with friends. Trawling aisles, shopping....

Only nine sleeps to go until I leave for my Mexican and Cuban adventure! Right now I’m drowning in paper at work, but I’m unperturbed. My mind is already in that blissful state known as ‘holiday mode’. I find myself lost in a constant daydream. I’m imagining the luxurious days aboard the cruise...

Sugar and spice and all things nice, this is what girls are made of. Slugs and snails and puppy dogs tails, this is what boys are made of. We all remember the rhyme. Those words that defined how we played, what we wore, and why – as five-year olds - girls were so much better than boys. But how...

In a lifetime, at some point, most people will travel overseas, especially to Europe, South America and Asia. The first thing that becomes obvious, as soon as you are in a foreign place, is that English is not the first language spoken – an oft forgotten fact. In fact, contrary to popular belief,...

The other day, a friend of mine gave me an adorable present, a huge bar of soap. Before you imagine her handing over your typical, run-of-the-mill, Home Brand variety suds-maker, let me describe it to you. My friend had made this bar of soap completely by hand and in its chocolate brown swirls and rich...

Feeling a little strapped for cash? Want to get away but can’t handle the fuss? Unlike the uber rich, we can’t all just jet off to France for fine dining, or head to Japan for some authentic sushi. And so we make do. Australia has become a country where there are endless choices when it comes to...

There’s a friend of mine who I hesitate to ask, “How are you?” for fear of the lengthy and over-revealing answer. The response is never just “I’m fine”. If all I have to hear on the matter is “I’ve got the runs”, that would be a lucky escape for me. But more often than not, this friend...