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ABC News
an hour ago
- General
- ABC News
Fancy frocks and boots on show at gala held for women affected by domestic and family abuse
A gown worn with a pair of Blundstone boots isn't a sight you'd typically expect for a cocktail event. But at a gala held on Saturday night in Hobart, it was a perfect fit. The pairing was just one outfit meeting the dress code at the "Butterflies and Boots" gala ball, an event held specifically for women with lived experience of domestic or family abuse. "Butterflies are about regeneration, regrowth, flourishing," Nicki, the event's co-organiser, and a domestic and family violence support worker, said. The idea for the gala, which included a fashion parade, a Zumba lesson and plenty of dancing, was sparked when Nicki reached out to and met co-organiser Shakira Robertson last year. The conversation quickly turned to Shakira's mother, Jacqui Purton. In March 2023, Ms Purton was fatally hit by a car allegedly being driven by her ex-boyfriend, James Austin. The matter remains before the courts. Mr Austin has pleaded not guilty to murder. With both Nicki and Shakira passionate about advocating against domestic and family violence, the pair knew they wanted to do something empowering for victim-survivors. A gala felt like the right choice. "There's nothing like this," Nicki said. "There's candlelight vigils, and there's rallies, and they're really important, but there's nothing being done that's all about celebrating and joy. "Everyone needs joy in their life. To help the women get ready, a pamper session was held on Saturday afternoon, with gala attendees invited to have their hair, make-up and nails done free of charge by professionals volunteering their time. Dresses were also donated, with women able to select whichever one they felt most beautiful in. For attendee Jessica* there were years in a former abusive relationship where she hadn't "been allowed" to do things like put on nice clothing, and get her hair and make-up done professionally. Since escaping that relationship, she said, she hadn't "felt a reason to, either". Being invited to an event focused on connecting women with shared experiences, and being able to celebrate them while honouring those who have lost their lives, felt like a good opportunity to change that. "There's so much still ongoing, but it's so nice to stop and for somebody else to identify that, 'Hey, this is a great opportunity. Let's celebrate you and what you've done.' Too often, Shakira said, people had a misconception that if a woman left a violent relationship then "they're out, she's fine, we don't have to think about her again". "No. That's the moment where you need to pick them up, give them that big hug and go 'Right, let's go and do something for you.'" She said, at its heart, the gala was about uplifting these women, and building a sense of community. "A lot of women, when they leave an abusive relationship, they feel so dehumanised, and they lose that feminine touch and they feel like they are so worthless," Shakira said. "[It was] just the thought of being able to give these women a chance to dress up … get hair and make-up done, and be able to look at themselves and go 'Wow, that's what I look like underneath.'" Leesah Hotson was among those who volunteered their stylist services for the afternoon's pampering sessions. She said being given the trust of the women to make them look and feel beautiful, and to be in their personal space, was something she didn't take for granted. "It's absolutely brilliant," she said. Moving forwards, Shakira and Nicki are hopeful the gala will become an annual event in Tasmania, with potential for it to expand interstate. *Names have been changed in this story to protect the individual's identities
Wales Online
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Escape to the Country host issues warning after buyer's disappointing house update
Escape to the Country host issues warning after buyer's disappointing house update Escape to the Country host Nicki Chapman was left lost for words as a first-time buyer shared her reaction to a property on the BBC show ETTC: Host reveals buyer didn't make an offer in time Escape to the Country made a welcome return to TV screens on Tuesday (27 May), with presenter Nicki Chapman joining a first-time buyer in Shropshire to help her find the perfect rural retreat. Natalie, 30, who had been living with her parents in Birmingham for a few years, was eager to start her life in the countryside and invest in her first home. With a budget of £520,000 at her disposal, Natalie had a clear idea of what she was looking for in a property - at least two bedrooms, a home office, a dog-friendly garden, picturesque views, and a dash of character. Accompanied by her mother Ruth, Natalie embarked on a property search with Nicki, who showcased four potential homes for her consideration. The first property, with an asking price of £345,000, featured three bedrooms, a secret garden, and a charming village setting. While Natalie found it to be "homely", she was disappointed by the limited upstairs space. Natalie was joined by her mum Ruth on Escape to the Country (Image: BBC ) Article continues below Wrexham star speaks out on transfer plans months after dad called out Ryan Reynolds READ MORE: The second property, located in Grinshill and priced at £500,000, boasted three bedrooms, a low-maintenance garden, and a rural location. However, Natalie was less impressed by the lack of views and small garden, feeling that these aspects had "let it down", reports Cheshire Live. Fortunately, the third property turned out to be the ideal match for Natalie's criteria. Listed at £495,000, the semi-detached Victorian cottage offered three bedrooms, three reception rooms, stunning views, and a rural location close to a town. Natalie admitted there was "nothing" she would change about the property, adding that it would "be an amazing first home". Her reaction left host Nicki speechless, as she admitted: "I don't know what to say!" and branded Natalie's words "uplifting". Later, a fourth abode was showcased to Natalie, yet she felt it required excessive renovation and wasn't keen on embarking on such an ambitious undertaking. Nicki Chapman on Escape to the Country (Image: BBC ) Nicki then caught up with Natalie and Ruth to find out if any of the properties had fully captivated Natalie's interest. She revealed the third house was a firm favourite, stating: "I'm going to be booking a second viewing!" Article continues below While Natalie did head for a second viewing, Nicki revealed that she unfortunately lost out on the home to another buyer. This led Nicki to conclude the episode with a cautionary note for Escape to the Country viewers. "Someone else got in there first and had an offer accepted. It just shows you, how fast houses are moving these days," the presenter commented. Escape to the Country airs on weekdays on BBC One at 3pm
North Wales Live
27-05-2025
- North Wales Live
10 items most people forget to pack for holiday as we always overpack pants
People really are 'pants' at packing as one-third regularly overpack their underwear - but at the same time one-fifth forget their phone charger. Almost nine in ten are guilty of overpacking for their summer holiday with 69% of holidaymakers overpacking clothes, while 36% cram in too many pairs of shoes. Causing their cases to further bulge at the seams are toiletries, books and suncream At the other end of the scale, travellers are forgetting basic essentials, with two-thirds forgetting to take at least one important thing on holiday every time they go away. Topping the list as the most forgotten item is suncream, with a third of people failing to pack it, while a fifth forget to pack an all-important plug adaptor. The survey by tombola revealed that, on average, Brits are most likely to pack for their holiday around a week and a half before flying to their destination. One in five admitted to packing more than four weeks in advance. A quarter believe that they can complete all of this within the space of an hour, but at the opposite end of the scale as many as one in 12 say it takes them longer than a day to complete. Samantha Wilcox, Organic Manager at tombola, said: "The research shows that while we're a nation of holiday lovers, we also love our home comforts. "Taking our favourite items away with us provides a little slice of home but it can come at a cost, as lots of people subsequently forget much-needed essentials. Packing efficiently and thoroughly means you can not only take your favourite home comforts, but you also won't find yourself dashing to foreign supermarkets on the first day of your holiday." TOP TEN MOST OVERPACKED ITEMS IN BRITS' SUITCASES 1. Clothes – 69% 2. Shoes – 36% 3. Underwear – 31% 4. Toiletries – 20% 5. Books – 18% 6. Suncream – 16% 7. Jewellery – 13% 8. Makeup – 11% 9. Swimwear – 9% 10. Food / snacks – 8% TOP TEN MOST FORGOTTEN ITEMS BRITS FORGET TO PACK IN THEIR SUITCASE 1. Suncream – 32% 2. Plug adaptors – 20% 3. Hairbrush – 18% 4. Toothbrush – 18% 5. Phone charger – 17% 6. Book – 16% 7. Toothpaste – 15% 8. Nightwear / pyjamas – 15% 9. Camera – 14% 10. Currency / money – 11% To avoid overpacking, professional packing expert and owner of Essex House Dolly Nicki Rodriguez has the following top tips. 1. Roll instead of folding Nicki said: "Folding your clothes not only limits the space you have, but it also creates creasing. Instead, roll them, Rolling eliminates the creases and in turn, gives you more space." 2. Create a brick-like shape with shoes Nicki said: "Pack shoes together so that the front ends are touching each other, but one shoe is upside down. This then creates a brick shape which can easily be slotted into your case." 3. Plan, plan, plan Nicki said: "To avoid overpacking, only bring items that you actually need. Lay out clothing for each day so you can visually see what you are going to wear. "For example, if you are staying seven nights, you'd put out swimwear, underwear, an outfit for evening, outfit for day. You would then roll these items and place them in a carrier bag with a label of the day." 4. Decant liquids Nicki said: "When it comes to toiletries, buy small plastic pots and containers. You'll find these in most cosmetic shops - put all your liquids in these. They are literally half the size and will not take up as much room in your case."
Wales Online
27-05-2025
- Wales Online
10 items most people forget to pack for holiday as we always overpack pants
10 items most people forget to pack for holiday as we always overpack pants Two thirds forget to take at least one important thing People really are 'pants' at packing as one-third regularly overpack their underwear - but at the same time one-fifth forget their phone charger. Almost nine in ten are guilty of overpacking for their summer holiday with 69% of holidaymakers overpacking clothes, while 36% cram in too many pairs of shoes. Causing their cases to further bulge at the seams are toiletries, books and suncream At the other end of the scale, travellers are forgetting basic essentials, with two-thirds forgetting to take at least one important thing on holiday every time they go away. Topping the list as the most forgotten item is suncream, with a third of people failing to pack it, while a fifth forget to pack an all-important plug adaptor. The survey by tombola revealed that, on average, Brits are most likely to pack for their holiday around a week and a half before flying to their destination. One in five admitted to packing more than four weeks in advance. A quarter believe that they can complete all of this within the space of an hour, but at the opposite end of the scale as many as one in 12 say it takes them longer than a day to complete. Samantha Wilcox, Organic Manager at tombola, said: "The research shows that while we're a nation of holiday lovers, we also love our home comforts. "Taking our favourite items away with us provides a little slice of home but it can come at a cost, as lots of people subsequently forget much-needed essentials. Packing efficiently and thoroughly means you can not only take your favourite home comforts, but you also won't find yourself dashing to foreign supermarkets on the first day of your holiday." Article continues below TOP TEN MOST OVERPACKED ITEMS IN BRITS' SUITCASES 1. Clothes – 69% 2. Shoes – 36% 3. Underwear – 31% 4. Toiletries – 20% 5. Books – 18% 6. Suncream – 16% 7. Jewellery – 13% 8. Makeup – 11% 9. Swimwear – 9% 10. Food / snacks – 8% TOP TEN MOST FORGOTTEN ITEMS BRITS FORGET TO PACK IN THEIR SUITCASE 1. Suncream – 32% 2. Plug adaptors – 20% 3. Hairbrush – 18% 4. Toothbrush – 18% 5. Phone charger – 17% 6. Book – 16% 7. Toothpaste – 15% 8. Nightwear / pyjamas – 15% 9. Camera – 14% 10. Currency / money – 11% To avoid overpacking, professional packing expert and owner of Essex House Dolly Nicki Rodriguez has the following top tips. 1. Roll instead of folding Nicki said: "Folding your clothes not only limits the space you have, but it also creates creasing. Instead, roll them, Rolling eliminates the creases and in turn, gives you more space." 2. Create a brick-like shape with shoes Nicki said: "Pack shoes together so that the front ends are touching each other, but one shoe is upside down. This then creates a brick shape which can easily be slotted into your case." 3. Plan, plan, plan Nicki said: "To avoid overpacking, only bring items that you actually need. Lay out clothing for each day so you can visually see what you are going to wear. "For example, if you are staying seven nights, you'd put out swimwear, underwear, an outfit for evening, outfit for day. You would then roll these items and place them in a carrier bag with a label of the day." Article continues below 4. Decant liquids Nicki said: "When it comes to toiletries, buy small plastic pots and containers. You'll find these in most cosmetic shops - put all your liquids in these. They are literally half the size and will not take up as much room in your case."
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Canterbury food forest starting to grow
Waimakariri District Councillor, Woodend-Sefton Community Board member and lead creator of the Kaiapoi Food Forest, Brent Cairns, helps Melissa Parker and her daughter Frankie, aged 4, of Pines Beach, plant a Nikau palm tree they donated for the newly established Food Forest in Tūhaitara Coastal Park. PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP The beginnings of a new food forest has been established in the Pines and Kairaki Beaches community, near Kaiapoi. A community planting day was held last Sunday morning at the site in Tūhaitara Coastal Park, behind the Pines Beach Community Hall, on the corner of Chichester St and Batten Grove. The idea for the Pines and Kairaki Beaches Food Forest came two years ago from a Pines and Kairaki Beaches Association committee member Nicki Brown. Right from the start, she received widespread encouragement and support for it. The design of the food forest was created by Brent Cairns, a Waimakariri district councillor, Woodend-Sefton Community Board member and Kaiapoi Food Forest trustee. ''He was very keen to help us and his support and knowledge has been huge throughout this project,'' Nicki says. Brent and his wife Shirley donated 70 trees for the food forest and helped on planting day. There have been many other contributions of trees and materials needed to establish the food forest such as mulch from Canterbury Landscape Supplies, in Kainga, cardboard from Proctor Solar, in Kaiapoi, trees from The Treehouse Horticulture, in Kaiapoi, and Te Kohaka o Tuhaitara Trust managers of Tūhaitara Coastal Park. ''Food Secure North Canterbury has given us some funds to go towards trees too,'' Nicki says. There has also been ''incredible support'' from many individuals in the community, who donated trees and helped during the planting day. A Corrections Department team helped prepare the food forest site for planting and will help to maintain it in the future, and Kaiapoi High School students have also contributed by holding two planting days at the site this week. About 170 edibles, natives and grasses were planted, but this is just the beginning with another planting day planned for June, Nicki says. She is excited for the future of the food forest and how it will bring the community together.
