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 […]

DEAR Jasminda, There is only one New Year’s Resolution I have and that is to start doing some exercise. I know it’s good for me, but I detest physical activity. Now I’m in my mid-fifties, it hurts my joints and that just makes me feel worse. Do you have any suggestions? Evie H. Dear Evie, […]

DEAR Jasminda, MY husband’s Netflix viewing history shows an abnormal amount of True Crime shows, serial killer series, and murder mysteries. Should I be worried? Petra L. Dear Petra, For some strange reason, many people like having the living daylights scared out of them for relaxation. I’m not one of them, and it sounds as […]

DEAR Jasminda, MANY years ago, my husband and I bought a vertical burial plot with space for three people. My husband died years ago, we didn’t have any children, and I recently met another man. Do you think it would be okay if my new soul mate and I used the two remaining plot spaces […]

DEAR Jasminda, FOR five years, I have been minding a friend’s dog (Minty) while they go on holidays. This is usually no problem; the dog and I get on very well. This time, though, I was left with instructions that Minty (who is 15) now eats breakfast at 4.30am and dinner at 3.00pm every day, […]

DEAR Jasminda, I’m thinking of getting an ice bath for stress relief. Do you have any views on this? Gavin H. Oh, Gavin, Sometimes I read a conundrum and my first thought is, yes, I have views on this, but do you really want to know them? I have no qualifications in ice-bath therapy, so […]

DEAR Jasminda, I’ve been invited to the staff Christmas party but the people going are hard partiers and I always end up being the designated driver. I’m aware there’s an expectation for me to remain under-the-limit to ferry all the guests home. I’m thinking I might not go for this reason. Harriet L. Dear Harriet, […]

DEAR Jasminda, LAST night (when I was sound asleep) my husband woke me about the mosquitoes in the room. He then searched (unsuccessfully) for the flyspray before trying other tactics. By the time he’d killed them, I was wide awake and stayed that way. What do I do to avoid this in the future, Katie […]

DEAR Jasminda, I’VE started going to a gym and there’s a man there that leaves various personal items on the equipment I want to use. His drink bottle is on one, his towel is on another and then he leaves his backpack on a third machine. What is the gym etiquette around this?  I only […]