Opinion | The Guardian USApr 4
I accidentally emailed a stranger 10 years ago. He has been invited to family celebrations ever since | Emma Wilkins https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/04/accidentally-emailed-stranger-became-family-friend #Friendship #LifeAndStyle #AustralianLifestyle
I accidentally emailed a stranger 10 years ago. He has been invited to family celebrations ever since

The delight of ‘meeting’ a person from a different country and time zone is one of the wonders of the internet. Perhaps one day we will host a party in his honour

The Guardian
Opinion | The Guardian USMar 28
We’ve been coming to this waterhole for 30 years. Like the creek we’ve been rearranged – ravaged by time but still shining | Jessie Cole https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/29/australia-waterhole-ravaged-by-time-still-shining #Swimming #Environment #Water #Flooding #Friendship #AustralianLifestyle #NewSouthWales #Ageing #AustraliaNews
The waterhole: we’ve been coming here for 30 years. Like the creek, we’ve been rearranged – ravaged by time but still shining

When we strip off, it is all there on our bodies: scars mixed in with the ordinary wear and tear. It’s bolstering – this evidence of life lived

The Guardian
Technology | The Guardian USMar 23
When your culture becomes a meme: the ‘jarring’ effect of Chinamaxxing https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/23/chinamaxxing-chinese-culture-becomes-a-meme #LifeAndStyle #SocialMedia #AustralianLifestyle #Tiktok #China #DigitalMedia #Media #Technology
When your culture becomes a meme: the ‘jarring’ effect of Chinamaxxing

The TikTok trend may be fading, but people of Chinese heritage wonder if an appreciation for their culture will continue after the algorithm moves on

The Guardian
Opinion | The Guardian USMar 7
My parents’ Betta electrical store, Springvale: the shop was our life, and it was enough | Alice Pung https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/08/alice-pung-parents-betta-store-springvale #Family #AustralianLifestyle #LifeAndStyle #Melbourne #RetailIndustry
My parents’ Betta electrical store, Springvale: the shop was our life, and it was enough

They were survivors of the killing fields and Mao’s China – and their shop was not just their existence, it was their second chance at redemption, writes author Alice Pung

The Guardian
Technology | The Guardian USFeb 18
Is it smarter to have a dumb home? ‘We’ve seen clients unable to flush toilets’ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/18/smart-home-v-dumb-home-technology-system #SmartHomes #AustralianLifestyle #Homes #LifeAndStyle #Technology #Interiors
Is it smarter to have a dumb home? ‘We’ve seen clients unable to flush toilets’

Australia experienced a boom in smart-home technology at the start of the 2020s. Years on, some early adopters are experiencing buyer’s remorse

The Guardian
Climate crisis | The GuardianFeb 15
‘What do we want gardens to sound like?’ It began with a frog pond – then suburban rewilding became an obsession https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/15/wild-gardening-rewilding-garden-sounds #Gardens #Rewilding #GardeningAdvice #LifeAndStyle #AustralianLifestyle #UkNews #Insects #Environment #ClimateCrisis #Manchester #Wildlife #Biodiversity
‘What do we want gardens to sound like?’ It began with a frog pond, but suburban rewilding became an obsession

Wild gardening is about shedding obsessions with tidiness, embracing a looser aesthetic, and providing a home for ‘the most important creatures on the planet’

The Guardian
Environment | The Guardian USFeb 12
Why red roses on Valentine's Day are so bad for the planet – video https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2026/feb/12/why-red-roses-on-valentines-day-are-so-bad-for-the-planet-video #ValentinesDay #Plastics #Pesticides #AustralianLifestyle #EthicalAndGreenLiving #Environment
Why red roses on Valentine's Day are so bad for the planet – video

Guardian Australia's Petra Stock explains how you can choose flowers that show you care for both a valentine and the environment

The Guardian
Opinion | The Guardian USFeb 6
In an era of frictionless digital experiences, there’s something magical about obsolete technology | Tansy Gardam https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/06/magic-of-cd-dvd-digital-experiences #Technology #AustralianLifestyle #Culture #Collecting #Bluray #Film #FilmIndustry #Music #MusicStreaming
In an era of frictionless digital experiences, there’s something magical about obsolete technology

DVDs and CDs signalled the beginning of the end for physical media but now have pride of place among technologies that are forgotten but not quite gone

The Guardian
Opinion | The Guardian USFeb 2
Age brings an opportunity to escape the clutches of unattainable beauty standards – it’s liberating | Zoya Patel https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/02/aging-liberating-escape-unattainable-beauty-standards #BodyImage #HealthWellbeing #Ageing #AustralianLifestyle #LifeAndStyle
Age brings an opportunity to escape the clutches of unattainable beauty standards – it’s liberating

Even as I’ve spent my entire adult life wanting to look different, I’ve found and cultivated other parts of myself that have nothing to do with appearance

The Guardian
World news | The GuardianJan 21
Tight spot: cheapest spray takes first place in Choice stain remover test https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/21/tight-spot-cheapest-spray-takes-first-place-in-choice-stain-remover-test #AustralianLifestyle #Supermarkets #LifeAndStyle #ConsumerAffairs #AustraliaNews
Tight spot: cheapest spray takes first place in Choice stain remover test

Aldi triumphed in the consumer watchdog’s showdown, while some name brands failed to come out in the wash

The Guardian