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Shona Hendley is a freelance writer living in Victoria

Don’t love your Christmas gifts? What you should (and shouldn’t) do

Don’t love your Christmas gifts? What you should (and shouldn’t) do

Christmas is a time of giving and receiving. But what if Aunty Fay was wide off the mark? Follow these tips to salvage a bad gift without causing offence.

  • by Shona Hendley

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Swimmer’s ear can ruin a summer holiday. Here’s how to avoid it

Swimmer’s ear can ruin a summer holiday. Here’s how to avoid it

Travelling somewhere humid, or swimming in fresh water? Keeping ear infections at bay can be as easy as taking a few preventive actions.

  • by Shona Hendley
‘Loved the spot’: Family pays $1.9m for rare mid-century modern delight

‘Loved the spot’: Family pays $1.9m for rare mid-century modern delight

Four families competed for the character-filled three-bedroom house on a large block, owned by the sellers for about 30 years.

  • by Shona Hendley
Bracing for a bad bushfire season, this year I’m packing two emergency kits
Opinion
Bushfires

Bracing for a bad bushfire season, this year I’m packing two emergency kits

For some people, mementos may be considered “stuff” – unimportant, unnecessary and replaceable. For others like me, these items are the opposite.

  • by Shona Hendley
First home buyer splashes $1,262,000 on stylish Abbotsford renovation

First home buyer splashes $1,262,000 on stylish Abbotsford renovation

Four first home buyers turned out to bid for the colourful two-bedroom home, with its move-in ready interiors a strong drawcard.

  • by Shona Hendley
An Advent calendar for $200,000? Now that’s a very merry Christmas
Opinion
Christmas

An Advent calendar for $200,000? Now that’s a very merry Christmas

Once a relatively austere marking of the days, Advent calendars have become a huge, and often obscenely expensive, business. And not just in December.

  • by Shona Hendley
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How far house prices have soared above fair value

How far house prices have soared above fair value

Property prices would need to fall by double digits to be considered fair value for potential buyers – but would it ever happen?

  • by Shona Hendley
Young couple buy Forest Hill house for $1,405,000. It last sold for $245,000

Young couple buy Forest Hill house for $1,405,000. It last sold for $245,000

The four-bedroom property had a $1.15 million to $1.25 million guide. Its price increased almost six-fold since it last sold in 1998, records show.

  • by Shona Hendley
Why Starbucks is crashing in the US, but booming in Australia
Opinion
Real life

Why Starbucks is crashing in the US, but booming in Australia

After decades of struggling to meet our high coffee standards, Starbucks is enjoying record profits Down Under thanks to a new generation of customers.

  • by Shona Hendley
‘Wasn’t the frenzy we’d hoped’: Armadale auction cops $40,000 discount

‘Wasn’t the frenzy we’d hoped’: Armadale auction cops $40,000 discount

A lady new to the area and looking for a low-maintenance home was able to get in for less than the advertised price guide.

  • by Shona Hendley
The suburb where I grew up was dubbed ‘the ghetto’. I didn’t tell friends where I lived

The suburb where I grew up was dubbed ‘the ghetto’. I didn’t tell friends where I lived

Our feelings about the family home we grew up in can be complicated. For me, it’s joy, embarrassment and grief all at once.

  • by Shona Hendley

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/by/shona-hendley-p536zk