And now for a little me time
MONTHLY CHALLENGE
by Lorna Gordon
PHOTO A DAY
We spend so much of our lives rushing from place to place to get things done, school pick up and drop off, taking kids to activities, getting to work, doing chores, that we can forget to slow down and enjoy what’ s around us.
A fun way to make yourself pay attention to the small details is to join a photo a day challenge. There are a few different ones out there if you look them up online, but the idea is that you are provided with a prompt for each day of the year and you can interpret it in any way you want to. Once you have your idea you take a photo of it and upload it to your group.
Some of the simpler prompts can be colours, letters or numbers, but you also get prompts like‘ In bloom’,‘ On my plate’ or‘ View from here’. The fun is taking a moment out of your day to take a snapshot of what is happening in your life.
This is an easy, but creative and mindful activity that anyone can join in with, even your kids. It challenges you to think outside of the box and look for small details in your everyday life. It makes you slow down and notice what is happening around you and by looking at how other people interpret the same prompt, you can find your creativity expanding and your photography skills improving, even if you only use your phone camera to take your photos.
Sharing your own photos in a likeminded community is a fun way to interact with people who enjoy the
PODCASTS
BIG BRAINS
by Lorna Gordon
If your big brain is always on the lookout for something interesting to listen to then the Big Brain podcast will help scratch that itch.
The podcast looks at research and discoveries in easy to understand episodes, where experts and specialists explain topics from a variety of subjects from neuroscience and psychology to space exploration.
One episode that captured my interest was about a potential health crisis, that of fungi. Yes I’ m talking about an idea that‘ The Last of Us’ has taken and turned into a game and sci fi show. Don’ t panic, there are very clever people already working on how to deal with this if it happens.
Another episode that was fascinating to me was the one about searching for alien life on other planets. Powerful telescopes are now
same hobby and once you have done it for a while you build up an amazing visual diary of your life.
I love this kind of challenge because it’ s actually quite easy to fit into your day, it only takes a few seconds to take a photo so you don’ t need a lot of spare time to do it. Once you get used to looking for photo ideas, you really start to enjoy the smaller things in life, such as how intricate a flower is, how many red things you might have in your house, or how the light changes from morning to night.
So why not try out a photo a day challenge this month, you might surprise yourself at how much you enjoy taking daily pictures of your life.
Challenge yourself to notice the details in your life by snapping a photo a day.
The Big Brains podcast dives into research and discoveries that are changing our world.
able to scan further than ever before, and Jacob Bean, an astrophysicist, is looking at the atmosphere of planets to understand if anything could survive on them.
The podcast is produced in the USA so you can expect some of the episodes to have an emphasis on what is happening there, like a recent measles resurgence, but it is still a very interesting listen.
You can find it on all your usual streaming services, it’ s been running since 2018 so there is going to plenty of episodes to keep you interested.
GIVEAWAYS
GOOD FORTUNE
Release Date: In Cinemas Now
Duration: 97 minutes Classification: M | Censorship Advice: Crude humour, coarse language, drug use and sexual references. In GOOD FORTUNE, a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel( Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker( Aziz Ansari) and a wealthy venture capitalist( Seth Rogen).
GOOD FORTUNE stars Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keke Palmer, with Sandra Oh, and Keanu Reeves. The film is written and directed by two-time Emmy ® Award winner Aziz Ansari( Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series,“ Master of None,” 2016 & 2017).
We have 15 double passes to give away. To enter send us an email to info @ hdinews. com. au with Good Fortune in the subject line and tell us why you love The Independent Magazine in 25 words or less. Please leave your name, address and contact number.
All winners will be notified by email / phone.
THE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
Australia’ s biggest Christmas variety show is back in December
Starring Michael Boyd with Prinnie Stevens
The Christmas Spectacular, starring master illusionist Michael Boyd and special guest Prinnie Stevens, is a dazzling celebration of festive magic, music and glamour.
This high-energy festive extravaganza blends dazzling circus acts, grand illusions, spectacular dance numbers and timeless Christmas music. Think Radio City Rockettes meets The Nutcracker, with a little Las Vegas sparkle— and plenty of heart.
The shining star of the night is host Prinnie Stevens. Rising to fame on The Voice Australia, Prinnie leads audiences through a musical journey of festive favourites with her powerhouse renditions of Mariah Carey’ s“ All I Want for Christmas Is You” and“ Joy to the World”.
Audiences will be entranced by Australia’ s Got Talent finalist Michael Boyd, one of the country’ s top illusionists. His spectacular illusions, mind-boggling disappearances and captivating stage personality delight viewers of all ages.
Also featured is world-class circus artist Aleisha Manion, who defies gravity with a polished, smooth, and perfectly timed aerial routine. Her breathtaking act adds an extra layer of wonder to a show already brimming with magic, music, and movement. Joining them is a cast of elite dancers and showgirls, many of whom have graced the stages of Moulin Rouge, the Lido, and other famed international cabarets— delivering glitz, glamour and precision at every turn.
Whether you’ re reliving the joy of Christmas or making magical memories with the kids, The Christmas Spectacular is the ultimate family festive experience.
Ticketing: Ticketmaster. Tickets on sale now. Venue: State Theatre, Sydney Dates: Friday 19 – Sunday 21 December 2pm & 6.30pm Facebook: The Christmas Spectacular Insta: @ the _ christmas _ spectacular www. thechristmasspectacular. com. au
We have 6 family passes( 4 passes) to give away, to enter send us an email to info @ hdinews. com. au with Christmas Spectacular in the subject line and tell us why you love Christmas in 25 words or less. Please leave your name, address and contact number. All winners will be notified by email / phone.
14 ISSUE 56 // NOVEMBER 2025 theindependentmagazine. com. au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT