With way too much going on and not enough time to do it in, I will keep this brief so you can get back to nailing that ‘to do’ list. We have double the aromatips for you this week: one to help the brain cope with the end-of-year hustle, and one for evoking that special Christmas atmosphere. With overloaded minds, it’s likely many of us will have trouble sleeping and Dr Frances Pitsilis has some great practical advice on combating insomnia.

This week we introduce our new naturopath writers, Amanda Haskell and Robyn Dickson who have some great suggestions for Christmas gifts for new mothers and soon-to-be mothers, as well as advice on keeping baby healthy and comfortable over summer.

When you finally get to relax, check out Janet Tuck’s article on career transitions if you’re thinking about a new direction in your life. New Year’s resolutions have the reputation of not surviving the month, but if yours is to lose weight, Lynda Smith’s article on being a ‘successful loser’ is the one for you. Yvonne Godfrey identifies some traits and patterns women commonly fall into which sabotage their best efforts to have the life they desire. Look out for parts 2 and 3 in January and February.