Our Life
Is a cold shower good for your heath?
There are times when stressing out the system can be good for the health — ask the artery-blessed Ama of Japan.
10 ways to help make cut flowers last
These simple steps will keep your cut flowers looking fresh for longer.
12 tips for upcycling old pallets
A few tricks to ensure you have a good pallet upcycling experience.
From ‘caravan graveyard’ to a sunny new life
Lovely Lola the caravan ensures the Browns relax in colourful comfort whether by the beach, the lake or in the bush.
A Taupō beekeeper finds another sweet gig — making mead
First there was craft beer, then gin. But is mead the next big artisan drink craze?
The zero-waste legend helping Matakana turn trash into treasure
This Matakana local has gone from being classed as a hippie to an environment hero.
When to thin your fruit trees
When fruit trees finish blossoming, the leaves unfurl, and trees set their crop for the season. That’s when it’s time to do your first pick.
The ancient reflex linked with overeating
Why do we overeat? New research shows the body is at the mercy of two mechanisms when faced with food — hunger and opportunity.
What to consider for your dream outdoor bath
If a bath beneath a starry, starry sky sounds like your kind of happy, you’re in excellent company.
Inside the stormy business of seaweed harvesting
When wild winds rage across the top of the Hauraki Gulf, it’s time for these farmers to harvest a special crop.
Getting hooked on a colourful, retro craft
Beth Willis is reviving a colourful 1970s craft — one crocheted daisy earring at a time.
Why the mindful art of pottery is the new ‘it’ hobby
The art of ceramics is piquing national interest, with beginner classes selling out around New Zealand.
Finding a balance between healthy foods and palatable flavour
It’s all very well for the strong-minded to advise ‘food be thy medicine’, but what if it tastes awful and has the mouthfeel of shoe leather?
DIY: How to make a succulent wreath
Make a succulent wreath for Christmas and beyond. This living wreath will easily last until the next holiday season as the succulent cuttings will develop roots in time.
DIY: How to make biodegradable seedling pots
These newspaper seedling pots can be planted straight into the ground.
Why Lynda Hallinan can't give up on fussy ferns
Lynda indulges her fever for ferns with a tabletop collection of covetable species.
The South Canterbury dynasty behind a potato empire
One man’s penchant for potatoes has led to a thriving multigenerational family-run paddock-to-packet potato-chip business.
Inside the expensive world of houseplants
That old houseplant at your grandma’s house might be worth thousands, but can you make a killing growing the most on-trend houseplants?
Recloaking Gisborne with eco-sourced trees
A group of (mostly) women are regenerating Gisborne’s flora — one eco-sourced seed at a time.
How a bush hut inspired this couple's new lease on life
A backcountry hut along the Forgotten World Highway is a befitting backdrop for this city-eschewing couple.
A Queenstown couple's outdoor approach to teaching pre-schoolers
A Queenstown couple take on the task of nurturing Aotearoa’s most valuable and important resource.
DIY: How to make a cute macramé keychain
Learn how to make this cute macramé keychain before moving on to larger projects.
DIY: Knit a classic pompom beanie
Dust off those needles – this easy-to-knit beanie teams New Zealand natural wool with a cute-as-a-button possum-fur pompom.
DIY project: Turn soft plastic wrappers into a tote bag
Grab the iron and a bundle of soft plastic bags then make a tote with sustainable style.
A bonsai collector learns resilience from meticulously pruned trees
A bonsai collector shares the lesson of caring for artfully pruned trees.
What are nutraceuticals?
Scientists call foods that are good for the body ‘functional’. Marketers call them ‘superfoods’. Welcome to the health-giving world of nutraceuticals.
10 things you may not know about building a log home
You might think hunting lodge, you might think it’s too much wood for one home, but the modern log house is a strong statement in clean, green, renewable, hand-crafted building work.
DIY: Make your own botanical stepping stones
Create a magical trail of stepping stones using ready-mix concrete and decorated with bold, beautiful leaves from the backyard.
4 beautiful NZ barn houses
Converting a barn into a home can create a distinctive living space, but it involves a unique set of building challenges.
How this young woman grew a slow-flower farm from the ground up
A psychology student’s budding business, providing solace when she most needed it, is rooted in the belief that homegrown flowers can heal the mind, body and soul.
6 lessons from a very tiny Airbnb
A tennis coach and an IT professional have transformed their not-much-good-for-anything land into a tiny house escape.
DIY: Make natural dyes with plants, fruits and pantry items
The pantry contains a smörgåsbord of ingredients perfect as natural dyes.