They reckon you should never trust a skinny chef. However, I've just seen ours and he looks like an Olympic Cross Country skier. We're at Amisfield Winery and Bistro in Queenstown, tucking into its signature lunch experience, a four-course...

On the face of it, this should have been a productive week. The school holidays were finished, I'd navigated the highs and lows of Mother's Day and there was no good reason I couldn't be ultra-industrious on the craft front. Yes,...

Autumn is a great time to plant trees, shrubs and hardy winter plants, as the soil is neither too dry nor too wet. So when the sun is shining for a couple of days straight, it pays to get going in the garden.If you leave your gardening...

With winter nearly upon us, it's also the time of year we can expect the occasional power outage. But smart cookies won't get caught in the dark, not if they put together a blackout buster box, a one-stop spot to store all the things...

Feeling blue may not be all bad when it comes to enjoying a good night's sleep.Those with bedrooms this colour tend to get the best rest - nearly eight hours a night - and wake feeling happy and positive.According to a survey,...

Feeling blue may not be all bad when it comes to enjoying a good night's sleep.Those with bedrooms this colour tend to get the best rest - nearly eight hours a night - and wake feeling happy and positive.According to a survey,...

The world's most famous flower show will have New Zealand water and wine flowing through it next month. The "Discovery Garden", inspired by Marlborough vineyard Cloudy Bay, will be part of the Chelsea Flower Show in London.Top British...

Nature Baby has established itself as one New Zealand fashion's quiet achievers and the go-to for stylish parents (and those attending baby showers) wanting quality garments made from organic cotton and merino wool. Established in...

Mother's day has presented me with a few challenges. It would be easy to trot out the same old stuff; a felted recipe box perhaps, a bunch of flowers crafted from some recyclable material or a novelty photo frame encrusted with black...

It's Mothers' Day today and, if you have been otherwise occupied and left it to the last minute, I've compiled some ideas to help. If you're already sorted, save these ideas for an upcoming birthday or Christmas present, or even a...

Homemade gifts are always the best: ask any mum worth her salt and that's what she'll say. So, pick your best shots, print them off and start work on this elegant multi-image photo frame. That way mum can be reminded all year how...

Anne O'Brien sits on one of her retro armchairs in her home which is full of treasures and, of course, books.A festival of literature begins in Auckland next week, a stimulating celebration of the written word with Anne O'Brien...

I have the ugliest feet in the world. Not that feet are ever sexy, but my toes resemble claws more than they do perfectly formed phalanges. That's just an interesting wee fact about me I guess, just like how I've never had any grandparents....

Movies can be a great way to keep the kids occupied, and there's nothing like a DVD on a rainy day. But without a sensible storage solution, those little discs and their plastic cases can be the bane of a parent's life. This cute...

One of my favorite fruits, the feijoa is here to be celebrated for its brief season. Its fresh flavour is impossible to replicate and the fruit should be eaten at just the right moment, plucked from the tree while the flesh is still...