Control heating and lighting with your phone.

The season of succulent Bluff oysters kicked off this week, and we can't wait to slurp them straight from the sea-salty shell. The experts say they're the best Bluffies yet and the season looks promising.

A second honeymoon can be better than the first, writes Penny Lewis.

What to do with an abundance of herbs now summer is at its end.

Fruit harvesting is a topical issue where I live. Once again, we're in the the eye of a biosecurity storm and troops of fluorescently clad officers are walking door to door to curb the spread of the dreaded Queensland fruit fly.

The coolest gear for modish tweens.

Restaurants do write some dreadful tosh about themselves. "Quality ingredients" are always "freshly sourced" and "expertly prepared" (as distinct from second-rate stale crap carelessly chucked together, presumably).

On a baking hot afternoon in December, our 18-year-old nephew Mark drove us around remote roads in the high country above Kaikoura, doing a great job of showing us the local sights.

Jenny strecker has a monkey on her back and the Mairangi Bay resident says there's only one way to get rid of it - finish an ironman triathlon.

It’s the taste of home that many immigrants miss. Alexia Santamaria meets some who are sharing their foods with their new country.

For National Kids’ Day, open up the kitchen and give them free rein!

The Block NZ 2012 winner Ben Crawford and his girlfriend Kylie are building their dream home. Share their proud moments and pitfalls every week.

Balkan Beat Box will get the party started at Womad -- with a message.

Popping into the Tile Warehouse proves to be a pleasant retail surprise.

Here are the best places to take your pooches according to our dog-parent pals.

Try the flavours of Thailand: citrus, basil and coriander.

Don’t let the kids have all the fun, writes Sarah Ell. Join a class of like-minded grown-ups and gain new skills of your own.

It’s a wild ride for all in Jupiter Ascending, writes Leena Tailor.

A bike ride is more than simply leaping into the saddle and pushing off, learns Jenny-May Coffin.

Untangling the dramas of a seemingly normal family makes for an authentic read.

The appeal of the crab eludes me: it's great food if you are lost in the wilderness and eating to survive, but at dinner it's less a dish than a test of one's dexterity and perseverance.

Over the summer holidays we caught a sea shuttle from Kaiteriteri Beach and spent a week with my family at a holiday house in Awaroa Inlet in the Abel Tasman National Park.

Happiness is a waterproof roof over your head.

Pack up a picnic for lunch or dinner and head to one of our top five spots. We bet it will prolong your happy holiday vibes.

Jay Ryan and David de Lautour are still playing up together, writes Leena Tailor.

In Maketu, everything growing in the summer vege garden is an inspiration.