If you're about to pack up the family and fur children and head away for the holidays, cleaning and laundry are probably the last things on your mind.

We all know how hot summer conditions can be harmful to our skin. We slip, slop, slap (slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat) to protect ourselves.

The new year is nearly here, bursting with possibilities and potential. And rather than writing a laundry list of resolutions -that statistics say will be abandoned by mid-January - we're making some plans for 'fresh starts'.

Now that the warm summer weather is here, it's a great time to be in the garden. All the heat-loving crops are ready to be planted.

To celebrate the spirit of Christmas, we wanted to recognise to the selfless people who do so much for our communities. So we talked to a few good friends, and put together six bumper hampers to give away to some generous good sorts.

There's a reason they call Christmas the silly season. Unbridled consumption, maxed out credit cards, and crunching through the crisp piles of discarded gift wrap and ribbon settled on the ground afterward.

On Saturday the 3rd of November, we joined our good friends Sustainable Coastlines at Takapuna Beach to give the beach a thorough clean up, just in time for summer.

We live in a time where we can have almost anything imaginable, any time we want, and even delivered to our doorstep if we choose. How lucky are we?

If I'm being honest, I was absolutely dreading my first Christmas being vegan. I come from a large, culturally diverse background and one thing we all come together on is sharing an outrageous amount of decadent food on Christmas Day.

Looking for a challenge this weekend? Mallika Goel of Break the Resistance shares her muddy, exhausting and ultimately exhilarating experience hiking around Mt. Pirongia earlier this year.