Good—simple choices for a better life

First Things

12 Good selection

Our pick of smart eco stuff to buy, try and know about

16 Good times

Good Guide: 

18 The good guide: dishwashing liquid

Good Guide: Would you like some diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid with that? Andy Kenworthy dips into the murky world of washing up

22 Ex libris

Trend Tracker: Latest reads to inform and inspire

23 Trend tracker

Book end: Do you end up with old and broken things you feel guilty about tossing? Andy Kenworthy considers smarter ways to return to sender

Features

26 Non-toxic beauty

Our culture reveres the flawless look of youth - and we have a beauty industry promising anti-ageing products galore ...

36 21 ways to display

Simple Living: Your precious mementoes, quirky hand-me-downs and souvenirs from the past are worth showing off at home

45 Jaws of life

The Big Issue: We grow up fearing these monsters of the deep – but chances are we do more harm to sharks than they do to us

50 Finding Zen under fire

Good People: Kiwi human rights lawyer Marianne Elliot travelled to Afghanistan to help one of the world’s most notorious conflict zones

53 Beginner's guide to letter-writing

Beginner's Guide: Forge connections, sharpen your wit, brighten someone’s day and preserve a little piece of now for future generations

58 Planet organic

Eco Innovation: We meet the South Otago couple behind a sheep farm that’s successfully gone from conventional to organic

62 Heritage coats

Eco Style: For classic coats that will stand the test of time – and which your kids will want to inherit – look for quality fabrics and enduring styles

66 Putting the spotlight on: soy

Special Report: Unless you take great care to avoid it, you’ll almost certainly eat something containing soy today. Questions about soy’s safety are becoming relevant to us all

70 New shoots through the cracks

Life Stories: In the devastating moments when buildings collapsed, sinkholes opened and muddy liquefaction bubbled up, many Cantabrians said goodbye to life as they knew it

Your Good Life

76 Midwinter dinner party

Simply Good Food: The days are short and a cold wind is blowing up from the south ... it’s time to crank up the oven, light the candles and get friends around for a cosy meal

88 53 tips for cosying up your home

Good housekeeping: Our easy plan for transforming your house from chilly to cosy – plus Good readers share their tried and tested advice for making the most of the season

92 Getting crafty at the table

Handmade: Repurpose a selection of op-shop glasses and delicate doilies to create a fabulously dramatic late-night table setting

96 14 easy steps to pruning

Garden: Pruning strikes fear into many gardeners’ hearts – but can make such a difference to your fruit trees’ productivity, it’s silly not to try

103 Eco-friendly crafting for kids

Eco Babies: When kids get busy with crafts they learn to express themselves in new ways, developing skills along the way

107 Natural beauty

Health & Beauty: Botanical, natural and organic can all be rather loose terms on a bottle of face cream or a tube of lippy

111 Take the weather with you

Wellness: A change in season can trigger a slump in mood, especially as dreary, cold days become the norm. Here’s what you can do about it

112 A good thought