Hayley’s favourite things, 2016.

December 7, 2016 by Hayley Leave a Comment

There is so many beautiful products available to us these days, we really are spoilt for choice.
Shopping for Christmas gifts can be daunting, confusing and downright frustrating.
Hopefully I can help you, I’ve put together my favourite things for Christmas, the things I will be buying my own family and friends, which remind me if you are my family or friends … look away now please!
These gifts are perfect for your Mum, Mother-in-law, Sisters, Sister-in-laws, Aunties, Neices, Best Friends or yourself!

These are all things I have personally used, I own and I highly recommend.

I cannot tell you how much I love this. Smell is such a strong sense that has a big effect on your emotions. I love how certain scents bring back memories and the Circa Home wax warmer just makes me happy!
It is electric which means you don’t have to worry about a child or pet knocking it over. It’s also the best looking electric wax warmer I’ve seen, I love the pretty white hobnail design.

Who doesn’t ‘need’ a great tote bag?
I use tote bags daily and often have more than one on the go. I am guilty of leaving some bags permanently packed ready for things we do weekly, like swimming lessons. I also have one I use every day with the overflow of my handbag, you know, my diary, drink bottles, kids toys, that stuff. These are my 2 favourite totes and I’m sure anyone in your life would be wrapped with one of these this Christmas.

Firstly, the ultimate beach and lifestyle tote, it is waterproof, super strong, lightweight and stands up on it’s own so you can access it easily. I love these bags so much I have 2, I leave one permanently packed for swimming lessons and use the other for boating and beach days. They are from Cabana Lifestyle.

And next, this is my daily tote and it pretty much goes everywhere with me. I am a Mum of 3 kids and a husband who can’t seem to look after his own wallet and phone. I always have everyone else’s stuff in there. Today I have a drink bottle, 2 Transformers, Orly’s hat, a packet of Tiny Teddies, a protein shake sachet and some paint sample charts, so random!
I love how you can choose a little icon, monogram it or choose a mixture of both. It truly is personalised and such a special gift. It’s from Little Makes Big.

One of my favourite things to receive is a beautiful bunch of fresh flowers.
Why not buy a fabulous vase and take it to your local florist, they will create a gorgeous bouquet for you, or simply pop in a bunch of market flowers. Long after the flowers have faded they will still have the vase to reuse again and again.
This is one of my favourites, the Teal Posy Vase from The Source Products.

In Australia a hat is pretty much an essential part of our lives. I have acquired a few over the years but this one is a recent addition. It is so fun and playful with the bright pom poms, and also stylish and classy when you remove the pom pom band to reveal a plain black grosgrain ribbon. I love it and think it would be a great gift!

One of my newest favourite things is this amazing Chasseur French Oven!
I have wanted one of these for years, I have to admit I really wanted one because they look great in your kitchen and add a perfect pop of colour, but I didn’t actually realise how fabulous they are to cook with. I have already used it to make Lemon and Thyme Chicken, French Onion soup and Pulled Beef for tacos, and that’s just last week! It is so versatile as it can be used on the stove, in the oven and under the grill. Mine is the 6.3L which is huge and great for a family of 5, and I chose the Imperial Blue colour (exclusive to Kitchen Warehouse) I would be thrilled to receive one of these for Christmas …. if I didn’t already own one!

Chasseur French Oven | Kitchen Warehouse

Did you find something you love, start dropping hints now! Or maybe you found the perfect gift for somebody special in your life?
If not, I’ll be sharing a few more of my favourite things before Christmas.

Happy Shopping!

Hayley x

Have yourself an ethical Christmas …

November 23, 2016 by Hayley Leave a Comment

This Christmas wouldn’t it feel good to know that your spending is helping shape the world in a positive way?
Wouldn’t it be nice to know that your hard-earned dollars are in someway helping others, fighting poverty and saving lives?

If one in four Australians made just one ethical purchase this Christmas, we’d raise more than $2.2 billion for people living in poverty.
Be one of those Australians ….

There are so many ways you can make a difference!
This year Oxfam have made it easy with four ways to make your Christmas an ethical one.
They include gifting an ethical card with their Unwrapped gift cards or buying an Oxfam Christmas tree.
They have also compiled a ‘Naughty or Nice‘ list, naming and shaming the clothing companies who use ethical practises and who don’t.

Lastly, you can buy an ethical gift from the Oxfam Shop.

Hello … did somebody say shopping?
I can help the world by shopping?
Then let’s go!

I scoped out the Oxfam shop and found my favourite things this Christmas.
My selection of table ware and decor look beautiful set together for your Christmas table, or each piece is a stunning gift on its own.

For all my blue and white lovers I picked 2 of my favourite pieces from the Peony range.
The Peony range is a blue and white lovers dream, everything from cake stands to coffee mugs hand painted in our favourite blue floral designs.
I chose the serving bowl and the dip dishes to add to my collection.

The serving bowl is big enough for a family salad but not so big that you feel like you have to use 3 lettuces to fill it. It has a beautiful pattern inside and out and it’s definitely going to be a regular guest at our dinner table.

The dip dishes consist of five separate dishes that come in a sweet rattan basket with a lid. I know they are called dip dishes and they would be perfect for just that, but I’m also thinking of taco night, antipasto, yum cha and sweets. Or in this case, for a summer breakfast of fresh fruit with a greek yogurt dip, yum!

I fell in love with this sweet little reindeer and just knew he would fit right in at my house.
He is made from coco fibre and wicker and looks perfect watching over our dinner table.

My favourite piece is this stunning Copper Matka, or water jug.
It isn’t just beautiful, it is also highly valuable for its properties of purification and keeping water cool. Copper is bang on trend right now, but drinking from copper water vessels has been popular for many years, and considered by the Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) as the ‘water of immortality’ due to its multiple health benefits.
I’m looking forward to trying it out, and if I don’t notice a change in my health … I still have a gorgeous water jug!

I also love the matching copper pyala or water tumbler. It has all the same qualities as the water jug, crafted from pure, food grade copper. I have used it on my table as a little vase, I’m wondering whether it’s anti-microbial properties will help my flowers stay alive for longer, I hope so!

What do you think?
Are you tempted by any of these gorgeous items, for yourself or for a gift?

If you’d like to shop ethically this Christmas you can find more details at Oxfam here.

Happy (feel good) Shopping!

Hayley x

Christmas gifts for our overseas friends.

November 4, 2016 by Hayley 1 Comment

So many of us have special friends and family who live overseas, and just because they live so far away they shouldn’t miss out on Christmas gifts from us!
I also understand that postage prices are crazy expensive so it’s important to find gifts that are not too heavy, relatively small and not breakable.

I’ve put this list together with lot’s of time for you to order online and post overseas.
Here’s what I’ve come up with …

Tea Towels are a necessity in most of our lives, and while they might not sound super exciting I think the range available from KE Designs is gorgeous.
They are made from super absorbent microfibre and printed in such fun designs. They have a fabulous range of iconic Australian designs such as Vegemite, Fairy Bread and Lamingtons.
I think this is the perfect gift to send to your family and friends overseas, they come packaged in a matching box and are lightweight and easy to post.

Who doesn’t like receiving a beautiful piece of jewellery?
The range available from Coastalstyle Australia conveys Australia with seashells and shapes from the ocean that remind us of our beautiful beaches and stunning coastline. My personal favourite from the range is the Silver Droplets bracelet with an interchangeable clasp which allows you to choose and change your charms. I do like how you can personalise it to your own style or to suit the lucky recipient.

Silver droplets bracelet | Coastalstyle Australia

Australia does have such fun native animals and I find people from other countries go crazy for a kangaroo, koala or platypus.
These bamboo trays from Cockatoo Collections are fun, lightweight and they come in a sturdy box perfect for posting. Pair it with one of their cute canvas bags.

This gift guide wouldn’t be complete without a koala, am I right?
I adore these oversized Australian postage stamp wall decals form Quercus & Co Print Shop. Super fun and easy to post for your house proud friends and family. They are self-adhesive and removable/repositionable so they are perfect for homesick Aussie who are renting overseas too.

And lastly, one for the bubbas and kidlets. This is one of my go-to gifts and I have sent them to many of my friends babies born overseas. They are made from Australian sheepskin and are super soft and snugly. They are available in a range of colours from FLATOUT Australia.

I hope you found something unique and Australian for your overseas friends and family!

Happy Shopping!

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