JULY 2016 Issue 36
ED’S NOTE
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus This is it guys! Slap bang in the middle of winter. Even my guinea pig has put on weight. ‘Winter Weight’ we call it. It’s necessary! It’s all about coffee, hot chocolate, stews, curries, wine and popcorn - day in and day out. So really... who am I to complain? Winter might be freezing but it sure is delicious. Welcome to our 36th edition. We meet some new coffee roasters, we share some amazing recipes, we delve deep into a popular coffee shop, we learn about creating a minimalistic lifestyle, and we even head over to Thailand. Plus, much much more. At the end of each month, as I scroll through the magazine, I’m amazed at just how much there is to see and do! Enjoy the read and thank you again for your support. If you want to get involved in Flat White Magazine, through articles or advertising, please contact me. We’d love to welcome you to the Flat White family! With love, laughter and a lot of coffee. Christine www.flatwhiteconcepts.com
@FW_Concepts FlatWhiteConcepts www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
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ASIAN FRIED RICE WITH FIVE-SPICE CHICKEN, RED PEPPERS AND EGG ‘NOODLES’ Midweek suppers should require minimal effort and offer stress-free cooking with just a few key ingredients and store-cupboard staples. This Asian inspired fried rice dish is packed with bold flavours and is better than takeouts. A stir-fry is perhaps the least intimidating cooking method and makes everyday dinners a breeze. For a vegetarian fried rice option, omit the chicken and add a combination of your favourite vegetables such as exotic mushrooms and a generous handful of mixed sprouts. Courgettes, cabbage and baby corn also work well. Fried rice is the ideal time to make use of any leftover vegetables that would otherwise go to waste. The five-spice is not essential but adds a definite Chinese slant to the dish with its unique blend of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, Szechuan pepper and cloves. The ginger provides sweet heat and rounds off the well balanced flavour profile that you’d expect from great Asian food – salt, sweet, sour and heat.
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce • 2 limes • 3 scallions, finely diced • Toasted black sesame seeds • Fresh coriander, to finish
Method Heat a drop of vegetable oil in a medium-sized non stick frying pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cook through on a gentle heat, slide out of the pan and roll up to form a panckae. Slice into 1cm wide strips to form a type of egg noodle.
Heat the vegetable and the sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan. Rub the five spice powder into the chicken strips and add to the pan when the oil is super-hot. Once the chicken has taken on some colour, add the peppers, shallot, chilli and ginger. Stir-fry for several minutes until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are just tender, but still have a bit of crunch. Add the rice to the chicken and warm through. Pour over the soy sauce and spritz with the juice of a lime. Fold through the egg noodles and finish off with • 2 eggs, whisked together with 1 tablespoon a scattering of sesame seeds. water and a pinch of salt Serve with fresh coriander, lime cheeks and ex• 2 cups cooked basmati or jasmine rice tra diced chilli, if you like a bit of extra heat. • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil • 2 teaspoons sesame oil • 1 heaped teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder Serves Four • 6 chicken thigh fillets, cut into thin strips • 1 red pepper, julienned, or a combination of Bibby’s Kitchen @ Thirty Six red and yellow www.bibbyskitchenat36.com • 1 small shallot • A pinch of red chilli flakes • A thumb sized knob of ginger, grated
Ingredients
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BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Sometimes all you need is a cookie! Kids understand this concept better than anyone and they know about cookies. If it weren’t for cookies, there’d be no cookies & cream ice at Häagen Dazs. Big problem. Where else would one go when life called for a glass of cold milk and cookies? The Oreo team have nailed it with their marketing. It goes something like this. ‘First you twist it, then you lick it, then you dunk it’. And so the inseparable duo continues to thrive. Wether you’re an actual 5 year old kid or a 5 year old trapped in a 40’s something body, these brown butter chocolate chunk cookies are built to dipped, dunked or munched with a glass of cold milk or a frothy cappuccino. Brown butter, (already sounding like I’m going to love it), treacly muscovado sugar and p.l.e.n.t.y of dark chocolate chunks. The foundations are set for a mouthful of buttery yummoliciousness (yes, that’s a word in Cookieland and yes again, Cookieland is a place – shiny, happy people live there!) Rack ’em, stack ’em or line ’em up. Alrighty then, enough nonsense, let’s bake!
Ingredients • 100g butter • 50g castor sugar • 70g muscovado sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1 egg • 170g all purpose flour • ½ teaspoon baking powder • pinch of salt • 160g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. 2. Place the butter in a small saucepan and heat until it starts to splutter. Simmer over a low heat for several minutes until the solids separate from the liquid. It will start to smell nutty and take on a golden colour. Set aside to cool completely. 3. Whisk the cooled butter, castor sugar, muscovado sugar and vanilla together until well combined. 4. Add the egg and beat once more. 5. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. 6. Mix in ½ the chocolate chunks. Roll into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. 7. Press the remaining chocolate chunks firmly into the cookie dough. 8. Bake for 12-15 minutes for a softer centred cookie or 18-20 minutes if you prefer a more biscuit-like crispy crunch. 9. Cool a wire rack before storing in an airtight container. Bibby’s Kitchen @ Thirty Six www.bibbyskitchenat36.com
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We meet Robert from Balls n Beans..
Love the name, tell me more.. I started my blog balls'n'beans as a project to keep me busy with something a bit more meaningful while I was travelling. With plenty of travel blogs already out there I wanted to chose something else I was passionate about. Gelato is something I've loved since the age I could walk and coffee is something I've increasingly
developed a taste for over the last 10 years. Glad to hear you like the name! I chose something which I liked the sound of and also made perfect sense, at least to me. Beans refers to coffee and balls mainly refers to ice cream, although it keeps my options slightly open . In the part of Germany I lived in for a long time, one bought small balls (baellchen) of ice cream. Just
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TASTE in case I were to ever fancy blogging about my I also liked a lot. Normally I like slightly smaller other passion, sport, ball sports that is, then the places, with a more relaxed atmosphere. name still makes sense.
When you're not drinking coffee and Your favorite travel destination? guess I'd have to say Cape Town. (Ed’s note enjoying gelato, what are you doing? Igood answer). Well, lately I've been travelling quite a lot, including spending about three months in my lovely adopted hometown, Cape Town. On top of that I usually do a lot of sport, mainly football and beach volleyball, which meant I spent a lot of my Cape Town time, while not in coffee shops that is, at Camps Bay and Cliffton. Although I was playing with the idea of staying in Cape Town I recently returned to Europe and will soon be starting my new "day job" as a sports category manager at a Zurich based startup. It's going to be a bit of a change to what I've done so far. Up until now, with my educational background being mainly in sports engineering, I've been more involved in product development, rackets, footwear and apparel.
Where are you based? I'm based in Zurich where I moved to early 2013. The last two years I've spent the Christmas/New Year period in Cape Town, the first time just for two weeks, and then recently three months! Maybe I'll really make Cape Town my winter base from now on.
Your favorite Cape Town cafe?
Where are you looking to travel next? With starting my new job soon, I still feel the need to take advantage of the free time I have. However having already been away for six months and it being summer in Europe I don't really need to go too far this time, so I'll be heading to Naples next week and travelling around there a bit. In Italy I've never been further south than Rome so it's about time, and from what I've heard food should be amazing, including great gelato of course!
How many coffees do you drink a day? It varies a bit, usually somewhere between two - four coffees per day. When I started drinking coffee I only drank espresso, but now I also like most espresso based drinks as long as they're done well, flat white, cappuccino and cortado. In terms of coffee drinks being done well, right temperature, milk consistency... in my opinion Cape Town must be right up there when it comes to barista training! It's really a bit frustrating going to coffee shops (especially when I've been to places in Germany, Switzerland and France) where they have a good and expensive machine but don't know how to use it properly.
I was afraid that this question might come.. It's a Life really is too short for bad coffee. difficult one! During my last stay I guess my top three were Baseline Coffee, Bean There and The Visit www.ballsnbeans.com Blue Cafe in Tamboerskloof, partly also location based decisions. Towards the end I also discovered Dapper, Shift and RAW Espresso Bar which www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
Shop #003 Mason’s Press 7 Ravenscraig Rd Woodstock
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baseline coffee,
Because bad coffee shouldn't happen to good people Robert Mills from Balls n Beans interviews baseline coffee After spending a few months in Spanish speaking countries it was nice to return to Cape Town for my second time. Not only was it nice to be back in a surrounding where it was easy to understand and be understood, but also being back in a more familiar food and drink scene was comforting. For me this especially means being able to order a flat white or a cappuccino without being too concerned that I get something completely unexpected, as well as even if I have to go out of my way for it, being able to get some more than decent gelato. I’ve said before, for me, Moro Gelato was THE place to go, to get my regular gelato fix. At first this was the only reason for me to cycle, mini bus or uber it to the Mason's Press in Woodstock. With baseline coffee being practically next to Moro Gelato I had passed it and acknowledged it, but at the same time I was usually on a gelato mission so it took me a while and multiple reminders from both Stefano and Heine from Moro Gelato until I finally stopped by baseline coffee. Since my first visit I haven't looked back, and Mason's Press became a perfect balls'n'beans destination, allowing me to kill two birds with one stone, getting both a gelato and coffee fix. baseline coffee became one of my regular Cape Town spots, not just because of the great coffee, but also because I felt at "home", both Stacy and Deon are very welcoming and friendly, the music's good, it's not too big, loud or crowded,
so also very well suited for a coffice location, which I took full advantage of. I'd like to share baseline coffee with you, even if you're not in Cape Town. So read below to find out about the baseline story and see what the camera shy baseline coffee team have to say about giving back to the community and coffee in SA. How did your coffee career begin and how did the idea for baseline coffee come about? Deon first became interested in coffee when he lived in the US – although not the speciality coffee scene (Starbucks right?!), the love of this liquid that helps all of us “non-morning people” operate was real. On returning to SA in about 2007 it didn’t take long to see that there was a real gap in the market when it came to really great, locally roasted coffee that South Africans could connect with. And so, the journey began with a goal of not only making great coffee, but also giving back. The brand was originally launched as Kupa Coffee (pronounced “koopah”, Swahili meaning “to give”) with the idea of involving local community members in the process & using an eCommerce store to sell to consumers. Unfortunately the idea was a little ahead of its time, with the average coffee drinker not yet ready to embrace online shopping & the expensive logistics costs involved. So Deon continued to run the business on the side whilst he worked in a full-time job (Digital Marketing) and instead of involving the community directly, he began working with a few select founda-
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TASTE tions to donate and channel the business’ giving. Deon took up the reins full-time with coffee roughly 4 years ago and I (Stacy) joined him 2 years later. The business was re-branded in early 2014 to the brand it is today: baseline coffee. The idea came about after a long discussion between Deon and myself about where coffee in South Africa was and where our coffee stands. A “baseline” represents both a unit of measurement and a level to strive for, and this is what we are about: our mission is to raise the bar when it comes to quality, consistency and flavour in coffee. We pride ourselves in bringing our customers the absolute best with green beans carefully selected and imported from around the world, and crafted to perfection with care right here in Cape Town. But you can only fly under the radar for so long, so in early 2015 our Espresso Bar and roasting operations were opened to the public in Woodstock in the new Mason’s Press building, so here we are…
building was still a hard-hat zone and we were the only shop-fitted space, with our main customers being the construction guys! Setting up and running the Espresso Bar, which operates like a café-style establishment, has of course not been without its challenges. With us being situated in a more industrial-type location one of the major challenges has been getting our name out there – you wouldn’t expect to turn up off of Woodstock Main Road and, amidst a number of business parks, find a Coffee Roastery & Espresso Bar! Even after we’ve been here for a solid year we still regularly meet people working/living in the area who didn’t know we were here. We love it – it’s like making new friends every day! The other major challenge is one which is shared by all operating in the hospitality industry: staffing. Finding and keeping the right staff is a challenge, especially when you’re looking for skilled staff of a higher than typical calibre. Oh, and finding time to take a break – your business is very much a part of your everyday and doesn’t always keep office hours!
What made you decide to open up your own cof- How does it feel to have your own coffee shop fee shop and what challenges have you faced? and what do you like most about your job? The growth of our business has been more organic than aggressive over the years (we don’t see ourselves as typical “sales people” and selfadmittedly, are pretty bad at “sales pitches”), and because of this we flew under the radar for quite some time. When the coffee scene really started exploding in Cape Town we were encountering more and more people who didn’t know who we were. It helped that we were already partnered with a number of well-known restaurants & coffee shops, so the coffee could stand on its own, but we eventually decided that we needed to stick our heads (and our brand) above the fray. Thus, the decision to open an Espresso Bar. We searched for the right premises for about a year and a half and eventually found the space we’re in now. We were so incredibly keen to start that we began trading when the
Some days we get that “aha” moment: you look around the space and all the seats are full, there’s a queue at the bar, the music is jamming and you get this big, stupid kid-grin on your face because “Hey, this is OURS”. Owning the Espresso Bar has been different from operating our wholesale business because we spend so much more time interacting face-to-face with our customers. I think that’s one of the things we love most about it – the interactions we have every day with our community of coffee lovers. What's the soundtrack in the coffee shop? Hmmm, it’s pretty hard to narrow it down as we play a wide variety of music. It depends on the time of day, how full the shop is, who is in the shop at the time and what kind of a mood we’re
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TASTE in. It can be anything from liquid drum-andbase to Blink 182, to deep house. We have been known to throw it back too, and love a little Dire Straits and The Police in the early morning. If we can get our hands on good local music, we give that a spin as well, and we have some customers who occasionally bring us some cool mixes to play too. Any advice you can give to people who might want to follow your foot steps?
Is there anything in particular which you think makes your roasted coffee stand? You tell me :) To be honest, we’ve just tried to stay focussed and real. Coffee without the pretention. We’ve stuck to a few coffees and made sure that we do them well. We’ve played a bit more over the last year and will continue to do so, especially with single origins. When we hit on something that we think is special we release it out to our Espresso Bar customers… but generally you won’t find us standing on hilltops yelling that our coffee is the greatest. Taste is so subjective – we love the way our coffee tastes and to us it’s very distinctive, but everyone is in a different space in their coffee journey and has different preferences, so all we can do is encourage people to try our coffee and decide for themselves.
Do your research. There is a big difference between the idea of owing your own coffee shop or roastery, and the reality of owning it. Some of the things they don’t tell you when you start your own business is that you don’t get “off” days (at least not for a long time into it); no matter how you feel, you have to show up, always. One of the greatest rewards about doing your own thing is effort in = rewards out, but this is How do you brew your coffee at home? Why? also one of the biggest challenges. Oh, and be prepared to say goodbye to your weekends J Until recently we had one of our spare 2-group Wegas on the kitchen counter (which was great Is there a philosophy behind your coffee? for the coffee, not so great for the electricity bill!). Why? Because it’s awesome :) We like to think that artistry is one of the by- At the moment we have an old school La Pavoni products of great passion. Think about some- that we use to extract espresso for our Americathing you’re passionate about – let’s say photog- nos, mostly because bigger equipment doesn’t raphy, or writing – when it’s driven by passion last long until we put it to more serious work you endeavour to add your own mark, flair, somewhere else. Otherwise we’re still fans of make it your own. So, you’re an artist too in the the good ol French Press, especially for testing love you take in weaving your craft. our single origins. Our philosophy, something we firmly believe, is that life is filled with moments. We fill our eve- What about coffee inspires you? ryday with all of these moments, and most of them just pass by, so if we can “make” a moment Probably the fact that it’s always changing: new for one of our customers – make it great, make trends, new ways of roasting and brewing, new it memorable, make it easy, make it an escape – crops. We love the fact that we haven’t “arthen that’s our job done. And also, really great rived”. So, as long as we have more to learn, excoffee should be accessible to all coffee lovers, perience and experiment with, we’ll continue to from the “aficionado” to the “instant convert”… be inspired! Because bad coffee shouldn’t happen to good people… By Robert Mills, Balls n Beans Thanks baseline coffee team, for answering my questions as well as providing me with a coffice whilst I was in Cape Town.
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RECIPE DEVELOPER, FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER AND STYLIST www.bibbyskitchenat36.com www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
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We chat to Gareth Ahrens of Citizen Roastery... The Start
ing in London, and he introduced me to the world of freshly roasted speciality coffee that I I never drank coffee growing up, I always thought really fell in love with coffee. He got drawn into it tasted burnt, bitter and just bland. It was only the speciality world through Jono and Rob (Rowhen I visited Steven, my brother who was liv- setta Roastery). It all started with learning the techniques of making espresso and latte art at www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
TASTE home which then led to wanting to know more Buying the Coffee about the roasting process - starting with popcorn machines we graduated to our first ‘proper’ We sell online through Cape Coffee Beans, peoroaster, a Quest M3. ple can also just email us at citizenroastery@ gmail.com. We have also recently got our coffee At this stage Steve had moved back to Cape into Chop Chop in Harington Street in town as Town and we had the Quest shipped in from Tai- their premium coffee offering. We will soon be wan and Citizen was born. We started by selling stocking coffee there to purchase too. to friends and family, the Quest only roasts 250g at a time, so we would spend hours in my spare room roasting away in the evenings. We wanted The Staff to do things the correct way from the start, so we would log all our roasts in Excel, trying to Currently its just myself and my brother. We keep the roasts consistent, getting our hands probably drink about 3 - 4 cups a day. on the best quality green coffee we could afford and only roasting to order. Outside of Coffee We now have a 5kg roaster and have built a shed in Steve's backyard where we roast from. I think for us the whole culture behind speciality coffee is what got us hooked. Everyone we have met in our journey so far has been so friendly and open to sharing ideas and theories on how coffee should be roasted, brewed and served. Cape Town has an amazing community of roasters, all pushing to learn more and roast the most delicious coffee possible. We also love the fact that coffee from different regions in the world all have their own unique taste, and being able to have the control over that in the roast is the most exciting part.
When we're not making coffee - working! We still have full time jobs and run the coffee on the side. But outside of that, we're big into spending time with our families and being outdoors in this beautiful city.
If we were to find you at a coffee shop, where would it be?
I would have to say Rosetta Rostery, definelty some of the best coffee in town. We also love going there because we know we will get into an interesting conversation with Jono or Rob on the depths of coffee, and learn something new So its still very early days for us, but its been from them. a great journey so far and we look forward to what's to come.
The Name While we were opening the Quest M3 delivery, we were eager to come up with a name right there and then. We happened to be listening to Avalanche City and their song "The Citizens" was playing. So we decided on Citizen and like the sense of belonging that it carries. www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
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Sweet Potato Toast As in - sweet potato made in a toaster!
on raw. I topped them with my homemade burger patties (okay, fine, my husband made them), some tomato, lettuce and avocado. And yeah, they were great. They just weren’t perfect which is why the photo on this article just shows a stock image of sweet potatoes. But if you go to Instagram you will find people who do it right. So what is sweet potato toast exactly? It’s sweet So, would I recommend it. Yeah - why not. I’ll still potato - made in a toaster. That’s it. Of course, be eating bread but this is a nice healthy alternaI was skeptical.I mean, surely it’s not possible. tive. Surely? Well, there was only one way to find out. I cut my sweet potato into very uneven slices Suggestions: (you try cut sweet potato perfectly - not easy). I then popped them into my small two slice toast- • Make sure your ‘toast’ slices are cut thin and er and after one cycle I turned them around. evenly. Mine were far too big which is why I had Then I turned them around again. Then again. to toast them so many times. Then again. Then again. Possibly about eight • Use a good powerful toaster, possibly a four to ten tries later my sweet potato ‘toasts’ were slicer, for best results. done. They were not pretty and some parts were completely cooked while others were bordering Let’s make a toast to sweet potato! So a good friend of mine, who knows about my constant struggle between my love of bread and my love of being healthy, told me about this. Apparently it’s a thing at the moment. And it’s true. There’s even a hashtag for it. Go to Instagram and check out the images: #sweetpotatotoast
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KGB UnWined
Wine Appreciation Courses Whether you are looking for a new hobby, the perfect present for a loved one or friend, or just hoping to literally “UnWined”, then this is the course for you. The courses offer a great setting to share any questions you have ever wanted to ask about what’s in your glass or how it actually got there. In addition, this is a wonderfully sociable and relaxed way for wine lovers to get together and of enjoy a large range of proudly South African wines. Share with your family and friends and get a group together for a fun-filled evening. Each week a winemaker, or prominent personality from a respected wine estate, will bring a range of wines for us to savour. We will cover different themes each week and you will be treated to a variety of at least 6 wines at each session.
Course dates and venues for the rest of 2016 are as follows: Northern Suburbs: Plattekloof July 20th & 27th August 3 , 10th, 17th & 24th rd
Southern Suburbs: Newlands August 16 , 23rd, 30th th
September 6th, 13th, 20th October 11 , 18th, 25th, th
November 1st, 8th, 15th Winelands: Stellenbosch August 25th September 1st, 8th, 15th, 22th, 29th If you would like to join, or for more information please contact: karen@kgbwine.co.za • 082 308 2483 • www.kgbwine.co.za/unwined-courses
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What to do when you don't know what to do next?
Write.
I'm not a prolific writer—I usually only write of cars, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. when I have something I specifically need to say—and in the past that has almost exclusively Yet, I should write more. I know this. And not just about cars or working on Zero, I should been on the topic of cars. write about everything. Being a dad, a husband, You see, I kind of just fell into writing—with no a stepdad. About divorce and not being able to formal qualifications or training—I just 'winged see my son from my first marriage as often as it', as they say. I had a few thoughts about cars I want to, and should. About depression, anxiand decided to write them down one day, and ety, love, relationships. I should be writing more when a respected automotive journalist told about everything. me I should keep at it based on the merit of what I had written, I did. I kept writing down my There's a reason why the last time you were thoughts, a few people kept publishing them truly moved by a book, a movie or a song—why online, and eventually I carved myself a small you were moved to action or brought to tears— because what you were reading, watching or lisspace as a motoring journalist. tening to was or is based in life and real world Lately, working on Zero Covers has allowed me experience. to apply myself and my writing beyond the scope www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
create When I got separated I wrote about it. When I got divorced I wrote about it. When I became a father I wrote about it. When my son thought I was a monster I wrote about it. When I realised I had depression I wrote about it and when I wanted to kill myself I wrote about it.
can string a sentence together yes? You have detailed conversations daily yes? Well, then you can write. I'm certain that when people say they can't write, it's because they haven't taken the time to try. Sure, writing is hard, but slowing yourself down from your busy life, in order to transcribe what it is that is happening in your So often these days, when hardship arrives at head, is way harder. our front door, our kneejerk reaction is to seek out help, from someone or something else. We Taking the time to understand the feelings, the look to friends and family, books, blog posts, thoughts, the rage, the hatred and even the love movies and songs. We seek to understand what in your head enough to be able to write it down it is, what it means and why it's happening to is hard. Damn, it is hard! I know. Which is why us. We look outwards for anything which might the easiest thing in the world, is not to. It's why lessen the hardship, ease the pain, give us direc- we turn to others to fix everything for us before tion, when more often than not, we should be we turn to ourselves first. looking inwards. But, if you do, I can say with certainty that someI firmly believe that we're hardwired as humans thing will happen. It might not be earth shatterto be able to sort our own shit out. We're such ing or life changing or even worthy of any literclever things, there's nothing we can't invent/ ary awards (if is, hey that's great :). It probably fix/develop. Yet fixing ourselves and our lives is won’t be adapted into an Oscar winning movie, not something we do well. Now, I'm not saying or change the world. Heck, it probably won’t be that when a truly tough time arrives in your life seen by anyone, and that’s fine. that you should withdraw from everyone and all those around you. That you shouldn't seek out It might seem like a scrawled, incomprehensiadvice or understanding based on others life ble mess at the time, but something will haplearning or experience. Of course not. pen. I promise you, because, when you take the time to write, a quiet conversation takes place What I'm saying is that before you do that, you between you and you. You’ll start asking yourshould look towards yourself first. I challenge self questions. And you know what? You’ll start you, that when the next big, seemingly insur- answering them, and you’ll start understanding mountable catastrophe crashes into your life, too. to take 15 or 30 minutes or even an hour to sit down and write about it. Just write. And, when you start understanding you’ll realise that whatever it is that is happening right in that Before you pick up your phone to message, open moment, it’s not then end of the world, you can Google or tap on someone's shoulder... STOP, move forward, and you will. and pick up a pen and paper, or open Word and start writing. Write about anything and every- So, what to do when you don't know what to do thing. Just write the word 'fuck' one hundred next? Write. times if you have to! But don't stop writing. By Luke Preston And before you say, "I can't write. I've never been able to write." I'll stop you right there because you can write. You communicate yes? You www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
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Five things to consider before becoming a freelancer When many people think of freelancing, they think of lazing around the house and not getting out of bed till noon. The truth is, it’s nothing like that. Sure, you’re able to set your own hours but if you want to be successful or even pay your bills, you’ve got to be dedicated, committed and you’ve got to work your ass off.
of action. Don’t expect to just be able to wing it. Know who you are targeting, where you will find clients and how much you will charge for what services. Be prepared to offer free or discounted services to build up a portfolio but don’t undersell yourself if you have the necessary requirements and experience. Value yourself and build a solid plan around that value.
Before leaping into the world of freelancing ask yourself these five questions: 4. ARE YOU READY TO PUT YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION? 1. DO YOU HAVE THE SKILLS NEEDED TO START FREELANCING ON YOUR OWN? Once you’ve decided that freelancing is the way forward for you, make sure you don’t sell yourThere are a number of great areas that one can self short or set yourself up for failure. Make freelance in. Website design, copy-writing, ed- sure you are committed to your plan and that iting, graphic design etc but there are just as you know what direction to head in. Get your many individuals out there making it happen. personal brand set up and develop various Decide what your niche is going to be and then marketing materials around that. Have a brand consider what makes you unique. What is your ready to show to prospective clients. It’s much unique value that is going to make someone easier to trust someone who seems to have it all hire you over someone else. planned out and ready for action than someone who is getting around to it. 2. DO YOU HAVE THE NECESSARY NETWORKS? 5. ARE YOU PREPARED TO WORK ALONE FOR It’s often said that it’s more about who you know LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND HOLD YOURSELF than what you know. When you’re freelancing, ACCOUNTABLE? you definitely need to know what you’re doing and have the skills to match but you also need You need to be prepared to be alone. A lot. There a network of people who can hire you. Could is going to be no one to hold you accountable your current employer become your first client and make sure that you actually get the work once you leave full-time employment? Could done on time. You need to be great at managing they maybe refer you to someone else in need your time and planning your schedule because of your services? it will be really easy to just laze around in the morning and then find yourself short on time to 3. HAVE YOU GOT A PLAN? get what matters done. Go into your freelancing “business” with a plan You also need to be okay with the solitude which www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
create can be very lonely. There isn’t someone in the next room or at the next desk to bounce your ideas off. You are going to have to figure out a lot on your own.
“IF YOUR ANSWER TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS IS YES YES YESSSSS THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET OUT THERE AND GO MAKE IT HAPPEN!” You need to make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row before you set off in this direction. You need to be sure that you can financially support yourself while your freelancing business takes off and that you have a good service and the skills to market yourself well. If you’re anything like me – freelancing, while extremely challenging is extremely rewarding because that feeling of satisfaction that comes with knowing you’re doing this for yourself is what really makes it worth it. By Jonelle www.tyrannyofpink.com
Meet Jonelle
HELLO! I’M JONELLE. When I was 19, I moved from a small town to “the big city” to attend University. I studied a number of degrees including Politics, Social Anthropology and Diversity Studies. After I finally graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Development, I worked for various Non Profit Organisations in various fields which included Education, Women’s Rights and Conservation. In October 2014, I found myself unhappy with my life and the path it was leading me down so I quit my full-time job and started blogging as a way to figure out what I feel passionate about. Turns out, what I’m really passionate about is becoming a mother, writing, social media and connecting with others who are in similar situations. My blog was the perfect way to bring these things together. CHANGING MY PERSPECTIVE In September 2015, I had my first child, Oden. A beautiful and healthy boy but his journey into this world literally nearly killed me and I found myself in ICU and on life support. I woke up post surgery with un unexpected stoma and my whole life completely changed. What most surprised me though, is that I found myself fighting desperately not to die. I realised in that moment, that I am finally living my true life and being exactly who I am meant to be. I made a promise to myself to never try to live up to anyone else’s expectations or try to be anyone I’m not. I’ve finally learnt the art of self-acceptance and I’ve never been happier. Never again will I subscribe to someone else’s dreams. THIS IS MY JOURNEY!
www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
create
We chat to founder of zero phone covers, luke preston Tell us about how the concept for Zero phone covers came about.
ing into attractive pricing. And so, I set to work on finding a company who could supply the cover I was looking for.
A core value for me is affordability, and for Zero Covers, I really wanted to keep the price as low as possible. South African's are so sensitive to the Dollar/ Rand exchange rate, and we tend to miss out on a lot of products which are exclusively available online I wanted a cover which really thin - barely there - overseas which are expensive, and really expensive yet was premium quality and still offered protection to ship here too. from every day bumps and scratches. And, without any branded logos either. After looking around and In order to try and keep an element of local South finding either cheap, poor quality, rubbery covers, African flavour I made the decision to keep packagand bulky, ugly cases which were expensive I decided ing local. Again, I was after a premium bespoke look, to bring to market my own vision of what I had in which would immediately stand out from the crowds of plastic blister packaging used in the market. Using mind. recycled kraft cardboard envelopes and unique hand signed thank you inserts, really works I think, and feedback from customers has been very positive. Like a lot of people, I really love my iPhone. However, more than that I truly appreciate it as a beautiful piece of product design, and when it comes to phone covers or cases, for me, more is always less.
Talk us through the manufacturing process.
I think a lot entrepreneurs would love to source locally manufactured products, but the fact remains that right now South Africa is just not geared for this, in both engineering skills and material costs. China as we know breeds both an economy and culture ripe for manufacturing, with economies of scale translat-
What phones are these currently available for? Currently Zero covers are only for iPhone (5/5S/5SE, 6/6S, 6 Plus/6S Plus) and Samsung (S6, S6 Edge, S7, S7 Edge)
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create my life but have always dreamed of doing my own thing. This project as allowed me to explore a few things I'm passionate about, like, branding & logo development, packaging design and design in general In terms of colours, I wanted to stick close to what as well as website design and development, and phoApple and Samsung offered, which in turn matches tography. my minimalist philosophy. Initially at least that is. So colours which compliment the existing phone colours It's been a fantastic learning curve, and the eComsuch as Silver, Space Grey, Gold and Rose Gold for merce space is super-exciting as well as challenging. iPhone and White, Black and Gold for the Samsung It's really inspired me to keep creating, with a few range. Saying that, we're keen to add to the existing more new products on the horizon too. colour line-up, and will be in the future.
Tell me about more about the look and feel of the phone covers.
The covers are matte transparent rather than solid coloured too so they feel great and look stunning on your phone.
Lastly, if we were to find you at a coffee shop, where would it be?
let’s talk about your journey.
ooh, I do love my coffee! Having grown up in DurO ban it would definitely be somewhere overlooking the beautiful Kwa-Zulu Natal North Coast.
I've had many roles up and to this point in my life professional baker, freelance car journalist and copywriter, the latter still occupying a full-time space in
Visit www.getzero.co.za to find out more. And take a look at our competitions page where you can win one for yourself!
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DISCOVER
A Minimalist Manifesto the message is the same: If you buy this [whatever] your life will be better. Perhaps we just didn’t buy the right [this]? At a loss as to what We’re so focused on accumulating stuff that else to do, we take to this business of accumuwe’ve lost sight of what’s important. We’ve for- lating with renewed gusto. And in the process gotten what it’s like to just be. we become unhappier, deeper in debt and even more stressed. I’m going to break it to you genThere’s a disconnect. tly. Those bastards lied to us.
What’s the Problem?
We believe our happiness lies in what we own, Stuff does not make us happy. I’ll say that again. when in fact the opposite is true. Our possessions weigh us down and we become resentful, Stuff does not make us happy. disheartened, uncertain even. We don’t let that stop us though. The more we have, the more we want. Bigger, better, faster. Screw waiting, give us both our damn marshmallows. Now. T We’ve agreed that there’s an elephant in the his demand for instant gratification leaves us room, now let’s look at what we can do to usher wanting, but we don’t let that stop us either. In- it back outside where it belongs. With the othstead we attempt to fill the void by continuing er pachyderms. We’ve all got a serious case of our cycle of buying. Convincing ourselves that want-itis and it’s time we faced facts. this time we’ll be happy. That this [whatever] is We need to stop buying and start decluttering. exactly what we need to make our lives better.
What’s the Solution?
We need to make space in our lives. Space to breathe. Space to move. But most importantly, The void we’re trying to fill just gets bigger space to reconnect. and bigger. Until it’s like a metaphysical Teletubby (with indigestion). And now we’re even Remember earlier how I said there’s a disconmore miserable because we were so convinced nect? Well this is the source of all our problems. that the stuff would make us happy. And why As humans, we’re so focused on our individual wouldn’t it? Everywhere we’re turn that’s what needs and wants that we’ve literally lost touch we’re told. On TV, in magazines, at the movies, with anything that doesn’t directly affect us. But all we end up with is more stuff.
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DISCOVER We’re not aware of what’s happening outside of It’s super simple. Just start by getting rid of one our own universe. thing a day for 30 days. On those occasions where something does threaten to penetrate our bubble, we shut our eyes, stick our fingers in our ears and say, “I don’t want to see that. I don’t want to hear that.” Because seeing or hearing ‘that’, whatever ‘that’ may be, will force us to make a change. And change is hard. It requires effort and tenacity and vulnerability. It’s so much easier to just order another latté and go back to pretending everything is fine.
When to keep something and when to bid it farewell.
What’s the Next Step?
Perhaps you’re wondering how to decide what to keep and what to get rid of?
This isn’t going to be quick or comfortable, but done a day at a time, in small increments, it will certainly be doable. More than that, this process of reconnection will probably be one of the more rewarding journeys you ever embark on.
Sporty and I are pretty ruthless nowadays. If we haven’t used something in three months it goes. There are obvious exceptions, such as winter clothes, however if there’s something we don’t use then on the giveaway pile it must go.
My theory is that by Day 30 you’ll have built up enough momentum to want to just keep going. By then you should (unless you limited yourself to throwing out marbles) be seeing and feeling the results.
If three months seems a little too extreme you can always opt for six months or, at a push, a year. Just be really honest with yourself when asThe first step to reconnecting is making space. sessing whether an item should stay or go. It’s time to let go of everything that’s cluttering up your life. Clutter can take many forms, from The trick is to not overthink things. Just make the physical items in your home, to habits and peo- commitment and get started. ple. Yes, even people. Don’t beat yourself up if you struggle to let go, For now though, let’s just focus on letting go of but don’t be too easy on yourself either. Put on the physical stuff. It’s the easiest area to start your big girl panties or superman undies and just with and it’ll give you the space and momentum do it. to fully immerse yourself in the fantastically fun and exciting process of reconnecting. You can’t sit on the porch forever, it’s time to run with the big dogs.
Start by letting go.
But how do you let go? Where do you even start?
After waxing minimal at TEDx Cape Town in 2013 I came up with the #30DayDeclutterChallenge.
Here’s to reconnecting. By Angela Gaye Horn www.angelagayehorn.com
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DISCOVER
GETTING TO KNOW OUR READERS WE CHAT TO SHANTE HUTTON
www.roseandthorns.co.za
What are you watching at the moment? My baby growing up too quickly... okay, enough soppy stuff. I’m currently hooked on Ray Donovan and it’s getting awkward because I keep trying to try out a Boston accent and I fail miserably every time. What are you reading? *covers face with hands* shamefully, nothing. I don’t have the time nor the concentration. Before winter hit though, I was reading Bill Bryson’s books because I find him to be one of the most hilarious writers of the 21st Century. He makes me want to pack my bags and take my family travelling. What are you most proud of? My ability to adapt and pick up new skills has really helped me over the years and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
DISCOVER Three items always in your fridge. Cheese: The world is a better place for it. Mature cheddar is my go to cheese. Butter: This is probably why I can never do the banting diet because whilst they celebrate butter, they condemn bread and we all know that a freshly baked, crusty baguette is useless without its dairy counterpart. Capers: I can’t get rid of the damn things! I think everyone has a useless food item that they bought one time and never used. I think my bottle of capers is growing something. What did you have for breakfast? Banana and peanut butter smoothie. I have to forcibly stop myself from eating PB out of the jar and by putting it into a smoothie, I can make the jar last more than two days. What is your dream profession? Wow, tough question. I like to think that I’m living out a small portion of my dream career but if there were no barriers, I’d possibly like to do something more with travel and food photography. What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate chip cookies – Woolworths do a white chocolate, shortbread version and I can eat the whole box (10 cookies) in one sitting. What cafe are we most likely to find you at? Isabellas at Willowbridge has a buy 1 slice get 1 free Wednesday special on their cakes! What was the last picture you took with your phone? It was a selfie of myself and my one month old daughter. I look obsessed and she looks terrified. Who would be your top five famous dinner guests? Elizabeth 1 – I’m fascinated by the Tudors Robin Williams – For a deep and honest conversation Alan Rickman – I grew up on his movies Heston Blumenthal – For the crazy food Ryan Reynolds – For serious eye candy What would the movie of your life be called, who would play you and what would the soundtrack be? I wouldn’t do it that way Starring (a fatter) Anna Kendrick Featuring the music of Sara Bareilles and AC/DC www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
My Thailand Adventure
DISCOVER
The beginning Friendly, fun-loving, exotic, cultured and historic are just some of the words that come to mind when thinking of Thailand. Newly engaged with the urge for adventure we set off on what would be my first real experience abroad.
We spent the morning walking through the streets nearby astonished by everything in our view. The taxis and scooters whizzing past, the rolls and rolls of wire above our heads providing this bustling city with power (and whatever else), the multi level malls selling everything from electronics to clothes, but lastly the intense smell of the street food creating an everlasting impression. INTENSE.
Patong
Landing in Bangkok for the night, we caught a train from the airport to Phaya Thai terminal and then the second to Ratchathewi terminal. Next stop was Patong. We arrived to an afterTired, yet excited we rolled our bags down a few noon tropical downpour in Phuket, but our spirstreets to our hotel ‘The Residence“. its were instantly lifted as it had blown over by the time we reached Patong. We stayed at “The The Residence was one of our more expensive Silver Resortel” as it was withing walking disaccommodations at R517.89 per room including tance to the beach and all the action. breakfast. The Buffet breakfast was a combination on Western and Thai, freshly squeezed juic- The Hotel was quaint, the wooden detail ines and of course COFFEE. I must just recommend teresting and the pomegranate welcome drink the scrambled eggs, they were surprisingly the very, very delicious. Our room was clean, combest I have ever had. fortable and had a tiny balcony overlooking the streets which was just perfect.
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DISCOVER We spent our time in Patong shopping for clothes(Bargain, Bargain and Bargain), lounging by the beach which wasn’t as clean as I imagined, and of course EATING! By day we indulged in Fresh fruit shakes of every kind, shwarma wraps that we would make us return in an instant, and The Famous Thai Pancakes that were filled with many different combinations. Our favorite being the Nutella/ banana and the Condensed milk/banana. By night we ate at our favorite little local restaurant Sabai Sabai. Their service super friendly, cheap prices and their meals life changing. The Thai Green, Red curries and Phad Thai’s were the tastiest we had throughout our entire trip. I would highly recommend this place, you will not be disappointed. We were lucky enough to experience Patong over the ‘Yi Peng’ festival. This festival of lanterns which lit the streets up with decorations, night markets (with so much food), stage performances on the beach and fireworks in the distance. Lanterns were later set off into the water (biodegradable) and into the sky. Our afternoons always ended off with a beer/ cocktail on the beach, eating more Thai Pancakes and admiring the sunset ending another day of bliss.
P hi P hi Island We booked an open return ticket on a public ferry to Phi Phi Island. This boat ride took around 90 minutes, was comfortable and felt safe. The Island is often criticized as being too touristy, but travelling over non peak season made our impression favorable. Only one thing came to my attention when approaching the island, crystal clean water. We spent 4 nights at ‘Phi Phi Banana Resort‘ which although was very rustic boasted an amazing view. An air-con was also a major bonus, which I highly recommend when traveling in Thailand. We waded our days away on a little secret beach we came across while exploring the island by foot. We were mostly the only two there making it very relaxing and peaceful. Floating in the quiet water, surrounded by mountains made me realize how fortunate we had been to experience all this. We ate local food at various eateries and enjoyed a king cone just www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
DISCOVER about everyday. Evening beers on the beach want to get out of the water. were non negotiable as there was often some sort of entertainment going on. Fire shows, Kara- Arriving at Maya bay was a little disappointoke, live music were just a few highlights. ing from all the speed boats and tourists. The sights however are beautiful and worth the walk Waking up early and hiking to the View Point around. There is a fee for the Bay which I found a is just the medicine you need when wanting to little expensive for what it was. I do however unreconnect with nature. From Banana Resort we derstand that it is needed as it is a National Park. turned left and started our hike towards the View Point. The walk wasn’t to strenuous, but I do rec- There are toilet facilities further back from the ommend going before the temperatures are too beach and a small shack that sells drinks and high and to take a bottle of water. Preferably ear- snacks. ly morning or sunset are the best times. There is an entrance fee of 30 Baht but its worth the view. There is a little cafe were you can get refreshments from, and many rocks with shade to Krabi really surprised us from day one. There sit under while you catch your breath. The view was a quietness about the atmosphere that I from the top is spectacular, the two bays so close thoroughly appreciated. The locals were kind together is a reminder of how easily the Tsunami and didn’t bother you when browsing. The night wiped out this small vulnerable island. Walking markets were perfect for a night stroll, the little back down we took the stairs which led straight street restaurants were buzzing with chatter and the beach although not the most striking was still into the main Phi Phi streets. and dreamy. During our trip thus far I was very fascinated by the colorful long tail boats. We decided to ap- We booked in at ‘KL House‘ which unfortunately proach a local and asked him to take us to the didn’t include breakfast. Just a tip when booking famous Maya Bay. He was friendly and we easily a room, request one with windows as we were in agreed on a price. The day out with my fiance’ on a room in the middle which didn’t have windows. The staff however made up for where it lacked by a long tail, what could be more romantic? being very helpful when giving us advice on trips The trip included Monkey bay, Viking Cave, Pileh to take or where to venture off to. cove, Loh Samah Bay and finally Maya Bay. We were allowed to snorkel along the way which was We had our breakfast daily across the road at the magnificent. The clear water made it very easy to ‘The Smiling Dog‘, which served up mouth waterenjoy all the marine life surrounding us. I didn’t ing crepe’s and offered WiFi.
Krabi
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DISCOVER Railay beach was both beautiful and interesting as it is completely surrounded by high limestone cliffs. It took a mere 5 minute walk along paths from East to West through thin jungle cover. Along the way we stopped at a little local food stall where we finally discovered ‘The Thai Iced Coffee’. This coffee was so great, nothing we had from here on out would ever compare. My mouth waters just thinking about how incredible that moment was. The Phra Nang(Princess)cave found in the East side of Railay was another attraction. The legend of this cave was that a legendary sea princess lived here and that she would protect fisherman and give them success in catching fish. Many fisherman have taken different offerings over the years before going out to sea. Many wooden, or more modern day phallic symbols have also been offered over the years to help with fertility.
ing very interesting fruit called Rambutans. These were sweet, juicy and reminded me of an overgrown litchi with hair. Back to Bangkok we went to enjoy our last few days in Thailand before heading back home. The Platinum Fashion market is great for finding clothes, mostly female but a better variety. The Siam Paragon is where we ate all dinners. The food court has a variety of different cuisine and the freshest sushi for dirt cheap. We also ate at a buffet one afternoon which consisted of selecting fresh seafood and veg off a conveyor belt and cooking it in the boiling stock provided. There was also fresh sushi available.
Siam Paragon was incredible to browse through. The shops were expensive name brands that I wouldn’t be able to afford in a million years. The men in suits waiting for prospective customers, minimal items hanging off rails and fancy shop After an almost two hour scooter ride due to be- interiors made me nervous to enter so I browsed ing horribly lost we entered into this natural Spa. the beautifully decorated windows instead. Ah, the steamy hot water to soak away the stress of the ride was just what we needed. This was my This Buddha is located in one of the biggest temfirst time experiencing a natural wonder like this, ples in Bangkok, and was my personal favorite. and I highly recommend you add this to your itin- The enormous Buddha measures 46m long and erary. 15 m high. It was modeled out of plastered around a brick core and finished off in gold leaf. We spent a while in the cooler water below, as The Mother of Pearl detail in the feet are incredthe heat called for a refreshing dip. I would imag- ible. ine this place gets more crowded in peak season, so try choose your times wisely when visiting. This Temple has a lot of interesting facts (Lonely Planet’s Summary is very helpful), and its worth reading though it all before you go. Its earned great appreciation, especially the mosaic work.
P huket
Phuket town was our short two night stay before heading back to Bangkok. We stayed at one of the best Backpackers in Thailand ‘Phuket Backpacker Hostel‘ and enjoyed one of their private rooms.We easily caught a bus back to Patong to enjoy our favorite Shwaramas for the last time and to finish off our shopping. During this time we also came across a lady sell-
Thailand is one of those places you can visit over and over and I hope to one day return for another round and better photographs. The food is one of my favorite cuisines and the room for exploring is infinite By Chandre Jones www.foodingit.com
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DISCOVER
Mostly Mindful Minimalism made easier
We chat to minimalist, Angela Gaye Horn
www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
DISCOVER HI ANGELA, I’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR DECISION BEHIND LIVING A MINIMALIST LIFESTYLE? We sold everything in July, 2008. The initial idea was brought about by the thought of our impending move and everything that entailed. Sporty (as Saskia is known online) and I move a lot. I’m not sure why, we just seem to enjoy living in new places. Prior to downsizing this was —as anyone who’s ever moved house can attest to— really stressful and expensive. At the time I assumed the decision was purely a practical one (and it was, make no mistake), however I later realised that the minimalist seed had actually been planted a little over a year earlier, when I was cleaning out my parents house after moving them into an old age home. Seeing all their stuff and then comparing it to the lives they’d lived, I realised how much it had weighed them down. I thought about our home, which, while not nearly as cluttered as my parents’, certainly had its fair share of stuff we never used. It wasn’t planned really. I just remember thinking about what a schlep moving was and how I couldn’t face the thought of doing it again. So why not just stay put, you might ask? I think as much as the actual moves themselves were always hard work, the allure of living somewhere else was always greater. I guess we’re worried we’ll stagnate if we stay in one place too long.
HOW DID YOU START THE PROCESS? It’s amazing how things work out once you’ve made a decision to do something. In our case: downsize on a drastic scale. We listed everything we wanted to sell and created an advert on Gumtree. Unbeknownst to us, our neighbour (who didn’t own a thing), had just decided to settle down and buy a house of her own. She bought almost everything on the spot. The sundry bits and pieces that remained were quickly snapped up by bargainhunting strangers.
WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND THE MOST DIFFICULT? Initially I think we let ourselves be affected by other people’s reactions. Because owning stuff is so important in today’s world, as soon as we got rid of our belongings unspoken assumptions were made. This held especially true after we sold our car. I think everyone thought we’d hit on hard times. Fortunately, we no longer care what others think and our friends and family also now get that it was a conscious decision and not a visit from the Sheriff of the Court that set us on this path. www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
DISCOVER Nowadays the most difficult thing is finding a furnished apartment that isn’t cluttered. Persuading our new landlord that we would prefer not to keep the microwave or TV is sometimes even more challenging. From the look of abject horror on their faces the last time someone made that request was never.
DOES A CLUTTERED LIFE REALLY LEAD TO A CLUTTERED MIND? Definitely, but perhaps not in the obvious ‘messy desk’ scenario that immediately springs to mind whenever this adage is bandied about (though I’m sure there’s some truth to it). What we discovered is that the more stuff you own, the more demands there are on you. Things like ‘I have to get the TV fixed’ or ‘the car needs a service’ or ‘I need to replace the batteries in the remote’ are always there, weighing on us. When we first downsized we were shocked by how much more time we had and how little there was to think about or stress about.
BEST TIP OR PIECE OF ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE? Don’t think of this lifestyle as a one-size-fits all. It’s not a race to the finish line, where the person with the least amount of stuff wins. There are minimalists out there who can fit everything they own into a carry-on bag, while others have a house, a car and kids. It’s more about changing your mindset. Stop buying just for buying’s sake. People always assume stuff will make them happy, when in fact it’s our experiences that provide the most value in our lives.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU REGRET GETTING RID OF? We went through a phase where we were juicing every morning. We loved it, but it was time-intensive so we decided to stop. We gave our juicer to some friends who wanted to introduce their little girl to the joys of green juice for breakfast (she loved it, by the way). In retrospect we were a little hasty in our decision. Although knowing it was being put to really good use definitely helped ease the sting of regret.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE GIVES YOU A GIFT THAT DOESN'T FALL INTO YOUR LIFESTYLE? Fortunately that almost never happens anymore. I’ve found people cotton onto our way of living pretty quickly and so they make a point of asking before they buy anything. (When they do I send them straight to Amazon. com. I’m always on the hunt for new books to download to my Kindle.) www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
DISCOVER That being said, when we do get something we can’t use or don’t want, we just regift it. We’re of the opinion that it’s better to give something away to someone who’ll use it than to keep it out of a sense of guilt and let it collect dust in the garage. A more important consideration for us, however, is dealing with those situations where a gift is ‘expected’ of us. We’re of the opinion that the large majority of people (adults and children alike) want for nothing. So we’ve taken a really mindful approach in our gift-giving endeavours. For example, when Sporty went to visit her family in Perth she bought each of her nephews a tree through Greenpop.org. They were a little disgruntled initially (kids are conditioned to expect toys as gifts), but once she showed them how to input their tree’s GPS co-ordinates and they saw it pop up on a map they were happy. Not ‘new iPad happy, obviously), but happy that they’d learned something new.
HOW HAS THE REACTION BEEN FROM OTHERS? In the beginning our friends and family were a mixture of horrified (societal conditioning) and concerned (what had we done with our money?). Now I think they’re a little bit envious, because they see how easy our life is. In fact, most people, when they find out how we live, express some envy. More and more though, what we’re seeing is that people want to hop onto the declutter bandwagon and come along for what is clearly a life-changing ride of a lifetime. Visit www.angelagayehorn.com
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Vv
WIN
EXPENSIVE AD CAMPAIGNS ARE A THING OF THE PAST.
www.sledgehammerstudio.co.za
www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
WIN
Competition time Read each competition carefully for details on how to enter. Good luck everyone!
www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
Comp 1
WIN
Three lucker readers can win a Zero Phone Cover. Details: Available for 6/6S or 6 Plus/6S Plus Choose between Silver, Space Grey and Rose Gold HOW TO ENTER: Email your name and contact details to christine@flatwhiteconcepts.com with the subject line: ‘Zero Phone Covers’ Entries close: 27 July
Zero Phone Covers www.getzero.co.za Zero branding - Zero weight Modern smartphones are sleek and sexy, so why ruin yours with a bulky, ugly cover? Zero Phone Covers are impossibly thin (just 0.35mm), super-lightweight and feature zero branding, offering full protection for your phone from everyday bumps and scratches. www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
Comp 2
WIN
Win an easel of your choice from Vin d’Easel HOW TO ENTER: Visit www.vindeasel.com and choose your easel! Remember to look under both ART and PHOTOGRAPHY for product choices. Then email your choice, along with your name and contact details to christine@flatwhiteconcepts.com with the subject line: ‘Vin d’Easel’ Entries close: 27 July
Vin d’Easel www.vindeasel.com Vin d’Easel - small art for big people. The concept arose from our love of photography, illustration and art. We wanted to combine those elements to produce a tangible product to share with the public. All our art is supplied with miniature easels and comes in a gift box. www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
Comp 3
WIN
Win a a EGA mixed case from Winefolk (4 bottles EGA Kiwi+ 4 bottles EGA Elderflower + 4 bottles EGA Rooibos)
HOW TO ENTER: Email your name and contact details to christine@flatwhiteconcepts.com with the subject line: ‘Ega’ Entries close: 27 July
Winefolk www.winefolk.co.za Winefolk was established by a few passionate wine personalities to supply wines directly to consumers, door to door in South Africa. As an online company they have made good progress in a short time with knowledgeable and efficient service to our customer base which is growing daily. Their company corporate image reflects Authentic Wine People with the philosophy that what matters is what’s in the bottle and not what’s on the label.
www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
Comp 4
WIN
Win two 250g bags of coffee (Costa Rican and Ethiopian) from Citizen Roastery HOW TO ENTER: Email your name and contact details to christine@flatwhiteconcepts.com with the subject line: ‘Citizen Roastery’ Entries close: 27 July
Citizen Roastery citizenroastery@gmail.com Citizen partner with the most dedicated coffee brokers who specialise in micro-lot, high quality, speciality coffee. They are passionate about single origin coffee and roast each variety to what they believe brings out its original, unique flavours. Coffee is best enjoyed fresh and that is why they roast to order, insuring each bag of coffee sold is as fresh as possible. They roast Mondays and Thursdays, and delivery can be arranged.
www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36
the end
DO YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH US? Email Christine on christine@flatwhiteconcepts.com
www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 36