Shopping Confessions Issue 8 - Feb 2018

SHOPPING CONFESSIONS

― Petal &

Issue 8 February 2018

NEW LABEL CRUSH

Pup

YOU DON’T NEED A PASSPORT TO SHOP OVERSEAS THANKS TO

BORDERFREE

Travel OUR GETAWAY TO AORE ISLAND

SHOPPING CART STRESS THE RISING COST OF LIVING FOR PARENTS

1

. contents

BEAUTY & STYLE

4

JUST CRUIZIN

8

TRIED & TESTED

12

PETAL & PUP

6

FEATURE BRANDS

HOME

16

5

SHOPPING CART STRESS

5

POOCH REPORT

9

BORDERFREE

10

THE RISING COST OF LIVING FOR PARENTS

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUGHT

TRAVEL #ESCAPE

18

AORE ISLAND

WHAT WE’RE OBSESSED WITH THIS MONTH #newyear #newbras #kat @kat_thelabel

#holiday #essentials #summer

#lantern #scloves #interiors @littleboholane

. editors letter

GET THE COVER LOOK BAHAMAS PLAYSUIT $59.95 www.petalandpup.com.au

Dear Mikey, please forgive me for I have shopped again...

Happy New Year Shopping Tribe, we have missed you. Hope you all had a wonderful & relaxing break and of course shopped up a storm in the end of year sales.

Lets get social QUEEN SHOPPER

Surprisingly, we didn’t shop that much but had a great time with family and friends eating & drinking ridiculous amounts & Mikey and I escaped for a week to Espiritu Santos; you can read all about it in this issue.

@SHOPCONFESSIONS SHOPPING CONFESSIONS @SHOPPINGCONFESSIONS DUCHESS OF DESIGN @KNOWTHEROSE

We have also found another amazing online store that is so affordable without compromising on quality, and I have reviewed a spray that I now can’t sleep without.

This issue has some great local retailers and for those who don’t mind shopping O’S or those who are a bit nervous I’ll share with you my go-to site where you can shop them all.

We also discuss the rising costs for parents and Maui has found a company who makes toys that are good for the environment.

It’s a great first issue for 2018 Happy Shopping Kath x *prices and availability correct as at 15th Jan 2018*

. mens

JUST CRUIZIN Just before Christmas I went to Palm Beach Markets for some last-minute shopping. One of the things I love about markets is discovering new brands and designers.

I stumbled across men’s clothing label Just Cruizin. Simple and classic. They have been established in since 1985 with stores in South Africa, USA & Spain and now online and at various markets in Australia. I believe the O’S stores does women’s too but only men’s available in Australia.

Everything is 100% cotton and great quality. I bought Mikey 2 pairs of shorts and long pants that are perfect for summer and I absolutely

check out their website to shop the range and find a market near you.

www.justcruizinaustralia.com

4

loved the jumpers and bought myself one in white (size small); would have been rude not to.

PRICING GREAT AND TRUE TO SIZE. Shirts from $65 Long Pants $65 Shorts $50 Jumpers $75 I will say, sorry JC but the website doesn’t do the clothes justice. Pics are ok no offense to the models (you are very handsome) but your website needs a bit of work.

. pooch report Have you heard about

P. L . A .Y PET LIFESTYLE AND YOU I do love a toy, especially soft squeaky ones.

They keep me entertained for hours. I have quite the collection. Mum is still trying to get me to put my toys away after I finish playing, but don’t think that is going to happen.

On my birthday Pet Play sent me an Octopus, it ticked all the boxes; soft, squeaky and cuddly.

Then Mum told me the infill is a non-toxic polyfiber made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles called PlanetFill®.

So good for the environment.

Pet Play do beds too and in their P.L.A.Y XL lounge bed they save 108 plastic bottles from going into the landfill. How cool is that. Pet Play toys start from $16.95. I’m going to start collecting them all. The designs are so much fun.

You can shop the collection here

www.petplayaustralia.com.au

5

. kids

Cheeky Little Soles

We all agree that no outfit is complete without a pair of good shoes, for the fashion forward you have to have a look at www.cheekylittlesoles. com.au.

From new born to toddlers you will find a great pair of shoes to rock your outfit. Cheeky Little Soles have a great selection of shoes from pretty ballet slippers to rockin’ cowboy boots

(pictured $49.95). Shop by category; soft soled shoes, baby ballet slippers, baby boots, or shop by gender.

Make sure you check out the warehouse sale, some great savings to be had.

Delivery is a flat rate of $9 or FREE on orders over $100.

HOO ARE YOU $39.95

COWBOY BOOTS RED $49.95

HERBIE BABY SHOES $39.95

SOUND OFF $39.95

LEMON LOVE BABY SLIPPERS $35.95

COCO WALKER SHOES $54.95

GLORIOUS GOLD SANDAL $39.95

COMBI BABY SANDALS $39.95

SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE www.cheekylittlesoles.com.au

6

INI SP

LITTLE DEVIL ROCKS Check out these cuties. They fit in the palm of your hand. Great for kids and teens.

KERS EA

M

FEATURES INCLUDE:

Little Devil Rocks are a cute and cheeky new design in Wireless Speakers - available in 5 colours – Black, Red, Gold, Gunmetal and Rose Gold.

Don’t be fooled by their dimensions, the explosive sound of the LittleDevil.Rocks wireless speakers exceed their mini size!

- Listen to your favourite music, podcast etc.

- Grab that perfectly timed selfie or video, when you activate the 1 touch remote button. Perfect for selfie lovers and vloggers.

- Conveniently take hands-free calls with built-in mic.

- LittleDevil.Rocks Wireless Speakers come complete with stylish packaging,

They are an affordable, portable & quality 3W speaker. You will love the great sound wherever you go!

lanyard and USB charging cord.

Easy wireless connection to your smartphone, tablet, & other Bluetooth enabled devices. Rechargeable via USB with great playback time.

Purchase Details RRP is $29.99 USD. Worldwide shipping available 2 weeks for standard delivery ($6USD approx.)

WWW.LITTLEDEVIL.ROCKS FB: LittleDevil.Rocks IG: @LittleDevil.Rocks

7

. tried & tested

The Sleep Welle Calming Mist For deep sleeps. For calming nerves. For composure.

For creating a sense of peace.

I have always been a night owl, I just can’t go to bed early and when I do it can take me what seems like forever to fall asleep.

I’ve tried teas and tonics, and nothing changed.

A few months ago, I did buy a calming mist from Welleco. I was willing to try anything; my goal was to be able to go to bed around 10.30 instead of 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning and doze off into a peaceful sleep.

The first night I used a few spritz on my pillow and woke up without my alarm clock (a first) and wasn’t the cranky pants I usually am in the morning. Thinking this was a coincidence I kept using and the same thing; great sleep and woke up feeling refreshed.

It’s now 6 months later and except for the occasional big night (few too many cocktails) I am literally sleeping like a baby, I’m going to bed no later than 11pm

8

Here’s the direct link to shop now

www.welleco.com.au and it’s only $39

and 9 times out of 10 waking up happier and before my alarm. I truly cannot sleep without it.

Please note this is not a sponsored post or ad, I just bloody love it and had to share with you.

Sweet Dreams x

. brand love

Shopping overseas no longer requires a passport thanks to

borderfree Online shopping is here to stay and is only growing. I do love supporting local businesses, but I love being able to shop anywhere in the world at any time of the day.

I receive a lot of emails from our shopping tribe saying, ‘they are nervous to purchase from an O’S store’.

You don’t have to be thanks to Borderfree.

Borderfree let’s you shop like a local, directly from the world’s best stores, from the US, UK & Australia.

It’s simple, simply sign up to www.borderfree.com (it’s free) and start shopping from the 300+ global stores directly to your door. It’s like shopping at a giant shopping centre. *RE Shipping You will be quoted a specific delivery promise at the time of checkout that is based on your selected destination country and the shipping methods available for the items in your shopping cart*

It’s safe, secure and all transactions are in your local currency & language, you can track your parcel and they have a 24/7 customer service team.

US Retailers & brands include Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Under Armour, Lands End, Ralph Lauren and Oscar De La Renta.

UK Retailers include Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Space NK Apothecary & Viyella.

I love that Borderfree expanded to enable international sales for Australian retailers including Tony Bianco, R.M. Williams, City Beach and Adore Beauty among others.

Here’s a bonus you’ll also have access to exclusive offers.

Forget the plane ticket and start shopping.

9

. product love

Can’t live without There are just some things a girl can’t live without and for me these are it.

1.

2.

4.

3.

5.

10

1. PHOTO SKIN ILLUMINATING BODY GLOSS Where have you been all my life? It’s not just a body oil, it makes your skin look instantly AMAZING. It’s super light and doesn’t stain your clothes and has an illuminator which makes your skin look picture perfect. It’s 100% natural & organic too.

Only $49.95 www.photskin.com.au

2. MAUI NOURISH & MOISTURE COCONUT MILK My hair dries out a lot in summer. I’m forever out doors and always in the salt water. My hair is quite curly and frizzy but with the help of Maui Hair mist my ends have not split and my hair is shiny without looking greasy. I keep it in my beach bag and spray my hair when I get out of the water.

You should check out their other products too.

I also use the curl quench for smooth curls.

Only $19.99 www.priceline.com.au

3. THE SKIN SAVIOUR PACK They say beauty starts within and after taking both Beauty Chef’s Collagen and Glow powder I must agree.

I’ve been taking both products for over a year.

I was gifted these to try out and have been buying ever since. Both taken every morning with water, they taste delicious.

You can buy products separately, I prefer to buy them together. They are a team that shouldn’t be broken up.

Only $99 www.thebeautychef.com

4. SWIISH DELISH SUPER GREEN SUPERFOOD POWDER Filled with green veggies, fruits, probiotics and superfoods. This will not only increase your energy levels and boost your immunity it will make your hair, nails and skin look great.

I mix one teaspoon with my juice every morning and it tastes great.

These benefits in just one teaspoon.

Only $119.95 450g www.shop.swiish.com

5. JADE FACE ROLLER This is heaven, it’s a jade crystal that has been cut and polished. It has 2 ends; the smaller end used for eyes and above the lip and the larger end for the rest of the face.

I leave it in the fridge and use it for between 5-10 minutes every night while I’m sitting on the lounge.

It is so cool and soothing. It helps improve skin tone and circulation. You can also apply your face and eye cream then use the roller for maximum penetration of ingredients. Myself, I like to use on clean skin.

Only $39 from www.venustus.com.au

My complexion was smoother, and I had a natural glow.

11

. label crush

New Label Crush PETAL & PUP Have you ever stumbled across an online store and thought this is too good to be true? That was my thoughts when I found Petal & Pup. I loved so many things and the prices were insane. I couldn’t not buy a few pieces to see if the clothes were as good as the pictures. Although targeted to a younger audience, still some great pieces this old girl could wear, it’s all about knowing what suits you and your body shape and feeling confident.

I ordered 3 dresses (see pictured), one I bought to wear as a top, it was a mini and I don’t have the legs for it but so in love with the cut & colour of the top half. The other 2 are great summer party dresses. All 3 dresses were under $210.

I placed my order with no expectations as I’ve been disappointed before. A few days later my order arrived, fingers crossed hoping for the best.

I couldn’t be happier the dresses are true to size; the quality is amazing, and they look great on.

Petal and Pup sell dresses, tops, bottoms, playsuits, swim and outwear. Most of the dresses are under $90 and tops from $29.95. Shipping is free for orders over $100 otherwise $8.95.

If you have a teenage daughter this site is perfect without breaking the bank and but trust me when I say you will find some treasures for yourself too.

12

#SCLOVES

WHAT I BOUGHT Left: Lauren $69.95 Above: Hibiscus $59.95 Right: Kinsley $79.95

13

1.

1. Lantana $69.95 2. Columbia $69.95 3. Persia $59.95 4. Esme $89.95 5. Ascot $59.95 6. Karleen $69.95

14

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

SHOP PETAL & PUP HERE www.petalandpup.com.au

15

SHOPPING CART STRESS The rising cost of living for parents One of the biggest things I hear from our Shopping Tribe is the rising cost of living for parents.

There have been some key fluctuations in the baby grocery category over the last three years some as much as 98.03% and a couple of categories have decreased.

I LOVE MY STATS, SO I’LL SHARE A FEW WITH YOU

INCREASED Baby Formula 22.61%

Pain Management 98.03% Baby body wash 14.17%

Baby Shampoo 13% Baby lotions 4.98%

Teething Gel 5.09%

Nappy Rash Cream 0.26%

DECREASED Nappies 9.71%

Baby Food 4.99%

Wipes 9% *please note the above stats are based on the average category price and not by brand*

All the products to the right are necessities and impacting the average shopping cost, look at pain management, it increased by over 98%.

WOW. Huggies conducted a survey, and the results of The first ever Huggies Baby Index has just been announced, which surveyed parents across Australia, to find out what the key challenges are in 2018.

It showed that: - 78% of parents are looking to save money, but without compromising on quality.

- 71% see value as a priority and if the product demonstrates quality 70% are willing to pay a higher price - 62% are always on the lookout for sale items.

After reading all the stats and there were a lot (I just picked a few that stood out to me) the consensus is affordable & quality. I have always said there is a difference between cheap and affordable.

16

Just because a product is the cheapest in the

that Huggies took note, listened to what people had to

category, it might not necessarily provide the best

say and stepped up. Not only have they reduced the

value if you must use considerably more product for

RRP across its ENTIRE RANGE, to provide nappies to

the same job.

meet the needs and budgets of every Aussie family, they have introduced a new value range, Huggies®

Just because it’s the cheapest doesn’t mean it is.

Essentials.

Always compare weight and cost per unit and see if it really is the cheapest. Before you all say I’m not a

The new Huggies® Essentials range is available in

mathematician, who leaves home without a mobile

unisex sizes 1-6 and has been designed to provide

phone, use the calculator and do the maths; it will save

up to 12 hours of leakage protection; see, affordable

you money.

without compromising on quality. RRP of $13 per pack, $5.50 for new born (size 1) and there are fun Mickey

What I love the most about the Huggies Baby Index is

Mouse designs. I’ll quickly do the maths for you.

WEIGHT RANGE

PACK COUNT

RRP

COST PER UNIT

SIZE 1

UP TO 5 KG

28

$5.50

19c

SIZE 2

4-8 KG

54

$13.00

24c

SIZE 3

6-11 KG

52

$13.00

25c

SIZE 4

10-15 KG

46

$13.00

28c

SIZE 5

13-18 KG

44

$13.00

29c

SIZE 6

16 KG & OVER

40

$13.00

32c

Starting from 19c per unit, this is great.

absolutely because of the quality, and I’d probably use less nappies.” Just so you know the apple doesn’t

My mum who babysits my nephew (her grandson

fall far from the tree, I thank my Mum for my ability to

obviously) likes to have everything on hand so she

shop.

buys everything that’s needed, and I mean everything, so my brother doesn’t have to take bags and bags of

I love that Huggies stood up and listened. I love

stuff to her. I know Mum does it to help them out with

that Huggies is locally made in Australia. I love that

the growing cost of living.

Huggies are keeping jobs onshore. I love that Huggies are helping with the cost of living for parents.

I asked Mum what nappies she uses, and she told me the ones from Aldi because they were affordable BUT

The new Huggies®Essentials range will be available

that’s only for during the day, of a night Mum uses

from Big W, Chemist Warehouse, Amazon.com.au, and

Huggies because they offer better protection.

independent retailers across Australia.

I asked Mum ‘THE’ question. Before “THE” question I asked what size Zac wears, he wears size 4 (10-15kg), I quickly looked at the Aldi website and worked out the

NEW HUGGIES®

price per unit and asked, “Mum, if I told you that you

ESSENTIALS

could buy Huggies for only 6c more per unit would you change?” without any hesitation she said “yes,

STARTING FROM $9

17

. travel

WHICH WAY DO WE GO? 18

OUR ADVENTURE TO

Aore Island Our love of Vanuatu continues to grow. After every visit, Vanuatu steals more & more of our hearts. It feels like home, you never know one day we might be able to call this beautiful country home.

This is our fourth trip to Vanuatu, but our first visit to an island.

We usually stay in Port Villa but with a few more days up our sleeve we decided to visit Aore Island.

Aore Island has a population of approx. 400. Not a shop in site, not even a small supermarket, don’t panic you can get a boat ride back to Santo if you need a shop. No street lights, no tall buildings, all the properties including the 3 resorts on the island are fully self-sustainable. Using solar power and harvested rain water tanks. I kept calling it a modern-day Gilligan’s Island. For those who need to be in touch with the real world there is Wi-Fi (it was free where we stayed), worked OK. To get there from Sydney is easy. A 3 hour and 10-minute flight to Port Villa, then a 2-minute walk to the domestic terminal next door for a 50-minute flight to Espiritu Santo (the largest of the 83 islands), then a quick drive to the wharf followed by an 8-minute boat ride. Sounds like a lot but was a breeze and worth it when you arrive in Paradise. If you live in Brisbane, you can get direct flights every Tuesday. We flew Air Vanuatu.

We did have a little hiccup when we arrived in paradise, a car was supposed to be waiting for us to take us to The Two Canoes (where we stayed) but didn’t show. We asked the boat driver how far to walk and he shook his head and said too far, about 30 minutes. Getting dark we decided to walk it bags and all. The boat driver drew us a map in the sand and off we went. You really can’t get lost it’s one road, but the island is approx. 50km, fingers crossed we go the right way.

Mike took both suitcases and I took the smaller bag, he insisted.

We couldn’t help but laugh, how could you not when you are amongst all these Palm Trees; let the adventure begin.

19

FOR THE NEXT 5 NIGHTS THE TWO CANOES WAS OUR HOME. Nestled on a private white sandy beach with only three standalone cabins surrounded by a coconut plantation, a bar and restaurant for in-house guests only, although an Aussie expat named Lindsay visited every night for dinner.

Lindsay was a cracker, didn’t mind a drink and was full of information.

We did have a few minor issues with the resort but not enough to even come close to ruining our holiday. I did email the owner who mentioned that just the day before they had to let their Manager. It was a worry running out of coffee, not just for me but for the safety of the locals. Was only one morning and all sorted.

A couple of other small things but like I said nothing to ruin our holiday.

Our confidence was reassured by another guest of the resort who had been their 3 times, that says something.

20

The local staff Belinda & Jonas were incredible and made our stay even more memorable, nothing was too much trouble.

Belinda, I’m still dreaming about those beef spring rolls. You all might think what’s the biggy, it’s only a spring roll, put it this way I ate them that quickly I didn’t even take a picture.

The spring rolls were just the start of it.

Delicious meals every night, including lobster, fish, calamari, all locally caught, and the beef was some of the best I have

ever tasted. That was the thing about dinner you didn’t know what was on the menu until that day after the local catch. The garlic butter sauce and coconut curry, I have no words, I’m drooling just thinking about it. All washed down with their local beer Tusker. I’m in heaven cause as you know I’m not shy on the tooth.

THE PRISON

We walked most mornings past the recently built local school, through the coconut plantation past all the cows and along the beach. All the locals have smiles on their faces greeting you with a hi as they pass.

DAY IN SANTO

B17 BOMBER PLAN E WRECKAGE

There is more to all these beautiful islands than stunning beaches and coconut trees. One of the things we like to do is learn about the history and people.

I learnt so much on this trip. We decided to visit Santo for a day and organised a driver through Santo Heritage Tours, ask for Eric if you can he was fantastic.

Mike loves history especially WWII and Santo have a lot of history. Santo was the 2nd largest base for 400,000 American Troops in the pacific.

The biggest being Pearl Harbour. We visited the prison that was built and held up to 50 captured Japanese at any one time who were then sent to Cowra, NSW. Next stop was Million Dollar Point. It’s been named this because when the US left Santo they offered the English and French the equipment and machinery for 8c in the dollar. They figured they weren’t going to take it back with them and it will be left anyway. Instead the American’s built a giant wharf and loaded it up with the Million dollars’ worth of equipment and blew it up dumping it all in the ocean. A bit of a joke really.

Bits and pieces are still washed up on the shore and I’ve heard that the dive there is fantastic.

MIL LION DOLLAR BE AC H. Equipment a nd ma c h i n e r y wa shed up on s h ore

WHERE THE PRES I D E N T COOL IDGE SANK

21

22

The Magical visit to the Village

In the picture of Mike and I on the rock is where The President Coolidge ship came in via the wrong entrance and ran into US mines. 5500 swam to shore and only 2 died.

Just to give you an idea, I have mentioned a few times that you can get a boat ride to and from Aore and Santo. Back then there were so many ships that you could walk from boat to boat to get to each island. Crazy isn’t it?

Then Eric took us for a stroll through the jungle, so beautiful. Still in the jungle is a wreckage of a B17 bomber plane that crashed 74 years ago. It blew our minds and was quite eerie but fascinating.

happy, I’m making some BIG changes this year, I’ll share with you more later in another story.

The Chief agrees modern education is important and his children attend school but so is their history, culture & tradition and must not be forgotten.

The singing, dancing, laughter and the family values that were shared was magic.

After our WWII history adventure, we visited a local village. Something I will remember for ever. We were welcomed into their home and they shared with us some of their traditions from storytelling, dance, Basket weaving & how they use local plants to transport things such as food and the injured.

When the Chief was sharing stories with us, something really clicked inside of me, it made me realise that the simple life is what makes me

23

24

25

CLEARLY NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE CHAIN FALLING OFF

OFF WE GO With a couple of days left on Aore we used the push bikes from Two Canoes and rode to Freshwater Café and beach. About a 45-minute ride from where we stayed. The bikes need some work. Mike’s bike had no brakes, gears and a flat tyre. My bike had no gears. We figured it’s all flat should be ok. What I didn’t put into consideration was the bumpy road, ouch. We made it to Freshwater, what a beautiful spot.

The ride there was hilarious. My chain came off, Mikey fixed it with the help of a local who was driving by in his buggy but the ride through the coconut plantation made it worth it. We decided to do the bat cave tour, left our bikes at Freshwater and started the walk. It was interesting, would I do it again or recommend it probably not. The walk was good and pretty. We finished it off with a swim at Freshwater. Back on the bikes and heading home. I was exhausted, my bum was sore, it was stinking hot and the humidity 1000%. We made it back and Mike has a sports watch that tells you everything.

Todays adventure we burned over 4000 calories and did 3 hours of fat burning exercise and for people who know me this is a big deal, even I was in shock. Think I might print it up and frame because I know that won’t ever happen again.

Off to the bar to have a beer and check out what’s the catch of the day.

STILL LAUGHING

BELINDA AND JONAS FROM TWO CANOES

26

SURROUNDED BY PALMS 27

28

A N A E R I AL VIEW OF TWO CANOES

29

TRAVEL TIP VISIT THE LOCAL MARKETS IN PORT VILA FOR SHELLS, BASKETS AND MORE.

Our last day we just hung on the beach at the resort, read our books, swam and ate which was probably a good thing after yesterday, cause I’m walking like I’ve been horse riding for days and Mikey played with his drone. We had the whole beach to ourselves. Great way to finish of our Island Adventure before heading to Port Vila for a couple of days before heading home.

Port Vila is a great way to finish off the trip (you can read about our last Port Vila visit in our first issue). I do love visiting the local markets and I can’t come home without a basket and shell, I love supporting the local businesses and my addiction for baskets.

There is a lot more to do on both Santo and Aore, we will be back.

I cannot recommend Vanuatu enough, we are ticking off 1 Island at a time in the South Pacific and I can’t wait to share more adventures with you.

30

#explore

Our last day on Aore when we had the whole beach to ourselves and some great aerial shots taken by hubby.

I HAVE NEVER HAD THE HOLIDAY BLUES LIKE I DID AFTER THIS TRIP. TILL NEXT TIME VANUATU. x

31

Lets Get Social Queen Shopper kathy@shoppingconfessions.com.au

Duchess of Design www.knowtherose.com

Content Marketing Strategies kara@themediahut.com.au

For advertising, to be featured or competitions enquiries@shoppingconfessions.com.au

Pooch Report maui@shoppingconfessions.com.au

Collaboration’s kathy@shoppingconfessions.com.au

Address PO Box 136, Newport Beach NSW 2106 Ph: 61 2 9974 3000

32