SHOPPING CONFESSIONS
TRIED+TESTED
#MUSTHAVE APPLIANCES
Issue 18
LABEL LOVE
AFENDS WORLD FIRST: PET ACCESSORIES MADE WITH PINEAPPLE LEAVES
CONTENTS ON THE COV
ER
: LABEL LOVE: A FE N D S SCLOVES
HOME
5
24
SC HACKS: HACKS FOR THE HOME
SHOP
WE LOVE
8
LABEL LOVE: AFENDS
30
14
KICK IT SHOP SNEAKERS
POOCH REPORT
18
SHOP CAMPING: ULTIMATE GUIDE
32
THE SWAG: NATURAL SAVIOUR
MAUI’S MUST HAVE: SEBASTIAN SAYS
TRIED & TESTED
ON THE BACK
20
38
THIS MONTH: THE NINJA & JURA S8
OUR GUIDE TO CAMPING Score a bargain and get everything you need for your next trip page 18
2
LIGHT ME UP: LAMPS
AFENDS An environmentally friendly label thats better for our planet page 8
LETS GET SOCIAL CONTACT KATHY
THE SWAG Our fruit and veg savior for the hot and humid season page 30
/ EDITORS LETTER
Dear Mikey,
please forgive me, for I have shopped again... Happy New Year Everyone! Hope you all had an amazing break and are ready to tackle 2019. We are all recharged and ready to go. A lot has happened since Christmas, which feels like so long ago now. Poor Maui ruptured the ligaments in her other leg and has been recovering again, we couldn’t believe it. Mike and I bought a farm in Northern NSW but still only 10 minutes form the coast, so the best of both worlds. We will be starting a big reno and moving up their end of next year if all goes to plan. Being first time renovators (other than a small one in our old house) any tips, tricks and or advice is most welcomed. In this month’s issue, due to popular demand we are going to Try and Test new products that you have been asking about. We are starting the series with Jura coffee machine and the Ninja Intellisense Kitchen. Every month will be 1-2 new products tested for you with our honest opinion. While Maui was recovering, she found a cool pooch brand that uses pineapple waste to make faux leather and it’s amazing. It’s good to be back and if there is anything you want to know about drop us a line and we will check it out for you.
Kath x
LETS GET SOCIAL QUEEN SHOPPER @SHOPCONFESSIONS @SHOPPINGCONFESSIONS SHOPPING CONFESSIONS
DUCHESS OF DESIGN @DESIGNBYCV
TIME TO FIND OUT WHAT #SCLOVES THIS MONTH!
*all pricing and availability correct as 22nd January 2019*
3
Jaybird X3 Wireless Sport Headphones Bring Better Sound and Fit for All NO AUDIO JACK, NO PROBLEM WITH JAYBIRD’S LATEST X SERIES DESIGN
S
STYLE
WANT TO SEE MORE? CHECK OUT www.jaybirdsport.com
22
4
A WE T
IN
One of the first to bring wireless sport buds to the world, Jaybird has now launched Jaybird X3 Wireless Sport Headphones. These next gen wireless in-ear buds don’t require a headphone jack, are sweatproof and offer a universal secure sport fit with improved sound and customisable audio options. $199.95
/ SC HACKS
#SC HACKS ALUMINIUM FOIL Aluminium foil seems to be a kitchen staple, even in the simplest of kitchens. I buy Multix Greener Alfoil, it is 100% recycled. Why not make the most of it? • Line a pastry dish with aluminium foil for even distribution of heat prior to cooking your crust • Use a sheet of aluminium foil to clean your grill when you don’t have a brush • Cover door knobs with aluminium foil prior to painting • Place a sheet of aluminium foil under your clothes that needs ironing. The foil will heat as you iron the top side, cutting your ironing time in half
NEW!
KATHY'S SHOPPING CONFESSION HACKS FOR YOUR HOME...
• Cover the mouth of a vase with aluminium foil. Cut a hole in the centre to secure flowers. • Blunt scissors – layer 6-8 sheets of foil and cut through the layers of foil to sharpen. • Make a ball of aluminium foil about the size of a tennis ball. Place it in the clothes dryer and leave it there, works as a fabric softener and removes static.
5
6
7
LABEL LOVE: AFE
8
/ SHOP
ENDS I was introduced to this Aussie Label at Christmas. Liam (my step-son) and his girlfriend Tori bought Mike some boardie’s and T’s. I loved them, the quality, feel, cut and fit were great. Tori happens to work for them and was telling me about them. I was intrigued. I checked them out online and was happy to see they do women’s clothing too. It has a real cool 70’s vibe; the 70’s would be one of my favorite era’s especially for fashion. I added a few things to cart; boob-tube (remember those), a T-shirt and a bikini. When they arrived, I tried everything on, and they were all perfect. After doing a bit of research, I found out they have been around since 2006! Seriously, I call myself the Shopping Queen and I have never heard of them until now. That’s OK it’s now my job to share it all with you. A tiny screen-printing merchandise business for local punk and hardcore bands led Afends founders Declan Wise and Jono Salfielin to find a booming brand which prides itself on its DIY attitude. They are based in Byron Bay, where there seems to be so many fantastic entrepreneurs these days (think I need to do a road trip). Fast forward to 2019 and they are exporting around the country and overseas. BOOM. This Byron Bay fashion label is leading the way using organic hemp for their street wear. The Afends Hemp Revolution is their way of promoting sustainability to their consumers as well as the surf and fashion industries. Did you know that the fashion industry alone is one of the biggest contributors of pesticides world wide – mainly due to cotton farming? I didn’t. No chemicals or pesticides are needed to grow hemp, and with an extremely quick growth rate it requires much less water to grow as opposed to cotton. Fashion is a big business, we have our fast fashion to high end labels; I’m going to make a bigger effort this year to support environmentally friendly labels that are better for our planet starting with Afends. Can I just mention to the older crew out there that just because a label is called street wear it doesn’t mean that us older folk can’t wear it. Mikey and I aren’t spring chickens and we both love Afends. And, the clothing is affordable too! www.afends.com
9
1. 80% of all textiles, fabrics, clothes, linen, drapes, bed sheets, etc., were made from hemp until the 1820s, with the introduction of the cotton gin. 2. In 1916, the U.S. Government predicted that by the 1940s all paper would come from hemp and that no more trees need to be cut down. Government studies report that 1 acre of hemp equals 4.1 acres of trees. 3. Hemp can clean the atmosphere and protect the environment and even reversing damage done to it. Global warming is the result of high levels of carbon dioxide, or CO2. Hemp consumes four times as much CO2 as trees do, effectively fighting global warming. 4. Hemp can grow nearly anywhere in the world, in many types of soil — even in short growing seasons or in dry regions — and helps purify soil as well as kills some types of weeds.
10
5. Hemp processed with lime to create a concrete-like material can be used for insulation in houses. Hempcrete can replace wood to build very durable and breathable homes. 6. Due to it being a protein that contains amino acids and vitamins, hemp seeds are one of the most nutritionally dense foods, which can also be made into oil or flour. 7. In 1941, Henry Ford displayed a car that was made out of soybean, hemp and plastics; it was lighter than steel and withstood ten times the impact...without denting. 8. The hemp seed contains a nutrient that’s also in, wait for it, breast milk. Yeah, the seed contains an oil also found in breast milk. The oil has other omega-3 and 6 fatty acids which makes it healthier than most varieties of vegetable oil. 9. Oldest known records of hemp farming go back 5000 years in China, although hemp industrialization probably goes back to ancient Egypt. 10. Marijuana and hemp seeds originate from cannabis plant, but hemp and marijuana are not the same. Agricultural hemp contains almost no tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that causes you to get high.
/ SHOP
11
12
/ SHOP
13
KICK IT: S Sneakers, Sand shoes, Joggers what ever you like to call them, they are no longer just for the gym. They have become the fashion statement for both men and women. Here are some of our top picks...
SUPERGA 2730 CORTOPE $150 www.platypusshoes.com.au
NIKE AIR MAX AXIS $150 www.platypusshoes.com.au
UNDER ARMOUR UA BREATHE LACE X NM$130 ON SALE $104 www.stylerunner.com.au
PUMA DEFY VARSITY KNIT MID TOP SNEAKERS $170 ON SALE $136 www.stylerunner.com.au SCHNOODLE LACEUP WOMENS $89.95 ON SALE $40 www.hushpuppies.com.au
14
/ SHOP
SHOP SNEAKERS WOMEN'S RUBI ERIKA CHUNKY TRAINER $49.99 www.cottonon.com.au
PUMA SUEDE PLATFORM BLING $180 ON SALE $144 www.theiconic.com.au
WOOL RUNNERS $140 www.allbirds.com.au
HILLLOWELASTIC SNEAKER WITH STRIPED ELASTIC $330 ON SALE $129 www.edwardmeller.com.au WARFORD VELVET LACE-UP SNEAKER $159 ON SALE $79 www.edwardmeller.com.au
15
KICK IT: SHOP SNE LACOSTE DEVIATION II $160 www.jd-sports.com.au
TURNER ACTIVE SNEAKER $159.95 www.vionicshoes.com.au
MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN KHAKI & ORANGE DAKU SNEAKERS $560 www.ssense.com
PUMA THUNDER SPECTRA UNISEX $180 ON SALE $126 www.theiconic.com.au NIKE AIR MAX 97 $250 www.jd-sports.com.au
16
/ SHOP
EAKERS men's ADIDAS WHITE CONTINENTAL RASCAL LEATHER SNEAKERS $162 ON SALE $81 www.farfetch.com
ADIDAS YUNG 96 RED/YELLOW $160 www.culturekings.com.au
ADIDAS ORIGINALS X_PLR $139.99 www.hypedc.com
CONVERSE ONE STAR ACADEMY ON SALE $129.99 www.hypedc.com VEJA V-10 $195 www.theiconic.com.au
17
OUR GUIDE TO CAMP THE TRUE AUSSIE HOLIDAY IS CAMPING, whether it is for a long holiday or just a few days break. Just because school has gone back doesn’t mean we can’t load up the car and take off for a couple of days. Many of my childhood memories are of camping with the family. There’s nothing better than swimming all day, exploring in the bush then sitting round a campfire at night playing silly games; true family bonding or bagging. THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF SUPPLIERS OF CAMPING GEAR ONLINE BUT BEFORE YOU PULL YOUR WALLET OUT WRITE A LIST OF WHAT YOU NEED.
Aussiedisposals.com.au has everything you need from torches, cooking equipment, clothing you name it they have it. This is great if you’re a first-time camper, checkout their ‘Beginners guide to camping’ it has everything you need to know from where to camp, what to take, what to wear, what to eat and what to do. They even have a checklist you can print up, so you don’t forget anything. Aussie disposals are a big seller of ex army gear if you want to go camping full commando style. You will find something here for all budgets sleeping bags start at $24.95 (on sale). Have you seen some of the tents that are available these days, some are like houses with sun rooms? Sign up for their newsletter so you can keep up to date with upcoming sales. Shipping calculated at checkout. Another one stop shop for camping gear is anaconda.com.au. They have everything and the website is user friendly. They have a policy; if you find it cheaper elsewhere, they will beat the price by 10% (conditions apply). Take advantage of the extra discounts for Adventure Club Members, it’s free to join and specials almost every day for members, worth signing up for the discounts. Shipping is calculated at checkout. Caribee.com.au doesn’t have an online store but you can buy their products from various outlets like petersofkensington.com.au, rebel.com.au and bigw.com.au (you can check online for a full list of retailers) Caribee does a range of bag, backpacks and camping gear. I do love their pop-up tents. So quick to put up making more time to put your feet up and have an icy cold ale. Pricing on caribee’s pop up tents do vary depending on size etc. Thanks to my girlfriend Lib, she got me onto over-board.com.au. Nothing worse than all your belongings getting soaked, whether it’s from the rain or you decide to go for a trip out on the water. Overboard can solve the problem. Over-board specialise in water proof bags and cases. The iPad ($74.95) and iPhone ($29.95) cases can be dropped in the water up to 6 metres. I know, I could have done with a phone case on several occasions. Shipping starts at $10 and free on all orders over $100. Delivery 3-7 days. Happy Camping!
18
/ SHOP
PING GEAR
19
TRIED NINJA INTELLISENSE KITCHEN SYSTEM Hands up who’s cupboards and bench tops are chockers with small appliances. I’m not going to fib but my obsession with appliances is real. Not everybody has the luxury of a butler’s pantry or a huge kitchen, and all those appliances can be tricky to store. Enter Ninja – the IntelliSense Kitchen System. This beast crushes, processes, blends, spiralises, purees and chops and not only that it has built in smart technology that can sense from the type of jug you use what it is you want to do, and it can detect when the job is done (will stop automatically when it finishes). I’ve been using for a few months now and have not used any other appliances since, except for my juicer & coffee machine. The true test was making frozen margaritas and it passed with flying colours, crushed the ice to perfection and hubby who loves his smoothies said no lumpy bits or chunks of ice; so, tick for ice crusher. Next test was hummus, I use hummus every day and it can get costly buying it from the supermarket as often as I do so I like to make my own; it’s quick easy and I can make 5 times the amount of a tub for a fraction of the price (if you would like the recipe I use feel free to email me). I placed all the ingredients in the jug placed it on the motor and smart Ninja could detect what I was wanting to do, and 4 options came up one being dips, I selected dip option walked away and when it was finished it turned itself off and my hummus was smooth and creamy. I will mention that the Ninja is very loud, but the results are worth the noise. Next was a salsa. Chopping can be time consuming and most appliances that say they chop either turn your produce into mush or it’s a chopped messed with everything all different sizes. Not the Ninja. Zucchini pasta for dinner, time to test the spiraliser. Done in seconds and no sore wrist like I get after using a hand held one. The real test sweet potatoes;
20
another pass. I then fried them for a minute and sprinkled with salt and rosemary. YUM. The Ninja also makes dough and pasta, I’m yet to try this but will as soon as the months get cooler. What I love the most about the Ninja is everything is just a push of a button. I have the $1000 blenders but I just can’t remember what setting must be used every time so I would just pulse everything. On the Ninja once you place the jug on the motor the LCD screen menu pops up with 4 different options, push one of the options and walk away. This has replaced a lot of my other appliances (I have given them away to friends and family) giving me more cupboard space but there are a lot of attachments, jugs and lids. What I did so I don’t misplace anything is bought a basket (baskets fix everything, I’m basket obsessed) and placed everything in that and put it on the shelf in our cupboard that way everything is kept in the one place. My verdict; I highly recommend. The Ninja is powerful, smart and does the job extremely well. WHAT’S IN THE BOX • 1 x 1000-Watt Motor Base • 1 x 1200w Smart base with Touch Screen • 2 Litre Total Crushing Pitcher with lid & Stacked Blade assembly • 1 x 700ml Blender cup with spout lid & Pro-Extractor® Blade Assembly • 1 x 1.8 Litre Precision Processor with lid • Chopping Blade Assembly & Dough Blade Assembly • Auto-Spiralizer with Spaghetti and Fettucine Blade Discs with Cleaning Brush • 35 Recipe Inspiration Guide • Instruction Booklet RRP $449 www.ninjakitchen.com.au
/ TRIED & TESTED
D & TESTED: NINJA
21
TRIED & TESTED: J
22
/ TRIED & TESTED
JURA S8 I’m going to share with you how Jura has changed our coffee world; a bit dramatic I know but it has. Before I do, what or who is Jura I hear you ask. Well, Jura is a Swiss company, they have been developing high-end household appliances since 1931, so it’s fair to say they know their stuff. Jura do a range of Automatic coffee machines. To be honest Mike and I have never been fans of coffee machines. We have used the coffee pod machines, for the first couple of months we love them and for some reason they end up in the cupboard. When it comes to the larger machines was not interested, for a few reasons... • The size of the machines • The cost • The mess, that ground coffee goes everywhere • The cleaning - I do enough cleaning without having to add a big messy coffee machine to my list. For months Jura’s Australian PR team 360PR have been on to me to try one of their coffee machines, I politely declined. Just before Christmas I buckled and accepted the offer. When it arrived, I called hubby and told him we have been sent a coffee machine to try; his response ‘I don’t know why you said yes, it will end up in the cupboard with every other coffee machine’. The Jura S8 was the model that was sent, I set it up, it took a couple of minutes, I skimmed over the instructions (that’s another thing I hate, reading manuals, it goes through one ear and out the other). I put the instructions down and had a play, how hard could it be to make a coffee? Filled it up with beans, loaded the water and filled the milk container, so far so good. Pushed the ‘flat white’ button and waited for my coffee. A few minutes later it was love, this coffee was perfection and no cleaning involved (not yet anyway, I’ll get to that). Mike got home from work and I have a smile from ear to ear and insisted he go over and make a coffee, I gave him a 30 second crash course. Mike was smiling, I could tell he was in love too.
So, you get it, we love the coffee now to the not so glam side; cleaning. Would you believe me if I said it tells you when and what part needs to be cleaned and all you have to do is push a button? Well it’s true. When the milk filter needs to be cleaned the screen lights up ‘clean milk’ and it guides you through it all by pushing the button a couple of times. When the filter needs to be changed it tells you, when the water tray needs to be emptied it tells you, when you need more coffee beans it tells you, when the whole system needs to be cleaned it tells you and all you have to do is make sure the water is full and drop in a cleaning tablet (you buy from Jura). This is my sort of cleaning. My verdict, it is the first coffee machine that has been on our bench top for more than 2 months which is a good indication it’s not going anywhere. • It ticks all the boxes • Doesn’t take up a lot of room • This machine is $2650 but worth it, we haven’t bought a takeaway coffee since, you do math, I did and nearly freaked out. Say Mike and I buy 2 coffees a day each at $4, let’s say for 300 days of the year that’s $4800, yep see why I freaked out. • No mess • Cleaning is a breeze • If Roger Federer signed on as their ambassador, you know it’s good. I nearly forgot to mention that you can program your own coffee preferences. For example, the strength of your coffee & milk ratio for a flat white or cap, we love espresso martinis, so I have set a 60ml shot of black coffee, you have up to 8 settings. I can’t fault this machine except that I am drinking more coffee than I use to. It is a lot of money but worth it. Coffee machines start from $1299 at www.jura.com and I have seen them at Harvey Norman who offer 12 months interest free. Take the plunge and invest in a Jura coffee machine, you won’t regret it.
23
HOME: LIGHT ME
TERRAZZO BASE LAMP $10 www.kmart.com.au
VOX FLOOR LAMP $435 www.magnolialane.biz
CASPAR WOODEN TABLE LAMP 36CM $159 www.earlysettler.com.au
24
/ HOME
UP
PALM TABLE LAMP $464.95 www.magnolialane.biz
PANAMA TABLE LAMP (SET OF 2) $499 www.zanui.com.au
25
HOM
CORBELLE 6 LIGHT FLOOR LAMP IN POLISHED CHROME $649 ON SALE $619 www.beaconlighting.com.au
CRYSTAL LAMP SOLEIL $549 www.alfrescoemporium.com.au
26
/ HOME
ME: LIGHT ME UP
RATTAN LAMP BROWN SMALL $399 www.alfrescoemporium.com.au
RALEIGH FLOOR LAMP WHITE $124.95 ON SALE $99.96 www.zanui.com.au
27
HOME: LAMPS
MIRABELLA SADIE TABLE LAMP – BLACK $29 www.bigw.com.au
LANGLEY CUT GLASS PINEAPPLE BASE TABLE LAMP ANTIQUE GOLD $249 ON SALE $149 www.livingstyles.com.au
28
29
WE LOVE: THE SW
I know I have written about the swag in one of our very first issues but with this heat and humidity the number of friends who have mentioned how quickly fruit and vegetables turn is huge. I’ve put them all onto the swag and I’m going to share with you again. I’ve been using the swag for over a year now, a genius idea that helps keep your produce fresher for much longer. Not only that it helps eliminate the use of plastic which not only harms the environment but kills your fruit and vegetables quicker. Not kidding my herbs last for over a week in the swag.
This is how I tested the swag. I bought the exact same veges and put half in the swag and half just in the fridge. You need to dampen the swags before you place your produce in them. Every couple of days when the bags dry out a little I just sprayed them with a water spray.
Before I rave about the swag again here are a few stats to get you thinking...
AFTER 10 DAYS: Everything in swag: still fresh including the herbs. Not in the swag: herbs had to be thrown. Shallots average. Tomatoes and celery OK not great, soft maybe a day left in them and cucumbers soft.
• Australians discard up to 20% of the food they purchase • This equates to 1 out of every 5 bags of groceries they buy • Up to 40% of the average household garbage bin is food • Aussies throw out $8 billion of edible food every year • Australia wastes over 4 million tonnes of food each year. This equates to 523kg per household, which is the same weight as just over 5 average size fridges • For the average Australian household $1,036 of food is thrown away each year Mind blowing right? I have better ways of spending $1036 than throwing it in the bin.
30
AFTER 3 DAYS: Everything in the swag: still fresh and crisp Not in the swag: I noticed the herbs had started to wilt & turn brown. Tomatoes & spring onions pretty much the same. Cucumbers and celery a lot softer.
I give the Swags BIG thumbs up. The swags are available in 3 sizes or in packs starting from $12.95. All three sizes of The Swag can be used for a variety of vegetables such as grapes, several bunches of herbs, apples, lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes etc. You can have a combination of fruits, veggies and leafy greens all in one Swag! The Long Swag is perfect for longer vegetables, such as celery, spinach, spring onions and leeks however you can put fruits and veggies that aren’t long or perhaps several bunches of herbs and fold it in half to make it more compact for your unique crisper size. Shop the swags here www.theswag.com.au
/ SHOP
WAG T RIE D & A , TEST PPR E OVE D D!
31
32
/ POOCH REPORT
POOCH REPORT Hi Everyone, I’ve missed you, as you know I’ve had a rough trot, 2 surgeries in 3 months is tough but I’m happy to say I’m back and almost fully recovered. I’ll be back swimming, playing and walks with mum and dad by the end of this month. Just have to say Mum and Dad took really good care of me while I was recovering, I know it was hard on them. While I was drugged up recovering, I surfed the net and came across a Label called Sebastian Says. Talk about style; everything from toys, collars, leads and clothing. The east Coast Wool Toys (pictured) are made in Nepal by artisans using 100% New Zealand wool and they are free from toxins and harmful chemicals. You might think they sound expensive but only $24.95. Who says Linen is just for humans not Sebastian? They have created beautiful linen dog shirts (pictured) for $119.95. The fabric is light weight and breathable and has Velcro under the buttons for fast and easy dressing. A fashion #musthave The Liberty collection is next level. They have created shirts and bandanas (pictured $49.95) using classic prints from iconic British print house, Liberty. The bandana pictured is made from Tana lawn cotton; nothing but the best for us.
The macramé and leather collars and leads are so my style, very chic boho. They are hand-crafted by artisans using 100% cotton cord and Italian leather. They come in a few different colours and start from $69.95. They also have some great Merino wool jumpers and corduroy coats, but we’ll talk about that more in winter, way too hot to be talking about coats and jumpers. I’m saving the best till last, their Piñatex™ range. Piñatex™ is a natural, leather alternative created with fibres extracted from pineapple leaves. Hard to believe I know but it’s true, I couldn’t wait to show mum cause as you know she is a huge pineapple lover and the best part - it’s vegan! Piñatex™ is an environmentally friendly, sustainable by-product and Sebastian Says are the first in the world to use it for pet accessories. It’s a bit more pricey but worth it. Here are the collars and leads and check out the coat, know I said I didn’t want to talk about coats till winter, but this is an exception. I included this in our top 100 gift guide and December. I am getting this coat I don’t care what I must do but somehow, I’ll get Mum and Dad to buy it for me.
V
33
POOCH REPORT
PIÑATEX SPIKE DOG COLLAR $119.95
PIÑATEX DOG COAT
34
/ POOCH REPORT
PIÑATEX DOG COLLAR $99.95
PIÑATEX DOG LEAD $179.95
www.sebastiansays.com.au
35
BE PART OF OUR ONLINE DIRECTORY LAUNCHING SOON ONLY $17 A MONTH
Email: directory@shoppingconfessions.com.au for more details The directory will be featured at the back of our mag every month 36
37
LETS GET SOCIAL QUEEN SHOPPER kathy@shoppingconfessions.com.au DUCHESS OF DESIGN www.christyvandenberg.com FOR ADVERTISING, TO BE FEATURED OR COMPETITIONS enquiries@shoppingconfessions.com.au POOCH REPORT maui@shoppingconfessions.com.au COLLABORATIONS kathy@shoppingconfessions.com.au ADDRESS PO BOX 136, NEWPORT BEACH NSW 2106 PH: 61 9974 3000
38