Small Collective Issue 04 - Let it Flow

small collective

AU

Welcome to The Small Collective Small Collective, our magazine or collective hub is a place where we want to share and educate our readers on how to live a happier and simpler life and find value in what we have. We want to support small and local (here in Australia) providing a community of like-minded individuals who are paving the way to a more sustainable future.

The Small collective magazine is aimed at women and men who are curious, mindful and looking for a new read that has all things art, travel, craft, design, culture, nature, music, fashion, photography, tips and tricks and eco-friendly practices to a more sustainable way of life.

So come along on this journey and get to know all the wonderful individuals, brands, and organisations that you may have never discovered without this lovely collective!

The Small Collective is an independent digital and print publication, based in Australia. Our beautiful magazines are created with 100% recycled paper and are printed with vegetable based inks and green electricity. It’s as eco-friendly as it gets.

Here at the Small Collective, we have chosen not to number the pages, as we want you to take the time and explore the joys of each of the beautiful features - here enabling you to be surprised by each page and look forward to the next.

We understand that you may wish to return to a section to continue reading or to get your craft on.

So if you flick to the last page you will find a bookmark to cut out and use.

Enjoy!

With Love, Liv & The Small Collective

Editorial Magazine Produced / Published by:

The Small Collective Australia www.thesmallcollective.com.au Designed by: Olive Rose Designs www.oliverose-designs.com

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This Publication in no way can be published, reproduced, or transmitted in any other form i.e recordings or otherwise, without permission of the publication owners. The author and publisher in no way represent or warrant that the information provided in this publication is accurate, complete or current. The authors, publisher, contributors or other representatives throughout will not be liable for loss, damage, the critique of any kind caused arising out of or in connection with the use of this publication.

Cover Artwork

OWLET

www.thesmallcollective.com.au | @small_collective

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SUMMARY The Auslan sign language Dismantling Misogynoir What Is A Circular Economy?

Get The Dirt Stank Spray 5 Tip To Master Photography Like A Professional Just The Essentials The Art Of Deep Breathing 3 Restorative Yoga Shapes To Help You Sleep Creating Regenerative Food Can Mushrooms Replace Plastic?

Grow Your Veggies And Plants In Water The Declining Bee Populations How To Make A Shift Towards Reusability?

Plant Dying Guide + So Much More!

M A R G AR E T J E AN E

From animals, to scenes, to unending flower blends, she utilises her sensitivity of colour and shading to explore the natural subjects; mirroring the acquire freedom of nature in her free and whimsical hand. Discovering her beautiful work, we had the pleasure of getting to know Margaret a little better and learn about some of her recent projects.

For those who are not familiar with you yet, who is Margaret Jeane?

I’m a mother of two beautiful girls, two dogs, and a wife to my loving and supportive husband. I’m a nature lover, who loves spending my days in the sunlight. I have a special place in my heart for the desert and mountain west.

Margaret is an artist and designer who has a passion for catching the endless magnificence of nature through her work.

I’ve always been interested in so many things, I had a love for art, and reverence for colour at a very young age. I studied Visual Communication Design in college and became immersed in a world of graphic design. At that point, I quite honestly never imagined a career in illustration and painting. I worked in the industry for a while, but always felt a bit constrained (which is one of the beautiful things about graphic design, a practice of art within a set of constraints). I began practising art and illustration in my own time and it took over. I’ve never looked back.

How your passion for Painting began and how it turned into a full-time job?

I think that any passion you’re truly dedicated to has the potential to become your career. I spent my days practising graphic design, and my night’s painting. When my first daughter was born, we moved across the country and I left my job behind. I shifted my focus to painting, gaining some traction on Instagram. That traction and momentum led to jobs, and now a career.

What inspires your artwork and your Medium?

Nature and colour are the inspiration for my artwork. I’m always trying to create a sense of joyful peace within my work. I also love the idea of simplifying subject matter to a more minimalistic state, where colour and form take over. I love gouache because of the richness in the pigment. I also work with acrylic more out of convenience, I have a home studio and do not want to expose my children to the harsher chemicals of oils.

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What do you feel your role is, as an artist in today’s society?

I’m not sure I really feel as if I have a specific role. Part of my artwork is admittedly selfish, as I get lots of joy in creating.

However, I really want to share that sense of joy through my work with others that experience it. If my art can bring others a moment of happiness, a release of positive energy, albeit brief, I’m content.

Tell us of the story of how “artwork name”, came to be and the medium of choice?

“Red Rock With Desert Land” My husband and I took a mini-vacation road trip through the state of Utah while we were living there. We drove from one National Park to another, camping along the banks of the Colorado River and staying at small Bread and Breakfasts’. I love desert land, and some of the vistas along the side of the road were breathtaking. This vista was so interesting to me because it included both red rock and mountains. And I just love how the desert land leads up to the backdrop.

Are there sustainable methods you use when creating your art and how as an artist are you implementing it in the most sustainable manner possible?

I do! Not necessarily when creating the art, but I reuse lots of packaging. I hate the idea of creating additional unnecessary waste. I save bubble wrap, boxes, cardboard, etc that comes to my house and use for materials to package and send my art. I

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also love partnering with companies that promote sustainability.

Seedlings, a stationery company that I work with, uses plantable packaging which is really so cool.

How are some of the ways that as an artist you have had to begin to change the way you run your art business during COVID-19, and how have you maintain your creativity with restrictions of going out into nature?

I haven’t had much of a change in my business, as I work from home. I have had less time to devote to artwork, so I’ve been focusing more on doing work that I love and getting done what needs to be done. My family and I are very lucky to still have a lot of access to nature that still allows for social distancing if anything we actually spend even more time outside because it’s one of the few things we have access to. I feel very fortunate that we have that opportunity.

Do you feel every time you sell a piece of art you lose a piece of yourself?

No, I do not. I learned very quickly in graphic design to detach myself from my work after creation (for better or worse).

Sometimes you’d spend days on a design solution for a client, only to have it be dismissed. I learned to find joy in the process of creation, and then let it live its own life after completion. I do the same with my artwork. www.margaretjeane.com | @margaret.jeane

We’re Chris and Mandy, two travelling Osteopaths with a strong sense of adventure and a desire to push ourselves and the boundaries of a career within Osteopathy. We believe all Australians deserve adequate access to healthcare and we’ve made it our mission to provide hands-on healthcare, education and mental health counselling to as many people as we can from all walks of life all over this country. For the last year, we’ve been taking our skills, knowledge and passion to the most remote communities in Australia and we have absolutely loved every second of it. Recently we swapped our Hyundai iLoad Van “Walter” to an old Toyota Coaster Bus that we’ve named “Bussell Coight”. We’ve spent the majority of our time in isolation by renovating the Bus into our new home/office/billboard on wheels. The Outback Osteos aren’t complete without our Rescue dog Ralph whose title differentiates between receptionist, therapy dog, comedian and alarm clock.

What made you hit the road?

Working in Melbourne we both encountered clients who had driven a long way from rural areas to finally see someone for a condition which had been present for months to years. Often these people are convinced to come in by a family member because they “don’t want to be a burden”. These conditions can sometimes be so debilitating that they impact the person’s ability to work, provide for their families and therefore can start to affect their mental health. The hardest part about these experiences for us is that most of the time these cases can be treated before they become chronic. If this person had regular access to Osteopathy and the mentality that prevention of injury and maintenance of mobility is better than waiting for things to become debilitating, the road to recovery is not as long. (pardon the pun). Unfortunately, there’s a real toughen up mentality out in the outback, which is a real testament to some people’s resilience but it’s not the best approach to your own health. We want to change that, so here we are.

How did you make it possible in terms of taking Osteopathy to remote communities around Australia?

We recognised the huge demand for healthcare in these areas, so we started researching and planning how we could make an impact. We had to step out of our comfort zone and start contacting and reaching out to the communities to let them know we wanted to help. Every community is different and often the biggest challenge is figuring out how to reach the population. We find as soon as we are setup, word of mouth is the most powerful tool. We’ve always run our business off a very simple notion, provide a good service and business will come.

What has been your most memorable moment on the road?

This entire business was a massive roll of the dice for us. We spent the first few months chasing our tails, really not having a clue what we were doing. Couple that with acclimatising to living in a small space with a large dog and everything you own thrown in for good measure and it’s fair to say we were

second-guessing ourselves. The spark moment for us came at the very heart of this country, Uluru. We setup our first pop up Osteopathy clinic in the town of Yulara surrounding the rock and we had the most amazing response. We treated camel farmers, firemen, tour operators, international guests who had hurt themselves on their holiday, resort staff and of course the odd grey nomad. Their closest healthcare option was a four-hour drive away and the gratitude we felt from each of these clients was a really special moment for us. That was the kick-starter for us, it gave us belief that what we were on our path and the passion and excitement just built from there.

Describe what a normal day looks like?

That is genuinely impossible to answer ha-ha. The only constant is that it starts by Ralph waking us up. Every day is so different but the constants that we love are that we get to spend every day together, most nights we’ve got a different view through the window and no idea how the next day is going to pan out.

What is your motivation and goal through Outback Osteo?

We have a dream to take Osteopathy Student groups or recent graduates out to some of our favourite remote locations.

That way the community gets a huge increase in their supply of healthcare and the students or graduates gain real-world experience from people who truly need their help.

outbackosteos.com | @outbackosteos

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Living in a small space isn’t for everyone. It can be really challenging and you’ve got to let go of some of life’s creature comforts. Try before you buy. Rent or borrow something similar to what you want and try a weekend or a week in it. You will know pretty quickly if this is something you want to do. And if you decide to take the leap then welcome to the club, we hope to meet you on the road!

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The Auslan sign language and its importance in our culture The Auslan sign language is the majority sign language of the deaf community in Australia. While the term ‘Auslan’ is much older, the term for it was only coined in the 1980s. If you were to look for any founder or inventor of the sign language, you would be unsuccessful – like many other sign languages it has emerged spontaneously from the deaf community and changed through time.

In recent years, the Auslan sign language has been penetrating more institutions and getting recognition from governmental bodies. An increasing amount of schools are teaching it as a second language but there is still a long way to go in other aspects. It is still rarely seen on TV and at public events – for example, there are no news channels which are being interpreted in Auslan as of today.

As we are striving for more inclusivity in the 21st century, the inclusion of deaf people in mainstream events and media should be one of our main priorities.

Today, let’s celebrate the wonderful sign

language that is Auslan, discuss where it came from and how it has developed through the years and lastly remind ourselves of the role it plays in our culture and everyday lives.

Evolution of Auslan In the 19th century, Australia saw large numbers of people immigrating to the country from Britain, Ireland and Scotland. Among the general population, this also included many deaf people who brought their local sign languages to Australia. These languages formed the basis for a new Australian sign language, which combined signs from the three, mixed them together and added some new specifics local to Australia.

Through the years, the language continued to develop just like any other language, as our culture changed along with our communication needs.

More recently, it was also influenced by America Sign Language and nowadays, Auslan is most similar to British Sign Language and American Sign Language.

The importance of Auslan to Australian culture

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If we hope to bridge the gap between people with and without disability, we need to make Auslan a standard in our community and media. Interpretation should be always available to those who need it and anybody who wants to should be able to learn the sign language, to facilitate deaf people’s inclusion into mainstream culture and society. This can help promote mutual understanding but also shape our culture as an inclusive space where anybody can be heard or understood.

Also, think of how much more variety and diversity we could add to our cultural space if we could seamlessly communicate with deaf people! The promotion and inclusion of Auslan sign language in the media can, therefore, benefit not only the deaf community but also everybody else and our understanding of what makes up Australian culture.

Let’s celebrate how wonderful Auslan is, promote its inclusion and help both those who need interpretation and society as a whole towards a better understanding.

MISOGYNOIR CAN MANIFEST ITSELF IN A VARIETY OF WAYS A few includes: MEDICAL RACISM: Black women are 3-4x more likely to die during childbirth. Doctors have historically (and presently) perceived Black women as having higher pain thresholds. When Black women present with symptoms, they are often ignored and dismissed.

DOMESTIC RACISM: Black women experience sexual and domestic violence at rates 35% higher than white women.

CONSUMER RACISM: Black women are targeted at higher rates than their non-Black counterparts. They experience racial profiling in retail settings by being followed, closely monitored, searched, refused service and accused of stealing.

Dismantling Misogynoir Misogynoir is misogyny directed towards black women where race and gender both play roles in bias. The term was coined by feminist scholar, professor, and activist, Moya Bailey, who created the term to address misogyny directed toward black women in culture.

WORKPLACE RACISM: Despite being termed as the most educated group of people in the United States, Black women still make far less money than their white counterparts. Black women earn roughly 38% less than white men every year.

SEXUAL RACISM: The notion that Black women are inherently less feminine, attractive, or desirable is often a societally conditioned preference that is rooted in anti-Blackness and misogynoir. Other types of sexual racism include sexual stereotyping, fetishization, and the jezebel stereotype.

INTERSECTIONALITY OF MISOGYNOIR AND COLOURISM

HISTORY OF MISOGYNOIR Moya Bailey initially traced misogynoir back to slavery where the idea that Black women were overtly sexual and promiscuous was used to justify the rape and enslavement of women by their owners. Black women were viewed as promiscuous and sexually deviant, even from a young age. Hypersexualization and adultification of Black women still largely exists in modern society today. Soon-after slavery, the “mammy” stereotype emerged that depicted Black women as asexual, undesirable, submissive, to appear less threatening to white relationships.

In the 1920s, the “angry black woman trope” emerged and portrayed Black women as too expressive, more opinionated, harsh, loud, rude and angry in nature. The newly coined stereotype of the “strong black woman” is seemingly innocuous and bears a positive connotation -- but still robs Black women of their humanity and vulnerability. “Why don’t I hear more about misogynoir from feminists?” Good question! Misogynoir is often overlooked in feminist discourse because it disrupts the tendency of mainstream feminism that universalizes womanhood as a shared experience based on the default narrative of white women. In other words, mainstream feminism largely perpetuates the continuance of misogynoir by ignoring it’s very existence, severity and intersection with misogyny.

Colourism often plays a role in how misogynoir is manifested and perpetuated. When we look at the ways modern society holds fairer-skinned folks in high esteem in comparison to their dark-skinned counterparts, we see stark realities in the way colourism and misogynoir intersect.

Yes, all black women endure a variety of biases and discrimination as a result of patriarchal systems, gender inequality, and racism - but it is incumbent upon us to recognize the ways that colourism specifically targets dark-skinned Black women. It not only impacts the severity of their experiences with misogynoir but the prevalence of such as well.

“Light-skinned” or “bi-racial” blackness is deemed ass passable by non-Black people because it’s proximity to whiteness is comforting. This is why unlearning and examining internalized racism is a daily process.

In television, art, music, movies (you name it) - lighter-skinned Black women are largely represented and often depicted as soft, likeable, friendly and delicate. Black women of darker-skinned complexions are often defined by harmfully racist stereotypes, that often depict them as more negative, threatening, angry, and offensive.

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MISOGYNOIR AND BEAUTY

WAYS TO UNLEARN AND DISMANTLE MISOGYNOIR

The dehumanisation and animalisation of Black women’s bodies gave room for black girls to question the normality of their features for centuries.

1. Call it out when you hear it, witness or experience it.

Black women have been historically and routinely shamed for particular bodily and facial features that are linked and compared to animalistic features (such as large lips, wide noses, curvaceous bodies). These features, however, are often perverted into pop culture trends and adopted by nonBlack women who undergo bodily modifications to replicate them.

Research by Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that Black women with natural hairstyles are less likely to get interviews than White women with straightened hair.

Yet, arguments surrounding the validity of anti-cultural appropriation are still largely discussed today. “It’s just a hairstyle, why can’t I wear it too?”

Words by @missaudreyfrench

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2. Educate yourself daily on radicalized microaggressions and how they largely target Black women.

3. Aim to reframe, redefine and restructure the way Black women are depicted, spoken about and treated in your social circles.

4. Do the work to unlearn colourist notions and stereotypes that target dark-skinned women.

5. Support support support. Support our businesses, uplift our voices, use your privilege (as defined by your race, colour, or social status) to lift us up instead of tearing us down.

6. Be more critical about what you consume in media by monitoring what you chose to watch, purchase, support and share.

7. Recognize that there is room for everyone. Allow Black women to take up space in media, art, the workplace, media, and society.

WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY? Recently, the term circular economy is being used more and more often. From business meetings to sustainability talks, a circular economy is turning into a buzzword. Although it is often treated as a new concept or a revolutionary solution to our current wasteful linear economy system, many of its practices are far from new and have existed for hundreds of years.

What exactly is it that sets apart the circular economy from a linear economy? And how does the concept fit in with the recent trend of sustainable development? Lastly, let’s also talk about some ways in which you can engage in a circular economy and support sustainable development both locally and globally.

CIRCULAR VS. LINEAR ECONOMY In the late 20th century and most of the new millennium so far, companies have been running on a concept of the linear economy. A linear economy is characterised by resources making their way from one end to the other, being discarded at the end. Especially large businesses have been applying it as they consider it the most profitable way, which is not necessarily true.

It’s not hard to spot what the problem is with the linear economy – it’s very wasteful! This is what circular economy is working to fix.

Rather than treating resources as the disposable, circular economy keeps resources in rotation for as long as possible. This way, the waste is designed out of the system with a range of different solutions which include recycling, repurposing, reselling or renewable energy. A circular economy is looking to find a solution that is not just financially profitable but also supports the development of social and natural value. Product design in a circular economy is already thinking about the end of the product’s lifecycle at its beginning, figuring out ways for any energy or material to

be reused, returned to the earth or reshaped and used to create a new product. This system is effective both on a small and large scale, in small and large businesses alike.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AS PART OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. A circular economy is a crucial component of sustainable development.

To start with, sustainable development involves the sustainability of not just the environment, but also the society and economy. Similarly, a circular economy finds solutions that are not just profitable but also ethical and sustainable.

We can’t possibly have an environmentally, economically and ethically sustainable future if we continue to waste resources in a way that linear economy concept. Our next bet, therefore, is a circular economy.

WAYS TO SUPPORT THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY How do you engage in a circular economy and support its development, both in your local region and around the world? Here are a few quick tips on how to get started:

Recycle! This helps reshape old resources into new items. And while we are at it, learn to sort your waste correctly without misplacing any items in the recycling bins.

Buy second hand – many items sold at thrift stores and charity shops can get a second or third life, there’s nothing more circular than that!

Swap and borrow instead of buying new.

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HABIT TRACKER

A Habit Tracker is a simple way to measure your habit /task. When you use your tracker consistently it becomes a powerful tool to keep you accountable. To use the tracker write in the habit or task you wish to track and colour in the strips as you go. This tracker is for a month and it will enable you to visually see what you have and haven't achieved throughout this time.

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GET THE DIRT ON YOUR WEEKLY RITUAL

‘floral spice’ is doing more bad to your skin and local waterways than the box cares to tell you. Plus, bad guys like petroleum-based ingredients and non-sustainable palm oil are synonymous with disturbing environmental impacts.

No thanks.

Words by Carmen Spencer, founder of Oddish

Let’s talk about the L word - laundry. It’s been voted one of the most boring chores by anyone who ever owned clothes. Admit it, your pile of dirties seem to multiply when you’re not looking then they’re doused in chemicals, spun, untangled and left to crisp up in the harsh midday sun. That’s all before the great basket-towardrobe migration. It’s a wild ride.

So why is it that you find so much joy in seeking out and wearing your clothes, but once they’ve been worn, they become a problem? We’re not talking about the lack of space in your bathroom (thanks to a weeks’ worth of undies), it’s bigger than that.

The greatest impact your clothing is making on your health, community and the environment is the way you care for them.

From your choice of laundry detergent through the way you hang your washing out, it all accumulates into one big sudsy footprint.

The good news is that you can make small, conscious changes today by adding one-part knowledge to two-parts action.

Start by questioning the ingredients in your laundry products.

If they contain synthetic fragrances, then it’s likely that the

The list goes on, but there are better solutions available either on the shelf or to make at home. Ask yourself, does my fav brand fit with my idea of a sustainable future? If not, they are greenwashing you, your family and your dog’s bed.

It all starts with getting clued up about your routine and checking in with how you feel about it. Because laundryinduced emotions are real. They creep into your brain over the week then come washing day – BAM that feeling of dread hits you like a tonne of dirty socks. So, let’s shelf that for a moment while we look at our weekly ritual from a different angle.

Instead of trying to cram doing your laundry among ‘life admin’, why not reclaim that 50-minute delicate cycle as the time reserved for you. It can be as simple as sitting outside in the warming rays while you master the art of conversational Spanish. Or – for the multi-taskers out there – folding the laundry basket while calling that friend from interstate that you always think ‘I wonder how she’s going...’

Set your intentions, do something that feeds your soul, then get on with your day with a refreshed energy in your step.

Remember, no one is insta-perfect. Making small changes and being a part of the conversation is a huge leap in the right direction. Life is too short for boring laundry.

Oddish is a slow fashion and jewellery label based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Each of our pieces weaves a narrative between the maker and wearer to generate conversation around having a more informed approach to what we wear. www.oddish.com.au | @oddishthelabel Illustrations by @emily.mcduff

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DIY STANK SPRAY A pre-wash helper for those stinky areas (that’s totally worth the effort). An excerpt from The Oddish Guide to Unboring Laundry.

WHAT YOU NEED Half used lemons (or any citrus) Vinegar 10-20 drops essential oil Jar Spray bottle PREPARATION 1. Remove lemon* peel (add flesh to your home compost).

2. Combine peel + vinegar in a jar so the peel is submerged.

3. Leave in the fridge for 2 weeks to let the magic happen.

4. Once ready, strain liquid into a spray bottle.

5. Add your fav essential oils.

APPLICATION 1. Spray 3-4 times directly on to stinky pits and surrounding areas*.

2. Wait 5-10 minutes.

3. Wash & dray as normal. *If you’re unsure how the fabric or dye will react, always spot test your clothes.

BONUS This powerful spray is also a grime buster for the rest of your house - glass, benchtops and more. Hurrah!

STANK - the past tense of stink.

WIN A LOLA DRESS Share your laundry ritual to go into the draw to win an Oddish Lola Dress - handmade for you from buttery soft linen.

It could be your fav product, DIY recipe, time-saving tip or just celebrating the fact that you’re making small changes to better your washing routine.

To enter, submit a photo or write to us at thesmallcollective.com.au Bonus points for sharing on your socials and tagging both: @small_collective and @oddishthelabel Comp closes: 30/01/21 Winner announced: 7/02/21

That sobering, life-changing moment, was what inspired me to find a way to make a change; to help uplift marginalised women and children so they can have hope of a better, brighter future. Fashion design has always been a passion and a creative outlet for me but being one of the largest industries in the world, I couldn’t fathom how this industry was so detrimental to our planet and people and why it couldn’t be better used as a power and force for good. And so, I decided to change that!

With a vision to harness the power and enormity of the fashion industry, to create empowering change to those in need, my purpose-driven slow-fashion label was born.

Chamani The Label Pharmacist turned tour guide turned fashion-designer/philanthropist.

As a true believer in the sentiment “follow your curiosity” and “trust the journey”, my path to starting my purpose-driven clothing label was certainly not a linear one by any means.

Words by : Chamani

With my love for travel, unique, artisanal slow-fashion and helping others, life took me on a huge journey full of adventure, life lessons and soul searching before my label came to life.

The pivotal, light-bulb moment that planted the seed for what would become my label, came during one of my final tours as a guide in magical India. Our bus was stopped at a rest-stop where my eyes caught two small children waiting patiently at a little man-made stand - they couldn’t have been any older than 5 and 8 years old. They were wearing tattered rags for clothes, barefoot and selling small bags of vegetables from their garden. I learnt that their father was killed in an accident which meant their mother had to work on a farm every day for 12 hours to put food on the table; to help out, they would come and sell bags of vegetables to tourists or anyone who would buy them. They couldn’t afford food, let alone the thought of nice clean clothes or going to school. It broke my heart - especially knowing that I was with a bus full of 30 people who along with myself, had an abundance of clothes, food and schooling was always easily accessible and affordable.

I gave them all the money I had in my wallet and told them to keep the vegetables and sell it to someone else. At the time, that was all that I could do, but I knew that tomorrow, the next day and for the foreseeable future, they would be in the same situation. That image of the children has stuck with me ever since and is still as vivid in my mind today as it was 2 years ago. I was deeply saddened and remember wishing I could help kids like this in a more empowering way so that they could bring themselves out of poverty and go on to help their families and community. The famous quote “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” came to mind.

Chamani is a conscious, purpose-driven clothing label and lifestyle movement which aims to empower marginalized women and children, all through a simple purchase and common love of timeless, thoughtful slow-fashion. Rather than working with highly unethical factories to manufacture our clothing, we support and collaborate with non-profit organisations to provide young children with a free education and give marginalised women a sense of purpose, independence and empowerment through fair employment and training in sewing and product manufacturing. Our unique, limited-item collections are all hand-made with love out of rich, vintage and deadstock textiles as well as eco-friendly, sustainable fabrics hand-woven and hand-dyed by talented artisans. We believe that true luxury lies in the value of quality, wholesome craftsmanship and creating a connection with the very hands that soulfully and meticulously manifested fashion magic.

Our collections are designed with “every woman” in mind. As with many women, I have found that my weight and body shape has fluctuated countlessly over the years, meaning so has my wardrobe!

Unfortunately, it means that I have many outfits in my wardrobe that do not fit me and sit there as a guilty purchase or are given away after little use. With this in mind, all of our inclusive designs are wrap style, so that any woman, no matter their shape or size can feel comfortable wearing it, while allowing for flexibility and fluctuations in weight and body type.

Many of our designs are also versatile and can be worn in multiple ways according to the wearer’s preference, style.

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Each unique piece we produce is a dedication to all women but especially the unseen woman behind it. Each garment is named after one of the women at our not for profit organisation and attached to each item, will also be the name of the woman who made it. With this, you will learn their stories and create a connection with the items that clothe your body but more importantly a connection with the person who lovingly handmade your garment.

“Empowered women, empower women”

Sewing Studio provides professional training and employment to overlooked migrant and refugee women who often face huge barriers making ends meet and assimilating into society here in Australia.

Coming to a completely foreign country with a foreign way of life and language can be hard enough for anyone to adjust to but for refugees, in particular, it can be a massive struggle due to lack of assistance and opportunities.

We are so proud to support such beautiful causes so more deserving women can be given a chance to flourish and grow and truly feel like a valued part of society.

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These timeless skills which have been passed down through generations are largely overshadowed by industrialisation and the fast fashion industry, threatening them into obsoletion. The beauty of handloom fabrics is that it uses zero electricity during the weaving process.

The loom is constructed in a way that the simple mechanical energy and hand movements of the artisan along with the motion of the loom itself work synergistically to manifest the fabric from yarn. Depending on the complexity of the fabric pattern, 25m can take up to two weeks to complete which means they cannot be mass-produced, adding to the fabric’s uniqueness.

As a brand, we want to be universally known as a fashion symbol for womenempowerment and progression as well as ultra-sustainable slow-fashion. We want all women in the lifecycle of our garments to feel inspired knowing that they are contributing to a greater, common purpose. A portion of proceeds from each sale goes directly to the woman who made the item (on top of her normal living wage) as well as our partner charity organisation. Our hope is that our customers feel inspired and radiant wearing our unique designs and also take heart knowing that their purchase has helped to uplift vulnerable, marginalised women in the process.

Throughout all our processes, every tiny detail, from the materials used to produce our garments, their trims and finishes, to the packaging used to deliver them to our customers, we aim to uphold the highest standards of sustainability practices possible. Our makers are taught “zero-waste design” whereby they cut the fabric in a way that there is little fabric waste. Any remaining fabric or waste fabric is collected and used to make matching scrunchies and headbands for our garments. Smaller pieces are donated for the ladies to practice their skills or to make small toys for sale at our non-profit organisation’s boutique. Even the tiniest pieces are used as extra stuffing for toys and ornamental pillows, so literally nothing goes to waste.

We are currently working on two collections in partnership with two beautiful charities: Sambhali Trust based in Jodphur, India and Mantua Sewing Studio in Brisbane, Australia. As our brand grows, we hope to establish an extensive network of artisanal communities and not-for-profit organizations to support our collaborative partners and suppliers.

Both of our current partner organisations provide marginalised, under-utilised women with supportive skill-training opportunities along with fair, dignifying, inspiring employment in sewing and manufacturing.

We aim to not use any plastic throughout the entire manufacturing process and to use an alternative, eco-friendly packaging.

We will be using fabric tote bags created out of unwanted, vintage sarees to package our orders rather than standard plastic wrapping. These beautiful bags are a little keepsake for our valued customers which they can re-use when going shopping. Where possible we will be using Sendle, a carbon-neutral shipping service to deliver our orders and all orders will be sent in compostable mailing bags.

Sambhali Trust is an award-winning, multifaceted organisation that has helped more than 15000 vulnerable women and girls from poverty-stricken conditions since 2006. It has 24 projects running every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and helps more than 500 women and children every day to learn for free in a safe, inspiring environment. Mantua

Our upcycled collection (currently on hold due to COVID19 - to be released mid-late 2021) with Sambhali Trust is solely made from remnant, “deadstock” designer or artisanal fabrics that are unused (often collecting dust in warehouses) due to overproduction for larger brands. These are perfectly good fabrics that frequently end up in landfill or not used to their full potential. For this collection, we have handpicked luxurious handwoven, handdyed remnant fabrics which have been sourced from all over the silk route. Items will be extremely limited and cannot be reproduced once the fabric is used up.

For our artisanal collection (to be released Summer 2020/2021 made with Mantua Sewing), we are working alongside artisans in India who use ancient techniques to hand-dye and hand-weave our luxurious fabrics via a handloom.

We also have a few exciting, groundbreaking initiatives in place that will allow our customers to give back to our beautiful planet and to more vulnerable women and children even after their purchase! More to come on this – we can’t wait to share it with you. www.chamani.com.au | @chamani_official_

Wildflower & Oak Linen essentials and nursery decor, supporting female makers and donating birth kits to Haiti.

Wildflower & Oak is a Melbourne-based brand, founded by Elysia Hansen in 2017, who is filling the gap in the market for linen essentials and nursery decor. With a beautiful brand and wonderful mission, we were delighted to hear the story that leads her to where she is today.

Who is Wildflower & Oak? I started Wildflower and Oak while pregnant with my second son. I was noticing conscious parents everywhere seeking more from their baby brands.

Quality fabrics. Thoughtful production. Timeless design so that they could be treasured and handed down. Alongside this growing space was a refreshed obsession with pure linen and I thought the two were a perfect match. At the centre of everything we do is a focus on quality fabric and nature-inspired shades.

We want to make pieces that our Wildflower mamas will use for many years and many babies. We also wanted to create a cycle of giving back to mothers in need from day one. Whether we were selling 10 or 10,000 I wanted it to be built into everything we did.

Why was it important to you to create sustainable linen essentials and nursery decor?

It is often very difficult to know where something you purchase is made or who might have been harmed in the production. Following an ethical production route is slower, leaves smaller profit margins and creates unique challenges but I think the quality of the product and the difference in impact make it all worthwhile.

Tell us about your ethically sourced fabrics and decided to have them handdyed?

It is always a journey to find the perfect fit in a manufacturing partner and a fabric. It has absolutely been an adventure getting to the place we are now and it is continuing to evolve in 2020. The decision for hand dyeing was both a practical and an aesthetic move. It meant I could do small-batch shades without high minimum order quantities from my manufacturers and I could adjust the shades and adapt collections freely whenever I felt like a shift. Our debut shades were all inspired by nature. The maple leaf. The sage tones of the eucalyptus tree. A crisp blue sky. For our new collection, we are moving to a more neutral aesthetic. Think hot chocolates and sandy shores and the ivory shades you find in a little Greek clifftop village.

With each blanket purchased you donate One Clean Delivery Kit to Midwives for Haiti, tell us about your choice of charity partnership and why this resonates with you and your brand?

My husband and I spent time in Haiti before we had children and the challenges facing the women there never left me. Haiti has the highest maternal, neonatal and infant mortality rate of anywhere in the western hemisphere. There is only one doctor to every 8000 Haitians and one midwife to every 50,000 and the result is that far too many women die from largely preventable conditions when bringing their baby into the world. In many villages, there is what is known as a “matwònâ€? or a traditional birth attendant who supports women in delivering their babies. Often these men and women will have years of community experience but very little (if any) medical training. Midwives For Haiti have worked respectfully within the local customs to develop a training program that teaches safe birthing practices to these men and women in rural villages. As part of their program, they distribute clean birth kits with essential sterile equipment which is what we help to fund. www.midwivesforhaiti.org. www.wildflowerandoak.com | @wildflowerandoak

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flipslide Flipslide is the original natural rubber flip-flop slide, a sustainable reimagination of the tired old flip-flop. Founded through a crowdfunding campaign in 2019, it’s the brainchild of a Melbourne mum with over a decades experience in the footwear industry. Her mission was to create a simple shoe that wouldn’t fall in and out of fashion, was made from natural renewable materials, and was accessible to all without the high price tag sustainable fashion often carries.

Every component is made from natural rubber, sustainably tapped from rubber trees with no animal products or harmful chemicals added (as opposed to synthetic rubber and polyurethane foam commonly found in flip-flops). This means they’re waterproof, durable, supportive and better against your skin. To keep the environmental footprint low, moulds are utilised to minimise waste and production is located close to their natural rubber source in South-Eastern China. They are package in reusable produce bags, deliver in biodegradable waste corn satchels and offer an end of life recycling program through a partnership with TerraCycle.

After selling out of their launch range, Flipslide is back in time for summer with additional sizes and an extended range of natureinspired colours. flipslide.com.au | @flipslide_au

nenna swim Stylish, contemporary and protective swimwear for little human.

Nenna Swim founded in 2018 by Alia mama to two beautiful girls was created when she could not find a simple fit, made with high-quality fabrics.

Nenna Swim is proudly produced locally, slowly and kindly with a focus on mindfully designed pieces, using sustainable fabrics, made to the highest of quality. Creating timeless pieces with classic silhouettes, block colours and patterns that don’t cost our planet nor the people who craft them.

When each person makes small changes and conscious choices, it can make a huge difference; with this Nenna Swim thrives to integrate sustainable practices throughout their business, one of their key focal points is through their recycled and sustainable fabrics. Recycled lycra is innovative fabrics turn pre and post-industrial waste such as discarded fishing nets, the top part of Nylon carpets and tulle into the softest, durable and breathable swim fabrics. Linen s well as being natural and sustainable, linen is also extremely durable and wears well which means it will last the endless adventures your little humans will have and lastly Cotton is also hypoallergenic making it the perfect choice for your little humans’ clothing.

Not only are these mindfully designed pieces, using highquality sustainable fabrics, but they are also protecting little humans’ precious skin, with each swimwear offering UPF50+ sun protection. www.nennaswim.com.au | @nennaswim

Photographed by Coco and Stone Photography

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A thoughtful collection of handmade treasures inspired by our Earth-soul connection and spirit of adventure.

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Siren & Stone Siren & Stone was created from Jesse King (founder) love of making and exploring. From a young age, she had a passion for music and creative arts, dancing and learning to play the guitar from her Dad. After a few years working in a corporate environment, Jesse decided to explore this part of her life again taking up and learning various crafts as a hobby. “As I persisted and began to put some of my creations out into the world, I realised people loved them just as much as I enjoyed creating them”. Parallel to this, Jesse strived to live a more simple and environmentally aware lifestyle. These two passions merged into the business she runs today, creating beautiful environmentally conscious pieces.

In an industry largely driven by consumerism and mass-production, how are you aspiring to change time-honoured artist and small-batch creation?

On my journey, I began to uncover these timehonoured crafts such as weaving and botanical dyeing which have been practised for thousands of years in harmony with our planet. These timeless crafts have been passed down through generations and are still alive today continuing to sustain entire communities in various corners of the world. This really called to me and my desire to inspire slow, mindful craft and sustainability along with using small-batch creation, reclaiming materials and repurposing ‘waste’.

Can you tell us more about the process of botanical dyeing and how you started this craft?

Botanical dyeing is an organic and intuitive craft. There is so much room for experimentation so everyone’s creations are unique which is special. I first discovered the craft as I began researching sustainability in the fashion industry and the effect of commercial dyeing on people and the planet. I started experimenting immediately and haven’t looked back. Working with plant matter has deepened my connection with nature and has made me more aware there is inspiration everywhere.

chemicals being used to treat and brighten our clothes, this renders groundwater in some countries largely undrinkable and severely impacts the wellbeing of workers and local communities. The hard reality is that this is an ongoing cycle with approximately 6 tonnes of clothing going to landfill every 10 minutes in Australia alone. Through the use of botanical dyes, we are able to pursue a natural and sustainable alternative to create beautiful textiles without negatively impacting the environment. The natural dye process requires a minimal amount of water and is completely free from toxins and synthetic chemicals. Using natural pigments from the Earth means at the end of their life cycle botanically dyed pieces can largely return back to from where they came.

As each piece is so unique and beautiful. What inspires you for your next piece and how do you choose the colours for that piece?

I am constantly inspired by nature and its diverse colour palette. Experimenting and uncovering new shades and combinations is always exciting. The process for me has become less about what I can use to create a design and more so about sourcing sustainable fibres and materials and creating something beautiful from that.

Tell us about your latest collection?

What are the benefits of botanical dyes and how does it alter the path for our future fashion industry and the impact on the earth?

Each year, the textile industry produces around 80 billion garments with some mills using up to 200 tonnes of water per ton of dyed fabric. This, in turn, makes textile dyeing the second largest pollutant of clean water globally, after agriculture. During the colouring process, a large percentage of the dye does not bind to the fabric and is discarded. With thousands of synthetic

‘My Wild Heart’ is a thoughtful collection of handmade treasures inspired by our EarthSoul connection.

Making up the collection are a range of biodegradable scrunchies and headbands, aromatherapy eye-pillows and a small collection of handmade earrings. This has been my favourite collection to date and I am excited to continue building on that.

www.sirenandstone.com | @sirenandstone

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PURPOSE & PASSION Soulti’s aim is simple, “I want girls to feel comfortable in the water!” We had the pleasure of chatting to founder Maddison Jordan and learning about Soulti.

How did Soulti come to be?

Soulti

I’ve spent years trying to fit in with the boys in the water, though the truth of the matter is … we’re women. We have boobs and bums and we also have the same right as everyone else to be out in the water. So let’s accentuate our womanly curves with funky prints, and be the confident women we are!

EMPOWERING In a boy dominant sport, dripping wet with your bum out, girls can be easily intimidated...

After spending a lot of time in Indonesia I have designed the long-sleeved suits. I wanted to create surf attire where women feel comfortable in the water as well as respecting the beliefs of the cultures in which they surf.

The eco fabric also helps feed the soul as you know you’re investing in a product that is helping the environment.

PRACTICAL Trying to find swimwear that won’t pop a nip or fall to your ankles every time you duck dive isn’t easy. The struggle is real! Soulti’s firm fitting designs overcome this problem. With no buckles or straps, our designs are designed to stay on!

Why was it important to you to create a sustainable swimwear line and can you walk us through your choice of Eco Fabrics?

Soulti is spreading awareness of what you can do as a community and also individual in your home and throughout your day to day life. As much as we are the tattooed generation we are also the plastic generation. Soulti is sharing more than swimwear. We are connecting women to share a high vibration lifestyle.

Influencing new habits you can easily slip into your lifestyle that will help the environment and the ocean we live in.

The fabric we use is made from recycled fishing nets. A team of divers collect the ghost nets from sea beds, (you can also donate any nets from beach clean-ups). The Nets are cleaned, melted and re-spun into yarn. A small amount of elastic is weaved in with the yarn. We purchase the raw fabric and print our retro prints and create swimwear pieces. Fast fashion is the second biggest contributor to

landfill. Soulti aims to reuse the plastics we already have in our environment rather than creating new synthetics.

As much as I dislike talking about COVID it has also brought a new fear of germs, of sharing utensils and reusing items. Keep-cups are banded and restaurants are using disposable cutlery. Soulti has changed our bamboo straws to metals straws. We also give an eco straw with each purchase meaning customers have no excuse to use a plastic straw again.

Where do you draw your design inspiration for your collection?

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Road trips Van life Vintage curtains Sunset tones

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Nature Picnics Bush hikes Op shop finds

How would you like to see Souli grow in the future?

I Have so many ideas brewing for Soulti. I’d like to influence more events. At the moment I’m working on bringing an eco essential pack together with reusable products such as an eco razer, straw etc. Providing products that are affordable and easily accessible is essential to get women to commit to a plastic-free life.

Tell us about your latest collection and how your designs promote body confidence?

At the moment I am designing a practical yet flattering top for women with larger breast size.

We use seamless seems for a more sleek design that doesn’t dig in. Soulti suits are designed for practicality, so holding their shape and staying on In the water provides a more comfortable enjoyable experience. We have incorporated a variety of cuts to suit women through to tanners. The lady suit and lady’s bottoms are named after the “lady”. This suit is designed to accentuate the womanly curves and rather then trying to fit in with the boys in the water, these are designed to make you stand out as a goddess of the sea.

Soulti has created a program ‘Drink for a Corse’, for every metal eco straw sold we donate one to a warung in need, to help spread the single-use plastic awareness. Local events DnD is sponsored by Soulti, to help support the younger generation of girls to get out there and continue surfing. Use the code word ‘smallcollective’ to get 20% off your next order with soulti. www.soultisurf.com | @soultisurf

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Archer Eyewear Quailty eyewear for the earth conscious Archer eyewear is a sustainable eyewear brand operating from the scenic town of Batemans Bay in NSW run by wife and husband duo Rhiannon and Michael. The brand bloomed in early 2018 after the birth of their son Archer, he inspired them to pursue their dreams of launching a product that they were in desperate need of at the time - comfortable eyewear that wasn’t plastic. “We had struggled for years to find decent sunglasses that were affordable, comfortable, and suited our faces”.

We got to know Rhiannon and discovered how Archer eyewear came to be.

“I remember buying a $300 pair of designer shades one year and I was so disappointed because they sat crooked on my face, didn’t really suit me and they left me with a headache, the experience was so impersonal. We both thought, there has to be a better option here. We curated a small collection of designs that we knew would suit the majority of people, then added all the bells and whistles designer shades offer, but without the expensive price tag! During our design process, we discovered that wood is much more sustainable and comfier than plastic sunglasses. It’s also biodegradable and won’t leave a lasting impact on our planet like most sunglasses sitting in landfill will.

Having children really opens your eyes to the world we live in and the world they will live in, we had to do something about it. In 2019 we partnered with ecowarriors, Carbon Neutral, who plant thousands of seedlings and saplings across outback Australia’s agricultural region every year. We decided that for every

pair of sunglasses sold, a native tree would be planted too. This is something that we are really proud of and we have been able to plant many trees since launching, it also makes our customers feel good about their purchase.

Starting an eyewear brand online was a risky decision and we knew there was lots of competition. Luckily our initial customers had a lot to say and spread the good word fast, our brand grew quickly within the first few months and we’ve been growing ever since.

Our range now offers stylish designs for both men and women that are equipped with polarised UV400 lenses for high sun protection, scratch-resistant lenses because let’s be real.. everyone drops their shades, Flexi spring hinges for that perfect fit feeling and a comfortable wooden frame for all-day wear. Plus, our easy to use virtual try-on feature takes all the guesswork out of choosing a pair of shades!”

Archer eyewear has a gorgeous new summer range launching that features a classic round shape and a new stylish cateye with gradient lenses. You can stay up to date with our new products via our social media pages.

Archer eyewear is stocked in boutique retailers across Australia and has recently launched an easy to use virtual try-on feature. A beautiful way to see which glasses suit your face from the comfort of wherever you are in the world.

www.archereyewear.com.au | @archereyewear

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betty & eve Betty & Eve is a collection of relaxed, timeless women’s clothing, hand-built ceramics and art.

Who is Betty & Eve? I’ve always loved making art, and a few years ago, after becoming aware of how detrimental the fashion industry is to our planet, I began making a lot of clothing for myself. I had just deferred my second year of uni, feeling a bit lost and not sure what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go, but knowing whatever I ended up doing, that I wanted it to be fulfilling while also making a difference in the world. So the idea surfaced of a creating a little clothing brand; slowly made, timeless, quality pieces in natural fibres - an option for conscious shoppers without the hefty price tag that often comes with ethical and sustainable brands. I also wanted to continue practising art, and it just felt right to include this in Betty & Eve. Why was it important for you to create sustainable products?

In the past, I had worked for a couple of fast fashion brands and saw first hand the amount of waste and the push to “buy buy buy” and I felt guilty, and at that stage, I hadn’t even looked into the ethical and environmental implications of fashion. After doing my research and learning of the waste, pollution and violation of human rights of so many garment workers, I knew that if I was going to produce clothing, that I’d do it responsibly and try to educate others and create change one step at a time.

Tell us about your love for working with your hands across our your crafts( art, clothing, ceramics).

I love working with my hands and making things myself. My mind is constantly overflowing with ideas and its so exciting to be able to bring these ideas to life with just my hands and I’m always surprising myself with what I can achieve. I feel like I’ve given myself so much creative freedom through Betty & Eve that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop making things! Working and creating with your hands is such a satisfying and fulfilling thing, I feel very privileged that I get to share my work with people.

What has it been like growing up “in the biggest little town in Australia” and how have you found this to impact your creativity?

I grew up in the countryside in the Northern Rivers and moved to Mullumbimby almost 6 years ago. I just love the area and love living in Mullum, it has such a great sense of community, is full of funny characters,

and it’s a strong source of inspiration. The location is incredible, we’re surrounded by beautiful beaches and National Parks, it’s really just the best place to get your creative juices flowing.

Tell us about your latest collections and your beautiful life cycle?

All of my designs just begin as an idea of a garment that I’d like to see in my wardrobe and that I know I’d wear a lot.

I take inspiration from a lot of things; nature, photography, and even clothing in old TV shows or movies. I usually sketch down ideas when they come to me and I’ll ponder over them, sometimes for months, before I’ve decided exactly how I want it to look and what colours will suit the design best. Then I’ll draft a pattern and make the first sample, tweaking as I go to get the perfect fit. I always take a new design for a few test drives to make sure it’s just what I want before I grade the pattern into various sizes. Then I’ll cut the pattern pieces from the linen of choice and sew a small batch of garments.

I work in small batches because it avoids deadstock, and allows more time for other ideas and designs to come to life.

Do you partake in any Community and charitable giving as a brand?

I donate a small percentage from every sale to charities and organisations that are doing good things. I focus on one charity for a month or two, then move onto another instead of sticking to the one organisation. Some of the charities I’ve donated to in the past include WIRES, Seedmob & Friends of the Koala. I’m now looking into groups that are replanting native bushland and protecting reefs for my next donations. www.bettyandeve.com | @_bettyandeve

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Tip 1. Light - Light is everything early mornings or those last hours of light at the end of the day - that is magic hour. You will understand when you see the difference it makes. The light has to be behind you, but you can also play with light in front of you in those last minutes as the sun goes down.

5 TIPS

TO MASTER YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY WITHOUT BEING A PROFESSIONAL! Words by Nikki Langford | @kombilife

When the light dances across the glistening fields or shines on to someone face in such a way it makes there eyes sparkle, that is why they call it the magic hour and if that in itself doesn’t want to make you pick up a camera or even just play around on your iPhone then maybe a few tips and trick may entice you.

I’m a self-taught photographer and even that title makes me cringe a little as I still have so much to learn about photography. And was always that person that was so envious of people who Capture amazing photos.

So one day I just picked up my camera and started taking photos, those beautiful frozen moments in time and I’ll tell you what when you do that you will realise the true collateral beauty that comes in the lens of the camera. You will see the world in such a beautiful way that when you embrace the trickery of light it can change everything within a photo.

Tip 2. Cleaning - Make sure your lens is clean, on your camera or your phone as it can make your photos blurry.

Tip 3. Self-timer - You don’t have to miss out in being in the picture, try self-timer.

Tip 4. Apps - Have you ever wondered how some pictures pop with colour, it can be as easy as a few APPS. I use PS Express and Lightroom. Sometimes pictures can benefit from a little bit of editing in adjusting light and altering colours.

Tip 5. No limit - Don’t be afraid to take an extreme amount of photos, by a continuous snapping you are then able to capture a real natural shot. You can have it structured and set up, but by creating movement, laughter, an expression is where you can make a whole difference within a beautiful natural shot.

You don’t have to be a photographer to take a beautiful picture, you just have to see the world in a different light.

You don’t even have to go out and buy a new fan-dangle camera, you are probably already holding one in your hand right now, your handbag or in your pocket, your iPhone can capture beautiful moments too. Moments that are one I’m a lifetime.

Time to start snapping - your life is for of moments and memories why not capture them.

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Tell us about the art behind the jewellery?

Art for me started in high school. I was accepted into Mosman High School’s Art Program and met Mr Grant. He really pushed me as an artist and sparked my love of Picasso and Matisse. My art has naturally progressed from abstract landscape to the art that you see in Elso Jewellery. My one-line drawings started as a stress relief. On days when I am feeling anxious or stressed I channel my energy through my pen and paper. As I grow, my art grows and I can’t wait to see how that translates to Elso Jewellery.

What Does sustainability mean to you and how is it not dictated by trends or seasons?

Elso Jewellery Elso Jewellery was established with a vision to create timeless pieces of wearable art for men and women. Each piece is designed by Elena Strohfeldt, drawing on experiences in art, fashion and beauty, and made to order by local Melbourne artisans. Elena saw an opportunity to connect these two industries by creating more than jewellery: wearable pieces of art.

There are four values embedded in Elso Jewellery: Sustainability: Elso Jewellery understands the finite nature of the environment and wants to protect it as best they can. They are advocates for conscious consuming.

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Quality: Elso Jewellery believes in creating the best product using the best materials and practices. Each Elso Jewellery piece is designed with integrity. Creating pieces that can be cherished forever.

2. Inclusivity: Elso Jewellery believes that art and jewellery know no bounds, they are not restricted by age, gender or ethnicity. Each piece is designed with their customers in mind. Enabling their jewellery to be worn and enjoyed by all.

3. Giving Back: Utilising i=change, $5 from every purchase goes to one of three causes: Protect A Woman, Post Fire Support and Help Kids With Cancer.

When did you discover your love of jewellery?

I think that I have always had a love of jewellery and design. I would draw on anything I could get my hands on whether it was a napkin at a restaurant or a post-it note on my desk. It wasn’t until I turned 20 that my doodles turned into jewellery designs. I was inspired everywhere I went and always carried a notebook on me just in case, I still do. It took me 6 years to work up the courage to launch my own brand and jump headfirst into doing something that I love. I haven’t looked back.

Sustainability to me equals conscious consuming.

Less is truly more. I believe that sustainability is more than just recycling or being eco-friendly. It is about using your power as a brand and your voice to raise awareness for sustainability practices. I want to see sustainability as a norm, not just a marketing label.

It should be an expectation not an extra. At Elso Jewellery I think about each and every process and how it impacts the environment and the community.

We use recycled materials in our jewellery wherever possible, all packaging (even down to the name tag) is made from 100% eco-friendly materials, we donate $5 from every purchase with i=change to organisations close to our hearts and we support fellow Australian small businesses through our supplier choices.

How can consumers make more ethical and sustainable choices through their choices of jewellery?

I believe that with so much information at our fingertips, the best way consumers can make more ethical and sustainable choices is through research.

Before you make a purchase look into the brand and their values. Do they align with you? Are they making conscious steps towards being more ethical and sustainable? Brands are also so much more approachable, especially with social media. Don’t be afraid to send them an email or a private message via social media and ask where they have sourced their materials from or ask how their pieces are made.

A person’s purchase has the power to make a difference. Consumers can support businesses with great initiatives that benefit the community and the environment by making a purchase. I truly encourage consumers to support small businesses, each sale makes such an impact on those individuals and their hard work. When you purchase from a small business, somewhere someone is dancing in excitement.

Photographed: Kruz Creations Photography www.elsojewellery.com.au | @elso.jewellery

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simétrie

eye symbol in the print too, which is representative of our inner selves and our connection to nature. We manufacture this product with Kim Ryan, a talented craftswoman who expertly hand-makes our production of this bag from her home-atelier in Ballarat, Victoria.

Traditional bag making techniques are often hand made. We combine handmade techniques with contemporary bag shapes to offer our customers a handbag to love for lifetimes.

Building and serving community is really important to us as we grow our brand as we want to support others grow with us too. We do this by teaching our craft through a series of bag making workshops, so we can pass on our learnings in the traditional techniques of bag making and see others flourish the same skills that were passed down to us. We have also collaborated with SisterWorks, a female-founded organisation who supports women from migrant and refugee backgrounds to develop the Sister Tote and Sister Zip Pouch.

The simétrie mission is balancing aesthetics and ethics with our handcrafted handbag collections. We love beautiful bags, but we love the planet too. We choose non-toxic natural materials like vegetable-tanned kangaroo leather, hemp canvas, water-based glues and dyes and avoid plastic reinforcement materials to create our bags to ensure the safety of our workers during their creation and minimal environmental impact from their raw material creation to their afterlife. The other great thing about our materials is that their sturdy and repairable, so you’ll be carrying your piece of simétrie for a lot longer than your average handbag. We also believe that expert craftsmanship deserves fair pay and as the majority of offshore fashion supply chain workers are often women and underpaid, we choose to make our collections locally in Melbourne and Ballarat by talented craftswomen, so we know exactly who and how our bags are made and ensure they are paid fairly for their incredible work.

The Thick Tote is an everyday tote made from a heavy weight hemp canvas. We love hemp as a material as it has much less impact on the environment than cotton in its production, and is super strong, UV resistant and hypoallergenic. We collaborated with Mosey Me to design the Elemental print that features all over the bag.

The print was inspired by nature’s elements, mountain ranges, and of course the crescent moon, which features throughout our leather collections. We included our

We believe female education and work opportunities are the keys to personal fulfilment and empowerment, so we love what they do at SisterWorks and are honoured to work with them on this and future collections.

Photographer: Mattias Ogger Model: Bisaahr from Duval Agency www.simetrie.com.au | @_simetrie

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1.Achre Eyewear - Hazel $139 2. Small Collective Issue 04 - $13.95 3. Oddish the label-LOLITA Sienna Dress - $260 4. Simetrie - thick tote / elemental print 5. Nativ Basics - Classic’s - Blue Vintage Brief - $24 6. Flip Side - River Sand - $29 Left page illustration by Maddy Ramsay | @maddyyramsaydesigns_

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STRESS IS A PROBLEM. PERIOD. Prolonged and frequent stress wreaks havoc on the delicate balance of period hormones¹ that ensures you have a period that comes on time, and with minimal symptoms.

In times of stress, (physical, emotional, mental or chemical) the body’s sympathetic nervous system is activated. This is commonly known as the fight or flight response and is designed to protect us in a life threatening situation, like having to flee from a burning building.

HOW DEEP B R E AT H I N G C AN B E T H E S T R E S SFIGHTING SOLUTION F O R YO U R P M S & P E R I O D S Y M P T O M S! Stress can be your period’s worst enemy.

On the other hand, the hormone progesterone can be your period’s best friend when it’s in balance.

Here’s the stressful truth - in times of constant pressure, overload and stress, progesterone gets depleted, causing hormone imbalance, PMS, and period symptoms to come flooding in.

The good news is, deep breathing is an easy technique everybody can use that can help manage stress, balance progesterone and fight off pesky period symptoms.

Demi Spaccavento is a passionate women’s health educator, author and high school teacher. She has presented to thousands of students across NSW Australia, helping them to be in tune with their body and never have to dread their period again. Demi has no filter when it comes to talking about periods and believes that we should never be kept in the dark about our own bodies. She believes that the menstrual cycle does not have to be your enemy - it can be your greatest tool for better health and wellbeing!

For LOTS of info about how you can have a better period, head to demi website, Instagram or Facebook: www.brightgirhealth.com/shop | @brightgirlhealth

Just like we have hormones that control our menstrual cycles such as oestrogen and progesterone, we also have hormones that control the stress response, like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are helpful in emergency situations to ensure that we can pump blood to our muscles to run away from danger, keep alert, and stay safe². The problem arises when this fight or flight response is activated too often in non-life-threatening situations, when the body is not in actual danger but ‘perceived’ danger.

Situations of perceived danger might be public speaking, getting stuck in traffic, work deadlines, relationship drama, or being blocked from a group chat!

In the fight or flight state, the body makes a metaphorical priority list.

If you’re in danger (real or perceived) the body works to pump more blood around the body to skeletal muscles, makes breathing more rapid, and increases heart rate and blood sugar². These physical responses require energy and resources and get an automatic boost to the top of the priority list.

Do you know what goes down the bottom of the priority list?

Fertility. Having babies, ovulating, and getting a period.

When the body perceives danger it diverts energy and resources away from making your menstrual cycle happen, in order to send the troops to ‘more important’ places. Heightened levels of cortisol also impacts the important communication between our brain , and ovaries¹³, which are in charge of creating the right period hormones, in the right amounts at the right times.

As a result, being too stressed too much of the time, we can , experience more of the following period issues¹³: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Irregular periods Short cycle Long cycles Missing periods Heavy bleeding Mid-cycle spotting More PMS symptoms Breast pain Mood swings Anxiety and feelings of depression Digestive issues Headaches Fertility challenges

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D E E P B R E AT H I N G: A S I M P L E B U T EFFECTIVE SOLUTION Breathing is easy, right? Everyone does it all day every day.

THE ART OF DEEP BREATHING

Did you know that many people breathe in a way that is limiting?

Taking shallow breaths into the chest, with shoulders rising and falling can actually fuel anxiety⁴.

At first, breathing into your diaphragm might feel unnatural because it’s unfamiliar, or maybe because we’ve been taught to suck our belly in to look thinner. Stick with it! It gets easier with practise.

On the other hand, deep breathing can relieve anxiety and relax the body⁴.

One of the biggest keys to switching off your body’s sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) is to breathe deeply into your diaphragm⁵, letting your belly fill up with air as you inhale, and deflate with a slow, relieving exhale. This helps to activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system⁴, which has the opposite effect to the sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is associated with ‘rest and digest’ or ‘feed and breed’² (breeding is where our fertility and period comes in!). In ‘feed and breed’ mode, our heart rate and blood pressure decreases, and our body can go back to making , healthy, balanced period hormones⁵².

WIN!

When trying to take a deep breath many people suck in as much air as possible quickly and forcefully. This makes deep breathing much harder.

Here are a few tips to make deep breathing easy: • • • • •

• , Deep breathing can¹⁶:

• • • • • • • • • •

Draw your breath in slowly and steadily. Exhale slowly.

Inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth Count the seconds as you inhale and exhale Make your exhale longer than your inhale Aim for ‘horizontal breathing’, with your belly going out and in, rather than ‘vertical breathing’ with your shoulders going up and down.

Visualise the air going through your nostrils, down your throat, into your diaphragm, and back out through your mouth. Think about the path it’s taking through your body.

Minimise anxiety and stress Promote better sleep Promote hormone balance Minimise period and PMS symptoms Help regulate period Elevate mood Aid digestion Help boost progesterone levels Lower cortisol levels Promote good mental health

SOURCES: Trickey, R. (2011). Women, Hormones and the Menstrual cycle (3rd ed.). Victoria, Australia: Trickey Enterprises.

Lumen Learning. Boundless Anatomy and Physiology. Retrieved form https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ boundless-ap/chapter/functions-of-the-autonomic-nervous-system/ Damti OB, et al. (2008). Stress and Distress in Infertility Among Women. Harefuah, 147(3), 256-276.

Zaccaro, A., et al. (2018). How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on PsychoPhysiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 12(353). https://doi.org/10.3389/ fnhum.2018.00353 Jerath, R., et al. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical hypotheses, 67(3), 566–571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2006.02.042 Jerath, R., et al. (2015). Self-regulation of breathing as a primary treatment for anxiety. Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 40(2), 107–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-015-9279-8

DEEP BREATHING

INHALING

EXHALING

D E E P B R E AT H I N G E X E R C I S E 4,4,6!

Here is a simple but effective breathing exercise to get started with: 1. BREATHE IN THROUGH NOSE (ensure your belly expands) - 4 seconds 2. HOLD BREATH 4 second (Level up: 7 seconds) 3. BREATHE OUT THROUGH MOUTH (your belly deflates) - 6 seconds (Level up: 8 seconds) As you do this exercise focus on your breath.

Visualise it moving through your body.

Think about the way it feels as it passes through your nostrils and down your throat.

Try your best to be present in the moment, putting aside other thoughts and feelings.

This will help you to get the most out of the breathing exercise.

Further instructions: FREQUENCY Do this exercise every day, or even multiple times a day for best results. At the very least, do it when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or overly excited.

DURATION This exercise can be done for a few seconds, a few minutes, or even 10-20 minutes. If you’re feeling more stressed and in need of more rest, you can do it for longer. If you only have a few seconds in your car before heading into work, take those few seconds to breathe deeply.

LOCATION You can do this exercise anywhere, but when getting started it’s good to find a quiet place without distractions. As you get more familiar with the exercise, you can try doing it wherever you find yourself, even in places like a train, a shopping mall, or in a park.

POSITION When doing this exercise for a longer period of time, it’s best to sit somewhere comfortable. Otherwise, it can be done laying down, standing, or wherever you find yourself when you feel you need to take a moment to breathe. Ideally, you would have your eyes closed, however, if you’re in the middle of class or a work meeting, you can still practice deep breathing while carrying out a task.

EFFECTIVENESS/QUALITY Get the most effective result by coupling deep breathing exercises with a guided meditation. Boost its effectiveness by taking a holistic approach to supporting hormone balance with a healthy diet, regular movement/exercise, good sleep and other strategies for positive mental and physical health.

Deep breathing is not a ‘magic pill’ solution to all your period problems, but it’s definitely an underutilised key to managing anxiety and quickly calming the body into a state where it can focus on the production of reproductive hormones.

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BREATHE @OLIVEROSE.DESIGNS

Three Restorative Yoga Shapes To Help You Sleep Restorative yoga is the perfect opportunity to disconnect from the hustle of daily life and focus on relaxing the body and mind. There are some shapes that are known to induce and improve the quality of your sleep, making restorative yoga the perfect ritual to enjoy prior to bedtime. Using a bolster makes each pose more accessible and helps support your weight so your muscles can fully release. The best part? Once you’re in the pose, all you have to do is lie there and breathe.

Supta Baddha Konasana Reclining bound angle pose

Viparita Karani Legs up the wall

Great for: The Type-A worker bee who needs to surrender to rest.

Great for: The high achiever that needs to take a chill pill

Benefits:

Great for: The insomniac who needs to get to sleep

Benefits:

•

•

•

• • •

Stimulates the heart and improves general circulation Stretches the inner thighs, groins, and knees Helps relieve the symptoms of stress, menstruation and menopause Calms the nervous system

• • •

Relieves tired and cramped legs and feet Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck Relieves headaches and lower back pain Calms the mind

Restorative Savasana

Benefits:

• •

Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression Relaxes the body and reduces blood pressure and anxiety Reduces headache, fatigue, and insomnia

How To: Start with your legs stretched out in front of you and your back upright. Place your bolster behind you at your sacrum. Gently start to lean back on your bolster and let your thighs fall open while keeping the soles of your feet together. Let your arms fall alongside your body, palms up, or put one hand on your heart and the other hand on your lower abdomen. Take several deep breaths and relax.

How To: Place your bolster parallel to and four to six inches away from the wall. Sit with your right hip and legs along the wall and then slowly swing your legs against the wall as you lean back and ease onto the backside of your body. Adjust your hips so the bolster is comfortably underneath your sacrum. Stay anywhere from 5-10 minutes or as long as you are comfortable.

How To: Place your bolster long ways underneath your knees. Bring your arms away from your body and allow the palms to face upwards. Let your body completely relax and focus on taking long, deep breaths. If you tend to get cold, drape a blanket over your body. You might be so relaxed that you fall asleep in this position!

(Note: if it’s uncomfortable on your hips, groins or inner thighs, place a block or pillow underneath each knee to provide support. To get out of the pose, use your hands to bring your knees back together and slowly roll off the bolster.

When you’re ready to leave the pose, bend your knees and slide your feet down the wall. Roll onto either side and pause there, taking a few deep breaths before gently pushing up to a sitting position.

Caution: If any posture causes pain or doesn’t feel right in your body, slowly get out of the pose. Even though these postures are supported, they still may not be appropriate for you due to injury or health conditions. When in doubt, listen to your body.

Photographed by Grace Petroul, featuring Kin North’s Melbourne-made Linen Yoga Bolsters.

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odette

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With an eclectic musical palette, we had the pleasure of getting to chat with Sydney based singer songwriter Odette.

Who is Odette and who inspired you to become a musician?

I’m not certain about who I am yet, but I know that Odette is my longest-standing project. She embodies expression and boldness. She’s fearless. I became a musician when I was very young because I was obsessed with sounds and their textures. I wanted to find the most satisfying combinations. This started with my childhood piano and has recently expanded to my endeavours by using Logic on my Laptop. I’m always looking for new combinations, things that mirror the wordless textures I feel under my skin.

What is your creative process?

I don’t really have a specific creative process. I suppose that’s because I’ve never really thought about it. When I create, It feels like I am being pushed deeper into my head, removed from whatever space I’m in and that can happen anywhere at any time. Sometimes it feels like it’s not even a conscious choice, it just happens.

What impact has COVID-19 had on you as an artist and how did you overcome these obstacles?

Well, it hasn’t been great for my mental health but I’m privileged enough that I live in a country where healthcare is accessible during this crisis.

In this time, what have you been working on?

I’ve released ‘Feverbeak’, a single off of my upcoming album that was a collaboration between myself and Hermitude. I’ve also featured on Alice Ivy’s new album on a track called ‘I’ll Find It’.

Aside from that, I’m working on the visuals and creative side of things at the moment.

If you could snapshot a moment in time, what has been your most memorable performance and why?

Splendour in The Grass 2018. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life. The tent was packed to the point where people were pooling at the edges. I had never experienced something like that in my entire life, the roar of thousands of people who had come to see me. It was beautiful.

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

I would tell them not to follow me. Don’t follow anyone’s footsteps.

My journey has been a difficult one and I think every day on whether I have made the right choices for myself, whether I was too young when I decided my life. I think everyone feels this way to some degree. If you want to be a successful musician, focus on the music, make something from the heart. Ignore the seductive siren call of social climbing and fake smiling. Do your research if a company approaches you. Make measured decisions. If you are an artist then focus on your art. Work hard. Try to the best of your ability and know that it is enough, no matter the pressure or expectations of others. Listen to yourself, trust yourself, believe in yourself. Good luck my friends. @Odette | Photographed by EMI music

CREATING REGENERATIVE FOOD SYSTEMS AND WHY FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IS IMPORTANT Food sovereignty should be a policy in all states where people get access to healthy and locally produced food through sustainable methods.

For instance, the global pandemic has led people to put up an urban farming system to source their nutrition.

Big agricultural lands already pose a problem to farmers and consumers who are aware of unruly practices on the farm. That’s why there’s a need for sustainable and regenerative food systems with the need for small scale farmers.

How regenerative food systems and sovereignty benefit stakeholders Regenerating food systems supports the empowerment of farmers and the transition to more sustainable planting and land use.

Small scale farms and employment Small scale farms are easier to manage and create autonomy and equity work for farmers. There are concentrated and focused works in tilling the soil, managing the crops through the season, and preparing them for distribution.

There’s also high employment offers for the agricultural sector when work is broken up to small scale farms.

Reusability and sustainability practices Big industrial farms make use of chemical growers, fertilizers, and pesticides to grow food to supply the demand for it in the city. This practice degenerates the nutritional value of our crops and can make people sick in the process.

By decentralizing agricultural farms, each plantation can reuse organic wastes for composting. This serves reusability of natural plant wastes that big farmsteads often throw in landfills.

Healthier crops As mentioned above, when farmsteads make use of compost and organic fertilizers, crops are more prone to grow healthily. This provides nutritious food to the consumers upon buying and prepping the meal at home. During this global health crisis, eating nutritiously is important to boost our immune system.

Easy distribution of produce Unlike centralized industrial farms, there are unruly practices when it comes to distributing the produce to local markets. Introducing a regenerative food system and food sovereignty allow small scale farms to deliver the foods from farm to table.

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There are also local practices and public-private partnerships to help market and distribute the produce in pop-up markets where farmers get to interact directly with the buyers.

Self-dependent partnerships The term ‘farm to table’ also allows businesses such as hotels, restaurants, or cafes to buy directly from small scale farmers without the hassle of going paper process from bugger farms.

These partnerships allow a more intimate growth and self-dependence from the farms itself. Sometimes, these businesses consign certain crops that only the farm can produce through proper tilling of the soil.

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Cultivating diverse spaces Food sovereignty allows individuals to grow their farms at their homes. This helps the community fight plastic and organic wastes loitering in the landfills. What’s more, growing food in the backyard allows homeowners to eat delicious food coming straight from their own homes.

Likewise, metropolitan cities get to benefit from a green living space where plants and fruits grow rampantly for the community. But what’s worth is the transformation of the cityscape to a sustainable jungle of life.

Can mushrooms replace plastic?

Plastic – it’s everywhere and it lasts for a long time. It is undeniable that we are drowning in a sea of plastic waste since only 9% of all the plastic ever made has been recycled and most of it ends up either flooding landfills or polluting the natural environment.

ADVANTAGES OF MUSHROOM PLASTIC

Besides being more eco-friendly one it is disposed of; this mushroom plastic also uses very little resources compared to traditional petroleum-based plastic! The process of growing this mushroom takes about a week and requires minimal water and energy.

Needless to say, we need to do something about this plastic pollution crisis if we want to preserve our planet for future generations to enjoy.

Thankfully, new innovations are coming in and showing us that plastic can become a thing of the past. One of the most promising substitutions which could very well make petroleum plastic kick the bucket are mushrooms.

On the contrary, the growing process helps reduce the amount of agriculture waste, since it uses these scraps as a basis for the mushroom plastic and gives it another purpose. Many of these scraps would usually end up in a landfill, where they would lack the access to oxygen and would not decompose properly, releasing methane in the process. That is very significant since methane is a greenhouse gas which is 84 times more potent than CO2. Mushroom plastic can help us avoid waste as well as climate change!

THE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

IS MUSHROOM PLASTIC THE FUTURE?

40% of the plastic produced nowadays is used as packaging. Ecovative Design is working to put a stop to this. They use agricultural waste such as corn stalks which are then put into a mould with the addition of mycelium (the root structure of mushrooms) which binds them together, creating a strong material. The product is then cooked to stop the growth of the mushroom and a polystyrene-like mushroom plastic alternative is born.

It looks like mushroom plastic has great potential to replace some kinds of plastic which we use in our daily lives. This technology may not be the solution to all of our plastic waste, because of the structure of the mycelium, but there are other innovations which could replace additional forms of plastic which we should not be forgetting about. It is unlikely that a single innovation will replace all of our plastic, but a set of different ones might just do the trick.

Plastic takes hundreds of years to degrade in nature and when it does fall apart, it’s not to become one with the earth – it decomposes into microplastics, which go on polluting the environment for more centuries.

This particular process enables them to grow the mushroom into any form they need and helps them create other plastic material alternatives too, besides packaging. With most recent technologies, they are also able to alter the density of the plastic-like structures, which opens up even more possibilities! Ecovative Design has expressed that they are also interested in helping create alternative construction materials out with the use of mycelium!

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SHARING THE FASCINATING WORLD OF FUNGI Urban farmers Amy Christensen and Mickey Pascoe, owners of Little Acre Gourmet Mushrooms, are on a mission to educate people about the fascinating world of fungi.

Amy says people’s limited experience of mushrooms in Australia means they are in the dark about fungi and the vast array of varieties people can grow themselves.

MAKE YOUR OWN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF MUSHROOMS And did we mention, no soil or sun needed!

What you need to get growing:

“We had never spared mushrooms a thought until we were gifted our first mushroom grow kit. After fruiting it on our kitchen bench, we became obsessed and started experimenting growing them under our house. And it all grew from there,” Amy said.

•

Quickly outgrowing their at-home operation, the couple now grows: Pink Oyster, Golden Oyster, White Oyster, King Brown, Shiitake, Lion’s Mane and Cinnamon Cap mushrooms at their container farm in Brisbane and supply their awardwinning gourmet produce to local fine-dining restaurants.

•

“Once we realised most of these species were only available from overseas, we were keen to start growing them here in Brisbane. We wanted to provide a local source so people could enjoy fresh gourmet mushrooms that didn’t travel thousands of kilometres before making it onto their plate,” Amy said.

Urban farming has always been a dream for the duo, who say sustainable agricultural practices are key to food production.

“We’re really passionate about reconnecting people with their food sources. When you go through the process of growing your own food, you develop a deep appreciation for it, and for food production more broadly, meaning you hopefully won’t want to waste it!” Amy said.

The pair have developed mushroom grow kits and a practical online course to share their mushroom methods with the wider community.

“Mushrooms are the perfect thing to grow in the city. They don’t require soil and can be grown indoors.

“We teach people easy, low-tech methods to grow their own delicious gourmet mushrooms and once you know-how, you can do it over and over again,” Amy said.

•

Organic substrate (we use organic sugar cane mulch and Australian hardwood pellets) Organic nutrients (we use organic wheat bran) Mushroom spawn (choose a variety that grows well in your climate)

•

Small bucket

•

Large bucket

•

pH booster

•

Alcohol wipes

•

Spray bottle

•

Gloves

Prepare the soaking mixture and hydrate the substrate in a bucket.

After two hours, drain the bucket and squeeze the substrate.

Add the nutrients and mushroom spawn and give it a good mix.

Return the substrate mixture to the bucket and pack down tightly.

After 10-14 days baby mushrooms will emerge. Mist with water regularly.

Amy and Mickey have taught hundreds of people over the past two years and say they are excited about the growing interest in mushrooms.

“We never get tired of seeing a person’s eyes light up when they see our colourful mushrooms. Some people can’t believe they’re real!”

“We’re so keen to share our passion and knowledge, and introduce as many people as possible to the wonderful world of mushrooms,” Amy said.

What’s involved with DIY mushroom growing “We’ve shortened our online video tutorial into this brief guide to show you how easy it is to grow your own gourmet mushrooms. This simple method can be tailored for the type of mushroom you have selected to grow but there’s so much more to know. The ideal growing conditions are different for each variety and you’ll need to get the temperature, humidity and airflow just right to ensure your fungi flourish!”

Your mushrooms will double in size every day.

Harvest and enjoy!

The Little Acre DIY Mushroom Mini Farm comes with everything you need to get started, including an online step-by-step video tutorial to take you through the specifics. Or take it one step further and get lifetime access to their online masterclass with over 20 video modules and 3 hours of dedicated mushroom growing content, downloadable resources and live Q&As. Feeling a little less adventurous? Grab one of their amazing mushroom grow kits.

Learn more at littleacre.com.au | @littleacremushrooms

DID YOU KNOW YOU DON’ T NEED SOIL TO GROW PLANTS AND V E G E TA B L E S ?

Catus

Plants To successfully propagate most plants, you will need to start with a tip cutting—a stem that is ideally 6 inches long and attached to a leaf. (the importance of the stem, is to ensure the roots can sprout, without a stem you will only sprout decorative leaves and not tree).

Vegetables

Pothos

Whether you have an existing garden or buying currently from your local produce market or store, you can renew your vegetables, instead of throwing away “the scrapes or leftovers”. Though note to have a thriving garden you will need soil eventually but initially, you can create your very own circular garden just in water!

Vegetables with leaves (Lettuce, Bok Choy, Cabbage...) need to be cut off from the bottom and placed into a little tray of water to enable the leaves to re-grow upwards again.

Vegetables with roots (Carrots, Beetroots, Spring Onions...) need to be cut off from the top and placed into a little tray of water to enable it to re-grow again.

Fiddle leaf

Take a look at the diagram below to walk you through the step and where to cut.

4 Simple Steps 1. Cut your vegetable’s core or stem and place in a small tray or bowl of water.

2. Place your tray or bowl in a nice sunny spot (on the kitchen bench near the windowsill is a great spot).

3. Be sure to monitor the water levels and change the water regularly to ensure healthy growth.

4. Once your new growth has properly formed, it’s recommended to transport into your garden for them to bloom.

Avocado

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SPRING ONION

LETTUCE

CABBAGE

THE SWAG The Swag is an intelligent bag that keeps fruit, veggies, herbs and leafy greens fresh and crisp for 2 weeks or more, helping you reduce food waste, eat healthier and take fewer trips to the shops!

BOK CHOY

CARROT

Three unique layers of 100% unbleached, unseeded cotton make up the Swag - each layer playing a role in keeping produce fresh for weeks, not days. How? Fruit and veggies need air and water to survive, and when sealed in plastic, they are subject to nasty toxins along with a shorter life. The Swag, when dampened down with water, allows produce to breathe and hydrate, taking on water as it needs.

This means you can take a night off cooking, confident that you won’t open a crisper full of sad, wilting fruit and veggies the next day. You can also buy in bulk, knowing produce will now last so much longer (great for larger families). As well as putting money back into your pocket, you’ll be reducing the cost of food (as food waste drives up the cost of food for everyone) - with zero plastic in sight.

Features: • • • • •

Hand-made Fair trade + ethical practices Australian-owned Non-toxic Compostable

• Built to last years • Different sizes available • A portion of every sale goes to freeing children from sex trafficking (Destiny Rescue).

BEETROOT

www.theswag.com.au | @theswag.original

Illustrated by Amanda Merrifield | Thatgrubgirl

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D E C L I N I N G B E E P O P U L AT I O N S P O S E A T H R E AT T O G L O B A L A G R I C U L T U R E The global bee population has declined and the 40% dramatic drop poses a concern for the ecosystem balance, sporadic pollination, and food supply. There are now two billion bees left in the world and numbers are continually decreasing. Many factors to the declining bee populations are influenced by pollution, habitat destruction, pesticide usage, climate change, which will lead to colony collapse disorder.

What is the Colony Collapse Disorder?

Threat to agriculture

Colony Collapse Disorder is an incident when the majority of worker bees disappeared. They leave behind a colony which comprises of a bee queen, nursing bees, and immature bees. While the hive has plenty of food resources, it can’t survive long without its worker bees.

The global decline in bee populations poses a serious threat to agriculture, food supply, and livelihoods. More countries have suffered from CCD as a result of pesticides.

In the United States alone, thousands of hives dropped significantly as a result of CCD.

CCD is characterised by: 1. Sudden loss of worker bees or a few dead bees are sighted near its hive 2. Heavy amount of honey and bee pollen 3. Presence of queen bee and young bees

In Europe, the British Beekeepers Association stated that there was a drop worth 30% of beehives in 2008.

Meanwhile, Italy, holding over 1 million hives is said to have a mortality rate of 50%.

Its implications towards collapsing: 1. The hive can’t sustain and maintain the current brood 2. Higher risk to winter collapse 3. High probability to hive pests and infection Causes of Colony Collapse Disorder While theirs is no known cause for CCD, many considered certain factors that may lead to CCD. 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Pesticides. Exposure to pesticides will kill bees pollinating flowers and fruits. Neonicotinoids and the main reasons why bee colonies collapsed according to scientific reviews.

Pests and infection. Varroa mites are a parasite and serve as the leading cause of deaths in honeybees implicated in CCD. Another is the Israeli acute paralysis virus discovered in 2004.

Stress. Bees experience stress due to mismanagement of beekeepers and whether they’re transported regularly for pollination services. The sudden change in habitat can also be stressful to the insects.

Inadequate nutrition. When there’s poor nutrition, the bees will likely die of nutritional stress and might not live off in healthy hives.

Invasive species. For instance, the Asian Hornet preys on honeybees and are reported of killing an entire hive or string of worker bees,

The sudden decline doesn’t only affect honey products, but also crop yields and the nutritional value of the produce.

How bad is the bee decline in Australia?

What’s more, there are over 20,000 bee species globally and 1,700 species are endemic to Australia. According to the City Journal, from 2006 to 2016, the country lost more than 100,000 hives which further declined honey production to 20%.

Did you know that 2/3 of Australia’s agricultural production came from honeybee pollination? Pollination is said to generate $14.2 billion for the economy and open up thousands of employment opportunities for workers. In Australia alone, direct bee products such as honey make $100 million every year.

Tasmania and Western Australia serve as the biggest honey supplying state that all faced over 20% honey production lost. This could lead to the probability of high importation and dwindling of the gross value of Australian honey.

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How to make a shift towards Reusability?

From food wastes, plastic bags, and water bottles, we all have our fair share of using plastic and wastage in our normality. However, these wastes often wind up in our oceans and landfills after short use and harm the environment.

If we’re going to be responsible citizens of the world, we need to relook and rethink our consumption habits to make a shift towards reusability and sustainability.

Did you know that each Aussie uses 130 kg of plastic every year? But, only 9% is recycled, while 130,000 tons of plastic is discarded in the ocean. However, it’ll take 150 years for plastic to break up!

And what about your food wastes? Can you learn to compost at home?

How to make a shift towards reusability?

Reusing and recycling is an excellent way to address the concern for wastes. Aside from saving valuable space in landfills, it will also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Overall this initiative is good for the people, the planet, and it can also be a source of saving money. With this in mind, here are some tips on how to reuse plastic and wastes starting at home.

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FABRIC AND TEXTILE Got a new one and need to throw the old fabrics around? Don’t. It may be people’s old towels, pieces of cloth, or faded blankets. One way to go about this is to transform this into a reusable bag that can be used for shopping. Instead of relying on the supermarket’s plastic bag policy, surprise them with a cloth one.

What’s good about this approach is that this kind of tote bag is sturdy enough to carry a lot of items. To recycle household wastes like fabrics tend to be stronger and long-lasting than regular plastic in use.

CONTAINER JARS There are ingredients in the grocery that are placed in jars. Some people, however, throw the container away after using it. What they’re not aware of is its reliability to store other food properly, which will most likely extend its freshness and life for as long as possible.

Examples of food that can be stored in these airtight containers include cereals, baking ingredients, and other food that stale quickly.

PLASTIC BOTTLES According to studies, plastic products are used briefly for 15 minutes and then are thrown away to decompose for 150 years.

There’s a need to ensure that we keep our ‘wastes’ within a circular economy. As consumers, there’s an alternative approach to purchasing products and using packaging.

Experts revealed that plastic bottles have one of the highest amounts in the dumpsite. This is a bad thing since these items take thousands of years to disintegrate. It is also bad for the environment should people burn these because it will generate a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, it is essential to come up with initiatives that will recycle the said plastic bottles.

PAPER TOWEL ROLLS Are you aware that paper towel rolls have various creative uses?

For one, it can be used as a place for extension cords. This strategy will prevent these extension cords from getting tangled. Another way to maximize paper towel rolls is to use it as a hairband and hair clip organizer.

Putting these accessories around it will keep them crease-free, instead of just stacking it slumped over in your closet.

EMPTY CANS Many individuals do not see the value of recycling empty cans.

After drinking their canned beers or carbonated drinks, they will most likely throw it into the trash bin without thinking twice. What they are not aware of is that empty cans can be transformed and repurposed into a windowsill flower pot.

Simply drill a couple of drainage holes into the bottom of the can, cleans the insides, and decorates it as you please. Then, put soil inside. Make sure that they are compactly placed to ensure the effectiveness of the project. Once everything is settled, add the seedlings. Do not forget to water them every day.

S U S TA I N A B L E SELF-CARE MADE SIMPLE The common way we cope with any areas of poor self-care is to disconnect from our bodies. The vast majority of us experience our days oblivious or neglecting the symptoms that our bodies are trying to communicate to us. When we stop paying attention to these signs we are unable to differentiate our bodily needs consistently, creating an even greater disconnection from ourselves, and ultimately an unhealthier physical state of mind and body.

It is critical to pay attention to your body early on and as you embark on your journey of connection to self you will experience a happier and simpler life. Discover your self-care routine with beautiful eco-friendly and sustainable products.

nourished and restored; it’s designed to take you back to your true nature.

V&M SPA V&M Spa creates a range of Australian natural eco-positive hair and beauty products, designed to nurture the human spirit.

V&M Spa products are derived from 95% naturally derived and organic ingredients - Lilly Pilly, Kakadu Plum, Tasmanian lavender, Olive Leaf and Kunzea. “We believe pure chemicalfree products are the very best thing in creating a healthy body, a healthy mind and of course a healthier planet”. The entire creation process from design, through to sampling to finished product takes close to three years, for every single product.

“When you set out to create perfection, it takes time”. V&M Spa goal is to use minimum ingredients that are genuinely purposeful in the following four areas - calming, hydrating, for sensitive skin types and are active in cleansing pollutants out of the hair. In this busy life, we lead, the true luxury is taking some time to nurture, rebalance and rebuild.

The V&M spa product range is designed to leave you beautifully

Victoria (founder) was always creative as a child and drawn to nature. She grew up on the East Coast of Australia with clean sea breezes, and salt-filled air, and that’s where her love affair with the environment began. Every holiday she would spend at her Grandparents farm in Tasmania. Surrounded by mauvefields of lavender and lush green olive trees. She was one with nature, wild and free. There’s a beautiful simplicity to life in the Australian countryside and it’s these experiences that she carries with her and nurtures not only in herself but also the products she creates. In her early career, Victoria studied as a colour technician while establishing V&M Spa. Victoria was always drawn to the technical side of the hair industry. She began studying the science of hair and how different ingredients affected and responded to hair. She became obsessed with the safety of ingredients in the hair and beauty industry, not only for human beings but also their environmental impact. Here making natural yet purposeful hair and beauty formulas her mastery.

This expertise is infused into every single product made by V&M Spa. V&M Spa products are the result of a lifetime of learning and dedication.

“Having worked closely with our Biochemist and Cosmetic Chemist ~ who both specialise in natural and organic, we spend around 2-3 years developing each formula. We are proud to make our products in Australia”.

As a purpose for-profit company, we believe in giving back to support Australian communities. 10% of our profits go towards supporting Indigenous communities in creating their own commerce.

www.vandmspa.com | @vandmspa

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KOAL A E C O AFFORDABLE CLEANING PRODUCTS THAT ARE SAFE FOR YOUR FAMILY AND KIND TO THE ENVIRONMENT. Koala Eco is an Australian based brand: ‘A botanical treasure trove with an extraordinary range of native plants celebrated for their cleansing and therapeutic properties’. Although only 3 years old, they are passionate about healthy, environmentally friendly products resulting in now stocking in over 700 Australian stores as well as now sold in mainland China, Japan, Bahrain, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan.

Driven by nature Koala Eco engaged with pharmaceutical and naturopathic counsel to investigate Australia’s abundant, potent and distinctive flora, to ensure their products could “use the full force of nature to clean as effectively as its chemical competitors”. For thousands of years, many of the essentials oils used are apart of the Aboriginal pharmacopoeia. Koala Eco prides themselves on using all Australian essential oils (Eucalyptus, Lemon Myrtle, Peppermint, Mandarin) and 100% biodegradable and eco-friendly plant-derived ingredients.

Koala Eco is locally made and lab-tested to kill 99.9% of germs and also are:

cause headaches, or respiratory problems): so thankfully for those who may be sensitive, they take the stress out of hunting for products for you home as there are no artificial perfumes in anything they make.

With Koala Eco rapid growth, they have ensured that no new plastic is created with their products! How do you they do this? by sourcing all recycled packing and 100% postconsumer recycled bottles, so although they appear as just another plastic bottle, it is known as rPET ( a process which recycles original PET containers into ‘new’ bottles). rPET has a lower carbon footprint than virgin PET making it more environmentally friendly and creating a circular economy. After use, each bottle is still recyclable into other products, as each bottle has been designed to be refilled and reused time again as most of their products offer a refill option.

Making it safe for the whole family( including your pets)!

To continue their conscious efforts for every item sold they donate to ‘1% for the Planet’ to assist in worldwide conservational, which protect the natural beauty of our Australian environment.

Koala Eco aims for the naturopathic benefits of breathing in essential oils rather than customers being engulfed by synthetic fragrance (which can

www.koala.eco | @koalaeco

CERTIFIED

CRUELTY-FREE

ALLERGY-SAFE

NON-TOXIC

Little Balm Slow down, listen to your skin and feed it clean ingredients all year long.

Little Balm is a small batch handmade natural skincare range that started in Cindy (Founder) kitchen. This journey began when she was pregnant with her first child in 2016 and learnt about the number of toxins in our commercial skincare products that get absorbed into the bloodstream. Because of this, she began her study of ingredients and slowly swapped toxic traditional skincare products with her own replacements made from real, recognisable ingredients for her family.

Since adopting a more natural skincare routine and lifestyle, Cindy has noticed a positive impact in not only her skin but also her overall well-being as she practised taking a break from the demands of life to care for herself. Cindy expressed how “It’s been such a joy and privilege to get my handcrafted clean products into the hands of so many people worldwide!”

care routine, to not only nourish and protect our skin’s natural barrier but also encourage us to slow down to care for ourselves in the busyness of life.

All my creations are thoughtfully formulated with high quality, non-toxic, cruelty-free ingredients sourced from nature, then hand-blended with love and care, ensuring the need to create every product, what it can do and how it is housed.

“Most products in my range are multipurpose and refillable. I hope that this encourages mindful purchases and helps to make changes to the way we consume and impact the environment”.

Lastly, is there any beauty or wellness advice that you want to share with our readers?

Little Balm is committed to taking care of our skin and well-being, as well as the environment. Everything is handmade in small batches to ensure freshness and minimise waste. All ingredients are fair-trade, ethically and locally sourced. Little balms products and shipping packaging are eco-friendly and reusable.

Our skin naturally changes as we age. Learn to appreciate it and take time to care for it. To grow old is a blessing and we can age with a thankful heart.

Little Balm intention is to create a simple, safe and effective daily

wwww.littlebalm.com | @littlebalm

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The Purity Project Founded earlier this year by Gabrielle Marcel, The Purity Project is an Australian-made skincare brand on a mission to shift the way consumers experience skincare by handcrafting nourishing products that empower consumers, encourage mindfulness and self-care, and reconnect us with nature.

Born in the heart of Sydney, Australia, The Purity Project is a vegan-friendly, organic, and mindful skincare brand.

The Purity Project was launched by Gabrielle after years of struggling with her own skin and self-image. “I was truly exhausted by complicated ingredient lists, copious amounts of products, and uncertainty around what I was actually putting on my skin”. This is why she decided to strip it all back and tap into nature.

With the mission of creating a minimalistic and mindful skincare experience, The Purity Project’s range is a carefully curated offering of cleansers, face oils, and whipped body butters crafted with the best botanical ingredients. Its purpose is centred around changing the way consumers experience skincare by reconnecting us to ourselves and nature.

It can be often hard selecting skincare and even harder to find a brand that lives and breathes the same values.

Challenging the status quo and passionate about inclusivity, The Purity Project’s range is completely genderneutral. The team believes skincare shouldn’t discriminate, it should empower. “We’re determined to change the narrative that beauty and glow is just a female-exclusive experience. We’re seeing more independent brands move toward being gender-neutral and inclusive which is amazing. We truly believe a great skincare experience should be accessible to everyone because, at the end of the day, skin is skin. We focus on the purpose of our product, not the gender binary “it’s best targeted to”.

we’re determined to change the narrative that beauty and glow is just a female-exclusive experience.

How we can focus on bringing mindfulness into our everyday skincare Routines?

Caring for your skin should bring you a sense of happiness, gratitude, and self-love. We’ve crafted a Strong and Mindful Box containing handpicked products designed to connect the dots between mindfulness and skincare.

Often our relationship with mirrors and our own self-image taint our feelings towards how we approach skincare.

That’s why we see the importance of incorporating the practice of mindfulness to help foster a deeper relationship with oneself.

Some of the ways we encourage our customers to do this include: •

The Purity Project’s founder, Gabrielle Marcel, answered some of our burning questions about skincare.

Organic vs. natural – so what’s the difference?

In terms of skincare, organic refers to how the ingredients were farmed. Generally speaking, organic ingredients are grown without the use of artificial chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides, additives, growth hormones or antibiotics.

Natural on the other hand refers to the use of naturally derived ingredients such as plants, minerals or animal byproducts.

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Creating a peaceful space when starting their skincare rituals free from distractions and judgment; Incorporating a mindfulness exercise which brings focus to the sensations and textures of the products; Practicing daily self-love affirmations; and Finishing every skincare experience with a focus on gratitude.

Use the code SMALLCOL15 to indugle in a mindful skincare experience. www.thepurityprojectau.com | @thepurityprojectskincare

HEART THERAPEUTICS Heart Therapeutics founded by Misha Moran; a Mum, Naturopath, Chef, passionate Self-care advocate for women and a strong ambassador for sustainability for our planet. Based in the beautiful Noosa Hinterland, wherein 2018 Misha created, and hand-blended the first therapeutic wellness teas and products. From this point Heart Therapeutics “ongoing commitment is to promise that each cup tastes amazing and imparts potent healing properties”.

Who is Heart Therapeutics?

The name Heart Therapeutics comes from my heart; On the 24th May each year, I celebrate with my closest friends a day we have called Heart Day. We live all over Australia yet on this day come together to celebrate each other, our friendship and our milestones (good and bad). We show up for each other, share our worries, thoughts and happiness and most importantly empower each other on a path to healing. Infusing those values and being generous with my products and offerings felt like a natural fit; Heart Therapeutics was born.

Heart Therapeutics mission is simple. To create products that people can use in their own daily routines, to create their own rituals evoke a strong sense of self-love and care, leading to a path of healing physically, mentally and energetically uniquely for that person.

How do your teas encourage the connection to self, earth and to each other?

At Heart, we believe that connection in its greatest form is when we are connected to self, earth and each other. That is why our guiding symbol and foundation of Heart Therapeutics is our ‘Connection Triangle’. Our ethos and actions are aligned with this; It takes a humble cup of tea to a whole new level and encourages a conscious ritual that we can all take part in.

As humans, we spend a lot of time disconnecting from ourselves, scrolling, working hard, constantly on the go, looking after families and loved ones, scanning our environment, we can often lose our sense of self.

The earth we live on has provided us with potent healing plants that our Ancestors used centuries ago and their healing properties are still being used in much the same way today. It’s an incredible connection and there’s nothing more grounding than sitting with a cup of aromatic herbs and connecting with the Earth they have come from.

The connection of sharing something together like a cup of tea is the element to our connection triangle. Being with each other, sharing stories, catching up and giving space to talk is so healing. We need this more than ever right now, and I’m encouraging a lot of our suppliers to encourage our customers to blend old traditions and rituals with new ones

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Where are your herbs in your herbal tea or tinctures sourced/ grown?

All our herbs are 100% certified organic and ethically sourced. We have higher standards for some natives that are wildcrafted and sourced strictly in a sustainable way from pristine local environments.

We have a mixed amount of herbs that we purchase from Australia and overseas. Our focus and commitment are about the highest level of therapeutic grade, with source and traceability.

In Australia, we work exclusively with reputable Australian Organically certified businesses that are responsible for sourcing.

The quality and therapeutic grade of the plants is exceptionally high and I trust all their sourcing and can trace exactly where my herbs come from. We also have standards of sustainable sourcing; whereas if a herb is not available then that results in that blend of tea not being available. I won’t jeopardise the quality of products, nor depleting supplies and the effect it can have on the ecosystems the plants may come from.

What are your teas sustainable highlights?

Sustainable product, packaging and consumption.

All our products are 100% certified Organic and/or wildcrafted, loose leaf tea and hand-blended to this very day.

Encourages the connection to self, to the earth and to each other. to stay nurtured and hold familiar comforts. (try a zoom cuppa with the family together, it’s incredible what the conversation and focus becomes about, it just helps slow the pace- great for the depleted nervous system).

Tell us how your teas can help us focus on bringing mindfulness into our everyday routines?

Make a cup of tea and make that time when you intentionally switch off. I start my workday with a short 5-minute meditation based on simple breathing, which is the perfect amount of time it takes for my tea to cool to drinking temperature. It’s such an important ritual that I have implemented and sets me up for a more focused and productive day. I highly recommend it, rather than our usual habits of scrolling and focusing on everything else but ourselves.

The packaging of the teas and blends are so important, I’ve spent time researching and have had a few different versions of ‘best for product and earth’ packaging. We use sustainable glass and cork, even my labels are non-toxic, recycled! I promote reuse of the jars before recycling and as a company, we now offer biodegradable refill bags to further our commitment to a lighter footprint on the planet.

The vessels and ways to enjoy our products are also well researched and we offer accessories.

What are your top recommendations for a herbal novice, for general health?

Everything these days can be so complex, my advice is, just keep it simple, there is no need to overthink it. You don’t have to be too adventurous to reap the immediate benefits of plant medicine: 1.

Give it a go and just start with one simple cup a day, make it a ritual time for you and note how you feel straight after.

2. Don’t be afraid to use your intuition either, sometimes we gravitate towards smells and tastes of herbs that we didn’t think we needed but make us feel fabulous afterwards. Listen to what your body is craving rather than what you think you need for a change. That’s the true power of herbal medicine and the diverse and magical way it can set about balancing and healing our body and mind.

hello@hearttherapeutics.com.au | @heart_therapeutics

B AM B U The toilet paper that plants trees.

It’s 2020, and humans are using more paper products than ever before – from greeting cards to junk mail; tissue paper to paper plates. Yet when we consider all the products a tree might be killed for, pulped and bleached into, one fails to show up on most people’s radar: toilet paper.

Did you know that humans wipe out about 27,000 trees a day…just for their butts?

We thought to ourselves, “Is it really necessary to be cutting down life-saving trees, just to flush them down the toilet minutes later?”

And so, we got to work on finding something that was good for the planet AND felt good on our butts, too (1-ply recycled toilet paper just wasn’t cutting it).

Who we are Bambu is a small Aussie startup based in Sydney, with a mission to prevent deforestation and restore degraded farmlands. We think traditional toilet paper sucks – it’s terrible for the planet and contributes to the growing plastic problem with all the unnecessary packaging you find in the supermarkets.

Sometimes, the journey to being more ecofriendly can be difficult. Our goal is to make sustainability easy, by helping Aussies to make the switch on just one everyday item.

If every household in Australia switched to Bambu instead of regular TP, we’d be saving roughly 26 million trees and 546 billion litres of water. Holy crap!

Why we chose bamboo •

Bamboo is actually a grass – not a tree!

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It’s super sustainable - it can grow 1 metre in 24 hours, uses 30% less water than hardwood trees and produces 35% more oxygen, too!

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It’s a hardy plant with no natural pests, meaning there’s no need for pesticides or other nasty chemicals to grow it.

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It’s got wonderful properties that are great for skin - naturally hypo-allergenic, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.

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It’s luxuriously soft and stronger than steel, so you won’t have to worry about a finger accidentally popping through while you’re wiping your butt (you’re welcome).

You poop, we plant Even though wiping with Bambu saves tonnes of natural resources, we wanted to do more to counteract the negative impact of traditional toilet paper. So, we decided to plant one tree for every order!

We’ve partnered with One Tree Planted to actively support the revegetation of degraded farmlands. Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and provide habitat to over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Forests provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people, absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, and are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines. We think it’s a no-brainer!

Our mission: To plant 1 million trees by 2025 We’ve only just started our journey, but we’ve already planted over 1000 native trees and shrubs in rural Australia – and we’ve set ourselves a big, hairy, audacious goal to reach a million trees by 2025!

A portion of our profit goes directly towards planting trees in the areas that need it most. It’s estimated that every 10-15 trees (and shrubs) will sequester 1 tonne of CO2-e over 30 years - so you can wipe with confidence knowing that you’ve made a real difference! www.heybambu.com | @hey_bambu

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Jess (aka me!) I’ve just turned the big three- O. I am a paediatric nurse and have been for the past 5 years. I LOVE my job, I have a huge passion for helping people and being able to make someone’s day better. Before nursing, I did hairdressing.

It was always a dream for me to be a hairdresser and a nurse!

Dreams really do come true! I live with my partner Izzie and our cat Calamity. We spend most weekends doing something DIY around the house. I’m normally the creator and Izzie is the one who helps me bring my visions to life.

If we aren’t renovating we are on an adventure camping or exploring a new place.

House talk- I’ve been a “DIY-er” for as long as I can remember.

For my friends 12th birthday I made her a body bath scrub from sugar and coconut oil. I then got to make my own little pretty label and put my name on it haha. I’ve always loved the feeling and thought behind making something yourself.

DIY-ER RENO JUNKIE INTERIOR STYLER Words by Jessica Micallef

Interior styler? Totally a winger! I just know what I like and I know how I want our space to feel. Sometimes I redo a space 3-4 times before it works. I don’t know if professionals do that haha.

Renovation is inspired by making something my own and also knowing that we don’t have to spend a million dollars and live in a rich suburb to have a nice home. I think that’s really relatable.

As a child, most weekends we would go to the markets and I’d watch my dad mostly find bargains (what he would call treasure) I guess it stemmed from there. Watching my parents do really cool things with what other people classified as trash.

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How do I apply sustainable design to each of our projects? We always try and use what we have at home.

We are forever saving wood from other projects, knowing they’ll come in handy for future projects. The first place to search for a new project is gumtree. Followed

by Facebook Marketplace, eBay, op shops or even the “discounted damage section at IKEA”. Just because it looks old and dirty doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful.

I’m very lucky that I found a partner who sees the same visions I do. We both are able to walk into a shop and see all of the potentials at our fingertips just waiting for love, we are ready to give it and at a fraction of the price a regular shop would sell it for. People are really quick to throw our at item because it’s broken, but a bit of nail glue and paint is your best friend.

Reflecting on who has impacted me the most in blogging, I must say I don’t have one specific source. I’m so incredibly thankful that I chose to start this little account and that I continue to inspire people every day.

On a daily basis, I speak with humans who have nothing but kind words, who send messages to say how much I’ve influenced or empowered them to have the courage to do a project they’ve been putting off for years. People who message me may be going through something and communicate that I’ve made them smile even though they haven’t smiled all week. I think that makes the biggest impact on me. Knowing that while we are creating our little safe haven, I’m also creating a safe place for people to escape to and find an inch of happiness. Enabling me to empower women and open up the world where anything is possible.

Our current DIY project is re-upholstering an old bamboo /cane outdoor setting that we picked up at a market secondhand.

Purchasing some material from spotlight and created

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some pretty cushions in line with my vision! (I have loved learning how to sew with zips, was a completely new project for me!) A simple way to make something old - new!

If I could part with one piece of advice: Just be yourself. Find your niche and let it fly. Don’t force it. Be honest and transparent with your followers. But most of all- have fun with it.

Let it be your creative outlet and do whatever it is that makes your soul happy. @thehousethatjessbuilt

I’ve also recently made the switch to more natural cleaning products and having less waste in the house. We create so much rubbish that we don’t need to. I’m still in the midst of researching and finding better alternatives but I make most of our cleaning products (from a homemade jiff, to window cleaner, to my very own toilet bombs!)

I find enjoyment in once again “DIY-ing” something, but also feel good about not impacting the environment negatively. We started our very own veggie patch, which is now only a month old! I get so much satisfaction from checking on it daily to see how much it’s grown! Just another small way of living more sustainably.

Prioritise tasks for a renovation project can be difficult from some however thankfully I’m a huge list person. We will normally sit down the night before a project and write down where we need to go (if supplies aren’t required) exactly what we need (so we don’t waste money while we are there buying more than what we need) then creating a list of what we need to do. This helps me stay on track for the day and also reach our goals. I try and make a goal for each day to get to. I also love a good tick - because who doesn’t!

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RASPBERRY BAR TREATS INGREDIENTS 1 cup frozen raspberries 1/2 cup coconut 1 tbsp pure maple syrup 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa) 3 tbsp coconut oil

METHOD Mix all ingredients bar coconut oil and dark chocolate in a food processor. Once mixed, press all ingredients into a slice tin to compress the mixture. Put into the freezer for 20 minutes. Take out of freezer and slice into desired sizes bar (I make mini squares). Return to the freezer for a further hour post cutting.

Once that hour is done. Mix coconut oil and chocolate In the microwave (20 secs at a time stirring). Coat berry bars in chocolate.

Break up some frozen raspberries for the top. (this recipe is also in my recipes highlight with a little video on how it looks.)

LEAR N M ORE A ND C RA F T BET TER WITH OUR NATURA L PL AN T DYEING GUIDE Avocados, spinach, and blueberries make a great salad mix, but did you know you can create these as a natural plant dye for your craft projects?

There are plenty of organic dyed fabrics and papers that may have come from straight from your kitchen and garden.

Nature is every artist’s gift where you can choose from among the array of natural colours for your craft projects. From subdued blues to exotically rich pastels, here’s a list of plant-based dyes to produce which colours. Learn which plant dyes produce the colours you need for your crafts. By strategically mixing your floras, you’ll have so much fun producing dyes of different hues. Here’s where to get the most of your shades.

Quick steps to naturally dye your fabric and paper Dyeing with paper is different than dyeing in fabric. The latter is more complicated by using mordants to create the desired colour in textiles. Here’s a quick tutorial to get crafting.

Fabric

Paper

When dyeing fabric, there are a lot of textiles to consider and each will respond differently to a dye upon mordant. Mordants such as alum, iron, or copper help the pigments stick better to the fabric.

Paper dyeing is simple, fast, and easy to do. For craft projects, use watercolour paper, cotton rag, or anything uncoated, porous, or feels raw.

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Wash your cloth and let it dry on the side.

When making a dye, choose your plant-based option and let it boil on the stove. Reheat if necessary for achieving a darker colour.

Mordant your fabrics by filling a pot of water and mixing it with your mordant of choice.

Simmer your materials for 20 to 30 minutes.

Afterwards, you can transfer the mordanted fabric to your dye bath. Notice how the dye sticks to your textile firmly.

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Choose your dye plants and let it boil in a pot.

Allow the pot to cool and give off its colour. Reheat the dye in case you want a darker hue.

Strain your plant dyes into a sieve and transfer it to a soaking dish.

Soak your paper on the dish and when you get the desired colour, place the paper on the towel to dry. You can repeat the process in case you want to dip the paper with another colour or simply to make it darker.

When the paper is dry, flat it out with an iron to smoothen its wrinkles.

We recommend you test the hues on various fabric and paper to ensure you get the colour you want to achieve. Before starting your project, consider how limited botanical resources are available in nature. Don’t just go on and waste your plants just for a natural dyeing spree!

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L IST O F THE B EST BOTAN I CA L DYEI N G PL A N TS

Red and Pink Dyes When making red dyes, you have to be careful of how you mordant and control the colour - lest you end up with brown or pink.

Avocado skin and pit Beetroot Hibiscus Madder Red elderberries

Orange Dyes Have you ever stained your clothes with onion when prepping food? You’ll find that the skin will leave a distinct orange hue!

Brown onion skins Eucalyptus leaves Turmeric roots Carrot roots Butternut seed husks

Yellow Dyes Green Pigments Green dyes aren’t as common as you think. Artisans often combine yellow pigments with other substances to produce green in post-mordant.

Sumac Red onions Spinach Chamomile Nettle leaves

There are a lot of plants that can dye your crafts to yellow. They are about as numerous as reds and pinks and are made from various weedy flowering plants.

Turmeric Green tea Marigold Bay leaves Saffron

Blue, Indigo, and Purple The hues derived themselves from bluish to purplish dye-bearing plants to produce the pigment. It’s during the mordant process where you get to control how much of the pigment you intend to use.

Blueberries, Mulberries and elderberries Clitoria Ternatea or Blue Butterfly Pea Flowers Hyacinth Red maple tree inner bark

It is a beautiful skin treatment that can be used after a day at the beach or a long day at work invigorating yet relaxing at the same time, with a host of benefits for the skin and body including improved circulation, removal of dead skin cells, clearing of blemishes or ingrown hairs, and promotion of skin hydration.

How to make

BODY SCRUB This beautiful treat by Ali from Giggle Suds can be made at home with simple ingredients that more than likely you already have lying around in the kitchen!

Ingredients

Enough exfoliating granules to fill your jar - try white or brown sugar, Himalayan or sea salt, dry coffee grounds, ground oats, or a combination. Sugar is gentle on the skin and is a wonderful skin conditioner and moisturiser, whereas salt is much grittier and a strong detoxifier. Coffee, on the other hand, rejuvenates the skin and boosts circulation, while oats can be very soothing for itchy or inflamed skin. If using on the face, opt for gentler exfoliants such as sugar or oats.

Oil of choice - you may need up to half the volume of your jar, depending on your desired consistency.

Olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, sweet almond or jojoba oil are all beautiful, nourishing options.

Use the best quality oil that you can afford, ideally in a dark glass bottle or tin so that you can be sure it hasn’t deteriorated in the sunlight.

A few drops of essential oil (optional) - try peppermint for an uplifting scent, or lavender or rose geranium for a more grounding scent.

You may combine essential oils if you wish.

Dehydrated flower petals or herbs (optional) - these are entirely for aesthetic purposes only, but give a beautiful touch!

Try dried rose petals, lavender buds, calendula or mint leaves.

1. Fill the jar with your choice of exfoliating granules, leaving a centimetre or so of headspace at the top.

2. Empty the jar into your mixing bowl. Add small amounts of your chosen oil gradually, mixing as you go, until you reach your desired consistency - aim for a paste that holds together well, but spreads over the skin without too much effort - not too wet but not too dry! Test some on the back of your hand does it spread nicely? Be sure to combine the dry and wet ingredients very well.

3. Add a small number of drops of essential oil (if using), and mix well.

4. Add flowers and herbs (if using), and mix well.

5. Spoon your mixture into your jar. Wipe any mixture from the rim of your jar and screw the lid on tightly.

6. Make sure to label your jar so that you can remember what you put into your beautiful blend!

7. Enjoy a quiet moment of indulgence in your next shower or bath or gift to a lucky friend or family member.

How to use 1. Enjoy a nice refreshing shower or bath as usual.

Make sure to rinse well, ensuring that your skin is thoroughly wet and softened.

2. While your skin is still damp, scoop a small amount of scrub out of the jar with your fingers. Apply to your skin using gentle pressure and circular motions.

Start at your feet and move up towards your heart to enhance your circulation.

3. If you have added essential oils to your scrub, be sure to inhale deeply to enjoy all of the aromatherapy benefits of your chosen scents.

4. Rinse the scrub from your skin and pat gently to dry. Enjoy your new glow! Indulge 1-2 times a week.

5. Avoid allowing water to enter your scrub jar, and keep the lid screwed on tightly between uses, to avoid any surprise mould growth inside! @ gigglesuds

SMALL COLLECTIVE ISSUE

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5 STEPS TO MAKE A PRODUCE BAG Produce bags are a great, sustainable alternative to use instead of the plastic bags at the fruit and veg section of the supermarket.

For this project you will need: •

For example, you could use some recycled net curtains, mosquito netting, or any type of mesh/sheer fabric, as long as you can still see what produce is inside the bags at checkout (it will also need to be a light-weight fabric so to not add any extra grams to the scales at checkout!).

30cm

2.

1.

A light-weight, mesh fabric

70cm

•

60cm of cord or create a fabric cord

•

A safety pin

•

Thread

How to create your Produce Bag: Cut out a 30 x 70 cm rectangle out of the mesh fabric.

Opening

3.

Fold the mesh rectangles in half, and stitch together along the sides leaving a small opening approx.

5 cm from the top of one of the sides. This little opening will be where the cord will feed through.

Fold and stitch the top edge of the bag down to create a casing for the cord.

Turn the bag right side out, and using a safety pin, feed the cord through the casing.

4.

Once fed all the way through, tie the two ends of the cord together in a knot to prevent them from slipping into the casing.

And your draw-string produce bag is complete!

If you would like to create other sizes for individual produce, here are some dimensions: Square 30cm x30cm, Small Rectangle 20cm x 26cm or 26cm x 20cm.

5.

Learn more beautiful DIY’s from Janelle at her website or follow along her wonderful youtube channel. www.roseryapparel.com | @roseryapparel

04

Woods

sandbar co.

Frankie for Keeps

Woods Candle Co. specialises in hand poured soy wax candles. Our candles are made in our home studio on the Southern Gold Coast, Australia. We proudly support local suppliers in sourcing the materials used in our soy wax candles.

We choose soy wax because it is a natural, renewable product that releases no toxins into the air. Soy wax candles are a more environmentally friendly choice over regular paraffin candles and are safer for your family, pets and home.

Soy candles also burn slower and longer than regular candles, filling the room with a strong and lasting aroma.

Sandbar delivers Australia its first ever fold-up, lightweight, compact, and handcrafted beach table.

Frankie for Keeps is a local, boutique business creating handmade keepsakes and accessories.

Sandbar Co is a small business located in Perth, Western Australia. The idea of a “Sandbar” stemmed from an outing at the beach, that resulted in: a coffee cup falling over, a bag full of sand, and an overheated phone. Bec Founder of Sandbar started to google “beach tables”, and couldn’t find any that suited her needs. So, after discussing this idea with family and friends, and them loving the concept, she decided to invent one herself; that’s where Sandbar began.

Launched in May 2020, after posting a photo on social media of a handmade makeup bag. Suddenly, the messages started rolling in with friends wanting to buy one for themselves or as gifts.

CANDLE CO

Woods Candle Co. is a small family run business that started naturally after making candles for friends and family.

What sets us apart from the rest is our eco-consciousness. We want to reuse and recycle where we can and that’s why we offer candle refills at a low price.

See the ‘refills’ tab on our website for more information. We also try to keep the packaging of our orders waste-free.

Recycled boxes are used where possible and our tape is compostable. Bulk buying and wholesale prices are available when requested, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you are interested in stocking our range. We also do wedding favours, staff gifts, bridal showers, baby showers etc. Love, the Woods family.

“We will be running a Christmas bundle sale launching early October, keep an eye on our socials for updates and information”.

woodscandleco.com.au | @woods.candle.co

Sandbar co. would love to use ecofriendly materials for Sandbar bags in the near future. “With very small orders and minimal profit margins at the moment, it’s not financially viable for this goal yet, in all areas. However, as sales increase and when we can start to scale our business, this will hopefully be one of the first areas of our business we will look at”.

Sandbars are hand-crafted individually and locally in Perth, by an incredible manufacturer. The mesh material on the surface of the Sandbar is 100% organic hemp and purchased from a fabric company located south of Perth, in Margaret River. Sandbar co. gift boxes are designed and made in Melbourne and the gorgeous branded tissue paper is sustainable and printed in Sydney.

sandbarco.com.au | @ sandbarco

“I had been manifesting starting my own business for many years but was hesitant to force something, I wanted it to feel organic, and this was the moment.

I created an Instagram page and off I went! Working out of my little workroom in Sydney, my aim is to offer beautiful, unique, handmade products, whether it be a headscarf or a personalised art piece.” Frances Greshoff, founder Frankie for Keeps.

Frankie for Keeps loves supporting other local businesses and creatives as well.

Most of their materials are purchased locally with many of the printed fabrics created by Australian artists or textile designers. Frankie for Keeps endeavours to be as environmentally conscious as possible with more sustainable choices of fabrics, packaging and minimal wastage, the remaining materials are recycled from fabric offcuts and cut samples, obtained throughout years of working in the fashion industry.

“We’re excited to continue to grow and blossom at Frankie for Keeps so stay tuned!”

@ frankieforkeeps

SMALL COLLECTIVE ISSUE

small collective MAGAZINES

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AU

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Small Collective MAGAZINE

WHAT’S NEW

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT OUR NEW ECO HUB? Enjoy a Simpler, Mindful, Sustainable Life with Fresh Ideas The Small Collective is Australia’s fresh independent magazine with tips and ideas for a happier, more sustainable life. Our new Eco Hub gives our community a welcome place to learn further and have exclusive access to content, videos, resources and discounts. If you’re hungry for mindful content, products and education that can empower a simpler, more Ecofriendly life - the Eco Hub is for you.

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We have just launched our beautiful marketplace and subscription. Connecting conscious businesses, creatives and organisations who aligned with a mindful lifestyle. Our marketplace is for all things paving the way for a brighter future. A creative hub that will take the guesswork out of shopping for products that are environmentally friendly and ethically sourced. If you focus on sustainable products, wellbeing, mindfulness and thoughtful content, we would love to have your join our marketplace and use your consumer power to choose the right products.

Let’s inspire, love and create change.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING? DISCOVER OUR FREE ECO CHRISTMAS GUIDE We want to take the stress out of Christmas shopping this year and enable you to have a one-stopshop for all your Christmas goodies. We have gathered a beautiful bunch of Australian Brands and Businesses ( that you will absolutely love) and created an Eco Christmas Guide.

Head to www.thesmallcollective.com/shop and discover our free Eco Christmas Guide.

Thank you For supporting the Small Collective au and all the beautiful Creatives, Brands and Organisations throughout this issue. We hope your mind was open to new and amazing things featured in this issue.

If you are a mindful Brand, Individual or Organisation doing amazing things we would love to hear what is next install for you, via our submission tab on our website.

If you loved this issue, stay tuned for our next issue coming in February 2021.

Don’t forget to tag @small_collective, we love getting to know our readers! www.thesmallcollective.com.au

Small Collective MAGAZINE

SMALL COLLECTIVE ISSUE

1 MAGAZINE = 1/2 A DAY OF EDUCATION An important part of creating this magazine was knowing that it wasn’t adding more rubbish to this world, so we wanted to ensure that the printer we chose shared the same values. With this in mind, we found a printer that enables our magazine to be printed on eco paper with eco ink. Another important attribute was having the opportunity to support a nonprofit. Here through our beautiful printer who is partnered with CARE Australia, we were able to make this happen. Through each print, a percentage of funds are donated to support a project run by CARE Australia, in Cambodia. These Projects support girls from ethnic minorities through primary school. They also have projects in Nepal and Tanzania with two separate grassroots organisations. One funds skills training for women and the other provides education scholarships for girls in primary and high school. Previously they have also funded projects in Sierra Leone and Uganda, focusing on small business training and scholarships for girls in primary and high school.

Each print run measures our impact on ‘Education days’, so for every purchase, our printers let us know exactly how many days are helping to fund each project. Our Printers work closely with their charity partners to work out exactly (as close as possible) what an education day costs for each specific project, factoring in everything that is needed: school fees, uniforms, books, sanitary products, transport, etc. They do this because its more powerful than using a percentage of profits, as the impact is very tangible for customers and clients.

So every time you and a friend buy a magazine, you fund one day of education.

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