INFUSED M A G A Z I N E T he
High Tea Party
A GORGEOUS EXCUSE TO CATCH UP WITH THE GIRLS
KONMARI FEVER!
ETIQUETTE, MORE THAN JUST WHEN TO WEAR THE RIGHT HAT Are you a good commuter?
TRENDS IN TEA A conversation with LyndalT
FINE CHINA
GLASSWARE
TEA
ww w.lyn da lt.co m
February WOW Award Winner! This month we celebrate Kylie Rodgers! She is a foster mum to 3, giving up a career and buying a house to provide the children with long-term stability. She is a single foster mum, and despite having to overcome some recent challenges, makes the best of the situation. She lives for others, expecting and asking for very little. Congratulations Kylie! We are so happy to honour your amazing commitment and resilience. We love hearing your stories! We are taking nominations for the WOW of the month for March! Nominating the special woman in your life is simple, email us at admin@thepeppermintgroup.com.au and tell us what makes this woman so special and why she deserves to win. Nominations close on the 3rd Sunday of every month. We’ll contact you for further details if your nomination is successful.
*gift package shown is a true reflection of products that can be included in a WOW award. Products used can vary. Packaging may differ.
14/
LIF ESTYLE
6/
FASH ION
12/
E N TERTA INM ENT
FEB/2019 6/ FASHION
10/ FOOD & BEVERAGE
Create a wardrobe that inspires you.
Talking tea with LyndalT.
8/ LIFESTLYE
12/ ENTERTAINMENT
Konmari Fever! What to do with the stuff that doesn’t spark joy.
What to binge watch on streaming services.
14/ LIFESTYLE Etiquette! We bring you a series that will actually be useful. This month we’re talking trains.
16/ HEALTH & WELLBEING Health Hacks you can easily incorporate into your every day.
Dear Reader, Welcome to the February issue of Infused. Thank you everyone who nominated a special person for our Woman of Worth Award. This month, we have chosen Kylie Rodgers to receive a special pamper pack. Kylie inspires her friends by her resilience and generosity. See page 3 for more details about Kylie’s lovely story. If you’d like to nominate someone for next month, see the details on page 3. This month we catch up with High Tea Party partner LyndalT, who has a beautiful line of glass and ceramic teaware, as well as exquisite flowering tea that just has to be seen to be believed. Lyndal tells about her personal reasons for her love of tea and what she sees as upcoming trends in tea for the year. We’ll also take a look at KonMari fever. So you’ve read the book, you’ve watched the TV series. What are you now supposed to do about all the stuff that doesn’t spark joy? And how can you avoid being in this conundrum in future? See page 8 for details. We’ll also bring you some ideas for binging TV shows on your favourite streaming service, five easy health hacks you don’t even have to think about and a wry look at train etiquette. As always, we’d love to hear from you if you’d like to see something in our e-magazine or if you have something you’d like to share, so get in touch at admin@thepeppermintgroup.com.au. Best wishes, Sarah
Want to say hello, have a question or feedback? Drop us an email at admin@thepeppermintgroup.com.au
FASHION
LIFESTYLE
Konmari Fever!
Back in 2014 the English-speaking world was introduced to Marie Kondo via a little hardcover book that promised to show us the magic of household chores.
I was immediately hooked. I loved Marie’s simple advice to only keep the things you love and the promise of a stress-free life when you’ve finished the job. I was also drawn to the idea that decluttering my house to the point where it was easy to tidy was something I could – indeed, should – achieve in one weekend, instead of dragging the process over months. Now Kondo’s new Netflix show Tidying Up With Marie Kondo has prompted a revival of the “KonMari” method. The result is that op-shops around the country and the world are reporting too many donations. So what should you do with all the stuff that doesn’t spark joy?
1. Books. Vinnies have become very fussy about accepting books in recent years. My local Vinnies store doesn’t want any reference books, only wants books in good condition and there are to be no yellowing pages. If you have books that don’t fall into those categories, you can try for smaller, locally run op-shops with less strict categories. You can also try Lifeline, which has a yearly book fair, although they do have a few stipulations about quality, as well. A nice option is to talk to your local retirement village, which might be in need of some good pot-boilers for residents. After that, your options include upcycling or recycling. 2. Clothes. Donate your good-quality, good condition clothes to your local op-shop, but don’t just leave your donation on the street. If you can’t fit it into a donation bin, wait until there’s room. Otherwise your donation will likely be spoiled in the weather. If your clothes aren’t in a fit state for donation, consider cutting them up for rags or repurposing the fabric in craft projects. 3. Crockery. I have a lot of mugs that don’t spark joy, but they can be hard to get rid of if your local op-shop is being a bit fussy about that sort of thing. You can see if your local coffee shop wants them - some cafes have a supply of used mugs for people who don’t want to buy a disposable mug but forgot their keep cup. How to avoid this conundrum in future? After you have KonMaried your home, you will be in a good position to consider how you got here in the first place. Now you can remember that instead of just asking yourself if something sparks joy when you want to get rid of it, ask yourself that very question when you’re thinking of buying it. If you don’t absolutely love it, don’t buy it. Or do what I suggest to my kids: give yourself 24 hours and see if you still want it then. And remember to use the library or the op-shop before you buy something new – this helps cut down on landfill.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
TRENDS IN TEA A conversation with LyndalT Infused interviewed LyndalT about her beautiful range of teas and crockery, upcoming tea trends and the importance of sitting down with friends over a beautiful cup of tea. Infused: I read on your blog that you were inspired to start your business by a single turquoise teacup that had been in your family for generations. Can you tell us a little bit about the story of starting up LyndalT? LyndalT: My mother has a lot to say about family ancestry and I love to hear her stories of cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Hearing these stories made me question my own values and the memories that I am responsible for passing on. I began selling flowering tea and glass teapots in 2006 and the fine china more recently in 2015. Everyone in my family helps and I am so grateful for their support. In return, my business is for them to learn and grow too. My great grandmother [the original owner of the turquoise teacup] would not have realised the legacy she has left for my daughter. This potential and responsibility to future generations exists and it can all start with you, a story and a teacup. Infused: What do you see as the major tea trends coming up? LyndalT: Focusing on pure ingredients, so adding milk or sugar in tea is becoming redundant. Did you know that antioxidants are destroyed when you add milk to tea?! Flowering tea is a perfect example of using natural flowers to enhance the flavour of the tea ... and the floral bouquet in itself takes tea to a whole other level.
Infused: Your flowering tea looks beautiful on your website. Where did this idea come from? LyndalT: The flowering tea was suggested to me in 2006 after I had studied aromatherapy. I was looking into creating floral tea blends at the time and a tea artisan asked if I had seen the flowering tea which contains jasmine, chrysanthemum and rose to name a few. Not only are they beautiful but they provide remedial benefit, just like aromatherapy. The flowers are creatively sewn by needle and thread, producing a work of art in a teapot. Infused: What is your favourite tea right now? LyndalT: Milk Oolong, which is available on my website. It is a green tea with an uncanny milky aftertaste. The leaves are lightly roasted and rolled into crisp dried tea which, after infusing, provides an uplifting fresh flavour. It’s a similar sensation to smelling freshly cut lawn, and tastes wonderful. Infused: Can you tell us about sharing a cup of tea that had an important impact on yours or someone else’s life? LyndalT: I will always make time for sharing a cup of tea with a friend because this time together is really important and often underestimated. Other emergencies can wait, as friends and family are my priority and time together is priceless. There are so many occasions over a cuppa that have had an important impact on my life. The first occasion was probably when I was a toddler having a pretend tea party with my siblings. I dare say I was copying my mum, grandmother and great grandmother who used to enjoy many tea parties. History does repeat, doesn’t it! For more information go to LyndalT. The Original Tea Cup is five generations old. This is where it all began!
ENTERTAINMENT
binge watch worthy
STREAMING
the best shows to stream right now
Here’s our round-up of what’s good on Netflix, Stan, ABC iView and SBS On Demand. In case you’re looking for something to do. Netflix 1. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. If you haven’t watched this yet it’s fun and very easy to binge on. And not many TV shows can claim to actually make a difference to your life but watch this and you’ll be tidying your abode before you even know what you’re doing. 2. The Haunting of Hill House. This is a fun, creepy series loosely based on the Shirley Jackson novel of the same name. It was a little corny in parts, and the acting was a bit over the top in others, but overall it’s a good, distracting thriller if you like a bit of horror. 3. Bodyguard. Every episode is thrilling and every character is not to be trusted in this UK series about a Minister and her bodyguard. Couldn’t stop watching. Highly recommended.
Stan 1. Orangutan Jungle School. Oh my goodness the orangutans are just so adorable in this show, about a real school in Indonesia where rescued animals are rehabilitated into the wild. Great for the whole family. 2. Kidding. Jim Carrey plays a children’s television host who finds it hard to reconcile the death of his son with his offbeat job. This looks bittersweet and I’m looking forward to watching it.
iView 1. Killing Eve. This very interesting thriller is about two women: one, a psychopathic killer and the other the cop determined to catch her. It’s unexpectedly funny in parts and compelling just to watch the traditional cat-and-mouse thriller in a feminine guise. 2. Upstart Crow. This is a really fun take on the minutiae of William Shakespeare’s life. It’s for fans of Monty Python and Blackadder.
SBS On Demand 1. The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2. If you enjoyed Season 1, and you’ve got a strong constitution, Season 2 is available in its entirety on SBS. I have to confess that I wasn’t strong enough to go back for a second dose, although I thought the first season was a masterpiece. 2. The Lawyer. For fans of The Bridge, this Swedish-Danish production is set to be the next big Scandi-noir TV series. Frank and Sara were orphaned as children when their parents were killed in a car-bombing. Now adults, Frank is a straight-laced lawyer and Sara is a morally shady police officer.
LIFESTYLE
train etiquette
When you Google “etiquette” you get a lot of things like “A lady may wear gloves and a hat indoors, but not mittens and a cap”. Or “the best way to exit a car when you’re wearing a mini skirt”. I mean. Seriously. Who cares? There are far more important points of order when it comes to manners in the 21st century. Like how to catch a train. How much to use your smartphone during a dinner date. What to give the lucky couple as a wedding gift. So here’s the inaugural Etiquette Column for Infused. Today’s topic is: How not to annoy everyone on a train. 1. Giving up your seat. If there’s an old person standing, offer them your seat. If there’s a woman with a watermelon-like bulge under her dress, offer her your seat. If a person with a physical disability is standing, offer that person your seat. Don’t give me crap about not wanting to insult people who might not be as pregnant or old or disabled as they look. Trust your instincts. The biggest part of this is actually paying attention to people who are standing. Having a quick look around to check that anyone who looks like they need to sit – is seated. And if they don’t want your seat, they’ll just say, “No, thanks.” See? Easy. 2. Your bag doesn’t need a seat. You might have just put it there without thinking and now you’re immersed in Candy Crush Saga and are oblivious to all those dirty looks from people who are wondering why an inanimate object gets a seat when they have to stand. Just put the bag next to your feet. Allow someone else to rest their weary bones.
3. Step back. When waiting for the train, are you at the very front of the platform even though you know your ride is four trains away? Step back, mate. Please. 4. Food. Don’t eat smelly food. Seriously. Even if it smells good, it will make people hungry. If it smells bad. Well. You’re going to be on the train for between 20 and 60 minutes. I’m sure the hunger pangs can wait. 5. Music. I love listening to music because I can’t stand hearing other people talk on the train. But why not do a quick check that your ear buds aren’t flooding the carriage with tinny-Taylor tunes? We don’t share your taste. 6. Which brings me to conversations. Sure, it’s fine to have a chat on your phone or to your buddy on the train. But try not to swear and keep your voice to a moderate level. I might also add to keep to mundane topics but I know a lot of people love eavesdropping on train conversations so maybe just talk about whatever takes your fancy. Just remember you’ve got an audience. 7. Manspreading. Just. Don’t. Even.
Etiquette: How to catch a train (without irritating everyone else onboard)
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Life is busy. Time is short. How are we supposed to look after ourselves when we’re looking after everyone else? Here are five ways to incorporate healthiness into your life without thinking too much about it.
Five Easy Health Hacks That Will Have You Feeling Better Instantly
1. Eat mindfully. This means paying active attention to your food with all five senses and noticing everything about it. To start with, don’t eat while you’re watching TV or reading. It will help you feel fuller and more satisfied with your meal, potentially stopping the urge to binge. 2. Introduce incidental exercise. Get off a stop early from your bus or train, makes sure you take the stairs instead of the lift, and walk down to the corner shop instead of being tempted to drive. It’s recommended that we exercise for an hour every day, but it doesn’t have to be all in one hit. Doing small chunks of exercise might be easier. 3. Go on a tech fast. Taking time out from social media and constant availability to everyone via your mobile phone can help you slow down and relax. You can stop worrying about what everyone else is doing, give work a break and more mindfully be with your family or loved ones. 4. Give up sugar – just for a little while. Okay, so everyone’s doing it and you’re sick of your neighbour/colleague/friend from school/brotherin-law telling you how sugar is bad and fruit causes all evils. But, really, there’s no nutritionist out there who will tell you that free sugar (the stuff that is added to drinks, coffee, tea, cakes, biscuits and sweets) is necessary for your health. And giving it up for a few weeks can help your skin and help you make better food choices. And if you quit for three weeks at least, you’ll reset your taste buds and need less of it in future. Win win. 5. Set an alarm – for going to bed. Setting a regular bedtime can help you create a strong and healthy sleep pattern. At least that’s what the mobile phone companies had in mind for us when they created this natty little feature. So why not set an alarm for sleep time, just as you do for wake time? What have you got to lose?
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