This time of year is especially busy. Getting all of our work completed before the holidays, as well as Christmas preparations, and the many pre-Chrissie social engagements and festivities... it can be exhausting! So to keep your sanity and make sure you have enough energy to get through the day, I recommend a really good night's sleep.
A comfy bed with delicious fresh sheets is one of life's simple pleasures. I recently got some beautiful organic sheets from Laura Thomas Linens, and getting into bed at night after a long day is just pure bliss! Made from 100% organic percale cotton, they're so crisp and scrumptious, the only draw back is it's twice as hard to get out of bed in the morning now.
Laura Thomas, an expat Scot living in New Zealand, created her company back in 2012 after discovering a distinct lack of choice when it came to mid-priced, good quality bedding in NZ. She shares my love of crisp white bed linen and prides herself in fair trade, with no mass produced products in her range. She sources everything from Vietnam, India and Egypt.
As well as organic sheets, there is also a beautiful range of Stockholm Stitch organic duvet covers and pillowcases. The smart pin stitched detailing along the edges adds a delightful, subtle texture. And the Classic Hand Embroidered bed linen is pure luxury.
New to the Laura Thomas collection are these divine 100% soy wax candles. They're scented with essential oil of lavender grown in the alpine mountains of the Nelson Lakes, and all made in New Zealand. Slow burning, with over 15 hours burn time, these would make a perfect gift for someone special in your life. Choose between the Lavender and the Christmas candle, with it's Christmas spice and a hint of sweet navel orange.
Beautiful bed linen and gorgeous scented candles... you deserve a bit of luxury in your life. Go on and check out the full range at Laura Thomas Linens, including bedding for the littlies. And follow Laura on Facebook to keep up to date with all the news.
We all love to shop, right?! I know I do, and so do Sally Brochocka and Emma Robertson. But these two, who have been friends for many years, have decided the best kind of shopping is when you're buying products that are caring for our local and global environment. So together they have created an amazing online shop called Whitebook.
They have done all the hard work for us and collated a fabulous range of products, all beautifully designed, all created with fair ethics, and all good for our planet. For example, these oh-so-cute Animal Beanies are made in Bali by rice farmer's wives. The women can crochet up to two hats a day, which doubles their family's daily income. In an environment where employment opportunities for women are rare, it's a a wonderful thing, and the additional income is life-changing for the families.
Another incredible range is the Made jewellery which is all produced in Kenya, providing skills and opportunities for local artisans. They use a combination of traditional and Western methods, and all their materials are sourced responsibly. Made have collaborated with such powerhouses as Louis Vuitton, Topshop, John Lewis, Tommy Hilfiger and more.
There are loads of gorgeous gift ideas if you're still looking for Christmas present ideas. These sweet 100% recycled notecards by Ecojot come in a pack of 10, and would make great stocking stuffers. Ecojot's mission is to give children in need around the world a workbook and pen to write their way out of poverty and violence.
A very cool range of drink bottles and lunch boxes by Earthlust, will be a big hit with little and big kids alike. Earthlust are committed to donating 1% of annual net revenues to environmental organisations worldwide.
I love the cool stationery by Remarkable. The UK company take waste products destined for the dump and turn them into fabulous new products. Like their colourful pocket notebooks made from 100% recycled card and paper; and their sleek, black coloured pencils made from old CD cases.
When you've chosen and wrapped all your presents, you'll need (and want) some of these adorable Tikitibu gift tags. The wooden tags, made from sustainable sourced wood, can also be used as decorations on your tree, or around your home. And the paper gift tags will make any present look super special.
This is just some of what Whitebook has to offer, so make sure you pop over to see the full range for yourself. And keep up to date with all the news on their Facebook page.
Hallways sometimes get overlooked in a home when it comes to decorating. You only ever pass through a hall, it's not somewhere you tend to 'hang out'. But think about how often you do pass through it - give it some attention and style it as you would any other room in your house.
I love having something at the end of a hallway to capture your attention and anchor the space. It depends on how much room you have available to you, but the best place to start is a cool piece of art on the wall. Then, if you're lucky enough to have a bit of extra room, add another layer and create even more interest. Here are three gorgeous examples...
