Feel-Good Clothes

It feels like everything is starting to brighten up with the days warmer, the evenings lighter and the restrictions getting less and less! There is a real positive vibe in the air and what better way to show it than some feel good clothes from some great small businesses?

Olive and Frank are a lovely small business that sell great quality clothing with positive messages. They’re striving to be more sustainable and have a lovely range of T-shirts that are made from organic cotton. I love this The Magic in You tee for £32.

Olive and Frank

If you’re after something really bright and playful, Hello Dodo are definitely one to check out. They do really fun clothes for adults and kids alike. Many of their products are from a climate eco factory and they post their goods without plastic. I love the seaside pun tees in particular like the Gulls tee below.

Hello Dodo

I really enjoy Limpet Store which has some brilliantly random handmade t-shirt and jumper designs. Many of the designs champion body positivity and female empowerment. They have a great embroidered David Attenborough sweatshirt – 10% of all proceeds of this product go to the WWF so not only is it fun but supportive.

Tea Please are another great find for fun t-shirts and jumpers. Their tees are made from organic cotton and shipped in recyclable and biodegradable packaging. They have a range of tees from super sassy slogans to cute designs. I love their embroidered designs with the plant more flowers tee below being my fave.

Tea Please

Etsy is always a good shout for clothing made by small businesses. One seller to shout out is Reel Rebellion :a one woman band in Norwich selling some really cute hand embroided tees. The new animal range is really lovely.

Another great place is Depop where you can buy second hand clothes from people – this is such a sustainable and planet kind option. It’s also full of bargains! I’ve just started using the app and already love it! I just picked up a fab new lightweight trench coat for £20 – originally £60 on ASOS! It’s also a good way to reduce clothing waste.

Hopefully this has given you a bit of inspo for some fun clothes to get from some lovely sellers. I know clothing sales are likely to be on the up with social life now returning and it feels great to be able to support small businesses and use second hand outlets for this rather than giving money to the fast fashion brands.

Easter Treats

Easter is only two weeks away and I’ve found some lovely companies with some great products to celebrate Easter weekend. Although the supermarket shelves are packed full of eggs, there are lots of small businesses which would love the support instead.

Despite the real meaning of Easter being religious, Easter definitely wouldn’t be Easter without chocolate. Instead of getting a bog standard egg, this make your own Easter egg by Love Cocoa is fantastic. The kit comes with chocolate, sprinkles and moulds so you can create your own. They also have other Easter goodies which aren’t DIY like these salted caramel eggs. The company have an eco focus, planting a tree for every chocolate sold and using plastic free packaging. If you’re vegan, Pump Chocolate have some great options like this chocolate chicken made from oat milk which is really fun.

Another sweet treat option for Easter are these mini egg cookie mixes by Bottled Baking Co. This company are great because they provide all the dry ingredients you need for the treats and they’re packaged in glass bottles you can keep and reuse. They make baking simple so would be perfect for an Easter bake with the kids. Added bonus- they plant a tree for every bottle sold!

Mini Egg Cookie Mix from the Bottled Baking Co.

Another great product for kids are these make your own Easter crackers by Hooty Balloo. The kit comes with carrot crackers, party hats and joke/trivia cards to add your own content. You can then add your own gifts too to suit your family. These personalised mini mugs are also a super sweet gift for kids. The mugs by White Rain Designs are hand painted with your chosen name and have two designs: bunny or chick. There are also larger versions available for adults.

If you’re after a more adult treat, Toast Ale have come out with this chocolate stout which also comes with a free chocolate bar when you buy a pack. The beer company are focused on sustainability with their beers made from surplus bread and they also donate profits to planet kind causes.

From chocolate eggs to chocolate beer, hopefully you’ve been able to find a great gift for Easter from one of these lovely companies.

Mother’s Day Gifting

Mother’s Day is only a couple of weeks away but don’t panic – I’ve found some great gifting ideas from small businesses that are perfect for the season.

Gifts for the home are perfect right now with everyone stuck indoors and there are some lovely options out there. There are loads of mugs on the market but my favourite is this option by Dotty Black Gifts which says Super Womum or Womam (perfect for Geordies like me!). Trinket dishes are another good Mother’s Day gift and I love these hand painted ones by White Rain Designs. There are sweet daffodil options which are very spring or you can choose ones with mum on or a personalised name on them. The small business also sell beautiful hand crafted ceramic earrings and necklaces and you have the option of adding one of these to match the trinket dishes which make a lovely gift set.

Dotty Black Gifts mug

Pampering gifts are always popular with mums and I’ve come across some lovely options. I love this soap set by Myrtle and Soap. The company are very eco conscious and this set of four gorgeous handmade soaps are vegan, natural and come in biodegradable packaging. Another great eco brand are Up Circle Beauty who use byproducts from other industries to make their beauty products. Their website allows you to build your own bundle so you can pick your mum’s favourite products from face masks to body cream.

Myrtle and Soap gift set

Candles are such a classic gift and these personalised candles by Manchester based company Kindred Fires are lovely. This Mother’s Day option is made from natural soy wax and allows you to add your name to the jar label to make it extra special.

If you’re wanting to buy flowers, Daisy Works are a great place to check out. Their flowers are seasonal, eco-friendly and 100% British so a lot more sustainable than supermarket options. Another great thing about the company are that they raise money for Muscular Dystrophy UK, giving you another reason to support them.

Finally whose mother doesn’t like fizz? Rather than picking up a bottle of Prosecco from your local, be a bit different and treat your mum to a fizz box from Brixton Wine Club. The box contains six cans of quality fizzy wine from small wine companies. It’s a perfect way to try some interesting wines and you don’t need to commit to a full bottle (or share!).

I hope this has given you some inspo on what to buy this year for Mother’s Day and showcased some great small businesses. Many of the gifts highlighted would also be a great little treat to yourself if you fancied a payday pick me up!

Every Day Swaps to Cut Down on Plastics

One thing I’ve been trying to do this year is reduce how much plastic I buy. I’ve seen countless documentaries, articles and posts on social media which show the damage that plastics are having on the environment and thought I should really do my bit. A couple of months in to 2021 and I’ve already made a few easy changes to my shopping which has already cut down my usage.

One thing I never really put much thought into was buyingcleaning products. Run out of hand wash? Buy more on my Tesco shop. However I never really thought about how much plastic I have in the house with cleaning product in until now and, with everyone being house-bound, we’re getting through more now than ever. I’ve started getting my cleaning products from Bower Collective who are this great company which sell refill pouches of product and once you’ve filled your containers you can post the pouches back to them in a pre-paid envelope that comes with your order. All you do is pop it in the post box and the company cleans and reuses them – super easy. You can even set up reorder schedules so you don’t need to remember to order more. They do a range of cleaning products from laundry and dishes to hand wash and bathroom cleaner. You can also buy refillable bottles from them to put the product in. I already bought some bottles from my local refill shop, Gather in Peckham. These amber bottles are by company Fill Refill Co who also sell refill cleaning products. There are also plenty of options of clear or labelled glass bottles on Etsy.

Bower Collective Handwash and Fill Refill Co amber glass bottle

Beauty is another area where I’ve noticed how much plastic and packaging is involved. After feeling guilty about makeup wipes for a while, I swapped to biodegradable wipes last year but this still seemed wasteful. I recently discovered reusable make up remover pads and I have loved this swap. The ones I purchased are by Bambaw but I got from Bower Collective and are mostly made from bamboo. There are two types – normal soft ones and some scrub ones for tougher tasks like heavy makeup or exfoliating. It also came with a cotton bag which you can pop the dirty pads in to, then tie up and put in the washing machine. I’ve found them great to use – I just add water or cleanser to a pad and wipe my face with them. My makeup has come off easily and I’m so happy I don’t have to buy any more wipes!

Bambaw makeup pads

Bathing and hair care is another beauty area which has a lot of plastics. Although I still have normal shampoo and bath products, I have started the plastic free switch by getting a conditioner bar. They’re easy to use and come with no plastic whatsoever. The one I purchased was by Earth Kind and has a lovely lavender scent. Once I run through my other products I would like to try shampoo bars and bubble bars. Although not plastic free, my current bathing products are from the Body Shop so are made from recycled plastic which is better than other options.

Earth Kind conditioning bar

Lastly I wanted to buy better sanitary products as I know how wasteful these can be and also how much I go through in a year. The best option for the planet is a menstrual cup but I was a bit unsure if they were for me after reading some reviews. I thought I’d try the next best thing which was plastic free pads and tampons. I found this great company called TOTM who sell products made from organic cotton that come in biodegradable packaging. Not only is this better for the planet but it is healthier – the organic cotton has a natural softness (unlike synthetic material), is more delicate, more breathable and won’t irritate your body. The products are great quality and come in snazzy packaging. You can also set them up to be automatically delivered every month so you never get caught out. Another bonus with TOTM is they also give back by supporting women’s health charities such as donating to Endometriosis UK.

TOTM sanitary products

I hope this gives a bit of inspo about how some small changes in your every day buying can help to reduce your plastic usage. I’m still at the start of my plastic free journey so I’m hoping to make even more changes which I’ll share. It already feels good to be trying to do my bit to make a difference.

Sip and Support

With pubs and bars likely to stay shut until May, the best boozy night out we’ll hope to have for a while will be a virtual one as we sip drinks in our comfies in front of a screen. More than ever before, we’re drinking at home. Although it may be easy just getting stocked up from your local supermarket, there are far more exciting and also supportive places to get your alcohol from.

Are you missing your local bar or pub? Chances are they’re missing you a whole lot more with a huge number of businesses struggling with nearly a year of fragmented trade. One great way to support them is to see if they’re selling cans to take away or delivering draught pints with some pub grub. Have a search online for your favourite places for a tipple pre-covid and see if there’s anything you can buy to have at home. If you live near any breweries or taprooms, see if you can buy craft beers from them directly. Not only will they usually taste better and more exciting than the supermarket offer but you’ll be supporting small businesses. I live near the Bermondsey Beer Mile and have been either ordering from the breweries online or popping down to buy cans from the deserted taprooms. My personal favourites are London Beer Factory, Fourpure and Moor Beer.

London Beer Factory’s newest IPA

If you’re getting bored of your current buys and want to try something new, there are loads of great subscription services which will send some exciting new tipples to your door every month. If you love wine you need to try Brixton Wine Club. They sell boxes of premium canned wine from independent producers with the option of Red, White, Rose, Fizz or a mixed box. I love this as it’s not often you get to have tasters of different wines and it’s also great that it comes in cans so don’t have to commit to a bottle – perfect if you want to spread the drinks across the month or if you’re the only one in the house that likes red. Another great subscription service is Whiskey Me which delivers post-friendly pouches of hand selected whisky through your door – it’s a great way to learn more about whisky and is super affordable at only £7 a month! They’re also trialling a take back scheme where you can send the pouches back to be reused.

Brixton Wine Club box

There are also some great alcohol suppliers that are doing their part for the environment. There is a Scottish distillery which sells a climate positive and carbon neutral gin. Nàdar gin is made from a spirit that comes from peas meaning no fertiliser is needed and the peas used help the ecosystem. Super clever! Similarly, there is a brewery which brews their beer with surplus fresh bread. This is the reason for their name Toast Ale. The brewery also donate all of their profits to helping fix the food system such as tackling the issue of food waste.

Who knew your cheeky Friday night drinks could support great causes? The only thing you will need to worry about with these tipples is your hangover!

Galentine’s Gifting

Now February has arrived, red hearts and roses are taking over our adverts and supermarket shelves. Valentine’s Day is such a marmite season with those on their own ending up being excluded from any celebration. However, thanks to the brilliant US TV show Parks and Recreation, a new holiday was born on Feb 13th: Galentine’s Day.

Although not an official holiday, it has become a bigger and more recognised day since it’s 10 year creation with many companies now acknowledging it with promotions and products! Never heard of it? It’s a day to get together with your best ladies and celebrate each other. Basically Valentine’s with your BFF. With social contact being so restricted and communication tightened, this is the perfect year to celebrate Galentine’s by letting your friends know you think they’re great!

There are cards now dedicated to this day – EK Design, a UK designer, have some super cards made for this event on their Etsy shop here. If you’re wanting to spread the love to your whole girl gang, Mean Mail are doing a set of very sarcastic cards to send to your friends who are so over Valentine’s too. You could also throw in this brilliant ‘Best Bitch’ pin by Hello Sunshine for an extra laugh.

Card by EK Design

There are some great pampering gifts you could send to your friend, particularly if they’ve found the last year a struggle. Mallow Beauty do a Galentine’s pamper bundle which includes a card, bath bomb, candle and hand sanitiser with the products also featuring body positive messages. Aside from being a great gift, the company also donate 5% of their profits to mental health charities which means you can support your friend and a great charity with your purchase. Another great gift is this soap bundle by the Tru Soap company which includes two soaps, a soap tray and gift note for only £10. The products are super kind to the planet with the hand crafted soaps being plant based, palm oil free and plastic free.

Mallows Beauty Galentine’s Bundle

I love this Coffee Care Package by Yawn Brew as a little pick me up gift. It includes 12 craft coffees in biodegradable packaging – perfect for your BFF who is missing their Pret fix! The company also do tea and hot chocolate gifts if coffee isn’t your friend’s thing. Another tasty gift are these postal boxes by this Manchester based bakery Gwillicious Bakes. The changing selection includes a variety of delicious sounding brownies and blondies that can be sent right to your friend’s door. They restock at 10am on a Thursday so make sure you check them out before they sell out.

Although Galentine’s Day isn’t official, I think it’s a lovely excuse to show your friends that you care. With everything going on in the world at the moment, reaching out to a friend can go a long way and supporting some small businesses while you do this is just a bonus.

Give a Little Love this Valentine’s

With February fast approaching, Valentine’s Day isn’t far away. I’ve discovered some lovely gifting for Valentines Day from eco bathing options to locally made jewellery. Not in a couple? No problem! I think with the year we have been through, we deserve to treat ourselves.

It seems pretty likely that we’re going to be spending this Valentine’s at home but you can still enjoy an element of a night out with Hoxton & Grey cocktails. The company have a great selection of bottled cocktails that you can have delivered to your door. I especially love the Quarantini – when this is purchased, the profits go to NHS charities. You can donate while you have a tipple – perfect!

Fancy something sweet? Sweet Enchanted’s cookie company have the perfect Valentine’s gifts with adorable postal box cookie sets to gift to your other half. You can find their products here including a Galentine’s option for your BFF! The lobster option has to be my favourite but there’s not many left so you’ll have to be speedy!

Sweet Enchanted cookie set

If you’re after something a bit more cheesy, these cheese selection boxes by Fromage à Vous, a small company which was started in lockdown, are perfect. The February box named Will You Brie Mine includes a selection of cheeses, accompaniments and tasting cards all beautifully packaged. If you order this week you can also get a 10% discount!

Think your other half deserves some relaxation? This bathing gift box from small business BrambleWood Soap Co is just what you need. The box comes with beautiful rose bath products (bath tea, soap, bath fizzy and a plantable greeting card) and is super sustainable with biodegradable packaging and natural, vegan and palm oil-free products. On a bit of a cheekier note, I absolutely love this massage bar from Lush named Naked Attraction. As well as it being a funny gift, the limited edition product is vegan.

With everyone being pretty house-bound at the moment, another great gift idea is something for the home. Edie Pebble is a lovely business in Northumberland which sells handmade gifts and I think this wall art piece is super sweet. Plants are another great option with String of Hearts being particularly fitting as a Valentine’s Gift. Bonus – they’re very low maintenance. Get yours from Beards and Daisies here – a great plant company which is reasonably priced and trying to be sustainable.

String of Hearts

A Valentine’s gift guide wouldn’t be complete without some heart shaped jewellery. I have found some beautiful hand crafted heart shaped studs by small business White Rain Designs. They come in an array of colours and are delivered with a lovely presentation card which can be personalised with your own message.

I hope these ideas have helped in your Valentine’s gifting mission this year. Not only can you send the love to your other half with these gifts, you’ll also be sending some love to small businesses and the planet. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Self Care from Brands that Care

In normal times, January is the most gloomy month and throwing in a national lockdown just makes the month even more miserable. We all need a little pick me up! This week’s blog is all about treating yourself to some self care from some great brands and businesses.

Pampering is a great form of self care and there are some great products out there from kind brands. One of my favourite big brands that have a conscience are the Body Shop. They are focused on cruelty free beauty and are taking measures to achieve that from using recyclable plastic, fighting animal testing and having a large range of vegan products. Their Himilayan Charcoal Purifying Glow mask is one of my favourites – it really gives your skin a glow, smells and feels amazing on and is also kind to the planet! I’m also obsessed with the Almond Milk and Honey range which is great for those with sensitive skin and has the dreamiest smell. The almond milk and honey used in this range is Community Fair Trade.

Body Shop Almond Milk and Honey range

Another big player is Lush which is vocal about its environmental and cruelty free stance. One thing I love about them is their packaging free products. Instead of normal shampoo which comes in bottles, Lush sell gorgeous shampoo bars which have no packaging and are a lot more eco friendly. They also do other products like this such as bubble bars (replacing bubble bath bottles) and cleansing balms. The company have also just launched a self care subscription box where each month you get flowers and skin care delivered to your door. What a great monthly treat!

Candles can be a great mood booster and I have found some great small businesses with sustainably made candles. The Naked Candle company are based in Manchester and specialise in soy wax candles. They currently have a January sale on with some great scents so you could pick up a bargain and support a small business. Glow Homeware are another company which have some great homemade vegan candles with the Vanilla Cream (the newest scent) sounding delicious.

With the cold weather here and everyone being house-bound, curling up with a good book is a perfect activity in January. I have discovered this brilliant company called Books That Matter which promotes female authors and small businesses. You can order a monthly book subscription which comes with an empowering and inspiring book written by a woman and at least three creative gifts by independent companies along with information on the book’s themes. This is all for only £17 a month!

The lack of plans in everyone’s calendars has also led us to keeping busy by getting crafty. This is a great form of self care as it cuts down screen time and can be really relaxing to do. Make and Mend have some super embroidery kits with a range of these being centred around motivation. I particularly love the Stitch Your Year Desk Calendars which would really brighten up a working from home desk!

I hope these ideas help brighten up your January and make you aware of some great brands that have a good ethos. There’s nothing better than finding a product that makes you feel good from its use and also by knowing you’re giving support to a mindful business.

Kinder Buying in 2021

Hello and welcome to my shiny new blog! I thought I’d kick it off by explaining why I want to Buy Kind this year and just exactly what that means to me.

Coronavirus has taken a huge toll on the way we live life with us not being able to see loved ones, navigating work meetings over Zoom and getting hyped up all week for a long walk at the local park at the weekend. One way it has also impacted us is our outlook on where we are spending our money.

With social interactions dramatically halted and travel options put on hold, we have also reduced our need to spend on many products. Most clothing buys (aside from comfies) are being reduced as nobody is wanting to splurge out on fancy clothes that will only be seen by the postal worker or Deliveroo driver. Food and drink spending has been sliced with the majority of us working from home. Those morning coffee runs and after work bevvies in the local are distant memories now. I could go on but as you will have noticed, we’re buying less of a number of products. This has caused a shift in spending habits that we might never go back from.

One positive thing to come out of this is the way we’re benefitting the planet. Fast fashion retailers were king with people wanting cheap outfits they could buy just to wear for an Insta pic and then replace it with something else. This way of buying has been harmful to the environment with the fashion industry being responsible for a significant amount of waste. I believe now we’re having the chance to think about our purchases, the sustainable clothing industry will prevail. The lack of travel we’re doing is benefitting the Earth with emissions significantly down. Bike sales have soared and with cities making changes to encourage this trend, I think more eco travel options will continue to thrive. Overall we’re seeing examples of nature succeeding during the pandemic and I think this will make people consider how their purchases are affecting the planet. I for one am wanting to look for brands to support that are sustainable, products that are recyclable and businesses that are helping this green effort.

Another aspect of the pandemic has been its toll on businesses. With restrictions causing havoc to high streets, we’re really looking at our local businesses and wanting to give them a hand. Throughout lockdown there has been a shift to supporting small and local businesses which I think is a great thing. With most people being house-bound, people creating businesses from their living rooms has increased and with it some great new brands have been born. The side hussle has been elevated and I think it’s something we should support. I love the thought of a person celebrating my order coming through or a struggling local being helped out by my takeaway purchase. I really want to showcase these businesses.

Lastly, I think businesses with great messages or causes should be championed this year. 2020 has flagged up a load of issues that need addressing from the George Floyd killing reminding us of racial inequality to lockdown living taking a toll on the nation’s mental health. Being able to help with these issues would be great and spreading the message of support and inclusivity is needed. I’m going to be looking at ways to support minority groups, promote good mental health and just generally championing brands that have a positive contribution to society.

All in all, the whirlwind that was 2020 has really made me stop and think about what I’m buying, where it’s coming from and the impact that my spending could have. My goal is to research brands and products that are kind to the environment, great small businesses that would really benefit from a purchase and look at spending that would support a good cause or be beneficial to others. I hope you enjoy reading about what I find and join me in trying to buy kind this year.