Deck the halls with green decorations

Trimming the tree this week? After scanning the Internet it became clear that there are so many gorgeous green and hand made ideas out there for Christmas decorating.  Its time I started pinning some on our Pinterest page I think... and I have every intention of getting super creative next year when we are not moving house just days after Xmas! 

There are some fabulous fair trade decorations that will definitely appear in the Tree Hugga e-shop in 2013. Choosing sustainable ornaments and decorations gives a new look and new meaning to Christmas traditions.

Enjoy creating your family traditions and memories this festive season xx

All stores deliver... sounds good to me!

A clever little friend of mine has created a fabulous new way to shop online so I thought I had better share this little gem with you!  All Stores Deliver (created by the lovely Kate!) is a Newcastle-based company revolutionising online shopping for Australian consumers. The website allows users to search thousands of stores from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom with the assurance that all stores deliver. This user-friendly site opens up a world of shopping by including the most distinguished department stores to the smallest boutiques.

"Like most new companies what I set out to achieve was a solution to a common problem" says Kate Outtrim, an average consumer and owner of All Stores Deliver. "Too often I would become easily frustrated when shopping online if I spent time adding items to a shopping cart only to find that the website did not deliver to Australia. So I decided to build a shopping search engine that catalogued international stores that deliver to Australia and that still allowed users to shop the way they were most familiar. My concept quickly evolved to include national online stores with the aim of providing Australian shoppers with a level of convenience and simplicity not offered by other shopping sites and search engines. I also wanted to promote a lot of great online stores that I found during my research that do not rank in other search engines because of the competition against larger names."

The website caters for every person and all occasions by providing access to a vast array of products including; men’s, women’s and kids’ fashion, house and garden, health and beauty, sports and outdoors, and technology. Online shoppers have shown enjoyment at the convenience of our ‘Free Shipping’ icon, which highlights stores in the search results that offer this service, and the regularly updated ‘Popular Search’ option. Additional features of the website also include useful shopping links to department stores, discount & comparison stores, fashion portals and kids’ portals; and a hand-picked "Store of the Week" that is published on the website, Facebook, and Twitter to alert savvy shoppers to the best bargains.

New features that the team at All Stores Deliver are currently working on include:

·         A ‘Save Your Favourites’ option which will allow users to save their favourite stores and   search results.

·         A sales area that promotes stores having a large sale such as a mid-year or clearance sale.

·         A ‘Best Stores’ page that will list the most visited online stores.

·         A foreign exchange rate table to help users when buying from overseas which is now more common with the high Australian dollar and;

·         Other international stores in addition to the United States and the United Kingdom.

These features will combine to provide users with a truly unique shopping website.

Kate says: "The feedback I have had from users has been overwhelming. I am very excited to be catering for everybody’s needs including the strong presence of male shoppers, and providing a service that reaches even the most remote and rural communities. Whilst my company is relatively new it has grown exponentially due to the demand for online shopping and from the premium service that we provide our shoppers. My goal of creating a website that offers the convenience of having every shopping need in the one place is coming to fruition and has me very excited for the future of the company."  Go Gal xx

Visit Kate and All Stores Deliver for Christmas!  www.allstoresdeliver.com.au

HURRAW! Has landed!

Super smooth, not daggy, not sticky, not sweet, not too glossy, not too smelly, never grainy, long lasting.  It took several years for Hurraw! to formulate their balm and put it though all the rigors, but its now here and its good enough to eat!

Hurraw! balms are hand mixed and individually poured into each tube of balm.  Quality and integrity are key.  All of the ingredients are sourced directly from farmers ensuring the highest quality products and also ensuring that growers are fairly compensated for their work.

All natural, organic, vegan, raw goodness!  Coming to you soon at www.treehugga.com.au  xx

Conscious living

Just read this snippet from an interview with Jess Ainscough, otherwise known as the Wellness Warrior. It was nice to be reminded that what we put in, on and around our bodies can be harmful overtime. Simply being conscious and aware is sure to help us make better and safer choices... go green, go health and align yourself closer to nature! xx

Organics ranks in Australia’s top 5 growth industries!

Reading about people embracing good clean options... and the huge growth in people doing so, kinda gets me excited... people do care about themselves and the world in which we live!

Over the weekend I read many snippets from the biennial independent Australian Organic Market Report, which was released last week.

News flash... organics is one of Australia’s top five growth industries, and is becoming main stream! {yip... yip}

I am also quietly excited that supermarkets are fast embracing organics, with growth apparently being propelled by the average Australian. More than 1 in 20 people are regular shoppers of organics and almost 2 in 3 have bought organic in the past year.

The report finds 3 in 4 organic products are now bought at supermarkets, representing an ongoing market trend as consumers look for organics.  Recently I spotted Woolworths organic corn chips and organic sweet potato chips and was excited to see that a friend posted a picture of her organic macro milk purchase on instagram for me!  Whilst the big supermarket chains are not typically on my favourite list, the fact that they are listening, catering and making organics more accessible is great news. {yes a pat on the back for the big guys}

Latest research confirms organics is worth $1.27 billion to Australia and is predicted to grow by up to 15% each year, putting it within the top 5 growth industries in Australia. This growth exceeds global growth trends, which are 2 - 11%.

Farm gate sales of organic products have risen by 34% since 2010. The meat sector has experienced a dramatic increase. Sales of beef are up by 111% to $72.7 million, lamb is up by 64% to $18.6 million and poultry has increased by 15% to $17.8 million.

Australia has the largest area of certified organic land in the world. :-)

Dr Andrew Monk BFA director and Report co-author says: “Shoppers are voting with their wallet and supporting foods and fibre that are not only quality products that are good for us but are also good for the environment.

“Sixty-five per cent of Australians have bought organic in the past year and more than a million Australians do so regularly. Three prior noted top barriers to buying organics - price, ease of access/availability and trust in the product being organic - have all been reported as being lesser barriers for consumers than in 2010.

“Trust in organic certification and consumer awareness of standards and certification has increased considerably. Notably there has been a significant increase in recognition of Australia’s main certification logo, Australian Certified Organic, up a further 25% in recognition from the 2010 report.

“Women remain the main buyers of organics for health reasons, however the environment as a motivator has fallen significantly, which may be reflective of a lack of engagement on climate change issues. From cleaning products to pet food and cosmetics, organics is moving from mostly food for the fringes to being mainstream, and including non-food areas as it is increasingly seen as a lifestyle choice.

“Wine grapes has also been an area of exceptional growth (107%), and dairy (63%).

“Fruit and vegetables remain the most commonly purchased item, while non alcoholic drinks rank as the highest frequency purchase, highlighting the “lifestyle” products now available on the market,” Dr Monk says.

Some highlights from the report:

• The average growth projection for the coming years is 10–15%, reflecting the growth from the past two years – more than the 2-11% growth trends internationally and well above growth rates for conventional food and beverages.

• Retailer-owned private labels are increasingly entering the market e.g. Coles, Woolworths and ALDI in the past few years launched their own organic UHT and/or extended shelf life fresh milks.

• Fresh fruit and vegetables (60% of consumers claimed to purchase in the past year) are the most commonly bought organic products, followed by cooking ingredients (45%), canned goods (39%), bread (39%), red meat (35%) and dairy products (34%).

• A further 13% of consumers estimate they spend between 10 and 20% of their average household total food budget on organic products, with the remainder spending 10% or less.

• Four of the five top perceived benefits continue to revolve around what organic food ‘does not contain’. These are Chemical-free (79%), Additive-free (77%), Hormone/antibiotic-free meat (64%) and Non-GMO (62%).

• Approximately 5% of organic shopping is done either online or via direct methods such as home delivery. 

• 36% of Australian adults say that they would reject a product claiming to be organic if it wasn’t certified.

• Of the 1.6 million organic producers 34% are located in Africa, 29% in Asia and 18% in Europe. The countries with the greatest number of organic producers are developing countries including India (400,551), Uganda (188,625) and Mexico (128,862). Markets for organic food products in India grew by over 20% between 2011 and 2012.

For more findings visit: www.bfa.com.au

Fair, fancy and organic

Herbal teas have health and beauty benefits you should be able to enjoy all year round. Our friends at Tielka Teas, an Australian owned and operated business have just about covered the market with a large and truely gorgeous selection of teas for all moods, tastes and purposes!

There is actually more to brewing the best cup of tea than would initially meet the eye, so I thought it best to share these with you, so that when the Tielka starts flying off our online shelves...  you know how to best prepare those lovely little herbs!


~ Use freshly boiled filtered or spring water, as over-boiled water (including hot tap water) contains less oxygen and makes a flatter tasting tea.

~ Teapots, plungers and good old saucepans give the herbs room to open and release flavour and nutrients and are preferable to infusers or tea balls. ~ For each cup use one teaspoon (two to three grams) of dried herbs or double the amount of fresh herbs. A therapeutic dose is two to three cups a day.

~ Water must stay hot to extract the herbs’ goodness, so preheat teapots or cups by swirling with hot water. Note, however, that vitamin C content will be lost if the teas are allowed to boil.

~ As a guide, brew leaves from a tea plant for two to three minutes, and other leaves and flowers for four to five minutes (chamomile and peppermint may become bitter if brewed for longer).

~ Soak berries, roots, barks and seeds for 10 minutes or more, to allow the water to soak right through.

~ If you completely drain the water aftyer steeping you can use these same herbs for a second or third cup.

~ Drink teas hot, warm or cold, but avoid scalding drinks, which damage the oesophagus and stomach linings. Take cleansing teas separately to meals.

~ Used Herbs are fantastic for the garden. Alternately, place some in the fridge for a few days to absorb odours.

~ Many common health conditions preclude the use of certain teas. In addition, herbal teas can interact with mainstream and complementary medicines. Check with a professional if you are unsure.

 Welcome to the Tree Hugga family Teilka xx



Tielka is proud founder of Australia's first certified Fairtrade organic tea collection
 and a 100% Australian owned family business.



{Source: Australian Natural Health}

Interview: Founder of Eco Tan ~ Sonya Driver

Eco Tan is definitely not your average tan – it’s a safe natural and gorgeous tan that has certainly made the team at Tree Hugga very excited!  To discover a fabulous Australian made product, produced though a passion rather than the drive for the big buck... is something rare and the sign of something special.

We were lucky enough to have the privileged opportunity to ask the fonder Sonya Drives a few questions on her unique creation.

TH: When was Eco tan created?  

SD: We created Eco Tan back in early 2010.

TH:  What inspired you to create such a wonderful product?  

SD: After my younger sister was diagnosed with a melanoma we started having spray tans. I was concerned about what was being absorbed into her scar, so I started searching. I didn't like what I found.

TH: How does it make you feel knowing you have created such a well loved alternative to sun baking and synthetic tans?  

SD: Thank you for saying that. I have to admit I am guilty of not stopping to smell the roses or acknowledge what I have started. I will work on that. 

TH: What are the gorgeous ingredients?

SD: There are loads of divine ingredients for a start we use Cacao (chocolate) for the colour and red Grape Skins plus Avocado oil, Rose flower oil and on and on...

TH: What next for Eco Tan and Sonya?

SD: Well we have just launched in the UK and NZ and I have a couple of products that I have been working on for a while. Sonya... well she is trying to learn balance and get her stress levels in control. She would like to build a house (not a mansion) and get a new car. I must admit I do feel over whelmed at times. I am a single parent and I own a company. I really need a dish washer… It's all good. I am blessed and grateful.

After the wonderful feedback we have had from our first Eco Tan buyers at Tree Hugga, I must say... I am sure there are many of us eager to see what else team ECO Tan are working on to keep us looking gorgeous and safe! 

Thank you Sonya x

Don't hold back... Throw compliments often

I read this little fact about women and was blown away... So I am not the only one who has ever been hurt by jesting family and friends.

Whilst I know I've been on the receiving end of a little laugh that was innocent but kinda hurt somewhere deep inside... This fact made me wonder how many times I've been on the giving end??? Dishing out harmless jokes for a little giggle, that in fact may not have been so damn harmless.

Whilst I typically try to go out of my way to be a good caring friend, sister, cousin, daughter, lover or acquaintance... I just might start telling more of the fabulous people I know just how fabulous they really are!

                                 

Organic food is not new

Shhhh...  don’t tell anyone but organic food is not new { gasp } ...  I know is sounds like a crazy statement to make but its quiet interesting to look at how far we have lost track over the years. 

We have actually taken a full circle and have now ended up heading back to basic farming principles...  leaving a large mess behind us.

Farming throughout history has typically been organic, farming with natural fertilisers, natural practices, freedom and no chemicals. 

Over time with technology advances and growing scientific revolutions people discovered that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides helped increase yields and made farming practices easier. 

We also discovered that artificial fertilisers used long term have dangerous effects on soils, habitats, humans and animal life. {bom bom :-/}

Using artificial fertilisers was a quick solution to the increased demand on the industry to supply larger qualities of food for growing populations and also to avert deadly famines across the globe.

Throughout this period however many still adopted organic farming practices – though they may not have been referred to as “organic” at the time.  Then in the 1970s several new waves of organic farming began, and it continues to be the fastest growing agricultural sector in the world today.  (That’s a pretty exciting fact!)

The overall goal of organic farming is based on kindness... its about improving the environment rather than degrading the environment and avoiding harm or cruelty to animals.

Does organic taste better?

Each to their own here however I think you can definitely taste the difference.  For me I’ve always found that organic strawberries and tomatoes are much richer in flavour and full of twice the amount of colour and juice.   I know that I have also read that those eating organic chicken/beef over non-organic chicken/beef can definitely taste the difference.

Is organic better for you?

Think about it...  avoiding residual herbicides, pesticides, GMOS, hormones and antibiotics and  consuming food grown only in mineral rich soil which means many more nutrients will be present in our foods.  You decide or jump online and research some of the unanimous findings.

It’s expensive...

I’ve said it and I know it’s a common debate or reason for avoiding buying organic...  yes it is slightly more expensive.  But in my eyes, think of the money you will be saving on medical bills in the future if you look after your body correctly now. 

It should be more expensive too; it’s a much more labour intensive process and it also protects the environment. 

To go organic or not to go organic...

We take the approach of buying and eating organic when we can, we usually buy organic staples and groceries items but chop and change a little with my fruit purchases.  When pennies are tighter we buy whats on sale and when we feel we have room to move we go all out.

It’s also wise to note that not all packed items claiming to be organic and natural are not always 100% organic and natural – so check labels closely as sometimes marketing can be very misleading!

Today there are also loads of opportunities to buy fresh organic produce.  Larger chains offer a limited selection of organic fruit and vegetables, weekends are filled with local farmers markets and many online fruiterers deliver locally. 

Try shopping at:

·         Newcastle/Hunter Valley NSW: www.organicfeast.com.au

·         Central Coast NSW: http://avocaorganics.com.au

Of course the best thing we can do is eat living organic foods if we truly want to live a long natural and balanced life free from the wide spread illnesses seen in today’s society. 

All I can says is I am glad to see the ever growing range and availability of organic products and produce. Here's to old things deemed new again!

Visit the Organics Federation of Australia for further information: www.ofa.org.au



Organic imperfections... guaranteed taste x



Looking for a kinder kind of life?

Remember the movie Clueless?? I actually loved it and enjoyed some good belly laughs... which is always an amazing feeling that uplifts spirits and attitudes!

I would have never guested however that many years later, star of the show, Alicia Silverstone, would compliment and reinforce many of my beliefs about how we should treat our bodies and the world kindly.

Alicias book, the kind diet introduces the real Alicia, an actress, activist, and committed conservationist! In her book she shares the insights that encouraged her to swear off meat and dairy forever and outlines the benefits of adopting a plant based diet. Right up my alley!

Whilst reading I was actually moved to tears in sections on animal cruelty and the needless suffering of animals.

The kind diet introduces 3 separate levels for those wanting to change their diets due to the fact we all progress at different rates: be a flirt, be a vegan or be a super hero. Which ever you chose your helping being kind to the world.

The best part... the tasty recipes that use such a variety of ingredients, you'll definently need to visit your Asian grocer! Which I found a fun thing to do!

This book comes majorly recommended! You can grab a copy from www.amazon.com and have it in your hot little hands in just a few days!


'When diet is wrong medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need.' Ancient Ayurvedic Proverb



This is a fave - fresh & colourful x





Garden guru





The not so clueless...  alicia



Essences of a brand we love

It's not often you stumble across a brand with spirt... a spirt that shares the same passion for life, beauty, simplicity and goodness as you.

As fate would have it, we were lucky and did just that! El Naturalista Kids has spirit... It's sincere, observant, wise, a perfectionist, modern, happy, a walker, vital, harmonic and will always be remembered!

Naturalista children have big eyes, because they are always wide open. They don't blink incase they miss something. Naturalista kids are adventurous, playful, generous and dreamers. Now meet the shoes that fit these gorgeous children perfectly!

Natural wax, natural oil, water and vegetable based treatments, 100% recycled rubber soles, stone therapy inner soles... You hearing me??? Amazing!

El Naturalista shoes use natural and biodegradable materials, it's their priority!

We look forward to working with the Spanish based company to bring this kids collection into Australia! What an honor to be aligned with such an ethically minded group of people and a label that ticks every single one of our boxes... plus some! X

Components of a brilliant afternoon x

Oh man... i need a tan

Its gorgeous, it’s tiny and its electric blue....  it’s my new summer cozzie and I lovvvee it!

Small issue:  I am not loving the light shade of white I seem to have turned after wrapping my body in layers of snugly clothes and keeping the icy surf temperatures at bay in my wettie all winter.

So here lies the dilemma...  I no longer wish to spend hours bronzing up on the sunny sand whilst checking out the life guards and cool geek surfer boys flex as they go past... Why you ask?  Well I am afraid now I am old and wise (apparently), and want to avoid those nasty UV rays at all costs. Besides I would rather be chasing my two little cherubs down the beach or chasing the waves than being sprawled on my back hoping my butt looks ok from each and every angle!

The facts, did you know up to 80% of premature skin aging is caused by the effects of the sun! Not only do the UV rays increase your chances of getting skin cancer, they also irreparably damage the collagen in your skin, which is responsible for keeping your skin firm and smooth. Once the collagen is broken down, wrinkles will result.  Wrinkles, cancer and sun spots....  no thank you!

Option one:          Learn to love pastels...  they r in fashion right??

Option two:           Natural sunless tanning

Option two was definitely screaming my name so the search began.

 

After visiting a few department stores and several local beauty salons, all with good options for tanning, I honestly was not compelled to buy any of them...  perhaps option one and adopting to be pastel over summer may be easier. 

It wasn’t until that evening when my online search came to the rescue....  enter Eco Tan!

Natural, organic and no nasties.  Eco Tan's secret is to use natural ingredients such as Cacao (chocolate), Grape skin Extract, Rose Geranium Oil, Chamomile Flower Extract, Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Avocado Oil and Aloe Vera, to produce the perfect deep rich sunless tan.   Not only are they 100% natural ingredients the story behind the development of the gorgeous product is touching.  I love it when you find a product developed on passion rather than in quest of the big dollar.

It all started about 3 years ago when the founder of Eco Tan, Sonia’s 30 year old sister was diagnosed with a melanoma. Through the power of prayer and early diagnoses thankfully she caught it in time.

Still wanting a tan but without the potential risk from UV they sought the next best thing and started having spray tans however then became concerned about the ingredients we were constantly covering themselves with.   After thousands of hours researching and formulating they put together a solution that is not only beautiful it is also safe and free from all things nasty and artificial.

Eco Tan where possible, also uses veggie ink and recycled papers that are friendly to our environment. Double tick from me!

I tried it; I love it and think we might just have to stock it!  We will be making our first order of Eco Tan soon, so be ready to grab some when we launch!!  Now I am all bronzed up and ready to don my blue kini!



Eco Tan - my safe natural hero!



Electric blue cozzie and my new chocolate tan....  my new BFFs!



Sunny days scream simplicity

Welcome back spring, you were dearly missed!

There is something more that spring brings with it than the gorgeous warmth of golden sun rays and splashes of colour appearing across gardens and park lands...

For me it's the pleasure of simplicity.

Simple outings, gathering flowers, investigating insects and just being in the moment. Spring has an amazing power to bring us all out in celebration of the warmer months ahead.

We ducked out today to ruffle our feathers and loved the friendliness budding from everyone. Quietly I think even the unfriendliest of locals displayed an ouch of spring excitement! Even if it was only for a moment, we saw it and have spring to thank for that! X