Loving: Thankyou ethical hand wash

I discovered the Thankyou hand wash in my local grocery store a few weeks ago and we love it to bits. With its smart packaging, our hand soap looks great in our new bathroom, smells good, doesn't include any nasties (SLS, SLES, Parabens, detergents, artificial colours etc), and all ingredients are sourced ethically. It's not tested on animals, and is 100% recycled. On top of that, the sale of one Thankyou Body Care bottle directly contributes to one needy person receiving access to health and hygiene training. You can find the Thankyou Body Care range in Australian grocery stores including Coles, Woolworths and IGA. Have you tried it out too?

Image: Steph Bond-Hutkin | Bondville

The Seventh Duchess luxury loose leaf tea

Always a sucker for good packaging design and Australian-made goodies, I have another gorgeous product to add to the pantry - luxury loose leaf tea from The Seventh Duchess. The WA-based team behind this lovely brand have created a beautiful visual statement to represent the luxury and romance of their tea.

The Seventh Duchess tea is named after Anna Russell, the Seventh Duchess of Bedford, confidant of Queen Victoria, and a socialite of the highest inner circles in the early 19th century. It is said that the Duchess invented the ritual of afternoon tea, sharing with her friends different tea blends acquired from the Far East, as well as their origin, and different brewing techniques.

The Seventh Duchess range of quality tea tisanes and drinking chocolate contain no artificial colours or flavours. The team offers bespoke services, customising tins for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, events and corporate gifts. I'm besotted.

You can find The Seventh Duchess in the online store as well as stockists across Australia.

Images: The Seventh Duchess

The Little Veggie Patch Co. heirloom seeds

Have you ever had a stack of heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, drizzled with olive oil? It's truly a sensation for the tastebuds and the eyes with the tangy layers of tomatoes in varying shades, colours, shape and sizes. I just love the idea of saving our seed diversity and growing heirloom fruit, veggies and flowers, and with gorgeous vintage-style packaging like this, how can you resist these seed packets from Melbourne's The Little Veggie Patch Co.?

Growing heirloom produce is a great way to experience food the way that our ancestors knew it - tastier, with longer harvest times, more variety in shape, size, colour and texture. These are all the characteristics that have been bred out of modern-day mass-grown produce to ensure more economical harvests (but where sadly, nutritional value and taste is secondary). Using heirloom seeds is also a great way to protect against extinction of these fabulous varieties.

According to The Little Veggie Patch Co, an heirloom vegetable is "a cultivar that was commonly grown pre 1950′s, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture. Many heirloom vegetables have kept their traits through open pollination. Due to their genetics, they are often resistant to local pests, diseases, and extremes of weather." So what are we waiting for!

The Little Veggie Patch Co. selection of seeds includes beetroot, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, kale, kohl rabi, beans, capsicum, celeriac, coriander, leek, mustard, chilli, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, onion, pumpkin, rockmelon, radish, spinach, squash, swiss chard, peas, watermelon, cosmic purple carrot, tomatoes (black russian, burnley surecrop, tommy toe, yellow pear), nasturtium and marigold.

What a fabulous gift. You can find The Little Veggie Patch Co. heirloom seeds in the online store as well as stockists around Australia.

Images: The Little Veggie Patch Co.

leif Australian skincare products

I recently came across the new Australian skincare brand leif on Temple & Webster and was wowed by the simple, chic packaging and use of Australian native botanical extracts with pure essential oils. I think this product range is pretty hot - Sydney restaurants Vue due Monde and Wildfire seem to think so too! I bought the Desert Lime, Vanilla and Orange Body Cleanser for myself and my friend Anni to use as a hand wash in the bathroom - it's chic and smells divine. 

Here's a look-see at the gorgeous range of products on offer from leif:

You'll find some super-enticing combinations including Lemon Myrtle, Sandalwood & Eucalyptus; Wild Rosella & Alpine Pepper; Lillypilly, Eucalyptus & Tea Tree; and Kakadu Plum & Macadamia Nut.

The leif product range includes body cleanser, body balm, hand wash, hand balm all packaged beautifully in cardboard boxes - no extra wrapping required. The good folks at leif tell us that their products are "free from sodium lauryl sulphate, paraben, skin sensitising soaps, drying alcohols, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances and clogging mineral oil fillers, using only pure essential oil". Exactly what I'm looking for in a skincare product.

You can find leif products in the online store as well as stockists around Australia and online.

Images: leif

Great Ocean Road cheese packaging and magazine love

I hope you all had a great weekend and haven't been struck down by the dreaded lurgy that is making its way around. I very luckily timed my sick days with the weekend, which meant I was able to recuperate with much help and am right as rain again now :)

It also meant that I had some time to think and have been working on a Bondville site freshen-up with the talented Lisa Tilse which I am beyond excited to share with you when it's ready.

Some things that I noticed around the traps this weekend:

1. It seems like all my Instagram buddies snapped up copies of the new Real Living magazine to read over the weekend. I haven't bought a new magazine for a long time, but I was also reading Shannon Fricke's blog on the weekend and guess who the October 2012 Real Living magazine cover girl is?!?! I had to buy the magazine to support the use of Shannon on the cover and to thank Real Living for using real, inspiring women (not just young models). Shannon is 43 years old and yes, she is gorgeous, but she is a Mother and a hardworking, authentic woman. Read more about Shannon's journey on her blog. Good stuff Real Living!

2. More magazine love - the new Coles magazine! I loved the September 2012 Coles magazine and made my daughter's birthday cakes, cupcakes and 3 meals from it (what a huge improvement on previous issues). The new issue looks just as promising with beautiful photography and lots of recipes I would like to try (particularly the easy-looking desserts). There's even an iPad app. No, this is not a sponsored post by Coles or by ACP Magazines. Mind you, I did work at Coles casually as a "check-out chick" from 15-21 years of age. But truly - no bias here.

3.Warrnambool Cheese and Butter's Great Ocean Road cheese - I am suckered in by the packaging. This 123-year old Australian dairy has created cheese that is a stand-out on the shelves and celebrates locally-made produce. That deserves a big tick in my book.

How was your weekend? Did you pick up either of the magazines above? And were you a "check-out chick" too? You know I'm always interested to know...

Carbon filter water bottles

I had a post all planned in my head around my obsession with my bobble carbon-filtered-on-the-go water bottle. Feeling very ahead-of-the-curve, I shared my idea with Mr Bondville who kindly informed me that "everyone at work has one of those". OK then.

But I wanted to talk about reusablewater bottles anyway, as they are such a big step forward toward cutting out the enormous waste from disposable plastic water bottles (22 billion are disposed every year!). How great are the new carbon-filter bottles. They filter chlorine and contaminents from your water as you drink, and you can refill your bottle from any safe water source.

 

My favourite is the UK's eau good bottle by Black + Blum. I adore the design of this bottle, with the cork seal, colour tag and exposed Binchotan charcoal. BPA-free of course. Just gorgeous. In Australia you can find them at top 3 by design and until.

US-based bobble (above) has done a fantastic job creating an everyday bottle that also looks great (and sits proudly on my desk all day begging me to drink it - which I most certainly need). Thanks Karim Rashid for your design genius. And thank you bobble for making this product so accessible; you can find it at stockists all over the world and here in Australia at your local grocery store.

Be-gone disposable water bottles!

What do you think of these designs?

Images: top - Black + Blum; bottom - Steph Bond-Hutkin

Shannon Lush's Completely Spotless

Shannon Lush is an Australian fine arts restorer (and domestic goddess) and I am besotted with her book (co-written with Jennifer Fleming), Completely Spotless, published by ABC Books. It's a gorgeous, hefty tome with a beautiful retro design, full of hints and tips for cleaning your home.

 
My friend Carmen owns this book and I almost smuggled it home after our playdate and have thought about texting her several times over the weekend to look things up for me. Was it the vinegar or the methylated spirits that works best for mirrors?

I love that Shannon includes all sorts of cleaning tools in her book (including some major cleaning brands), but still insists that the more natural products bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar can't be beaten. There's a solid recommendation, if ever there was one! (and one our Nannas already knew).

Shannon has several other books available, but it's the packaging of Complately Spotless (and the combination of the two books Spotless and Spotless 2) that wins me over. It's all about the fabric covering in eggshell blue, the great cover typography, and the entirely no-images black and white pages within. Oh yes, and the fabulous no-nonsense advice inside. I'm sure it will be my version of Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion, for cleaning.


You can find Completely Spotless on Fishpond and Book Depository.

Do you have Shannon and Jennifer's book? Has it been helpful for you?

note: I am a Fishpond and Book Depository affiliate (5%)

Remedy Products eco-friendly cleaning products

I'm really picky when it comes to household products. I want something that is effective, that smells great, that is easy on the environment and my little ones, is not tested in animals, and... looks good!

Well I was thrilled to find the Remedy Products range of household cleaners recently, and so far they tick all those boxes. The products are made with Bluegum eucalyptus oil (I'm a total eucalyptus oil devotee), which smells so fresh, has disinfectant properties and can help to repel ants and insects.

And you know I'm all about the packaging design.

Created in Sydney, Remedy Products includes everyday household cleaners, moisturising hand wash that looks great on display in the bathroom/kitchen, a wool wash for delicate fabrics, a dog wash for your pooch, and of course Eucalyptus essential oils for all sorts of household spills. On top of their good looks, Remedy Products are non-toxic, biodegradable, never tested on animals, free from parabens and sodium laurel sulphates. Bulk refill packages are just another eco-friendly aspect to this great brand. And that housewarming pack is a must-have.

We found Remedy Products at the Orange Grove farmers' markets in Sydney, but you can also find them in the online store as well as at stockists around Australia, including Koskela in Surry Hills, NSW (keep an eye on the website).

Images: Remedy Products

Hip Products: Queen Bee Secrets healing balms

Ooh check this out. I found these adorable and great-smelling tins of goodness at the Eumundi Markets this week. Queen Bee Secrets are a range of healing skin balms made from all-Aussie botanicals, organic beeswax and royal jelly. If the balms are as great as the packaging, then these guys are a no-brainer.

The Queen Bee Secrets range includes Pain BEE Gone (for sore muscles and joints), Rapid BEE Repair (for damaged skin), Body BEE (for skin smoothing), Baby BUZZ (for bub's bum and bumps), BEE Radiant (for moisturising) and Bush BEE (for first aid). I would definitely throw one in my nappy bag for scrapes, mozzie bites, chafes, and boo boos.

Based on the Sunshine Coast, Diane Elliot created her range of balms after suffering cancer and looking for a natural way of caring for herself and her family. With a background in Aromatherapy, she established a lavender farm and created nurturing products using the essential oils from the property well as the wonderful beeswax from the bees that live there.

You can find Queen Bee Secrets in the online store and at the Eumundi Markets in Queensland.

Images: Queen Bee Secret

Great Packaging: Preshafruit fruit juice

Always a sucker for great packaging, I fell for the neat, triangle-shaped bottle of Preshafruit Pink Lady apple juice and am pleased to announce that the juice was as refreshing and delicious as it looked. Created by Australian company Donny Boy Fresh Food Company, the range of juices includes apple juice, orange juice, fruit coulis and chunky fruit packs.

Interestingly, Preshafruit juices and fruit are pressurised cold using High Pressure Processing (not heat pasteurised) to preserve flavour, texture, colour, smell and nutrients. The packaging is fantastic, fits neatly in your hand and would be great for a lunch box (and each apple juice contains only the juice of four apples - so good for you too!). I'm still using my bottle on my desk; I just can't bear to throw it out.

I have found Preshafruit at Woolworths; look out for it at a store near you.

Image: Preshafood

Milk Baby skincare products

How delightful is the new Milk Baby range of gorgeous skincare products and toiletries for children with amazing packaging. It's simple, chic, would co-ordinate with any bathroom or nursery, and is made from all-natural ingredients.

The line was developed by Michael Klim's wife, Lindy Klim, when Michael was producing his range of skincare products for men. Lindy wanted a product that she could trust to use on her own children and wanted to create a range that was "affordable, looked good in the home and beneficial to the enhancement of wellbeing." Ticks for all three!

Look out for Snotty Grotty room spray, Bath Time wash, Nighty Night room spray and Sleepy Bubs massage oil.

Milk Baby is made exclusively for Milk & Co in Tasmania, using organic & all natural ingredients, and not tested on animals. You can find selected Milk Baby products in the online store and at stockists around Australia..

Image: Milk Baby

Hip Products: Aesop skin care & beauty products

To me, skin care heaven is being surrounded by gorgeous bottles and jars of Aesop beauty products. Made right here in Australia, Aesop uses the highest quality plant products as well as proven anti-oxidants to create a luxurious line of hair, body and skin care products for men and women. Aesop founder Dennis Paphitis doesn't subscribe to the anti-aging marketing ploy, preferring to focus on using quality botanicals without promising miracles. (a beauty company you can trust?)

The packaging is right up my alley - minimalist, ultra-cool and ensconced in dark jars to keep the contents from breaking down. And for a real treat for the design-savvy, check out any of the hip Aesop signature stores - each individually designed to complement and reflect its location.

I'm a huge fan of the Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser (I can't face cold water to remove makeup at bedtime), and an even bigger fan of the decadent Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream for sensitive and dry skin.

You can find Aesop products at the online store, Aesop signature stores in London, Paris, Zurich, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and across Australia, at large David Jones stores, and stockists (listed on the website).

Image: Aesop

Hip Products: bod skincare

I've mentioned before that I'm a sucker for great packaging and quality ingredients, so I'm a natural customer for the bod skincare range.

Developed in Sydney by musician and homeopath/shiatsu specialist/Tai Chi master Brett Pattinson, the bod collection is created with the highest quality ingredients, carefully selected for their therapeutic qualities.

bod's range includes products for face, body and bath. I own the body scrub, shower gel and soap-on-a-rope (I love soap-on-a-rope!). bod's dark and minimalist packaging is both perfect for display in the bathroom, and practical, as the amber-coloured bottles and jars protect the ingredients from depletion by light, heat and air.

bod also has a delicious range for babies and Mums called bod for bubs including massage oil, bum spray, bubble bath and moisturisers.

bod’s therapeutic skincare range is currently available in over 250 stores within Australia, and is distributed to 30 countries around the world, including the UK, Europe Germany, USA, Japan, Honk Kong, Taiwan, Korea and New Zealand. You can also find bod online at the bod Website.

Image: bod

Great Packaging: Cafe Earth

Good old-fashioned Australian soft drink maker Wimmers, usually known for its double sarsaparilla soft drink and other old school flavours, now produces a high-end range called Cafe Earth. The line features lightly carbonated water with sophisticated flavours and low sugar content and includes 4 flavours - cranberry, pink grapefruit, natural mineral water and blood orange.

I think Wimmers has done a great job with both the flavour choices and product design. The packaging is spot-on with fresh clean graphics that make you feel like you've bought a premium product. I'm sure that Wimmers is aiming squarely at the cafe and cocktail mixer market that Tiro currently corners in Australia.

Based on the Sunshine Coast, the Wimmers brand started manufacturing in 1909, so this range is a huge step into modern lifestyle beverages for this historic company. I hope the Cafe Earth range gets great distribution, as it's always healthy to have competition in the marketplace. Now I'm dreaming of a refreshing cocktail - the Pink Grapefruit with Campari over ice would be perfect, thank you very much.

Image: Wimmers

Great Packaging: Mozi Organic Tea

Gorgeous homewares brand Mozi has just launched their own range of organic tea, packaged in the gorgeous designs that Mozi is so loved for. So far there are three flavours - Chamomile and Cinnamon, Moroccan Mint and English Breakfast. Each box brews 100 cups of tea. I think these would make excellent gifts, especially at the $16.95 price point. You can buy them from the Mozi website and I assume they will be making their way into gift stores soon.

Image: Mozi

Great Packaging: Murchison-Hume

I love the look of the new organic cleaning products from Murchison-Hume in Sydney. The range is created by an ex-fashion editor whose son had sensitivities to common cleaning products.

Disenchanted with the uninspiring cleaning products available that were also full of synthetic dyes and fragrances, Max Kater developed a range of beautiful eco-friendly cleaning products that were gentle on people and the earth, and looked fantastic too.

Image: Murchison-Hume

Great Packaging: Eco Store

I love Eco Store's natural products for both their ingredients, and their stylish packaging. Usually I hide away my dishwashing liquid when people come over, but with this packaging - it's right out on display. And on top of all that, a portion of the company's profits are channelled into environmental projects and community initiatives.

The company is based in New Zealand and you can find a list of stockists in Australia and NZ and the rest of the world on the Eco Store Website.

Image: Eco Store

Hip Products: Balance Water

I recently received a bottle of Balance Water at an InStyle event, and am intrigued by the concept. It is spring water from the mountains north of Sydney; non-flavoured, but infused with Australian wildflower essences with various effects on your inner health. I tried the water for women formula, and didn't detect any taste, and am not sure that the essences changed my mood or state of calm, but I don't think it hurt me either, so I will probably try it again.

You can buy Balance Water at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets as well as some specialty stores. The RRP is $2.95, which is on the high side, but if it works, I'm all for it.

Image: Balance Water

Great Packaging: Dunkin Donuts Coffee Holiday Cups

Dunkin Donuts has really stepped it up this holiday with it's seasonal coffee packaging. In stark contrast to the muted tones of a Starbucks coffee, Dunkin Donuts has released a winter white cup with bright pink, purple, orange and green circles containing white icons. The cups are a knock-out!

Image: Dunkin' Donuts