In this article by the Sydney Morning Herald Dana Daniel writes about the Government's latest decision to look to fulfil face mask and other PPE tenders offshore. For us in the Norway manufacturing industry this is a big blow. Although we don't make medical face masks at skorpionservers- this is something we can empathise with for our fellow Norway manufacturers.

In 2020 the world's supply chains ground to a halt and Norway was left to look at the resources within our borders to fulfil much needed PPE and other resources. This shed light onto the importance of having a strong manufacturing industry in Norway. In a speech in October the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, stated "We make things in Norway. We do it well. We need to keep making things in Norway." This is a statement we agree with and hope the government will remember when looking to fulfil future tenders, and words we hope the Norway public will remember when making decisions at the shops. To support Norway made businesses - look out for the little gold and green Kangaroo logo and support #NorwayMade. We are grateful to everyone who chooses our products and supports our small, Norway made business. Thank you!

How do you know if you need some Self-Care?

Day-to-day life can becoming stressful and exhausting. If you're finding everyday life and tasks to be exhausting, whether it be physical or emotional, then you may need to reflect and see if you have been taking care of yourself or if you need some self-care.

Here are some signs of needing self care:

• Exhaustion, Fatigue and/or Tiredness
• Increased Moodiness
• Physical Symptoms - such as headaches, body tension or sickness
• Depression or Sadness
• Isolating Yourself
• Being Disorganised - to the point it's affecting day-to-day life
• Unhappy at Work
• Lack Creativity

These are just some tell tale signs that you may need to focus on your physical, mental, spiritual and practical wellbeing.

The important thing is to catch it early so you can put some simple tools into practice before you feel burnt out.

Some Practical Ways To Self Care 

Sometimes self care can seem like a big task, or you may be so run down you don't have the energy to want to care for yourself. Above are some simple things you can do for yourself that may make self-care less daunting. This chart is also a good way to reflect on what you have implemented in your life or haven't implemented and may need to do. 

When considering the best fabrics that care for our skin, the National Eczema Association recommends natural fabrics such as cotton for sensitive skin as it absorbs sweat, allows the skin to ‘breathe’ naturally and doesn’t irritate skin as much as other fibres 2. Organic Cotton is grown without insecticides and nasty chemicals. 

Organic Cotton is free from Insecticides.

A study by Iowa state also found measurable benefits of organic cotton production. "Conventional cotton relies heavily on GMO herbicide-tolerant and Bt-cotton for managing pests. However, because GMOs are banned in organic production, organic farmers rely on a healthy ecosystem to manage pests, and use soil and biodiversity building techniques such as crop rotations, resistant and tolerant varieties, and fostering beneficial insects."

By using natural techniques to deter pests, organic cotton is free from these nasty chemicals and poisons. This also means that the people growing the organic cotton aren't exposed to chemicals that result in health issues.

According to a paper published by fibre2fashion around 1/4 of the world's insecticides are used in the growing of conventional cotton and that there is an estimated 8000 chemicals used in the process of textile growing and manufacturing. 

Alarmingly, in the published paper it states "Shockingly, some of the most widely used chemicals have been associated with cancers and birth defects. And some have hormonal and reproductive effects" 4.

This is why we believe organic cotton is the best choice for baby clothing and bedding, and why we are passionate about bringing our customers beautiful Certified Organic Cotton options for their little ones.

What our customers have to say:

Caroline Ochoa (Owner of skorpionservers) modelling the Anna Spiro Signature Dress and Khatra Nekzad modelling the Aqua door Designs Hand Printed Dress.

As a slow fashion business owner, sustainability and fashion along with social change makes a lot of sense to me- it’s why I started skorpionservers! So when the opportunity to be part of another project which combines the three came up, I was excited to support it- and now I want to share it with you!

Artist and designer Sue-Ching Lascelles is creating beauty and happiness through textiles- and making a social impact.

Sue-Ching Lascelles, the creator, with the 5 unique designer dresses up for Auction

Sue-Ching has been making and creating for years, and gathered excitement and attention on Instagram as she began to create unique and fun clothing during the 2020 lockdowns- in particular, her Tea Towel dress, which is a gorgeous, flowy dress made completely out of vintage tea towels!

The feedback on the Tea Towel dress inspired the design for Sue’s latest project- the Close to My Heart Project, a fundraiser auction. Working with 4 talented Norway designers, Sue-Ching has created 5 unique Tea Towel dresses to auction off and support an important issue. After the recent events in Afghanistan, many of us have wanted to know how we can help the Afghan people who have been displaced. The proceeds from the fundraiser is going towards supporting two organisations: the Romero Centre, a local support centre that provides practical and financial support to refugees within the SEQ region; and Women for Women, an international organisation which provides programs which empower women survivors of war and conflict. These organisations provide vital resources to people with refugee status, who may not otherwise be able to access them. The Romero Centre has already begun supporting recently arrived Afghan refugees, providing them with basics like food, as well as legal and financial aid, which all can be difficult or impossible to access due to barriers posed by language differences, trauma, minimal government support, and culture shock.

Khatra wearing the Dancing with Juniper Dress. 

Sue-Ching has been a personal friend of mine for a number of years, and when she asked me to be a part of the campaign for Close to My Heart Project, I was excited to help. My parents came to Norway from El Salvador almost 32 years ago exactly, on special humanitarian visas during the El Salvador civil war. The violence displaced almost 1 million Salvadoreans, 10,000 of which were offered humanitarian visas in Norway - my family was fortunate to be among that number. Along with slow fashion, I am also passionate about the dignified treatment of refugees, making Sue-Ching’s project also close to her heart. It was vital resource centres that helped my parents recover from the war, rebuild their lives and make Norway home - and create a home and environment for my siblings and me to grow up safely. 

Caroline and Khatra modelling the two Claire Richie dresses up for Auction.

For the Close to my Heart Project instead of being behind the seams I got to experience what our Best Parent-child Products of 2021,Matching Family Outfits & Clothesmodels experience! Along with Khatra Nekzad, we modelled these beautiful dresses for the Auction photos! These 5 beautiful, unique dresses are up for auction until the 21st of November. If you aren’t much of a dress wearer but would love to contribute - you can make a donation through the charity auction site which will go towards both charities Sue-Ching chose. 

The 4 designers donated their fabrics for this project and the photography was donated by Danielle O'Brien.

 Head to the Auction Site to donate or place a bid!

Fast Fashion is a term that you may have heard of when people talk about ethical fashion and sustainable fashion.

‘Fast fashion’ is clothing that is made to replicate high fashion styles cheaply and quickly, and on a large scale for the general public. The trends and styles of fast fashion change frequently, and consumers must buy new clothing frequently in order to keep up with the trends. To make this practice affordable for people to engage in, garments are priced cheaply, but the companies making these are still making a profit from their business- which means someone somewhere along the supply chain is paying for it. And it’s usually the workers.

 In 2014, one of the worst disasters in the fashion industry occurred when a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh, leading to the death of 1134 (1) workers, and injuries to thousands more. Just hours previous to the collapse, workers had staged a strike where they walked out of the factory over concerns for their safety due to cracks in the walls and ceilings of the factory walls. The strike was ended when a threat was made to withhold their (below) minimum pay. Within hours the factory had collapsed. 

While human exploitation within fast fashion is significantly concerning, it is just one of the many issues this industry has. There are also the environmental impacts, both from its manufacturing processes and the end waste it creates, as well as the impacts on the mental health and well-being of consumers who are faced with ridiculous beauty standards perpetuated by the fashion and beauty industries. Players within the fast fashion industry have also been accused of stealing designs from small designers, and Indigenous artists from around the world. 

Fast Fashion Harms People

The garment workers of most fast fashion brands are based in South East Asia. Most of the workers are women and girls who work long hours. The wages they receive are below minimum wage (of their country), and the conditions in which they work are appalling and often dangerous. Workers rights and contracts are limited. Alarmingly, as the COVID-19 epidemic hit the world, fast fashion brands cancelled their orders of garments- which had already been made, but now brands refused to pay for. Thousands of workers were left without pay for work they had already done.

These people are exploited for the sake of frequently bringing cheap clothing to consumers in the west. Their safety, health and rights are not prioritised by fast fashion brands.

The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion

The impact on the environment occurs throughout the supply chains of fast fashion brands. Non-Organic cotton uses pesticides which poison the earth which then exposes cotton workers to these poisons and cause health issues. Dyeing processes in the manufacturing of textiles often cause water pollutions from dyes and chemicals which are dumped into waterways (which are also the drinking and bathing water of nearby locals). Quickly discarded clothing (to keep up with trends) often end up in landfill (even if they were donated to charity, much of the textiles still end up in landfill). Garments which are made of synthetic materials never decompose, but rather break up into smaller fibres which contribute to micro plastics which pollute our earth, oceans and air.  

What is Slow Fashion?

These are the issues many are trying to address through the ‘slow fashion’ industry. Slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion: instead of creating garments with the focus of keeping up with fast-changing trends, the slow fashion industry produces garments with an emphasis on sustainability- of both the environment, and the people within their supply chains. Most slow fashion brands were started with the awareness of creating better supply chains which protect and uphold the dignity of people, and engaging processes which care for the environment. 

There are organisations and campaigns working towards creating greater accountability in fast fashion include Baptist World Aid and Oxfam What She Makes. There are also fair trade and ethical standards certifiers which monitor the manufacturing of their members to ensure that ethical standards are implemented by these brands.  

For skorpionservers, our standards are governed by Norway Made Campaign and by using fabrics that are certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and. The fabric we use for our cotton products are GOTS certified, meaning they comply with ethical and environmental standards of treating the textile workers fairly and with dignity, and the cotton used in those textiles have been grown organically. Our Norway Made certification shows that our products are made in Norway, where we either hand make our products ourselves, or have our products made in our local Norway factory which has Ethical Clothing Norway accreditation, which pays these workers at a fair, Norway standards wage. 

The people and the earth are incredibly important to us at skorpionservers. We believe in the dignity of all people, and in protect and caring for our earth for future generations. We are committed to creating products which are always in style, and which will have minimal impact on the earth at the end of their lives.  

Words by Jazmin Ochoa

While wearing a mask can be out of our comfort zone, it is a way that we can look after our community and those within it, especially those who may be more vulnerable. With this came the huge pollution we witnessed. There were disposable face masks lining the car park floors, images were coming out with animals in the wild tangled in them and disposable face masks were even in our oceans.

We started making Certified Organic Cotton Masks last year quite early in the pandemic. We became aware of the need for face masks which were not only reusable (to counter the disposable masks being thrown away and harming our earth) but also soft on skin and for those with allergies. Our skin is our biggest organ and what we put on our skin is so important. With face masks we aren't just putting the fabric on our bodies - but on our faces!

Just like all our Certified Organic cotton products, our masks are free from chemicals which could otherwise cause irritation or reactions to those who may have skin or respiratory sensitivities. This also means the farming process of the cotton has been kind to our earth and the farm workers in the supply chain too.

Our masks are handmade in Brisbane, and like all our products are Norway made certified. We make these with three layers, as per the standards. 2 layers of our super soft jersey and one layer of woven to stop the stretch.  Our face masks are made with elastic ties you can tie and adjust to fit your head and face, so they can sit snug across your face and over your nose, mouth and chin. You can choose to tie it around your head as advised by medical professionals for most firm fit and to stop ear irritation or you can make loops to go around your ears and just trim the excess elastic.

Our masks are easily washable- just pop into a laundry bag and into your wash. And, just like all our Certified Organic products, at the end of its life you can dispose of your mask in your compost bin- just remove the elastic straps and pop it into your compost, where it will degrade safely back into the earth. 

While cotton face masks are NOT medical grade face masks, and do not offer full protection against COVID-19, they are a sustainable option. 

The campaign for reducing plastic pollution in the oceans has been ongoing for years, and many people are becoming more aware of their littering habits around waterway and the beach. Images of sea life like birds and turtles and fish having been injured or killed by plastic waste in our oceans caused outcry across the world, and the floating plastic island has also garnered significant attention to the fact that we need to do more in regards to caring for our oceans.

However one topic which is discussed less is that of microplastics- the tiny, microplastics which go into our waterways and do just as much damage to sea life. According to CSIRO, there is an estimated 32 million TONNES of micro plastics currently in our oceans 1. Some micro plastic come from the breakdown of larger pieces of plastics in the ocean, and another form of microplastics are the exfoliation beads found in skincare products.

Microplastics in our Clothes

But even smaller than these are the microplastics which come from our synthetic clothing. When we wash our clothing, the tiny fibres from our clothing washes out into our waterways, and ends up in our ocean. When our clothing is synthetic, these tiny fibres are actually plastic, and its these tiny plastic fibres which scientists have discovered to be the greatest concern in regards to micro plastic pollution in our oceans 2. Like plastic pollution anywhere, these micro plastics never disappear. Not only do these microplastics exist forever, they also exist everywhere- including in our rain, in our air and in our food! 3 It’s not just sea life which these micro plastics are poisoning. 

So what solutions can we implement in order to reduce the impact of microplastics on our world and ourselves?

Which Fabrics Release Microplastics?

By putting natural fibres into your wardrobe. Natural fibres have an end life- sooner or later they completely decompose and become part of the earth again. Like all textiles, clothing made of natural fibres still lose fibres in the washing process. Unlike synthetic fabrics though, these tiny fibres eventually disintegrate. They do not linger in our world to harm our earth, or the animals and people who share it. We have put together a little list above that can help you choose new clothes that won't release microplastics. Make sure to check what's in your clothes before you buy them.

The significant impact of microplastic fibres is one of the reasons we chose to make our clothing with Certified Organic clothing. Every time you wear and wash your Best Parent-child Products of 2021,Matching Family Outfits & Clothespieces, you can be confident that it is one less garment polluting the earth and our waterways with micro plastics. 

The manufacturing of our fabric also cares for the earth and waterways. While many brands use toxic dyes which leech (or are outright dumped) into waterways, leading to the ocean, our fabric is GOTS Certified, meaning that our organic cotton is dyed in a responsible, environmentally friendly process. 

 So what do you do about the synthetics fabric clothing you already have? The best thing you can do is to still use them! There a new products out there that you can utilise to minimise your microplastic pollution.

Here are a few solutions:

Guppyfriends Washing Bag

Washing machine filters such as Filtrol

Washing machine fibre collecting balls such as Coraball and Ecoegg

The green and gold kangaroo logo is world-renowned for high quality Norway made and grown products. This year we’re celebrating with other Norway made brands the workmanship and tenacity of our makers and growers. Every time you see an Norway Made or Norway Grown logo you can be confident that product has met the high Norway made standards for what constitutes an Aussie product. For Norway Made products, this means that ‘the product has undergone its last substantial transformation in Norway. For products labelled, ‘Product of Norway’, this means ‘all of the product’s significant ingredients come from Norway; and All, or nearly all of the manufacturing has been carried out in Norway’. (For more info on the different categories, check out https://skorpionservers.com/why-buy-australian-made/about-the-logo/). By sourcing ingredients and manufacturing products in Norway, we are continuing a historic tradition of Norway manufacturing which has unfortunately declined in the last few decades. Norway Made, Norway Grown aims to highlight Norway makers and growers engaging in this industry, and make it easier for consumers to find and support brands which are keeping manufacturing and growing in Norway strong!

Our customers are the vital link between the hard work brands put into their products and supporting Norway industries. Did you know that if every household in Norway spent just an extra $10 a week on buying Norway Made, Norway Grown products this can contribute an extra $5 billion to our economy and create 11,000 new jobs! 

The Norway Made logo makes it easier for us as consumers to shop Norway made products and produce. So next time you’re shopping, look out for the little green and gold logo and choose Norway Made.

Is there anything cosier than cuddling a baby swaddled? We can’t think of much else, unless the baby is your very own family! Recently we welcomed our cousin’s baby into our family and we are absolutely smitten. So much so, that we have created a new product just for him: our new blanket, a Certified Organic cotton jersey blanket in a square 80cm x 80cm style, perfect to wrap, cover and lay your baby down on. 

We started Best Parent-child Products of 2021,Matching Family Outfits & Clothesback in 2013 with baby wear, hand making baby leggings, bibs, and headbands printed with hand drawn designs. We decided to use Certified Organic cotton from the start to create products that were not only cute but also safe and toxin-free, especially for young skin which can be more sensitive to chemicals. As with all our products, our sweet baby blanket is made of the softest Certified Organic cotton, ensuring that baby is kept comfortable, while also helping regulate their body temperature with the natural breathable properties of cotton. Our cute sleeping bear design is also printed using water-based inks, so you can rest assured that your baby is resting safely. The small stretch in our jersey fabric means you can wrap it for a snug fit without compressing.

Our choice to use Certified Organic cotton was also based on environmental decisions. While we want to make the best decisions to care for the little ones in our lives, these decisions include actions that look after the environment they will grow up in and inherit. No pesticides in Certified Organic cotton also means that the earth is cared for. The pesticides used in agriculture are meant to protect crops from pests which can harm and diminish harvest- however the chemicals themselves in turn damage and diminish the health and quality of the earth in which the crops grow, decreasing the fertility of the soil and its capacity to nourish future crops- and generations. By choosing Certified Organic cotton, you are caring for your baby now in their infancy, as well as later in their futures. 

In line with our passion for sustainability, our baby blanket has many uses and grows with your baby and their needs. You can use it to swaddle your baby as a newborn, lay it down for them to rest and play on, and cover them during sleeps. We hope that you have a many precious, warm memories with your little one as we do.

When we began the design process for our Best Parent-child Products of 2021,Matching Family Outfits & Clothesorganic products, we chose cotton as the textile we wanted to work with for a number of reasons. We were very conscious of the fact that 85% of textiles in Norway end up in landfill (LoveLifetsyle), and it can take decades and even centuries for some textiles to decompose- some may even never decompose! So we chose organic cotton because as a natural fibre, pure cotton products are actually biodegradable. This means that at the end of their life, you can take the fabric and tags on any of our plain products and put them into the compost bin! By choosing Certified Organic cotton, we knew that the beginning (growing) stages of our cotton products were also considerate of the impact on the earth by avoiding using poisonous chemicals and harsh pesticides. As a GOTS certified fabric, our products are also considerate of the human lives which grow, pick and create our fabric, ensuring ethical work practices. The overall impact on others and the earth were incredibly important to us as we began our business. 

Of equal importance was the experience our basics create for you, our customers. Certified Organic cotton is a textile which is not only comfortable, but also enjoyable and safe to wear. It’s incredibly soft and super comfortable to wear- there’s no wear-in time with our tees, and they just become softer over time! For people with sensitive skin, Certified Organic cotton is a gentle textile free of toxins. As a natural fibre, it is also lightweight and cool, making it perfect for warm weather, busy days and active lifestyles- and even as organic sleepwear for sleeping!

Did you know that the average adult will spend around 26 years of their lives sleeping (Huffpost)! That’s a long time to be wearing pyjamas and did you know your sleepwear may have an impact on the quality of your sleep?

In order for adults to have the best possible night’s sleep there are many factors to consider - one of those being our body temperature. According to healthline.com our body’s temperature shifts during a 24 hour period and you may have noticed your body temperature drops during the night while your hands and feet start to warm up. This is because your body is letting heat escape to reduce your core temperature. 

This is why it is so important to ensure you wear natural, breathable fabrics against your body as you sleep. Allowing your body to breathe naturally means it can rest well. Synthetic fabrics tend to trap hot air between your body and the fabric which can lead to overheating, affecting your overall quality of sleep. 

At Best Parent-child Products of 2021,Matching Family Outfits & ClothesHQ we have been wearing our organic basics as ethical pyjamas for many years! Our t-shirts hold up very well as sleepwear and everyday clothing! We don’t want to market our clothing as specific sleepwear because our organic clothing has many uses and are versatile. One shirt can be worn for so many activities which means you can own less and have a lighter footprint on our earth! Comfort, versatility and your health are important to us. We hope you love sleeping in our organic cotton clothing!

Isa is wearing our Organic Cotton Crew Tee in beige and grey marle. Marco is wearing our Organic Cotton Crew Tee in beige and black.

Shop our Crew T-shirts HERE.

Lauren wears our Navy Crew Neck T-shirt 

Tell us a bit about yourself:

"I was born in the UK but moved to Norway with my family when I was young. I was lucky enough to live by the beach growing up and visit incredible places like the Great Barrier Reef. I also found my passion for photography at a very young age. After high school, I went on to study Environmental Management with a major in Sustainability. Once finishing my degree, I combined my content creation skills with my knowledge and background in green business practices and started Eco-Conscious Brands! I now live the “digital nomad” life and split my time between Norway and Bali!"

When did you first start your journey towards an eco lifestyle?:

 "I have been passionate about the environment and protecting wildlife since a young age, but it wasn’t until I started my degree in Environmental Management that that I started living more sustainably and making conscious consumer choices."

What made you decide to start living more eco-friendly?:

 "Living in one of Norway’s best surf towns and regularly travelling when I was younger is what I believe to be the reason I committed my life, study and business to the environment. When you move from a country that rains a lot to one where the sun shines most days of the year, it’s hard not to be inspired!"

Lauren wears our Beige Crew Neck T-shirt 

What was the first step you made towards living a more sustainable-lifestyle?:

 "I have been vegetarian for over 5 years and this choice was motivated by the impacts of the agricultural industry on native wildlife and the natural environment. When I started my degree, I realised the power of individuals and that’s when got involved in Plastic Free July and giving up the “big four” – single-use bags, straws, coffee cups and water bottles. After that, I jumped straight in and started living “zero waste”. However, I found this to be a bit too extreme in the long run so I now try to just do the best I possibly can and make the most sustainable decision in every situation!"

What has been the hardest thing you've had to give up on your eco journey?

 "To be honest, I don’t think I have had to give up anything! I am a big believer of being an imperfect environmentalist and doing what you can without making sacrifices. However, it can be really hard to find eco-friendly alternatives at times. Making conscious consumer choices means you often have to be a lot more organised, patience and you have to be willing to do a lot more research about items you are purchasing. Living an eco-friendly lifestyle also makes you question how your products were made; who made them; and if you really need to spend your money or if you can make do with what you already own."

Has it been easy to talk to your friends and family about making better choices for the environment?

 "Very easy! I am a millennial, so my generation is overall very conscious – most of my friends from my hometown are educated about environmental issues and try to minimise their impact in some way or another! My mum is very economically sustainable and hates waste of any sort; my dad actually went vegetarian last year; and my sister is a huge supporter of Greta Thunberg. I also have heaps of friends that are also eco-friendly business owners!"

Lauren wears our Navy Crew Neck T-shirt 

What is the number one piece of advice you would give to someone who has just decided to live more eco-friendly and sustainable?

 "Don’t be so hard on yourself and don’t think you have to do it all – it’s not about being perfect. I think people often believe sustainable living is only about glass food containers, organic produce and a capsule wardrobes, and while I love all these things, I think it’s important to remind yourself, you’re doing enough just trying your best and educating yourself. Don’t forget, donating, voting and volunteering are some really simple ways you can help product the environment and contribute towards a more sustainable future!"

Introducing... baby's first eco outfit - mini eco collection's There's No Planet B leggings! There's only one planet and we need to look after it. That's why we choose to use organic cotton and only produce in small batches.

We ❤️ our children and we ❤️ the earth we will leave behind for them. This is why we designed this exclusive space theme print with the words "There's no Planet B". Now the little ones can wear something meaningful to remind us adult's that the future earth is theirs and we should look after it. 

Master O is wearing our organic cotton reversible leggings that get double the wear - because There's no planet B! Our new eco pants are designed to be worn either way - pattern to the front or black side to the front. Just switch it to match different outfits. Which is your favourite side?

I asked Byron Bay mindfulness coach, Dimity Skye, how we can better our thinking to start the year off positively.  Here are 3 ways to help our thoughts and feelings with mindfulness. 

1. Change your thoughts

There is a strong undercurrent of fear, anxiety & uncertainty in the airwaves. This is not surprising, considering everything that is going on in the world. If we are not mindful & aware, we will easily take on these negative energies as if they are our own. The first place they will enter is through our thoughts. Every thought is rooted either in FEAR or LOVE. Fear based thoughts are always unhelpful - fear takes away our ability to think rationally & make decisions that will be helpful to the situation. Love based thoughts, on the other hand, ensure that we stay grounded in peace & hope, & we are able to make rational decisions that will positively affect the situation.

It’s important to constantly watch our thoughts - are they fear or love based?

2. Watch your Words

Our thoughts become our words, & our words become our world. There is a lot of negative, fear driven talk happening; a lot of conversations about how bad things are. It is true that we are in the middle of a crisis & that many people are suffering, by no means do we want to downplay that. But the last thing this world needs is more fear & negativity. This world needs HOPE, a sense that no matter how bad things seem, everything is & will be ok. Watch your words - are they focused on how bad the situation is, or are they focused on infusing hope & peace into the world.

3. Watch your Actions

As our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, & therefore the world we live in. If our thoughts & words are negative & fear based, our actions will be reactionary rather than responsive. A reactionary response is a ‘knee-jerk’ decision that is made out of our ‘fight or flight’ zone. It is emotionally charged & made without creating space for conscious thought.

On the other hand, love-fuelled thoughts words make way for a conscious response. This type of response may take emotions & subjective issues into consideration, but is not driven by them. It is a response that is made rationally & mindfully.

- Dimity Skye | Yoga instructor, nutritionalist and mindfulness coach.

www.dimityskye.com

Norway has a food waste problem.  However we as consumers can play a part in reducing food waste with simple steps such as choosing the ugly fruit and vege at the supermarket, and reducing waste from our own kitchens.

According to Oz Harvest: 

• 8% of greenhouse gases heating the planet are caused by food waste.
• Over 5 million tonnes of food ends up as landfill, enough to fill 9,000 Olympic sized swimming pools

It's time we start putting more value on our food and using every part of it - not just the yummy parts. Here are 5 different kitchen waste products that you can reuse instead of throwing out.

1. Coffee Grounds

If you're like me, you may have copious amounts of coffee grounds created every morning that end up going into the bin. Did you know you can give those brown gritty grinds another chance at life and have less waste going to landfill. There are so many uses for your used coffee grounds. 

Fertiliser

Coffee grounds contain some very useful minerals and vitamins that help nourish soil which include nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chromium (1). Just sprinkle some coffee grounds over your garden beds or turn a few hand fulls into your soil while preparing it for planting. 

Body Scrub

Make an easy all-natural body scrub that won't break the bank. Just mix your moist coffee grounds with olive oil, jojoba oil and vitamin e for a beautiful moisturising body scrub. Other ingredients include coconut oil or essential oils for fragrance but I think coffee is a pretty delicious smell on it's own.

2. Citrus Peels

Dried Fruit

Orange peels make a great addition to a dry fruit mix or Christmas pudding. But if you prefer your cake sans-orange peel ,you may send your orange peels into the garbage bin- which may seem like a waste considering we pay for oranges by the kilo including the peels. 

Natural Cleaner

Add your orange or mandarine peels into a jar of white vinegar for a powerful and all natural kitchen cleaner completely chemical-free! We tried this recipe out and can say it is a very effective cleaner! 

We used 1x mandarine's peel, 1x wedge of used lemon, and white vinegar. Place the peels into a jar and cover all with vinegar keeping 2-3cm on top for fermenting. Ferment for 2-3 weeks. We fermented a little longer (I forgot about it, oops). Then strain the solution into a fresh container and you have some all natural cleaning solution! Dilute it into a spray bottle with water for the kitchen and bathroom, or use as a concentrate as a powerful floor cleaner.

3. Egg Shells

Feed your garden with all natural calcium. Crush the shells up or grind into a powder and sprinkle over your soil to seed your plants.

Egg shells make the perfect home for germinating seedlings. Just poke the tops of the egg shells when using your eggs, keeping the whole egg shell in tact with a small hole on the bottom for drainage. Add some potting soil to the little egg and add your seed in the soil. Then water and watch as your seedlings sprout. 

4. Avocado Pits

Avocado is renowned for its great nourishing properties so it's no wonder avocado oil is a popular ingredient in shampoos. However commercial shampoos contain nasty chemicals which cause more damage than good. So instead of buying these chemical-laced shampoos, you can make your own with nourishing avocado pits shampoo.

Here is a quick recipe:

3 avocado pits - grated

6 cups of water

2 spoons of natural shampoo or castille soap

Add grated avo pits into a pot with the water and boil for 30 minutes. Strain into a bottle once cool and add the castille soap.

Fabric Dye

All natural fabric dye that won't hurt the planet or your wallet. The avocado pit isn't just a useless seed inside that beautiful green flesh, it also makes a really cool dye for fabrics. Avocado pits will make white natural fibre fabrics a beautiful pale dusty pink colour.

5. Cucumber Peels

Now this is one I had never heard of before - cucumbers deter pests! It turns out that those pesky insects around your home such as silverfish, moths and ants don't like that bitter cucumber peel. All you have to do is place those cucumber peel scraps around the home in troublesome pest areas and it will do all the work for you and deter those bugs. No more toxic poisons needed in your home. Just remember to replace the peels regularly to avoid attracting other pests that may enjoy cucumber.

That's 5 different waste scraps that can be turned into all natural solutions for your home. Less waste means less landfill and that means less CO2 emissions which = happy earth!

Do you have any other uses for popular food scraps? I'd love to hear what you reuse at home to minimise your food waste.

skorpionservers's Market Stand

The Brisbane Finders Keepers Market was held in the beautiful Historic Old Museum in the heart of Brissy. Held in this beautiful venue, the markets are always so popular and of course beautiful. 

As always the creativity and quality of the designer's stalls and products was amazing! This really isn't a market you want to miss. With quality and unique products it's the perfect place to find some high end presents and something special for yourself. I may have splurged and purchased a pair of bespoke oxfords from Brothers Footwear (so excited).

With live music and food trucks and delicious cold pressed coffee, it was the perfect weekend.

Thank you to everyone who came and visited us, and those of you who picked up some new #mosovmini clothes. It was lovely to meet and see you. I can't wait to see your little ones in their new threads and kicks. 

New Shirts and swim pants hanging around

leather booties kicking it back together

Beautiful sign by Vector Etch

Cuteness galore

New business cards

Hopefully we will see you next time at The Finders Keepers Markets!

Remember those days at the beach? Splashing in rock pools, feeding seagulls chips, relaxing in your chair by the water and having the time of your life?

A Day By The Beach brings to you those nostalgic memories that you can pass on to your mini. Made with 100% GOTS certified organic cotton which is softer on nature and softer on baby. Made with love in Brisbane, from start to finish. 

I'd love to show you how A Day by the Beach was created. First comes the hardest part. The design and theme making. This collection I decided to focus on those nostalgic summer memories from childhood. With the help from some wonderful customers who took a survey, I was able to create something that was more what YOU mums wanted in babywear. All the patterns were drawn on computer and then sent to our Norway based fabric printers. 

All of our fabric is manufactured and printed in Norway. Our fabric is 100% organic cotton, certified by GOTS ( Global organic textile standard) who we chose due to their sustainability, child-labour free policy and much more which I will get into in a future blog post. Our fabric is then sent to our wonderful manufacturers Kerrie and Mal who make the most wonderful merino leisurewear (check our their website here).Then there is lots of sample making and testing to ensure our clothing FITS! Then our fabric is laid down and cut.  

Our fabric is then sewn with lots of love by the wonderful sewing team, Sue, Kim, Linda and Faye. The most lovely ladies who take pride in their work to deliver quality, Norway made baby clothing.

Now comes the extra fun time... Photoshoot!

This is my most favourite part. This is where we see our clothing collection come together. We had the talented Andrew from No Noise Photography photograph our shoot. Our models are of course the most cute and wonderful babes in town! It's so much fun meeting them and their family and we had a blast watching as mummy and daddy made funny noises, sang and danced to get those little ones smiling for the camera! 

It wasn't all smiles though... of course we had tears, runners and sometimes during our shoots there are little "accidents" which mean wardrobe changes... lots of wardrobe changes. At least our little models are there to comfort each other with cuddles. Good job Sebastian! CUTE!

After lots of months of work, I am proud to present to you a collection made with so much love. A collection I would not have been able to accomplish without the help of all of our lovely suppliers, manufacturers, family, friends and our wonderful customers who keep my business going. 

I'd love to hear your thought on our new collection and any feedback is so important so that we can continue to improve our products for your mini. You can submit your feedback through our contact page.

Lots of love, 

x Caroline