When I find something I like, or I have an opinion I feel is valid, I want to share it with anyone who will listen because I am nice like that.

_________________________________

IRO dress, jacket and shoes from Order of Style

It is that time of the month again. It is time for me to run through a few of the things that have been on my mind and that I am loving at the moment. I would love to hear what you guys have been loving recently in the comment section below!

Spending Time at the Scarborough Foreshore

The Scarborough foreshore redevelopment is finally complete (well, most of it is) and we can access that much loved stretch of beach again! During the summer the throngs of people kept me away, but now that it is cooler the crowds have thinned and I am much more comfortable in heading down there. With less people about there is more parking, shorter lines and more space to enjoy just being; just how I like to spend my time by the beach!

My favourite thing to do lately is to head down to the foreshore to grab a coffee and look out over the swimmers doing laps in the Scarborough beach pool. It sounds really weird, but it is so relaxing; probably because it isn’t me doing the exercise! If you stand on the footpath right above the pool, you get a perfect vantage point. From there, you can see beyond the pool below and right out to the surfers catching waves in the ocean out the back.

If I am not creeping on the swimmers and surfers, you can find me sitting up on the grassy knoll further north, or watching the skateboarders attempt the crazy deep bowl. Seriously, I am in awe of those men and women – that bowl doesn’t look friendly at all!

Scrolling Through and Shopping From Order of Style

I love discovering new places to shop. In particular, I love discovering new boutique places to shop (we all know enough about the big conglomerates). Browsing those carefully curated stores and choosing to spend money in places you know that it isn’t going to the board of a publicly owned company feels really darn good. In a world full of multi-nationals, it is lovely to still choose to shop local.

A few months ago, I was introduced to the Melbourne based online store Order of Style. Seeing that they stocked brands like Camilla and Marc, IRO, Mara Hoffman, Nicholas and Senso on their website immediately piqued my interest, and so far, I have been so impressed by their selection from these brands. It is like they know exactly what I want to see! From gorgeous sequinned blazers (a la the one I am wearing) and colourful printed dresses, to basic, high-quality tees and the perfect pair of jeans; there really is something for every mood, style and occasion. For someone like me, that is SUPER handy. I don’t have one particular style that I dress to; I prefer to pick bits and pieces from all different corners of the sartorial world (which Order Have Style have already done for me!).

Being Able to Enjoy Beer Again

As an avid beer lover, it was a total blow to discover that it didn’t actually agree with my body. For years I stopped drinking my beloved, and stuck to wines and spirits to try to beat the massive bloat, pain and upset stomach. About 6 months ago I started testing my body with beer again to see what it could withhold. It turns out that I can now stomach a pint with little to no immediate repercussions (we won’t discuss the next day, but that is always future Mon’s weighed up problem). Oh the joy of being able to drink (some) beer again!

Now that I know one beer isn’t going to see me down and out, I have been having some fun exploring the now huge craft world. On the weekend my housemate and I trawled through Mane Liquor and treated ourselves to some special dark beers to try. I have been stopping in at bars and restaurants with a craft beer focus because I can (and because I am in the company of someone who enjoys beer as much as I do). Heck, I have been cracking a tinny with dad and my uncle at 8.00am after we have taken the quad bikes down to the beach to pull the crayfish pots. I am finally catching up on all that beery goodness that I missed out on!

WA’s Ban on Single Use Plastic Bags (Finally!)

OK, so I still have a gripe with the fact they are selling ‘reusable’ plastic bags at the checkout, but at least this is a step in the right direction. I have been super conscious of the packaging I am putting into my trolley and bringing into my home for a good while now. I actually get a bit rude when I see the checkout attendant automatically bagging my purchases as I am putting my reusable shopping bags on the counter. The lack of thought around plastic bags and shopping is ridiculous! I even had a go at someone I saw putting a punnet of plastic strawberries into a plastic bag before putting it into their trolley – so, so, so unnecessary!

It really isn’t hard to start shopping smarter. Choose the paper mushroom bags for your small loose fruit and veg over the plastic bags; or better still, get yourself some reusable produce bags. Always keep a few totes in your car for last minute shopping trips. Buy fresh foods instead of packaged. Heck, even take your own reusable plastic container to the butchers and get them to put your meat in there! There is always a way around single use plastic!

I have even been getting increasingly uncomfortable at the amount of packaging I see come through the post on a weekly basis. It is so extra to have your order shipped in it’s plastic sleeve, wrapped in tissue paper, tied up with a ribbon, popped into a box and then popped into a larger box full of packaging foam! It sounds ridiculous, but this actually happens! Sure, aesthetics are great, but so is a beautiful environment that we haven’t ruined!