Anji’s Picks - February Favourites
Favourite Scent - Le Labo Scented Candle Encens 9
This is certainly my most indulgent scented candle, so it is enjoyed sparingly. Le Labo absolutely have it nailed when it comes to fragrances that hit the right cord for my snozz. Their body wash, lotion and fragrance deserve special mention as well, and in particular the Bergamot 22 and Santal 26 ranges, however they too are a pricey option, so aren’t regular visitors to our bathroom.
But the Le Labo candles are well worth having as a special reward for hitting some goals, and they have good burning hours and their scents pack a punch, so I’m enjoying this latest candle for all the right reasons.
Favourite Sounds - Joan Armatrading ‘Me Myself I’
The latest disc spinning on the record player at our place is Joan Armatrading’s Me Myself I. Showing my age here, but this album came out when I was 6 years old, and my parents must have played it a fair bit because when I listened to it lately for the first time in decades, it was all so very familiar.
I found a secondhand copy at Greytown’s super cool vintage store, Wakefield Antiques and Greytown Record Dispensary. I must have listened to it three times that day! I just found out last week that James was given a copy from my mother at his last birthday, so now we have two copies! I’m loving the nostalgic vibes of listening to Joan’s hearty lyrics and moving vocals.
Favourite Read - NZ House & Garden Magazine
I’m doing a lot of my reading through audiobooks currently, but by favourite old school “read” is flicking through the pages of NZ House & Garden Magazine. My love of housie magazines is well known by my family and I have a literal library of years of past issues from my fave titles on a special shelf.
I’m particularly looking forward to NZ House & Garden’s April issue which will have our own home in Wellington profiled. Getting a home ready for a magazine photoshoot is much like the process many of my clients go through getting their home ready for sale.
We are in the early stages of plans to share some of the tips and tricks that I have learnt in my 16 years of helping clients get their home open home ready, and I’m looking forward to sharing these with people to apply at their own place, whether they are thinking of selling or not!
Jason and I adopted the mantra of “open home ready” at the various properties we have lived in over the past few decades. If you create an open home ready home, then you can be living in an enjoyable environment year round. Anyway, more to come on that….
Favourite Drink - Nothing Naughty
During my recent dry February, I found a new appreciation for other beverages, and the Nothing Naughty protein power was one of those finds. After being advised to have more protein in my diet, I searched for the quickest hack to consistently get more protein in my day than I had been.
The Nothing Naughty brand was recommended to me by a gut specialist, so I purchased it online without hesitation. It comes in a cool glass jar and now I can just purchase refill bags of the powder rather than add to the plastic waste that traditional protein powders come with.
It tastes great and even just mixed with water has quite a creamy texture. I’ve needed to up other forms of edible protein as well, but the Nothing Naughty Plant Protein Powder has certainly helped with some of the heavy lifting.
Favourite Eats - Chan’s Eatery Vegan Dumplings
I’m always needing to grab food on the run during the day, and lunch spots are often dictated by what neighbourhood I am spending the most time in. Our recent listings have been coincidentally focused in the Newtown area which is great news for me, as one of my favourite lunches to grab is the vegan dumplings from Chan’s Eatery on Riddiford Street.
Chan’s is an incredible family owned and operated business serving a range of Malaysian, Thai and Chinese cuisine, and they proudly state that their takeaway packaging is biodegradable. If you can eat in, you should. We had a team support local meeting at Chan’s recently, and the family behind the counter are just so lovely and accommodating.
I’ll be hoping for some more listings in Newtown to keep up my regular visits!