Five a Day
- Words by Peppermint
What did you learn from someone younger than you today? What’s your favourite smell from today? Who did you really, honestly listen to today?
Most of us probably can’t recall these details. But these are just a few of the questions Top Five Movement founder Clare Desira wants us to be asking ourselves daily so we can learn to engage with gratitude and live happier, healthier lives. What started as a simple habit of listing her top five moments of each day has since turned into an inspiring practice she’s sharing with the world through coaching, speaking, online tools and, most recently, a deck of 50 question cards to help prompt users to notice and appreciate the little things in life.
It all began in 2006 when Clare returned home from work to find a few magazines on her bed as a surprise from her housemate. “One of them was a health magazine and there was an article in there about happiness and the different ways you could be happy,” says Clare. “There were the usual things in there that you would read in any list like this. It had things like eating well, exercising and drinking water, and the one that stood out for me was writing down the positive moments from the day.” Inspired by this simple idea, Clare began her habit of listing her top five favourite moments of the day immediately. Over the past 10 years, those lists (now over 2000 in number) have been scribbled in notebooks, Clare’s phone, on post-its and scrap pieces of paper. The focus, she says, is not on documenting neatly or in order, but in capturing the moments so they are not forgotten.
The more positive thoughts that you can add in, positive perspectives and positive questions you can be asking yourself, the less room there is for the unhelpful ones
Taking part in a writing retreat at the Centre for Sustainability Leadership program in 2011, Clare developed a speech on her top five practices that she later went on to share at the TEDx Women stage in Melbourne. This speech became the foundation for her coaching and workshops, and earlier this year Clare decided to take things further by launching the Top Five Movement Question Cards with input from thought leaders, life coaches and wellness experts. The cards come in a small, circular cardboard box, and each one poses a question designed to help spark conversations, build a constructive mindset and increase gratitude. In researching the effects of positive thinking, Clare found that the increase in these thoughts has been scientifically shown to promote physical and mental wellbeing, boost confidence, reduce stress and anxiety and build stronger relationships with others. “We only have a small opportunity to introduce new thoughts every day,” says Clare. “In research that I’ve seen, about 10% of our thoughts are new each day and the rest of them are on repeat. So if you’ve had a lot of negative thoughts or positive thoughts, they’re still there, they carry on after that one day that you’ve had them. For me, rather than trying to say to people ‘stop thinking negatively’, it’s about saying that the more positive thoughts that you can add in, positive perspectives and positive questions you can be asking yourself, the less room there is for the unhelpful ones.”
Read the full story in Issue 32 of Peppermint – on shelves until the end of February.
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WORDS EMILIE GUILLEMAIN, PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLARE DESIRA
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
