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Chestnuts roasting on an open fire… Too much? I may be exaggerating when I say that Australian winters are fffreezing! – but surely we’re all familiar with that age old problem of trying to get the laundry done when it’s cold and dewy outside. Speaking of airing out dirty laundry, those massive spikes in energy use over the cooler months are not just us warming our toes – mainly due to our reliance on the old tumble dryer. Drying your clothes naturally instead also extends their life, ultimately making your wardrobe more sustainable. usethings have a very handy drying rack made from plantation sugar gum grown sustainably in SMARTimbers co-ops that are built to last a lifetime. They are naturally energy smart, with durable cord and sailing pulleys to suspend it from the ceiling, keeping it out of the way and making the most of the warm air that circulates through your home. To help you minimise your power bill and carbon footprint this season, we’re excited to have a usethings drying rack to give away to one lucky reader! For your chance to win, just comment below and tell us your top energy saving tip for the winter months. {Comp closes 5pm, July 19th 2012. Australian addresses only}.

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As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it's becoming increasingly hard to ignore.⁠
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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.⁠
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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.⁠
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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.⁠
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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. ⁠
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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. ⁠
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'Touch grass' was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We'll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿