It’s time for another edition of The Monthly Mint – a chance for you to join in the Peppermint office chat about all the things we’re loving and living for each month.

Here at Peppermint we’re forever on the hunt for the best in sustainable reads, eats and wears to inspire you all. But have you ever wondered what we are really liking in our off-screen lives? We thought we’d open our front doors (despite how messy it might be inside) and share a few of our favourite things each month. That way you get the chance to get to know us a little better and if you’re ever in need of a recommendation next time you find yourself stuck in the “I don’t know what to watch/wear/read?!” scroll, you know where to start.

KELLEY SHEENAN

FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Learning

Without this turning into a self-indulgent plug, I’ve been squirreling away in my (cough) “spare time” lately on a fun new project. Spoiler alert: it’s a new kind of swim rashie and is made from recycled fabric, using mainly Econyl fibres. Many brands use this fabric (created by Italian company Aquafil) in their swimwear ranges now, but what really is it? Given that it’s Fashion Revolution Week, and one of the focuses this year is asking “Who Made My Fabric?” – and of course given that anything I touch has to be researched to the nth degree – I’ve been looking into it extensively. While I’ve seen a lot of talk of how Econyl is made from recycled fishing nets, end-of-use textiles and pre-consumer waste, I didn’t know that a big part of Econyl’s construction comes from old carpets. According to National Geographic, “Every year 1.7 million tons of carpet is dumped in landfill in the US alone – 89% of the country’s carpet waste. Of the remaining carpet, some is incinerated, while less than 5% is currently recycled.” Aquafil rescues up to 36 million pounds of landfilled carpet annually and breaks it down into three components to be used for injection-molding production, road construction and concrete, and – combined with reclaimed fishing nets and textile scraps – Econyl for the fashion industry. Recycled carpet swimwear may not sound quite so sexy, but it certainly gives new meaning to sweeping waste issues under the rug!

Loving

I’ve been coveting this hand-dyed jumpsuit from Osei Duro for a long time. So long, in fact, I have now discovered it has sold out. Cue tantrum. Luckily they have lots of other pretty things, made ethically in sizes up to 3XL with a small group of artisans in Ghana. The brand pays above average wages, shares profits with employees and is transparent about where financials are directed, with info on their website about where spending and revenue originates. ‘Flouncy Dress In Sidewalk Chalk‘ – you’re up next…

Feeling (the feels)

Guilty, guilty, guilty. As I write this, these words of accountability are ringing through the hearts of George Floyd’s family and the world at large. It’s not anywhere near the end of this conversation, but it’s certainly a step forward. As author and Assistant Professor Kellie Carter Jackson says for The Guardian, “The stakes of white supremacy do not start or end with this verdict. Floyd’s family will never recover his life, love or laughter. Black Americans will not cease to be seen as threats. And Chauvin will walk away as the exception and not the rule.” Here at home, Australia has its own issues to address too (follow Stop Black Deaths In Custody). A few people to listen and learn from: Jameela Jamil, Intersectional Environmentalist, So You Want To Talk About and Frederick Joseph.

LAUREN BAXTER

ASSISTANT AND DIGITAL EDITOR

Sliding

After spotting the brand in Limelights in Issue 48, my partner bought me a pair of Indosole platform slides for Christmas and now has gone and got himself a pair – who doesn’t love a matching moment. Repurposing indestructible tyres into durable shoe soles, the Bali-based brand is helping reduce the 1.5 billion car and motorbike tyres that are dumped into landfill around the globe and crafting cool footwear in the process. The weather may be getting colder (let’s be real though, how cold can it get in Brisbane?) but I’m fully prepared to rock a socks and slides look.

Running

I hate to be that person, but in a cliche,*insert-eye-roll-here* moment, I’ve been trying to get back into a regular running routine and found it’s been invaluable for my mental health. And hell no, I’m not here to advocate for jogging as some miracle cure-all, but whenever my head’s been fuzzy this past month, a quick sojourn into the outdoors has been a saving grace. It’s not about speed or distance, just the act of getting out and doing it consistently I’ve found to be beneficial. Run and tell that.

Watching

Any other RuPaul’s Drag Race fans in the house?! While this season has lasted approximately 17 million years, it’s the finale this weekend and I can barely contain my excitement. I honestly have no idea who will win – can Gottmik and Symone have a gorg Mean Girls share-the-crown moment – but the show (and UK counterpart) has brought me so much unashamed joy this year that I have to give it a shoutout. Friendly PSA that Drag Race Down Under starts 1 May and remember, if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else.

CAITLIN MORIARTY

COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER

Seeing

When the performers started enthusiastically belting out the opening tune in Come From Away, my friend leaned over to me and said, “Oh no, I had forgotten how embarrassing it is to watch a musical!” She’s right, a musical always feels a little earnest and, dare I say it, even a bit silly. But this show, about a tiny town in Newfoundland, Canada, that suddenly finds themselves having to feed, clothe, house and comfort 7,000 downed international passengers after all American airspace was closed immediately after the events of 9/11, was just so utterly heartfelt and wonderful that I don’t mind admitting I did some very earnest crying and clapping throughout. The fact that I hadn’t set foot inside a theatre in more than a year definitely heightened my emotions too! The whole story is based on true events and characters, and I’d thoroughly recommend listening to this interview with one of the pilots about her experiences, as well as seeing and enthusiastically weeping through this lovely show.

Wanting

After spending summer looking for the perfect pair of togs (I found them!), is it really worthwhile for me to devote winter to looking for the best jeans? Yes, yes it is. I avoided jeans for quite a few years due to pregnancy and then continued to avoid them because I felt like I just didn’t look “good enough” anymore. But you know, I really want a great pair of dark denim jeans and having a bottom and a tummy does not preclude me from that! Luckily, lots of brands agree with me so I am a bit spoilt for choice. I am currently dreaming of pairs from Kowtow, Embody Women and still haunting the Universal Standard website. Blue jean baby, that will be me!

Playing

My husband is very keen for us to become a board game family and has been testing various games on us to see what clicks. But what magical board game could possibly entertain a woman addicted to TikToks, a six-year-old who equates losing with the world ending, and a three-year-old who is just happy to be here? Enter The Mind, a collaborative card game that seems simple enough to begin with (you and fellow players put down cards in correct numerical order) but is is actually incredibly difficult as the main point of the game is NO TALKING ALLOWED. It makes for a very tense and fun atmosphere and while I would probably prefer to play it with adults, at least there is some peace and quiet in our house during game rounds.

MARA VANDENBERG

ACCOUNTS MANAGER

Repairing

After (nearly) 30 years together, it was time for my trusty Janome sewing machine to get out of the cupboard, get fixed, and get back to work. I just couldn’t throw it away! Weighing up the repair/replace cost versus benefits was interesting, but it was a relief to hear, “They don’t make them like they used to,” when I handed over the cash to the lovely gentleman who knew exactly how to bring the old girl back to life. Now, where do I start? Which free Peppermint pattern has been tempting me the most? The Pocket Skirt from Issue 47, of course.

Swapping

I love buying cookbooks. However, if you count the number of cookbooks you have (I have 400!) and the number of recipes they contain, then subtract from that the number of meals you have left in your life if you live to 100, then you’ve already run out of time. I believe a cookbook collection is a history of your relationship with food; it’s a statement about what you love to eat now and also a record of what you have cooked as you and your family have grown. A shelf of cookbooks is the first thing I check out when I visit someone. So to curb my habit of buying more cookbooks I have started to lend and borrow them with friends. We all get some new food inspiration, we save money and space on the shelf for the cookbooks that we really love and we avoid the guilt of buying a cookbook that we know we’ll probably never actually cook from. Very happy to have lent out this month – At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin, and to have borrowed Community by Hetty McKinnon.

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