Shut the Front Door Blog

We consider ourselves very lucky to have the talented and wonderful staff that we have. At the moment, all of our lovely staff are staying safe at home, when they would usually be getting excited about helping all of our customers find that perfect special something for everyone's mum this Mother's Day.

So, instead, we asked our staff to send us their picks of something lovely, that can easily be posted. 

Even at this strange time, our wonderful team are still dedicated to help you find that perfect gift for mum x

	Name: Grace Role at STFD: Sales Assistant Product: Ashley & Co Waxed Perfume Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? All mums seem to love candles! It’s also nice to gift something that can be used to relax during these crazy times. Waxed Perfume is a candle, individually hand poured in New Zealand using 100% natural biodegradable wax and an unbleached cotton wick.  Waxed perfume candles are also available in scents; Bubbles & Polkadots, Blossom & Gilt, Parakeets & Pearls, Vine & Paisley, Once Upon A Time and Tui & Kahili.
Name: Alice Role: Assistant Store Manager Wellington Product: Oslo Planter & Hydrangea Ranger Seeds Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? My mum loves her garden and the Oslo planter is a great way to bring the outdoors in and jazz up a space in her house. I have had the wildflower seeds in the past and they are beautiful. It’s like a gift that keeps on giving – a long life bouquet you could say. Perfect for Mum! Oslo planters are beautifully simple stoneware planters with a hole in base for drainage and a matching saucer. Wildflowers are such wonderful additions to your garden. They are easy to grow. Simply plant on a weed free site and water. They will re-seed and grow all over again.
	Name: Josie Role at STFD:  Ponsonby Store Manager Product: Ethique Saving Face Serum, Hydrangea Ranger gold hoop Rose agate drop earrings & Bennetts 60g Bar Sea Salt Dark Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? I like to send New Zealand brands as gifts to my mum, they also have to be something that I can post as she lives in the UK. I like to send mum gifts that she can pamper herself with. Ethique is always a go to product for me because of the brand's sustainable and environmental values. Plus I use the products myself and know they are amazing. My mum is a bit of a magpie and a self-confessed chocoholic so I would also include a pair of Hydrangea Ranger earrings and a bar of Bennett's Mangawhai sea salt chocolate - Lovely NZ handmade gifts that support small businesses.
Name: Tash Role at STFD: Sales Assistant in Newmarket store Product: Ashley and Co Home Perfume Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? The Ashley and Co home perfume is a great Mother’s Day present as it effortlessly picks up any room with its aromatic botanical smell. One of our most popular scents, and my personal favourite is Tui & Kahili. I bought my Mum one for her birthday last year and she absolutely loves it! To really boost the aroma around the house she uses her diffuser and the waxed perfume candle in the matching scent. The packaging of the product is very sleek and stylish, saving you time on the ever-daunting task of wrapping.
	Name: Teresa Role at STFD: Newmarket Store Manager Product: Oak Laptop Table Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? This beautifully made product is a timeless and a very versatile gift, whether for laptop or writing, putting your tea and snacks on, even using it when painting your nails! It’s for any age, mum or grandmum and is made from oak veneer and soft velvet cushioning, using a bean bag effect so it moulds perfectly to your lap! Use it in bed or while sitting on the sofa. Even take it with you on your weekend away! This product is exclusive to STFD stores in NZ, making this a very special gift! She won't know how she lived without one!
Name: Sandra Role at STFD: Takapuna Store Manager Product: CaliWoods Copper Razor & the Ethique Coconut & Lime butter block Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? The beautiful copper coloured safety razor comes with 5 razor blades. A stylish addition to mum's beauty routine. Also help mum do her part for the environment with the only waste being the blades which you can post back to Cali to be recycled. Add to this the Ethique Coconut & Lime butter block, with its yummy fragrance and buttery smooth texture, to help mum feel and smell amazing!!
	Name: Anna Role at STFD: Buyer – Home, Kids & Eco Product: Ethique Face Sampler Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? I think it’s always really nice to find gifts that are environmentally friendly and locally made. Ethique ticks both of those boxes, being plastic free and made in Christchurch. But as well as that, gifting your mum something to pamper herself with will make her feel special and loved. Each of the products in the Ethique face sampler pack are an absolute treat to use. The In Your Face cleanser lathers up in such a satisfying way and the face serum is dreamy. Your mum will get to try two different face cleansers, a scrub, a moisturiser and a serum. All without any plastic. The samples are shaped into little hearts, which makes this just the perfect gift for mum. Each sample weighs between 6-14g giving you ample chance to try each product. The samples come in a chocolate box style package, which is 100% compostable.
Name: Katy Role: Store manager Product: A&Co Insink Dish Wash & A&Co Benchpress Bench Spray Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? While my family and I are in our bubble I am finding myself in the kitchen a lot more than usual. As I have been cleaning up with my Ashley & Co Insink dish wash and Ashley & Co Bench-press surface cleaner, I know they are such a treat to use! I think it would be a perfect gift for your mum on Mother’s Day. The fragrance is divine, they are so effective without the use of harsh ingredients and they’re also natural and plant based. Mum deserves the best xxx Lotus Leaf & Lustre: Top notes of fresh Kaffir Lime, softened with caramel undertones and enveloped with the warm scent of spicy clove and cedarwood. Both bottles are 500ml and are made right here in New Zealand!
	Name:  Millie Role at STFD: Sales Assistant at Christchurch Store Product:  Holding Aces Gift Set Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? Hand cream and lip balm are staples going into the cooler season, with these also being perfect for handbags or keeping in the car. Plus you save $10 buying these two products in this cute gift set as opposed to separately! This set comes in two scents with blossom & gilt being my all-time favourite! Get in quick as there are not many of these sets left!
Name: Hannah Almond Role at STFD: 2IC Ponsonby Store Product: Tiger Tree Earrings and a Beauty Sleep Pillowcase Why would this make a good Mother’s Day present? Tiger Tree's unique Solar Earrings are by far the sweetest pair offered, in both Gold and Silver for ladies of all ages. They would make a gorgeous add on gift for any mother, sister or girlfriend for Mother’s Day! A quirky cute design with a touch of feminine that will look amazing with any outfit!  Even the un-pierced ears will be wanting these! And the silk pillowcases make a perfect Mother’s Day gift that you will not find anywhere else, as these beauty’s are made by none other than Shut the Front Door themselves. These Silk Beauty Sleep Pillowcases are offered in four colours (Charcoal, White, Pink and Nude) not just made with any silk though! They are made with 100% pure Mulberry silk. Mulberry silk offers so many advantages for the skin as well as hair! Anti-crease whilst sleeping, anti-aging for the skin and anti-bed hair.

Most of us by now know that every piece of plastic ever made still exists and its logical therefore that the current rate of production can’t continue and scientists say that soon there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

But does going plastic free seem like too big of a challenge? Are you wondering where to start? Is it too big a task or too overwhelming? Don’t worry you don’t have to do it all at once!

I felt the same way this time last year and so started with a reusable coffee cup. That first step seemed small and relatively easy. Sure I forgot the cup occasionally but I felt really guilty when I did so started to forget less and less. As well as feeling like I had done something positive to help the planet I also really enjoyed drinking out of the glass reusable cup as opposed to a takeaway cup.

Now if I forget my cup I take 10 minutes out of the crazy rush I seem to be permanently in and sit down in the café and drink my coffee there. Another massive positive to being plastic free – stopping to smell the roses and actually focus on enjoying a great coffee.

A tip to help you remember your cup is to have a couple of cups – I have one at work to take to my local café near the office. I have another one at home for on the way to work stops or to take on my weekend walks.

Once I had started with the reusable cup other things quickly followed as it opens your eyes to what other single use plastics you are using. I got my kids some reusable stainless steel straws. My youngest son loves a straw so replacing my pack of plastic straws when it ran out with a stainless steel straw was an easy win.

The plastic bags at the Supermarket was relatively easy too as I do big shops at Pak N Save and have been taking my groceries home in cardboard boxes for years. But its taken a while to get into the habit of having some bags in the car for quick pit stops at New World or Countdown. To be honest I have been shamed into it because it didn’t feel good being in the minority walking out of the supermarket with a plastic bag!

I have just recently started using reusable produce bags as it felt wrong to be using so many bags here. There are lots of options on the market to replace that single use supermarket bag but I have been using the drawstring bags that many brands of linen comes in. I had built up quite a stock of these (yes I have a great linen collection!) and was wondering what to use them for when inspiration struck! Great recycling idea and they look cool in the trolley! I have also stopped buying any prepackaged vegetables at the supermarket. There is absolutely no need for three courgettes to be packed on a polystrene tray and gladwrapped. Maybe if we don’t buy them that will send a message to supermarkets and growers…here is hoping!

So I think the best way to look at it is that every change you make is a positive step in the right direction. Its a journey rather than a destination which once you start makes you far more aware of the plastic you are using and it is easy to continue to build on that first step.

I feel like I have come a long way since that first step of buying a reusable coffee cup last July but still have a long way to go. What step will you take this July?

Watch out for upcoming blogs where I will tell you more about what I am going to be doing this Plastic Free July and what Shut the Front Door has done to reduce its plastic use.  Also check out our Instagram giveaway to win all the below items to give you the perfect Plastic Free July starter kit.

I thought I you might be interested on how the most important buying trip of the year works.   Christmas is a big deal for Shut the Front Door and so buying the stock that you all need to make your Christmas Gift shopping easy is no small feat. It sometimes makes me feel like I am buying Christmas presents for the whole of New Zealand!

The buying exercise is mostly done on a four day shopping trip to Melbourne which I have just returned from. Melbourne hosts 3 major trade shows at this time plus a number of smaller events where artisans and wholesalers display their wares. Just about every retailer in Australia and quite a lot from Melbourne are there all with the aim of filling there stores with stock for Christmas.

The venues range from shiny concrete exhibition centres, 150 year old exhibition buildings with the most exquisite architecture to a graffiti covered old warehouse by the train tracks.
  

Who would have thought that inside this pretty rough looking building was some beautiful products that will be coming our way!

In preparation for the trip I do lots of work looking at trends, brainstorming ideas and making lists of what we need. I analyse what we sold last year and how many units of everything we need. I make sure we have all the different categories covered with gifts for men, gifts for her, gifts for kids etc etc. Then I put all that in a folder and ignore it and go around buying what I love!!! Probably not so scientific but it seems to work.

The trip involves long days of walking and talking and trying to pick out the awesome nuggets that you will love from a massive amount of average products!

I do this buying alone as I have found over the 15 years I have been a buyer thats what works best as there are no distractions but it does mean you spend the days talking to yourself - Will our customers like this? Have I got everyone covered? Have I got enough? Have I got too much? What have I missed? How will we merchandise this? But in the end you have to remember that you will always make some mistakes…if you don't you haven't taken enough risks!

Here are some photos of a few of our supplier stands that I visited....

You will see everything I have bought on this trip arriving in stores throughout the next few months - hopefully you love it, I bought enough and not too much!!

Look forward to welcoming you all in store to view our amazing collection of Christmas Gifts at Shut the Front Door.