Happy New Year!

Generally speaking, the holidays can be full, and with people eager to leave Auckland, there was a different sense of urgency to last years' festive season. That and there tends to be so much noise during the holiday period. It's relentless. We decided not to send an email and went offline. We were busy not checking emails, reducing screen time and productivity.

What were you up to during the holidays? With the current climate, it can be challenging to manifest positivity for our future, and we think we can all agree the COP26 outcomes or lack thereof are anxiety-inducing. Aptly timed, Netflix's Don't Look Up, directed by Adam McKay, is a not so subtle reminder that the 1% will doom us all. Have you seen the film?

After a game-changing year for many, the new year has us rethinking and revisiting what matters most. So many of us find it difficult to prioritise ourselves, but the truth is that by taking care of ourselves—when we are healthy, and of a positive mind state, it is then we are able to show up and commit to who and what matters most. Positive changes are coming. And on that note, your thoughts create your reality. What are you welcoming in for 2022?

A couple of months ago, we put together possibly the best vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe for Flint Chocolate. Adapted from an Ovenly bakery recipe, these cookies are a forever staple. Decadent, pleasantly salty with crunchy edges, soft chewy centres and Flint Baking Chocolate chunks, these vegan cookies are without overstating, a dream for taste buds. Head over Flint’s website to bake them.

It can feel stressful when the appetisers and snacks at gatherings aren't what you know will make you feel good. We suggest bringing options that everyone will enjoy! Whether it's hummus for sharing platters, garlic bread or a tapenade, you'll be nourishing many with high health options that will make you feel amazing inside-out while reducing food packaging waste.

Summer is in full bloom here in Auckland, and we are craving something fresh and tasty. Diving into our recipes, we have for you this mouth-delectable home-made ginger and miso vegan ice cream. Sweet and salty, super creamy, umami, it’s different. If you’ve been wanting to try making your own ice cream, get out your blender!

More recently incense has returned to its place of the ritual of late. The sacred smoke has been used for centuries for healing, communicating and cleansing, and some varieties have the additional benefit of repelling flies. We’re all for daily rituals that make us feel better in compounding ways, and incense creates inviting spaces, makes a place feel like home. From the $7 packs to the bougie incense with refined aesthetics—here’s what we love to burn.

1. Over the years, many of our friends have asked about sustainable sunscreens brands, so last year, I dived into the subject of reef-safe sunscreens to help make better choices. Now, head over our Instagram highlights for the complete brand's list we discovered and the more recent additions.
   
   
2. It is not always easy to keep a positive mind in the face of the climate crisis, including with Covid-19. We feel grief, pain, dismay, and lack of hope more often than we would like. So to start this year on a bright note, here are two links of interest. "Turning Toward Each Other" by Meghan Kallman on Resilience.org, where she unravels why focusing on relationships is vital to navigating our daunting times, and Climate Ready Communities: Resources for Radical Hope, by Kirsten Bradley published on Milkwood.net, highlighting the plurality of the path on dealing with this climate crisis. No action, big or small, is worthless. All represent a joint force built simultaneously by many individuals, communities, and politics to create radical change.
   
   
3. A solution to mitigating the climate crisis is through agro-ecology. One of its methods, syntropic agroforestry, is about producing food while regenerating biodiversity, building abundance and resilience. Here is an insightful video from the Permadynamics team explaining syntropic agroforestry principles. Inspiring and kind of magic!

1. Summer has arrived in New Zealand, heat, humidity, and sunlight are ever-present. And so the genius at Mecca who thought the final Beauty Loop gift for the year should be the To Save Face After Sun Mist deserves a raise. It’s hydrating and contains Kakadu Plum so it defends against pollution and free radicals.
   
   
2. During that weird time of year between Christmas and New Year where you don't know what day it is, I updated my photography portfolio. Last year I was able to produce more work that aligned with my ethos and within different sectors. If you are looking to create beautiful imagery for your brand for website and social media use please get in touch, email me directly, hello@twentyfour.cc. I am taking bookings for March onwards. And if you would like to collaborate with Lagom, some of my favourite (and recent) work has come from collaborations, send us an email at hello@thisislagom.com.
   
   
3. When it comes to gift-giving, I adhere to the one-for-you-one-for-me approach. For some time I had been searching for hair accessories that were both beautiful and functional—Amandine and I had ordered some clips from Winden back in November and in December I finally found a scrunchie I wanted to buy. Gloria is a new project by New Zealand artist and designer Kristine Crabb, her scrunchies are made in New Zealand from archival fabrics. Wins all around. I gifted Amandine the viscose scrunchie in ivory, and I self gifted the green velvet.

Thoughts, questions, you can always direct reply to these emails.
We look forward to hearing from you!

Tracey Creed & Amandine Paniagua