My Top Gift Tips: Judith Treanor, Temples and Markets

Judith is a self-confessed “gift buying guru” because she loves buying gifts and finding the perfect piece her recipient will love. This week Judith shares some of her favourite gift buying tips with us…

1. The best gift I ever received was…
“My son Callum. Aside from that: a mocked up gift voucher that said I can go and choose a Louis Vuitton Bag.” 

2. The top gift on my wish list is…
“A Speedboat so I can get to beaches in Sydney without having to worry about parking or traffic (well one can dream!)”

3. The best gift I have ever given was…
“Can I have 2 please? I’m a gift buying guru. Put a lot of effort into it. 
1) The second best gift I gave was a shirt from Lansky Bros for my husband at Xmas many years ago. Lansky is based in Memphis and was Elvis’ personal clothing provider. They have a store which we’d visited on our trip to Gracelands in 1998. We are both Elvis fans so I contacted the store and arranged for them to send a very cool Elvis style shirt over to Australia! 

2) The Best Gift by far needs explaining: My husband jokes that George Clooney looks like him. They are both grey!! My friend is a renowned and respected journalist (shall remain nameless) but she was the MC at an event where George was speaking. She showed him my hubby’s photo and said he thinks you look like him. George laughed and signed it “You just look Younger”. I put the signed photo and one of George in a double frame for my hubby for Xmas. You can’t buy a gift like that.”

4. The hardest person I have ever had to buy a gift for was/is…
“My son Callum. At 12 years old what does he possibly need that he hasn’t already got?”

5. The best last-minute gift is…
“Gift certificates.”

6. My hot gift buying tip is…
“Buy Unique, Buy Gifts with a Difference that Mean Something. Shop Ethically. Don’t buy more meaningless nonsense that will end up in landfill.”

Judith Treanor is Founder of Temples and Markets, Australia’s Curated Online Store showcasing Unique Artisan Made Fashion Accessories, Jewellery and Home Decor from S.E Asia. Every product has a story. Check out their range at www.templesandmarkets.com

TUESDAY TIP: How to use a mind map

Do you use mind mapping to help capture and organise your ideas? A mind map is like a visual To Do list, but more dynamic as it lets your ideas flow, rather feeling like you have to order them step-by-step. Gregory Golinski is a huge fan of the humble mind map, as he shared with us in this week’s tip…

“My tip to be organized at work is to use mind mapping software. A mind map is a graphical representation of my ideas and the tasks I have to complete. It helps me remember them, put them in order and generate new ideas. This mind map really looks like a tree, and each idea or task is a branch. Each new branch/idea gives birth to new ones, that’s why it’s a great tool to be more creative.
My favourite mind mapping tool is Mindjet, because it helps me create a mind map, but it’s also a complete project management tool where you can share ideas with your team,” says Gregory. 


Gregory Golinski is a marketing coordinator for Love That Pet

My Top Gift Tips: Clare Maxfield, etiquette coach

“I have just finished writing a gift giving etiquette post for my website due to go to air on 29th November when I will also be interviewed on the radio about the same topic,” says etiquette coach, Clare Maxfield. Clare also enjoyed the opportunity of sharing her top gift tips with us this week…

1. The best gift I ever received was… 
“A small wallet that I thought was useless until I realised that going out it was all that I needed.”

2. The top gift on my wish list is
“A gardenia plant. long story…”

3. The best gift I have ever given was…
“Hand blown whisky tumblers.”

4. The hardest person I have ever had to buy a gift for was…
“My ex-husband, he always bought everything he wanted and left nothing for me.”

5. The best last-minute gift is…
“Good wine.”

6. My hot gift buying tip is…
“Stock up on hand creams for women – they love it.”



Clare Maxfield is an image and etiquette coach who makes looking good simple.
Learn more about what she does here: www.claremaxfield.com.au. Don’t forget to check out Clare’s gift giving etiquette post on 29 November 2016. 

TUESDAY TIP: How to organise your day

After struggling with prioritising important tasks in his business, Prosper Taruvinga decided there had to be a better way to manage his time and move his business forward. These were some of the tools he implemented to do this:

“I run and operate an 8 man Digital marketing agency of which half of the staff is overseas. This proves to be a bit hectic as the time differences and deadlines are met in different time zones. We now use tools like Slack and Calendley to schedule meetings and briefings. For me personally I found that I was always just all over the place without any direction or accomplishment. I have attached my trusted partner as a pic. 

Prosper Taruvinga was able to focus on what’s important by creating this timetable

I designed a timetable which I follow religiously. I now get everything done and don’t miss out on the important stuff like family.”

Prosper Taruvinga is a Digital Marketing Expert for Live Long Digital, who help businesses get clients. Learn more about what he does here

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My Top Gift Tips: Elle-May Michael, in.cube8r gallery

Everyone has a story to tell when it comes to giving and receiving gifts, so we’d thought we’d share some of these stories as ‘mini interviews’ to hopefully give you a bit of inspiration the next time you need to buy a gift. In this post, Elle-May Michael from in.cube8r gallery shares her gift stories…

1. The best gift I ever received was… 
“A painting of me and my best friend which the artist pinched from my Facebook and created without me expecting anything! It is still on my wall years later!”

2. The top gift on my wish list is… 
“Ooh gosh… I would LOVE a custom perfume by The Perfume Lab. He sits down and goes through all your favourite scents with you and creates a scent just for you! My mum got one and I am forever wanting my own!”

in.cube8r Emporium in Fitzroy, Mlebourne



3. The best gift I have ever given was… 
“When we were teenagers I bought my bestie who loved Dance Dance Revolution a professional mat to play on, it was MASSIVE and expensive but totally worth it!”

4. The hardest person I have ever had to buy a gift for was/is… 
“Colleagues who you don’t know very well are always hard to buy for! I like my gifts to be super personal so choosing for people I don’t know is hard!”

in.cube8r exhibition space in Fitzroy, Melbourne



5. The best last-minute gift is… 
“Gift Vouchers for boutique stores (not major chains but bespoke small businesses which will make using the voucher an experience and not a chore).”

6. My hot gift buying tip is… 
“Go in with friends! We would all rather get one really nice thing which we love dearly rather than lots of little cheap things which you feel like you need to hold on to for a period of time until it is acceptable to get rid of it… Plus, getting a group gift is fun!”

Elle-May is the owner of in.cube8r gallery, a handmade emporium supporting Australian creatives and taking no commission on their sales. 



Gifts to celebrate summer

Gardening gifts
Gifts to celebrate summer 
Gifts that make the most of the great outdoors

Summer (and Christmas!) is just around the corner, so if you’re looking for some seasonal gift inspiration, check out some of our new (and old) favourite gift ideas below. 

FOR YOU: Here’s a $20 Discount Voucher. To redeem your $20 voucher, simply enter Discount Code SUMMER in the Discount Code field when you place your order (product total must amount to $20 for voucher to work). You’re welcome to use this yourself, or pass onto someone else you know who might enjoy using it. Voucher is valid until midnight Sunday 13/11/2016.

Here are a few of our favourite warm weather gift ideas

Metal Detector
1. Burgon & Ball Classic Folding Pocket Knife & Steel Gift Set $97.95 
A breathtakingly beautiful pocket knife that comes immaculately presented in a gift box with satin lining. This is a gift that will be treasured forever.
Sow n' Sow seeds
2. Sow n’ Sow Seeds $9.95 each or 2 for $15
Spring is the perfect time of year to get out in the garden and grow some new plants from seed. This Trio of Herbs mix includes basil, coriander and parsley. Other seed varieties available.
Burgon & Ball Folding Pruning Saw
3. Burgon & Ball Folding Pruning Saw $58.95
Keep your plants neat and tidy with this small-but-mighty pruning saw. Cuts up to 10cm diameter and works on the pull stroke, so is brilliant for overhead work. 
Burgon & Ball Dig the Glove Gardening Gloves
4. Burgon & Ball ‘Dig the Glove’ Gardening Gloves $37.95
These fun gardening gloves have been designed just for men. The secret of their incredible comfort is the fabric they’re made from – a two-way stretch, breathable mesh and ultra soft, yet hard wearing cushioned fabric that means gardeners can move comfortably in these gloves.

Burgon & Ball Poc-kit Gardener's Ultility Belt
5. Burgon & Ball Poc-kit Gardener’s Ultility Belt $40.95
Burgon & Ball has mastered the “Bum Bag for Gardeners” in the form of the Poc-Kit, which is a comfortable, stylish utility belt. This genius belt will keep everything from your phone and specs to your gardening tools at your finger tips.
Burgon & Ball Pocket Pruner
6. Burgon & Ball Pocket Pruner $38.95
The ‘small-but-mighty’ secateurs designed to fit in your pocket so you’re always prepared to prune!
Burgon and Ball Tyre Plant Pot
7. Burgon and Ball Tyre Plant Pot $17.95
Burgon & Ball prove that old car tyres can be sexy, especially when they’re re-purposed into cool products like these Tyre Plant Pots. 
Paired: Champagne and Sparking Wines by Fran Flynn and David Stevens-Castro
8. Paired: Champagne and Sparking Wines by Fran Flynn and David Stevens-Castro $34.95
The warm weather has us reaching for the champagne and sparkling wine. If you want to know the best food matches for your bubbly, this book is for you. This is your go-to guide for pairing bubbles and food for a special occasion. Also includes a bunch of sensational recipes. Add this one to any wine enthusiast’s Christmas stocking.    
Tennis Racquet and Balls Cufflinks
9. Tennis Racquet and Balls Cufflinks $19.95
As the tennis season rolls around, get into the spirit with these fun cufflinks. A great gift for any tennis enthusiast (and cheaper than a top-of-the-range racquet!)
Brushtech Large BBQ Grill Brush
10. Brushtech Large BBQ Grill Brush $24.95
Get the BBQ up to scratch for your first BBQ of the season (beer and newspaper only required at the end when the dirty work is done;-)