December 6th, 2025Just sayin’…

I started my Christmas shopping with some hyper local purchases.
I must admit, I did get caught up for a minute in the Temu craze but I have since deleted the app and refuse to buy any more from the site. There are many reasons. Lack of quality, not knowing what you are getting, air miles…but really it comes down to wanting to support local people.
So that is my motto from now on. The new shiny thing, Temu, is no longer distracting me. It’s over. And my first Christmas buys were from the Daylesford Show. More specifically, from the Daylesford CWA.
The women had a stall in front of the food and craft pavilions at the show and it was too tempting to pass up.
I bought two very stylish, hmmm, hand protectors to hold hot bowls of soup. It sounds strange but they are very practical and look amazing. That was $10 gone. Then two bags stuffed with aromatic lavender. Another $2 spoken for. A CWA cookbook was $30 so I added that to the pile.
One of the women, Peta Heyne in fact, said it was “a basic” cookbook but for me, it’s wonderful. All of those recipes from my childhood. Even Ki Si Ming which mum made regularly using Keen’s mustard powder. I hated it but reading the recipe made me feel all nostalgic. I am not sure yet who I will give these gifts to but who would not be happy to receive them?
Next up, I am no longer buying boring (but lovely so don’t sue me) Mumm bubbles but rather some really local drops for my handmade bottle bags. There are so many stores which stock great drinks, I love Cellarbrations (and their staff) and then there’s Herbal Lore for something really special.
And then there are heaps of makers and creators in this wonderful region we are lucky enough to call home. They will provide the rest of the gifts. Yes, more expensive, but real crafts last a lifetime. And they have meaning.
Mum was a potter and attended markets all over the Mornington Peninsula. I went along with her in my latter teenage years and watched as people tried to get a bargain. “How much are the coffee cups?” they would ask. “Five dollars each,” Mum would say. “How about six for $25?” they would ask. “No, sorry, they’re $5 each,” Mum would reply. Some would then point out the imperfections. “This one is slightly bigger….”
At this point Mum would go quiet. What she wanted to tell them was to bugger off and head to Kmart or Big W for their perfect cups. She never did. But she never negotiated. Integrity. Go Mum.
Oh, don’t forget the value of op shops. One I love is the Daylesford Op Shop off East Street, it’s fantastic. If you need more cutlery, or crockery or just some fun decorations – it’s all there. As are gifts or maybe a new, to you, outfit for the big day.
Pre-loved means stopping items going into landfill and just a huge selection of a bit of everything. I once bought a glass platter, popped it through the dishwasher, loaded it with rumballs and my sister was deliriously happy. Maybe that was the rum?
And of course, if you buy locally, it all helps with our economy and keeps the money going around to pay for local businesses, and employing locals and then everyone shopping locally if they can. I think it’s called a circular ecomony? Just do your best to support local – if possible.
And Hepburn Shire Council needs to support locals and volunteers as well. It was going to charge the Daylesford Show $3234 for the carnival people to camp at Vic Park. The council did drop it to $700 but say the show has been undercharged in previous years. So the “correct fee” starts from next year. Bah humbug. The show is a wonderful example of volunteers and community. Give them a break. Just sayin’…