Ahwoo Dixi Fam,

We really hope you enjoyed our first Sundays with Dixi on Instagram stories! We wanted to create something wholesome and cosy, something that we can all do together each week, and help you all get into the Dixi festive spirit with us; so we hope that has been true for those of you that joined us!

These will be running every Sunday for the next 5 weeks, so make sure to set your alarm and stop by for some quality time together! And don't worry if you miss it, because we'll also do a quick round up on this blog each week too! Some parts are more Instagram exclusive (like our re-postable template activities) so if you want to join in with those, head to our Instagram profile and check the story highlights. Everything else will be included here. 

ALSO stay tuned for details on how you can snag yourself an insane FREE GIFT bundle with your next Dixi purchase - and it's super easy to qualify!

Your First Sundays with Dixi Playlist - hit play!

Don't use Spotify? You can find all these songs in a YouTube playlists here!

Now You Know

Did you know that Pumpkin Spice is actually just a spice mix used for pumpkin pies, and isn't an *actual* single ingredient? Because we didn't! And even better, you can make it easily at home.
Just combine:
3 tbsps ground cinnamon
2 tsps ground ginger
2 tsps ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsps ground allspice
1 1/2 tsps ground cloves

More pumpkin facts:
Antarctica is the only continent where pumpkins are not grown.
Pumpkins are a fruit and belong to the winter squash family 'Cucurbitacae' along with cucumbers.
Pumpkins take just 90-120 days to grow, and are 90% water.

Snuggle down and watch

We've chosen two wolf themed documentaries for you to enjoy with us this week! 

Wolves 101 by National Geographic


Wolves in the Forest

Made You Think

People who menstruate will do so (on average) for 'about 40 years in total, bleeding for about 5 days a month, or approximately 2,400 days over the course of a lifetime. That's about 6 and a half years, all told." (Source)

So if we change a tampon or pad on average say, 3 times a day, that's 7,200 single use plastic products going into landfill per person, per lifetime.

We need to do something about this. There are increasingly more ways to take a sustainable approach to your period, that have become vastly more accessible in recent years. And remember - you don't have to do it all at once. Small changes make a huge difference. And not everything has to, or will work for you. Just give yourself the time to try!

Here are some of our tried and tested eco-friendly period product favourites!

Reusable Sanitary Pads
Now, hear us out. These are not as gross as they sound, and are WAY more comfortable and gentle on the skin than plastic disposable pads. If you're anything like us, you can feel like you're wearing a nappy for a week each month and well, enough is enough. 
Some (like the ones we've linked here) have a super soft fleecy top and a charcoal lining so you won't find any bad smells following you around. If you're worried about putting used pads into the wash with your other clothes, just give them a pre-rinse in the sink with water beforehand!

Period Cups
We know, these can be another product that people can get squeamish about. But give yourself time to experiment and we believe these can be a true period game changer!
We've linked one of the most well known brands here, the Mooncup. You may have to try more than one cup, as we are all different shapes and sizes and one size really doesn't fit all - we can tell you this from experience! (I've been through at least 3 different types of cup on my own journey!) But there will be one out there for you. 
Our advice is - do your research beforehand. Read reviews, and make an informed purchase. We'd also advise using a reputable brand - cheap brands may not be offering the high quality materials, and this isn't a place where you want to skimp on that!

Biodegradable Tampons
Plastic free, biodegradable tampons with organic plant-based materials are becoming more and more mainstream and steadily more accessible, so make a point to start looking for these when you are out shopping. Companies like Daye also offer tampons that have CBD inside the tampon, so bonus if you struggle with cramping!

So, what do you think Dixi pack? Are you already making changes to make your period more eco-friendly, or is this something you need to work on? We can't stress enough the importance - small, steady changes make a difference. You don't have to try every single one of these products and like them straight away. Allow yourself to take baby steps. Periods are uncomfortable enough without putting extra pressure on yourself! <3

Make something 

Each week in this section we'll be making a little something together! For today's make, we have some Autumn Essential Oil Blends to try, perfect for creating your own at home seasonal room fragrance to get you in the festive spirit.

From next week, all the makes will be food based, so stay tuned at the end for the ingredients list so you can prepare!

Autumn Essential Oil Blends
Effort required: Minimal
Tip: Don't like or have a specific oil? Swap it with something you do have, and experiment with your scents.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Blend
- 5 drops Cinnamon
- 1 drop Clove
- 1 drop Nutmeg
- 1 drop Allspice

Woodland Walk Blend
- 4 drops Cypress
- 1 drop Amber
- 2 drops Scots Pine
- 3 drops Sandalwood

Falling Leaves Blend
- 6 drops Orange
- 1 drop Patchouli
- 1 drop Ginger

Vanilla Spice Blend
- 4 drops Vanilla
- 2 drops Orange
- 2 drops Cinnamon

Ingredients list for next week:
500g white flour
Cornflour
Fast action yeast (7g sachet is enough)
Caster sugar
Ground cardamom
Ground cinnamon
Salt
Soya / Almond / any dairy free milk alternative
Dairy free margarine
Golden syrup
Light brown sugar
Apple purée or applesauce
Optional: toasted pecans or similar

Got any ideas on what we are making? :)

We Challenge You

This week we want you to spread the Autumn magic all over your own instagram feed!

 

Whether you can go pumpkin picking or you can only find pumpkins in a shop, find yourself a selection of pumpkins and create a beautiful photo. Be creative, use whatever you have lying around as props - think soft textures, candles, pretty packaging, flowers... if you can't afford to buy a selection of pumpkins, perhaps visit your local garden centre or garden shop and make a beautiful photograph of a display!

If you participate and tag us #sundayswithdixi, we will DM you a discount code for 20% off your next order! (and this will be the only current valid discount code!)

Small Business Sunday

Let's all make a special effort every Sunday to shout out our current favourite small businesses! Whether you admire from afar or are a long time customer, we'd LOVE to know what little companies are currently on your radar!

As you'll see from the Autumn Mini Collection Silvis Autumni, we are branching out and offering gorgeous products from multiple small brands - and we promise you, we'd only do this for products that we have tried and absolutely love ourselves. If an item has sold out, please head over to the brand website and order from them directly.

@veoruk - veor.co.uk
A new company from one of our very own - Victoria has been making her own range of home fragrance products in the hope of making Autumn scents an ALL year affair! Our favourite scents are Lumberjack (sexy man smell) and Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll (smells like fresh Autumn baking - seriously). All ingredients are vegan friendly and cruelty free.

@noa.uk - shopnoa.co.uk
Natasha is our babe, and you may recognise her from our Grimmwolf namesake box! She hand makes all her beautiful candles in her Manchester studio ready to bring you all the cosy, Autumnal vibes you could want. Forest, Sweater Weather, and Garden of Eden are just a few of our current favourites. Everything is also vegan and cruelty free.

@thescentcoven - thescentcoven.com
We are new to The Scent Coven and we are OBSESSED. Scandi-Gothic inspired home decor, handmade vegan & cruelty free wax art, all handmade in  England! Check out the Pumpkin Wax Melt bar currently in our home section, you are NOT ready!

Screensavers

Just right click and 'open in a new tab' to view the full size high res version and save!

Free Gifts!

It's the part you've all been waiting for! Here are the details on how you can snag yourself an insane gift bundle when you spend £30+ in store, while stocks last! These are STRICTLY limited and will not be restocked so grab them while you can.

GIFT BUNDLE INCLUDES:
Autumn Fire Perfume complimentary of @screamingmandrakeperfumes
Wheel of the Year Print complimentary of @skyggsja
(Full size versions available over on their websites!)

ALONG WITH:
Silvis Autumni Bookmark
Incense Cone Mini Selection
Dixi Gift Box with Marifold & Yellow Rose Buds

HOW TO QUALIFY
1. Make sure your order is £30+ (excluding shipping and before any discounts are applied).
2. When your cart qualifies, the option to add the free gift bundle will appear above the cart. Should the free gift have gone out of stock, it will not be available at checkout.
3. ADD THE GIFT BUNDLE TO YOUR CART. This is important. If you do not add it to your cart, it is NOT added to your order and you will not receive it. Please don't check out without it and then email us expecting it to be added, because it won't!

TERMS:
Strictly subject to availability. If you return items in your order that take the order amount below the threshold £30, you will need to return the free gift unused and unopened, in full - please sure you are completely happy with your order before dismantling the gift set.

That's all folks! Thank you so much for joining us in our very first Sunday with Dixi! See you next Sunday (4th October) at 10am BST for your next installment!

Lots of love,
the Dixi girls x