However, if you can’t pop in today (we’re open until 8pm remember!) then were are offering FREE DELIVERY on Saturday morning to any customers who might be inconvenienced by this closure!

Simply contact ..... → Read More: Closed Friday 18th May – but get FREE delivery!]]> We’re sorry to have to let you know that fuzzi will be CLOSED tomorrow, Friday 18th May. We’re very sorry for any inconvenience this might cause you!

However, if you can’t pop in today (we’re open until 8pm remember!) then were are offering FREE DELIVERY on Saturday morning to any customers who might be inconvenienced by this closure!

Simply contact us via the website or Facebook, or just drop a note through our letterbox, and we’ll deliver your shopping personally before midday on Saturday!

Cash payment is required on delivery, and this offer only applies to those in the immediate Winchester area (postcodes SO20 to SO24).

Disposable nappies are very convenient and apparently this dates back to post war times when women wanted to spend ..... → Read More: Nappies]]> I’m sure like many others, my mum has an old terry towel nappy lurking in her cupboards from when my brothers and I were babies.  The availability and affordability of disposable nappies back then (late 80’s!) wasn’t as great as it is today.

Disposable nappies are very convenient and apparently this dates back to post war times when women wanted to spend less time washing nappies and spend more time working and travelling.   Another good reason to use disposable nappies is that they are highly absorbent and do not use energy for washing and drying like reusables do.

The down side of using disposable nappies include cost and waste.  According to Which during the first few months of a child’s life their nappy will need changing around 6 times a day which means roughly 40 a week or 160 a month.  A bag of nappies on their own doesn’t cost a lot however over time it can cost a great deal of money.

This large amount of nappies also contributes hugely to landfill waste and they do not biodegrade very well at all.  In contrast, reusable nappies do not create as much waste and overall cost much less than using disposable nappies.  Another benefit of using reusable nappies includes a huge 40% reduction in carbon emissions.

Research from Ethical Consumer magazine states that “over the two and a half years a baby will be in nappies, the average cost of disposables would therefore be £1,021, and reusable’s £342.85”.  Take a look at the research summary in full.

This saving is huge however it isn’t that simple.  The initial financial outlay, which can cost around £300 is more than some families can afford in on go.  There are also practical issues with using reusable’s and the main problems seem to be time, drying and the money spent associated with drying.  We all lead busy lives and realistically it is hard to always find time to do lots of washing.  In the winter drying is an issue meaning more energy is used to tumble dry the nappies or heaters need to be on to dry them.

But it doesn’t have to be one or the other; even using one reusable nappy in every four changes not only saves money but also helps parents cut carbon emissions by 10%.  Disposable nappies are convenient in a busy world but long term reusable’s can help save parents a lot of money and reduce environmental impact.

At Fuzzi we offer both options, disposable and reusable.  The disposable nappies we have in stock are made by Bambo which are more biodegradable than nappies such as Pampers and Huggies.  They are also chemical and chlorine free to ensure they do not irritate the skin on little bottoms.  The NCT website  has some positive reviews from mums and we have them in stock after they were recommended by a local mum.  Give them a go and let us know what you think.

We do not keep reusable nappies in stock as everyone has different needs and it can take time to decide what the best option is for you.  However we can easily source reusables for customers and currently have samples of the Totsbots range in the shop.  More information will be online soon however until then please feel free to pop in to the shop to discuss or give us a call or email.

Normally we would grab a Cadburys dairy milk but now we stock the fair trade Divine chocolate range which we honestly think is even yummier.  But some customers asked us to stock raw chocolate.

So what ..... → Read More: Raw Chocolate]]> Sometimes the only thing that will satisfy you is a nice piece of chocolate.  Well, that’s definitely the case for the people behind Fuzzi!

Normally we would grab a Cadburys dairy milk but now we stock the fair trade Divine chocolate range which we honestly think is even yummier.  But some customers asked us to stock raw chocolate.

So what is so different about RAW chocolate?  Well we already eat many raw foods such as fruit and vegetables, seeds and pulses which contain enzymes that aid digestion.  When made, raw chocolate is not heated to the high temperatures that traditional chocolate is; this means the naturally occurring antioxidants and minerals aren’t lost.  Raw foods also generally contain more nutrients than cooked foods.   Take a look at the Raw Chocolate Company and RAWR to read more about the benefits of eating raw chocolate.  This comparison table from RAWR gives a good summary of the differences between traditional chocolate and raw chocolate.

You may wonder what this type of chocolate tastes like?  Because they contain no refined sugars and no dairy they do taste very different to your everyday Galaxy or Dairy Milk.

At Fuzzi we have to taste test our stock to make sure it’s suitable for our customers consumption *cough cough*.  We currently have in stock some chocolate bars from the Raw Chocolate Company – raw chocolate with goji berries and orange and Vanoffe.   This chocolate is ethically sourced and certified Fairtrade.  The raw chocolate with goji berries and orange tastes a lot like very dark chocolate with a lovely natural orange flavouring.  There aren’t a lot of goji berries in the bar but they are tasty when they do appear!  We quite like this bar!

The Vanoffe bar on the other hand is quite different.  It is smoother and melts in the mouth more than the goji berry and orange bar.  There is quite a strong taste of vanilla and the carob (roasted and ground bean from the evergreen carob tree) and the lucuma (exotic fruit) give a different sweet taste compared to that from refined cane sugar.  We weren’t sure of this one at first but it’s grown on us.

We also stock raw chocolate goji berries and will soon be stocking Ombars from Mood Foods.

Here are some reviews we found from The Ecologist and Raw Foods Scotland we have found online.  There are also other companies that produce raw chocolate so have a look around and see what else is out there.

There is also a growing number of people looking at eating more raw foods in their diet, some people only eat raw foods.  This article from The Ecologist gives an insight into what a raw diet involves.

Ecologist magazine have just written a great piece about the Coffee industry which gives some insight into the questions facing an industry which is worth £730 ..... → Read More: Coffee]]> Loads of people drink it, and Fairtrade (and Organic) coffee is becoming increasingly popular as awareness of the impact of farming the wide-awake juice increases. But for the uninitiated, what is the big deal?

Ecologist magazine have just written a great piece about the Coffee industry which gives some insight into the questions facing an industry which is worth £730 million in the UK alone!

But Fairtrade isn’t always fair, as this piece from the Guardian highlights. Always worth reading the comments at the bottom too…

The author of that Guardian piece is Dan Welch, who is co-editor of Ethical Consumer magazine, another favourite of ours. They specialise in ethical ‘league tables’ for specific products or companies, and their article on Coffee Shops is here.

So, that’s the High Street covered – apart from Fuzzi of course, but then we’re not quite big enough to feature yet! Back home, if you love your coffee, but perhaps want to try something a little more sustainable than your current choice, then Ethical Consumer’s judgement on the producers is here… don’t forget to play with the sliders depending on your personal beliefs as to what is more important! Finally, you can head back to Ecologist magazine again for their Top 5 Fairtrade and Organic choices.

And of course, Fuzzi stock Equal Exchange and Percol coffee, and serve it in the shop, so you can always try before you buy!

You may have a brand of coffee which you love and find it hard to change – that’s understandable, given how much a part of our lives coffee has become. But if you care about some of the issues discussed above and are willing to give it a go, you might just find a more ethical choice which you like, and that gives you a Fuzzi feeling if you drink it?

Let us know what you think!

When was the last time you did something simply because someone told you to? I would assume it was probably when you were a child and it was your parents’ bidding? Either that or you’re under the thumb or you like TV evangelists, in which case you have my sympathy.

Not ..... → Read More: (Not the) Son of a Preacher Man]]> With apologies to Dusty Springfield. But not Bananarama.

When was the last time you did something simply because someone told you to? I would assume it was probably when you were a child and it was your parents’ bidding? Either that or you’re under the thumb or you like TV evangelists, in which case you have my sympathy.

Not my Dad.

So, assuming you’re one of the majority of adults who now do things because you want to and believe it is the right thing to do, not because you’re told to, why is it that some people and organisations think that they’ll win your support for their cause by telling you what to do?

One of the key beliefs we hold here at Fuzzi is that in order to promote the idea of sustainable living, we should not preach to customers. Customers must make up their own minds about using products that we stock, and buy them because they want to do so.

We find it a shame that many people and organisations, especially those in the field of environmentalism, preach to people that they must do x or y, or, potentially worse, guilt people into thinking that if they don’t do something, they are contributing to a specific negative outcome.

That only serves to push people further away in our experience, so they refuse to even discuss or engage in the subject.

We believe that discussion, education and understanding works far more effectively.

I didn’t used to recycle, I always drove everywhere and I didn’t care where my food came from. But I gradually took an interest in these things and as I learnt about them, I felt they might impact on my life, and the lives of my children.

Some of my closest friends and family don’t see things the same way I do. But I don’t tell them what to do, or that what they are doing is bad. I simply offer an explanation as to why I made the changes and why I feel it is important. If they understand my reasons, and hopefully agree, then they might choose to make a change themselves.

So, when you visit Fuzzi, no matter what your opinion on our products, or on the wider issues like climate change or peak oil, we look forward to simply talking to you about them and letting you make up your own mind.

If we can make suggestions for products you might like to try, or give you tips to help you live more sustainably then we would welcome that opportunity. But no matter what your opinion, we’ll respect it. We’ll give you ours on why we think sustainable living is important, but ultimately you will only buy something or do something if you want to.

Even if you don’t believe in the sustainable mantra that we promote, we believe that you’ll find our products attractive in their own right, and support us, our suppliers and the work that we do by buying from us. Come and have a look and make up your own mind!

For the record, we promise to never act like a bossy mother-in-law or invite you to ‘touch the screen and be healed!’… not even for the comedy value. And besides, my Dad was actually an engineer.

Andy

The Fuzzi website finally goes live, with barely a month until the shop opens. And on the same night we find out that the fantastic Rapanui website is also about to be relaunched. I’ll admit it, I’m slightly jealous. It’s bound to be rather gorgeous, along with all their organic clothes.

And ..... → Read More: T-shirt envy]]> I am sorry. I am only human!

The Fuzzi website finally goes live, with barely a month until the shop opens. And on the same night we find out that the fantastic Rapanui website is also about to be relaunched. I’ll admit it, I’m slightly jealous. It’s bound to be rather gorgeous, along with all their organic clothes.

And the award for 'Making Andy jealous', goes to...

Damn those brothers… talented, successful, good-looking too. Ugh. Makes me sick.

Then again, if it weren’t for the likes of them, Fuzzi would not have been inspired into reality. Their products, along with countless others from similarly ethically-minded designers, inventors, craftsmen and -women and entrepreneurs, are a core part of what Fuzzi will offer.  So, I guess I’ll let them off.

But seriously, it is exactly the success of brands like Rapanui which inspires us to bring Fuzzi to reality. High quality, affordable, yet sustainably produced goods are becoming increasingly popular as the public are made more aware of the impacts of less ethical products and production methods. We’re just taking it one step further.

Just take a look at Labour Behind The Label, and Rapanui’s own traceability page to understand a little more about why we think products like theirs are so important.

Hats off to you guys, we’ll be proud to stock your clothes.

If only you weren’t quite so damn good.

We will publish a wide array of information here and welcome your input too… we’ll scour the press and internet for things that we feel will be of interest, but if you come across something that you think is of value, then please ..... → Read More: Welcome to The Library]]> This will be an ever-expanding resource of information, articles, hints, tips and much more about sustainable living.

We will publish a wide array of information here and welcome your input too… we’ll scour the press and internet for things that we feel will be of interest, but if you come across something that you think is of value, then please let us know!

Thanks for visiting our new website which complements our new shop opening in Winchester in September.

We’ll try to keep you up-to-date with what we’re doing before we open, and then our thoughts on all things Fuzzi once we’re up and running.