A little help from our friends…

No matter how engrossed with the Christmas spirit you are during the silly season, by mid January, I’m guessing you’re more than happy to wait another nine months before you have to read, hear or say the words Festive Season. That said we’re going to talk about Christmas one last time… then we promise no more “Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland” till mid December... when a life size neon Santa flashes at you from your neighbours front yard.

Christmas is a time for gorging on a feast of figure threatening foods and then sleeping it off for a good 12 hours. It’s about late night shopping, tartan ribbons, carols, inflatable reindeers, candy canes and puddings. And, somewhere amongst all the money spending and gift requesting, Christmas is also about enjoying valuable time with the people we love. In these times, we are reminded that not everyone is as fortunate as us, and although we’d like to think we look out for people in need all year round, Christmas is a better time than any to consider those who wont be decorating a Christmas tree, inhaling gourmet treats and unwrapping the latest video game console.

You may remember the in-house designed Christmas cards that were available on our site for purchase, with all funds from card sales going directly to the Salvation Army. The generosity of all those who purchased a $2 Bear & Duck Christmas card has helped us sell over 200 cards, with all those funds going straight to the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal.

High fives all round!



If you would like to find out more about the Salvation Army and their various campaigns throughout Australia, visit their website: www.salvos.org.au/

What's going on...

Now that the work load is easing up and summer means we can brave the outdoors, it’s good to know what’s happening around the traps. We like to keep and eye on what’s hot and what’s not, and sharing what we stumble across with our mates.

So, if you’re a Melbournian with an appreciation for culture and a conscience for social concerns then the Human Rights Art and Film Festival is something not to be missed. The festival brings issues associated with human rights to the attention of Western communities through short films and artwork from around the globe. We’re a bit behind the eight ball in passing on information this month; (diverting all your attention to deciding if mum would like perfume or earrings for Christmas will do that to you) this festival ends on Saturday the 15th so check out the website quick smart. http://www.hraff.org.au/

How about revisiting a blast from the past? One of our Bear & Duck team mates recently got in touch with his inner child and visited the Dr Seuss art Display in Perth. He summed up the Dr Seuss experience with one succinct sentence. “The exhibition was fun, better than sitting in the sun, you should take you mum!” The art display is presented by Linton & Kay Fine Art Gallery at Dr Seuss Central on Hay Street (Opposite His Majesty’s Theatre).



The art work display is currently being exhibited and concludes on the 24th of December. We think it’s probably best viewed while eating green eggs and ham… but don’t forget to share! Damn, that didn’t rhyme.

Bear & Duck and Black Eyed Peas

Once again our products have reached superstar status. They’re almost becoming a little too cool for the packing room… well, now that both Fergie and Will.I.Am from The Black Eyed Peas have a pair of our Egyptian cotton pillow cases.

We learnt from an article on contactmusic.com that one of Will.I.Am’s must have items to help him sleep on tour is his favourite pillow. Thanks to our mates in high places, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a night’s (or day’s) sleep a whole lot better with a touch of Egyptian cotton.

So, now they have some quality Bear & Duck pillow cases in their travel bags!

Span-tastic!

While flicking through the Mx paper on the train ride home, I was a bit spun out to see a cat walk model sporting some spectacular spanner earrings. The caption below the image discussed the fashion shows intention to attract the interest of blokes. And what better way to get guys keen on high fashion than by throwing a spanner (or two) in the works!




Now, if you’ve been a Bear & Duck fan from way back you may recall we embarked on a similar male attention-grabbing journey last Valentines Day by teaming up our sheet sets with a free spanner (complete with signature purple bow). Who needs roses and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates? Well, most ladies do… But it seems a spanner is much better received by men than a cuddly bear the size of a small child.



Once again, Bear & Duck were ahead of the eight ball – spanners are so passé!

Let’s get organising – how to get the most out of your linen closet!

Do you have to try and avoid a linen avalanche every time you open your linen closet?
Whether you have a whole cupboard dedicated to your manchester or just a few shelves, it’s important to consider these smart storage solutions… courtesy of the Bear & Duck linen league.

No shelves? Make your own
If the setup in your cupboard is inflexible, customise some space with baskets, plastic bins or plastic-covered wire shelving.

Separate shelves for separate rooms
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a debilitating affliction, but nothing spells domestic law and order like meticulously-labeled shelf edges. If you’re storing a whole household of linen, keep separate shelves for bed linen, towels, napery and miscellaneous bulky house items, camping gear and winter clothes.

Keep sheet sets together
Sort sheets into sets (flat, fitted, pillow cases) if you launder and store them accordingly. Each set can be a separate stack.



Bulkiest items at the top
Extra pillows, quilts, woolen blankets and sleeping bags will take up the most room in your linen closet and you might only reach for them a couple of times a year. Move these items to the top shelf… out of sight out of mind?

Vacuum bags double your storage space
Vacuum bags reduce a guest room of soft furnishings down to a neat stack of packets in no time. Vacuum bags are perfect for pillows, quilts, and any winter clothes or ski gear that take up too much space in your wardrobe.

Extend some TLC to your VIP linen
Family heirlooms need to be treated with a little loving care. Antique lace needs to be professionally cleaned and stored in acid-free tissue paper to protect against discolouration. If you only break out your expensive napery for a couple of dinner parties each year, it’s important to make sure all items are spotless before they’re returned to the linen cupboard.

Laundry day...

Are you still pulling faded or streaky Egyptian cotton sheets off the line? Are your sheets not as good as they were when you first slept on them, even though you’ve only washed them once?

How irresponsible would we be if we provided you with the quality sheets but didn’t give you any quality tips on how to keep them looking and feeling their absolute finest?

Now, be sure to take notes… there will be a test on this later. Just kidding.



• First things first, before you do anything its worth knowing that it’s always an excellent idea to launder your sheets in a washing cycle by itself (launder – kinda sounds illegal, but we assure you this is all above board).

• If you have just purchased a new Bear & Duck sheet set, you might want to wash the set before using them. This is not imperative, although sometimes the fitted sheet does not fit as tightly over the mattress as some might prefer, so washing them to encourage a bit of shrinkage will ensure your sheet is wrapped around your mattress as snug as a bug… in a rug!

• Egyptian cotton is a natural fibre so washing your sheets in a hot temperature cycle can be devastating to the material and actually burn the fibre tips. It is wise to wash your sheets in cold or mildly warm water… but never hot, that’s a big no no.

• It’s recommended that you wash your sheets at least once a week or as often as you can (or be bothered). However with current water restrictions you can stretch your sheet set laundry day out to a few weeks.

• Show your sheets some lovin’ by ALWAYS using a Ph balanced laundry detergent. Try to avoid chlorinated bleach at all times, as chlorine is quite damaging to natural fibres. You may find that chlorinated bleach my damage the elasticity in your fitted sheet as well as the longevity, drape, gloss and sheen of your sheets. Non-chlorinated bleach is a safer option to use for fine linen and may be used occasionally if you absolutely must use it. However, your white or very pale coloured sheets, such as Bear & Duck sky blue sheets, should avoid coming into contact with these detergents at all costs.

Ok, there it is, sheet washing 101.

Important information... How to fold a fitted sheet

Ok, despite sharing our “how to fold a fitted sheet” secrets with you in a past newsletter, we’re still getting emails of distress asking us for tips on how to fold a fitted sheet.

Now, pay attention, we’re guarding these words of wisdom like it’s the recipe for coca-cola and putting them straight back into the Bear & Duck safe.

Folding a fitted sheet so it sits nice and flat has the same degree of difficulty as nailing an inward one-and-a-half somersault with two twists off a three-metre springboard…

However, with our instructions there is no longer any excuse for your fitted sheets to be rolled up in a crumpled ball at the back of the linen closet. Follow these easy steps and you’ll be thoroughly qualified to work with the rest of the packers in the Bear & Duck sheet-folding room. These instructions are for right handers so do the opposite if you’re left handed.

1. Hold the sheet inside out by two adjacent corners of one end. Position your hands inside each of the corners.



2. Envelope your left hand corner with your right hand corner. With your right hand, pick up the corner that is hanging down in front and fold it over the two corners in your left hand.



3. Pick up the last corner and fold it over the three corners. The sheet will now be right side out.



4. Lay the folded sheet on a flat surface so you can straighten it and tuck in the elastic as you go



5. Fold the sheet into a rectangle and then fold it up until it is the size you require.



6. You now have a perfectly folded fitted sheet. Well done!