The Viva Team’s February Wish List: What We Want To Buy, From Homeware To Hiking Essentials

These are the pieces the Viva team is coveting this month.

This month has been a busy one for the Viva team.

We soaked in the Brat summer stylings at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. We observed red carpet looks from awards season (the Grammy’s saw an excessive 1980s revival with dramatic beauty looks, while the Baftas showcased a whole lot of peacocking). We profiled influential creatives of Auckland Pride, who considered the redefining of its legacy, and highlighted noteworthy events for Pride Month celebrations. We considered the expansive delights offered by local, sustainably-focused fashion and pondered the best choices for a job interview. We looked forward to Māoriland Film Festival 2025, the world’s biggest indigenous cinema celebration. All of this work was fuelled by a tour of the buzziest cups of coffee in Tāmaki Makaurau (with a brief stop-off at a new, speakeasy-style wine bar).

Now, the team is looking to rest and refuel. This is evident in the items we’re coveting this February, from enveloping bath towels to escapist hiking gear. However, one Viva team member is finding relief in a punky album.

Castle bath towel, $99, from Small Acorns

Tired body, frazzled mind, once again this renter is dreaming of a house with a bath in which to take the physical and mental load off. Like generations of tenants before me, I’m funnelling my renovation aspirations into homewares purchases. In lieu of a tub, I’m finding ways to make my showers more luxurious. Starting with a plush new towel that cocoons like a hug and some hinoki incense, so my time in the tiles smells of citrus-tinged balsam wood a la a Japanese Bathhouse instead of Exit Mould. – Tyson Beckett

Ruby dress $289

Stanley classic food jar, $70, from Everyday Needs

This summer, after a sublime clamber to the peak of the Coromandel’s jagged Kauaeranga Kauri Trail, also known as the Pinnacles Walk, convinced me to make my first resolution in years. I swore that I would seek leafy surroundings on a more regular basis, touring my hiking boots through the environments they’re supposed to tread. To do this, I’ll need to stock up on some supplies. While I do need to nail down some bigger pieces (recommendations for hiking packs, rain jackets and polypros welcome), I am also looking for some creature comforts. I’ll start with a campsite-convenient container, which could double as an everyday lunchbox. During our stay at the hut, we made do with clean ice cream containers, but I predict needing something sturdier for future hikes. This Stanley food jar will do. It’s insulated, promising to preserve temperatures for up to seven hours, and comes with a spork. Bring on Pirongia Forest Park! – Madeleine Crutchley

In the Garden: Essays on Nature and Growing $25 and Salvador by Joan Didion $25, from Lamplight Books

I recently added these two books to my bedside stack. In the Garden: Essays on Nature and Growing appeals to my green thumb, with a diverse range of voices offering their perspectives on their love of gardens and gardening. From urban community gardens to the power of herbs (and why there is no such thing as a weed), I’m looking forward to sinking into this in between sharpening my secateurs. The other book I’ve purchased is Joan Didion’s observation of El Salvador’s 1982 civil war. It offers some context with what’s going on right now in the US, with Joan looking at the evasions of US foreign policy. – Dan Ahwa

Cartoon Darkness cassette, $23

Befitting the title of this series, I have a crush on Amy Taylor, the enigmatic Energizer Bunny of a frontwoman for Australian punk band Amyl and The Sniffers. I saw them last weekend at The Powerstation, leaving with the cassette tape of their brilliant album Cartoon Darkness. Remember how back in 2022 I wanted a walkman? I got one – finally – for Christmas last year. This tape went straight in it, and it’s all I’ve listened to since. (Sign of the times.) – Emma Gleason

Also, watermelon

I’m having a renewed love affair with watermelon after scoring a whole one from Fruit World for $10. Too often watermelon is bland and watery but this one was sweet, juicy and perfectly crisp. I like mine well-chilled, sliced into generous wedges and eaten over the deck railing, ideally with a sea breeze in the background and the sun on my face. I encourage you to purchase one while the eating is good, and if you have leftovers, consider turning them into the best summer drink ever: a vodka watermelon slushie, which sees watermelon, vodka, fresh lime and sugar syrup blended until smooth and poured over a rocks glass. There’s a reason sweet watermelon is often paired with salty cheese, and this watermelon and goat’s cheese salad is a great example, or try something unexpected with this barbecue watermelon with jalapeno marinade. However you enjoy it, this is summer in a bite. – Johanna Thornton

More Viva team picks

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