Nice Things we loved so much, we paid full price 💸

What we bought in March

Our Nice Things recommendations don’t come lightly. These are the products we believe in enough to buy with our own money. Unlock the list by upgrading to a paid subscription for $7/month or $75/year. 100% of the funds go towards commissioning creatives to contribute to our work and secure Ensemble’s future - we promise the money doesn’t go towards buying nice things!

It’s that time of the month, where we look back on our bank statements and share what we spent our hard-earned cash on.

It was a hearty month of eating for Rebecca, who spent up large on locally made food, drink and goods on her first ever visit to the Hawke’s Bay, while Zoe kept her purchases on the practical side (but still made time for a new whimsical hair accessory).

As always, it is a strictly #gifted free zone – we bought everything ourselves and genuinely think you might like them too.

Hastings Distillers The Count Negroni, $75, and L'Opera, $55

Longtime readers of this column will know how obsessed I am with a fancy gin, and particularly those from Hastings Distillers. So it was an absolute dream to meet owners Kate and David IRL when I spent a weekend in the Hawke's Bay, hosted as part of the annual Food & Wine Classic — and even more incredible to do a gin tasting at their intimate bar space and tasting room in Hastings. The care, thought and craft that goes into all their products is incredible, down to the fact they grow many of their botanicals themselves (gotta love that Hawke's Bay climate).

I am very proud that I managed to walk away with only two bottles, and strangely neither of them gin. The negroni consists of their own gin, vermouth (the couple are former winemakers) and the L'Opera which serves as a locally grown campari. I adore the L'Opera served with grapefruit soda. I was honestly like a kid in a candy store. – Rebecca Wadey

Journal Junkies A2 rainbow wall planner, $45

Yes, I bought a 2025 planner in March. My husband Dan is leaving Viva/the Herald very soon and will be working from home, meaning ‘my office’ will become ‘our office’. We’ve also got a very busy next few months, so this was an attempt to bring some structure to said office and home life. I am old so do like having something IRL to look at, on top of my iCal. And this simple, unbranded planner had pretty colours. – Zoe Walker Ahwa

Olive oil pourer, $35, from Mahora pottery at the Hawke's Bay Farmers’ Market

I've long wanted one of these but have been too lazy to make it happen. We buy our olive oil in giant flagons from Costco, so some kind of elegant pourer is essential in making sure we don't accidentally pour litres of it into our cooking, or all over the kitchen floor. I had the absolute privilege of walking around the Hawke's Bay Farmers’ Market with Kiwi food icon Julie Le Clerc, who got a bowl from Mahora while I was queuing for cheese. When I saw it, I asked her to take me straight to the stall where I promptly purchased this beauty. – RW

Caitlin Snell silk scrunchie with detachable bow, $45

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This might shock some longtime Ensemble fans, but I actually wear more scrunchies than hair bows. So I was happy to see Ensemble fave Caitlin Snell making these, with detachable bows, to satiate all my twee hair accessory needs. I got the red one because, Heathers. Also really love Caitlin’s flower hair clips! – ZWA

Mijita chilli sauce, $12

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On my first night in Hawke’s Bay, I dined alone at Colombian restaurant Mijita in Havelock North where I ate whatever the friendly wait staff chose for me and it was delicious. As I was paying, I noticed they make and sell their chilli sauce so I had to go back the next day to buy a bottle (along with too many mezcal margaritas!). – RW

BePure Iron tablets, $35

I've struggled with low iron since childhood, always on and off with supplements. But at 40, I’m finally doing better, and so are my iron levels thanks to these. A trusted holistic practitioner recommended them, as they’re gentler on your tummy and don’t make you constipated like some other iron tablets (yay). I do wish BePure offered it in a bigger bottle, like they do their other supplements, as it feels like I’m constantly restocking, and they’re not cheap… — ZWA

Assorted cheese from Hōhepa

Okay, another purchase from the farmers’ market, but this one you can also buy at retailers around the motu. I was mesmerised by the story of Hōhepa farms, who pride themselves on their happy cows. These cheerful bovine not only have 23 varieties of grass to chew on, they also have lots of chats and company from people with a wide range of learning abilities. It's a brilliant business and one I was thrilled to support, stuffing my carry-on luggage full of blue cheese, cumin and haloumi. Yum. – RW

Duralex 500ml glasses, $17 each, from Father Rabbit

I bloody love these big, sturdy, classic glasses. They’re perfect for smoothies, and I like having a huge glass of water next to me on my desk so I drink more throughout the day. – ZWA

Fezolinetant, $235 for a month's supply

A cripplingly expensive non-hormonal treatment for menopause isn't exactly a 'nice thing'. But it DID take up a huge chunk of my non-existent income this month, and the good news is it's made my hot flushes more bearable, improving my quality of life over these sticky autumnal days significantly. Yay science! Boo funding decisions. The irony is that this is not funded for me to take, whereas HRT is. As someone with a history of breast cancer, I am not recommended for HRT; if I took it and my cancer recurred, I would cost a whole lot more to the system... – RW