Spring is upon us and it’s time to get rid of the bloat. Go on a diet. Cleanse ourselves of all that extra rubbish.

I’m not talking about food, of course! Food is something to be enjoyed in any season. I am talking about buying. We all do it: a busy day at the office leaves no time for a break and before we know it we’re online, looking at stuff we’d never normally buy just because it’s 70% off and BOOM! The ‘shopping cart’ is full and the credit card is charged.

Buy Nothing New Month challenges you to recycle, re-purpose and share your way through the entire month of October. My good friend Helen from Recycled Interiors inspired me to take part and how could I refuse? It’s such a fantastic idea. Not only does it encourage us to take stock of our ‘fast fashion’ addictions, which contribute to so much landfill every year, it also forces us to get a bit more creative with how we buy things and what we really need.

To get you all involved in this challenge, Helen and I have decided to collaborate on a fun competition that makes it easy for you to share your recycled or preloved shopping finds. We will give away a SURPRISE vintage or recycled gift at the end of each week during the month of October, which will be revealed when the winner is announced.

In the meantime, Helen and I will be on a serious op shop mission to find you some amazing mystery prizes.

To take part, here’s what you need to do:

1. Have a public instagram account (so we can see your photos!)

2. Post your favourite preloved or recycled item for the home

3. Include the hashtag #buynothingnewmonth and tag @von_haus and @recycled_interiors

That’s it! Easy right? Mystery prizes and winners will be revealed every Friday until 1st November.

Let the Challenge Begin!