A lifestyle blog
All things related to our home and garden are here. We are always making plans or talking about what we do next in the garden or around the house so those posts can be found here!
September has always felt like a quiet new beginning to me. It arrives without the fanfare of January, without fireworks or resolutions, and yet it carries its own kind of promise. The mornings turn crisper, evenings begin to draw in, and there is a subtle shift in the rhythm of the days that feels almost like an invitation to pause, breathe, and reset. For years, September was defined by the
These days, I only do the school run occasionally, when it’s my granddaughter’s turn to be chauffeured home to help out when her parents are tied up with work. Or it’s been a while since I saw her little face and I need my fix of a five year old for a few hours. It’s a far cry from my old routine of juggling three different schools at once (yes,
I’ve been sent a few knives over the years, but the Hatsukokoro Hayabusa Santoku from Cutting Edge Knives might just be the one that’s genuinely earned a permanent spot in our kitchen. When it arrived it was obviously pretty much straight away that this was a proper piece of Japanese craftsmanship. And hilariously, tucked in the box next to the knife was a blue plaster which made me properly laugh
Few dishes have a name as intriguing as funeral potatoes. This creamy, cheesy potato casserole has long been a staple of American comfort food, particularly in the western United States. Despite its somewhat sombre title, funeral potatoes are not exclusively reserved for sad occasions. They are equally popular at potlucks, family gatherings, and festive celebrations. I hadn’t heard about them until Mr B sent me a DM on instagram (he is
When I was ten we were skiing in St Anton and in a rare navigational snaffoo we ended up on a short black run. Having fallen over in a small dip I sat on my bottom crying, and steeling myself to walking uphill for the last bit. Dad skied down to meet me and immediately sat down in the snow. He opened his jacket, took out a
1.08am. Tick tock. Tick tock. A shout at 1am saying Dad’s breathing has changed sees me running down the landing of my parents house. By the time I get there a nano second later, his breathing is back to his new normal. I perch on the stool telling mum to get more sleep, I’ll carry on the watch so she can rest. Glad now I bought new pyjamas. Dad was given a terminal diagnosis
Let’s face it, the weather can’t make its mind up at the moment and making plans to do anything outside is problematic. We have had four seasons in the past three hours alone, from thunder so loud it shook the house to it now being so sunny that I am tempted to go and sit in the garden for half an hour. And I would if the cushions on the
I have heard “Did you just pay with your ring?” eleven times this week, and the answer every time has been “why yes I did just pay for that with my ring, It’s a Tapster payment ring, thank you for asking”. Which leads to the next question of “How?” Great question, thank you for asking it. I have been reading about payment rings and their ability to let you pay
We must be one of the only households to have not yet embraced the air fryer revolution because they just seemed like another way to cook oven chips. Then MJ’s Diner got in touch and asked if I would like to review their collection of Air Fryer Ready Meals and they would also provide me with an air fryer so I said “yes please”. There are currently 14 different meals
As it seems to never stop raining I am finding myself looking forward to a weekend afternoon on the sofa with a box set and a cuppa more and more. But what to watch? Here is a list of things I have either earmarked for the next couple of weeks, or recently enjoyed just in case you find yourself in need of some inspiration for bingeworthy TV this month Each
In a previous life I saw people moving into and out of houses every week so developed a solid set of tips and nuggets of information to pass on (make your bed the second you get in there, you will be shattered by 7pm and grateful that 10am you had the foresight to do it) and now my son has bought his first place so is about to move in.
Still stuck for a gift idea for Mother’s Day this year, well here is my Mother’s Day gift guide for 2024 with a few ideas that I hope might help. These items have been sent for inclusion in this post and passed on to a few people I thought could use a boost. First of all: The gift of books Who doesn’t love an afternoon curled up with a book?