No matter how cold it gets, nature is still amazing!
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Recipe: Hanne Risgaard's sourdough bread
Amazing bread and pastry recipes for keen home bakers and new starters alike! Find out how to get a discount on the Danish master baker's inspiring new book – and check out a sample recipe for Classic Sourdough...
Read MoreShop Love: Veg box schemes – local, green, organic, tastier & cheaper than the supermarket
Give your cooking and tastebuds a seasonal makeover by signing up to your local vegetable box scheme – here's a rundown of how to find them in your area and some inspiration for head and heart!
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5 ways to keep your feet warm
5 ways to keep your feet warm
Ward off chilblains and irritability with our five ways to keep your plates of meat warm.
1. CARDBOARD BOX When seated, rest your feet inside a newspaper-lined box. Ideal for homeworkers rationing their radiator use. Pros: Cheap, simple. Cons: Tragic-looking.
2. MICROWAVEABLE SLIPPERS These exist! A foot-shaped version of a wheat bag, they stay warm for hours, and are paradise for the poor of circulation. Pros: Immediate, failsafe. Cons: Impossible to walk in.
3. FOOT EXERCISES Boing up and down on your tiptoes, flex your feet, point your toes, and so on until sensation returns. Pros: Healthy, free. Cons: Tiring, takes ages.
4. MULTIPLE SOCKS Wear all your Christmas socks at once, in order of thickness. Pros: Easy, cost-free. Cons: Sweaty, fiddly.
5. DEEP HEAT Apply a mentholated topical treatment for instant unclenching. Pros: Fast, low-cost. Cons: You’ll smell of rugby and groin strain.
Winter activities: A Welsh beachcombing adventure...
Our Blowy Walks on Winter Beaches feature in Issue 6 gives you lots of ideas about what to look for by the surf, even in the coldest weather – take a sneaky peek at it here, and enjoy this special photo story from our friend Lizzie Spikes...
Read MoreArt from the sea: a Q&A with Lizzie of Driftwood Designs...
The art of Lizzie Spikes is inspired by the coast near her home in Ceredigion, Wales and uses the flotsam and jetsam that the sea rejects – you can almost smell the tang of the sand-filled air!
Read MoreTwo Thirsty Gardeners: Roots manoeuvres – five ways with parsnips plus growing tips...
Growing, cooking and even brewing tips for your surplus vegetables – not to mention Sunday lunch "parsnip roulette"! – from our regular guest bloggers, Nick and Rich.
Read MoreThe Simple Things Issue 6 is here, full of inspiration and ideas!
The February edition is now out, featuring a whole heap of amazing recipes, interiors, ideas for sharing quality time with friends, craft projects, enjoying the wildlife and seashores of Britain, and romantic Valentine ideas...
Read MoreWordless Wednesdays: A different kind of snow...
Time to think about escaping! How about Springtime in the Vaudoise Alps, Switzerland?
Read MoreSmartphone love: How to take fab photos with your pocket pal...
The National Trust's prestigious Your Space photo competition was won by a picture taken with a smartphone, which we found inspiring! So we asked our friend Paul, who's a keen smartphone snapper, for some tips on how to use your pocket pal in a really creative way...
Read MoreShop Love: The Denim Doctor – think thrifty! Repair your fave jeans, don't throw them away...
How a bespoke family tailor's love of jeans led him to launch a really green business that uses his traditional skills to make countless folks around the world very, very happy!
Read MoreLive Urban Love Rural: Columbia Road Flower Market – an oasis in East London...
"The sky is low and hazy" so our latest guest blogger, Rachel Bull, decides to bring some fresh hues into her terraced house with an evocative visit to an East London landmark...
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Hot chocolate with pink peppercorns
When you've been playing in the snow, this pizzazz-filled, flavour-packed recipe from our friend Kay is a total treat!
Read MoreBest of British: Aero Leather Clothing – hand-crafted jackets to last a lifetime, or even longer...
The likes of Johnny Depp, Daniel Craig, Dave Grohl, George Clooney and Hugh Laurie love their Aero jackets, and the Scottish family firm are doing their best to train a new generation in the traditional skills needed to make what are probably the world's finest leathers...
Read MoreTwo Thirsty Gardeners: On your marks, get set… sow!
January is the perfect time for sowing leek and onion seeds indoors, say our regular green-fingered experts – read on for top tips on germination and acclimatising your seedlings before planting out...
Read MoreMaking pasta: "Well worth it," says our friend Ian! Find out how to make your own in Issue 5...
Handy pasta-making hints and mouth-watering pictures from Ian Robson, in response to the Lunch With Friends feature in our current Issue – get inspired!
Read MoreWordless Wednesdays: Outside...
Courtesy of Kate Miss @ For Me For You.com
Read MoreWinter Activities: Snow time! Top skiing tips for piste or park...
With snowfall predicted for the UK this week, our friend Sian imparts her top tips for fun on the slopes, whether you're talking Europe or your local park...
Read MoreSeasonal super food: kale
January is the golden month for kale, an iron-rich super food which is versatile and full of flavour. It has been hailed 'queen of the greens' as its high in fibre, low in calorie, and filled with powerful antioxidants.
Read More5 things for the weekend: wood
We've put together five simple DIYs for you to try over the weekend, using one of our favourite materials: wood.
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