Christmas Tree Scones + A Merry Christmas

Themed scones are one of my signature bakes and recently I made Christmas tree scones. I like using cookie cutters to make different shapes, on this occasion they seemed a little more festive as Christmas trees. Scones are pretty easy to create, and there are many recipes out there. I used a recipe from a baking book called cookies and cakes for beginners. I added sultanas to the mixture, for a little extra sweetness. On another note, I just wanted to take a minute to wish my readers a lovely Christmas. Hope to connect with you in the new year, write to me in the comments any time.

Let me know if you have been baking. 

Do you have a recipe you keep coming back to? :-) Xx

Green Christmas Ideas + A Book Review

 

I’ve been reading a really interesting book called The Christmas book by Sheherazade Goldsmith. I was impressed with the authors ideas, and would recommend the book to those who would like a simpler, greener Christmas. Being more eco-friendly was at the heart of the book. The pages are beautifully presented and I came away with some valuable inspiration.

I jotted down some of my favourite ideas that I would like to try for myself:

Plant A Winter Garden. 

“Scented plants, and scrubs with richly coloured berries and leaves keep 

a garden looking interesting during the long winter months.”

I liked this idea because it’s outdoors, and just shows you can garden any time of the year!

Gift Plant Cuttings.

“Cuttings taken from your favourite plants and potted up as

 gifts in decorated pots will always be appreciated.”

I would be really pleased to receive this as a gift, and it’s one of the best eco-friendly options.

Make Pot Pourri.

“Delicately scented rooms are somehow more inviting, and the 

subtly uplifting aroma of a pot pourri will make the home seem cosier.”

I’ve never made pot pourri but I would love to try.

Make Edible Bird Decorations. 

“A garden full of wildlife is always uplifting sight on a winter’s day.”

I love this idea and would get enjoyment from seeing the birds.

Make Natural Christmas Cards.

The author gives some examples of cards you can make using natural materials. She uses cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, etc. It’s possible to make really effective designs relatively easily. I already make cards, using mostly recycled or gifted materials but I have found some new ideas here. If you are all set for cards now, you could make something similar in the form of gift tags.

This is one of the best eco-friendly related Christmas books I have come across, as it’s a comprehensive guide, focusing on activities, making things for yourself, and getting outdoors.

I had a go at making my own Christmas crackers, as I wanted to cut down on excess packaging and plastic. These ones were very simple to make, I used toilet rolls, recyclable paper, left-over ribbon, and a few stickers. Inside each I included a riddle and a Christmassy question.

Let me know if you are opting for a greener Christmas. 

I would love to hear if you have any ideas or traditions.

These are a few of my favourite things #13

 

Books:

A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement 

and a Vision for the Future by David Attenborough

I really enjoyed this book. It had a nice balance of the nitty-gritty and a vision for a more hopeful future on planet earth. As an autobiography I found his experiences really interesting. In his words for the future there were some significant concepts I hadn’t heard a lot about such as demographic transition, marine protected areas, ocean forestry as well as some other terms.

I would say this book is a starting point and it’s good to read up on climate change from all angles. The book was very accessible which is great because I think people will be more likely to read it. David Attenborough’s narration was a treat and listened along to it while reading the book. I found it easy to digest.

Create Your Own Calm by Becky Goddard-Hill

This is a children’s self-help book, giving tips and advice to manage stress or down thoughts. I felt this would be a manageable read for seven years or above. Reading it as an adult, I still gained some insights. Words such as cognitive distortions, emotional ‘anchors’ and feeling ‘hangry’.

I consider children’s self-help books to be still quite niche. I can’t remember coming across a book like this before. I would imagine it triggers some interesting talking points. The writing was straightforward and kind. I also liked the way it was set out.

Gizzi's Season's Eatings: Feasts & Celebrations from 

Halloween to Happy New Year by Gizzi Erskine

This is a recipe book for the A/W months and the gear up to Christmas. It’s beautifully presented, including lots of aesthetically pleasing photos. I did gain some inspiration but I don’t think I’m the target audience. I can see the appeal, although I think my Christmas would look very different to the authors. It would make an appealing coffee table book.

My favourite recipes included curried eggs, clementine and ginger trifle, and the French dip Christmas left over sandwich. I liked the advice sections covering things like how to set a table, how to organize a fireworks night and when to prepare food for the festive season. I would recommend this book to 20-30 year olds who adore going all out with Christmas, or anyone with an eye for food photography.

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

This book asks some really big questions about us, the cosmos, and life itself. It’s a science book that is accessible for children or adults. Some of the remarkable things I learnt include how space curves in a way which allows it to have no actual edge or boundary, but at the same time allows it to be finite.

Mind-bendingly, according to some scientists we may be only one of millions of advanced civilizations. I enjoyed revising my knowledge of atoms and some of Einstein’s famous ideas. I couldn’t recommend this book enough as it certainly piqued my interest. It’s one of those topics that fascinates me.

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber

The premise of this was really fun. Cassie wants to find a perfect match for the holidays. She hires Simon, professional matchmaker to find her ideal partner. The Christmas tasks that she had to do made the book for me, for example being a charity bell ringer, being Santa’s elf, and hosting a Christmas meal. 

The side-characters are well written and the humour was lovely throughout. I read the book in two days; I glided through it. If you are after something Christmassy, I would recommend this. The story was perfectly festive and cheesy, pure escapism.

TV:

An Audience with Adele on ITV

There’s been a big buzz around Adele lately. I’d been mostly watching video clips on YouTube and listening to her new album on Spotify but my Dad mentioned a TV programme called An Audience with Adele and I thought I would give it a go.

Adele performs songs from her new album, along with some old favourites. In the audience, there were a mixture of celebrities and fans. The music paused occasionally for the audience to ask questions, and for Adele to chat. My favourite songs are hold on and easy on me, and they were performed beautifully live.

Podcast:

Living Smart Podcast

I’d been trying to find some engaging environmental podcasts to listen to and stumbled across this one. It’s based in Australia covering topics such as getting creative with rubbish, solar panels, circular economies, sustainable neighbourhoods, and much more. Most of the podcasts are around 20 minutes long, so pretty bitesize. It’s run by an Australian city council, and I’ve been enjoying making my way through the episodes.

Beauty:

The Body Shop Black Musk Fragrance Mist

I asked my local body shop representative for a Christmassy fragrance recommendation and she mentioned this one. The scent is perfect for winter, the mist lasts a long time after spraying and I would recommend it to others. This product is vegan, has the cruelty-free leaping bunny logo, has 95% ingredients of natural origin and the packaging is recyclable. 

Top notes: Pear, pink pepper and bergamot.

Mid notes: Liquorice root 

Base notes: Black vanilla and black musk. 

Do you have any christmassy book recs for me?

Did you catch An Audience with Adele on TV too? :-) Xx

These are a few of my favourite things #12

 

Books:

Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese concept that is very difficult to define. Beth does a great job of teaching her readers about what is means, including philosophical ideas about life and imperfection. She breaks down her thoughts and experiences into chapters such as living with nature, acceptance and letting go, cherishing the moments and more. 

Her beautiful journal describes the customs of Japan and she includes advice to live a perfectly imperfect life. I found many of her ideas very moving and the authors experiences of Japan jumped off the page. If you are looking to tune back into yourself, and simplify while learning what’s important, I would recommend this book. A truly sensational read.

Cinnamon Spice & Warm Apple Pie: Comforting Baked 

Fruit Desserts for Chilly Days by Ryland Peters Small

This is a baking book covering autumnal bakes and desserts. Examples include crumbles, cobblers, puddings, pies, etc. The recipes looked really promising and I’m now buzzing to make a crumble or pie. The pear and chocolate crumble looked amazing in particular.

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

Thoroughly enjoyed this and it was something a little different for me. Sylvie and Dan are working on their marriage, they have two beautiful girls but need something to respark the magic between them. I really warmed to the characters and humour.

100 Top Games Apps Made Easy by Julian Richards

I picked this up to get some ideas on what games I could play on my phone (or a tablet). The book had a range to suit different preferences such as arcade, adventure, puzzles, trivia, etc.

Each page was laid out well and included all sorts of relevant and helpful information. I mostly looked at the free games, and there was a good number of options.

The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle by Alison Inches

This is an excellent children’s picture book, educating its readers about recycling in a fun and engaging way. The story is told like a diary from the point of view of a character going through different stages of plastic, starting as crude oil and ending up as a recycled plastic.

Of course, we can’t rely on recycling. Planet earth is running out of resources but I learnt some new terms such as polymerization which is the change that happens to crude oil when it’s being made into plastic. I liked the authors perspective and can see children learning a lot. I think it’s important to look at problems from all angles so read other books too!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle by Rebecca Rissman

This wonderful book puts a positive spin on how waste is affecting our planet. There are lots of interesting ideas and stories of people making an impact. Some of my favourite ideas include giving employers their own mini bin to make their consumption of waste more apparent. 

Encouraging paperless schools, using tablets instead. Educating people about reusables as well as upcycling. This book was great and I would recommend it to those interested in making a difference. The pages were set out nicely, making it pleasing to read.

The House at Pooh Corner by A.A.Milne

This is the second book in a series. The story of Pooh and his friends is a so quaint and adorable. It was first written in the 1920’s and you could feel while reading that it’s a classic that has stood the test of time. I found myself laughing at the characters humorous moments.

Lifestyle/Miscellaneous:

Non-Fiction November on YouTube

I’ve been really into following some book youtubers who are taking part in non-fiction November. If you don’t know what this is, it’s a month of reading more non-fiction throughout the month. It’s like a book club, with prompts, and many book enthusiasts have been sharing their reading. Type it into YouTube to see for yourself.

Autumn Photography

This autumn I’ve been particularly prolific with my photography, capturing some autumnal scenes. Click here to view one of my photo diaries. I might make a part two.

Which of these books did you find most interesting?

Have you been following non-fiction November too? :-) Xx

Jigsaw Log #8

 

Welcome to a new jigsaw log. I’ve been working on this jigsaw for a while now, and I completed it earlier this week. The image features Positano, Italy, famous for its iconic views. I originally bought this puzzle with my Grandma, she seemed to think it would be a good one to do, with its varied colour and detail.

My Mum and Gran completed it before me, but I decided to come back to it, after their positive review of it. Compared to other 500 piece puzzles, the difficulty level was fairly easy and I felt the jigsaw pieces were well made. The brand is Trefl and we bought it from The Works.

Here are some tips if you are interested in jigsaws:

1.) When choosing a jigsaw, go for colours and designs that appeal to your personal taste, this will add to your enjoyment.

2.) Start easy and work your way up. 500 pieces or less are a good starting point.

3.) Have something to listen to in the background, such as music, a podcast or audiobook.

Do you have any jigsaw recommendations or tips?
Also, do you listen to anything while you are jigsawing? :-) Xx

Autumn Walk Photo Diary

I recently went on a walk with my camera and found some interesting things to photograph. I love this time of year when the leaves fall, and the beautiful colours. The light can be worth noting too. Let me know if you enjoyed my photos, and leave a link if you have done a photo diary recently.

Thanks for stopping by. :-) Xx

Stationery Update - 2022

 

Floral 2022 Diary

This diary is A5 with a floral background and rose gold type on the front. 

It’s a page a day making it perfect to write lots of notes. It’s part of The Works range.

Mindfulness 2022 Calendar

This calendar appealed to me because of the mindfulness quotes on each month. 

It’s something a bit different for me. Again, it can be found at The Works.

Bird Design Notebooks

I loved the stunning nature illustrations on the front of these, making them perfect for autumn. They feature birds and plants on the design mostly. I bought a small yellow design with lined pages as well as a bigger blue one with plain pages. They are by a brand called Roger La Borde.

Bird Design Gift Wrap

The gift wrap was my Mums idea, she said I could use it as 

a backdrop for my blog photography. I love the colours.

Are you interested in stationery too? 

Do you keep a yearly diary or calendar? :-) Xx

Tips for buying secondhand books on eBay

 

1.) Book sellers will mention the condition of the book. Have a think about how important this is to                        you. I mostly buy in ‘very good’ condition, but you may feel ‘good’ condition is okay is you                            are only reading a book once.

2.) Have a think about how many times the book might be read. You may feel like paying more or less                  depending on this.

3.) Be aware some sellers do offers if you buy more than one book together.

4.) If you want to cut down on packaging, you could purchase a number of books in bulk.

5.) Check before you buy that your library doesn’t have a copy of the title.

6.) Be patient when searching for a particular title, sometimes it’s a bit of pot luck if a book is a little                    less well known.

7.) Have an idea of the kind of reading experience you are after. Do you read lots of short books which

          are cheaply available or savour more special reads?

8.) Creating a wish list can be fun and there are a few platforms this can be done on.

9.) This might seem an obvious one but be sure to check out reviews of books you are interested in. I                    look for key words or thoughts that spark my interest.

10.) If you are a keen reader, have a seasonal or monthly budget and keep to it. If you run out of budget,

          try other ideas like using the library, reading/rereading books you already own.

Thank you for reading. 

Let me know in the comments your ideas or 

which of my tips was your favourite! :-) Xx

Kindle Book Recs - Self-Help, Minimalism & Green Living

 

I use my kindle quite a lot, and I’m always looking for new titles to read. My favourite themes are minimalism, self-help and green living but I sometimes branch out into other topics. 

I tend to support less well-known authors, and go for kindle books priced around £2.00 with a relatively short number of pages, for example 100 pages. It’s nice to have a selection of these type of books as they are great palette cleansers for more substantial reads.

I have picked out some of my very best favourites from the last year or so. I would recommend all of these and each have a reasonable price point. Feel free to do further research into them on Amazon. Some of these have pretty front covers too.

Minimalism Kindle Book Recs

Mini-missions for Simplicity: small actions for massive change by Courtney Carver

Simple Ways to be More with Less by Courtney Carver

The Minimalist Budget: A Practical Guide on How to Save Money, 

Spend Less and Live More by Simeon Lindstrom

All You Need is Less: Minimalist Living for Maximum Happiness by Vicki Vrint

Self-Help Kindle Book Recs

The Thriving Introvert: Embrace the Gift of Introversion and Live the 

Life You Were Meant to Live by Thibaut Meurisse

Introvert: A Scientific Explanation and Guide to an Introvert's Mind by Madge Falco

The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy by Jennifer McCartney

Be Free, Live Creatively: Tap Into Your Creative Skill and Live the Life You Want! by Srebrenica Lejla

How to Live Well: Simple and practical inspiration to enjoy your everyday life by Fiona Ferris

OFF. Your Digital Detox for a Better Life by Tanya Goodin

Find Your Passion and Live a Life you Love by Emma Jones

Green Living Kindle Book Recs

Save the World: There is No Planet B: Things You Can Do 

Right Now to Save Our Planet by Louise Bradford

The Little Book of Going Green: An Introduction to Climate Change 

and How We Can Reduce Our Carbon Footprint by Harriet Dyer

Say No to Waste: 101 Easy Ways to Create Less Waste by Harriet Dyer

SOS: What you can do to reduce climate change – simple actions that make a difference by Seth Wynes

In the Jumble: The joys of finding, buying and wearing second hand clothes by Victoria Lochhead

Thrifty and Thriving: 10 Simple Ways to Put Money Back In Your Pocket Today by Jennie Lodien

Do you use a kindle device? Which of these titles 

have you read or would like to read? :-) Xx