10 WAYS TO MAKE LIFE LOVELY
Fashion, wellbeing, eco, pets, travel and other nice things
Happy thoughts and ideas for fashion, eco, travel and more
Prepare the perfect pud
Mixing bowls at the ready, 22nd November is Stir-up Sunday – traditionally the day to make your Christmas pudding. We love the rituals associated with this festive custom…
• USE 13 INGREDIENTS to make your pudding. A tradition stemming from when people added these to represent Jesus and his disciples.
• STIR THE MIXTURE with a wooden spoon from East to West, in honour of the three Wise Men and their journey to visit the baby Jesus.
• MAKE A WISH. Each member of the family would take it in turns to do this as the pudding mix was stirred.
• ADD A CHARM.
A variety of little keepsakes would be added to the pudding mix for people to find in their servings: a silver sixpence for wealth, a wishbone for luck, a thimble for thrift and a ring for marriage.
• USE A SPRIG OF HOLLY TO DECORATE THE PUDDING. The evergreen was considered to have healing powers and to bring good health.
STAY SNUG
Love an open fire but not the draughts? Stay warm this winter with a Chimney Sheep, an eco-friendly chimney insulation device. Sustainable, energy-saving and made from 100% natural sheep’s wool, it sits neatly inside the flue to prevent cold air from coming in and warm air from going out. Comes in a range of shapes and sizes, prices start from £16, chimney sheep.co.uk.
LOVE A TWIST ON TRADITIONAL TWEED
Our favourite heritage cloth (worn for centuries) gets a makeover for the new season with stylish cuts, designs and colours. We love the look of this skater-style skirt – team with cosy cashmere knitted tights for extra warmth.
Reward your Canine with a Cookie
Luxury biscuit boutique Biscuiteers has teamed up with Dogs Trust to create a collection of bone-shaped dog treats. Packaged in a cute hand-illustrated tin, they cost £6.95, with £1 of each sale going to the pet charity — perfect for obedient pups!
Create a home library
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, publisher Everyman’s Library has teamed up with Heal’s to explore what a library means in the 21st century and how to create your own…
DECIDE ON A ROOM,
BUT AVOID KITCHENS OR BATHROOMS – books don’t like damp conditions.
OPT FOR FLEXIBLE STORAGE with adjustable shelf height or space to add further shelves.
CHOOSE STORIES TO MARK
SPECIAL TIMES: a children’s classic, holiday musthaves or reminders of friends and family.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR COLLECTION by keeping it out of direct sunlight and limiting artificial light, so pages don’t get too dry or covers fade.
CREATE A READING NOOK. A peaceful spot with natural light is the ideal place to sit and lose yourself in a novel.
For more bookish top tips, download
Creating a Library for the Modern Home at everymanslibrary.co.uk.
Bathe beautifully
• A rich, fruity blend of fig and cassis; made by hand using only the purest ingredients and essential oils, before being individually wrapped.
Fig & Cassis soap, £4 for 80g, Cole & Co.
• Made from shea butter and essential oils with the scent of wild Genovese figs to leave your skin feeling nourished and smelling divine. Fig soap, £8 for 200g, Plum & Ashby.
• This 100% organic bar is gently scented with a warming mix of spices and citrus zest with decorative swirls of ground cinnamon. Winter Edition Seasonal Bar, £8 for 115g, Savon Stories.
Flower power
Fancy yourself as a florist? Jane Packer’s Flower Course (£16.99, Ryland Peters & Small) covers the same ground as the celebrated florist’s highly regarded Career Course.
Follow the clear step-by-step instructions for producing your own blooming bouquets and stunning wedding centrepieces.
WATCH OUT FOR WITCHES
Legend holds that wicked witches walk among us on Halloween. Once, people would light hilltop bonfires to drive them away from their villages. Today, a lit fire is still thought to keep them at bay – just don’t let the flames go out until midnight!
Buy British COLE & SON
In 1873, John Perry, the son of a Cambridgeshire vicar, and John Hanson, a wallpaper designer, produced a pattern book containing just eight designs. These formed the basis for Cole & Son, one of the last hand-block wallpaper printers remaining today. The company’s archive consists of over 2,000 block-print and screen-print designs, as well as original drawings representing styles from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. New collections pay homage to this magnificent history, with designs carefully selected, adapted then printed using hand-carved wooden printing blocks by a team of skilled craftsmen. We love Fonteyn from the latest Mariinsky Damask collection, inspired by the elegance and drama of theatres around the world. All £85 per 10m roll. For details, visit cole-and-son.com.