Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i In The Moment

Download your free papers Recently, in conversation with a group of lovely women who I don’t know very well (our shared bond being waiting for our children to finish various sporting activities) but with whom I look forward to chatting each week, the topic turned to hormones. As we each shared our monthly ups, downs and sometimes very downs, we were surprised to learn how similar our experiences were. We shared stories; we shared advice. We felt comforted to know that we were not alone. Afterwards, it struck me how crazy it is that we don’t have these conversations more often. And while I’d always thought I’d listened to and looked after my body, there was so much more about our hormonal phases to know. In our hormonal health special…

Jana set up The 888 Collective in 2017, after experiencing difficulties with her own mental wellbeing. “I wasn’t diagnosed with bipolar disorder until I was 33, but looking back at my CV you can literally see it in there,” she explains. “I’d worked in live television and fashion publishing, as a presenter, an actress. At one point I was doing stand up. I never really understood myself or where I belonged.” After her diagnosis, recovery began. “As I started to get better, I wanted to find a job again, but I became very anxious. ‘Could I still work? What could I do? Who would hire me? Would I become ill again?’ It was an endless stream of worry,” she remembers. “A friend of mine could see that I needed help,…

THE CALMING BREATH In this exercise, we are using the mouth to exhale so we can lengthen the out breath as much as possible. We are aiming for a ‘tummy breath’, rather than chest breathing, to encourage relaxation and calm. It’s important to remember that this is not about forcing the breath to change, but instead about getting to know your breath through the practice, and trusting that it will naturally change over time. Take a normal and deep breath in through the nose and then exhale out through the mouth. Repeat several times. Now, count the length of your in-breath and breathe out to twice the length. A good place to start is breathing in for three counts and out for six, or, if you are an experienced deep…

Angelique Panagos Angelique Panagos is a speaker, writer, total foodie and health crusader who specialises in hormonal health. She struggled with the ups and downs of premenstrual syndrome for years before learning to work with her natural cycle. “Optimising my hormones has been a journey; a series of gentle and consistent changes over time,” she says. “A lifestyle that achieves hormonal balance is about consistency, not deprivation.” You can find her online on her website (www.angeliquepanagos.com) or on social media (@angeliquepanagos). All too often, we ignore our hormones, only stopping to give them a second glance when there’s something wrong. Perhaps you’ve suddenly started suffering with menstrual cramps, or you’ve broken out in spots before a big date. You might be feeling irritable or moody, or your skinny jeans are…

Pauline Weston Pauline Weston is a naturopath who has been on a (hormonal!) journey through pregnancy this year. She’s been enjoying using her knowledge of plant-based medicines and natural remedies to soothe and support her body and baby – she shares her easy-to-follow tips with us here. You can read more on her website (www.soakupthewild.com). Seeing that little blue line is the start of a wonderful journey through pregnancy. But this journey isn’t without its ups and downs, caused by the rollercoaster of hormonal changes that are helping your body to support the new life within. Naturopathy is a holistic medicine looking after the individual as a whole (body, mind and spirit), using plants and herbal remedies and encouraging a nourishing and balanced diet. It is a good companion during…

The most common symptoms of menopause are hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness and low libido. Taking a lifestyle and dietary approach has been shown to be the most effective remedy to ease these symptoms – here’s how. Balance your plate Ensure that 50% of your food intake is based on fresh vegetables. A quarter of your plate should be made up of protein. Found in eggs, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, beans and lentils, it’s important for maintaining muscle, controlling weight and tissue repair. The remaining quarter should be complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato and wholegrains. Finish off with some healthy fats: avocado, olive oil and fish oil. Get moving A Finnish study found that 49-year-old women who exercised regularly had a better quality…

On a number of occasions, I’ve sat with friends and clients as their fingers hovered over the delete/block function on their phones. Mouths dry, palms clammy – genuine anxiety gripped them. “What if I hurt their feelings? What if they think I’m a ‘bad person’? Agh!” Now, it’s not as if they were without reason: they were severing ties with someone, who had at one point meant very much to them, for the sake of their emotional, mental and physical wellbeing and the health of their future relationships. We can undoubtedly remain friends with an ex with whom we share a genuine mutual friendship; one that is out in the open, boundaried, and a valuable addition to our life, and that also doesn’t encroach on our dating future. But what…

Q “Dear Aunt Josephine, basically, I am one massive worrier. It’s not like I have anything really to be worried about: I’ve got a roof over my head, a job I like, a good network of family and friends and I’m pretty healthy. It’s not even the big things that stress me out; it could be something at work, something I haven’t ticked off on my to-do list, or worrying that I might have said the wrong thing to a person and upset them. Sometimes, I worry even when I don’t have anything to worry about, which is madness! My default setting seems to be to wake up in the morning feeling anxious, even when I’ve got a nice day ahead. My mum is a big worrier so I’ve probably…

Travel broadens the horizons, they say, but I don’t think I ever fully experienced that until my recent trip to Australia. We left Yorkshire in early May; pink blossom on the trees, bluebells hiding in the shadows. The sun was shining but we’d still been lighting the fire at night, fending off that typical British evening chill. We arrived in autumn sunlight. The Sydney trees were turning amber and gold, crispy leaves crunching underfoot. But it was warm. So warm, to our British sensibilities, that we shucked off our coats, wound down the cab windows and then threw open the balcony doors in our suite. We ventured up to the rooftop pool the next day, letting the golden warmth soak into our bones, and when we felt hot we dipped…

1 DECLUTTER Either get kids involved if they like to organise, or do it when they aren’t around if they are likely to decide that they don’t want to get rid of anything. Do this on a regular basis – that goes for your own possessions too! 2 INCORPORATE STYLISH STORAGE You don’t always need to opt for ‘kid-friendly’ furniture. Beautiful seagrass baskets, wooden crates, fabric bags, a cupboard and simple shelving will hide away garish toys but still make them accessible for little hands. 3 ROTATE TOYS AND GAMES Keep only a small selection of toys out and put others in a cupboard or loft. Not only does this minimise clutter, but it keeps their play more focussed. And when you rotate, those items will seem like new! 4…

Sugar. We all know that it’s bad for our health. We also know we are eating far too much of the stuff. Having too much sugar in our diets is one of the worst things we can do to our bodies. It can have many damaging effects on our health including weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. So why can’t we kick our sugar habit? Simply telling ourselves to ditch the sugar rarely leads to us taking action. Sugar is incredibly addictive, and many people find themselves craving it on a daily basis. If you are struggling to cut back on your sugar consumption, it’s important to understand why your body is craving the sweet stuff. This can help you address the underlying causes and, in…

METHOD 1 To make the kombucha (a fermented, lightly effervescent, probiotic 'tea'), put the tea bags in a glass jar and add the sugar (this is for the kombucha to consume, not you!). Pour over 750ml (26fl oz/3 cups) boiling water. Stir well and allow the mixture to cool for 1 hour, or until it reaches room temperature. 2 Add the SCOBY (a disc-shaped culture of bacteria and yeast). Cover the container with a cloth or muslin/cheesecloth and leave in a warm place for 3-14 days to brew, depending on the temperature of the room. After three days, taste the brew. If it's cloudy and tastes fruity (not like tea), it’s ready; if not, leave it another day and try again. Strain the mixture (it will keep in the fridge…

Protective swimsuit Strong tropical rays can burn you fast, so if you’re swimming, surfing or Suping (Stand Up Paddleboarding), pop a long-sleeved swimsuit on to protect your arms and back from harsh rays while in the water. We love O’Neill’s pretty illustrated designs – they’re made from 100% recycled waste plastic, so you’ll also be doing your bit for the planet while enjoying the waves. £89.99 www.oneill.com Summer shorts Protest make shorts of all shapes and sizes suited perfectly to hot summer days. They’re light, breezy and quick to dry, making them comfortable to wear, and practical with pockets. The cotton material and classic designs make us think of the covetable seaside fashion in Call Me By Your Name. Wear with a light, billowy shirt or over bikini bottoms in…

1 BATH, UK Head off the beaten track to the best viewpoints in this World Heritage city, with plenty of stories along the way. Yes, there are hills – but emphasis is on fun, not pace. From £30pp for one/£20pp for groups of five or more. www.bathrunningtours.com 2 PORTO, PORTUGAL For a mainland Portugal fix, head to Porto. Try the Iron Bridges tour, crossing the Douro River, or a tour of the city’s greatest graffiti. From €30pp for one/€20pp for groups of five or more. www.portorunningtours.com 3 COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Choose from a general tour via the flat and friendly city’s main sights to quirkier options such as Urban CPH, a 10km trip through the edgy, ethnically diverse Nørrebro neighbourhood. From DKK600pp (£70) for one/DKK400pp (£45) for groups of four or…

Ingredients SERVES 1 * ½ frozen banana, chopped* 150ml milk of your choice* 1 slice pineapple* 3 ice cubes* 1 tsp spirulina powder* 1 slice lemon METHOD Add the milk and ice cubes into a blender cup. Chop the pineapple and add to the cup, then add the frozen banana and spirulina powder on top. Shake the mixture then blend on high speed until it has a thick and creamy consistency, without any lumps. You can also add more milk or water at this point for a thinner texture. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon slice, then use a spoon to thoroughly mix the smoothie, making sure no spirulina has stuck to your blender cup. Pour into a glass to serve. Recipe taken from health and fitness blog Starting…

Photo comp winner! Last month, the theme of our Instagram photo competition was ‘green’. Thank you for all of your wonderful entries – we loved seeing the green hues that inspire you! Our winner is Melissa (@marrymecincy) and her brill pic of a koala on a trip to Australia that challenged her. “Aside from being cute, this photo also represents overcoming fears to live life to the fullest,” she says. “Despite a big ol’ fear of flying, I recently spent 17 straight hours in the air to go to Australia. The goal of petting a koala was one of the things that helped to get me excited for the journey!” Melissa wins a nature box from themed subscription box service Moi-Même, filled with gifts that have come from, been inspired…

We’ve all been there. The washing-up gets done, the laundry pile diminishes like magic and the recycling’s sorted – anything, it seems, is preferable to doing that one thing we’re putting off, whether it’s a work deadline or a tricky phone call. Procrastination: it’s the thief of time and energy. There are a variety of reasons why we do it, from a lack of confidence about tackling a particular task, to boredom, or fear of failure. What’s more, we’ve created the perfect environment for procrastination with the many distractions we allow ourselves. From TV to the internet, mobile phones to email, we never switch off – it’s easy to look busy when, really, we’re just procrastinating. Excuses? I’ve heard them – and probably used them – all. But when push…

* DAYS 1–5: MENSTRUAL PHASE This begins on the first day of your bleed when the uterus sheds its inner lining of soft tissue and blood vessels, exiting the body in the form of menstrual fluid. During this phase you may experience abdominal cramps, caused by the contraction of the uterine and abdominal muscles to expel the menstrual fluid. * DAYS 1-13: FOLLICULAR PHASE This phase also starts on the first day of menstruation and it’s all about fertilisation (whether you are trying to become pregnant or not). During this phase the pituitary gland (located behind your nose, attached to the hypothalamus) secretes the hormone oestrogen, stimulating the egg cells in the ovaries to grow. Over 13 days, one of these egg cells reaches maturity in a sac-like-structure called a…

Maria Bez Maria Bez is a nutritionist, health coach and kinesiologist who firmly believes that the menopause is something to celebrate rather than dread (and yes, she’s going through it too). You can find more of her advice on food to nourish and restore whatever age and stage you are at on her website (www.nourishcentre.co.uk). As a rough guideline, most women will reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age coming in at 52. But not many people know that before you get there, you will go through perimenopause, which is usually the months or few years before you are officially classed as menopausal. During this time you will still have periods, but they are likely to become sporadic and irregular. Asking our friends or…

* ST. JOHN’S WORT Shown to provide the greatest benefit for improving mood and emotional state and can also help with insomnia. Positive effects can be experienced within 4-6 weeks. * KAVA FORTE Showed a positive effect on women experiencing depression, difficulty concentrating, loss of interest and sleep disturbance. * ASHWAGANDHA An Ayurvedic herb which helps to balance the hormones that contribute to anxiety. It’s an adaptogen: on one hand, it can fire up your body and give you energy when you’re feeling fatigued and burned out. On the other hand, it can also suppress stimulatory hormones when you’re strung out and stressed to aid relaxation and sleep.…

The candles are lit, music is playing and I’m nursing a hot chocolate with added dark chocolate squares. I’m wearing my most comfortable trousers and a jumper that reminds me to have ‘Happy Savasana Dreams’, while a hot water bottle rests on my belly. I am well and truly in menstruation mode which, for me, just happens to fall at the same time as the New Moon. Menstrual cycles have long been linked to their lunar equivalent. As the moon orbits the Earth, it goes through four principal phases: New Moon (where it is invisible to the naked eye), First Quarter (also known as the Waxing Crescent), Full Moon (where it is fully illuminated) and Third Quarter (Waning Crescent). Some see it as no coincidence that the length of the…

When you look in the mirror, how do you feel? Can you gaze at your reflection without looking away? If we're totally honest, many of us are not happy with what we see. There’s an unrealistic standard of beauty out there that we compare ourselves to; a pressure for perfection created by advertising and our 24/7 social media culture. We’re bombarded with messages that tell us that we’re not OK as we are. The real pressures women face today lead to appearance anxiety and low body confidence. However hard we try, we can never measure up to that perfect woman on our screens with the perfect body, skin, hair, teeth. She’s perfect; we are not. But even if we were, we still wouldn't have total body confidence. That’s the truth…

BY THE SEA AMROTH, WALES Try your hand at Marie’s classes, set against the backdrop of Pembrokeshire’s stunning countryside and breath-taking seascapes. www.bytheseaflowers.com TALLULAH ROSE BATH, UK If you’re looking to make the leap like Marie, Tallulah Rose offers both floristry training and career change courses. www.tallulahroseflowers.com ORGANIC BLOOMS GLOUCESTERSHIRE, UK This organic cut flower farm grows and sells beautiful seasonal flowers, as well as holding workshops on how to grow and arrange your own. www.organicblooms.co.uk RESOBOX NEW YORK, USA Learn the Japanese art of ikebana, an ancient tradition of creating minimalist floral arrangements. www.resobox.com/class PEARSONS SCHOOL OF FLORISTRY SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Classes for everyone, from learning floral skills for fun to kick-starting a new career in floristry. www.pearsonsschool.com.au LEARNING WITH EXPERTS ONLINE Courses taught by floristry pros that you can…

My passion for all things natural started, as it does for so many women, when I was pregnant. As a self-confessed career girl singing in pop bands, I’ll admit that it was a steep learning curve. But my pregnancy made me realise that I had to look after my own body, coordinate a ‘building project’ (the baby) and ensure that I left a bit of the planet behind for them to enjoy. Focusing on natural health and wellbeing became an important part of this. I made it my business to seek out great natural alternatives to just about everything. Back then, it felt a little like a lone crusade, but 11 years on, millennials are rocking the wellness trend and I’m just as passionate as I ever was about the…

METHOD 1 To make the dukka (an Egyptian condiment made from herbs, nuts and spices), toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 1 minute or until lightly golden, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan and leave to one side. Add the remaining ingredients and stir for 1-2 minutes to lightly toast the seeds. Put the nuts and seeds into a blender or food processor and pulse to chop the nuts, leaving some texture. 2 Put the kale in a steamer and steam over a high heat for 1 minute to blanch it. Drain well. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the kale for 5 minutes or until it is slightly crispy. Add the chopped shallot, garlic and…

We’re all now familiar with the Nordic hug that is hygge, but for many Scandinavians the idea of getting outdoors and connecting with nature is far more central to their culture than bowls of porridge and Fair Isle sweaters. It’s a concept known as friluftsliv and it was first popularised by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in the 19th century, when he created a character that searched for solitude in nature to help clarify his thoughts. Loosely translated as ‘free air life’, Danes, Finns and Swedes have come to regard it as an essential part of their lifestyle. While Nordic countries offer access to acres of wilderness (and the occasional mountain cabin), as well as sympathetic employers who incentivise staff to get outside during working hours, it might be hard to…

1 THE PERFECT BALANCE Reset Retreats, Spain If you’re after a break that looks after both body and mind, Reset is the retreat for you. During your five days at their hillside villa near Granada, you’ll enjoy one-to-one personal training sessions, both energising and relaxing yoga classes, hikes, guided meditation sessions and life coaching, all organised around delicious and nourishing meals cooked by their in-house chefs. There’s plenty of time to unwind, too, with breaks planned in for relaxing in the infinity pool and time in the evenings for movie nights or a sauna session. We can’t guarantee that you’ll ever want to come back to the routine of normal life! 21-27 Sept 2018 from £1,750 full board, plus plenty more dates in 2019. www.resetyourself.co.uk 2 THE CONSCIOUS COOKING CURE…

There are those ‘big’ loves, the ones that blind you, that bind you, that invite you to give everything to them. That’s exactly what my relationship was. I bought into my partner’s alpha male power and thought, ‘what a wonderful chance to rest and receive’. Yet, by stepping back, I also stepped out of my own power. I relinquished my independence and found myself trapped in an enormous spider’s web of business, house, loans, ego, fears and confusion. A turning-point came when a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. I felt compelled to work with her, doing coaching, energetic healing, visualisations – anything I could to offer her lifelines beyond her diagnosis. This made me remember what I was truly here for – to enable others to…

“What would you like for your birthday, love?” Daniel asked. Without hesitation, Helena replied: “Absolutely nothing.” “I meant what do you want to do? What kind of party?” “Same answer.” “Oh come on, don’t be like that,” he coaxed. “Turning fifty is nothing to be ashamed of, especially when you look as good as you do.” “Thank you,” she replied, “but I wasn’t fishing for compliments! I’m not bothered if people know my age.” “OK then! So, what kind of party? Fancy dress, or something a bit more classy?” Helena had hoped to spend her birthday evening relaxing at home. She supposed that she should see her family, preferably a few at a time, during the day. Afterwards she’d like it to be just her and Daniel. They could have…

ALICE WHITEHEAD Alice has been writing about food, gardening and a healthy lifestyle for 20 years. She has a passion for the great outdoors, nurtured by two urban allotment plots. Find her on Instagram (@allotmentalice). She shares her tips on embracing the outdoor friluftsliv on page 96 JANEY LEE GRACE If you’re a BBC Radio 2 listener, you might know Janey already – she is a co-presenter on Steve Wright in the Afternoon. When she’s not on the airwaves, she shares her favourite natural beauty and lifestyle tips and products at www.imperfectlynatural.com Find her natural summer heroes on page 80 ANGELIQUE PANAGOS Angelique is a nutritionist and author with a passion for the healing power of food. She’s on a mission to help people to live a healthier life, filled…

I narrow my focus. When you’re out in the field you have to have confidence in your own abilities – it can be intense with all the spectators watching you, as well as the media and cameras. I make sure to work harder in training than I do in the actual game, so I can go in fully prepared. We also have something called a ‘one ball mentality’, where you switch off from the ball that’s just gone and focus on the ball that’s coming next. It’s all about breaking the game down into simple things. You can apply it to real life, too. We can get distracted by trying to do too many tasks at once, but by concentrating on you, rather than what’s going on around you, you…

CLEANSE THE QI Start in a wu ji posture (feet about hip distance apart, knees slightly bent and shoulders back and down). Extend your arms out to the sides, with palms up, slowly lifting your arms and gathering the earth qi around you. When your arms reach shoulder height, bring them in front of you, about shoulder width apart, gathering the sky qi from above. Then, with palms facing the earth, slowly bend the elbows, bringing the energy down in front of you and ‘cleansing’ your qi. 10 DRAGONS RUN THROUGH THE FOREST Place all 10 fingers along your hairline, then use them to gently rake your scalp, stimulating dozens of therapeutic acupuncture points. When your fingers reach your occiput (your neckline), throw with a flick of the fingers anything…

We all remember our teens, when spots, slammed doors and a hypersensitivity to the slightest criticism were the norm. “Hormones,” our weary parents likely sighed, longing for the moment when we’d emerge from the chrysalis of puberty to display our newly-formed adult selves. And emerge we did, but of course the hormonal highs and lows that fuelled our teenage fires aren’t as transient as those adolescent years. In fact, the female body passes through several hormonal phases over a lifetime, and recalibrating your hormones during each of these stages can help you to feel happy and healthy in both mind and body – whatever hormonal phase you are in. For our hormonal health special, we asked three experts to talk us through our key hormonal phases, and give us their…

* NOURISH YOUR BODY Our food supply forms the building blocks for our hormones. We need to eat healthy fats and protein to produce healthy hormones. We also need to ditch processed foods and refined sugars, instead eating regular meals made from low GL (glycaemic load) foods to keep your blood sugar levels stable. This will prevent energy and mood dips. Read more at www.bit.ly/PMShealthyfats * MANAGE YOUR STRESS Easier said than done, but when we’re in constant stress mode, our bodies produce too much cortisol, the stress hormone. This puts a strain on the body and can throw our hormones out of balance – hello PMS! I love short meditations and deep breathing to de-stress. * EAT MORE GREENS I call these my Detox Warriors. Cleansing, leafy greens such…

Menopause is a time of renewal. Your body is asking you to take time out for yourself; to renegotiate your relationships, to do things you find fulfilling and inspiring, to put yourself first. Try this simple exercise to see how you’re doing: *Get a piece of paper and draw three columns, each one headed: ’Things I like doing’, ‘Things I have to do’ and ‘Things I don’t like doing’. *For each thing you do in a day, put a tick in the relevant column. For example, emptying the dishwasher might get a tick under ‘Things I have to do’. *At the end of the week, take a review. Count up how many ticks in each column. Do you spend more time doing things you don’t like than things you do?…

My favourite subject is happiness. I’m passionately inquisitive about it. I’m fascinated by what makes people enjoy their lives wholeheartedly – a job they love, service to a great cause or even, yes, a successful relationship. How many people do we know that have truly great relationships? Count the ones you know. You have to know them well to count them. I so hope that you can use the fingers of two hands. Most people get stuck at two and a half. And why? One of the reasons is that at the centre of every relationship is a bedroom in which, often, hopes don’t match libidos. I’ve been writing about happiness for 10 years and have never had the courage to write about sex. It’s a bit of a glaring…

NEW MOON (BLEEDING PHASE) * Set intentions * Rest * Restore POSTURES: Forward folds, garland pose (malasana), reclining bound angle pose (supta baddha konasana). FIRST QUARTER MOON (PRE-OVULATION) * Develop new possibilities * Make decisions * Overcome challenges POSTURES: Goddess pose (utkata konasana), warrior pose (virabhadra), chair pose (utkatasana). FULL MOON (OVULATION) * Celebrate you * Have fun * Express yourself POSTURES: Backbends, heart openers, arm balances. THIRD QUARTER MOON (PRE-MENSTRUATION) * Share * Reflect * Release POSTURES: Inversions, easy twists, plow pose (halasana).…

Comedy can easily supplant history. The inter-war obsession with rural life is probably remembered best through Stella Gibbons’ delicious 1932 satire, Cold Comfort Farm; likewise, when thinking of British fascism at that time, an image of PG Wodehouse’s absurd Roderick Spode often replaces the real-life characters. Melissa Harrison’s third novel is a more accurate return to that time. All Among the Barley is told through the eyes of Edie, an old woman now, remembering a shattering passage of events that happened on her family’s Suffolk farm. This story explores the secrets in the everyday, the interplay between humans and nature, and the place of outsiders. Her talent for intricate descriptions of wildlife and landscape is tender but never sentimental. The novel’s rich, beautiful countryside is marked with loss: “It was…

START SMALL “For first timers, I would suggest starting small,” says artist Julie. “Collect your favourite pieces of paper and start layering them down on top of each other. Limit your colours. Choose some simple shapes and cut these out to lay on top of your previous papers.” GET CREATIVE Magazines aren’t the only place that you can find inspiration and material. Catalogues are also a great place to find ideas, and you can recycle birthday cards, calendars, gift tags, postcards – whatever you can get your hands on! MIX AND MATCH You don’t have to stick to just one genre. Try combining different elements from home, fashion, gardening and travel resources to add a range of colours and designs to your collage. FIND A THEME If you find yourself…

Kids. They change your life, that’s for sure. And yes, there is no denying their arrival will change your home in more ways than one, but this honestly doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice style. Those tiny people come with a lot of paraphernalia and they certainly know how to make a mess, but there is no reason why you should succumb to the clutter, unsightly plastic toys and general increased level of ‘stuff ’ when what you actually desire is a minimal, calm living space. OK, you might not achieve pure white rooms with only a carefully placed candle and coffee table book on display, but applying the philosophies behind minimal living to a household with children is a concept that should make a big impact on your…

For fashion designer turned interiors blogger and web shop owner Marij Hessel, colour is everything. “A colourful home gives me energy and inspires me,” she says. “I definitely think colour has an effect on our lives and our moods.” Marij lives in the Netherlands, around an hour away from Amsterdam, with her partner Evert and two cats Mos and Def. Strong colour is synonymous with both her home and her blog, My Attic – the online space where she shares her decorating and DIY projects and sells vintage furniture and accessories. Her love of colour is splashed all around the couple’s home – from forest green to dusty blue and pastel pink. Even in the bedroom, Marij has avoided a neutral palette, opting for a rich shade called ‘Ochre Gold’.…

“For the Neverland is always more or less an island, with astonishing splashes of colour here and there,” wrote JM Barrie in Peter Pan. What is it about exploring an island that feels so magical, so special? For me, it’s the pleasure of life simplified – on smaller patches of land you’ll often find just one road, one post office, one pub. It’s also the joy of easy navigation; knowing exactly where I am, being able to walk or cycle from shore to shore in an hour or two, truly understanding a neat and defined landscape. And there’s the charm of island communities; friendly, slow-paced, supplies shipped from a far-off mainland, stories and legends that define them. I’ve collected islands on my travels like charms on a bracelet, and they…

Welcome to your extra mini magazine, a chance to create a few mindful moments for yourself and keep everyday distractions at bay. This issue, Take a Moment includes a recipe for an energising drink, a short story and a fun puzzle. We’d like to encourage you to pause and sip slowly as you have a go at our crossword (to give those brain cells a workout) and read a thought-provoking story. Treat yourself to an energising superfood smoothie while you settle down to enjoy Patsy Collins’ very relatable story about taking time for yourself on your birthday – rather than pleasing everyone else. We hope you enjoy it.…