Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2018 i In The Moment

The past few days I have been quite delighted to see and feel that autumn is on its way. The air is crisp and noticeably cooler, the leaves are russeting and the sky has shrugged off the giddy cerulean blue of summer in favour of a more grown-up powdery hue. It’s a mood change that I, too, always feel at this time of year. It is, of course, a long time since I went ‘back to school’ but for me, long sleeves and my favourite woollen coat signal that it’s time to be a little more serious again. The cooler weather and darker evenings also have the effect of inspiring me to make things. Bread, spicy ginger cakes, cushion covers and throws… if only I could knit or crochet (I’m…

Amanda Winwood is the managing director of Made for Life Organics, the first range of skincare within the UK to gain 100% organic certification, and founder of the Made for Life Foundation, providing holistic support for those going through cancer. “The purpose of Made for Life is inextricably linked with this planet,” says Amanda. “UK legislation says that you only need 1.75% of ingredients to be organic to claim the label, but our team utterly believe that it really is important to be authentically organic. 43% of our foods now have pesticide residues in them, but if everybody does something small and buys organic, then we promote change.” The Made for Life Foundation was created in 2008. “The intent of our charity is to ensure that people going through cancer…

“The only time my name was mentioned in the media was as the less successful Minogue sister,” lamented Dannii, when she was yet again asked about sibling rivalry. No matter how vehemently she declared her love for Kylie, the insidious insertion of the word “insists” or “claims” in every article – as in “Dannii insists/claims she feels no resentment,” implied that the journalists were onto her: that they could see past her words to the raging jealousy within. The Minogues are not the only ones to have their siblinghood scrutinised through the prism of suspicion and assumption. Anyone who has a successful sister or brother will face similar questioning, particularly if they have followed the same career path, and even more so if they are deemed to have done less…

Have you ever had a lengthy discussion with a partner where you think you got your point across, only to later feel as if it went in one ear and out the other? Whether you’re in a relatively new relationship, or further down the line, repeatedly feeling misunderstood can cause problems. We might feel that we practically did a PowerPoint presentation to drive our point home, or maybe the other person even said that they ‘got it’. But then when the same issue or feeling comes up again, we feel utterly baffled as to why. This kind of situation can leave you feeling perplexed, frustrated or even disillusioned, and often this is the case for your partner, too, as they try to fathom what they’ve missed. This is talking at…

Tree-friendly travel mat Not only are Yogo’s travel mats super-useful for practice on-the-go, folding down into a newspaper-size package, they also pack a punch when it comes to sustainability. They’re made from biodegradable materials, and for each mat purchased, Yogo will plant one food-bearing tree in a country in need. You can even choose to add more trees for just $1 at the checkout! From US$64.99 www.yogo.net Happy hot yoga towel If Bikram is your jam, these yogitoes yoga towels might be for you. Their Skidless® technology stops you and your mat from slipping, no matter how sweaty you get, and they’re washable for post-class freshness. What’s more, each mat is made from no fewer than eight discarded plastic bottles, which are woven into a poly yarn that requires 66% less…

CHESTNUT Chestnut mushrooms are one of the most common edible mushrooms found for sale in the UK, but many people aren't sure exactly how to clean them. To prepare, I recommend wiping the tops and stalks with damp kitchen paper, then use whole, or slice or quarter to add to many different dishes. CEP Although ceps are firm and strong, they are absorbent, so it’s best to use a wet cloth to wipe any dirt away and, if they are a little on the wet side, wait until they have dried before cleaning. The pores underneath the cap are pretty tightly woven together, so there’s not a lot of stuff, including you, that will get in there. Just give the pores a wipe over and they should be fine. Slice…

Despite having two young children, the home of Tiffany Grant-Riley exudes a sense of calm and serenity, with its muted colour palette, uncluttered rooms and collection of botanical beauties. Tiffany, an interiors blogger, writer and photographer at Curate and Display, is an advocate for the slow living movement. “It’s learning to live for the little things and not put pressure on yourself,” she says of slow living. “Although it has been depicted as some perfectly-styled moment on a crinkled linen bed, it’s about taking a moment to reconnect, with yourself, your family, your surroundings.” For Tiffany, these moments can be found every day. “It might be my morning coffee post-school run, or sitting in the sunroom towards the end of the day. Sometimes it’s pottering in the garden with the…

1 FRESHEN YOUR FLUE If you have a fireplace, book a chimney sweep early before they get too busy. Stock up on logs too. 2 DO AN ‘AUTUMN CLEAN’ Wash blankets, cushion covers and curtains and give the sofa a good vacuum – you’ll be using them a lot! Clean your windows inside and out, too, as you won’t want to be out there scrubbing them when the weather turns cold. 3 BE ENERGY AWARE Do some advance research into energy-saving tips and products, so that you can start implementing them before the weather turns colder.…

Why are there no good words for hobbies? Pastimes, interests. They all sound a bit banal, conjuring visions of stamp collecting in musty sheds, or trainspotting on a dreary February morning. There’s nothing aspirational about the word ‘hobby’; it’s diminutive – these are small, unimportant things that fill time. And in the digital age, they seem to be a bit outdated. I used to be somebody with lots of hobbies. In fact, it was something people commented on: “You’ve got so many things that you like to do!” I blogged, I took photos, I was an active part of some thriving online communities. I hoarded novels in a vast, rainbow-spined wall, I took yoga classes. My hobbies, in many ways, were my identity. And then things changed. A chronic illness…

Tough tent Just about the best backpacking tent on the market, the two-person MSR Hubba Hubba packs down into an amazingly small and light bag, making it perfect for taking with you in rucksacks or bicycle panniers. It’s an airy, comfortable and tough tent that can withstand harsh weather without a worry, and when skies are clear you can just sleep in the netted inner tent. £300 www.msrgear.com On-the-go stove This clever little stove may look on the dinky side but the Jetboil Zip still packs all you need to cook for one or two people on an adventure. The windproof cover lets you cook in rough weather and the burner is powerful, boiling a litre of water in four minutes. The cartridge, burner and tripod then all pack down into…

The crisp fresh air hits us on our drive up the winding mountain roads, closer and closer to the snow-capped peaks in front of us. Time feels like it slows down when the mountains come into view and nature envelops us. Everything becomes a wonderful idyll… it’s what I call my ‘magic land’. There is nothing quite like being totally surrounded by nature. It seems to hit a reset button for your mind, body and soul; I think it’s something to do with its stark difference to the majority of our daily lives in busy bustling cities that mirror our busy bustling minds. And it’s also something that I, and I’m sure many of us, easily forget to do. The months roll by, and perhaps you find that you haven’t…

Photo comp winner! Last month, the theme of our Insta photo competition was ‘adventure’. Thank you for all your lovely entries – we really enjoyed exploring the world through your eyes! Our guest judge Karen Flannigan picked our winner, Caroline (@where.inspiration.blooms), who shared a photo of a recent trip with her daughter. “Having three children, it can be quite tricky getting one-to-one time with each of them, so we invented ‘Me Days’,” she explains in the caption. “My youngest is an adrenaline junkie, so she chose to go to a theme park for the day. We went on the rides, drove bumper cars and ate ice-cream – it was so good to step away from the ‘to-do’ list for a day and immerse myself in her childhood.” Caroline wins a…

ALL MONTH October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, increasing knowledge about symptoms and raising funds for research. If you’ve been inspired by this season’s Bake Off, a charity bake sale could be the perfect way to fundraise. Previous winner Frances Quinn has partnered with charity Breast Cancer Haven to share her fave recipe. breastcancerhaven.org.uk 5 OCTOBER Pili, an extraordinary film about a young woman struggling to change her life in East Africa, is released in the UK today. It’s the first ever social-realist film to focus on African women living with HIV, with the film-makers helping a predominantly female cast, many of whom are HIV+ themselves, to tell the story of their lives and communities. 19 OCTOBER If you’re thinking about starting a side hustle or launching a new career,…

Only Ricola could make herbs and caramel work together. In fact, its new herbal caramel sweets don’t just work – they’re downright delicious. The first of their kind and winner of a Great Taste award, the sweets are a treat for the taste buds thanks to the mildly sweet caramel notes. Ricola’s latest unique and natural recipe succeeds in balancing perfectly the comforting properties of its carefully selected and lovingly grown herbs with an indulgent – and irresistible – caramel taste. What makes this new flavour so special is the combining of the caramel notes with a touch of aromatic bee balm, evocative of the floral diversity of the unspoiled Swiss alps. Ricola’s signature 13-herb blend, along with some fresh mint and a pinch of alpine salt, beautifully completes this…

1 MIKAELA JACKSON It was Mikaela Jackson’s struggle to find her own purpose that led her to coaching in her 20s. Having made her dream life a reality as a ‘freedompreneur’, she founded She Almighty to help other women create success on their terms. Based in Hertfordshire, UK, Mikaela runs workshops and monthly meet-ups in London and provides one-to-one coaching internationally. Her vision is that through female self-empowerment we will be further on our way to reducing gender inequality. www.shealmighty.com 2 LUCY SHERIDAN Lucy, aka The Comparison Coach, came up with her concept after realising that she wasn’t alone in being negatively affected by social media. She says scrolling through our Facebook and Instagram feeds all day has caused “a comparison epidemic” that is damaging to our individual potential. Having…

*ONLY CHILDREN Only children are in a very privileged position. They’ll have had their parents’ undivided attention, which means they probably developed excellent linguistic skills, and were quick to learn. Their status should have made them self-sufficient and independent, and providing they are exposed to other children from an early age, they should also have strong social skills. “I would have liked a sibling,” says 23-year-old Sarah,* “but I don’t think I missed out through not having one. My mum had loads of friends who had children at the same time, and my two cousins lived round the corner, so I have always had a great social life. I have one friend who I’ve known all my life, and that friendship means the world to me – maybe on a…

Myofascial release. It’s said to be a massage like no other. I’d heard the term being bandied around in reverent tones for a while. “They’re meant to be amazing, aren’t they?” said one friend. “Apparently the release is incredible,” said another. Someone else reported that their husband had come across myofascial massage and it had “practically cured” his frozen shoulder and stiff neck. As someone who sits in front of a computer for a living, I was all too familiar with sore shoulders and neck niggles. I was in. Fascia is fast becoming the new buzzword in the wellness world. The fifth annual International Fascia Congress takes place in Berlin this winter and everyone from professional sportspeople to stressed city workers to pregnant mothers are reaping the benefits. But before…

Touch is hugely important to all newborns. At this stage in life, it is the primary way that we communicate and connect with the world and those around us, and without it, we quite simply fail to thrive and grow. Massaging babies shortly after they are born is an age-old tradition practised in many countries throughout the world, including India and across the African continent, yet it’s something that was only formally introduced to the UK around three decades ago. Since then, baby massage has grown in popularity with parents and other primary caregivers, not least because we are starting to appreciate the many benefits it has to offer. As well as being an effective way to bond and communicate with your baby, positive touch through massage helps to support…

Q “Dear Aunt Josephine, I am finding work a bit of a struggle lately, as my manager is a very negative person. He is someone who always sees the glass half empty and brings a dark cloud over him as soon as he enters the office. I’ve started to avoid asking him things like how his weekend was, as I know everything about it will be negative. I try to turn things around and keep my positive hat on but when I am sat next to him for eight hours a day, five days a week, it has become hard to keep a smile on my face. I often come home feeling quite down and negative myself. Have you got any advice you can give on how I can stay…

METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Fan 180ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6. 2 Blend the parsley with the garlic and the butter in a food processor. Grate in the zest of the lemon and season well with salt and pepper. Whizz to mix thoroughly. Chill. 3 Quarter your mushrooms. Place the mushrooms on a preheated roasting tray with a pinch of salt, arranging in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes. 4 Once the mushrooms are tender and a little shrivelled, swirl in 2-3 tbsp of the garlic butter. Return to the oven for a minute or two, until the butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper, if needed, then serve warm. Ingredients SERVES 4 * 30g (1oz) flat leaf parsley* 2 garlic cloves, peeled* 100g (3½oz) butter* 1 lemon* 800g-1kg…

METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5 and grease two large baking sheets. In a food processor, blend the mushrooms until very finely chopped. Add the butter and blend for 30 seconds. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugar, and season with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of ground black pepper. 2 Stir the mushroom mixture into the dry ingredients, along with the crème fraiche. Dust a clean surface with flour and roll the mixture into 12 small balls. Press down the balls and shape into circular, flat biscuits, using more flour if they become sticky. 3 Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them out well, then bake for 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden and firm. Allow…

For me, autumn presents a wonderful opportunity to slow down, to focus on nourishing my body after a busy season of sun and to prepare for winter months. Nature seems to reflect this too; a riot of floral colour becomes fluttering leaves in tonal hues and berry bright fruits give way to deep orange and purple root vegetables that I can’t help but be drawn to. Sweet potatoes, carrots, red peppers; all are wonderful roasted with coconut oil and a dash of harissa. Adding them into a blender with stock and spices to make soup is another way to enjoy them that evokes the pure joy of crisp autumn days. Ciara Jean Roberts, a naturopathic nutritionist (www.whollyaligned.com), agrees. “Autumn is a time to draw into yourself and stoke your digestive…

Philip Larkin’s poem I Have Started to Say describes counting life in units of a quarter-century and more: “All that’s left to happen / Is some deaths (my own included). /Their order, and their manner, /Remain to be learnt.” In The Psychology of Time Travel, the death comes first, and we know its manner from the off. The bullet-ridden body of an elderly woman is found in a basement that’s locked from the inside. What we don’t know is who she is, or what happened to bring her to this end. That’s because, in this novel, time doesn’t pass in a neat progression. Instead, timelines intersect and consequences tumble into both future and past. In 1967, a team of four female scientists called the Pioneers discover time travel. Three of…

Many of us may have a Neom Organics product around the home: perhaps a relaxation candle, body oil or a calming pillow spray. The company is now one of the UK’s biggest wellbeing brands, yet 12 years ago its founder, Nicola Elliot, was a stressed-out journalist experimenting with essential oil blends at home as a way to relieve her stress. At the time, Nicola was living in London working for a glossy magazine. From the outside, life looked glamorous and enviable, but the reality was a different story. “I worked 15-hour days in entertainment,” Nicola says. “You could be working on something for weeks, or months even, then you’d have someone pulling a hissy fit in LA and the whole thing would be off. The lack of control and the…

HARMONY HOTEL It’s all about the good life at this relaxed beachfront eco-hotel in Nosara, loved by surfers and stylistas alike. Motel-like rooms are airy and bright and have palm tree-flanked verandas strung with hammocks. Start the morning with a yoga lesson in the lovely Harmony shala, borrow a surfboard and head to the beach for the day and then toast the sunset with a home-grown cocktail – it’s very tempting to never leave. Rooms from £190 per night, harmonynosara.com GRANO DE ORO A chilled-out sanctuary in the heart of the busy capital, San Jose, this wood-panelled beauty of a hotel was once a Victorian mansion and has old-fashioned, comfy rooms that feel like they haven’t changed much in the meantime. We love the shady garden patios and retro mirror-panelled…

Welcome to your extra mini magazine, a chance to create a few mindful moments for yourself, while you 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 put those brain cells through their paces) and read a thought-provoking story. This month, try a delicious rainbow matcha latte while you read Claire Storrow’s inspiring short story about the beauty and authenticity in imperfection. We hope you enjoy it.…

At art school, Laura had been passionate about photography. She’d gotten a kick out of spooling her film onto a reel in the pitch black, filling the tank with developer, and the rhythmic slosh of inverting it back and forth to ensure the negatives would be covered evenly. Then the Stop, then the Fix. Something about the language, even, felt like a code; a secret society forced underground at the dawn of the digital age. Eventually, squeezing away the excess water and hanging the developed film out to dry. Then came the magic moment when she examined what she had captured in time. From there, she was set, ready to develop her images and play with shadow and light. It made her nostalgic just thinking about it. But though she…

LISA KJELLSSON Travel and reading are Lisa’s biggest passions and in this issue she explores beautiful Big Sur and its literary heritage. When she isn’t writing for magazines and newspapers, Lisa shares her fave books on Instagram (@thelkedit). Read all about Lisa’s Californian adventure on page 102. ABIGAIL WHYTE Abi loves to write about people with passion, the outdoors, history and wild food. She finds calm in listening to music and spending time surrounded by nature. Find her online at www.abigailwhyte.com Abi discovers duende and how it can bring soulful connection on page 19. XENIA TALIOTIS Wellbeing and travel writer Xenia loves to discover new things and meet new people, sharing the lessons she learns along the way. Follow her on Twitter to read her latest articles and features (@XeniaTaliotis).…

I put myself in other people’s shoes. My role in the Children and Families Service is to support children and to help parents/carers to keep their children safe with solution-focused approaches. I don’t say, “Oh I’m working with difficult families,” because some people have very difficult lives and have been through trauma. I try to see their behaviour as a reflection of the circumstances that they are in. This makes me want to make a positive difference by helping them to help themselves. I invest in my own wellbeing. My work can be stressful and rewarding at the same time. I know now that I can only do my job effectively when I’m in a stable mindset and can manage my own emotions. Over the years I’ve done some self-development…

When I was at a music festival a few years ago, I met a flamenco dancer. She was the first person I ever heard utter the phrase “finding my duende.” She told me that duende is a word strongly associated with flamenco, describing the intensity of emotion that overcomes the dancer in the throes of a performance. Watch any flamenco video on YouTube and you’ll see that palpable ecstasy; the almost desperate look on the dancer’s face as she clicks her castanets and sends a cloud of dust into the air with a stamp of her foot. Duende is a word that has struck a chord with me ever since, and I’ve often looked it up to get to the bottom of its meaning. It’s one of those untranslatable words…

Whenever I see that slogan, ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’, it makes me smile. There’s something about its pragmatic stoicism that always reminds me to pause and take a moment to just breathe. Printed on one of three posters by the British Government’s Ministry of Information in 1939, to be circulated only if we were invaded, it resurfaced in a second-hand bookshop in Northumbria as we hit the 21st century and seemed to strike a chord. One of the problems today is that we are invaded – not by foreign troops, but by circumstances that feel outside our control – from the number of emails that tumble into our inbox, to the daily assault of news and doom mongering in our feeds. A recent survey by the University of California…

1 Be a good role model Of course we all endeavour to treat our children fairly. When there is an argument try not to take sides or lose your temper. If possible, let them sort out their differences, but do step in if things are escalating, and give each child the opportunity to tell you their side of the story. Linda also suggests keeping your children away from ‘conflict’ situations – keep arguments with your partner out of sight and sound, unless you're sure you can handle them calmly and constructively. 2 Celebrate their differences If the age gap between your children is small, it can be helpful to highlight differences between them in a positive way, in particular praising each child’s unique achievements. 3 Make time for them Spend…

Thrillers have a lot to answer for when it comes to the image many people associate with ‘a loner’. A weird type, lurking in dark corners, spying on victims, with no friends, no job and little attention to personal hygiene – the misfit and usually the criminal in story plots, or a person who shuns contact with all others because they have something to hide. This view is, of course, a complete exaggeration, but the fact remains that our society prefers and cherishes the conformist, the socialiser, the person who is popular, the soul of the party, with countless friends. Look wherever you want ‒ books, movies and above all, social media. Those who have the biggest number of Facebook friends or Instagram followers are perceived as successful. Little is…

METHOD 1 Simmer the coconut milk and almond milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until warm. 2 Pour the warm milk into a blender with all of the remaining ingredients and blend for 30 seconds until smooth and frothy. 3 Transfer to a mug, sprinkle with a pinch of cacao and serve immediately. Ingredients SERVES 1 *2/3 cup (160ml) coconut milk*1/3 cup (80ml) unsweetened almond milk* 1 heaped tsp of Indigo Herbs Super Mushroom Nutri-Complex, or other powdered mushrooms* 1 heaped tbsp cacao powder* ¼ tsp ground cinnamon* ¼ tsp ground ginger* Sprinkle of cayenne powder* Sprinkle of sea salt* 1 tsp almond butter* 1 heaped tbsp date syrup* 1 heaped tbsp lucuma powder ELI BRECHER Eli Brecher is a London-based food blogger and healthy recipe developer. Visit…

As our outside environment evolves and changes with each season, it provides us with a natural prompt to also adapt our interior spaces for the months ahead. Not only does it prepare our homes for the change in temperature, but a refresh of your surroundings also allows you to see things with fresh eyes and become rejuvenated simply by making a few small adjustments. While it’s true that high street homeware brands update their ranges seasonally, spending lots of money to create a complete overhaul to your interior is not a path that you need to follow. Some simple swaps of existing items and a bit of a reshuffle will be sufficient to make your home feel fresh and new, ready for whatever our unpredictable weather systems throw at us.…

Sometimes, a passing comment can really stay with you. A few weeks ago, chatting with a colleague about our shared love of embroidery, she mentioned how this particular craft has a special place in her heart, as she remembers the hours she spent with her grandma learning the skill. It was a brief comment, but it resonated with the warmth of their time spent together and it got me thinking. I started to wonder what happens when we share our skills with our friends and family, and particularly what happens when we discover what we might have to offer as informal teachers. Nowadays, we’re not short on ways to acquire new skills – online there’s a YouTube tutorial or a blog how-to for almost everything. But it seems to me…

1 STEP AWAY FROM YOUR DESK One of the main things that people don’t do enough is get outside and breathe in some fresh air. It’s really obvious, but you need to get a bit of sunlight and vitamin D. 2 THE ‘7/11’ BREATHING TECHNIQUE Breathe in for seven seconds and out for eleven seconds. For me, it’s brilliant because it really lowers your blood pressure and brings you back into the moment. People don’t know how to breathe properly: we breathe too shallowly and too quickly and it can cause stress just by doing that. Having a breathing technique to use is helpful. 3 GET A WORK BUDDY OR COUNSELLOR It’s really important to connect with somebody at work – someone who you find inspiring, but also someone who…

This column is in praise of travelling as lightly as possible. It’s easy to feel a little bit weighed down in day-to-day life, isn’t it? After all, we do all need stuff. There’s the physical stuff – houses full of furniture, closets full of clothes, shelves of books – as we move through life we carry our many chattels, plus the occasional pot plant, along for the ride. Then there’s the mental burden we all carry with us – the daily workload, the list of chores and even the weight of social responsibilities can feel heavy and exhausting. There’s nothing at all wrong with the trappings of daily life, of course, but there is something to be said for stepping outside of your established, fully-furnished world from time to time…

EXPLORE * POINT SUR LIGHTHOUSE An impressive working lighthouse and lightstation buildings atop a volcanic rock just off-shore. www.pointsur.org * ANDREW MOLERA STATE PARK Miles of trails wind through meadows, bluffs, beaches and hilltops in this beautiful state park. www.parks.ca.gov * JULIA PFEIFFER BURNS STATE PARK Stretching from the coastline into nearby 3,000-foot ridges, the park features an impressive 80-foot waterfall. SLEEP * DEETJEN’S BIG SUR INN Step back in time in rustic chic cottages set amid towering redwoods – be sure to also visit the atmospheric restaurant. www.deetjens.com * GLEN OAKS Get up close and personal with nature without forsaking any creature comforts in one of their riverside cabins. www.glenoaksbigsur.com EAT * BIG SUR BAKERY & RESTAURANT Irresistible cakes from this famous bakery and superb food in the restaurant…

Before I tried to make a living from being a photographer, I wanted to wait until I was perfect. But I knew that any shoot I did wasn’t going to be perfect, so I kept waiting until I felt more confident about getting it right first time. I worked in a photography studio as a teenager, but then fell into a marketing role. I progressed in that career, but every Sunday I would dread the start of another week. I looked enviously at other people who were making their living from their cameras. I flirted around the edges of the industry, writing for photography magazines and co-authoring books. Then I would return to my day job, feeling stuck and miserable again. At the end of 2017 I came across an…