Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i The Simple Things

Get up early and wrap up warm for a dawn walk Learn an instrument (yes, the kazoo counts) Eat dinner by candlelight with a friend Find the most niche museum you can and pay a visit Bring some bulbs into the house to open up in the warm Try some of our ideas, make up a few of your own, or just read and enjoy This year's calendar has not graced February with the exuberance of Lunar New Year or the flipping good fun of Pancake Day, so it's become a month to find and make your own celebrations. Or instead, we could simply let this season linger longer and embrace its snug pleasures and pastimes – painting what's in your home, starting a nature diary or making a sketchbook.…

CHOCOLATE COCONUT SQUARES Serves 9 150g coconut oil, melted and cooled 200g soft light brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence 60g plain flour 45g self-raising flour 30g cocoa powder 40g desiccated coconut, plus extra for scattering (optional) For the topping: 100g dark chocolate 100g soft, but not liquid, coconut oil 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Using a little of the coconut oil, grease and line a 20x20cm tin. 2 Place the rest of the coconut oil, the sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a bowl and stir until combined. 3 Whisk the flours and cocoa in a separate bowl to remove any lumps, then stir in the desiccated coconut. Make a well in the centre, pour in the coconut oil mixture and stir until completely…

Cold, rainy mornings and long dark nights call for hunkering down, wrapped in a cosy dressing gown. At this time of year, it's the first thing I reach for, and on particularly chilly nights it's an extra blanket. But it's much more than an extra layer for bedtime reading, or getting dressed. Essential for lazy weekend breakfasts, the belted dressing gown provides warmth while retaining languorousness, whereas clothes create a pressing need for getting things done. When I'm in my dressing gown, anything more taxing than making and eating pancakes with my husband and daughter will have to wait. Providing the cut is sufficiently high at the neck and long on the legs, a dressing gown feels acceptable attire to sign for a delivery or let the chickens out of…

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. For much of his life, Irish poet W.B. Yeats was in love with Maud Gonne, who never returned his romantic affection. This poem wonderfully captures that sense of yearning, of a love alight with fragile hope, as the poor narrator offers his beloved ethereal words and the gold and silver of his dreams, rather than earthly riches. Things to ponder: How does Yeats…

Devil's Ivy Though it may sound sinister, Devil's Ivy is so named because it's almost impossible to kill – ideal in a houseplant – and thrives even during darker days. Like other houseplants, this tough evergreen is easy to take cuttings from to share with friends and family and looks cool if kept in water while it forms new roots. With its longevity and pretty heart-shaped leaves, it's an unusual but apt present for a Valentine.…

It's not all candyf loss, bubblegum or Barbie. A vintage, dusky pink, balanced with deep earthy tones, warms walls and woodwork. Bookshop browse SWEDISH STITCHES Slöjd: The Swedish Art Of Wood & Textile Handicrafts by Kerstin Neumüller ➛ Kids in Swedish primary schools have lessons in Slöjd, which combines practical skills with the mindset that making things can encourage creativity in problem solving in the non-crafty world. Kerstin, a tailor and woodworker, shares these enviable skills in a set of projects that range from the easy-to-achieve to the more ambitious. With clear instructions and neat diagrams, she shows you how to sew a cute cap, mend jeans, and repair moth-eaten jumpers, as well as dye wool yarn with birch leaves to a gorgeous sunshine yellow and whittle a wall hook…

We might be hankering after spring – when the light starts returning, and the weather is warming – but winter can still have a sting in its tail in February (the most likely month for snow). We wanted a weekend of walking and getting outdoors, to knock off some of the cobwebs from being inside for so long. A treehouse near Newtown, in Powys, with all mod cons would provide a warm and cosy base to return to after exploring the countryside. But the forecast for our trip was bitterly cold and snowy – a weather warning told us to travel prepared. So, we packed a bucket full of grit (literally and metaphorically), a snow shovel and plenty of woolly blankets, jumpers and socks and left home just as a…

Cola bottles The taste of America, which came into our pick and mix via German company Klenes in the 70s. Now, says one poll, it's the UK's favourite sweet. Coconut mushroom Made by Taveners of Liverpool*, like their homies The Beatles, they mushroomed in popularity in the 1960s. Something to chew over. Fried eggs Though part of Haribo's Starmix, it's not a UFO, as some have suggested – this has been served sunny side up since the 1950s. Foam shrimps Something fishy going on? Not at all, this post-war Barratt's invention tastes of raspberry. Just don't be shell-fish sharing them out. Foam bananas Usually served with shrimps, though these do taste of the fruit they resemble. Bananas for these bananas? A ‘giant’ (ie, 7.5cm) version launched in 2010. Liquorice allsorts…

They were a nickname family. Twiglet because of his penchant for them. Pordy because that was how Twiglet pronounced her real name when she was small. Tiny because he wasn't. Peach because she was. Her grandmother's was the only nickname that went unexplained. She had been Glimmer for as long as anyone could remember. Peach wondered if it was because of the wicked glint in her eyes, which spoke of her love of pranks and practical jokes. She wondered if it was because of the colourful costume jewellery she liked to drape herself with: none of it expensive, all of it priceless. Glimmer was witchy and wonderful and if anyone deserved such a gleamingly mysterious moniker, it was her. But Peach, who was twenty-seven and had already struggled to process…

My love affair was rekindled thanks to some recycling bags. We'd run out, and the easiest way to get more was to pick them up from the library on our local high street. In the three years we'd lived there, I'd visited the coffee shop and toy shop on either side, but somehow I'd always walked past the library sandwiched in between. I left with recycling bags – and a library card. The moment I walked in, I remembered how important the local town library had been to me growing up – a pattern echoed, likely, by millions of bookworms. Saturday morning trips to pick out my books: first, from the children's section downstairs, graduating to the teenage books, and finally on to the adult's section, as I formed my…

Rachel Weiss had been hosting Death Cafés – pop-up discussion groups about dying – in her hometown of Perth, Scotland, for a couple of years, but when she saw a TV documentary about menopause in 2017, she had a revelation. As she watched, she realised menopause was another taboo that people don't talk about, so she put a post on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to talk about it, expecting no one to turn up. Almost 30 people came. “This was before every celebrity was sharing their menopause story,” she says. “Jon Underwood, founder of Death Café, let us use his model, my husband created a website with instructions for people to host their own and we were off!” Today, there are hundreds of Menopause Cafés all over the…

♥ PROUDLY HOMEMADE SKETCHBOOK Bound with jump rings, you can use any type of paper for your sketching, doodling or notebook needs. Add an elastic cord to keep it closed, too. You will need: 2 pieces 260 × 212mm bookbinding cloth 2 sheets 230 × 182mm paperboard (1mm thick) 2 sheets 224 × 176mm paper (such as wrapping paper) as endpapers Several sheets 230 × 182mm paper (any type of paper – enough for a total thickness of 4-5mm) 500mm elastic cord 5 × 15mm (inside diameter) jump rings (you can buy these from trimmingshop.co.uk) 10 x 4mm (inside diameter) eyelets (available from trimmingshop.co.uk) Masking tape, craft knife and ruler Hole punch Starch glue or PVA glue Eyelet punch 2 pairs of needle-nosed pliers Bulldog clips 1 Place your central…

DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL Jimbobart, aka James Ward, often features an animal or two up to mischief. We're hoping the Guinea pigs on this tea towel will be happy to share the biscuits with us. £12.50 jimbobart.com RED HERRINGS Fill in the gaps with letters to find eight words that are countries. Only eight? Yes, two of these are red herrings and will only produce frustration. (answers on page 124) “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity” Simone Weil Placed at the beginning of the staff (a 5-line depiction of written music) to show the pitch. Originating from the letter G, over time, it turned into the treble clef known today. WHAT TO DO WITH… ODD GLOVES PRACTICAL Use as a base layer under your usual gloves for extra…

THINGS TO NOTE AND NOTICE FEBRUARY'S BIRTH FLOWER VIOLETS AND PRIMROSES Representing loyalty and humility, the violet was a Victorian symbol of modesty – the phrase ‘shrinking violet’ was coined by a Georgian poet for the way the dark purple flower clung to the woodland floor. Very demure… Bright yellow primroses, however, are symbolic of young love and eternal love. Together, they make ideal bedfellows in a posy. Local lore BLESSING OF THE THROATS, ST ETHELDREDA'S, LONDON If coughs and colds are getting you down, try having a word with St Blaise, patron saint of throats. The fourth-century doctor earned his role after saving a child's life by removing a fish bone stuck in his throat – all while being led away to be tortured for his faith (a standard…

♥ SNAP IT FOR LATER FAVOURITE ART GALLERY L'Usine à Gouzou & Galerie Very Yes Two galleries, at the same address, founded by street artist Jace, a Réunion superstar and creator of the famous gouzous – playful yellow characters seen on walls worldwide. lusineagouzou.fr; galerieveryyes.com FAVOURITE RESTAURANT Le Vieux Kréole Mr Clain and his family warmly welcome you to enjoy a diverse buffet of traditional Creole dishes, featuring a variety of caris and rougails (spiced vegetable sides). Facebook: Le Vieux Kréole FAVOURITE EVENING OUT Enjoying classic snacks, bouchons, samoussas, and Américain sandwiches – a baguette stuffed with meat, french fries and grated cheese – on the seafront at the weekend. FAVOURITE BEACH Grande Anse Although swimming isn't possible, it's a local favourite for picnics with its white sand, turquoise waters…

Roll up! Roll up! Here come the clowns… Now, be you a clown lover, or a bit of a disliker, it's worth taking a closer look, as one thing you may not have noticed is that every clown is different. We may think of the bulbous red noses and round mouths, the diamonds over the eyes or the freckles on the cheeks, but clown code means every clown must have a look that's all their own. And how do you know what's already been taken by another performer? Simple, you refer to the Clown Egg Registry, a collection of eggs – both chicken and ceramic – which faithfully depict the make-up, clothes, accessories and wigs of every clown. The tradition was started by the circus clown Stan Bult in the…

My mother and I had little in common. Still, I occasionally deigned to accompany her to an antique fair on a Sunday afternoon. My mother was a pretty creature who delighted in dainty ornaments, china dogs, plates decorated with trailing wisteria, and art nouveau egg cups. I embraced an alternative kind of aesthetic – minimalist, possibly nihilist. Black stretchy skirts, black tights, Doc Martens and a sullen expression. I preferred to rummage through piles of Victorian frock coats and gaze longingly at cases of heavy silver jewellery. Of course, I didn't show it, but I loved the thrill of entering a rural church hall or the reception room of a local hotel and seeing the pile of clutter before me, that riot of ceramics, old leather, and lace. One Sunday,…

Grief is a hard yet well-trodden path. As expert on loss David Kessler says, “To be alive means things coming to an end and grief is a response to that loss.” The term grief-stricken is no accident – when you experience a profound loss it can feel like you've been hit by a sledgehammer. It affects your sleep, appetite, memory and focus. It can unleash a storm of fast-changing emotions from anger to denial, sadness to loneliness. When someone you love is gone, life can feel cruel and uncertain. Lisa Keefauver's first experience of grief was when her husband died following a short illness in 2011. Her new book Grief Is A Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide To Navigating Loss (Headline), explores the honest realities of grief. “We live in…

We can't all be as lyrical as Shakespeare in describing the night sky – ‘this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof, fretted with golden fire’ – but it captivates us like nothing else. In 2004, archaeologists excavating an Aberdeenshire hillside uncovered a 10,000-year-old Mesolithic monument mirroring the phases of the moon, predating any other calendar by five millennia. If the celestial canopy's appeal is timeless, so is the urge to share its delights; no one ever witnessed a shooting star without exclaiming “LOOK!” This communal impulse applies just as much to the clever clogs on whom our astronomical knowledge depends. Take Galileo Galilei, the man whose telescopes revolutionised star study. The great polymath drew all he saw and published a pamphlet, ‘Starry Messenger’ (1610), the better to spread his findings.…

This is one of the cosiest corners in our cottage. It's right next to an open fire and gets lots of natural light from the window behind it, which makes it a great place to sit and read. I probably spend way more time here than I should, especially if there's a sleeping pooch on my knee. It's a great lounging chair and just right for puppy cuddles. Nisha Mohandas, Nottinghamshire @ourlittlebrickcottage Whenever I have a quiet moment, you'll find me here. This corner fills me with a sense of calm. I love the textures, the soft lighting and the seasonal touches I add throughout the year, like flowers or throws. My cat Neko adores it, too. Adrianna Zielińska, Wrocław, Poland @alabasterfox This is the best seat in the house. It has…

KOHLRABI This fast-growing hardy vegetable from the brassica family is often compared to turnip, but the flesh is sweeter, with a mild cabbage flavour and a firm, crisp texture. The bulbs can be eaten raw, grated into salads and coleslaws, or they can be lightly steamed, roasted or used in stir-fries. How to… Kohlrabi is one of the first crops to grow in spring. It grows well in sun or partial shade, and enjoys cool, wet conditions. It's best sown in late winter to early spring (or mid to late summer). Start the seeds indoors in modules, as this speeds up the germination. Sow up to three seeds per module, thinning to one, and plant out when the seedlings have at least two true leaves. Protect the seedlings from low…

Alison Wood Brooks teaches the science of conversation at Harvard Business School. She says it is down to four steps: Topics Great conversationalists choose good topics and can make a topic more interesting. Research shows that thinking about topics you might want to talk about in advance, even briefly, helped people to move more quickly from small talk and have better conversations. Asking If topics are the game pieces, then questions are the hands that lift those pieces. Questions allow speakers to respond, interact and build. Mirror questions (where you ask the same question back) are easy but shouldn't be relied upon. Don't be afraid to switch topics with a question. People who ask questions are better liked and are more likely to get second dates in speed dating. Levity…

♥ CUT OUT AND KEEP Lemon curd roast pork ribs with garlic butter Serves 4 80g lemon curd 2 tbsp premium fish sauce 30g lemongrass, finely chopped 1.5kg pork ribs, untrimmed 1 garlic bulb, halved 8 small, round shallots, peeled and halved 1 lemon, zested and sliced into rings 1½ tsp sea salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 20g butter 1 spring onion, sliced 1 red chilli, sliced (optional) Steamed vegetables, to serve 1 Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7. Meanwhile, mix the lemon curd, fish sauce and lemongrass in a small bowl, then set aside. 2 Put the ribs into a large roasting tin and smother them on both sides with the lemon curd mixture. 3 Save 4 garlic cloves and set aside, the place the rest of the…