the christmas wish list

I don't know about you, but over the years I have found myself both buying and receiving fewer and fewer Christmas presents. And to be totally honest with you, this is a huge relief. Not only does buying things for the sake of it feel pretty out-of-place in a world where we are ever more aware of the environmental impact of consumerism, but as I get older I am continually downsizing rather than increasing the amount of possessions I have. Just today I did yet another wardrobe clear out and I feel so much lighter as a result. (If you are looking for decluttering inspiration by the way, head over to Jessica Rose Williams' site: the queen of minimalism.) This year, I am buying just one present, since my siblings and I are doing a Secret Santa between us, as well as making two (thanks to my continued knitting obsession). I'll probably receive only one or two as well, and I'm very happy with that.

That said, the act of giving and receiving gifts is undeniably heartwarming, and I'm not in a hurry to give it up altogether. Instead, I'm mindful about what I get and who I get it for. I would also recommend gifting experiences over things, but if it is things, then make them a) long-lasting, b) thoughtful and c) special. The below is a selection of items that are on my personal wish list, all of which I'd be happy to make room for in my minimalist life, and all of which are designed to represent what a good gift really is at its heart: an expression of love.

Clockwise from top left:

Whistles travel jewellery case* / £59

Jo Malone English oak & redcurrant cologne* / £48 for 30ml

Loulou Avenue These Days print* / £28

L:A Bruket wild rose body butter* / £38

Ferm Living Ripple champagne saucers* / £35

Essence + Alchemy Luna bath salts / £30

Ferm Living Balance candle holder* / £29

91 magazine 2 issue subscription / £14.80

Le Labo Pin 12 candle / £52

H&M watering can* / £19.99

Sunday Riley starter kit* / £42

Missoma gold mini molten hoops / £49

Affiliate links are marked with *.

self-care september

Self-care may be an overused expression these days (it seems to have become a blanket term for everything from having a glass of wine to therapy), but the principle of taking time for yourself is an important one, and something that I've never felt any guilt about. I read a lot about people struggling to carve out time from their daily routines, or feeling like they are unable to switch off. Happily I don't have this problem: I've always believed that time taken to look after myself is time truly well spent, in whatever format I choose that to take.

September feels like the perfect time of year to really indulge in this. As the nights start to draw in, the pressure to be outside in the open air lessens, and decisions to choose a night on the sofa with Netflix over saying yes to social events become more easily accepted. For me, truly indulging in what I want to do most often looks like a combination of snuggling up on the sofa with my cat, wrapped in a fur throw, with a hot cup of tea and a gripping crime drama box set, and later a hot bath filled with divine-smelling oils. In essence, it's all about comfort, relaxation and cosiness. The falling of leaves and of the temperature gauge that September brings heralds the arrival of the season of cosiness: hot drinks, chunky scarves, knitted socks and open fires. Yet it's before Christmas truly starts to loom on the horizon and we have to start putting others' needs first.

So I thought I would bring together an edit of some of my current favourite things to help me wind down and revel in relaxation, in the hope that you too can use this as inspiration to make September a truly decadent month for unashamedly taking care of yourself.

Diptyque Feu de Bois candle*

Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with scented candles. I've previously written a blog post about all my favourites and how to take care of them here, so I won't repeat myself. Suffice it to say that September always has me reaching for my ultimate autumnal candle: Diptyque Feu de Bois. If you are not lucky enough to have a wood burner in your home (one day...), this is truly the next best thing. It smells of smoky bonfires and the lingering remnants of fireworks in the air. Divine.

Aromatherapy Associates bath oil*

One of my best ever Space NK Boxing Day sales buys (of which there have been many... so many) was a set of 12 mini Aromatherapy Associates bath oils. Each as divinely luxurious and deeply-scented as the last, a mere capful poured into your bath fills your entire home with the unmistakeable scent of the self-care mothership - the spa - while also coating your limbs in a softly-perfumed sheen that lasts all day. That was probably two or even three years ago and I still haven't used them all up, but when I do, I will be repurchasing without a doubt. If you are looking for something more affordable, I also highly recommend Elemental Herbology's Metal Detox bath oil, which, though the name may not conjure up relaxing scenes, is very good value considering how richly perfumed and long-lasting it too is.

L:A Bruket sage, rosemary & lavender salt scrub

If, like me, you loathe the dry scaly limbs that winter can all too often bring, you may also have been on the hunt for a body scrub which sloughs off that dead layer of skin, leaving it silky smooth. Sadly the beauty world is overflowing with lacklustre scrubs which do little more than leave a slight tingle. This L:A Bruket scrub is the real deal, though: it's genuinely rough thanks to a mix of sugar and salt, meaning you will notice an immediate difference in skin texture. What's more, it also contains almond oil to simultaneously smooth and soften, plus it smells absolutely incredible. Oh, and the packaging's pretty great, too.

This Works Deep Sleep pillow spray*

Key to taking care of yourself is getting enough good quality sleep. I don't know about you, but the older I get, the more I am willing to give up almost anything to get a blissful early night, sinking into sumptuously soft clean sheets scented with lavender. Step forward This Works' iconic pillow spray, which you will no doubt be familiar with already, given how often it's hailed as a hero product, and for good reason. There really is nothing like the heady, dreamy aroma of lavender to send you off into a blissfully deep slumber.

Slip silk eye mask*

The final icing on the decadence cake is this silk eye mask. To be honest, I am so used to having white curtains that any light peeking through doesn't disturb me (a great skill to have, and why I always recommend that people ditch the blackout blinds). So for me this eye mask is really just pure indulgence. The softness of the silk on my eyelids and the knowledge that I have truly shut out the world in order to surrender to me-time never fails to help me drift off.

Affiliate links are marked with *.

stress-free travel packing

Packing used to be a stressful exercise for me, involving multiple lists, days beforehand spent panicking, sitting on my suitcase to shut it and stressing about how much it would weigh at airport security. But practice makes perfect as they say, and given that I go on quite frequent business trips at the moment, I've had to hone my craft. These days I've pretty much got stress-free packing down pat, so as I pack for a road trip across Ireland today, I thought I would share with you a few tips that I've learned.

Make a list and re-use it

I have a standard packing list of all the basics that I'll need on every trip, which I keep in the Notes section of my phone, using the checkbox feature to tick things off when they're packed. When it's time to plan for another trip, I simply copy and paste the note from the previous trip and I know I've got all the basics covered and won't forget anything vital. A few must-haves for your list which you may otherwise forget: travel adaptor, plug and charger cables (I like this IKEA multi-cable charger), painkillers and other medication, Bluetooth speaker and headphones, eye mask and earplugs. Also include on your list things to do before you leave the house, such as water plants, turn appliances off at the wall, download podcasts/TV shows for the journey and in my case, put on the cat cam to keep an eye on my girl while I'm away...

Plan your outfits

Ever been on holiday and ended up not wearing half of the clothes you brought with you? It may sound slightly OCD but planning out all your outfits beforehand ensures that doesn't happen. Just make sure you account for both days and evenings, then add in an extra tee, a cashmere or wool scarf and some cosy socks (planes can be freezing!) Include which bags, shoes, jewellery and accessories you'll want for each outfit to ensure you don't forget those either.

Stock up on beauty minis

By this, I don't mean buy the empty mini plastic bottles in Boots to fill up: they're often quite expensive considering they don't contain any product, and you'll end up getting confused about what contains what. Instead, buy (or forage from hotels) mini shampoos, conditioners and shower gels - just make sure that you only take them if they've got a lid that can be easily removed and re-filled. You can usually pick up mini toothpastes for free from your dentist, while department stores will always hand out free perfume samples (just ask at the fragrance desk). As for your skincare and make-up, I find that getting a beauty advent calendar once a year gives me plenty of mini reusable pots for moisturisers, cleansers, etc. Another idea is to save up your beauty splurge until somewhere like Space NK, Feel Unique or M&S are offering a free beauty box with a purchase of over x amount, as these will always contain a plethora of travel-sized products. Also make sure you always add free samples to your online order (most beauty stores offer these with a spend of over £30 or sometimes £50), as test sachets make for perfect travel companions, especially if you're going hand-luggage only (anyone else always struggle to fit all their beauty products in those tiny plastic bags...?)

Bring extra fabric bags

One for dirty laundry, one for each pair of shoes (they may be clean now but you don't want to be putting them back alongside your clothes covered in mud...), and one or two for any shopping trips.

The practical stuff

It's not so much a packing tip, but will definitely reduce your pre-holiday stress: get a credit card which doesn't have any fees to take money out abroad; my Halifax Clarity card means I never have to worry about cashing out loads of local currency. Also, note down the emergency services numbers for the country/countries you are visiting.

Think space saving

For someone who doesn't naturally travel light, I've managed to get my luggage down to a cabin-sized bag for up to 5 days, alongside a small handbag. A few tips: roll up your t-shirts/dresses, stuff your socks inside your shoes, wear your most bulky item on the journey (e.g. knitwear and/or coat), go for lightweight outerwear if you can (I like this raincoat which folds up into a small bag), and don't take any full-sized cosmetics or perfumes; you won't believe how many people I see pack a huge deodorant or 100ml bottle of perfume... You're not going to need that much and you can always find minis at the airport if you're stuck.

Invest in a good suitcase

I say invest, but stylish suitcases don't have to cost the earth. I love my new Made.com grey & copper suitcases*, which come with multiple inner pockets, inbuilt locks and, most importantly, four super-mobile wheels which make wheeling them around a breeze (not sponsored, just good!) - and are very reasonably priced. Plus it's easy to spot on the carousel, saving you precious time in the airport which you could be spending relaxing on your holiday.

Affiliate links are marked with *.

the joy of simple pleasures

I've been thinking a lot lately about priorities, expectations and what I really want to get out of life. Sounds deep, I know, but bear with me...

I started following a few really inspiring Instagram accounts run by like-minded women who have a focus on slow, minimalist living. From there I discovered the inspiring podcast The Little Chapters, hosted by two of said women, Jessica Rose Williams and Kayte Ferris. Sadly they ended the podcast just as I discovered it (genuinely distraught) but it means it's a very digestible set of 20 episodes, which I wholeheartedly entreat you to go and listen to as you potter around this weekend.

They talk a lot about finding your purpose, being true to yourself, not listening to the expectations of others and approaching your life in a way which puts you at the centre. This all really resonated with me. Like them, I'm someone who perhaps spent the early part of my adulthood trying to do things that made me look "cool" or live up to a fantasy version of myself I'd created in my head, rather than listening to what I really wanted and not worrying about what people thought.

So I thought I would share a few things that I've learned and/or made my peace with over the years...

home tour

Since I moved into my house last May I've spent almost all my free time on making it look how I want it to (which when working 11 hours a day lately hasn't left much time for blog posts, apologies...) It will never be "done", because my interior style is always evolving, but it's at a point where I feel really happy with it and thought I would share what I have done.

january pick-me-ups

Thought I would share with you some of the things I am currently loving. As my friends will know, I'm perennially drawn to home comforts over extravagant outings, so it won't be surprising to hear that this January (and in my birthday week no less) I am all about cosy knitwear, luxurious scents, excellent podcasts and a decadent tipple or two (no dry January here).