I was so excited to hear Milk Makeup would be available from Cult Beauty back in January. I love ethical brands, and Milk is one that gets a lot of good press. I didn’t go too crazy with my first purchase, but I wish I had. I’m super impressed with the few things I got.…
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Vorwerk hens can be quite hard to come by, so I jumped at the chance of owning one when the breeder let me know he had a spare. This breed originated in Germany and is known for being fairly laid back and economical with food. Our vorwerk is a bit of a loner and lays…
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We gutted the linen closet today. Four bags of textiles and two bags of rubbish that neither of us can explain. I’m sure holding on to double-sized bed linen despite the fact we have a king-sized duvet made sense at some point, but we couldn’t take the untidiness any longer. Mr Fig and Pen is…
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When I wrote weekly skincare reviews, I was trying new products nearly every day. It was fun, but it didn’t do my skin any favours. Now that I have a routine that works, I’m not keen on losing progress by using something that might irritate or upset my skin. I stick to my holy grail…
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Since giving up meat, I’ve found sandwiches a bit challenging. While vegetarians can enjoy cheese or egg filling, there are precious few options for vegans. I’m not vegan myself, but I am trying to cut down on dairy. Yesterday I adapted one of my favourite recipes for chicken salad and was happy with the result.…
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It’s done! With no building or woodworking knowledge, I’ve put together a really cute little egg stand from which to sell eggs in front of my house. For the base, I used this ODDVAR stool from IKEA, but instead of fastening the base to the seat of the stool, I attached it to this hen…
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This beautiful plant came bursting out of our garden wall a couple of years ago. It’s quintupled in size since I first noticed it, and it’s looking quite pretty this year. It’s fragile, though, and I’ve been unable to get at the roots to transplant it. Each attempt has led to my tearing it out…
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I’m four days into a break from work. My stress levels have been quite high and I’m looking forward to unwinding a bit by being productive. I’ve an egg stand to build, a garden to help sort, and a kitchen that needs a deep clean and reorganisation. Staying busy is key as I can’t tolerate…
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My hens are in overdrive and producing more eggs than we can eat. It’s too hot to bake, so I’ve decided the best way forward is to construct an honesty box for the eggs and place it in front of the house. The fact I’m even considering this is a bit of a miracle. I’m…
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Measuring success – of a person, a business, or a country – seems easy enough. You look at the figures. You check the bank balance. But is it really that simple? What about the things you can’t count? I inherited my first business when I was 20. I lucked into a position managing an insurance…
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It’s been a rough week for my business. On Tuesday, I took the decision to let my organic certification expire. Currently, I’m certified under EU standards, and it’s not clear that this would continue if the UK is no longer a member of the EU. I need these standards to export organic materials to my…
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I’ve never been big on New Year. Coming on the heels of Christmas, it’s a boring affair for those us who don’t drink or stay up past 10pm on a school night. I can’t be bothered with the trappings of starting over because doing so insinuates I’ve failed, and that’s not a positive way to…
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Last week a noisy flock of low-flying geese passed over my house while I was in the garden. ‘How nice for you,’ I thought. ‘Leaving Brexit Britain. Hope they let you back in next Spring.’ How ridiculous. Of course the geese can return. They can go where they like, live harmoniously in their temporary accommodation,…
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Photo courtesy of Sgaia Foods. While link hopping vegan restaurants in Glasgow, I stumbled upon a product called Mheat from Sgaia Foods. To say I’d had a fortuitous bounce would be an understatement, as I’d discovered the best vegan meat I’ve ever tried – purely by accident. And I do love a happy accident. Before…
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Since downsizing my wardrobe at the beginning of the year, I’ve noticed a couple of gaps needing filled. Specifically, I had nothing to wear in the event of a somber occasion. And let’s be honest, in the midst of a crisis, the last thing we want to do is shop for clothing we’re going to…
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