The Simple Things

The Simple Things is a beautiful, useful, quirky and fun magazine about taking time to live well. We cover mindfulness and microadventures, eating and growing, forgotten wisdom, home life and slow moments. It's for people who love their lives but want to take the pressure off and remember what’s really important. We like tea & cake, learning stuff, being outside and the satisfaction of a job well done. Do you?

A could-do list September

Lisa

Pick & Mix • GROWING AND EATING FLOWERS AND HERBS IS A TREASURED TRADITION. LOTTIE STOREY HARVESTS NASTURTIUMS AND CHIVES TO USE IN THE SUMMER KITCHEN

Magical creatures AN APPRECIATION OF HARVEST MICE

How hard can it be… TO TAKE A SECRET DAY OFF? • ESCAPE THE DEMANDS OF WORK AND FAMILY, ALERTS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE EVENTS OF THE DAY, AND TAKE A TRIP SOMEWHERE THAT’S JUST FOR YOUR OWN ENJOYMENT

CAKE IN THE HOUSE • The tartness from the apple, warmth from the cinnamon and slight crunch of polenta makes this an excellent any-time-of-day cake.

My day in cups of tea • We asked art bookseller Karen Jakobsen about her day in cuppas, and whether having a bookshop at a garden centre really is the dream job that it sounds…

September Almanac • SEASONAL THOUGHTS TO HELP YOU ENJOY THE MONTH

“Guilt is not a very useful emotion, it’s better to think, ‘what can I do today?’ Celebrate what you can do and don’t dwell on what you can’t” • Best-selling cookbook author Anna Jones wants them to become sticky-paged kitchen bibles and believes gentle guidance is the way to a people- and planet-friendly way of eating

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

the simple things NEIGHBOURHOOD AWARDS

MY CITY* SEOUL • HALLIE BRADLEY GUIDES US AROUND SOUTH KOREA’S SUPER-BUSY CAPITAL TO DISCOVER ITS AUTUMN FESTIVALS, HIDDEN PARKS AND 24-HOUR SOUP RESTAURANTS

Out of the sunset’s red • Take a moment with some well-chosen words

Making camp • HOME OR AWAY, INVITE YOUR FRIENDS FOR FOOD COOKED ON AN OUTDOOR GRILL AND CHAT THAT LASTS LONG INTO THE EVENING

Lessons from THE FAMOUS FIVE • THOUGH ALMOST 80, THERE'S PLENTY THE FIVE CAN TEACH US ABOUT LIVING LIFE MORE ADVENTUROUSLY DISCOVERS ROB HAGGAN

WEARING WELL • Stories of the clothes we love POLKA DOTS

TREASURE TINS • They may look modest, but within a collection of vintage tins Tanya Shadrick creates repositories of memories, each celebrating the places and people that mean the most to her

Red alert • WHO CARES HOW YOU PRONOUNCE TOMATO WHEN THEY’RE EASY TO GROW AND MAKE MORE TASTY DISHES THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A KETCHUP BOTTLE AT

GOOD THINGS • POSITIVE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Changing the world, one spin cycle at a time • AN OFF-GRID, PORTABLE WASHING MACHINE SAVES WOMEN TIME AND MAKES THE CHORE EASIER

EXCELLENT WOMEN • Faith and farming

MODERN ECCENTRICS The longboarders • IN A WORLD THAT CAN FEEL INCREASINGLY UNIFORM, WE’RE CELEBRATING THOSE HAPPILY DOING THINGS a bit differently. Meet the PEOPLE WHO ARE seriously PASSIONATE about their pastimes. PERHAPS THEY’LL PERSUADE YOU TO TRY something NEW?

SOMETHING BORROWED… • GROANING CUPBOARDS OF ‘STUFF’? BETTER A BORROWER THAN A BUYER BE, WITH NEW SERVICES LETTING YOU RENT ANYTHING, FROM CHILDREN’S TOYS TO FANCY BAGS

THE MAINE EVENT • Transport yourself to the rugged coastline of New England, where these three houses take inspiriation from its distinctive blend of pine forests, rocky shores and Shaker style

SHAKER MAKERS • We look back at the movers and the shakers who created this classic style

The secrets we keep • WE EACH HAVE MORE SECRETS THAN YOU MIGHT THINK. BUT IS IT BETTER TO KEEP THEM OR TO SHARE? MICHAEL SLEPIAN REVEALS WHY WE HIDE THINGS AND HOW IT AFFECTS US

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