Hope you’ve had a lovely couple of weeks.

This week, we are talking about CDs! Yep, you heard me right. I got a CD player over winter and I’ve never looked back. I will also be chatting about a Victorian mystery novel and earplugs for meerkats.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

Girl, Put Your Records On

I take my CD player off the shelf. It’s new, just a few months old, but designed to look much older, reminding me of the silver CD player I grew up with.

I take the CD from the stack. The cover is stunningly beautiful. I’ve listened to it so many times before, and yet every time it is still wonderful. For a while I listened to it electronically, but now, with a CD player back in my possession, selecting it and pressing play feels even more special.

I listen while I work, the music that is so familiar surrounding me, filling me with nostalgia. I am transported elsewhere until the familiar sound of a CD coming to a stop, bringing me back to reality.

Nothing beats a CD player.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

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What I’ve been reading

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Last week we were chatting about Bleak House being one of the first examples of detective fiction.

Now, if you want a full Victorian mystery, you should read The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins!

When the book’s protagonist, Walter Hartright, meets a eerie woman dressed all in white on a moonlit London Road, he is compelled to find out what is wrong with her.

This book combines gothic horror with psychological realism, making for a brilliant page-turning read still all these years later.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Victorian Fiction
📚 Mysteries and intrigue
📚 Gothic Horror

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know meerkats close their ears when they dig?

Meerkats have the ability to close their ears when digging their burrows, basically creating their own ear plugs to stop sand getting in!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you’ve had a lovely couple of weeks.

This week, it’s all about the simple joy of swimming when it’s hot. Alas, I don’t live near an outdoor pool, but am definitely making do with my wonderful local indoor one. We will also be chatting about one of the first books that began the detective novel genre, and many insect-biting teeth.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

Get in the pool

I walk from the bus stop. The weather today is already warm, but I’m thankful for the slight breeze, my swimsuit already warming under my clothing. It’s almost nine a.m. and I’m already sweaty.

I step through the reception, into the changing rooms, and head into the pool.

The pool is quiet today. Just a few other swimmers in here. The radio plays through the speakers, accompanying everyone doing their laps of swimming, walking or water-based exercises.

I put my towel on the side and sit on the poolside before dropping into my lane. The cool water hits me, and everything immediately feels better. I duck under the surface before putting on my goggles and begin my laps. The cool water is a tonic, an oasis even though its an indoor pool. My body feels free-er, looser, and I never want to leave.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

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What I’ve been reading

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

I’ve just finished my recent jigsaw puzzle which was Dickens themed, and was reminded of all of his amazing books, the ones I’ve read and the ones I never have too and should pick up!

Fancy reading a Dickens novel but unsure where to start?

One of my recommendations would actually be Bleak House. Yes, while it is one of the biggest if not the biggest, it is however an important stepping stone in the birth of detective fiction, one of the most widespread popular book genres today.

Centring around the court case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, drawing together a wide range of characters, including our sleuth, Inspector Bucket.

Without Bleak House, maybe we wouldn’t get so many amazing detective novels today!

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Epic novels
📚 Detective fiction
📚 Victorian classics

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know bat eared foxes have more teeth than all other foxes?

I was lucky enough at the weekend to see some gorgeous bat eared fox puppies at Africa Alive in Suffolk, so thought I’d dedicate this week’s fact to them!

While they are known for their huge ears, they also have more teeth than most placental mammals! This is because they need the extra assistance in tearing through the crunchy shells of their insect-based diet!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you’ve had a lovely couple of weeks.

This week, it’s all about exploring new places while running! I’ll also be chatting about a wonderful graphic novel, and bears with super noses.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

Webs of paths

I put on my running shoes, tie my laces and head out the door.

I’m running further now than before. It feels good (most of the time) but what it opens up more than anything is the chance to explore further. A chance to see where new paths go, and where well-known ones meet up with others, combining in a spiderweb of the local area I am slowly exploring.

There’s a joy in seeing different things I don’t reach on an average run or walk, new landscapes, new beautiful plants in new gardens, chances and glimpses into even further away routes I’m not quite ready for yet.

There are always new possibilities, and that is something very exciting.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

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What I’ve been reading

Lumberjanes by N.D. Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters and Gus Allen

Thinking about what book to write about and looking at my shelves, it’s reminded me I really should read more of Lumberjanes.

Lumberjanes is a series of graphic novels following five teenage girls at a summer camp trying to solve supernatural mysteries.

The art style is great and the characters are fantastic; what’s not to love?

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Graphic novels
📚 Quirky female friendships
📚 Supernatural adventures but not very spooky

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know the brown bear has a stronger sense of smell than a dog?

We all know dogs have an amazing sense of smell, but a brown bear’s is even better, at around 2100 x better than a human’s!

That’s a lot of smells to take in at once!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you’ve had a lovely couple of weeks.

This week, it’s all the patience of gardening. I’ll also be chatting about a Greek retelling from a few years ago, and hissing butterflies.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

Patience Results in a Red Hot Poker

Last year, we bought a red hot poker plant for the garden. It has thick green spiky leaves, and produces wonderful flowers like torches, a gradient of reds and yellows. They’re beautiful plants, and we thought it would make an excellent addition by the pond.

We placed it there in between two long grasses. While many of our plants have flowered straight away, or came to us already flourishing, all last summer we never saw any movement from the red hot poker plant. It was always alive, leaves looking healthy, but while the grasses beside it grew to double their original size at least, the poker plant stayed as it was.

I think we came to the conclusion that was how it would be. It was happy enough to be alive and sitting in its place, just didn’t want to flower.

But then, just a couple of weeks ago, we saw a flash of colour. A peachy red amongst the long grasses. And, lo and behold, there it was, blooming.

Gardening is never really about immediate results. Sometimes, the things that take the longest to flower end up sparking the most joy.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

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What I’ve been reading

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

I read this book a few years ago, but it is definitely worth a read.

This book is a retelling of the Theseus and the Minotaur myth. As a princesses of Crete, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grew up hearing the sound of hooves underneath the palace. The hooves belong to her brother, the Minotaur.

When Theseus arrives on the island as the annual sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love. But if she helps Theseus slay the minotaur, she betrays her family, country and potentially the gods. If she lets him go, she loses her chance of happiness.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Greek mythology
📚 Feminist retellings
📚 Historical fiction

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know peacock butterflies can hiss?

When a peacock butterfly is alarmed, they rub their wings together quickly, creating a hissing noise. When this hissing noise is paired with their large eyespot patterning, would-be predators turn away!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you’ve had a lovely couple of weeks. Our garden has played host these past couple of weeks to many fledgling sparrows, starlings, and even a goldfinch! Have you seen any newly out-of-the-nest birds where you are?

This week, are cozing up with night-time reading, something I haven’t done in too long. We also have a fun novel recommendation and a wonderful fact about swifts.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

Bedtime Reading

The bedside light glows. It’s a warmer light than the main bedroom one, welcoming me like an extra blanket.

I feel amongst the book sleeve on the bedside table (a piece of fabric that keeps any books safe when on the go) and pull out a childhood classic. I’m reading something else the rest of the time, but at night, I want to read something different.

I adored The Famous Five growing up. It was always one of my favourites, and we had a whole set of them, some new, some a bit older and passed down.

I tuck in under the duvet, open the book, and begin to read. Being back amongst the stories of some of the fictional children I grew up with feels like a hug. I’m there with them as they eat their picnics on the beach, or explore the castle on Kirrin Island. That childhood wonder never went away, but it feels even closer holding a book like this.

I don’t read for long, just enough to get ready for bed. It’s only five minutes or so, but in something like an old Enid Blyton book, that’s a couple of pages or even a chapter. Wherever I leave it, I know I can pick up on it again tomorrow, being whisked off to the seaside once more.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

The Shelf by Holly Acton

Amy is preparing to go on a mystery holiday, convinced her boyfriend is going to propose to her. Sure, he has faults, but Amy is ready for the next stage.

But, rather than the airport, the taxi takes her somewhere very different, being broken up in front of a nation on The Shelf, a new reality TV show. This new show follows a group of women who have just been dumped, with the show aiming to make them better girlfriends in the future.

But, through a series of humiliating challenges, Amy also comes to a realisation: is being ‘left on the shelf’ as bad as she once thought?

I listened to this book on audio, and loved it from start to finish. This book is full of wonderfully imperfect women you fall in love with, and pokes a satirical finger at the joys of reality TV.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Reality TV
📚 Female Friendships
📚 Light hearted reads

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know that swifts do press ups!

I think I did a swift fact last year, but when a species is so fascinating, how could I not talk about them more!

Swifts are wonderful birds that live all of their life in the air, except when nesting. This means that, unlike when normal fledglings leave the nest and hop about for awhile, swifts will be straight up into the air, not landing until they have their own nests.

So, to prepare themselves for being airbourne, from one month old, baby swifts start doing press-ups on their wings! This helps develop their muscles and strength to be the best swifts they can be.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you’ve had a lovely couple of weeks. Sitting here writing this I’m looking at the gorgeous wild rose that is now in full bloom in the corner of our garden. There are too many bright pink blooms to count but it’s truly wonderful. I hope you too are appreciating the small little details around you, particularly with so many flowers and wildlife now out and about!

This week, it’s all about a quiet afternoon of painting on the Bank Holiday. I’ll also be chatting about a buzzy book from a few years ago I finally read, and bunny poop. Yep, you read that right.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

Painting away

We unpack the kit and sit around the dining room table. We fill cups with water, and choose our canvases, each with outlines of a pattern ready to go. As people who paint outside of this pack, we don’t need these outlines, but having them is also a fun challenge, seeing what colours we will pick to still make our paintings truly us.

We begin to paint, choosing from the ample pots across the table, deciding the colours that will make up our pieces, and the size brushes we want to use.

It is quiet and peaceful. We chat about anything and sing the usual theme songs that get stuck in our head when we are together. After a while, we realise this is the first time we have all painted in the same location, rather than painting simultaneously and talking via video call. This marks this event as particularly special.

Our brushes glide across the canvas, delicately staying inside the lines as the pictures come to life in front of us. We move to the next colour and the next, making generic canvases personal with our own distinct choices.

When two of us finish, we play Top Trumps while waiting for the other. Soon, we are all done, it’s time to admire our little artworks and go get an ice lolly.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

June and Athena were coursemates on Yale’s prestigious creative writing programme. Now, Athena is critically acclaimed while June struggles to make anything of her writing.

When Athena suddenly passes away, June finds Athena’s first draft of her next manuscript and takes it. Surely, Athena would want her to finish it, right? Even if she sold it as her own…

I have been waiting to read this book for ages. As a writer myself, I love reading anything about the literary world, and this was compulsive reading. Together, we watch June make more and more unwise decisions: but will she be found out?

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Books about writers and publishing
📚 Books about race and diversity
📚 Compulsive reads you can’t look away from

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know rabbits eat their own poop?

Yep, it’s true! I learnt this while working for a client yesterday and I am now fascinated!

Rabbits have a unique digestive system, meaning they produce two kinds of poop. One is what we would typically think of as their droppings, whereas the others are called cecotropes. Cecotropes are nutrient filled packages that ensure rabbits get more goodness out of their food by eating it again.

Guinea pigs, mice and hamsters also do this nifty trick!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you’ve had a lovely couple of weeks. Our garden is now filled with wildflowers a plenty, and the butterflies are definitely starting to emerge. On my way out the door yesterday, I also saw our house has a new resident in the form of a solitary bee in the brickwork mortar, laying its egg! A brilliant thing to see.

This week we are talking about the simple joy of a printed photo. I also have an excellent coastal cosy book recommendation, and a fun fact about accented birds.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

Surround me with photos

I love photos. Of course, I love photography, but capturing a moment in time in an image is something so special. And, part of that specialness is then printing them out.

I choose the photos I’m after, recent memories from wonderful days out. Right now, they’re in the sea of pixels, available if I go look for them, but not accompanying me day to day.

I go to Boots just as I always have done, choose what I want, and wait for them to come out of the printer below. There’s an excitement to seeing these familiar sights finally in full right in front of me, the colours feeling brighter as I hold them in my hands. I bring them home. I’ve printed smaller ones to fit above my desk, printed like they’ve come out of a photo booth, and larger ones ready to frame.

Now, whenever I glance over, I can see them accompanying me, happy silly moments with people I love, a wonderful reminder when I need it most. There’s nothing the same as being greeted everyday by photos of the people you love.

Why not have a look through your favourite photos this week, and maybe even print a few new ones off?

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

I found ‘The Burnout’ from browsing the Borrowbox app (free audiobooks from your library!) and I’m so glad I did. The story follows Sasha, an overworked burnt out employee who hits breaking point, tries to join a convent and then bangs into a wall running away from a colleague. She is given leave for a few weeks and heads to Royston Bay, the beloved home of family seaside holidays growing up. Now, the once grand hotel is run down and it’s February, but Sasha is committed to following a wellness plan to try and feel better.

But, when mysterious messages start appearing on the beach, her and another burnt out guest, Finn, are drawn into decoding them, and each other.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 British seaside towns
📚 Quirky ‘small town’ characters
📚 Surfing

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know chaffinches have regional accents?

These beautiful common garden birds are a familiar sight to many, but it has been found that their song differs slightly across the country, just like our local accents!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hello! Hope you’ve all had a good couple of weeks!

This week, we are heading out to a café to do some writing! Yes, it’s time to be very cliché, but it’s lovely, so there. There’s also a wonderfully cosy fantasy to discuss, and self-blinding speedy beetles: you don’t want to miss that.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

It’s a cliché for a reason

I head up the stairs, through the books, and into the café. There is a pleasing calm here, the calm quiet nature of a bookshop but accompanied with the clink of crockery and the hiss of the coffee machine.

I peruse the options, looking at all the cakes in a row and snacks in the shelf underneath. Choice made, I order a tea to accompany it, collecting all my items on a small round tray. The little teapot glints in the café lights.

Around the corner is nook, a set of table by the stairs obscured from the rest of the café. I place the tray on the far table, decant my snack of choice, the teapot, teacup and milk jug, and then head to my bag to pick out my notebook and pen. It’s almost ritualistic, placing each object slowly onto the table, creating the layout to begin to write.

Often, the writing is a struggle at first. Those first few words, even in the wonderful writerly setting still don’t want to get on the page. I look at the books on the shelves in front of me and wonder how they were made. But then, after a few moments and a few awful sentences, the writing can begin. The novel comes into the forefront of my brain, the words flow, and problems I’ve been struggling with in the work begin to solve. Ideas for future sections of the rewrite also come to me, alongside areas for more research.

Writing brings a sense of calm, pinpricked with curiosity and excitement. It’s the feeling of pen on page, something I adore time and time again.

What can I say, bookshops are indeed a magical place to write.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

This is a book I got for Christmas, but have had my eye on for quite a while. And, what can I say, it did not disappoint.

Emily Wilde is an grumpy young academic of dryadology (the study of fae, known as Folk) at Cambridge. She heads to Ljosland with her dog Shadow on her latest research trip, wanting to compile a section on their folklore to complete her biggest work: the first Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

After a few days, her solitude is broken by the arrival of her friend and higher academic Wendell Brambleby. But, in this wintery environment, while discovering the secrets of the Hidden Folk, Emily suspects more and more that Wendell is not exactly who he says he is…

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Cosy fantasy
📚 Fae and Faeries
📚 Grumpy romance

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know the Australian Tiger Beetle gives itself temporary blindness at high speeds?

So I learnt this fact yesterday and I needed to share it!

The Australian Tiger beetle is the fastest insect in the world, covering up to 5.6 miles an hour (120 body lengths a second).

However, due to those high speeds, its eyes cannot process the light quick enough, leading to a temporary blindness when moving that quick chasing prey. To combat this, they stop regularly, allowing their vision to return.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hello! Hope you’ve all had a good couple of weeks!

The garden is completely springing into life now. Our little rowan, the picture on the last newsletter from just a couple of weeks ago is now full of leaves and is creating its own mini canopy! Our wildflower meadow is also starting to take shape once again and our acer, a small red Japanese tree, is unfurling its leaves once again. The new bushes we have planted are also attracting visitors, and we have seen a goldfinch multiple times balancing on the stalks.

This week, we are sticking in the garden with our big glassy project: the greenhouse. We will also be chatting about an awesome page turner of a book, and talking about rooks who have worked out how to get into our heavier suet feeder and just help themselves to the contents.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

A Giant Meccano Set

We buy the greenhouse in autumn, a new project for our project-filled garden. Checking each piece is there, we then remove paving from the patio, place in the base and concrete it in.

And then we wait through the winter, the pile of pieces clear from the kitchen, willing us to build but needing to wait for nicer weather.

Then, finally, spring arrives and it’s time. With some very helpful assistants (thank you Mum and Dad!) we begin to build. The instruction manual is decoded and we figure out each step, screwing metal together until pieces becomes a side, a wall, a structure. Then, a couple of weeks later, we return again, and the glass is added, the structure becoming a house. It glints in the sun and we look at it proudly.

This new little land has now been created, ready for new plants to make it their home.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

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What I’ve been reading

Mrs March by Virginia Feito

This book is one that stands out from the crowd. It follows a woman in Upper East Side New York known simply as ‘Mrs March’, married to an incredibly successful novelist. However, when she goes on her morning visit to the local bakery, the shopkeeper assumes that the unflattering protagonist of her husband’s new novel is based on her. She becomes more and more paranoid, questioning what she believes in herself and her husband’s relationship more and more is revealed.

This book is truly

like no other.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 ‘Weird’ women narratives
📚 Society snobbery
📚 Compulsive page turners

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know that rooks are known to work on their own pest control?

These incredibly intelligent corvids are something we are very lucky to have in our garden over recent weeks, spending time with our resident jackdaws. But apparently rooks are also known to engage in ‘anting’, essentially rubbing ants on themselves through their feathers as pest control!

Also, bonus fact, rookeries can be home to colonies of rooks in the same place for centuries!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hello! Hope you’ve all had a good couple of weeks!

In just over 2 years, we have made it to this rather wonderful milestone of 50 newsletters! A huge thank you to everyone who has joined me on this journey so far and continues to enjoy reading.

This week we are heading back to the garden, talking about a book centring around a grand game and talking about bee wolves!

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

Garden Time!

The garden is coming alive once again.

As the weather brightens, so does the garden. Plants are appearing in shoots of green, hidden gems remerging after the winter, surprises for us to find and remember what they are. The clematis, cut back over winter is now climbing up the trellis of the bench, and buds are beginning to form, ready to flower. Our rowan sapling too is starting to produce its first full leaves, something we await with anticipation.

It’s not just the plant life, but the birds too. We have had a steady stream of birds all year round, particularly our resident sparrow family, but our insane number of corvids have also now returned alongside the iridescent starlings. We even have seen up to 3 rooks in the garden at once, huge gorgeous creatures that make jackdaws look tiny, but similarly like working out how to get as much suet ball out of the feeders as possible by lifting the lid.

And, in the pond, the watery depths give way to small signs of inhabitants. Pond snails slowly glide across the pebbles, and when sitting on the bench, I see a damselfly nymph sunbathing in the shallows.

Our own mini land, ready to blossom.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

At Montverre, there’s an exclusive academy dedicated to the art of the grand jeu, a mysterious ancient contest. Leo entered the academy with lofty ambitions of winning this great game but quickly becomes tense rivals with Carfax. As their rivalry grows, tragedy is not far away.

Many years later, Leo returns to the academy and connects with the new Magister Ludi. But not all is what it seems.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Books about games
📚 Multiple timelines
📚 Dark academia

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know that bee wolfs create their own preservatives?

Bee wolfs are an incredible species of bee, a solitary bee that lives in burrows in sand dunes and heathland. As the name suggests, these bees are predatory and the females kill honey bees to lay their egg on, before closing up the cavern.

However, when the bee is taken back to their burrow, the bee wolf secretes a chemical, preventing dangerous fungi bacteria from growing on the food she has left for the larva. Furthermore, the egg itself releases a gas which also stops the growth of potentially dangerous fungi!

Learn more about these amazing bees via The Wildlife Trusts website.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hello! Hope you’ve all had a good couple of weeks!

I’ve been loving seeing the amount of spring wild colour appearing around here in gardens, parks and woodlands. Parkrun currently has part of its route through a whole avenue of blossom trees which is making an incline much more enjoyable, magnolias are beginning to bud and bloom in gardens I pass on my walks and on the bus and daffodils and narcissi are everywhere. Our own garden as well is full of new shoots, a fun treasure trove of things we planted last year or the year before and who are now returning.

This week we are getting a little cosy with the small joy of a new comfy chair, recommending a beautiful graphic novel and talking about the brains of manta rays.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕☕

Time for a sit down

It arrives early in the morning, a giant cardboard box filled with anticipation. I open it up, take each bit up two flights of stairs and into the loft space, aka now my little office. I painted the desk a bright sea blue last summer, the drawers each pink, orange or yellow. The rest of the new furniture waits patiently to receive the same treatment. Light floods in through the skylights and the room is coming together, but it needs some softness.

The put the chair together quickly. I screw each leg in, seeing it take shape. Legs on, I stand it up, and slide in the back before positioning it up the corner by one of the sky lights. The chair looks even better than I hoped. I take a seat, and feel cuddled by the velvet.

What a difference one chair can make.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung

I have had this book for years and, every time I see it on my shelf, I get a warm feeling inside.

This graphic novel is filled with short monochrome comics following Tung’s journey from college to adulthood as she learns to navigate social occasions and thrive as an introvert.

This book is heartwarming, sensitive and perfect for any other introverts, or simply people that like quiet moments in their busy lives.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Graphic novels
📚 Coming of age stories
📚 ‘Quiet’ narratives

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know that Manta Rays can recognise themselves in the mirror?

With Manta Rays reaching up to seven metres in width, it shouldn’t be surprising that they also have the biggest brains of any fish! These gentle giants are incredibly curious creatures, and have the ability to self-recognise in the mirror test, a skill only achievable by a few animals such as elephants, apes and dolphins.

Bonus fact: each Manta Ray also has a unique spot pattern, their equivalent of fingerprints!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hello! Hope you’ve all had a good couple of weeks!

Spring seems to be finally here! The birds in the garden are in a nest building frenzy and the daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses are looking stunning in the countryside nearby.

This week, we are off on a woodland walk, before a chat about a brilliant Japanese crime novel, before we talk about wolverine teeth! Another classic Mel combination!

So, let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

Into the woodland

Wrapped up, walking boots on: it’s time for an adventure.

There’s a cool breeze in the air, but there’s also an underlying current of spring and the woodland feels alive. Great tits and blue tits dart amongst the undergrowth, while robins settle on branches and sing only a few metres from us.

We head uphill, picking whichever route takes our fancy. The ground squishes under foot, and we jump across mud patches. We ascend giant rock staircases, passing boulders covered in moss. Streams trickle through the rocks, heading down the hillside. It is wonderful to be here, to be outside and taking the path less travelled, somewhere that means so much to me and yet I haven’t been to in far too long.

From the top, we look out at the fields, woodland and moors beyond. The sun glints off the hilltop in a distant valley.

This is where I want to be.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

Murder at the Black Cat Café by Seishi Yokomizo

Murder at the Black Cat Cafe is an excellent classic crime book from the Agatha Christie of Japan. The book contains two stories, one following the discovery of a body where the face is completely disfigured (as the book terms it, a ‘faceless corpse’ mystery) and another mystery in a family home told through letters from a sister to her brother in a sanatorium.

Compelling and completely aware of its genre, both stories really draw you into the mystery as you try and place the puzzle pieces together to figure out what has happened.

If you love Poirot and Marple, read this book.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Classic crime
📚 Japanese fiction
📚 Mysteries to try and solve

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know that wolverines have a special configuration of teeth to help them eat frozen food?

Wolverines, like other mustelids (e.g. pine martens), have upper back molars that are rotated 90 degrees into the inside of the mouth. This gives them the perfect adaptation for tearing off meat from prey or carrion that has been frozen!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hello! Hope you’ve all had a good couple of weeks!

This week’s newsletter is all about visiting museums and exhibitions. Whether they’re big or small, it’s something I often seek out, having seen a couple of great exhibitions recently (I’ll put links later on).

We will also today be talking about a book full of Hollywood magic, and a fun fact about a UK woodland bird.

So, let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

It belongs in a museum!

I love a museum, exhibition or gallery.

You step inside, and there’s this quiet anticipation before you adventure through the exhibits, a moment where you wonder what you will discover.

Often, the rooms are dimly lit, and your eyes take a while to adjust to the new world of objects around you. You follow the narrative of the exhibit, learning about something big or small, livelihoods based around local rivers or costumes from productions. You look at each object in turn, reading the placard. This builds up the story of the exhibition, but also the story of that one object. You see every detail, every thread, think about everyone who touched that book or tool, unaware that one day it would be right here.

Whatever kind of exhibition, whether you planned to see it or find it on your travels, you leave full of inspiration, ready to spread the knowledge you have learnt, or use it for creating stories of your own.

A couple of great free exhibitions I would highly recommend from recent trips!

The Leen: Nottingham’s River, Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham - Drawing on local archives, this exhibition puts the spotlight on the often overlooked River Leen, telling us about its historical interventions and its legacies today.

The Play’s The Thing, Swan Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon - This exhibition offers an incredible insight into theatre production at the Royal Shakespeare Company, including stunning costumes and interactive exhibits everyone will enjoy!

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber

I’ve always loved Garber’s YA books, and they’ve been talked about multiple times in this newsletter over the years, including Caraval.

So, when she announced she was releasing her first book for adults, I was very excited to dive in.

Set in modern day Los Angeles, we follow Holland, who is obsessed with her secretive classes on Hollywood Folklore. However, when bits of the folklore start to become more real, will the magic she has always craved in her life be something she wishes she had never been a part of?

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Fantasies set in modern day settings
📚 Hollywood magic
📚 Morally grey characters

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know nuthatches are the only UK bird to be able to climb headfirst down treetrunks?

These wonderful blue birds are beautiful to look at, and also perfectly adapted to their woodland environment. During winter, they also hide nuts and seeds in the gaps on trees to eat later, their hacking at these nuts to get them back being thought to be how they got their name!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you have all had a lovely couple of weeks!

On a walk at the weekend, I saw my first snowdrops of the year beginning to emerge! Fun bonus fact for you all I also learnt this week: snowdrops contain a natural antifreeze, helping ice crystals now to form on them while in snowy and icy conditions!

This week’s newsletter is all about some cooking fun! We also have a fun bird book and a mind-boggling fact about jellyfish. You’re welcome.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

Welcome to the kitchen cauldron

Following a recipe is a satisfying process. My confidence is beginning to grow in the kitchen, and I am becoming more adventurous with my makes, but that’s all due to the joys of a recipe.

Whether it’s a new recipe or a cherished family one, these words create memories in food form. Sweet or savoury, these pieces of paper allow you to take humble ingredients and create something special.

We pick recipes that interest us, acquire ingredients until the fridge is filled with familiar and more unusual ingredients, including of course many different cheeses. When it’s time, I pick out what I need and chop, weigh and prepare everything, creating small piles and bowls ready to go, like I’m in my very own cookery show.

Then the alchemy begins. The pan is the cauldron, turning ingredients into sauces and dishes in front of my eyes. Other times, doughs come together and chill in the fridge, ready to be moulded.

From curries to custard creams, we can create it all.

When the dish is ready, we taste and enjoy, creating pointers for next time but with a side order of pride.

Bon appetit.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

Birdwatchingwatching by Alex Horne

Before Taskmaster, Alex Horne wrote a few books, and this is one of them.

Alex challenges his birdwatching Dad to take part in the Big Year: a competition to see who can see the most birds between 1st January and 31st December. Issue is, Alex is not a birdwatcher.

The book follows Alex’s birdwatching exploits throughout the year, alongside conversations him and his Dad’s father-son relationship, with particular focus on Alex being about to become a father himself.

As a birdwatcher and lover of all things Taskmaster and Horne Section, this book was fantastic for me, but I feel has a much wider appeal too.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Alex Horne’s trademark slightly-surreal style
📚 Birds
📚 Non-fiction centred around familial relationships

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know some jellyfish are immortal?

The well-named immortal jellyfish, alongside at least five other jellyfish species, basically have the ability to hit rewind when they die. When the main ‘medusa’ jellyfish dies, it shrinks into itself, becoming a blob of cells or polyp. This group of cells then can begin life again. Think of it like part of a butterfly going back to being a caterpillar before starting the life cycle again.

You can learn more about these incredible tiny jellyfish and their regenerations process via the Natural History Museum website.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you have all had a lovely couple of weeks!

Reminder, it’s the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend! Running Friday to Sunday, all you need to do to take part in one of the biggest citizen science projects every is watch the birds in your garden for an hour and count the number of birds you see at any one time. The perfect weekend activity with a cuppa, I’d say!

More info can be found on the RSPB website.

Back to the newsletter, this week we will be discussing one of my favourite nerdy hobbies - board games! We will also be chatting about an excellent gothic thriller and fun facts about a wonderful bird who we have somehow seen a couple of times now in the garden - a greater spotted woodpecker!

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

Let’s Play!

We sit around the table at home, a cabin or a café, watching the lid being prised off the chosen box. Whether it’s an old classic, or something completely new, the feeling is always the same: a mix of excitement and anticipation.

The pieces are distributed and we marvel at the art of the beautifully crafted tokens or cards, illustrating the world of the game that will be our home for the next while or so. We could be building a town, hatching fish or gaining properties around the board. The box itself is also often filled with memories, brought back when it comes out of the drawer: of first games, most recent games, or the time when someone did something funny.

When we start to play, of course I want to win, but it’s about so much more than that. It’s the togetherness with others that I love the most, laughing around the table and enjoying that experience together, transported to somewhere new.

When the game has been played, there is only ever one question: “What shall we play next?”

If you’d like to get those around you into board games, I wrote an article on great ways to get friends and family into gaming on Zatu Games’ blog: read it here.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is the second of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, but the story stands alone. This tale follow David, a writer building his career by writing sensationalist novels in early twentieth century Barcelona. However, when he buys an abandoned tower in the heart of Barcelona and falls ill, he makes a deal with a secret publishing admirer that changes the course of his life.

A mix of gothic fiction, thriller and hints of the supernatural, this novel wouldn’t feel out of place being written in the Victorian era in the best possible way.

If you want a chunky narrative to lose yourself in in the colder months, this could be the one for you.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Dickensian-style sweeping narratives
📚 Gothic fiction
📚 Fiction where lots is left unsaid - you decide what is really happening

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know that a woodpecker’s tongue is so longue it has to wrap around its skull when not being used?

Woodpeckers, as their name suggests, hammer the bark of trees to feast on insects and beetle larvae among other things. However, this task needs an incredibly long tongue, which can’t just sit in the mouth. That means it curls around behind their skull when not in use!

An extra fun fact, woodpeckers have been studied by scientists to help improve protective helmets for humans, trying to learn from a woodpecker’s shock-absorbing skull!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

Hope you have all had a lovely couple of weeks and festive break, however you chose to spend it.

This week, I can’t not right about the gorgeous flurry of snow we had at the weekend. I will also be chatting about a brilliant book about bookshops, and fun facts about an incredible Arctic creature.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

Soft White Blanket

We hurry to the door, bundled in big coats, hats and scarves. The cold hits as soon as the door opens, a stark contrast to the warm inside.

I savour the crunch of snow under foot, watch the footprints we leave behind. I come off the path and walk on the grass, watching my boots sink further in the thicker snow.

We make snow clumps with our hands, see that it holds well in its new shape, and then roll it through the thicker snow, watching it grow as it rolls, and admiring the little trails the snow ball leaves behind. My hands tingle and numb but I don’t care, happy to be creating this new resident.

We are only making a small friend for the patio today so are soon ready to place our snowballs together. Foliage is then collected from the abundant plants around the garden: a long frond for the nose, the crunchy centres of old blooms now reused for eyes. We marvel at our new friend and then hurry back inside to the warmth and, soon, a lovely cup of tea.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell

If you love books, or even if you don’t, there’s nothing like the feeling of a good bookshop. These sanctuaries mean so much to so many and, if you’re looking for some new ones to visit, or simply want to enjoy them from the comfort of your sofa, The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell is exactly what you need.

Jen talks about bookshops not only across the country, but further afield as well, sharing her memories, their stories and of course, an infectious love of books. There are also lots of photos so you can see them for yourselves, from books on barges to the famous Shakespeare and Company in Paris.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Books and bookshops
📚 Exploring new places
📚 Cosy non-fiction

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know Walruses can doze underwater?

Walruses when foraging for food can often be left near places with no land or ice to sleep on.

This means they have evolved to have something called: ‘pharyngeal pouches’. These pouches are air sacs on their throats and, when necessary, inflate like pillows. Once they contain 50 litres of air, the walrus can nap in a vertical position, safe from drowning even below the water!

Also, their Latin name is ‘Odobenus Rosmanus’, which literally translates to ‘tooth-walking sea horse’. You’re welcome.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

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Just a little note from me to say I hope you all have a wonderful festive break and thank you for supporting this little newsletter over the past year, whether you’re a long time reader or have found me just a few months ago.

Whether you’re having a big ol’meet up or something a bit quieter, I hope you have a fabulous time, however you choose to spend it.

And keep enjoying those little things!

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Hope you have all had a lovely couple of weeks! It is somehow now December and everything is just a little bit more Christmassy - my walks, runs and trips on the bus have become a great way of decoration spotting.

This week in The Little Things we are talking about something else small - yep, we are talking about tapas! We will also be chatting about an incredible memoir and a bird fact which may just become your go-to fun fact.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

The Little Things Meets Little Dishes

There are some meals which become tradition over time. Whether it’s family recipes on certain days of the weeks, or typical orders at restaurants, they become part of our lives and filled with little sparks of joy and memory.

A more recent addition to my own list is tapas with friends.

We browse the menu, debating options, ensuring a spread of flavours and ingredients across dishes, a mix of old favourites and new dishes to try. There is an anticipation while we wait for the order to arrive, and then we see them, small ceramic dishes presented on thick wooden boards.

This is our very own banquet. Crispy potatoes on a bed of tomato sauce and topped with aioli, chicken wings coated in sticky barbecue sauce. Cubes of fried salty cheese with a chilli kick, pulled pork enchiladas dripping with sauce and melted cheese. There’s even a small pot of chilli, waiting for us to tuck in, and nachos, doused in cheese, guacamole and strips of slippery pickled pink onion.

Flitting between dishes, we begin to taste, urging each other to try the dishes we haven’t got round to yet. There’s no order, just picking up mouthfuls and then darting to the next, savouring each little moment.

Soon, our dishes are cleared. Heading back out into the winter evening, bellies full, we are already thinking about the next tapas trip.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

Stone Lands: A Journey of Darkness and Light Through Britain’s Ancient Places by Fiona Robertson

A self-confessed monolith enthusiast, Fiona Robertson loves nothing more than trekking through fields to seek out standing stones. But, when her husband is diagnosed with cancer, she begins writing a book about them, realising that the stones mean even more to her than they ever did before.

This memoir weaves across the country, telling us all about the history and folklore of our standing stones alongside her own memories of visiting them over her life. While she fights her own battles with grief, maybe these prehistoric stones can teach her just what she needs to hear in her own journey between darkness and light.

This unique book is heartfelt, poignant, and will make you want to trek to your nearest standing stones immediately.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Memoirs, particularly those dealing with grief
📚 Megaliths and the British countryside
📚 Books with beautiful illustrations and maps

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Ever wondered why birds knees are backwards?

Well, they’re not!

In actual fact, the part of the leg we see as their knee is actually their ankle, with the knee being further up the leg, nestled amongst their feathers.

What we think of as a bird’s lower leg below the joint is actually the tarsometatarsus, a fusion of bone from ankle to foot, an anatomical feature only seen in birds and some dinosaurs.

This also means that, with such a large foot, birds only ever walk on their toes!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

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Hope you have all had a lovely couple of weeks! I’m currently writing this looking out at blue skies and a gorgeous layer of frost that has dusted everything this morning - anyone else think that frost always feels a bit magical?

Anyway, this week, we are talking about finally going to Parkrun, as well as a super cosy book and a fun fact about gorgeous pine martens.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

It’s Parkrun Time

I wake up early on a Saturday. I am groggy, tempted back by the duvet, but I put my running gear on, eat, drink and head out of the door.

My brain clears as I go outside. At this quieter period of the day, the streets are still waking up too. I hear the birds more clearly and notice the smaller details of fallen leaves or glinting puddles along the way. I see a couple of dog walkers then, as I head into the park, more and more runners emerge.

Rather than the intimidating mass of people I was worried about when I first went, I stand by my time and feel like I’m part of something. There are people of every age here and as cliché as it is, it is immediately clear that everyone is welcome. Some people know each other and catch up while on the starting line, a chance to meet up and do something together. Others are also on their own like me, stretching and waiting patiently. I often message my other runner friends after the race finishes, connected by us doing a Parkrun all in different locations across the country.

We begin and, living slightly further from the park now, running around it feels like I’m catching up with an old friend. I love seeing how it changes as the seasons progress, a place where people come together regardless of time of year. I find my place in the group, overtaking when needed, enjoying just being out and moving my body.

When I reach the finish, I feel sense of small accomplishment. I take a moment then head back home, brain less scrambled and ready for the rest of the day ahead.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

A Patchwork Family by Cathy Bramley

Sometimes books have a habit of just coming into your life and introducing you to a completely new author and genre. This is the case with A Patchwork Family by Cathy Bramley a few years ago. Before then, I hadn’t really delved into more cosy romance books, but now I love it!

A Patchwork Family follows Gina who runs a thriving childminding business from her cottage. The cottage is at the edge of the Evergreens, a large Victorian home to three elderly residents who Gina and the kids she looks after love. When the residents face eviction, Gina knows she has to help them. But fighting for her home, family and business will be tough, particularly when romance finds its way in…

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Cosy romances
📚 Intergenerational friendships
📚 Books set in small communities

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know pine martens twist in the air like cats to protect themselves?

Pine Martens are a gorgeous species that live in UK woodlands, and the focus of many reintroduction programmes.

These agile tree dwelling creatures are equipped with long bushy tails for balance, making them perfect tree climbers. However, if they fall, they twist their bodies just like cats do, meaning they land on all fours and can carry on climbing!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!

Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️

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Hope you have all had a cosy couple of weeks! I’ve just seen a robin right outside the window so that was a lovely start to my day writing this.

This week, we are delving into one of the season’s top cosy treats, before discussing a wonderfully witchy book and finally a wonderful fact about one of our closest relatives, the orangutan.

Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕

Decadent Chocolatey Goodness

As soon as autumn hits, there’s a drink I want above all else.

It’s time for a hot chocolate.

We make them on a cosy Sunday afternoon, heating milk before choosing the flavour we want today. We have a range sitting proudly on our shelves, but orange is today’s standout choice. Measuring the powder into the cups, we wait patiently, gathering the other ingredients we need for this truly magical potion.

When the milk is poured in, steam rises in wisps. Stirring vigorously, the milk and powder combine and the chocolate orange scent begins to waft from the cups, making our mouths water.

It is then time for the toppings. We create a pillow of cream, and then add pieces of marshmallow and a few chocolate chips left over from baking; the first homemade hot chocolate of the season deserves to be extra decadent.

We top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and then drink them on the sofa under blankets, savouring this warm hug for the soul.

What little things are you enjoying?

I want to hear from you!

It could be anything, from something you saw on a walk, to that great cake you had, to that amazing book you need to tell everyone about!

If you’d like to share yours, then comment below or send me a message!

Can’t wait to see what you all are enjoying!

Leave a comment

What I’ve been reading

The Burial Witch by Cari Thomas

This incredible novella is the latest in the Threadneedle series, a collection of novels and novellas following a group of witches in modern day London (that I have talked about many times before because I just love them so sorry for anyone who doesn’t!).

The Burial Witch follows Miranda, the obsessive perfectionist who is always striving to be the perfect daughter. However, in the summer before she starts sixth form (and before the events of the rest of the series), she discovers an unopenable box amongst her grandma’s possessions in the attic, and Miranda’s summer takes a very different turn.

These side novellas are a great chance to dive into the background of one of the main series’ secondary characters, or stand alone if you just want a quick fantasy fix.

Perfect for fans of:

📚 Witch lit
📚 Novellas
📚 Teenage protagonists

And finally….a weird animal fact!

Did you know orangutans make nests every night to sleep in?

When you’re the largest tree-dwelling mammal, it’s probably quite difficult to get comfortable. However, orangutans have found a solution and make their own nests from twigs and branches. While sometimes they use old nests, they also make new ones, which only take 10-15 minutes to create!

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