The Simple Things is a gentle time-out, comfy chair, hot chocolate, cat in lap kind of read. Really, it does not feel quite right to not be reading it in front of a toasty fire on a quiet Sunday when himself has taken the kids to visit Grandma, or perhaps snuggled in bed on a frosty morning with coffee and croissants. It’s a treat, an indulgence. Launched last September it has become one of my anticipated treats each month (there are 13 issues each year).
In their words:
It’s about slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and making simple food for friendly gatherings. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage in thrift shops, and decorate our home with the plunder.
And we like to think that the small things we do will make a difference in the long run – whether that’s making, upcycling, growing, cooking, entertaining, escaping or relaxing.
Highlights in the January issue include:
- Making homemade pasta and expert chef Guiseppe Sinaguglia sharing his pasta know-how.
- Try pinhole photography: you’ll be amazed!
- Be wowed by the unlikely beauty of vintage typewriter ribbon tins (on my list for vintage hunting now).
- Discover the pleasures of keeping chickens: fresh eggs are only half the story…
- Care for garden birds.
- Make a gorgeous paper candle shade.
- and all kinds of other readable pieces
You can get a feel for the magazine here.
I wasn’t too sure about it when I bought the first issue. Probably because I was expecting something quite different, more of a “how-to vintage” kind of thing – I don’t know why. The offer of 3 months for £5 tempted me though, and we’ve settled down together nicely. I saved Issue 4 for a January read and meander after the excitement of Christmas, and I do believe I’ll keep subscribing.
