May Scrapbook Special Edition

We were INSPIRED when it came to making our new May issue. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that. You’ve been telling us (and we love to hear it) that The Simple Things offers some respite from stress, worry and boredom during this difficult time, so we set ourselves the task to fill the magazine with even more comfort, calm and cheer than usual. It’s a homemade scrapbook of our best work and favourite features that we think will help right now. And it is literally homemade, edited and designed by the team from our kitchen tables, sofas and bedrooms.

So what’s inside? Here’s a list that might tick your boxes…

Storecupboard cooking

Garden wildlife

Baking bread

Veg patch advice

Crafternoons

Ways to feel better

Bedtime stories

Plenty of Ideas for slowing down, enjoying what you have and making the most of where you live.
PLUS A 12-page compendium of puzzles, games, amazing facts and forgotten wisdom.

Our May Scrapbook Edition is available now for pre-order to be sent out from Monday 27 April, so you’ll get it delivered to your door before it officially goes on sale. We hope you enjoy it.

Nourish | October cover reveal

When all around is setting seed and shutting up shop for the dark months ahead, it’s tempting to follow nature’s lead and hunker down too. But look at what else this month offers – spectacular colours to inspire redecorating, fun in the form of spooky stories, and a harvest rich in fruit, nuts and vibrant squashes. Time to spend a busy afternoon in a steamed-up kitchen as the light fades. Self-care in autumn means nourishing your mind and body by looking out rather than in. And possibly buying a pair of new boots...

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Restore | September cover reveal

There’s an energy

that arrives with September; an urge to learn, to make, to buy but also to restore order after a laissez-faire summer. The satisfaction of a job well done can cheer up any chore and brings a chance to enjoy favourite parts of your home at their best. Take time, too, to appreciate the lingering season before autumn proper. It’s a month for outdoor swimming; harvesting peppers, chillies and tomatoes; long walks and weekends away. Restorative quiet never felt so good.

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Savour | August cover reveal

August is the slowest month, a chance to recharge. At home there are early finishes and afternoons spent idling, while being away brings its own r&r. A river picnic is something to savour – picking blackberries and eating ice-cream, too. Long car trips are rarely a pleasure but here also is a chance to embrace slow: leaving the motorway to explore, playing silly car games, or driving a camper van just for the joy of it. Savouring summer can involve making a journey in more ways than one.

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Discover | July cover reveal

Not everyone likes surprises, but we can all appreciate a new discovery. It might mean visiting
a new city or opening your eyes to outdoor art but simpler pleasures too, like trying a new author or an all-veggie barbecue. There are also unexpected treasures to seek out within yourself; hone your sixth sense, learn outdoor skills, become a more mindful gardener. You could start this voyage by taking every meal you can outdoors, then watch and wait as nature creates patterns before your very eyes. A month of adventure awaits.

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Dream | June cover reveal

Dare to dream and who knows where it could lead you. Midsummer garden nights are alive with magical possibilities. Lights twinkling in trees, maybe a glass of something, old friends for sure, and a golden hour at hand. But, though we can create a space for for magic, only you can make it happen. And it comes in many forms; helping nature to return after a long absence, breathing life into an old cinema; weaving words to tell the shortest of stories. It’s there in your imagination, just waiting to be set free.

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Bloom | May cover reveal

You’ve got to love a long weekend. That extra (sunny) day is alive with possibility. Will you gather friends and family around a table, cycle on country lanes between spring hedgerows in bloom, or escape for a few days in a woodland retreat? Let your projects blossom and grow – making plans is part of the fun. But don’t forget to leave time for the little things, too; there’s pleasure to be had from watching washing flap in the breeze or noticing a caterpillar wiggle up a stem. Being outdoors isn’t always about being active.

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Think | April cover reveal

There’s no better time than spring for fresh thinking. But often good ideas arrive when you least expect them – usually when you stop trying so hard. Being absorbed in doing a jigsaw or going for a run makes space for clearer thoughts. And who knows what a chance encounter could spark when you’re taking a wander in the woods. Whether you’re trying to make the pieces fit together or to plant a clever thought, there’s inspiration out there if you take time to note and notice. Then feel those new shoots flourish.

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Happy | March cover reveal

Spring is the happiest of seasons. Lighter, brighter and full of new beginnings. Happiness comes in many forms; cheery daffodils nodding in the sunshine, fresh eggs still warm in the hand, returning to settle where you grew up, even the satisfaction of spring cleaning and a job well done. But finding contentment does not come to those who wait, it rewards us when we seek it out by gathering friends, being outdoors, noticing the little things, keeping learning and giving what we can. Happy Easter!

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe. There are two covers to choose from - which will you pick? Plus, each copy comes with a free Happiness patch.

Our four woven, sew-on patches are made in the UK, and designed to reflect the simple things that make us happy and remind us of everyday actions that can enrich our lives. Be an advocate for happiness and sew yours on to a jacket, bag or blanket to encourage others to take time to enjoy the simple things too. 

Buy one, two, three or the whole set to keep or give – spread the joy and share the fun!

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Breathe | February cover reveal

Peek out from under the duvet. Yes, it’s still winter but there are signs of season’s end. It’s time to wrap up, get out there and blow off some cobwebs. A beach walk could work, a potter in the garden or a wander through the woods, all bare branches and new views. Dusk is still early, leaving a lamplit evening for a mindful project or making a meal of dinner for one. And when the dark night settles, come full circle back to your duvet. Sometimes love is nothing more than a warm bed, a hot drink and a good book. 

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Wish | January cover reveal

When you wish upon a star, it’s more out of hope than belief. And the new year is just the time for this kind of optimism. The crisp pages of a new journal are the place for a could-do list or the beginnings of a project. But acknowledge the darkness and still-short days too. Midwinter is also a time for thinking and reflecting, for sleeping deeply, rather than doing and achieving. Feed your body and your mind now as nourishment to see you through to spring. Daydream in a cosy corner and the world will seem a warmer place.

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Feast | December cover reveal

What we love about Christmas is the tradition of it all. It’s a familiar succession of rituals that rarely differ - each year the family gather, with additions and absences as the years go by. The homes and hosts may vary, the gifts under the tree and the baubles hanging from it move with the times. But the recipe remains the same. And what a feast it is. Not just literally of food and drink but a feast of time to spend with loved ones, a feast of giving and sharing and maybe remembering those for whom a home, family and a laden table is but a distant hope. There’s no better time of year to appreciate the simple things. Happy Christmas! 

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Glow | November cover reveal

November has a contented glow about it. Not only from the autumn colours but fire and light bring a cheeriness and warmth to the now long, dark nights. Make time for your own golden hours during this peaceful month – festive preparations can wait – and indulge in slow cooking, appreciate the landscape or your neighbourhood, simply enjoy reading or maybe drawing in a journal. Wherever your pleasures lie, be soothed and rested as this mellow season comes to a close. Calming comforts cannot be rushed, so light a fire, pull up a blanket and let the world get along without you for a while. It will. 

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Cherish | October cover reveal

Sometimes we need to look back to find our way ahead; it’s only by cherishing the past and what it teaches us that we can unearth forgotten wisdom to help us live our lives. History is punctuated with moments of change, but recognising what we have now and the things we love is just as important. It might be something simple like passing on a recipe for fruit cake or recording a weekly treasure in your journal; noticing the colours change on the trees, or exploring a derelict building. Observing and collecting are not merely pastimes, but also creative prompts for a more contented life.

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Home | September cover reveal

The turn of the year is never more marked than in September, bringing an enjoyable sense of purpose about the place. It’s a time of ‘things to plan and do’ and ‘things to want and wish for’ but this needn’t just be about the shiny and the new. Proudly homemade harvest projects and vintage shopping are seasonal pleasures too. If September is the new January, take a moment to embrace nostalgia and melancholy among the resolutions and getting stuff done. Happy new year. 

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Play | August cover reveal

Remember the excitement of the summer holidays when you were a child? It wasn’t so much where you were going but the fun you were anticipating having. That ‘school’s out’ urge is too feelgood to be just for kids. And the beauty is that you can capture it anywhere; a backyard party, ball games in the park, silly stories around the campfire, enjoying a poptail or making something funny. There’s a creativity that springs from messy play; think of it as your sunshine time. 

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Wander | July cover reveal

To wander is to stray from the path well trodden. But it is also about discovering the unexpected, experiencing the new and noticing the little things, wherever you may be. Remember the moment; take and print out photographs, send and save postcards, learn from songs and sayings in foreign lands. For a more mindful adventure, let wandering be your travel guide this summer and go your own way.

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Imagine | June cover reveal

The thing about imagination is that you never know when it will kick in. But you can encourage yours by feeding it and giving yourself the time for creative thoughts. Idle pastimes and simple pleasures absorb you fully, so you can solve problems or come up with brilliant ideas in a way that would have you sucking your pencil if you tackled them head on. And midsummer is surely the time; a quiet moment appreciating your garden, picking berries, a walk through a meadow, cloud-watching. Be enchanted and feel the magic happen. 

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Flourish: May cover reveal

Plants need only four things to flourish – light, soil, nutrients and water. Our own list of needs seems more complex but it is actually much the same. The light-filled days of late spring lift our mood; getting our hands dirty while planting and sowing is earthily satisfying; while food and drink is nourishing and there’s a joy in sharing it. Learning from nature is an ancient idea – and one that works when we take the time to understand it. 

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Belong: April cover reveal

Where you belong is not about race or politics. It’s a sense of contentment, of inner peace. Cherish that feeling and build your life around it. In a complicated world, it is the simple things that matter most; sharing a cake, making a meaningful journey and growing something yourself. For some, it is the comfort of things – belongings are named for the way they evoke place and time – treasure them and tell their stories. One day, maybe they’ll let someone else know where they belong. 

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