*Sponsored post* A way with windows

*This is a sponsored blog post from Hillarys*

Simplify the process of choosing blinds, curtains and shutters by booking an appointment with an advisor from Hillarys who can advise on style, fittings and proportions as well as colour and patterns. Our Signature Service includes measuring and installation too, perfect for those who can’t quite get the length of their curtains right, aren’t sure where to put the poles or don’t know their recess measurements from their cord tidies!

There’s a massive choice of gorgeous fabrics and styles and we’ll bring our ‘shop’ to your home so you can mix and match with existing furnishings. Simply call us on 0800 389 1659 to arrange your Signature Service appointment.

A little look at Issue 11

Issue 11 is now available in UK shops and ready to download, here's a glimpse at what you'll find inside..

Don't forget, if you subscribe to The Simple Things today not only will you receive our monthly mag early and straight to your door, you can also save up to 50% on our subscription price!

So what are you waiting for?

Issue 10: the best bits

A small round up of some of the highlights of issue 10 on the blog, just in case you missed out the first time...

Discover the more of the magic of Helsinki as we spend extra time exploring the city with Lauren Memarian on the blog.

BY POPULAR DEMAND: share another brew with Maria Whiteman as she describes her day in cups of tea.

Don't miss: our picks of the best spots for a little wild camping over the summer.

If this is not enough you can see more of the best bits from inside the mag here, and order a copy online here.

What did you love about Issue 10? Share your best bits in the comments below!

Flowers in the house

This year's Chelsea Flower show has put blooms firmly in our brains this week. The centenary edition of the show has been spectacular, even from afar, and has certainly left us wanting a small piece of the action. And so, we present to you - 'The Simple Things' flower show', displaying the best of our readers most-loved blooms, because though we can't all have an artisan garden to enjoy, we can all enjoy flowers in the house.

Join us on Pinterest

The smell of a new book, a recipe that really works, board games after Sunday lunch. A good day means different things to different people, but half the fun is sharing it.

If it's the little things that make your day, join our community Pinterest board and share them with us online. Simply leave your Pinterest handle in the comments below.

We can't wait to share in your simple thing.

Seriously stylish, seriously ethical

Fashion-Conscience is an online store selling the best in Fair Trade, organic, sustainable, recycled, up-cycled and vegan clothing, accessories and gifts. From well known brands to small independent brands all showing us it's stylish to be green. And best of all, they're giving us 15% off until 31st May if you use the code: SIMPLE at the checkout. A great excuse to treat yourself over the bank holiday!

* Terms and Conditions:

To claim your 15% off please use code SIMPLE at the checkout. 15% off only valid on full priced purchases. Offer does not include delivery charges. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer/s. Valid until and including 31st May 2013

Wordlesss Wednesdays: bank holidays by the beach

 

WIN! A complete outfit from Barbour (closed)

Barbour_comp_bloglead

Win a His and Hers outfit from the brand new Dress Tartan collection worth £1000!

Celebrating its long association with tartan, Barbour has introduced a new Dress Tartan collection for Spring Summer 2013. The collection, which features iconic jackets, light knitwear and accessories, offers a stylish and statement cover-up for the brighter seasons ahead. To celebrate Barbour’s new Dress Tartan Collection, The Simple Things have teamed up with Barbour to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a His and Hers outfit from the collection.

For Him:  there’s the choice of a range of lightweight summer jackets, including the very stylish longer length Casual Coater Jacket, available in navy or sandstone with a subtle Dress Tartan lining, or the shorter, Reversible Harrington - a lightweight casual jacket that can be worn as one solid colour in navy or desert or reversed for a large dress tartan check - the ultimate in versatility! Team with the Munro Polo in 100% cotton in a choice of colours including grey, navy, red, stone and white, along with the Bretby Crew Neck with baby cord elbow patches for chillier summer evenings, and he’s good to go!

For Her: there’s the blogger’s favourite – the Reversible Cedar Trench - a smart reversible double breasted trench that even comes with a reversible belt. Or, why not opt for a quilted jacket – either the Willow Quilt with its distinctive onion quilt design and tartan interior lining or the bolder Tartan Summer Liddesdale - both easy to wear and great casual pieces to match with a light knit, like Barbour’s Cambrose Crew, for summer evening walks in the country.

Barbour_comp3

So how would you style it? Take inspiration from top lifestyle bloggers Carrie from 'Wish Wish Wish', Olivia from 'What Olivia Did'. Cait from 'Wayward Daughter' and Dunya from 'Dearest Deer'. Here's what Olivia wore - and keep a look out on the blog to discover how each of the others wore Barbour's favourite print!

TERMS & CONDITIONS:By taking part in our competitions and giveaways, you agree to be bound by the Competition Rules which are summarised below but can be viewed in full at www.futuretcs.com. Late or incomplete entries will be disqualified. 2. Proof of posting (if revelvant) shall not be deemed proof of delivery. 3. Entries must be submitted by an individual (not via any agency or similar) and, unless otherwise stated, are limited to one per household. 4. The Company reserves the right in its sole discretion to substitute any prize with cash or a prize of comparable value. 5. Unless otherwise stated, the competition is open to all GB residents of 18 years and over, except employees of Future Publishing and any party involved in the competition or their households. 6. By entering a Competition you give permission to use your name, likeness and personal information in connection with the Competition and for promotional purposes. All entries will become property of the Company upon receipt and will not be returned. You warrant that the Competition entry is entirely your own work and not copied or adapted from any other source. If you are a winner, you may have to provide additional information. 7.Details of winners will be available on request within three months of the closing date. If you are a winner, receipt by you of any prize is conditional upon you complying with(amongst other things) the Competition Rules. You acknowledge and agree that neither the Company nor any associated third parties shall have any liability to you in connection with your use and/or possession of your prize.

DATA PROTECTION TERMS & CONDITIONS:When entering our competition by post, text or email you agree to our competition rules and that you're happy to receive details of future offers and promotions from Future Publishing Limited and carefully selected third parties, via post, email or text message. If you do not want to receive this information, please mark your email entries 'NO OFFERS' or include the word 'STOP' at the end of your text message.

June's book club

something something, with something too, we'll have you something for something with something when something.

Zero Waste Home - Bea Johnson

BEA JOHNSON LIVED the consumerist dream: huge house, lavish holidays, Botox – yet she wasn’t happy. She and her family downsized, disposed of everything they didn’t “use, need or love” and rethought their lives. Deeply concerned about the environment, they became committed to reducing waste: buying in bulk, rejecting packaging, and making their own bread, mustard and cheese. They worked out a “Zero Waste” philosophy to aim for, applying the mantra “Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot”.

In this inspiring, thorough book, Johnson explains how you too can do just that too. Sensible rather than preachy, this is an honest, entertaining and campaigning guide to living a more environmentally friendly life.

Stylish Dress Book - Yoshiki Tsukiori

THE COOL LINES of Japanese fashion are explained in this first English translation of celebrated designer Yoshiko Tsukiori’s new book of sewing projects. The photographs of her designs are as tempting as a still cool pool on a hot day, with drawstring tops, loose smocks, peasant dresses and sharp shirts, styled in a palette of soft blues and greys. Basic design patterns are also included, and while the small diagrams may alarm some novices, Tsukiori’s designs are so gorgeous, any fan of DIY fashion will want to get their head down and have a go.

Our Songbirds - Matt Sewell

ARDENT ORNITHOLOGIST Matt Sewell captured bird lovers’ hearts last year with Our Garden Birds and charms again with a collection of warblers for every week of the year. Illustrated with Sewell’s signature watercolours (he has painted murals for the RSPB and a bird hide for Port Eliot festival), this lovely giftbook also includes his idiosyncratic descriptions of the birds, where a Turtle Dove is a “glamorous granny resplendent in lace, doilies and pastel knickerbockers”. The Charlatans’ lead singer Tim Burgess provides a foreword.

Manly Food - Simon Cave

“NO-HOLDS-BARRED, all-action cooking” is promised in Manly Food, an unashamedly blokey cookbook with the motto “Flavour First”. And tasty-looking it is too, with recipes such as Crab with Chilli and Black Bean Sauce and Pea and Ham Hock Soup. Manly Food is ambitiously meaty, with recipes for suckling pig, hare and boar, yet despite the macho tone (salted caramel fudge is perfect for “an extended hiking trip in the wilderness”) Cave is clearly serious about his ingredients, methods and tools. Makes cooking exciting.

All the Birds, Singing - Evie Wyld

APPREHENSION TREADS THROUGH the pages of Evie Wyld’s second novel, which is the follow-up to her much-lauded debut offering, After the Fire, a Still Small Voice. Jake (no, she’s a woman) Whyte lives in a farmhouse deep in an unspecified part of the wind-lashed British countryside. Solitary apart from a semi-feral dog, Whyte tries to concentrate on raising her flock of sheep – but someone, or something, is leaving them “mangled”. Jake’s hardscrabble past in Australia is revealed in alternate chapters as we slowly learn what it is that she’s so afraid of. Tough, capable, vulnerable, Whyte is a compelling character, and Wyld’s writing – particularly her descriptions of the Australian bush, oven-hot and roving with spiders – is exquisite. An unusual novel that should win its author even more prizes.

Tomorrow there will be Apricots - Jessica Soffer

SELF-HARMING TEENAGER Lorca wants to win her neglectful mother’s attention with a perfect dish of Middle-Eastern speciality masgouf – and chooses as her teacher Victoria, an Iraqi widow who still mourns the daughter she gave away. The healing power of making and eating food is almost a literary cliché, but 25-year-old New Yorker Jessica Soffer’s debut novel combines a fresh twist with a warmly told narrative.

Mouse the Cossacks - Paul Wilson

AFTER A FAMILY TRAGEDY, eight-year-old Mouse lost the ability to speak, communicating only via emails and notes, and sending forlorn texts to made-up numbers in the hope of a reply. Mouse and her mother move into a farmhouse in the Pennines once occupied by a lonely old man, William Caxton, whose mysterious unsent letters still clutter the rooms. As Mouse investigates Caxton’s past, she begins to find a way through her own sadness.

Sketcher - Roland Watson-Grant

SKID BEAUMONT IS GROWING UP on the outskirts of New Orleans in an alligator-patrolled swamp where “nothin’ moved except for maybe a dragonfly testin’ the water with its toes”. His father has had a drunken premonition that the swamps will make them rich, and Skid believes that his brother Frico, the “sketcher” of the title, can influence events by drawing. A beautiful and funny coming-of-age story.

Wild camping: the best places in Britain

Can you hear it? The unzipping of a sleeping bag, crackling fires and chirping crickets. It's the distinctive call of the wild. Telling us its time to dust of our tents and get out into the British countryside. Inspired by our wild camping feature inside issue 10, we've picked out five of our favourite sites in Britain for an adventure under canvas.

* Note Scotland and Dartmoor are the only places to legally wild camp in Britain. If you wish to set up tent anywhere else, always seek permission from the landowner first.

1. Dartmoor

Heather clad moorland, wide open spaces - Dartmoor is the perfect place for wild camping. The right to wild camping is actually enshrined in the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act, and the local association even provide a guide on where to pitch up in the area. Just watch out for the army - who often use the park for fire practice.

2. The Scottish highlands

Remote, with high peaks and stunning views. The current access legislation is explicit about your right to wild camp on hill land as long as the camping rules are followed.

3. Lake District

The woodlands, the lakes, the fells, idyllic. Legally wherever you camp you must have the permission of a landowner to camp on their land, though there is a tradition of wild camping in the Lake District.

4. Berwyn Mountains

The Berwyn mountains, North Wales. Some absolutely spectacular views, not for the faint of heart though if you believe the rumours of the suspected UFO landing.

5. The South Downs

Easily accessible places like Springhead Hill make this is good beginner's territory as you won't be far from civilisation if things go tent-up.

Don't forget to pick up your copy of issue 10 for more tips on wild camping, including what to pack and eat, plus tips on the type of tent to take, and how to keep warm.

Spend a day with Wayward Daughter (closed)

Wayward_Daughter

Take a glimpse into everyday city life in Edinburgh, as Cait from Wayward Daughter shows us round her home city, and how to style Barbour's new Dress Tartan collection...

Don't forget we're giving away a His and Hers Barbour outfitinside issue 10, so make sure you pick up your copy for a chance to win!

Fabric fields: Anna Maria Horner

Some of you may recognise this gorgeous bit of fabric from the inside cover of our May issue. It comes from a collection of fabrics called 'Field Study' by Anna Maria Horner.

A sense of adventure and the idea of investigating the natural world up close and from afar were at the core of every print that I designed for Field Study. Yet there were very specific inspirations as well. I got to know moths quite intimately after researching how to cure an infestation in our kitchen pantry- though the beauties that appear in "Sinister Swarm" look nothing like our household variety. Global bird migration maps that I came across inspired "Migratory Lace," and botanical reference drawings gave birth to prints like "Specimen." My "Cell Structure" floral, while cute and fashionable, was conceived by looking through plant DNA slides. All this artwork came about in less than obvious or typical ways for me, and the collection itself is just the same- unexpected and entirely exciting! ~Anna Maria

My City: Helsinki

Take a special tour around blogger Lauren Memarian's home city of Helsinki not seen inside this month's magazine...

What’s your best discovery about your city? We’re still discovering new things every day about this little city- that’s one of the great things about here. I suppose the best discovery so far though has been the people! People really make a city, and the people in Helsinki make it a great place to live- especially for a foreigner who is trying to learn Finnish! Thankfully nearly everyone here speaks almost perfect English- which is helpful when words are about 30 letters long sometimes and look like the noise you make when you stub your toe. Riiuuyoaie. See?

Tell us about the colours of your city? The city’s colours are quite understated. The architecture tends to favour muted olive greens, blues, yellows and pinks, and stone doorways and building facades are common. Even the sea is a pale slate-grey. In stark contrast are the flowers outside of shops and in window boxes - they overflow with colour, and the Relandersgrund café boat is a welcome splash of bright red in the harbour.

What is the light like? Do you have long, light summer evenings, etc? The light here is fascinating. Though the winter days are short and cold, once summer arrives the days become nearly 20 hours long and we’re rewarded with beautiful, pure light. As the sun sets it gives everything a soft glow that lasts for a few hours and always makes me think of Sofia Coppola’s films!

What types of shop do you most like to visit? Have you discovered anything really special or different? I can usually be found poking about in fusty old second- hand shops, digging through old vinyl records to find that one horrendous album I can’t live without (last week it was Pia Zadora and Jermaine Jackson- the Rock Aliens soundtrack!). I also have a sad fascination with the kitchen appliance section of our local department store. They have a gadget for everything! There are so many tiny and interesting shops in Helsinki that it’s hard to narrow it down to a few favourites. Pino (Frederikinkatu 22) is a great place for design-led storage solutions, while Papershop (Mariankatu 15) is a perfect little place to find letterpressed cards and printed wrapping papers.

Do you like people watching? I am an obsessive people watcher! I like to draw the people I see, and try to work out as many details about them as I can- while trying not to totally creep them out, of course.

What games do you play as you go about your everyday life? There’s a city webcam mounted to a building looking over the harbour, and I always stop and wave to it when I walk by. I know my family like to peek in at the feed sometimes, and I always wonder if we’ll catch each other.

What keeps you in the city now? The supremely addictive cinnamon buns! (But really my husband’s job.) We’ve also made a great group of Finnish friends, and they act as our surrogate family as we’re so far from ours.

If you could change one thing about the city, what would it be? Ok, this may sound petty, but I would make at least one decent take-away. Unfortunately, while Helsinki’s restaurant scene is bubbling over with talent, the take- aways are sorely lacking. Sometimes I do miss a good Chinese...

Don't miss the rest of the tour in this month's issue of The Simple Things.

Blog exclusive! My day in cups of tea

To celebrate the fact issue 10 is out tomorrow we thought we'd give you a blog exclusive and invite Maria Whiteman of www.cordial-and-grace.co.uk to share some secret glimpses into her day in cups of tea....

Describe your home town

Bristol is a vibrant & creative city - a mix of green open spaces & local communities each with a unique character & independent spirit.

What’s your favourite receptacle and where did it come from?

I have a red & green thing going on in my kitchen at home so when I spotted these mugs (pictured), whilst visiting a Bristol friend in Melbourne, I just had to buy them. It wasn't just the colours & the funky Australian design, but the shape, size & fine china are all just my cup of tea! I love that they are both a useful & beautiful momento of that trip and they are quite precious to me! So much so that when my flatmate had an unfortunate breakage she went to great trouble to seek out replacements to be packed into the friend's suitcase on her next trip home!

I think a favourite or jolly mug can really enhance the enjoyment of your drink, which is why I have chosen colourful mugs for the tea rooms - they regularly receive admiration!

What’s your first break?

My day is no longer structured by breaks. it's quite liberating! I just grab my drinks & lunch on the go at any time, which does often mean I drink the second half cold!

What’s for lunch?

Usually soup or a sandwich but sometimes I treat myself to something scrummy from our brunch menu.

Are you a tea dependant?

Well it would be extremely strange for me to get through the day without drinking at least one tea of some description or other - so I guess so!

Did you drink tea as a child?

Oh yes! It's recorded in my baby book that I was given my first cup of tea by a family friend when I was just 7 months old and I haven't stopped drinking it since! I guess then it's no great surprise that I ended up running a tea shop!

Do you drink different teas at different times of day?

Yes, even more so these days after trying and choosing our range of loose leaf teas. Good quality loose leaf teas are like wines, full of interesting & distinctive flavours. People are discovering that loose leaf teas are just as much of an affordable treat as a well made coffee and it always gives me a thrill to hear people say 'Ah, that's a good cup of tea'.

Who are your favourite tea companions and what do you talk about?

I do love to share a pot with colleagues, family or friends but most often these days my tea (or coffee) drinking companions are my lovely customers. I decided on the name Cordial & Grace because I wanted words to convey bringing people together to enjoy the pleasant surroundings & the company of others. I wanted it to be a place where people made friends and could find a moment of calm no matter what else is going on in their busy lives. I'm thrilled to see that happening and I'm making some great new friends too.

Have you ever made strong, sugary tea for yourself or someone else to cope with shock or a crisis? What was the crisis, and did the tea help?

A girl wondered in last year in a state of shock, she was really out of sorts and had maybe fallen over but I really couldn't make sense of what she was saying so I did the only practical thing I could do, made her a strong sugary tea! I refused to take any money & wanted her to stay to calm down but she quickly left. She did pop in a few days later to thank me for being so kind.

Can you say no to biscuits or cake? And are you a dunker?

Why have biscuits when you can have homemade cake? I'm often asked how I cope with the daily temptation of different cakes on our counter and the answer is I don't! However, thanks to the drastic change in my working lifestyle (on my feet all day) and probably the stress of running my first business it's had the opposite effect on my waistline. Who would of thought that you could open a cake shop & lose weight?

And your last cup?

Something herbal - I quite like to have a peppermint tea after a late meal.

Which is your favourite cuppa of the day?

Probably mid-afternoon as that's when I'm most likely to take the time to pick a different tea, such as darjeeling or jasmine, and make it as I do for my customers. I'm also quite likely to treat myself to cake then too!

Is there one break that’s non-negotiable?

Not anymore - I guess that's one of the great things I've discovered working for myself I no longer feel the need for breaks to get me through the day!

And finally, milk or tea in the cup first?

These days I'm a convert to tea first so that I can see the tea & decide if I want to add milk. It's also much easier to add just a drop of milk this way, which is often all that loose leaf teas need.

And really, really finally, what’s your favourite ‘simple thing’?

Flowers picked by my mum from her garden for me! Like these hellebores that she rescued from under the snow, displayed simply in a recycled glass bottle, tied with a cheery ribbon!

If you'd like to see more of Maria's day don't forget to pick up your copy of issue 10 available in UK shops and ready for download from tomorrow.

**Why not share your cup of tea with us on Twitter or Facebook?

Win a His and Hers outfit from Barbour with issue 10! (closed)

Barbour Dress Tartan

Issue 10 lands in UK shops and is available to download from tomorrow, but we just couldn't wait that long to tell you about our fantastic competition with British heritage brand Barbour. Together, we are giving you the chance to win a His and Hers outfit worth £1000 from their new Dress Tartan collection.

Check out blogger Carrie from 'Wish Wish Wish' for inspiration on how to style your new outfit, as she spends the day as a tourist in her home town of London -  and make sure you don't miss issue 10 for all the details of the giveaway, you can find us in shops or download the digital mag through Apple Newsstand, Zinio, Google Play and on your Nook device.

What I Always Wanted: celebrate their Birthday with 20% off

Whatialwayswanted.com is an online marketplace selling gifts and homeware by British designer-makers. The company celebrates its first birthday this month, was set up by friends Deborah Bancroft and Ann Ellison. Many of the products they sell are handmade from locally sourced or recycled materials and some are exclusive to their site - perfect if you are looking for something a little different for that special gift!

To celebrate their birthday, the people at What I Always Wanted are offering our readers 20% off everything on the site up to 19th May. Just enter the code ‘SIMPLY BIRTHDAY’ at the checkout www.whatialwayswanted.com

Things to do this bank holiday weekend

Three days to forget about work, remove yourself from the sofa and go out and find adventures in new places. If you're stuck for what to do this weekend, fear not. Our friends at The National Trust have put together the perfect guide to events happening up and down the country.

Here's three of our favourite activities for the weekend...

Parade along the bluebells- nothing says British springtime quite like a sea of bluebells. Find your nearest bluebell walk here.

Cheshire's Victorian May Day - from maypole dancing to Punch and Judy, and a whole host of activities in between.

May Fayre - Morden Hall Park, London - stalls, crafts, shows and live music throughout the entire weekend.

Click here to find an event in your area.

Have a happy bank holiday!

Pork, apple & cheddar burgers

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 500g pork mince 1 Cox or Braeburn apple, peeled & grated 4 spring onions, finely chopped 1 egg, beaten Fresh sage or parsley, finely chopped 40g Cheddar cheese, cut into four even pieces 4 ciabatta or burger rolls

Spiced cider & apple salsa 3 Cox or Braeburn apples, cut into small cubes, not peeled 150ml medium cider 1tbsp cider vinegar 1⁄2tsp ground cinnamon 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Method: Mix together the mince, grated apple, spring onions, beaten egg and herbs. Form into patties, placing a piece of cheese in the middle of each one. Place in the fridge for approx. 20 mins to firm up. Meanwhile, make the salsa. Place the cubed apples in a small saucepan with the cider, vinegar and cinnamon. Cook over a gentle heat until the apple has softened, add the finely chopped spring onions, cool. Barbeque or griddle the burgers for approx. 7-8 mins on each side until cooked through. Serve in the rolls topped with the salsa with a green salad.

This recipe was kindly shared with us from the people at Merrydown cider, to see more of their summer recipes click here.

Wordless Wednesdays: purple fields

Looking forward to summer walks in gorgeous fields of amethyst.

Have you good a favourite trail upon which to wander? Share them with us in the comments below and we'll create a top 10!

Visit Inntravel at www.inntravel.co.uk/

Cakes in the house

You readers have been making our tummies rumble this week by sending us in pictures of the cake in your house. If the following confections don't have you reaching for the flour and eggs in your kitchen, we don't know what will.

Top: Hannah Jade sent in this 3 layered cake of chocolate delight, yum, bottom left: a delicious looking baked blueberry and coconut cake with lemon glaze from Chelsea and mini Victoria sponges from Ailie.

Left column: the recipe for this rhubarb cake was left on our Facebook wall by Margarida, Tipple Tails has a lovely fruit cake in the house, Toni's home is currently occupied by every chocoholics' dream - you can see more of her cakes here, and this classic carrot cake belongs to Katie Knott - can we have a slice?

Right column: a lovingly baked birthday cake from Libby Hayes, a scrummy looking chocolate cake from Laura Dodimead, and some cantucci from Ria Berends not cake but delicious too.