Sponsored post | Pause for a Moment

A monthly subscription box, packed with fun activities, will help you take some time out. And you’ll be supporting the charity Mind, too

How wonderful would it be if you could pause everything, take a deep breath, and give yourself a moment of calm every month? Well now you can – with Pause.

Pause is a subscription box that provides a monthly moment of mindfulness, creativity and calm, delivered straight to your door – and not only does it boost wellbeing, but it helps support Mind, the mental health charity, too. With a range of activities, each tailored to provide something fun and calming, Pause allows you to give back some time to yourself. Each box offers something unique, something you might not have tried before, and is designed to nurture your wellbeing through activities that help you reflect, relax and get creative. It helps you to find the time to acknowledge how you’re feeling, and to check in with yourself.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

But wellbeing isn’t just about self-reflection. Your Pause box can also help you to learn a fun, new skill and encourage you to try new activities that perhaps you have never previously considered. These new skills, goals or challenges can have a positive impact on your self-esteem and wellbeing. Also, by making time to enjoy your Pause activities with family and friends, perhaps gifting a subscription or teaching loved ones your newfound skill, it can help you to feel more connected with others.

You can gift someone you love a moment of calm for themselves, or simply treat yourself – from just £7.50 a month, Mind will send you or a loved one 12 Pause boxes over the course of a year. We all want to give those that are closest to us a little time to help slow down and focus on themselves and a Pause subscription box encourages just that – time for reflection, for quiet and peace. Now isn’t that a gift?

FAR-REACHING BENEFITS

Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem. By subscribing to Pause, your regular donation will help Mind be there for everyone who needs support. All of your donation goes into Mind, so you can be sure that your money is making a real change and helping those who truly need it. Your donation can help fund Mind’s work in so many ways. It could help someone access lifesaving information through their booklets, website and helplines. Or help support someone through Side by Side, a 24/7 online community. It could also help Mind campaign for better mental health services. All donations help Mind continue their vital work. So pause, take a moment to yourself, and treat yourself or someone you love to a more mindful future. For further information and to subscribe, visit pauseformind.org.uk/simple.

Competition | Win one of 3 GAIA Skincare Sets

With inner-strength and wellbeing in mind, GAIA Skincare has launched a new trio of natural skincare products that are ideal for supporting any fitness and wellness regime.

Featuring a Strengthening Fitness Gel, a Strengthening Pulse Point and an Awakening Cream Deodorant, the new range is created using natural ingredients and the comforting blend of black pepper and stimulating ginger essential oils, which are naturally immune boosting and warming, making them ideal for easing aching muscles.

The new Cream Deodorant combines GAIA’s signature awakening blend of tangerine and peppermint with refreshing tea tree, while the creamy consistency of shea butter will leave underarms feeling fresh and soft.

As well as the new Strengthening trio, GAIA Skincare is also giving away its Cleanse and Conditioning set as part of the prize bundle, featuring its Awakening shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion.

This uplifting set is presented in a stylish GAIA illustrated wash bag, which is useful for taking to the gym or for weekends away. So whether you’re keen to support a healthy fitness regime, or just want some wellbeing time, enter our competition and enjoy the uplifting qualities of GAIA Skincare’s natural products.

For more information and to buy GAIA Skincare products, visit gaiaskincare.com or follow on Instagram: @naturallygaia.

How to enter

For your chance to win one of three GAIA Skincare bundles, worth £128 each, enter our
competition by clicking the button below and answering the following question by the closing
date of 8 March 2023.
Q: Which two essential oils are used in Gaia’s new range?

TERMS & CONDITIONS

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 8 March 2023. Three winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. The winners cannot transfer the prize or swap for cash. Subject to availability. Details of our full T&Cs are on p125 and at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Wild Waters | Dipping Your Toe In

If wild swimming is on your could-do list for 2023, don’t just dive right in. You need to have been going regularly as the waters get colder through autumn, or the temperature may be too much of a shock. If you’re a newbie, instead of taking the plunge, start January by finding a swim buddy. Wild swimming is safer and more fun with two.

For January, a swim at Loughrigg Tarn in the Lake District is a great shout. It’s said to be one of the warmest lakes locally to swim in as no rivers feed into it, and a little path running alongside, plus a car park, make it really accessible for beginners.

Stay at the Three Shires Inn nearby (threeshiresinn.co.uk) or head there for a hot coffee to warm up after your swim.

In January the average sea temperature is 6.5° in Airth, and 10.7° in Torquay.

Wild Waters is a new regular slot on our Almanac pages. Find suggestions for wild swim locations, sea temperatures and more each month, alongside other seasonal things to note and notice,
plan and do.

More wild swimming inspiration…

More from our January issue…

Recipe | Mac 'n' Cheese Balls

Mac ‘n’ Cheese you can eat with your hands? We’re in! These moreish bites are ideal for a games night, when you need to eat one-handed if you don’t want to lose.

Makes about 30 balls

300g macaroni
40g butter
40g plain flour
1 tsp mustard powder
250ml milk
150ml single cream
100g cheddar, grated
50g parmesan, grated
Parsley leaves to garnish, optional

For the coating:
40g cheddar, grated
Small handful parsley
5 crackers, crushed

1 Preheat the oven to 220C/ Fan 200C/Gas 7. Meanwhile, line 2 baking sheets with baking paper (or cook in smaller batches).

2 Cook the macaroni according to pack instructions, minus 2 mins (as it will be finished off in the oven).

3 Mix together the ingredients for the coating on a plate and set aside.

4 In a medium pan, melt the butter. Once foaming, stir in the flour and keep stirring over the heat for about 2 mins. Remove from the heat, stir in the mustard powder and season.

5 In a large jug combine the milk and cream and start adding that gradually to the butter and flour mixture. Stir to fully combine it before adding the next splash. Once it’s all added, return the pan to the heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 min, stirring constantly. The mixture should begin to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheddar and parmesan.

6 Drain the pasta and add it to a bowl. Pour over the cheese sauce and mix.

7 With your lined baking tray and coating ingredients easy to hand, start forming small balls. Take a tablespoon of macaroni cheese, form it into a loose ball then roll in the coating and place on the baking tray.

8 Bake for 20 mins, turning halfway – the cheese should be starting to brown. Serve with a parsley garnish.

This recipe is just one on the menu on our Gathering pages this month, a feast for a board games evening that we’ve called ‘Let the Games Begin!’ It also features cauliflower bites, mini beetroot & sweet potato burgers, mini lamb & mint burgers, halloumi bites, winter slaw, churros with chocolate sauce and root beer floats.

More snacks to serve…

More from our blog…

Miscellany | How to do Coffee Art

Think it looks easy? Wake up and smell the coffee! One estimate is that you’ll need around 1,500 coffees to start getting heart art right – the simplest latte art shape to master.

Get the kit: a lipped steel milk jug, milk thermometer, and steam wand (part of the espresso machine).

And the right ingredients: whole milk (its fat content makes things easier) and a freshly made espresso.

Put in the prep: cold milk goes in the jug, with the wand near the base.

Gradually draw the wand upwards until it’s just below the milk’s surface. Look for small bubbles and a temperature in the mid-60Cs (don’t top 70C!). Go with the flow: to pour, tilt the cup and aim for a constant – not too fast, not too slow –pour. Level cup when nearly full to create what Jori @baristainstitute, calls the ‘canvas’. Add artistic flourishes: move the jug closer to add details – practise a gentle wiggle. For a heart, pour a circle and use a final pull through with the jug’s lip to make a heart. This final step is key to many designs.

Capture on camera: Jori suggests filming yourself. Note that he says it took him half a year to master latte art, only becoming ‘great’ after a few years.

The cheat's way: Use a stencil for chocolate or cinnamon on top instead.

These instructions are from our January Miscellany pages, which are always full of fascinating facts and seasonal silliness.

More marvellous miscellaneous things…

More from our blog…

Quiz | What's Your Board Game Personality

Are you a role player or a traditional race gamer? Card shark or collaborator? Take our Simple Things Board Games quiz and find out what your board game strengths are and which sorts of play you would be best suited to. Let the games begin!

1. What was your best subject at school?

A. Probably PE. It was always great to get outside from a stuffy classroom and I was on all the school teams. 

B. Drama. I threw myself into every school play. I was always a bit of a nerd and felt happier when hiding behind a role. 

C. I was barely there! I’d go into school in the morning for registration, then get changed in the girls’ toilets and head into town for the day over the back gate. 

D. I was a bit of a maths genius. I’m still faster than the till in the supermarket!

E. Geography. I like seeing the world from others’ perspectives

2. What’s your greatest fear?

A. Losing. 

B. Real life. 

C. Being bored.

D. I’m not saying. 

E. Upsetting others.

3. What’s your ideal board games night snack?

A. Something quick and easy to eat like a pile of nachos.

B. Cran (dwarven bread) and a selection of rustic cheeses.
C. A huge seafood platter, with lobster crackers to get into the crustaceons. Your guests are going to have to WORK for their snacks.
D. Hard liquor. 

E. A few sharing platters, taking into account the vegans, low-carbers and kids. 

4. What’s your motto in a crisis?

A. If you’re going through hell, go fast.

B. Be yourself and if you can’t be yourself, be a Dragon Queen!

C. In. Out. Get the kettle on. 

D. Just roll the dice and see what happens. 

E. No person left behind. 

5. What’s your aesthetic?

A. Simple and classic never lets you down. 

B. A little edgy. Steampunk with a bit of buxom wench thrown in. 

C. Outdoorsy and practical. There’s no such thing as bad weather - just the wrong clothing.  

D. Sleek and smart. You can’t go wrong with a little black dress. 

E. Cottage core and a bit countryside chic. 

6. What’s your Simple Thing?

A. A run round the park, taking in the outdoor gym.

B. Losing myself in a story. 

C. Wild swimming in winter. 

D. Getting the last space in the car park just ahead of someone else!

E. Crafting with friends around the kitchen table.

Now add up your scores…

Mostly As

You’re best at traditional ‘race’ games such as Snakes and Ladders. You like to know exactly what the parameters of any challenge are but you accept that luck plays a large part in life. 

Board game recommendation: Escape from Colditz.

Mostly Bs

Your gaming style is RPG (role play games) like Dungeons and Dragons. You throw yourself wholeheartedly into occasions, never being too embarrassed to give something your all (especially if it involves fighting an orc or stealing a dragon’s gold).

Board game recommendation: Munchkin.

Mostly Cs

You’re an Escape Room aficionado. You like thrills and spills and an element of danger and love to live life bu the seat of your pants. 

Board game recommendation: Cluedo Robbery at the Museum: an escape and solve game.

Mostly Ds

Your gaming style is ‘card shark’. You take games seriously and are always first to suggest getting the wallets out to ‘make it more interesting’. It’s hard to tell when you’re having fun though, due to your poker face. 

Board game recommendation: Splendor. 

Mostly Es

You’re the sort of person who likes collaborative games. You don’t really like anyone to lose and just want it to be fun for everyone. 

Board game recommendation: Mysterium

This quiz was inspired by our Gathering feature in our January issue, which is a menu designed for a board games evening, with food you can eat one-handed and share with your team mates easily. It includes halloumi and cauliflower bites, winter slaw, mac and cheese balls, two types of burgers, churros and root beer floats. 

More games and fun…

More from the January issue…

Competition | Win a Year's Supply of Mackie's Ice Cream

This is the season for warm, comforting desserts, none of which would be complete without a scoop of Mackie’s ice cream. With the whole year ahead of us, there will be all sorts of Mackie’s moments to enjoy, whether at the beach, with strawberries in the garden or straight from the tub!

Mackie’s are pleased to be offering one lucky winner a year’s supply of ice cream, along with some Mackie’s goodies including a limited-edition Mackie’s ice cream scoop – all you need for the perfect dessert.

Based on the family farm in Aberdeenshire, Mackie’s of Scotland have been making deliciously smooth and creamy ice cream for over 25 years and have mastered the art of making simple delicious.

Mackie’s pride themselves on making their ice cream from “Sky to Scoop”, with wind- and sun-powered renewable energy on the farm powering the ice cream dairy, while the sun and the rain grow the crops to feed the cows, who produce the fresh milk and cream that goes into every tub.

Letting the ingredients to the talking, Mackie’s Traditional gives you the pure and wholesome taste of fresh milk and cream, making it the perfect pairing for any dessert and is used as the base for Mackie’s other flavours. Some of Mackie’s other popular flavours are its Honeycomb, made by adding handmade molten honeycomb pieces, or Strawberry Swirl which has a delicious farm-made strawberry compote swirled through

Affordably luxurious, Mackie’s Traditional flavoured ice cream is available in all major retailers nationwide, and Strawberry Swirl and Honeycomb flavours are available nationwide at Sainsbury’s.

How to enter

To celebrate this wonderful brand and give you all something to get excited about in January, Mackie’s have kindly agreed to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to win a year’s supply of ice cream in addition to some other goodies. Please just click the link below and answer the multiple choice question.

Wellbeing | Why Silence is Golden

Why making time for quiet contemplation can help you be more creative

It’s not surprising that when we’re bombarded with a constant stream of information and stimulation, we find it harder to think clearly or come up with ideas. Moshe Bar, a renowned neuroscientist and author of Mindwandering: How It Can Improve Your Mood and Boost Your Creativity (Bloomsbury Tonic), likens it to an engineering term known as ‘signal-to-noise ratio’ – “Basically, the less noise there is the more salient the signal” and explains why improving your chances of getting a clear signal for your creative thoughts to reach your conscious mind is so important: “Hidden inside the space that is our thoughts are the new ideas, insights, clear decisions and other mental treasures thrown at us from the subconscious,” he says. “And it’s much harder for us to notice them when they’re embedded in cluttering noise.” It’s not only external noise but the internal chatter of our minds. “A quieter mind is clearer in that it lets us see the fruits of our thinking better,” explains Bar, acknowledging that when we suddenly try to do nothing, we often find the mind starts racing – and not necessarily with helpful or positive thoughts. It’s perhaps unsurprising then that people often turn to distracting activities rather than sitting quietly. “So much attention has been paid to ways to unplug from the bustle, but the greater challenge can be freeing ourselves from the distractions within which disrupt our attention and intrude on the quality of our experience even when we are in a perfectly quiet place.”

Enjoy pockets of silence

A bit like being bored, silence is something many of us find uncomfortable and resist by watching TV, playing music or avoiding being on our own. The mind responds to stimulus so if you’re always surrounded by noise, it’ll be harder to focus – try doing some mental arithmetic while loud music is on or in a busy restaurant and see how much longer it takes than when you’re in a quiet environment. Introduce pockets of quiet into your day – you don’t have to be alone, you can spend time with others without talking or watching or listening – perhaps reading a book together or walking together silently.

This blog is an extract from our feature ‘Do Less, Think Better’ by Rebecca Frank, in our January issue. Turn to page 14 to read the rest of the feature. Rebecca is also the editor of our new Bookazine, which we’ve called Flourish. It’s a beautiful, season-by-season guide to nourishing your body, feeding your mind, thinking positively and appreciating the simple joy of rest. You can buy Flourish from our online store, Pics and Ink, now. 

More from our blog…

More ways to look after your wellbeing…

Recipe | Blood Orange Posset

A citrussy pud for a special dinner or the full-stop to a fresh, palate-cleansing lunch, this zesty posset is easy to make and full of flavour

Dating back to the 16th century, possets are one of the simplest desserts to make. Blood orange juice adds both flavour and a bright yellow hue to this pretty posset.

Serves 4

500ml double cream
150g caster sugar
2-3 blood oranges, zested and juiced

To serve:

4 x 150g glass jars (bowls or glasses will work if you don’t have jars)

1 In a pan, gently bring the cream and sugar to the boil over a low heat, stirring until the sugar’s dissolved.

2 Boil the mixture for 3 mins, or until it’s thickened, then remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice (you’ll need 75ml) and most of the zest (leaving some for a garnish).

3 Divide the mix between the glass jars and transfer to the fridge to set overnight. To serve, remove from the fridge and top with the remaining orange zest.

More from our blog…

More citrus flavours…

Think | Fresh, slow starts

We hope 2022 has been happy and healthy for you. As well as reflecting on the year just gone, we’re looking forward to all that 2023 might bring, as you’ll see from the back cover of our January issue, above. But we always think it’s a mistake to pile pressure on yourself with ambitious plans for resolutions and the like.

If you find five minutes free today, you could spend it writing down a few ‘one day at a time’ plans - simple things you’re hoping to do, enjoy, see or achieve in the coming year and put it away in an envelope to look at this time next year.

If you’d like to, why not listen to our Fresh Start playlist while you write to inspire you? You can listen to it here.

A very happy new year to you all. Here’s to enjoying the future slowly.

More New Year inspiration…

More from our blog…

Recipe | Fruit and nut chocolate discs

These eye-catching chocolates work with any mix of nuts and dried fruit that takes your fancy. Just the thing with coffee after dinner, or parcelled up as a gift. If you’ve neglected to buy a present for someone you’re seen in the Betwixtmas period, a bag of these would certainly be very welcome - and they’re a great way to use up the mountain of Christmas chocolate, too.

Makes 12 discs
150g dark or milk chocolate
Handful of pistachio nuts, crushed (place in a bag and crush with a rolling pin)
12 pecans
12 yellow raisins
Handful of cranberries

1 Melt the chocolate in a pan, or in the microwave in a glass bowl – 30 seconds at a time, to avoid burning the chocolate.
2 Line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases. Add a teaspoon of melted chocolate to each case, swirl with the back of the spoon to spread evenly. Add a generous sprinkle of crushed pistachios to each. Place one pecan and yellow raisin per disc and 2–3 cranberries.
3 Place in the fridge to set; they should be ready in 15–20 mins. When ready to serve, remove the discs from the cases. 

This recipe was originally published in our December 2017 issue.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More things to make in the holidays…

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Sponsored post | Vorarlberg - a Breath of Fresh Air

As the winter sports season gets underway, Austria’s Vorarlberg region offers something
for everyone

If the new year has ignited your sense of adventure, and the lure of snow is tempting you to book a well-deserved trip, then look no further than Vorarlberg for a destination that truly offers something for everyone. Set in Austria’s westernmost corner, bordering Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein, the stunning backdrop of Vorarlberg offers amazing ski resorts, charming villages and an unrivalled selection of gastronomic treats that will truly make it a holiday to remember.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro on skis, Vorarlberg caters for all abilities with both gentle and demanding runs. There are plenty of ski schools and guides to nurture your talents, too. And thanks to its location on the northern rim of the Alps – some two-thirds of the region is situated more than 1,000m above sea level, while many resorts reach an altitude of 2,400m – there’s always plenty of fresh, natural snow. Stunningly picturesque, many will attest that taking the cable car to the summit is every bit as enjoyable as the journey back down on skis.

However, what really makes Vorarlberg so appealing is its regional ski pass networks, free ski buses and short distances between each resort. So every day you can explore and experience something new, all the while surrounded by pretty villages dotted with traditional wooden architecture and state-of-the-art contemporary designs.

No matter if skiing isn’t your cup of tea, though – the region offers a host of alternative activities, including snowshoe rambling, cross-country skiing and winter hiking, to take in the spectacular scenery and breathe deep the invigorating, crisp air. There are plenty of tours available including magical torch-lit evening hikes in Lech Zürs, night-time tobogganing in the Montafon valley, a snowshoe hike with accompanying gourmet picnic in Kleinwalsertal, or you could discover the vibrant cultural life in the towns of Bregenz, Dornbirn, Hohenems, Feldkirch and Bludenz.

After so much action, it’s inevitable that there will be hungry tummies in need of refuelling and there’s any number of eateries to explore, all with a side helping of scenic views. For an authentic taste of winter sports life, head to Trittkopf BBQ Station in Zürs – a converted mountain station that still boasts the old red cable car pulleys and offers a delicious selection of barbecued meats. Frööd, in Brand, is a carbon neutral restaurant that effortlessly combines contemporary design with energy efficiency and prides itself on serving regionally-sourced ingredients, while the Baumgarten Panorama Restaurant, in Bezau, really is something quite special with views extending down to Lake Constance.

Whether swooshing through fresh powder or simply enjoying the après-ski, a trip to Vorarlberg is sure to capture your heart and will leave you feeling revived, recharged, and raring to return.

For more information, visit austria.info or vorarlberg.travel/en

Christmas | Why do we kiss under the mistletoe?

This is still a matter for Christmas debate – up there with what is the best/worst Quality Street.

Some link it to the Norse tale of the goddess of love, Frigge: mistletoe’s berries are said to be the tears she cried for her son; others say it’s a symbol of fertility, thanks to its seasonal rigour.

Either way, kissing under it seems to have started in the 18th century in Britain, reached mass popularity in the 19th and has provided fodder for sitcom and soap storylines for as long as there has been Christmas TV.

This blog was first published in the December 2017 issue of The Simple Things.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More from the December 2022 issue…

More Winter wonders…

Recipe | Leftovers Christmas Pie

Serves 4

200g butter
300g stoneground unbleached white flour
500ml whole milk
200g cheddar cheese (or any leftover Christmas cheese), grated
½ nutmeg, grated
300g brussels sprouts, sliced (or any leftover veg)
200g leftover ham, shredded (or use bacon lardons)
300g leftover turkey 500g rough puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a low–medium heat. Once melted, add the flour, beating it into the butter to make a paste. Gradually add the milk, whisking as you go, to make a silky white sauce.

2 Add the grated cheese to the sauce, along with the nutmeg and stir until melted. Then add the veg, ham and turkey, plus a good pinch of salt and pepper.

3 Pour the filling into a pie dish leaving room at the top for the lid.

4 Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry to 1cm thick. Lay it over the top of the pie dish, then fork the edges down to seal. Add a couple of steam holes and use a pastry brush to brush the top with beaten egg for a golden finish once cooked.

5 Bake the pie for 25–30 mins, or until golden brown

Taken from Pipers Farm: The Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores by Abby Allen & Rachel Lovell (Kyle Books). Photography: Matt Austin

More festive food…

More from our December issue…

Recipe | Mince Pie and Pear Strudel

Baklava meets mince pie. Yum! It’s all down to the filo pastry and brushing each
layer with plenty of melted butter as you go (we never said this was a health dish)

Serves 6-8

100g unsalted butter
Zest of one orange (or 2-3 clementines), plus extra for garnish
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
4 sheets of filo pastry
4 tbsp toasted, chopped hazelnuts
400g mincemeat
1 large pear, stalk removed, grated
1 tbsp demerara sugar

To garnish:
Curls of orange or clementine zest
Extra nuts and/or icing sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Over a low-medium heat, melt the butter in a pan, with the zest, cinnamon, mixed spice and sugar.

2 Line a baking sheet with baking paper and lay out the first sheet of filo. Brush with the butter mixture and sprinkle over a tablespoon of the hazelnuts. Place the next sheet on top and repeat the process until all four sheets have been coated. Keep the remaining butter to brush the top.

3 Lay the filo so that the sheets are landscape, then add a column of mincemeat down the centre and top with the grated pear. Bring one side of the pastry over and fold around the filling, then repeat with the other side.

4 You may need to turn the strudel so that it fits lengthwise on the tray. Brush the top with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 25 – 30 mins, or until the pastry is golden brown.

5 Remove and allow to cool on a rack, or serve warm. Garnish with orange zest, extra nuts and a light dusting of icing sugar.

This delicious dessert is just one of the puds in our feature The Proof is in the Pudding, from our December issue (in shops now). It also includes recipes for Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, Pavlova with Christmas-Spiced Pears & Pistachios and Winterberry Prosecco Trifle. All excellent alternatives to a traditional Christmas Pud!

More Christmas bakes and makes…

More from our December issue…

Sponsored Post | Pause for a Moment

A monthly subscription box packed with fun activities will help you take some time out, and you’ll be supporting the charity Mind as well

How wonderful would it be if you could pause everything, take a deep breath, and give yourself a moment of calm every month? Well now you can – with Pause.

Pause is a subscription box that provides a monthly moment of mindfulness, creativity and calm, delivered straight to your door – and not only does it boost wellbeing, but it helps support Mind, the mental health charity, too.

With a range of activities, each tailored to provide something fun and calming, Pause allows you to give back some time to yourself. Each box offers something unique, something you might not have tried before, and is designed to nurture your wellbeing through activities that help you reflect, relax and get creative. It helps you to find the time to acknowledge how you’re feeling, and to check in with yourself.

Learn something new

But wellbeing isn’t just about self-reflection. Your Pause box can also help you to learn a fun, new skill and encourage you to try new activities that perhaps you have never previously considered. These new skills, goals or challenges can have a positive impact on your self-esteem and wellbeing. Also, by making time to enjoy your Pause activities with family and friends, perhaps gifting a subscription or teaching loved ones your newfound skill, it can help you to feel more connected with others.

You can gift someone you love a moment of calm for themselves, or simply treat yourself – from just £7.50 a month, Mind will send you or a loved one 12 Pause boxes over the course of a year. We all want to give those that are closest to us a little time to help slow down and focus on themselves and a Pause subscription box encourages just that – time for reflection, for quiet and peace. Now isn’t that a gift?

Far-reaching benefits

Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem. By subscribing to Pause, your regular donation will help Mind be there for everyone who needs support.

All of your donation goes into Mind, so you can be sure that your money is making a real change and helping those who truly need it.

Your donation can help fund Mind’s work in so many ways. It could help someone access lifesaving information through their booklets, website and helplines. Or help support someone through Side by Side, a 24/7 online community. It could also help Mind campaign for better mental health services.

All donations help Mind continue their vital work. So pause, take a moment to yourself, and treat yourself or someone you love to a more mindful future.

For further information and to subscribe, visit pauseformind.org.uk/simple.

Make | Retro Glitter Decorations

Getting together with friends to make something beautiful and useful – what’s not to like!

You will need:
Air-drying clay
Rolling pin
Festive cutters
Skewer
PVA glue and spreader
Biodegradable glitter
Twine

1 Roll out your air-dried clay to around 3mm thick. Use your cutters to cut out different shapes, remembering to use the skewer to make a small hole near the top for string.

2 Transfer the decorations to a tray and leave to harden for 24-72 hours.

3 Once dry, spread one side with glue and dip into bowls of glitter. Shake off the excess.When the glue and glitter are dry (after about an hour), thread with twine to hang from the tree.

Maker’s note: These will last for many Christmases if stored correctly. Layer with greaseproof paper in an airtight container and keep flat.

This idea is just one of the makes and bakes from our Advent feature, Christmas is Coming by Lottie Storey, with photography by Kym Grimshaw.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More Christmas decorations…

More from our December issue…

Visit | Honesty Boxes Worth Taking a Detour for

In the spirit of the season of goodwill, we’re appreciating the honest and simple joy of finding a good honesty box. Here are a few that are worth going out of your way for. And some of them really are out of the way.

The Scallop Shack, Isle of Lewes

Located on the Miavaig Pier, pop by and pick up a tub of scallops (or mussels, oysters and more) stocked in the fridge. If no one is about you can just leave your money. If you get lucky and they are about they’ll give you some excellent advice on cooking all their treats from the sea. 

Chilly Cow honesty Box, Ruthin, Denbighshire

Get your ice cream with a dose of honesty. The Honesty Box replaced a normal shop when Covid began in 2020, allowing shoppers to buy Chilly Cow ice creams without contact with others. The shop also sells other local products including honey, james and chutneys. You can pay with old-fashioned cash or download the app and scan the QR codes to pay using PayPal. 

The Cake Fridge, Shetland

Shetland is overrun with amazing honesty boxes and honesty shops. There are so many honesty bakeries, there’s some disagreement over who opened the original cake fridge! But you could do worse than drop into The Cake Fridge on the Voe to Aith road close to the Burn of Lunklet waterfall for a Muckle Custard Cream. 

Eynsford Rescue Hens Honesty Box, Kent

Fresh eggs from good, honest rescued hens and all the proceeds going back into this not-for-profit. Happier hens, fresh eggs for you and a good dose of feelgood honesty. Everyone’s a winner!

The MustHeb Shed, Isle of Harris

Head to the roadside Mustard Shack on Harris for amazing sustainable, small-batch Hebridean mustards. If you must buy online you can (https://www.hebrideanmustard.com/shop_) but we think that spoils the fun!

The Happy Bookswap, Kidderminster

Dubbed ‘the happiest honesty box in the Midlands’ this honesty shop packed with books and sometimes plants, veggies and more is just a lovely place to honesty browse. Find it in Wilden between Kidderminster and Stourport. 

Donnie’s Tablet Shed, Isle of Skye

It’s a fabulous drive with fabulous views to buy Donnie’s bags and bars of tablet on Skye. Even Donnie’s directions are endearing. “The shed is right at the end of the road in Geary, beside the turning circle and next to the animal refuge croft. Look out for the purple honesty box wee shed at the gate and all the ducks, goats, hens, geese, llamas and Highland Cows in the neighbouring croft.” Again, you can buy online (https://lochleventabletcompany.co.uk/) but then you’d miss out on the llamas and Highland cows!

The Honesty Box, Hebden Bridge, West Yorks

This box is more of a cafe. Located up a cobbled lane on a farm, halfway between Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge in the Calder Valley, you can turn up, put the kettle on, make yourself a hot drink and take a cake or ice cream and leave your money. There are seats inside the shed and a little bench outside. 

If you’re charmed by the idea of honesty boxes and would like to ponder further upon them, turn to page 18 of the December issue, where Lucy Brazier discusses them. 

More places to detour for…

More from our December issue…

Learn something new | Arm Knitting

In our January issue, we have the instructions to make this lovely arm-knitted blanket. The pattern is by Woolly Mahoosive where you can also buy chunky yarns for arm knitting. Visit woollymahoosive.com. If you’re having trouble getting started, watch this video from Woolly Mahoosive, which should give you a visual idea of how it arm knitting works and help you make sense of it all. You can buy the January issue of The Simple Things in all good shops and supermarkets or from our online store.

Playlist | Starry skies

Heaven’s above! We’re getting a little starry eyed with this month’s playlist. You can listen to it on Spotify here.
And have a browse of all our playlists here