Nest | Soak in a spruce needle bath

Don’t throw away your Christmas tree clippings just yet. Spruce needles are an invigorating natural remedy, great for clearing the head. If you feel a cold coming on or are simply exhausted, have a bath with this spruce tree essence and let the scent of a forest work its magic

You will need:

3 fresh twigs from a spruce tree, washed
1 litre water

1 Cut the spruce twigs into small pieces, place them in a saucepan and add the water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
2 Now remove the pan from the heat, cover with a cloth, and let the solution of twigs infuse for another 10 minutes while you run your bath.
3 Strain and add the solution to your bath. Relax in the bath for 20 minutes, breathing in deeply and taking in all the wonderful forest scents.
4 Go to bed immediately and rest!

From Vinegar Socks, Traditional Home Remedies for Modern Living by Karin Berndl and Nici Hofer. This blog was first published in the January 2018 issue of The Simple Things.

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Make | A Seasonal Tonic

Make a batch of these immune-boosting shots to prevent a cold from ruining your Christmas

Opt for fresh, organic produce to maximise benefits – and if one ingredient is unavailable, just double up one of the others.

Makes 6 x 50ml shots
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp grated horseradish root
2 tbsp chopped cayenne pepper (or any other chilli)
350ml raw apple cider vinegar

1 Pile the garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish and pepper into a 350ml lidded sterilised jar. (To sterilise, wash it in hot soapy water, dry with a clean cloth, then place in a 200C/Fan 180C/ 400F oven for 10 mins.)
Fill the jar with raw apple cider vinegar, close the lid tightly and shake.
2 Store in a cool, dark place, shaking at least once a day for two weeks.
3 Filter the tonic through a clean piece of muslin, pour into a sterilised bottle. Take a 50ml shot three times a day (on an empty stomach) as soon as you feel the symptoms of a cold. It will keep at room temperature for up to six months.

Recipe from Tonics & Teas by Rachel de Thample (Kyle Books).

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

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Traditions | The emergency present drawer

Kate Pettier explains the art of the emergency present drawer.

Tag-along cousins, pop-up neighbours – surprise guests over the holiday season are as inevitable as leftovers on Boxing Day. And leftovers, in the gift department, are exactly what you need. Not having bought someone a gift is one of those faux-pas that’s hard to laugh off. Emergency present drawer to the rescue!

In essence, it’s a stash of borderline impersonal gifts ready for dispatch. My mum’s was kept in a box in the under-stairs cupboard: gift-wrapped Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisps, Yardley powder puffs and multipack men’s hankies were its staples. As a child, how I hoped there’d be unclaimed Orange Matchmakers...

The gifts may have changed, but for my own spare-present haul, I stick to Mum’s principle that it’s the thought that counts. Emergency gifts are less a display of wealth, more a social polyfilla with which we smooth over the awkwardness of someone having been overlooked by Santa. Notelets, scented candles, V&A hankies, truffles and gift-set toiletries wait in the wings to be given away at the last minute. And of course, ever the optimist, I leave the Orange Matchmakers till last.

This blog was first published in the December 2014 issue of The Simple Things.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

1. Soy scented candles from Anthropologie, £14
2. Liberty print handkerchiefs, £5.95
3. Belleville Bakery body wash and body Lotion, & Other Stories, £14
4. Matchmakers, widely available, around £2.50
5. Letterpress pencil correspondence cards, Meticulous Ink, £20
6. Black Forest gateau truffles, Prestat, £12

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Recipe | A Christmas Eve spiced ale

This is a wassailing style drink for the season. Wassail, from Middle English wæs hæl, means ‘good health’. This hearty festive drink would be a welcome sight at parties and a warming companion while you wrestle the wrapping

This is a dry drink that works well with Guinness or stout as well as ale. This recipe makes enough for a gathering but you can alter it to just make enough for you and a friend or loved one to enjoy while you wrap the presents on Christmas Eve. Because is it even Christmas Eve if you haven’t become slightly tipsy, lost the scissors and called the Sellotape a rude name?

Serves 8–12
Handful of sultanas
150ml marsala, sherry, brandy or rum
100ml ginger cordial or 125g caster sugar
Pinch of grated nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon
2 litres ale, porter, stout or other dark ale
Ice, optional
Punchbowl and cups or glasses

1 Put the sultanas in the punchbowl, add the measured marsala (or alternative), plus the cordial or sugar, and the spices. Leave to macerate.
2 When ready to serve, add ice (if preferred) and the ale. Stir and serve in the cups.

Recipes and images taken from Artisan Drinks by Lindy Wildsmith, photography by Kevin Summers (Jacqui Small, £25). This blog was first published in the December 2014 issue of The Simple Things.

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Recipe | Sausage Roll Wreath

The classic sausage roll gets a festive update for the Christmassy buffet table

Serves 6-8

250ml jar cranberry sauce

1 tbsp honey

Zest of ½ lemon

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp Cointreau (optional)

500g sausage meat

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp chopped oregano

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

500g puff pastry

1 large egg, beaten

Handful of bay leaves

Rosemary sprigs, to garnish

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5. Add the cranberry sauce, honey, lemon zest, star anise,

cinnamon stick and Cointreau (if using) to a pan and gently heat until it starts to simmer. Stir for a few mins to thoroughly blend, then set aside.

2 In a bowl, combine the sausage meat, herbs, nutmeg and seasoning.

3 Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle with the shorter side at the top and spread half the cranberry sauce along the longest length in the middle of the pastry. Place the sausage meat mix on top, along the same central line.

4 Brush the egg along one long side of the pastry to seal it; fold the other side over the meat and cranberry mix before folding the brushed egg side over on top. You’ll finish with a long sausage with the meat sealed inside. Divide the roll into ten, scoring two-thirds of the way through with a sharp knife, taking care not to cut entirely through. Place the pastry roll onto a large lined baking tray.

5 Carefully pull the two ends together to form a circle and seal by brushing with the egg and pressing down. Play around with the final shape so that each segment is uniformly laid out with the filling exposed upwards, and leave space in the centre if you can for your relish bowl once it’s cooked.

6 Bake for 35 mins, or until the pastry turns golden brown and the sausage meat is thoroughly cooked.

7 Transfer to a wire rack to cool, and then on to a serving platter. Place the remaining spiced cranberry sauce into a small bowl that fits into the middle of your sausage ‘wreath’. Garnish with the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs and add to the buffet table for breaking off into segments and dipping into the sauce.

This recipe is just one of the ideas that features in our ‘Boxing Day Buffet’ feature in our December issue, including Mushroom, Chestnut & Stilton Bites, Kir Royale Cocktails, Roasted Cranberry and Mustard Gammon, Winter Salad with Goat’s Cheese & Walnuts, Baked Salmon with Pomegranate & Rosemary and Meringue Nests with Fruit & Boozy Cream. The recipes are by Kay Prestney and photography by Rebecca Lewis.

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Winter Wellbeing | Take a Foraging Walk

Making time to do the things you imagine you would can help avoid overwhelm at this
busy time of year

Picking natural decorations for your home provides a great reason to leave the house and tap into nature’s calming benefits. Look for evergreen branches, berries and rosehips, pine cones, pussy willow, seed heads and winter herbs such as bay and rosemary which can be used to make natural (and free!) decorations.

While you’re there, appreciate the stripped-back beauty of the winter landscape and let it comfort and ground you. Walking and breathing in the fresh air and seeking out these seasonal treasures will leave you rejuvenated… then you can come home and enjoy getting creative with your finds.

If making time for yourself during the festive season sounds like something you’d like more of, you might enjoy our feature ‘Pressing Pause’ in our December issue by Rebecca Frank.

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Playlist | Songs to curl up at home with

For our January NEST issue, our playlist is all about songs to curl up with at home. Take a listen here.
You can find all our playlists – covering all kinds of moods and weathers – here.

Our January 2026 issue goes on sale on 24 December. Find copies in supermarkets and newsagents, or order a copy directly through us at Pics and Ink.

Competition | Win a Suma Hamper worth £300

Championing ethical and sustainable food production, Suma has everything needed for a deliciously well-stocked pantry

The New Year is the ideal time to refresh your pantry with healthy, sustainable and ethical produce. Whether you have a walk-in pantry, or a tiny storecupboard, filling it with ingredients that are good for you, good for the planet, and good for the people who grow and make them feels amazing.

Suma is a Yorkshire-based worker-owned co-operative that’s proud to champion equal pay and transparency. Our Food Done Fairly approach means every product supports fair, ethical, and sustainable practices, from farm to cupboard.

Ingredients that matter

Opening a Suma pantry is like opening a treasure chest of goodness. Whole grains, like organic quinoa, bulgur wheat and arborio rice, sit ready to nourish body and soul in comforting risottos, stews or grain bowls that highlight seasonal produce.

Our sustainably sourced beans and pulses are simple, versatile and packed with plant-based protein. From soups to stews, they’ll see you through busy days without compromising on flavour or ethics.

And no cupboard is complete without the essentials that bring depth and warmth to any meal. Suma’s organic tinned tomatoes, beans and coconut milk are the foundations for effortless, nourishing dishes. Add in our dried herbs and spices, nuts, seeds and dried fruits and you can create meals and snacks that feel special with minimal fuss.

Feel-good treats

Sometimes life calls for a little indulgence, be that a cup of coffee, a homemade flapjack, or a handful of almonds sprinkled over breakfast. Our Fairtrade organic Peruvian coffee supports women farmers’ co-operatives, while a flapjack made from organic oats and medjool dates delivers fibre, slow-release energy and all the simple pleasures of mindful eating.

Win a Suma hamper

If this has piqued your interest, then you’re in luck. The Simple Things and Suma are offering one lucky reader the chance to win a Suma hamper worth over £300. Packed with wholefoods and storecupboard staples, it’s a great opportunity to start the year with a cupboard full of nourishing ingredients that support sustainable farming and make everyday meals a joy.

For more information, visit suma.coop or follow on Instagram at: @sumawholefoods.

How to enter

For your chance to win a Suma hamper, worth over £300, enter our competition by clicking the button below and answering the following question by the closing date of 13 February 2026.

Q: In which county is Suma based?

Terms and conditions: The competition closes at 11.59pm on 13 February 2026. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 of the magazine and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Competition | Win a sofa worth up to £2,650

Beautiful sofas that will last a lifetime and are kind to the planet and your pocket, that
sounds Schplendid to us…

High-end sofas may be well made and can last a lifetime, but they often come with the price tag to match. Meanwhile, sofas at the lower end of the market are stuffed with chemicals and generally don’t stand the test of time before ending up in landfill.

Frustrated with mass-produced furniture that simply gets tossed away, while beautiful craftsmanship is priced out of reach, Schplendid decided to change things up. Ditching the shiny showrooms and huge markups, they decided to put every penny into what really matters, your sofa.

Each Schplendid sofa is traditionally made, with all natural materials, 8-way hand-tied springs, solid beech frames and 80% down cushions. They’re built to last – they guarantee it, quite literally – and they’re designed with honesty at their core. Schplendid is passionate about quality, obsessed with comfort, and committed to making sofas that don’t cost the earth.

Bringing beautiful, well-made sofas that last to as many people as possible. No plastic. No nasties. No nonsense. Just incredible sofas at reasonable prices, for real people.

If you’re keen to join the not-so-quiet rebellion against throwaway furniture, then The Simple Things has teamed up with Schplendid to give one lucky reader the chance to win a sofa, worth up to £2,650. With 19 all natural fabrics, including 100% cotton velvets or top-grade, heavy-weight 100% linens, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

You can choose from bestselling models, including the Vesper love seat, the Albion 3-seater, the Wee Bonnie 2-seater, and the Scoon 2-seater. Or the Schplendid team would be happy to help should you wish to upgrade to a sofa that will surely become an heirloom piece in your home.
For more information, visit schplendid.com or follow on Instagram at: @schplendidsofas

How to enter

For your chance to win a Schplendid sofa, worth up to £2,650, enter our competition by clicking o the button below and answering the following question by the closing date of 13 February 2026.

Q: How many all-natural fabrics are Schplendid sofas available in?

Terms and conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 13 February 2026. One winner will be selected at random
from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. The prize is a sofa or seat worth up to £2,650 – anything greater than this amount must be covered by the winner. There is no cash alternative on any product that is of lower value than the prize limit. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 of the magazine and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules. 

Competition | Win a shopping voucher by telling us about your glass champion

Image by Adobe Stock

Sustainable, healthy and stylish, glass is a great choice for food, drink, health and beauty products. Let us know your favourite brands in glass and enter our prize draw

There’s something timeless about glass. It’s been part of our daily lives for centuries, holding everything from skincare to preserves, and yet it’s more relevant now than ever. Glass is pure, chemically inert, endlessly recyclable and reusable, making it one of the most sustainable packaging choices available. For those of us who care about what we put on our bodies, in our homes, and on our plates, it offers reassurance that our choices do not come at a cost to the planet or our health.

Share your favourite

Friends of Glass UK, the community that celebrates glass packaging, is launching Glass Champions – a campaign aimed at highlighting brands, retailers and independent groups using glass as their primary packaging. If you know of a business that deserves a mention, we’d love to hear about it.

Glass makes everyday moments feel considered. It keeps food fresh, protects beauty products, and has a reassuring weight and clarity that’s satisfying to hold. It encourages reuse, reduces waste, and brings a moment of care and attention to routines. Whether it’s your morning jam on toast, a daily skincare ritual, or five minutes spent enjoying your favourite tipple, glass makes ordinary moments feel thoughtful.

Let’s be clear

It’s easy to take glass for granted, as it plays a part in so many everyday uses across beauty, health, home and food, however, there are brands showing how glass can be both practical and beautiful, while benefitting people and the planet.

So take a peek inside your pantry or bathroom cabinet and tell us about your favourite brands that are using glass bottles and jars. Our favourites will be featured in the April issue of The Simple Things – and as a thank you for nominating your Glass Champions, every entry will go into a prize draw where 5 lucky readers will win a Love2Shop e-gift card, worth £100. Now that’s worth raising a glass to.

Follow the Glass Champions campaign on Instagram at: @friendsofglassuk

The total package

These brands are already championing the benefits of glass.

UNROOTED make plant‑based super shots using the baobab fruit, a natural source of fibre and vitamin C. Each 60ml glass bottle keeps flavours fresh, including Mighty Ginger and Punchy Turmeric, while the glass itself is fully recyclable. Working closely with communities in southern Africa, supporting tree‑planting projects and sustainable harvesting, UNROOTED offers a little moment of care in your day.

unrooteddrinks.com

Adding a little richness to everyday moments, Gü desserts are made from carefully chosen ingredients and layered for flavour and texture. Their glass ramekins are made from at least 54% recycled glass and are fully recyclable. Be it a cheesecake, a mousse or a classic layer dessert, the glass keeps each pudding fresh, plus Gü encourages repurposing the ramekins, with plenty of ideas on their website. Thoughtful puds in thoughtful packaging.
gudesserts.com

How to nominate

If you know of a worthy Glass Champion, tell us all about them, plus a few details about yourself,
by clicking the button below and filling in the online form by 28 January 2026. As a thank you, we’ll pop your name into a prize draw where you could win one of five Love2Shop e-gift cards, each worth £100.

Terms and conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 28 January 2026. Five winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. The winners cannot transfer their prizes or swap for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 of the magazine and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Christmas | Traditions to Borrow

From mince pies with Carols From King’s to Scrabble with Boxing Day brunch, we all have our own much-loved Christmas traditions. But there’s always room for new ones, too. Here are a few quirky Christmas traditions to borrow and steal from around the world. 

1 Gingerbread pigs

Gingerbread houses are fun but a lot of work. In Prague, they bake gingerbread pigs for Christmas (as well as stars, bells and fish, apparently). Ginger pigs (or Marranitos) also feature on Mexican Christmas menus. When you consider that the Christmas story includes plenty of donkeys, oxen, sheep (and shepherds), we think it’s time pigs made an appearance to represent at the festive farmyard. Buy yourself a pig-shaped cookie cutter and hold a gingerbread pigs evening this season. 

2 Visit the Sauna Elf

Families in Finland often sauna together on Christmas Eve in a tradition known as ‘joulusauna’. It’s a chance to relax and regroup before the madness of the big day. Many also leave treats for Saunatonttu, the Sauna Elf, to thank him for keeping the sauna warm and tidy all year. A nice twist on leaving a carrot out for Rudolph. Look for a mobile sauna near you this Christmas, and treat your ‘ealth as well as the elf. 

3 A new outfit (to ward off a terrifying cat)

Farmworkers in Iceland would be rewarded for finishing their work in time for Christmas with new clothes from the farmer. But woe betide those who don’t get through their jobs - the Yule Cat (a giant, violent creature) will appear and eat them. What more excuse do you need to treat everyone you don’t want to get scoffed by a giant cat to a nice new Christmas jumper? 

4 Winter webs

In Ukraine, legend has it that a poor woman who could not afford to decorate her Christmas tree woke one morning to find it covered in beautiful, glistening spider webs. Ukrainians honour the spider by hanging a pretend arachnid (and a few pretend webs) on their own trees. You could make your own ‘spider’ from wire and beads and hang it in a corner of your home. If you were to hold a private ‘spider and sparkling wine’ evening on decs up day, we also wouldn’t stop you. 

5 Christmas cartoons

At 3pm on Christmas Eve, Swedes take to the sofa following their Christmas meal to watch the 1958 Donald Duck Christmas Special. The same episode is introduced live each Christmas Eve with a candle being lit and the TV host wishing all Swedes a merry Christmas before the cartoon is shown. We’re not saying you ‘should’ sack off the King’s speech to watch Donald Duck, but we’re not saying you ‘shouldn’t’ either… An afternoon of cartoons on the sofa is a lovely way to find your inner child at this time of year. 

6 Find some Pagan peace

Mark the shortest day (21 December) with light, peace and positivity. Yule falls just before Christmas, which can feel like a frantic time, so taking just a few hours to celebrate quietly is good for the soul. You could make sun bread (find the recipe on our blog) and invite a couple of friends over for supper by candlelight, but if you want to do something a little different, you might like to borrow a little Latvian tradition. Find a decent sized log and drag it all over the house, metaphorically picking up any negative feelings from the year, and then take it outside and burn it. Standing, wrapped up warm in the dark, watching all the negative bits of the last few months going up in smoke is a very therapeutic way of wiping the slate clean and welcoming back the sun.

The pig gingerbread, above, are featured in our December issue’s My City pages, where we visit Prague. And if you’re looking for more festive inspiration, don’t miss ‘Keeping Up Traditions’ on page 40, where we meet the people working to preserve ancient customs at Christmas.

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History | The Wreath Lectures

Photography by Cecily Whitmarsh Boon @boonandbramble

Thought to be derived from ‘writhen’, an Old English word that means ‘to twist’, the symbolism of the wreath is in its circular shape. Like the wreath, the world keeps turning and the wheel of the year continues, reminding us that dark winter days will soon be replaced by long, light evenings. In pre-Christian times, the solstice was celebrated with wheels of greenery to pray for the return of the sun. 

Hanging a wreath on one’s door may well date back to the Romans, who hung wreaths on their doors as a sign of high status. (If you’ve seen the price of some wreath making workshops, these days, you might think not a lot has changed). 

The door-going Christmas wreath, however, is not to be confused with the Advent wreath: the same shape but laid flat on a table with candles incorporated to count the Sundays in Advent.  It wasn’t until the 19th century that festive wreaths were moved from table to front door. Made from holly, ivy and pine cones, these Victorian adornments were known as Welcome Rings, designed to impress festive guests. 

If you’d like to be impressed by some festive greenery, too, or simply be cheered by the reminder that lighter days are soon to come, you might like our My Place pages in our December issue, which feature festive foliage in homes around the globe, like the one pictured above.

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Reading | Cosier Crime

December days are made for snuggling up with a good book and a Christmas mystery might be just the ticket. Here are a few of our favourite Cosy Crime reads for the season

Another Little Christmas Murder by Lorna Nicholl Morgan (Sphere)

Set in the run-up to Christmas, this Golden Age mystery has the classic setting of a snowbound English country house party. Young, intrepid Dylis Hughes is driving through Yorkshire on the way back to London when her car breaks down. She accepts help from a passing motorist, Inigo Brown, and agrees to seek refuge at his uncle’s house, Wintry Wold.

Once there, Dylis is surprised by the strange behaviour of Inigo’s (very young) aunt, who has only recently married his much older uncle. Dylis’ suspicions are fully awakened when Inigo’s uncle dies suddenly in the night and other strangers arrive at the house to ask for shelter from the blizzard. Are

all these unexpected guests who they claim to be? Dylis and Inigo decide to investigate, and the result is an exciting mystery tinged with romance, which will keep you guessing until the end.

ALSO TRY: A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer (Arrow)

The mistletoe is hung at Lexham Manor, but Christmas cheer is lacking among the guests. Perhaps the grumpiest of the lot is their host, Nathaniel Herriard, and when he is murdered, each guest falls under suspicion in this clever locked-room puzzle.

Five more cosy crime novels for keen Christmas bookworms

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, a short story collection by Agatha Christie

Mystery in White, by J Jefferson Farjeon

The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay

Carol, by Patricia Highsmith

The Long Shadow, by Celia Fremlin

If you’re looking for a festive read for December, you might enjoy our feature A Winter’s Tale by Miranda Mills in our latest issue. Whether you’re looking for seasonal anthologies, winter feast inspiration, spooky season reads, stories for snow days or childhood classics, there’s a page-turner waiting for you.

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Make | Hand-painted Taper Candles

A simple project to help light up your December table

You will need:

Taper candles (dark colours look most effective)

Metallic gold markers

Candle holders to hold them while they dry

To make:

Using a gold metallic marker, you can create decorative candles to complement your advent candle*, or use for other festive occasions. Stars in different sizes with dots work well, or you can try a foliage and berry motif along the length of the candle. It’s up to you.

Take care not to smudge the bits you’ve done as you go. Put them in candle holders so they can dry completely on all sides.

* See page 18 of our December issue for instructions on how to make the Advent candle, pictured above.

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Tipple | Burnt Orange Cocktail

A take on an Old Fashioned, this tipple makes use of the natural oils in orange skin. As they caramelise under the grill, your kitchen will be filled with warm, citrussy notes.

Makes 1 cocktail

3 tsp granulated sugar

1 or 2 oranges, squeezed (you’ll need 125ml juice and keep the peel)

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

60ml bourbon whiskey

1 Heat the sugar and orange juice in a pan over a low heat. Remove from the heat once the sugar begins to brown.

2 Preheat a low grill and slice a little of the orange peel into garnish-sized strips. Once hot, put the peel on a baking tray and grill until the edges just catch. Take another piece of orange peel and rub it around the rim of your glass, inside and outside.

3 Muddle 1 teaspoon of the sugar and orange juice mix with a piece of orange peel.

4 Add the bitters, stir, add the whiskey and stir again. Pour into your glass and add the remaining juice mix, ice and a piece of burnt orange rind.

This recipe is from our monthly Kitchen Therapy pages by Lottie Storey, which feature seasonal ways to feed body and soul. In our December issue you’ll also find recipes for Leek Tart with Romesco, Sprout Slaw with Dried Cranberries & Crunchy Nuts, Rosemary & Parmesan Biscuits and Individual Bailey’s Tiramisus.

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How to | Solve an Agatha Christie Novel

Obviously you can simply skip to the last chapter, but here are a few clues that might help you work out by yourself who dunnit before the denouement.

Be suspicious early

The murderer is always introduced in the first half of the book so keep your eyes peeled early doors. HOWEVER, you’re not looking for a typical criminal. Christie’s murderers are usually unlikely, so watch out for any pillars of the community: vicars, doctors, etc, or anyone with a watertight alibi.

Heed the mid-way clue

Christie didn’t want her readers to feel cheated, so often drops an absolute clanger of a clue about halfway through the book. It’s usually so quickly glossed over that you don’t take much note until the killer is unmasked and you remember and kick yourself.

Spot the devil in the detail

Big Data on Christie novels shows up all sorts of interesting coincidences but you need to be in the know to use them to your advantage, so listen up. If it’s set in a country house or there are lots of cars featured, the murderer is almost certain to be female. If cause of death is strangulation, the killer will be male. Christie regularly uses the word ‘interesting’ to describe a clue that is a red herring and glosses over the ‘real’ clues. Yep, we only said she was a great novelist, not a great poker player.

You can find more miscellaneous fun and games on our monthly Miscellany pages at the back of every issue of The Simple Things.

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The Rules | Sauna

Photography by Liz Seabrook

A few rules to consider before you strip off and heat up

What to wear?

Unlike other sauna cultures where nudity is compulsory, among British bathers, anything goes, from wetsuits to running gear, to hen and stag-do fancy dress. Anything, it seems, is better than nothing!

Rinse first 

Start with wet, clean skin. The first sweat is the dirtiest one, so wash this (and subsequent sweats) off under a shower or in the sea, not in a communal pool.

How long?

Ignore time limits on hot and cold immersions. Even if you only last a few minutes, that’s okay. A sauna session is not a test. Listen to your body and leave when you’re ‘comfortably uncomfortable’.

Etiquette

Remember to close the door when you step in and out. Don’t bag a spot by putting your towel down; the sauna is a shared space and everyone should expect to move around. Speaking quietly and being mindful of what is discussed is basic courtesy. In Finland and Estonia, thorny issues such as politics and religion are kept firmly outside the sauna walls. In Nordic nations, it’s rude to throw water on the rocks without asking or to create mass evacuation by steaming everyone out.

These guidelines are from our November issue feature, Scenic Saunas, which is an extract from Wild Sauna: The Best Outdoor Saunas In Britain by Emma O’Kelly (Wild Things) 

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Playlist | Christmas moments

DJ: Frances Ambler
Image: Adobe Stock

Introducing our December playlist. You can have a listen to it here. Pop it on while you write your cards, unwrap your pressies or just take a moment.
Our December issue celebrates all things calm, all things bright. It’s in the shops from 19 November.
You can have a browse of all our playlists here.

Make | Our Natural Advent Calendar of Promises

December days can race away from us. However, the joys of an advent calender shouldn’t be forgotten and can add a moment of kindness, reflection and calm into a hectic time.

This advent calendar (featured on our front cover) is quick to put together and it can start on any day in December, if you make a shorter version. It works for all ages, too – rather than gifts, you place a promise in each envelope that the recipient can trade in whenever they like. Whether it’s a trip to see some lights, the first pick from the Christmas chocolates or just a nice hug, it’s a lovely way to create memories.

You will need:

Paper
Scissors
Small envelopes, or you could make paper pockets
Decorations (if you can’t find enough dried flowers and seed heads you could use bits of fir)
Washi tape
Fabric, pins, a stick and string, or cardboard and glue

To make

1 Cut the paper into pieces that are small enough to fit in your envelopes.
2 Write a promise on each piece of paper. You can write things like: watching a film together, making them a special pudding, a snuggle on the sofa, a day out somewhere festive, a winter picnic, hot chocolate tasting.... Customise the promises to the person that you’re making them for.
3 Put each promise in an envelope and seal.
4 Start decorating! We used pieces of dried flowers and foliage and stuck them to the envelopes with washi tape.
5 To finish, either stick the envelopes to a piece of cardboard or, as we did, pin them to a piece of fabric, which can be hung on the wall.  Lay the envelopes out first before pinning, to check you’re
happy with the overall look.

Project and photography by Emma Harris

If you like the idea of making an advent calendar with a twist, you might enjoy our feature Calendars of Promise in our December issue.

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More festive anticipation…

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