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Small Ways To Live Well from The Simple Things — Home & Garden
Small Ways To Live Well from The Simple Things

Small Ways to Live Well is a podcast from The Simple Things, a monthly magazine about slowing down, remembering what’s important and making the most of where you live.

Hosted by the Editor, Lisa Sykes, in this season, May days & summer afternoons, she’ll be sampling honesty boxes, seeking our magical creatures, taking sensory walks and generally revelling in the promise of summer, alongside co-hosts wellbeing editor Rebecca Frank and regular contributor and slow traveller Jo Tinsley.

To subscribe or order a copy of The Simple Things visit thesimplethings.com

A definite contender for ‘favourite time of the year’ these light-filled days of late spring and early summer are easy to love. The novelty of sustained sunshine and warmer days gladden the hearts. The countryside is at its best and cities start to go all Mediterranean, living life outside. Even the most humdrum garden looks pretty in May.

And we’re as busy as the birds feeding chicks and bees gathering nectar – planting flowers, tending our veg patch and exploring our neighbourhood. It’s the end of the hungry gap with the first harvests so we enjoy eating outdoors and go on our first picnic of the year. We’re learning more about folklore and festivals, listening to birdsong and making the most of long weekends. Join us to dabble in something new and take a spontaneous day trip. Our motto for the season: ‘Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time’.

There are six episodes in Season 9, released weekly from May Day and supported by Titanic Belfast

Copyright: © 2024 Iceberg Press Ltd

Latest Episodes:

Merry Midwinter - Episode 2 - TREASURE Dec 07, 2025

Show notes

The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and Wellbeing Editor Rebecca Frank talk treasure, including the things we decorate our homes with, the people we treasure at Christmas and ways to treasure the season.

If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing & music by Arthur Cosslett.

Thanks to our partner for the Merry Midwinter season, the Marine Stewardship Council, which sets certification standards for sustainable fisheries and awards the blue ecolabel on fish and fish products. Find out more about the best fish to choose at msc.org and follow them on instagram @mscintheuk

On the blog

Handmade gift ideas from thesimplethings.com

Christmas crackers template here

Bay and lemon sea salt body scrub

Homemade tea bags

Fairy cake baubles

Gingerbread tree decorations

In the December issue (162) on sale now

Make your own advent candle

Christmas playlist

Mini rosemary wreath decorations

Eggnog – why everyone should try it

Forest needles chai

Decorations from fabric scraps

Weekend away – wreath making in the west country

In our A Year of Celebrations Anthology

Crafternoon – festive bakes and gifts

Choosing the tree

Edible baubles and stained-glass biscuits

Handmade Christmas crackers

In our wellbeing bookazine, Flourish Volume 4

Everlasting wreaths

Learn more

How to have an eco-friendly Christmas: advice from The Wildlife Trusts, The National Trust and WWF

Fish pie recipe carrying the MSC blue label by James Strawbridge

In previous issues available at picsandink.com

Missing people at Christmas – Issue 150

Merry Midwinter - Episode 1 - MERRY Nov 30, 2025

Show notes

Join The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and author of The Slow Traveller and regular contributor Jo Tinsley in the first episode of our Merry Midwinter season, where we are doing our best to find calm and contentment in the run up to Christmas. This episode we will be chatting about alternative approaches to advent calendars, the people working hard to preserve much-loved customs, the joy of a Christmas market and how to fill your home with festive scents.

If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing & music by Arthur Cosslett.

In the December issue (162) on sale now

Weekend project advent candle

Alternative advent calendar ideas

Keeping up traditions

On the blog

Natural Advent Calendar of Promises

Make your own advent calendar

Living Advent Calendar

Scented Pinecones

Herbs & Spices playlist

From A Year of Celebrations anthology

Weekend project: make your own advent calendar

Learn more

Window Wonderland in Shepton Mallet, Somerset
A Winter Dictionary: A collection of words for the festive season by Paul Anthony Jones (Elliott & Thompson)

In previous issues available to buy at picsandink.com

Looking back: Mid-century Christmas traditions (138)

Finding the fairytale for free(ish) (138)

Weekend project: Scents of the season: Use natural finds to fill your home with some favourite smells of winter (150)

Christmassy Cities: Nuremberg (150), Bruges (Issue 126), Prague (162)

Easy Giving: simple ways you can help spread cheer (150)

For Christmas gift wrapped subscriptions click here and use code GIFTWRAP25

Thanks to our partner for the Merry Midwinter season, the Marine Stewardship Council, which sets certification standards for sustainable fisheries and awards the blue ecolabel on fish products. Find out more at msc.org and follow them on instagram @mscintheuk

Golden Days - Episode 6 - RAMBLE Oct 05, 2025

Show notes

Join The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes, Wellbeing Editor Rebecca Frank and regular contributor and author of The Slow Traveller, Jo Tinsley as they take an early evening walk together and ponder over the joy and comfort of a familiar ramble, consider why being outdoors helps us to talk more freely, and finish with a stroll in the footsteps of Jane Austen in Bath’s very own pleasure gardens.

If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things get 30% off and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing and music by Arthur Cosslett.

In The Simple Things

In the October HUG issue (160) on sale now

Magical creatures – an appreciation of the tawny owl

In the November SPICE issue (161)

An Autumnal roast – it’s the season for roast dinners and this one is a winner

Buy the November issue at picsandink.com from 16 October and on the newsstand from 22 October.

From Flourish, our wellbeing bookazine (Volume 3)

How to do autumn well – foraging, feasting and conker fighting

Outdoor therapy – how it works and techniques to try as your walk

Flourish Volume 4 is coming soon and is available to pre-order with 10% off until 29 October

IN PREVIOUS ISSUES

Which Jane Austen character are you? Fun quiz and events to suit your character. (Issue 154, April 2025)

Moodscapes and walking routes – how different landscapes make us feel. (Issue 154, April 2025). Read more on our blog.Taken fromThe Walking Cure by Annabel Streets (Bloomsbury Tonic)

Buy current and back issues here

LEARN MORE

Jane Austen 250 year anniversary events in Bath https://visitbath.co.uk/inspire-me/literary-bath/jane-austen-bath and beyond www.janeausten.co.uk

The joy of a familiar walk by Alice Tatham (Issue 129) Follow Alice on Instagram @thewildwoodmoth

Golden Days - Episode 5 - HARVEST Sep 28, 2025

Show notes

Join The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and Wellbeing Editor Rebecca Frank for our own mini harvest festival as they relish this time of abundance for cooking, gathering and squirreling away before the first frosts arrive.

If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing by Dhylyn Foster. Music by Arthur Cosslett.

On the blog

Hedgrow fizz – foraged berries diluted with sparkling wine or water

Crab apple whisky

Crab apple and fennel seed leather

In defence of the pear

How to stock a store cupboard

Lessons from Nigella
Baked pear pies

In the October HUG issue (160) on sale now

Kitchen therapy – baked pear pies and a mindful drawing exercise

Wine and cheese gathering – good wine and cheese pairings make for happy guests

In previous issues

In the September TREASURE issue (159)

Plates to plot – share the harvest with friends by holding your own allotment feast with a tipple of warm apple cider and other seasonal dishes

Coming up in the November issue (161)

Smart ways to eat well. An extract from Shrewd Food: 60 Ways to Eat Yourself Healthy by Noonie Zand Goodarzi (Badger Books). Illustrations by Mudd Bexley
November issue 161 will be available to pre-order at picsandink.com from 16 October, on sale from 22 October.

Don’t give up your garden for winter: The natural world may be winding down but autumn is actually the start of the agricultural year, a time to plant and plan for the months ahead

In Flourish Volume 3

Today, tomorrow to keep: pears

Chocolate pear cake and preserved pears in red wine

Pre-order the new Flourish Volume 4 with 10% off at www.picsandink.com until 29 October

How to subscribe to The Simple Things – for an immediate start subscription with 30% go to off cover price go to http://www.icebergpress.co.uk/subscribe

Golden Days - Episode 4 - ROAM Sep 21, 2025

Show notes

As the autumn equinox tips summer into autumn, Wellbeing Editor Rebecca Frankand regular contributor and author of The Slow Traveller, Jo Tinsley lace up their hiking boots and go exploring. From the joy of early autumn city breaks and solo travel to a walking meditation and games you can play with your dog.

If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing by Dhylyn Foster. Music by Arthur Cosslett.

ON THE BLOG

How to be a fearless traveller

Songs about dogs

Days out for You and Your Dog

How to trespass with good manners

TO READ

The Book of Trespass: Crossing the Lines that Divide Us, by Nick Hayes

The Slow Traveller by Jo Tinsley

School for Dogs (And Their Humans) by Sophie Collins

IN THE SIMPLE THINGS

In October issue:

My Living: The dog walker

Wellbeing: Lessons in chemistry – how hormones help

Miscellany: Give the dog a game

Buy the October issue at picsandink.com from 18 September and on the newsstand from 24 September.

IN PREVIOUS ISSUES

Action stations: Hiking between stations or heading to the end of the line (159, Sep 2025)

Dog days out: Around the UK are people and places going the extra mile for dogs (147, Sep 2024)

Natural connection: A rope swing, a cairn and a den, these humble handmade features our landscape may just hold the key to improving our relationship with nature (147, Sep 2024)

Good well hunting: Places for refreshment, healing and worship, wells and springs are magical places (158, Aug 2025)

Buy current and back issues here

LEARN MORE

The Outdoor Swimming Society | Is it legal?

The Outdoor Swimming Society | Right to Swim

Golden Days - Episode 3 - NEST Sep 14, 2025

Show notes

In this third episode The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and Wellbeing Editor Rebecca Frank turn their attention to what they have and where they live, enjoying treasures, finding fresh ideas at home and sampling a bit of Kveldsmat – the Norwegian tradition of evening breakfast.

If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing by Dhylyn Foster. Music by Arthur Cosslett.

On the blog

Greek Panzanella

Journalling ideas

Search ‘What I treasure’ on the blog for some of our published pieces from readers on a belonging that means a lot to them.

To browse
Treasure tins – #concentratesofplace @tanyashadrickwriter

In The Simple Things

From the September issue – 159

Home Economics: Tomatoes – how to make the most of a seasonal glut of tomatoes

Wisdom: Emma Bridgewater on 40 years of preparing pottery and the special ritual of coffee and cake

How to Kveldsmat – the Norwegian tradition of a late night snack

My plot: Andrew Fusek Peters shares wildlife photography taken from his Shropshire garden. Fusekphotos.com @andrewfusekpeters and book Garden Safari (Graffeg)

In the October (160) issue

My Place: The corners of our home that mean the most – Kitchen tables

Keeping a commonplace book by Miranda Mills, author of The Country Commonplace Book (Batsford)

Sunday best – the comfort and delight of Sundays by Daniel Gray author of Sunday Best: Travels through the day of restby Daniel Gray
(Harper North)

Bramble basket project

Buy the October issue at picsandink.com from 18 September and on the newsstand from 24 September.

From earlier issues

Letting go – just like nature, we need to shed in order to grow and flourish (136)

How to great a weekend retreat at home (142)

Back garden campout – enjoy an end of summer camping trip without going away (110)

Golden Days - Episode 2 - BEGIN Sep 07, 2025

Show notes

In this second episode at the start of the new school year The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and regular contributor Jo Tinsley indulge in a bit of schooldays nostalgia but also discuss why it’s a good time to take on new projects, find new habits, make something new and learn a few skills.

If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing by Dhylyn Foster. Music by Arthur Cosslett.

On the blog

Things to do with Weird Veg Box Vegetables

Parsnip panpipes (yes, really)

To read

Forecast: A diary of the Lost Seasons, by Joe Shute (Bloomsbury)

In The Simple Things

From the September TREASURE issue (159)

The Slapdash Manifesto: General principles for good enough

Wearing Well: Wristwatches

Buy the September issue here

IN PREVIOUS ISSUES

Revisiting team sports (Issue 147, September 2024)

Veg box suppers: golden marrow marmalade, Moroccalili (Issue 111, September 2011)

Wearing Well Backpacks (Issue 111, September 2021)

Miscellany: How to win at conkers (Issue 136, October 2023)

Clapping game lyrics

A sailor went to sea, sea, sea

To see what he could see, see, see

But all that he could see, see, see

Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea

A sailor went to knee, knee, knee

To see what he could knee, knee, knee

But all that he could knee, knee, knee

Was the bottom of the deep blue knee, knee, knee

A sailor went to chop, chop, chop

To see what he could chop, chop, chop,

But all that he could chop, chop, chop

Was the bottom of the deep blue chop, chop, chop

Golden Days - Episode 1 - SAVOUR Aug 31, 2025

Show notes

Today our theme is SAVOUR and we’re advocating letting summer linger on as long as possible, savouring the tastes, fruits and flowers of the season, finding holiday habits to carry on with and appreciating things to treasure. Hosted by The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and Wellbeing Editor Rebecca Frank

If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing by Dhylyn Foster. Music by Arthur Cosslett.

SHOW NOTES

On the blog

Fig and goat’s cheese bundles

Search ‘What I treasure’ on the blog for some of our published pieces from readers on a belonging that means a lot to them.

To read

Reading Between The Lines by Emma Bache (Quercus)

In The Simple Things

From the September issue

New herbal non-alcoholic tipples series begins

Handwriting and why it is good for you

Buy the September issue here

From the October issue

Home Economics: Koromagae and clothes care when you switch from summer to winter.

Buy the October issue at picsandink.com from 18 September and on the newsstand from 24 September.

In September 2024 issue – 147 Appreciating your garden at dawn, day and dusk

In August 2025 issue – 158 Kitchen therapy: figs, blackberries, plums and damsons

From The Simple Things Anthology Volume 4: A Year of Celebrations

Vineyard harvest supper

Dahlias

Magical Midsummer - Epsiode 6 MAGICAL Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

It’s the final episode of our magical midsummer season and today all three of the Small Ways to Live Well podcast hosts have come together to talk about the most magical moments of this special time of year. Join Lisa Sykes (editor, The Simple Things), Becs Frank (Wellbeing editor) and Jo Tinsley (regular contributor and author of The Slow Traveller) as we discuss midsummer feasts and rituals, wonderful places to enjoy the solstice, the art of storytelling, and how dreams help us process emotions (and how to decode them).

If you are in the UK, you can choose an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing and music by Arthur Cosslett

On the blog:

Midsommartårta (midsummer strawberry cake) recipe

Lemon basil spritzer recipe

Wild midsummer cocktails

To read:

Decode Your Dreams: Unlock your unconscious and transform your waking life by Ian Wallace (White Lion Publishing)

Lucid dreaming – find out more about directing your dreams in our wellbeing bookazine, Flourish (Volume 3) buy it here

The Slow Traveller : An intentional path to mindful adventures by Jo Tinsley

In The Simple Things

From the June SOAR issue (156)

Midsummer short story writing competition To celebrate National Flash Fiction Day this month we’re launching our search for your best short stories, themed around ‘The Longest Day'. Send your entry of 300 words max to thesimplethings@icebergpress.co.ukwith the heading MIDSUMMER MICROFICTION. Closing date 31 July. Full details in our June issue

What happens at Stonehenge? Read about this and other seasonal ideas including making a fairy-lit garden room in our monthly Almanac

Buy June issue here and on the newsstand until 24 June

In the July FRUIT issue (157)

Tomato leaf martini – a fabulously fragrant summer tipple

Sleepless in summer – how to get the rest you need in the warmest months

Magical creatures: Purple emperor butterflies

Subscribers will receive the July issue from 20 June when pre-orders will also open at picsandink.com or you can buy on the newsstand from the 25 June. Find out how to subscribe here

Check out The Simple Things Anthology Volume 4: A Year of Celebrations for any excuse to celebrate with the food, flowers and decorations for every occasion

Magical Midsummer - Epsiode 5 SLOW Jun 15, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 5 of our Magical Midsummer season in the Small Ways to Live Well podcast from The Simple Things magazine. Join Editor Lisa Sykes and and Jo Tinsley, a regular contributor to the magazine and also, very appropriately, author of The Slow Traveller, as we discuss all things SLOW from taking our time to savour summer fruits and learning how to enjoy the fruits of our labours to working out the best ways to while away a summer afternoon. Plus, we’ll be sharing some wise advice on travelling slowly.

If you are in the UK, you can choose an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. Or buy current and back issues here

Editing and music by Arthur Cosslett

On the blog

Recipe: Ploughman's scones

Ice cube aftersun

To read

The Slow Traveller: An intentional path to mindful adventures by Jo Tinsley

Things to do

Black Girls Do Run

In The Simple Things

From the June SOAR issue (156)

Looking Back: Radio Times. Whether the Top 40 or Desert Island Discs, we tune into the programmes that have ruled the airwaves – and our hearts – over the last 100 years

Kitchen Therapy: Take it outside. Lottie Stories shows us how to make Blossom Ice Cubes

Wisdom: A question of sport. Long, light days encourage us to get outside and get moving, just like these women, who you’ll find doing what they love across the UK’s paths and roads, bridleways and waters.

Competition: Put pen to paper. To celebrate National Flash Fiction Day this month we’re launching our search for your best short stories, themed around ‘The Longest Day'. Send your entry of 300 words max to thesimplethings@icebergpress.co.ukwith the heading MIDSUMMER MICROFICTION. Closing date 31 July. Full details in our June issue

Buy June issue here and on the newsstand until 24 June

Subscribers will receive the July issue from 20 June when pre-orders will also open at picsandink.com or you can buy on the newsstand from the 25 June.

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