APRIL 2024 EDITION

Modern life can feel pretty hectic at times, with many of us racing through the day with barely enough time to catch our breath. Put simply, being pulled in too many directions can lead to feelings of stress, which in turn can start to affect our physical and mental wellbeing.

April marks National Stress Awareness Month which sets out to demystify stress and show us how to build the resilience needed to face the challenges that life can pose. This year’s theme – #LittlebyLittle – highlights the transformative power of consistently taking small steps towards better mental health. Over the past couple of years, I have made a number of small lifestyle changes – a daily walk, reducing my intake of processed food, and having a regular sleep schedule – and have seen a big difference in how I feel.

Left image shows Blue Waves Wellness Journal, by Papier; right image shows our own Restore Bath Oil

The Stress Management Society’s website has some fantastic suggestions of how you can get started. You might like to try their free ‘One Day at a Time: Daily Wellness Challenge’ which sets out 30 manageable tasks. Journalling, self-care, limiting screen time, and keeping well hydrated are all recommended.

Spring cleaning

Cleaning and decluttering the home sometimes feels like yet another job to add to the to-do list, but our reward for completing them is a healthy dose of dopamine – the happy hormone! If you need a little more motivation to get started, here’s a list of some of the ways that a spring spruce can benefit us:

Reduced stress and anxiety

When we clear out clutter, we create a more organised and tidy space, and being in control of our environment can lead to a drop in stress and anxiety levels.

Increased productivity

As clutter can make it difficult to focus and get things done, creating a calmer space can go hand in hand with greater efficiency.

Improved mood

When our environment is clean and tidy, it can boost our mood and make us feel more positive about life.

I approach the spring clean room by room and set aside a morning for bigger rooms such as the kitchen. I start by emptying and cleaning all the cupboards, removing any expired foods and going through all the pots, pans, appliances, crockery and cutlery to see if there is anything that I can donate to charity. Olio is a great app that enables you to share unwanted items with neighbours.

Greening the cleaning

I have always had an interest in trying to be as eco-friendly as I can, and this certainly underpins many of the decisions I take in formulating and packaging the Cotswold Remedies ranges. 'Never harmful to people or planet', is something that's always in the forefront of my mind. This also applies to my approach to cleaning my home. Here are a few ways I keep housework as 'green' as possible:

While cleaning, I like to open the windows and let the fresh air flood in to clear any negative energy. To freshen rooms which do not have windows, I make a simple deodorising lemon spray to spritz into the air – the lemon juice helps to neutralise odours.

If you’d like to try the lemon spray yourself, here’s how:

Deodorising lemon room spray
 

You will need:

• 20 drops lemon essential oil

• 150ml boiled and cooled water

• 25ml of fresh lemon juice (strained to remove any pulpy bits)

• Reusable glass bottle with fine spray attachment

• Funnel

How to make:
Mix all the ingredients together and use the funnel to pour into the glass bottle (Namie Home sell a good selection of glass spray bottles, as seen in the image above).

Cloths

My latest discovery is Swedish dishcloths which have helped to wean me off my habit of using way too much kitchen roll! I can’t believe it's taken me so long to discover them, as they are an absolute wonder in the kitchen.

Made of 70% cellulose and 30% cotton, they’re durable, reusable and compostable. The cloths absorb 20 times their weight in water and one dishcloth replaces a whopping 17 rolls of paper towels! They can also be machine washed or boiled to make them bacteria free. When I have finished using one of these cloths, I cut out a pretty shape and add a few drops of my favourite essential oil to hang in the car as an air freshener.

RE have an impressive selection of plain (as shown in image above) and patterned cloths to choose from.

I’m also a great fan of Free the Ocean’s biodegradable sponges. Made from cellulose – a plant material – they allow you to wash the dishes without microplastics going down the drain. When you’ve finished with them, simply cut them up and add to the compost. The coconut dish scour pads from the Free the Ocean store are also an excellent eco-friendly option.

Left image shows Biodegradable Kitchen Sponges; right image shows Coconut Dish Scour Pads; both Free the Ocean.

This month

If you’re looking for some delicious plant-based recipes which can be whipped up within 30 minutes, I would highly recommend Ella Mills' latest book.

A friend recently made me Ella’s sweet potato and crispy lentil bowl with coriander and yoghurt. I was blown away by the texture and flavour combinations. I am planning to make it again for my mum over the Easter break and have ear-marked another ten recipes to try. It’s not often that I get this excited over a cookery book, so I thought I would share it with you all.

Ingredients (serves 2)

200g rhubarb cut into 7cm lengths

25g maple syrup

2 small plums cut in half and stoned

Greek yogurt

30g whole almonds with skin on

30g caster sugar

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C (fan)

   

• To make the brittle, put the sugar in a small saucepan on a medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes, swirling the pan every now and then until the sugar has melted and turned a light golden brown. Add the almonds, swirl around for another 20-30 seconds until the caramel is deep golden, then carefully pour the mix on to a large piece of greaseproof paper. Leave to cool and harden, then roughly beak into pieces.

   

• Drizzle maple syrup over the rhubarb and plums. Roast the plums for 20 minutes and the rhubarb for 15 minutes.

   

• Spoon the rhubarb and plums into individual bowls, add a couple of large spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt and sprinkle over the almond brittle. Serve immediately.

I hope that April will be a happy and healthy month for you. Perhaps the weather will be kind to us, so that we can all enjoy some much-needed spring sunshine.