The Simple Things

The Simple Things is a beautiful, useful, quirky and fun magazine about taking time to live well. We cover mindfulness and microadventures, eating and growing, forgotten wisdom, home life and slow moments. It's for people who love their lives but want to take the pressure off and remember what’s really important. We like tea & cake, learning stuff, being outside and the satisfaction of a job well done. Do you?

A could-do list May

Homer and away • YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL TO ENJOY THE SPIRIT OF A PLACE. THE AKONAS FAMILY ENCOURAGE US TO SHARE THEIR TRADITIONAL GREEK CYPRIOT FOOD WHEREVER WE ARE

The joy of hanging out • REQUIRING ONLY TIME AND SPACE IN WHICH TO DO IT, HANGING OUT WITH PEOPLE ISN'T ONLY ONE OF LIFE'S MOST SIMPLE PLEASURES – IT'S ALSO INVALUABLE FOR OUR WELLBEING, DISCOVERS FRANCES AMBLER

CAKE IN THE HOUSE • A right royal* retro treat for street parties and home scoffing alike.

My day in cups of tea • Pots of tea and pots of plants? A marriage made in heaven. Julia Lamberth Dawson of The English Potted Plant Company tells us about her day in cuppas

Almanac • SEASONAL THOUGHTS TO HELP YOU ENJOY THE MONTH

THINGS TO PLAN AND DO

A simple thing…

magical creatures • AN APPRECIATION OF MAYFLIES

HIRO SHIMA • THE REBUILT JAPANESE METROPOLIS HAS BECOME A CITY OF PEACE. PAUL WALSH GUIDES US AROUND ITS SHRINES, NATURE AND NIGHTLIFE

PAUL'S PERSONAL TOUR

PAUSE • Take a moment with some well-chosen words

SHARING STORIES • It's official, a subscription to THE SIMPLE THINGS makes you feel good

Veg Patch Pantry • GROWING YOUR OWN, BEING OUTDOORS, THEN COOKING UP KITCHEN TABLE DISHES, KATHY SLACK SHARES HOW TO ENJOY THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOURS FROM HER GARDEN PLOT

WEARING WELL • Stories of the clothes we love CLOGS

Let it go • SIMPLE YET POWERFUL, BREATHING IN THE RIGHT WAY WILL HELP YOU FEEL BETTER, INSIDE AND OUT

Do-it-yourself dairy • RACHEL DE THAMPLE TAKES A LOOK AT HOW YOU CAN MAKE MORE MINDFUL CHOICES, AND SHARES SIMPLE RECIPES FOR HOMEMADE CHEESES AND YOGURTS

THAT'S ALL FOLK • Far from being stuck in the past, Britain's rich history of folk traditions remain ever present and continue to be adapted in creative ways

TIPPLE OF THE MONTH • Some sage advice – a glass of herb-infused fizz as the sun dips in the sky is a drink to be thoroughly savoured.

“Enjoyment of my own creativity gives me the gift of enjoying other people's creativity” • Dubbed ‘The Queen of Change', Julia Cameron writes best-selling books built on a lifetime's experience, which ignite the spark of people the world over

FIVE WAYS TO TRY THE ARTIST'S WAY

A simple thing…

Good things POSITIVE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

EAT LIKE KINGS

LET GIRLS BE GIRLS • Ending child marriage starts here

Excellent women • Stitching together new communities

RESERVED SPACE • DISCOVER OFTEN OVERLOOKED WILD PLACES TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF NATURE'S MAGIC, RIGHT ON YOUR DOORSTEP

SERVE YOURSELF RIGHT • BRING YOUR SKILLS TO THE PICNIC TABLE, WITH A HOMEMADE BENTO BAG AND CUTLERY ROLL TO GO

THE BIG IDEA • So many wellbeing books, so little time. Our deconstruction of someone's fresh thinking could send you in a new direction

Hedgerows Know a thing or two… • Practical but magical, hedgerows are a haven for wildlife and feed our imaginations too

DRINK IT ALL IN • WITH BANK HOLIDAYS AND, HOPEFULLY, WARMER WEATHER TO COME, PUBS INVITE US OUTDOORS. SETTLE IN WITH CRISPS AND A PINT AS WE CELEBRATE THE CONVIVIALITY OF THE BEER GARDEN

FLOWERS IN THE HOUSE • Bringing blooms indoors: it's what every home needs

INSIDE OUT • OUTDOOR LIVING IS AT THE HEART OF...