I have become noticeably happier since I stopped reading women’s magazines. I rarely go shopping, and if I do, I don’t spend more than I can afford. I try not to shop from boredom or a sense of unworthiness (buying things to make me feel more socially acceptable, or cool, or professional). I care a […]

I have been thinking about The Jones’, that mythical family who drive the status anxiety of the aspirational. Why would you want to keep up with wasteful, greedy mega-consumers? The Jones live in a mansion, drive new cars, have shiny white teeth and golden fake tans. They holiday often and throw fancy parties. But really? […]

I have always been a sucker for a crystal shop, a psychic reading and a tarot deck. As a godless heathen, these things allow me to connect to a sense of spirituality. Same goes for yoga, swimming, walking and Goddess cards. I am a tragic hippie cliche. Nevertheless, I think we all yearn for a […]

Costa Rica is a wonderland of natural attractions, with volcanoes, beaches, cloud forests, and unique wildlife. This is a country that appeals as much to birdwatchers and luxury-focused travellers as it does to surfers and backpackers. It may be a small country in land mass, but Costa Rica is one of the world’s biggest natural […]

Goddess Kali is the fearsome one: the goddess of destruction in the Hindu pantheon. What I love about her – and the whole school of thought surrounding the Hindu G.O.D concept (Generator, Operator, Destroyer) – is that it acknowledges that death and destruction is a critical part of the wheel of fortune. Which brings me […]

Plastic is a miracle material. Water-resistant, available in all sorts of textures and colours, and wow – what a lifespan. When you start taking note of where it’s used, you realise it’s everywhere. Those little stickers on fruit. Wrapped around your magazine subscription. Connecting swing tags to clothes. In dog parks to pick up poo. […]

You may not know this about me but I am a spectacle tragic (and also a tragic spectacle but that’s a whole other story). I love glasses which is lucky because I can’t see for sh*t. When I was a kid, I really wanted glasses because I thought they would make me look smart. I […]

So I started a gardening festival. Seems like an odd thing to do when you’re kinda busy with raising kids, and chasing puppies, and managing a hectic workload. But I had one of those whooshes of inspiration (that some people call the muse) and I felt compelled. Maybe even propelled. Why gardening? Well, because I […]

Every manmade thing was created by someone. Someone thought, hey, this could work. This might make things better. This is beautiful. There’s this idea that creativity is a hallowed space that you enter deliberately. But no. Cooking dinner is creative. Writing in a birthday card is creative. Creativity is like salt or butter. It makes everything […]

I don’t get out much these days. Most of my days involve hanging out with a toddler, hanging out washing and feverishly cramming max productivity into minimum time. It’s a treat to go somewhere a) I don’t have to clean, b) I don’t have to cook, and c) there are no children or puppies requiring […]