Costa Rica, a tropical paradise filled with sloths and parrots

Regularly labelled the happiest, greenest and most sustainable country in the world, Costa Rica is a tropical haven in the heart of Central America. The country relies mostly on renewable energy, it doesn’t have an army and it's home to the world’s most adorable creature: THE SLOTH. To summarise, Costa Rica is about as close as …

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Misadventures with a wildflower window box

I had high hopes for our balcony when I started gardening in September last year. I saw our modest concrete enclosure through rose, tulip and poppy-tinted spectacles. It would become an urban jungle, I thought, filled with hanging baskets brimming with trailing ivy and big, beaming flowers, birds and bees making the glorious space their home. It would …

Now playing// Soundtrack to a grey sky summer

When summer arrives, I'm never usually completely satisfied. I have romantic visions of sunny parks brimming with flowers, barbecues and pimms. FRISBEE. The sickly sweet smell of suncream. Maybe even the chance to venture outside without a coat on. I forget the reality. Skin prickled with goosebumps, the sun staying stubbornly tucked under a cloud. The feeling …

Things NOT to take to Glastonbury

Whenever I go to a festival I always ask the Internet what to pack, and the Internet usually obliges with handy blogposts and checklists for me to use as inspiration when creating my own list. Over the years I have managed (despite all that faffing around) to screw myself over in some way or the …

A perfect day in Kew

Kew is a lovely suburb in West London famous for its acclaimed botanical gardens.

How to save the environment and get hair like Kate Middleton

This story starts in the past, so please dear readers, conjure a flashback harp song in your head and set your mind back to six weeks ago…. **** When Gavin arrived home one Sunday afternoon, he made the mistake of telling me my hair looked nice. I leapt up from the sofa with barely contained excitement. …

Lemonade by Beyoncé. A lesson in getting people to listen.

Like most human beings, this week I've been listening to, watching and loving Lemonade, the new visual album by Beyoncé. In a world where humans have shorter attention spans than the famously absent-minded goldfish, it's easy to listen to music without really LISTENING to it. It's on in the background, while you read or work …

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Plants & Glass

This will be my first ever post for Urban Jungle Bloggers. Aloha! The theme this month is 'glass and plants' so I thought I'd share a few photos of a little crocus bulb I planted in a glass vase back in December. I love the long noodle-esque roots that swirl around in the water. The …

The most annoying types of London commuter

Board any London tube train during rush hour and I can guarantee you'll come across one of the following people: The squeeze and leaner There is mathematically and scientifically no room left in the tube carriage. Yet this optimistic opportunist will take a look at the heaving, sweaty, compacted mass of bodies and think "yeaaaaahhh. …

Crochet// How I made my sunburst baby blanket

Two of our best friends are about to have their first baby and Gavin and I are really excited about becoming a Funcle and Faunt (fake-uncle and fake-aunt)!  Even though I haven't met the little champion yet, I know they are going to be an absolute dude/dudette. As a 'welcome to the world' gift for the new tiny …