Lifestyle…

Slow design. Slow life.

This doesn’t mean we’re lazy – far from it. It just means that we’ve stood back, taken stock and slowed down the pace of things. We’ve (largely) stopped the 9-5 working day and we spend more time living. It hasn’t been easy making such big changes – coming from a city that never stops to a rural village has taken some getting used to, but we’re getting there. Our whole lifestyle is becoming much more balanced.

Our lifestyle now much more takes into account what we buy, what we eat, how we cook, how we relax. How we’ve largely weaned ourselves away from convenience and are now taking a much considered approach to how we live our lives. We still work full time from home and we’re planning our next adventure, but we do try to make time to live life.

Slowing down has had such a positive impact, that we want to share what inspires us and what has enabled a shift in our lifestyle.

What we’ve done isn’t rocket science. It’s just about savouring moments that we might have missed before, because we were just too busy. Too pre-occupied. And even if it’s just watching a sunset, getting in the car and having a night away or making a spicy curry on a Friday evening, listening to Kylie Minogue, well – we savour it…

recent lifestyle blogs

when the bread recipes just get easier…

when the bread recipes just get easier…

It's been a while since we've made our favourite Irish soda bread - https://wearelifestyles.com/cheesy-irish-soda-bread/ - because we've not had our own oven for so long. But, we wanted to get back...

fishy ceramics

fishy ceramics

We have a Chinese Bazaar supermarket in our time, which is proving to be a bit of a treasure trove. We often find ourselves short of screws or nails, or can't find the mallet or need a tiny bit more...

sunday roast cravings : satisfied

sunday roast cravings : satisfied

We love our new lives in Andalucia and are immersing ourselves as much as we possibly can, mid-renovation. Sometimes though, especially in the cooler months - and this is why my thoughts are turning...

pizza express : alcaidesa

pizza express : alcaidesa

*This is NOT a sponsored blog post. We paid in full for all food and drink.* Living in Andalucia, we are certainly not short of excellent food options. Obviously tapas restaurants abound, and we've...

red lentil dahl…

red lentil dahl…

It's not a difficult dish to make, but there are many, many recipes out there for dahl. I think however, we've found the perfect recipe, because of the balance of flavours and texture. I found it on...

pistachio pesto…

pistachio pesto…

OK, if you have a nut allergy, DO NOT - and I repeat *DO NOT* - try out this recipe. If you don't, and you are a fan of the pistachio nut, DO try it out. Because not only is it stupendously...

at last…online grocery delivery!

at last…online grocery delivery!

We're very used to getting in the car and driving to the supermarket. We're not lazy - it's just we've had no alternative. We live in a small village and although it has four very renowned...

spicy spanish sausage stew…

spicy spanish sausage stew…

I like nothing better than a one pot dish, into which I can just chuck everything and leave it to get on with cooking itself. Recipes like this one, also have the advantage of being easy on the...

ca’n llimona : soller : mallorca

ca’n llimona : soller : mallorca

This restaurant is probably known, and frequented by, all of our friends who’ve ever been to Sóller, but just in case you, like us, didn’t know about it, here’s the low-down on Ca’n Llimona. Tucked...

the first sign of spring…

the first sign of spring…

Without realising, until very recently that it's actually become an annual tradition, there's a default meal we always make when the first warm days and lighter evenings arrive. It goes back to when...

easter : 2021

easter : 2021

It really only seems a couple of weeks ago that it was Christmas, and yet here we are, having just had Easter weekend. Sometimes we feel that we don't seem to do much with our time, but with a...

hotel adriatic : rovinj : istria

hotel adriatic : rovinj : istria

The Adriatic Hotel is located right on the picturesque harbour of Rovinj, a Venetian town on the south western coast of the Istrian peninsula. It is in the pedestrianised old town, full of pastel...

hail the hasselbacks…

hail the hasselbacks…

I can eat a potato in any guise. They form a staple of our culinary output : creamy mashed potatoes with coconut milk cheesy mashed potatoes, usually on top of a shepherd's pie or a fish pie home...

simple supper : no fuss…

simple supper : no fuss…

Sometimes, all you want, is the simplest meal, which doesn't take forever, uses just one roasting tin and packs an absolute punch in terms of flavours. And this is just what this meal provides....

brussels sprouts risotto…

brussels sprouts risotto…

Yes, you read that right. A risotto with brussels sprouts. A rich, blue cheesy, creamy risotto packed with those little green globes of gorgeousness. You might guess that I love a sprout - and if...

tasty tapas in malaga…

tasty tapas in malaga…

“Traditional” tapas restaurants and bars are abundant in Malaga and we’ve yet to experience one other than very good. Value is always exceptional with most providing complimentary tasters if you’re...

salmon & potato bake…

salmon & potato bake…

We're doing a whole lot more cooking at home these days - as everyone is - but we're dreaming of the time we can occasionally escape the kitchen from time to time, again. Until then though, we're...

winter walks…

winter walks…

It's absolutely freezing in Istria at the moment. That's right, freezing. Not the wall to wall sunshine & heat we'd naively thought we'd be experiencing, all year round 😉 But, we're also just a...

christmas : 2020

christmas : 2020

Well, it's definitely been a funny old year. Since returning from our Christmas road trip, back to the UK, in January, we have been nowhere. Coronavirus quickly put paid to our usual kind of year....

Looking for something?