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

tested : click & grow hydroponic system

tested : click & grow hydroponic system

We seem to forever buy pots of herbs - hello, basil and coriander, especially - which will often end up withered and only fit for the bin. They're always bought for a specific recipe, and whatever...

reducing the plastic : hello ecofiltro

reducing the plastic : hello ecofiltro

Over the years we've been finding that, especially over the summer, our use of plastic water bottles increases significantly. We always recycle plastics, but we were creating our own small mountain...

zoco home

zoco home

I've followed Zoco Home on Instagram for a while now, always drooling over their Andalucian/Ibizan/Mallorcan inspired furnishings and accessories. I've never really clocked where they are...

smoked salmon & leek pasta…

smoked salmon & leek pasta…

We've been getting very good at using nearly everything we buy food-wise, and reducing our waste massively, and raiding the back of the cupboards for forgotten tins and packets. Most of the meals...

looking back on lockdown…

looking back on lockdown…

Like the rest of the world, we've been living the Covid-19 lockdown, here in Istria, since March 17th. This was the day the country offically started staying at home, although we were feeling the...

spaghetti with anchovies & onions…

spaghetti with anchovies & onions…

This is another perfect lockdown larder recipe. If you love anchovies, you'll definitely have a tin or a jar or two of these in your cupboard, and everything else is pretty standard stuff standard...

stinky baked cheese…

stinky baked cheese…

There's nothing more mouth-watering than a strong baked cheese, served with warm crusty bread. It always seems a very decadent way to eat, but in reality, it's not - it's just hot cheese. What makes...

souks : medina : marrakech : morocco

souks : medina : marrakech : morocco

We made a bit of an unexpected purchase when we visited Morocco and to be honest, we were on pins when we returned home. The purchase was being sent to us, as it wasn't going to be easy to bring it...

seriously the best lentil shepherd’s pie…

seriously the best lentil shepherd’s pie…

...so claimed the author of the recipe on the website. And as we were craving a Shepherd's Pie - we don't eat minced meat and had no Quorn mince left - we decided to test out this rather bold claim...

the honey house : ljubljana : slovenia

the honey house : ljubljana : slovenia

The lovely story of The Honey House in Ljubljana... A respectful attitude towards nature allows us to maintain the harmony of life. We are proud to offer you a piece of nature that has been prepared...

there’s always a way…

there’s always a way…

Renovating a property can be very expensive. Even though things out here are often less expensive than back in the UK, we don’t have a bottomless money pit and so sometimes, rather than splashing...

lockdown larder : coconut and lentil dahl…

lockdown larder : coconut and lentil dahl…

We're currently in proper lockdown here in Istria. As of last week, a permit has to be applied for if you want to travel to a different municipality. Borders are closed so we can't - and at the...

very little stir risotto : donna hay

very little stir risotto : donna hay

With our lovely new kitchen, we are trying to be more organised, have food in, take advantage of our new cooking facilities and eat more at home. We love risotto and have been meaning to try out the...

conscious gift wrapping

conscious gift wrapping

When we travel back to England for Christmas, we don't fly. Flying is a real hassle, even when it's the short two & a half hour flight we do from Pula to Manchester. Plus, we're becoming more...

we might be on the move…

we might be on the move…

Sometimes things take a turn of events that you just didn’t anticipate. And this has happened to us. We’ve spent the best part of the last two and a half years renovating our stone house in Istria,...

stari podrum restaurant : momjan : istria

stari podrum restaurant : momjan : istria

Restaurant choices in Istria are huge. Even the tiniest hamlet will usually boast a konoba, serving food of an excellent quality. If you love pasta, gnocchi, stews and truffles, then Istria is...

spaghetti al limone – a taste of summer…

spaghetti al limone – a taste of summer…

Spaghetti dishes are often our go-to meals, especially if we’re a bit short on time. Current favourite is just flash frying, in olive oil, chilli flakes and garlic and mixing through spaghetti, and...

plastic not fantastic

plastic not fantastic

Italian supermarkets are generally very, very good. Produce is usually always very fresh, and locally grown – great for the carbon footprint – and often loose, so you can avoid the plastic overload....

Looking for something?