New edition ebook
A simplified life: A heartfelt guide to simplifying your life
Enjoying my simple living posts? My latest eBook might be just what you need to find your own version of A simplified life.
It felt so indulgent, wasteful and the emotional barriers I had to get over to finally create an event in my calendar were frankly ridiculous. Who did I think I was? What was I thinking getting…
I’d been waiting for this trip since I unwrapped an Athens guide book on Christmas morning. It’s been a while since I collected so many photos I love from one place I’ve visited…
Hello, my name is Jessica and I’m an emotional spender. According to habits expert Gretchen Rubin there are two types of people; over-buyers and underbuyers. The over buyers amongst us…
If I’m going to write about living a more meaningful life then I can’t not write about relationships, and not just the relationship we have with ourselves, which yes is an important one, but the…
Your future self will thank you is a phrase we’re all used to hearing and probably rolling our eyes at. It’s intentions are honest enough, to encourage us to forward plan and make sacrifices in the present so…
It’s been a year of extremes. One the surface it’s been the most successful year of my life - I not only wrote a book that’s going to be in book shops in two weeks, I also won the…
Here in the UK owning a home is one of those boxes we’re conditioned to want to tick and sadly, home ownership is often seen as a measure of our worth. Anything we identify our self-worth with ramps up the…
My minimalist journey started over five years ago now and writing this book has whisked me right back to the beginning. I’m 28,000 words into writing and I’ve been spending a lot of time with my past self as…
I turned 33 last month. It could’ve been lockdown, it could’ve been the fact this was my first birthday with my estranged dad or it could’ve just been a moment of pure insanity but I found myself uttering the words…
How was your Christmas and New Year? I hope you got all the rest and nourishment you needed. Mine was very different to the Christmases I’m used to as it with my first Christmas with my dad. I keep joking that..
At the beginning of the year my horoscope assured me I’d never have another year like this one - it was right. Coronavirus aside there will never be another 2020 for me. I will never meet my brother or my…
There’s a reason the time we’re given is the most precious resource we have - it’s finite. Basic economics tells us the less there is of something the more valuable it is and time is no exception. We can…
Fashion’s dirty secret is out. I think we can all agree it’s becoming increasingly difficult for us to turn away from the poor practices that flood the clothing industry. The effort brands invest in hooking…
I’m determined to find the positives when it comes to lockdown. One thing I’m feeling particularly grateful for is a fresh appreciation for my relationships. Forced deprivation has shown me just how…
This time last week I had something of a burnout meltdown. My vlog was just about edited and ready to upload, I knew what I wanted to write about in my weekly letter to you but hadn’t even started…
The wrench in my gut was too deep to ignore. I was officially worried I’d gotten in way over my head and we were about to make another huge mistake. We’d tried country cottage living once before. It didn’t …
Back in primary school I had a friend called Vanessa. She lived around the corner from my nan and grandad’s house and she was my favourite friend to play with. Her imagination rivalled mine and we’d…
How much time do you spend feeling guilty for not doing everything you think you should be doing? I spend more than I’d like, specifically at home. Working and living together means we’re home 90% of…
The 4 December 2015 was an ordinary night out with my best friends Liam and Michael, except for one detail. It was the last time I drank alcohol. I did not see this change coming. Up until this point…
When I was on holiday in Greece I rediscovered my love of photography. I’ve been grappling with prioritising my passions for a while, thinking I must choose just one. The thing about wanting to…
I was sceptical about ferry travel. We had the option to travel by ferry when we went to France in July but we opted for rail instead. I was worried I might feel sick or the journey would take too long and I…
What would life look like if you loved yourself? Not self-care bubble baths kind of love. I’m talking about true, deep love. This is a question I’m ready to find the answer to. I’m hoping my word of 2020 will…
At the bottom of a winding drive that would rival that of Downton, nestles Combermere Abbey and her guest cottages. The plan was to escape for a slow weekend in the countryside with my…
How’s your Christmas prep going?
So far, I’ve had those difficult chats with family where I reiterate that I’m keeping things simple this year and my budget low. They’re pretty…
As soon as I spotted it, neon pink and bobbing about in the middle of the diet coke I’d asked for, I could feel myself fighting back the tears. How could he put a plastic straw in my drink. Didn’t he know we’re in…
I’ve been wanting to write this post for so long but something has held me back. I do not live a zero waste life. I am in no way perfect when it comes to sustainable living – but I have been trying hard and…
I secretly want this experiment to be an utter disaster. I love the internet, social media and all things digital so the idea my life is better without it pains me. If it hadn’t been for the internet I wouldn’t have…
I’ve got a quiet confidence and a lack of expectation that feels so light,’ I told J and then my mum the following morning while we were chugging down the M1 in the horsebox. The past week had been a…
Cervical cancer had been and gone and I found myself sitting at the dining table staring at a page in my notebook I had titled ‘joy list’. I’d developed an obsession with minimalist living and subsequently…
Enjoying my simple living posts? My latest eBook might be just what you need to find your own version of A simplified life.
Halfway through the year feels like a good time to reflect on what my word of the year has taught me so far. Every January I choose a word of the year. If this idea is new to you then you can…