Do you ever stare at the last dregs of wax in a beautifully presented candle and wonder what to do with the lovely holder? Some are works of art, aren’t they? I’ve converted glass ones into drinking glasses before, but they’re never quite right and, it pains me to say, sometimes I’ve simply thrown them away.

That’s why I was thrilled to try the wax refill kit from Constant Candle Co founded by Rachael Clark and Nicky Hoad. Next time you finish a candle I recommend you replace it with one of their kits – they are just great fun, easy to do and you get a great new candle.

The new wax (which smells amazing) arrives in a cardboard tub, together with a new wick and a wooden spatula with a hole in it. Just take the lid off the tub and pop the whole thing in the microwave for between one and two minutes, use a drop of the melted wax to stick down the new wick in your (cleaned) old holder, then pour the remaining wax in, using the hole in the spatula to keep the wick in place, and leave the wax to set. That’s it, a new candle, which took ten minutes and lots of fun to make – and with no mess either.

And what a fabulous candle. The wax is made from rapeseed and soy oils, not paraffin. Paraffin wax can emit toxins which can aggravate lung disease such as asthma and may even cause cancer, so best avoided.

If you’re not a hoarder like me, and don’t happen to have a supply of previously loved candle holders, Constant Candle Co have thought of this too with a lovely set of ceramic ones available, created by Somerset Ceramics Artist Bridget Hemmings.

The website has really useful candle advice too. I was particularly interested in Memory Burn (no, I’d not heard of it either – it’s when the candle burns deeper in the centre than around the edges). Simply light your candle for long enough to melt the wax right to the edge each time and it won’t happen. 

And while on their website, check out their full range of scents for their wax refill kits, created from essential oils, spices, flowers and fruit. At just £15 for a wax refill kit you get a high quality sustainable new candle – what’s not to like?

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

I’m a great believer in ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’.

As a doctor I strongly recommend seeking medical help and using modern medicines when needed, I’ve known too many tragic consequences when people haven’t. However preventing illness with healthy lifestyle is equally important and nature has provided wonderful plants and herbs to help us. Tea has natural anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and other healthy properties so why not enjoy delicious teas every day and feel better too?

Quality and freshness are important though. An aged bag of builder’s tea from a supermarket bargain basket may not be the all-powerful elixir we envisage.

So this is why I’m excited about VAHDAM® 100% Pure Indian Teas. The founder, Bala Sarda, is a fourth generation tea exporter who was concerned that most tea passes through multiple middlemen, thus losing freshness and potency along the way. So now he procures his teas from plantations and farmers within days of harvest, then ships directly around the world. He also donates 1% of revenues towards educating the farmers’ children.

Can you taste the difference? A resounding YES. I was delighted to sample a collection of VAHDAM® teas and I’m sipping India’s Original Masala Chai Tea as I type. As soon as I opened the resealable pack the aroma of fresh spices hit me – cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and black tea. Following the helpful instructions for a perfect cuppa I waited for it to brew for three minutes, and I wasn’t disappointed. Beautiful aroma, smooth and calming, I could feel wellness pervading me, and as I sipped, layers of flavour bathed my tongue. Just relaxing and enjoying this very special tea was a mini-meditation.

I really can’t wait to try all the samples – green and white teas from the Himalayas, second flush black teas from Assam and Darjeeling and fabulous tea and spice blends too. Next on my list is Turmeric Spiced Herbal Tea Tisane, with cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cardamom black pepper, lemongrass and bergamot – caffeine-free it’s great for bedtime.

Already a favourite of Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey and Mariah Carey, these teas are a must try.

And if you’re looking for a present for someone special, check out their beautifully presented gift sets.

VAHDAM® India products can be bought online at www.vahdamteas.com and from Amazon – treat yourself, you won’t regret it.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

Right at the beginning of this series we spoke about the attitudes of mindfulness & the importance of kindful acceptance.

As we start to meditate & practice mindfulness we become more aware of our thoughts, feelings, emotions & behaviours & we may not always like what we discover. Sometimes it feels like the meditation or the mindfulness is highlighting all our perceived ‘failings’.  The stillness & the silence seems to amplify what is inside, as though meditation & mindfulness have shone a light on what we may not want to see – this is the work that needs to be done. But instead of beating ourselves up, judging, criticising if we can choose to accept whatever we discover, this creates space to do the work & heal.

Acceptance is a practice in itself & is really closely interlinked with forgiveness, letting go & compassion. Indeed, once we learn to let go, practice compassion & forgiveness we inevitably find acceptance slots into place too.

Acceptance isn’t a passive giving up or giving in. It doesn’t mean we have to like want or support whatever it is we are choosing to accept. It means we are choosing to make space for it without layering on judgment or criticism, shame or beating you selves up. We all experience pain, it is a part of life. The suffering comes when we try to resist the pain, fight against it. When we choose to accept whatever has happened we reduce the suffering.

We have a phrase in the spiritual community what you resist persists, what you accept dissipates. If we push something away, try & brush it away, resist it, the Universe will keep giving us the same lesson until we learn it & will make it increasingly uncomfortable in order that we make the decision to embrace the lesson. By choosing to accept a person, relationship or situation, our past, emotional or physical pain we are making an active decision to create space for healing by letting go & whilst it can be difficult at first, the more you practice acceptance the more you forge those neurons in your brain, making it easier to do next time.

Acceptance doesn’t mean that you are giving up, it often creates the space to do the work & change. Change is a process. It starts with awareness, progresses through acceptance into change. For example, I went through a really acrimonious divorce (is there any other kind?) & I had a terrible relationship with my ex-husband. But as soon as I accepted him for who he is, accepting he is unlikely to ever change, our dynamic changed. I accept him for who he is. We will never be best friends but we can civil & amicable for the kids now.

Same with my mother who is a challenging personality shall we say & I have had a difficult history with her. But again as soon as I accepted that she is who she is, our relationship is the healthiest it has ever been. Adding kindful to the idea of acceptance is simply a reminder that this is a conscious choice we are making in a kindful way. It takes all the angst of ‘having to’ accept away.

Choosing acceptance is a beautiful gift which makes life flow with more grace & ease. The more you do it the easier it becomes & the easier & more fun life becomes too. And the more you will find yourself channelling self-acceptance which is the most powerful of tools.

Let me sum up by leaving you with the serenity prayer:

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

Courage to change the things I can

And wisdom to know the difference

This week’s meditation is a coping breathing space meditation – it helps us to reflect on our difficulties by asking questions of our self to move into a place to kindful acceptance . To obtain your copy email Alex at alex@alexbannard.com quoting FROSTCBS.

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

If you would like more information on how to practice mindfulness, meditation & yoga message her at alex@alexbannard.com.

For free resources check out her Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

Alternatively please check out her website: alexbannard.com

There are so many things that you need to consider when you are trying to improve your property. And it is really important that you plan for this and make the right decisions for the future moving forward. Improving your property and taking steps to look after it is one of the most important things that you can do moving forward. 

You have to make sure you think about the best ways of being able to take things to the next level. There are so many ideas that will help you focus on this moving forward, and this is something that plays a massive part in this process. Try to make sure you come up with hacks that will help improve your property, and these are some great ideas. 

Fresh Coat of Paint

A fresh coat of paint can make all the difference when it comes to improving and assessing your home and how it comes across. You have to make sure you do your best to improve the way your home looks, and one of the best ways of being able to achieve this is to go for a fresh coat of paint. There are a lot of elements that you have to consider here And this can really help to transform the way the home looks and comes across afterwards. 

Build an Extension

There are a lot of things that you need to keep in mind when you are looking to improve your property these days, and one of the best ways of being able to do this is to build an extension. There are so many factors that play a role in helping with this, and you need to make sure you come up with some of the best ideas that can help you when it comes to this. The right extension not only improves your home, but it can add significant value to the property at the same time as well, and helps with selling your home. And this is something that you need to make the most of moving forward right now. 

Make Repairs

Try to do as much as possible to try to focus on improving the property, and making much-needed repairs is one of the best ways of achieving this. You have to make sure you do as much as possible to improve this, and there are a lot of ideas that play a part here. Hiring experts is a key way of being able to deal with this, and Debary foundation repair services can be transformative for your home this year. 

There are a lot of things that can play a part in helping you with this process, and you need to make sure you do as much as you can to help make the most of this. Come up with ideas that are going to allow you to focus on making the right decisions, and this is something you have to get right. These are some key tips that will help you to achieve more success, and it is important to get this right.
Collaborative Post with our brand partner.

Williams Handbaked are as busy as ever, in fact  busier as they are expanding almost weekly but still have the time to share news of other entrepreneurs with us.

Williams tell us that they wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for their wonderful stockists across the UK. ‘To launch our series of posts focusing on these stockists, we visited Honeywell’s Farm Shop in Woodplumpton, a few miles from our bakery in Preston. Honeywell’s was one of our very first stockists, and they still stock our biscuits and cakes today.’

Honeywell’s began life in 1970 as a small farm and butchery founded by brothers John and Anthony Gornall. They started their business by selling home-reared pork from their garage, quickly moving the operation to their barn for extra space. Following continued success, the Gornalls eventually built their own farm shop on Eaves Lane, Woodplumpton.

Honeywell’s have since opened butcheries in Barton Grange Garden Centre near Garstang, Preston and Bents Garden Centre near Warrington.

Williams caught  up with Sue Gornall, one of the directors and wife of Anthony, along with her daughter Liz, who works as a buyer and head of marketing and learned that Sue had been working in Honeywell’s since 1972 and Liz for as long as she could remember.

For Sue her favourite part of the job is chatting to customers, and regulars, or welcoming new people. It’s great to make everyone welcome, and that includes our staff too. It’s so important that they are happy.
 

When asked about Honeywell’s ethos Sue continued that it was always about selling meat from their own farm as well as neighbouring farms they know and trust. This ethos has translated into other lines they have sourced. Cheeses, bakery products are local, and chamioned. ‘We love promoting local artisan business and building lasting relationships with their suppliers. ‘

All this of chimes absolutely with Williams Homebaked, which our editor’s family use regularly, even though the granny of them, our editor,  really shouldn’t because she’s on a diet, or so she says.

 Williams Handbaked:   https://www.williamshandbaked.co.uk/   @williamsbaked

Honeywell’s Farm Shop, Eaves Lane, Woodplumpton, Preston. PR4 0BH.
Open 7 days a week. Tel: 01772 690271
Website: honeywellfarmshop.com
Facebook / Instagram: @honeywellfarmshop