Every year, my husband and I head off to a retreat called Relationship Rising. It's not one of those get-pampered-and-relax type retreats. It's one of those getting down into your shadows, dealing with the things you have been putting off all year, learning more about your inner world and how you relate to everything and everyone around you type retreats. One of those experiences where you pop out the other side lighter but a little roughed up, and take the rest of the year to integrate everything that just happened through you. Why am I telling you this? Well, there are two reasons. 🌱 Firstly: I will be away all of next week. I should have time to check in on comments daily but won't have time to create any new resources. 🍅 @Lynne Vella your indoor tomato-growing information is at the top of my list for when I get back. 🌱Secondly: how we do one thing tends to be how we do everything. How we move through the world and relate to everything is worth taking note of. When we strengthen our connections with the world around us — the planet, people, animals, our homes and even our ‘things’ — we tend to relate to them differently. 🙏 I recently read a story about a factory in Japan where a piece of machinery broke down and could no longer be repaired. Everyone who worked with the machine came together to hold a small ceremony and thank it for its years of service. This had quite a profound effect on me and one that I know will continue to shape my relationship with the world around me. This is where the consciously curious part comes into this community: exploring how we relate to the world around us and how this shapes our daily decisions. When we feel more connected to something, we often take more care with it. We might pause before replacing it, wonder where it came from, or think about where it will go when we have finished with it. For me, conscious living begins with noticing. Getting curious about our habits, our relationships and the things we take for granted. From there, even a small everyday choice can become a way of caring for ourselves and the world around us. 🌿

We have a different kind of new member today. These two lots of fluffy goodness arrived yesterday night out-of-the-blue. A quick zoom around the property to sort out some temporary accommodation this morning and away we go. I now how 6 chicks living in my kitchen until they are big enough to head outside. Last year we had an orphaned duckling living inside ....taking bets for what we will have living in our kitchen next year 😆 Here's to this lot starting small, and living well for these little chicks 🐣

I have to head away next week for a week-long workshop, but when I get back I will be starting to restock my Farm Shop. That means me making lots of oils (from the herbs I have grown), cold-processed soaps, natural deodorants, herbal balms, face creams, beeswax candles, and loads more. I can always video myself making products as I go and share my 'secret' recipes/methods that I've perfected over the years, so let me know in the comments if anything grabs your interest. What would you love to try making at home that you want me to share with you?

We aren't officially kicking of until Monday, but the wonderful @Donna Thornton is keen to make some small, meaningful changes at home, and mentioned that laundry detergent is where she’d like to start, so I thought I would make a start too! I love that this gives us something real to explore together. This community is an evolving space, and I want the resources here to grow around the questions you’re actually asking. So I’ve added a folder to Deep Dives on choosing a laundry detergent that works for you. I’ve also added a few recipes I’ve used over the years to DIY Recipes, if making your own is something you’d like to try. And if a question comes up while you’re exploring, ask away in the comments. That’s what this space is for. 🌿

We are getting very close now to the full change over being completed and getting ready to dive on in - watch this space!!! In the meantime, I have just finished potting up my little palm and it got me thinking. This little palm was very small, had one little frond, and was sitting in the clearance pile at our local garden centre. As soon as I saw it, I knew she was coming home with me. There was nothing that I could do instantly to bring her back to life but there were lots of little steps that I could do to help support her. I put her in a warm light room, I watered her, I fed her, I cleaned her leaves, I talked to her, I potted her up into bigger pots as she began to grow. No magic fixes, just love, compassion and the basics she needed to thrive. And look at her now ….drying off in the sun after being potted up again and having a spa day 💚 Start Small. Live Well is exactly what this is about. Small, meaningful and conscious changes to create a life that we can, not only participate in, but that we can thrive in. What’s your small meaningful step going to be today?