Not Every Child is an A Grade Student: Why We Must Not Make B/C/D Feel Shameful
If everyone MUST get an A grade, what do grades even mean? A discussion on the stress trap that we are taught to accept from a very early age.
The journal
Stories on second-hand style, living with less and the joy of enough
What's Wrong With 'Dream Big'?
Before we even get started on this, I want to make it clear that I am not anti-ambition, or progress, or the life-changing power of economic and social change through hard work. I am questioning why we are so obsessed with MORE.
Forget Fashion
This sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, coming from someone who cares quite a bit about how she presents to the world, but I have a point to explain, and short titles that make use of alliteration are always a bonus.
Not Needing New on Podcasts
I thought it would be a good idea to have a place where the podcasts that I have been a guest on, can all sit together and you can click through for a listen!
Get a Dog
When the days of baby-head sniffing are over, what fills the void? This post explores that deep-rooted need to nurture that many of us feel and why it so often leads us to get a dog.
Christmas Past
Even as an adult, the magic of Christmas endures. Join me on a journey back to the 1970s to a house in Oxford, with a sock for a stocking, a magical sparking wheel, and the smell of a satsuma in the morning.
Gus' Recipe for Dhal
This is my all-time favorite meal! A delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make dhal recipe that's packed with sweet potato, mushrooms, and pak choi. Learn how to make a big batch of this low-cost, vegetarian comfort food.
Reclaim the Shame
From being jeered at for my jumble sale jumper to finding the joy in second-hand things, this poem explores the hypocrisy of shame. It's time to reclaim our stories and reject the notion that "new" is the only thing of value.
Comparison is the Thief of Joy
I drove home from a wonderful night with friends feeling like a failure. This post explores the painful trap of comparison, why we fall into it, and how we can learn to appreciate the joy of having enough.
Hold Onto a LifeJouy for Wellbeing
Support your wellbeing and help others by sharing your Little LifeJouys!
Standing Sisters
I am not turning this blog into a poetry blog, don't panic! I just found an old notebook with a poem I had written from a time when I used to drive past this amazing row of ancient oaks on my way into teach. I was struck by the wild abandonment of their 'clothes' as they stood, lined up to face…
Are you From a Big Family?
If you recognise any of the following as behaviours demonstrated by you, your siblings, or your parents, then you probably can declare yourself as 'from a big family' - I’m not talking about your 3 sisters, or your 1 brother and two sisters - I mean a REALLY BIG FAMILY!
Shop Gorgeous Preloved Clothes with NNN x Damson
From 7pm this evening (26.09.23) you will be able to find a special little section on the Damson Preloved website which has my Not Needing New edit available, gorgeous preloved clothes looking for new homes!
How to Shop Preloved with NNN
Pretty soon you will be able to shop preloved to see my little curated collection of clothes and accessories from Not Needing New.
Top Autumn Essentials
This is just to remind you, you do not need to go out and spend a load of your money buying special autumn essential things so that you will have a better end to the year.
How to Keep Cool in a Heatwave
This is a quick blog and I hope you can help me at the end. I am going to share the things that I do, that cost very little, to keep cool when we are in a heatwave.
How to Have the Perfect Low Cost Wedding
I was thinking about weddings this week. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen the post about my 'End of Summer Essential' jumper and you may have witnessed the subsequent outpouring of capitalised thoughts on weddings.
Screentime Antidotes
It doesn’t take much to see that there's a correlation between the rapidly increasing virtual nature of so many aspects of our everyday lives and the reported uplift in disassociation, anxiety and difficulties with mental wellbeing that so many of us are facing.
5 Kids, New Partner, Budget holiday - what could possibly go wrong?
You probably know by now that Gus and I love having inexpensive trips. We are masters of the low cost, high value holiday and we manage it all so effortlessly and with good humour! Well, as we are deep in the holiday season and we're all getting excited about the joys of heading off to places…
There's Something About Soap
I am inclined to believe that many of life's problems can be solved with a decent bar of soap. There's the obvious hygiene application, but way beyond the sanitising chemistry offered by the humble bar, there is a nostalgia set within its dense scented wodge that sings of bedroom basins,…
Why Do I Love Nearly New Cashmere?
Right from the very start of my Instagram account, I was cheered on and supported by Nearly New Cashmere - an absolutely lovely family business selling exceptional quality preloved cashmere items.
Why you Need a Good, Old-Fashioned Flannel.
Next to my basin is a stash of cotton flannels, the old-fashioned towelling flannels that your Grandparents would recognise. Soaked in warm water, they exfoliate your skin, they take off make up (I am totally devoted to the Aldi Lacura hot cloth cleanser) they are a mini-facial every evening.
The Joy of Enough
My new neighbour came up the stairs to see my flat yesterday. I'm so happy she's moved in.