I know, I’ve written about core values, turning 40 and taking stock, questioning whether we are where we thought we’d be, and navigating anxieties that creep in as life evolves. But recently, I’ve been sitting with a slightly different question: What is actually important to me? Not what should   be important. Not what looks good on paper. Not what you were told to want. But what truly drives you. What makes you tick. What feels aligned — and what doesn’t. The Honest Bit It h

When I first bought the land, I called it “a journey to a simpler life.”  I didn’t quite realise then just how much that simplicity would shape the way we live — especially in our kitchen. Cabin life has never been about deprivation. It’s been about intention. About using what we have. About making it work beautifully. And about realising that sometimes less really is enough. The Heart of the Cabin – Our Small but Mighty Kitchen The kitchen is compact — and I mean compact. Bu

When you have a February birthday in the UK, you can almost guarantee one thing: it’ll either be freezing cold, wet and windy — or all three. So what do you do when you want to celebrate without spending a fortune, especially with teens and tweens in tow? Living in North Devon, we had that exact quandary. Ordinarily, I might choose somewhere a little further afield — perhaps the Eden Project or an aquarium adventure — but neither Craig nor I fancied a two-hour drive each way.

There’s something quietly seismic about turning 44. Not dramatic like 30.
Not culturally loaded like 40.
But 44 feels… reflective. Honest. Unfiltered. For me, this birthday hasn’t come wrapped in glitter or grand declarations. It arrived with questions. With warmth. With a few tears. With deep gratitude. And yes — with a whisper of “Is this enough?” Welcome to midlife. Not a crisis — a reckoning. A becoming.   The Strange Beauty of Being 44 At 44, you are not who you were.
An

There’s something strangely comforting about a well-stocked freezer… until it becomes a frosty black hole of forgotten food. With food prices steadily climbing and weekly shops creeping higher than we’d like, I decided it was time to take control. Instead of adding more  to the trolley, I’m starting something different — a Freezer Food Challenge . The mission? Cut household spending Reduce food waste Save time Keep meals healthy, balanced and fun Maintain variety (because foo

Keeping active, outdoorsy and (mostly!) off screens — without spending a fortune February half-term in North Devon often begins the same way: grey skies, drizzle on repeat, cold winds… and a full week stretching ahead with teens and tweens who are suddenly very attached to their screens. With two boys (14 and 11) and girls in the mix (13 and 16), I know the challenge well — finding activities that: Keep them moving Encourage fresh air Don’t involve travelling miles Don’t cost

Tattoos are funny things, aren’t they? For some people, they’re art. For others, rebellion. For many of us, they’re chapters of our lives written permanently onto our skin. And if we’re honest, most people with tattoos probably have at least one that was done in a moment of madness — a “seemed like a good idea at the time” decision, a youthful impulse, or something chosen a little too quickly. I definitely do. (Not a name though — that has always been a firm no from me.) The

Bay of Islands, New Zealand There’s something about a recommendation that keeps resurfacing. Urupukapuka Island had been mentioned to me more than once as a must visit  in the Bay of Islands. Then, when I started searching for ideas for Craig’s slightly-belated birthday adventure, it popped up again — this time with the tempting promise of a “fishing adventure.” That sealed it. As the largest island in the Bay of Islands, Urupukapuka is also one of the most accessible. With n

Some places just stick with you — and Athenree Hot Springs   is one of those for us. We first stumbled across this little gem a couple of years ago while road-tripping in our van with the tent box on top. In true Loren and Craig  fashion, we booked a powered campsite at the last minute for a couple of nights… and ended up loving it so much we came back again later that same trip. These days, while the camping spot is lovely, it’s actually the hot pools  that keep drawing us b

Simple ways to reduce your overall “histamine load” These are not just clinical strategies I share with clients — they’re the same foundations I lean on daily as I navigate perimenopause with a much more reactive immune system than I’ve ever had before. Over the past couple of years, learning to really listen to my body has been essential. Through tracking symptoms, foods, environmental exposures, stress levels, and — crucially — where I am in my cycle, I’ve started to see cl

The idea of cabin life had lived quietly in the back of my mind since I was 19. The seed was planted on my first trip to New Zealand,...

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what truly makes you you? Not your job title, your roles, or your responsibilities—but the deeper...

A couple of years back, we reached a new milestone in our journey toward simple living: we began spending real time at the cabin. Not...

For most, it is the quest for the mortgage or the bigger house but for me having done the mortgage and doer upper house thing I wanted...