Life

  • Mindfulness & Meditation, Podcast

    Mindful Consumption: How to Rebalance Your Online and Offline Life

    A blog post about mindful consumption and how you can start to rebalance your online and offline life. Don’t forget to listen to the accompanying podcast.

    Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcast

    Are you constantly scrolling through social media feeds, devouring digital content like there is no tomorrow? In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get lost in the digital noise. But, what if I told you that there is a way to live a more balanced and fulfilling life? By mindfully consuming both online and offline content, you can experience a sense of clarity and peace. In this article, we’ll explore practical steps to rebalance your online and offline life. You’ll learn how to set boundaries for your digital life, take time to disconnect, practice mindful consumption, and reconnect with the world around you. Let’s dive in and discover how to live a more enriched life!

    Set Boundaries for Your Digital Life

    To truly rebalance your online and offline life, it’s important to set boundaries for your digital consumption. This means establishing limits on the amount of time you spend on your phone or computer, as well as being intentional about the content you consume. After all, constantly scrolling through social media feeds can leave us feeling drained and unfulfilled.

    One way to set boundaries is to schedule specific times for digital consumption throughout the day. This can help you avoid mindlessly scrolling during work or leisure time. Additionally, consider setting limits on the amount of time you spend on social media or watching online videos. You may find that limiting your digital consumption allows you to be more present in your daily life, and to fully engage with the world around you.

    By incorporating mindful consumption practices and setting boundaries for your digital life, you can achieve a healthier balance between online and offline experiences. In the next section, we’ll explore the importance of taking time to disconnect and recharge.

    Take Time to Disconnect

    In our constantly connected world, it can be difficult to take a break from the digital noise. However, it’s important to prioritize time away from screens to recharge and refocus. Taking a break can be as simple as going for a walk in nature, practicing yoga or meditation, or reading a book. Engaging in offline activities not only provides a mental break from screen time, but it also allows us to connect with our physical surroundings and with others in a more meaningful way.

    By committing to regularly disconnecting from technology, we can cultivate a healthier relationship with our devices and with ourselves. This intentional disconnection can also help us to be more present and engaged in our daily lives. So, as we continue to explore mindful consumption practices, let’s remember that taking time to disconnect is just as important as setting boundaries for our screen time.

    Practice Mindful Consumption

    In order to truly rebalance our online and offline lives, it’s essential to practice mindful consumption. Mindful consumption is about being intentional with our time and energy, and choosing to engage in activities that align with our values and goals. This can mean setting aside specific times of the day or week to disconnect from technology, or simply being more mindful of how much time we spend scrolling through social media or browsing the internet.

    By practicing mindful consumption, we can start to reclaim our time and attention, and prioritize the activities that bring us joy and fulfillment. This might involve exploring new hobbies or interests, or simply taking the time to appreciate and connect with the world around us. Being more present and engaged in our daily lives can help us to feel more connected to ourselves, to others, and to the world at large.

    As we continue to explore mindful consumption practices, it’s important to remember that the goal is not to completely eliminate technology from our lives, but rather to find a healthy balance that allows us to engage with technology in a way that aligns with our goals and values. By setting boundaries, disconnecting when necessary, and being intentional with our time and attention, we can cultivate a more balanced and fulfilling relationship with technology, and with ourselves. So, let’s take some time to practice mindful consumption, and see how it can help us to reconnect with the world around us.,

    Reconnect with the World Around You

    By disconnecting from technology and engaging with the world around us, we can experience a greater sense of fulfillment and inner peace. There are many ways to reconnect with the world, from spending time in nature to connecting with loved ones. Here are a few suggestions:

    First, take a break from screens and get outside. Go for a walk, hike a trail, or simply sit outside and observe the natural world around you. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells of your environment. Focus on your breath and allow yourself to be fully present in the moment.

    Second, connect with loved ones in meaningful ways. This might involve scheduling a regular date night with your significant other, or regularly meeting up with friends for coffee or a meal. Make an effort to be fully present and engaged during these interactions, put away your phone and other distractions, and focus on the people in front of you.

    Third, explore new hobbies or interests that allow you to connect with the world in a meaningful way. This might involve taking up a craft such as knitting or woodworking, or learning a new skill such as cooking or gardening. By engaging in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment, you can increase your sense of connection to the world around you.

    Ultimately, by practicing mindful consumption and prioritizing the activities that bring us joy and fulfillment, we can create a more balanced and fulfilling relationship with technology, and with ourselves. Let’s take some time to practice mindful consumption, and see how it can help us to reconnect with the world around us.,

    In a world where technology dominates every aspect of our lives, it is easy to get lost in the digital noise. However, by practicing mindful consumption and setting boundaries, we can live a more fulfilling and balanced life. Taking time to disconnect from the digital world and reconnecting with the world around us can bring us a sense of peace and tranquility that we may have forgotten existed. Remember, technology should enhance our lives, not consume them. So take a step back, live in the present moment, and enjoy the world around you.

  • Food, Sweet Treats

    Easy Seasonal Spiced Apple & Pear cake recipe

    We live a very seasonal rhythm when it comes to our lives and everything within it; from our home education to the foods that nourish us, the literature we consume, and what we celebrate. After a wonderful spring and summer, one where we welcomed our baby boy into our family, autumn felt like the perfect moment to settle back into our normal rhythms.

    Autumn brings with it many wonderful adventures, including apple and pumpkin picking. My grandad always has a wonderful apple crop and this year was no different. H (our toddler), had so much fun with her great-grandad picking his apple crop, some of which we were able to bring home for ourselves. We decided to make something fun with our apples, and instead of cooked or stewed apple, we decided that a warm apple cake was perfect.

    From humble beginnings

    A friend had pointed us in the direction of a perfect, seasonal apple cake, the Vegan Apple cake from BBC Good Food. It was a wonderful way to use up the apples we had picked and started us on bit of a journey into creating the perfect cake for our little family.

    We aren’t a vegan family, so although a few times we made the vegan recipe, we were able to switch the ingredients around with ease, preferring organic grass-fed butter to highly processed spreads. We’re extremely conscious of the health benefits around food and keen proponents of nutrition and bioavalibility of our nutrients and the best places to get them from, including animal products which are, for all intents and purposes demonized with sensationalist headlines and a heavy agenda (but that’s a discussion for another day maybe…). What we’ve found is that actually, the ingredients in this recipe are very interchangeable, making this a really versatile base recipe. From there we’ve done so much with it:

    • Switched our processed spreads for organic grass fed butter.
    • Switch plant based milk for the dairy alternative.
    • Used vanilla flavouring instead of almond.
    • Used a mix of apples and pears.
    • Added additional flavourings of mixed spice and cinnamon.

    Apples & Pears into a cake

    The recipe itself is easy and very simple to make with ingredients most of us have in our cupboards. What I love too is that there is nothing in it like eggs (so great for allergy sufferers), so less worry about ending up with raw mixture after cooking. It is also great for little helping hands that like to lick the spoon. It’s so easy to make, regardless of your dietary choices.

    The recipe

    Apple & Pear Seasonal Cake

    Apple & Pear Seasonal Cake

    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 300 ml Whole milk, any suitable milk will work
    • 150 g Organic grass-fed butter, any suitable spread will work
    • 1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 350 g Self raising flour
    • 100 g Golden Caster Sugar
    • 100 g Golden soft sugar
    • 1 tsp Baking powder
    • 1 tbsp Vanilla Essence
    • 200 g Pink lady apples, Any sweet apple will work
    • 200 g Sweet Pears
    • 2 tbsp Mixed Spice
    • 2 tbsp Cinnamon

    Instructions

    1. Pour the 300ml into a jug and add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to thicken for 5 minutes at room temperature.
    2. Add self raising flour, both sugars and baking powder into a bowl and mix together.
    3. Pour over the thickened milk and hand whisk until smooth.
    4. Add 1 tbsp of vanilla essence and add to the mixture.
    5. Take the butter and melt in microwave (or on hob). Add to mixture and mix until smooth.
    6. Take the apples and pears, and cut into cubes. Place them in a separate bowl and cover in 1 tbsp of cinnamon and 1 tbsp of mixed spice. Mix together until all apples and pears are coated.
    7. Add the further 1 tbsp of cinnamon and 1 tbsp of mixed spice to the mixture and whisk together.
    8. Add the coated apples and pears and fold gently through the mixture.
    9. Grease a tin with the leftovers of the melted butter and pour mixture into the tin.
    10. Cook in centre of oven for 45 mins - 1 hour on 200 degrees celcius.

    Read below to find our amazing spiced apple and pear cake, with all the additions and changes that I think you will love as much as we do.

    This recipe is so simple, seasonal and tastes incredible. I hope you love it as much as we do. If you try it, please let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram.