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Showing posts with label wellbeing. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Reviewing Charms And Practicalities Of Paper Diaries

Only a few weeks ago I was discussing with a friend how our lives are now intrinsically bound up and even dominated by digital devices. We are reliant now in a way we never were ten and certainly twenty years ago.

This was brought home to me sharply a few months ago by an unusual set of circumstances where my mobile phone and my computer decided to break down at the same time! Suddenly I had no access to e mails, social media but even worse all our diary dates including medical appointments, meet ups with friends.... everything!

The only recourse while my computer was “in bits” in the shop and we were waiting on the mobile phone to arrive was our local part time library. How I wished I had a paper copy of all the appointments!

So in all this the humble paper diary planner I regularly used years ago a suddenly seemed like a great idea I had relegated unnecessarily to history and I missed it.

I can tell you that I quickly bought a paper diary and I do value it and love making my appts and notes in it in a way that tech does not fulfil somehow.

Paper Diary And Mindful Reflection

Despite the convenience of digital calendars, the tangible act of writing in a paper diary offers certain benefits I had completely forgotten as I embraced technology.

I find that writing our appts and dates by hand encourages mindfulness for me. The slower pace of writing in a diary allows for a level of reflection I never feel when using tech.

I feel more in control and it helps me organise my thoughts. All the noise of digital tech is gone leaving just the order and calmness of organising my life. I am finding that when I write a date in my diary I tend to recall and remember it far better than I do when I use the computer or phone.

Of course all diaries are a bit different in what they include and you need to decide what is best for you. I have included a range in this article to consider.

I love that my Diary has a features such as year to view, Year planner, big single day pages to write in and month to view. It makes organising and recording very easy.

I like the sections at the beginning of each month to record Notes, travel planning, financial planning and fitness planning as well. It also has space to record useful telephone numbers and details of friends and family. I love that it has inspirational quotes across the diary days which act as little reminders to live our best life.

2025 Appointment Book/Planner - Weekly & Monthly Planner, 6.3Check Price

Creativity and Expression In a Diary

My paper diary has become already a place for self expression. I can write little extra notes, hopes and plans for the future, doodles have once again become a thing and I have again become conscious of my long neglected handwriting style.

I enjoy writing in my diary planner, even when it is just appointments. Its a little bit of creative freedom I cannot replicate online.

Reduced Screen Time and Digital Fatigue

I spend a lot of time staring at a computer screen, I need to for many aspects of my life and work. In many ways I am grateful for digital technology, it has enabled me to work remotely, make friends across the world, shop for my home, find information easily and simplified many things.

However, we are also constantly bombarded with notifications, emails, and social media updates which can become tiring and distracting.

A paper diary offers a welcome break from screens, helping to reduce digital fatigue and the strain it places on our eyes and mind. A paper diary is simple, uncomplicated and can be a beautiful thing to hold in your hands.

ZXHQ 360 Pages Thick Lined A5 Journaling Notebook, Hardcover Journal for Women Men Writing Notebook, Fine Inner Pocket, Tree of Life Design, 100Gsm Paper - Dark GreenCheck Price

Privacy and Security

My diary is for me and my husbands engagements. No one else sees it and I really don’t have to worry about privacy, hacking, breaches or especially after my recent experience any tech breakdowns or long wait times for new parts!

It provides a secure and private space for thoughts and plans. You don't need to worry about privacy policies or data storage issues and confidentiality is easy to ensure.

Calm And In Control With My Paper Diary

As I am now recording all important dates and appts in my paper diary I know that even if I face tech breakdowns, failures and long waits for replacement parts or new tech, I will always know I have my back up and do not have to worry. In some ways my paper diary now has my back!

I do still record in my online planners but that is practical, routine and in work mode. My paper diary feels more personal, more tangible and calm.

In a world where technology dominates our day to day life, the paper diary is a valuable tool. It might be old fashioned now but I have found a new respect for it helping me in my life organisation in a calm quite tranquil way.

Clever Fox Planner PRO Schedule – Undated Weekly & Monthly Life Planner with Time Slots, Appointment Book & Daily Organizer, A4 (Red)Check Price

I won't of course give up tech and it has many undeniable advantages that make life easier.

However, embracing the simplicity and sometimes beauty of a paper diary planner has brought a sense of peace that computer or other digital tools often lack.

In this increasingly digital world it was amazing to me how satisfying holding an actual pen and writing in a tangible, beautiful paper diary is a pleasure I didn’t know I had missed so much!

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

A Review Embracing Nature And Gratitude On Christmas Eve

Gold and white baubles on green Christmas tree

I always think Christmas Eve is a magical time, filled with anticipation and joy. It is one of my most favourite days over the Christmas period.

While it is often a busy day, it's lovely to take a moment to pause and reflect on the beauty around us, especially the wonders of nature, and to express gratitude for the blessings in our lives and remember those for whom this time is difficult.

The Beauty of Nature on Christmas Eve

Life and events and all the preparations for Christmas can be very hectic. By the time we reach Christmas Eve we may try to find a moment to rest, to find peace.

I love to take photographs to capture the particular beauty of the season. Appreciation will be different for everyone, it may be the crisp winter air, the beautiful blanket of snow in the garden, rain on a window pane when you are warm and cosy, or the distant stars in a dark sky.

Nature reminds us of the simple beauty of our world. Whether you're in a snowy landscape or a milder climate, taking a moment to step outside and appreciate the natural surroundings can be a grounding and peaceful, even profound, experience.

Finding Gratitude in the Little Things

Christmas Eve is a perfect time to reflect on the past year and acknowledge the things we are grateful for. Sometimes life is lovely, other times it can be very hard and I am among those this year that have lost loved ones and miss them, this first Christmas without them. I am also grateful that they were in my life and what we meant to each other and that love never dies.

When life is hard, or even when it isn't, we don’t have to look to the big things to be grateful for. Especially at this time of year there can be many small day to day special moments.

The warmth of a cosy fire, good food, the laughter of loved ones, the look of wonder in a child's eyes, a call or message from a friend or family member.

We may find comfort in our faith, connecting with friends across the world, watching birds in the garden, listening to a lovely piece of music, carol singers, a starry night sky, or the quiet stillness of a winter night are all things we can be thankful for.

Winter Trees Against Blue Sky
by RaintreeDesigns

Connecting with Nature

One way to appreciate our Christmas Eve experience is to connect with nature.

This could be as simple as taking a walk in a nearby park appreciating the red and yellow winter berries and shapes of the trees branches against the sky. We might find a scented shrub with tiny flowers and a powerful perfume to amaze us.

It might be listening to the sounds of the night, an owl maybe or birds singing during the day. We may like to feed the birds and watch their appreciation or help at an animal sanctuary. Reindeers and Donkeys are of course also intrinsically linked to the Christmas story in their different ways.

Even going out on a clear night to watch and maybe identify the stars and constellations. These activities can help us feel more connected to nature and a sense of our place in it.

Who knows some of us may even see Santa and his Reindeers running across the night sky with the sleigh!

We also like to collect pine cones, berries and Holly in our garden and on our walks to decorate and bring nature in to our home.

Practicing Gratitude

Often it is easier to recall all the things that have not gone right and I am guilty of that too. However it is healthy to practice gratitude when we remember.

We might write a list of things we have been thankful for this year or give someone close to you a genuine compliment to show them how much they mean to you. We might like to help at a charity for children or older people who need support or a listening ear or give local people who helped you a simple Thank you card or small gift.

It can be useful to spend a few moments in quiet reflection thinking over the year that has gone, the good, the difficult, the special and the ordinary times. How we handled it all and how we have grown with the experiences.

Expressing gratitude in this way can improve our wellbeing, support our relationships, and enhance our well-being.

Snowdrops In Snow Thank You Card
by RaintreeDesigns

A Grateful Heart On Christmas Eve

As you celebrate Christmas Eve, whether we are with family, friends, alone or with our animal companions, a couple, single or part of a big family, working or at home, this day can be special to us.

However you spend your day whether it is busy or quiet, whether you attend any religious or other celebrations or not, let the beauty of nature fill your heart with joy and peace.

It is lovely and fun to give gifts at Christmas and for many of us is a key part of the celebrations. The best part of the spirit of the season is in the love and connections we share with other people, animals and nature and the appreciation for the world around us.

May your Christmas Eve be a special time filled with the wonder of nature with love and joy and peace in your heart.

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Reviewing Gifts To Keep Loved Ones Warm In Winter.

With cold weather fast approaching and along with it rising energy costs many people are concerned how to pay for their energy bills to heat their homes and keep warm. Many people may well be thinking of not putting the heating on so high or so much this winter.

This may especially apply to older people who can feel the cold more, or maybe less able to keep moving around to keep warm. The very old and the very young and those who have conditions or are on medications that make them feel the cold more will be the most affected in the colder weather.

So I was thinking how to help people in this situation who perhaps will not accept money to help with bills, but who would consider it normal to receive a winter birthday gift or Christmas gift.

While it is important that the heating is on for some part of the day to keep the home free from damp, it might be thoughtful to give a gift of something that will help to keep them warm and cosy this winter. This thoughtfulness may also extend to yourself.

Depending on your budget, some of these suggestions are affordable, others more considered purchases and perhaps the more expensive ones could be purchased by a family or friends clubbing together for a present. Or you may like to purchase these as a treat for yourself, as we did.

So gifts that are lovely, cosy, warm and beautiful like these can be a lovely thoughtful present for any person to help them keep warmer and more relaxed in the colder months of the year.

Heated Throw

The first gift idea and one that we have found very useful is a heated throw. These are blankets or throws that you put on over yourself to keep warm and have a timer facility so you can choose the temperature the throw warms up to and the length of time you have it on.

The best ones have a cut off function once the time is reached so I consider this a vital function, especially for elderly people or anyone just busy, so it cannot over heat or be left on all night.

We have a couple of these throws for use in the living room when watching TV and for one to go over the bed which we put on an hour before bed to warm up the bed and the room. We find that these do heat us up very well and also put some heat into the room which is useful in winter.

One is a Faux Fur heated blanket and one is a Sherpa Fleece Blue heated blanket. They are deliciously cosy! We have used the heating far less since we got these blankets and so saved on our heating bills, while still keeping nice and warm.

Read more about my personal experience of using these in my article Reviewing Benefits And Considerations Of Heated Throws

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Warm Wearable Hooded Fleece Blankets.

We have two each of these warm wearable hooded fleece blankets and we really appreciate them in the autumn and winter. Wearing them can certainly delay us needing to put the heating on.

They are great during the day when at home as you can move around freely wearing them, yet you are warm and certainly cosy! However you still feel Ok answering the door to people which I would not be Ok with if I was in a dressing gown! In the evening they are just wonderful and snuggly and so warm.

Wearable Blanket Hoodie for AdultCheck Price

We especially like to wear them first thing in the morning when getting breakfast and once we settle down for the evening. I also like to wear mine when doing computer work and we both wear them watching TV or playing games in the evenings.

Read More about how we enjoy wearing these in my article Reviewing Warm Wearable Oversized Hooded Blankets

Warm oversized Hooded Fleece Blanket in purple and white

Warm Bedding

In the autumn we start switching out our bedding to warmer fleece and blankets to go with our duvets. It makes more of a difference than you might think and is an easy switch.

As long as you know the persons bed size, a warm bedding set would be a lovely thoughtful gift. I love this Microsoft Sheet Set with a flat sheet, fitted sheet and two pillowcases for its warm, cosy and beautiful look on the bed. This set is available in a wide choice of beautiful colours to suit any person and any bedroom decor. It has deep pocket fitting on the fitted sheet and is machine washable on cold, tumble dry low so easy care

Even if you are not sure of the bed size, then a comforter to go over the bed would be a great gift and less dependant on size especially if you size up so you can be sure it covers the bed.

My friend and contributor Barbara wrote this useful article about her personal experience of owning this Warm Sherpas Comforter Set.

Microsoft Sheet SetCheck Price

Warm Cosy Bed Socks

I don't know about you but if my feet are cold I am cold. So it is vital to keep feet warm and cosy. There are many choices of lovely bed socks for everyone in different colours . So if you know the persons shoe size a special cosy pair of socks can be a thoughtful gift.

I especially like these Non Skid Gripper Fleece Socks as in addition to being warm and cosy, they have grippers on the soles so are more non slip that most socks and so safer if you forget to put on slippers when you first get out of bed or go to get a drink in the night.

My friend and contributor Olivia writes in her review about how bed socks and the subsequent warm feet can equal a happy marriage ! How Bedsocks Can Equal A Happy Marriage

Non Skid Gripper Fleece SocksCheck Price

Shoulder Wrap Heating Pad

This is a great gift idea especially if you know the person has any shoulder issues or feels the cold around their shoulders.

I know if my shoulders are cold I find it hard to warm up. I carry any tension in my shoulders and a warm wrap does help to relax the muscles. A definite benefit is that you do not need to hold this wrap against your neck, it stays put there by itself!

My friend and contributor Sylvestermouse reviews her personal experience in her article about the Sunbeam Shoulder Wrap Heating Pad.

So a few well chosen gift ideas that we here have found lovely and beneficial can really be a beautiful and warm, lovely present for a loved one who may feel the cold this winter.

Whether it is a Fall/Autumn Birthday present or a Christmas gift or just because you love them, any of these items will help towards keeping you and your loved ones warm and comfortable this winter.

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Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part Two

A drift of Blue and yellow flowers in a garden

This is part two reviewing making a sensory garden for a person with sight loss. As I explained in Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part One my husband is having to adjust to losing his sight and we are both learning how to handle this development.

So I have been looking into how to have a garden that will be beautiful, fun and interesting and safe as his sight declines and how I need to change my gardening style.

There are always five elements when making a garden and these revolve around the five senses.

We covered Smell, Hearing and Touch in part one.

In part Two we concentrate on Sight, Taste and Safety.

We are very much working together on this project and we aim to retain as much of my husbands independence and gardening skills as possible too.

In this article we will be using the terms sight impaired, blind, low vision, partially sighted and sight loss as these are the current acceptable terms in my country for people with sight loss. This may change over time and be different in different countries. No offence is intended by any of these terms.

Day Lily Flower with three yellow petals

Sense Of Sight -Colour and Light

Now it might seem odd to include sight in a garden for people with sight loss. However my husband and many other people with sight loss, severe sight impaired and partially sighted will have some useful sight.

It will be a case of finding out what sort of useful vision they have, what if any colour they can see easily and what if any leaf shapes they can visualise. The best way to do this is to work with them, visit other gardens, check what they can see in terms of plants and shrubs.

So with my husband we started by checking which colours he likes and can see easily. This may be different for other people.

These for him are red, yellow, purple and white so we will concentrate on these colours especially for check points around the garden. For example yellow daffodils, red geum, white snowdrops, red bottlebrush, purple clematis. We may include other colours, but these will be secondary to him.

For my husband colour contrast is important so we need to work that in for example a red poppy against a white wall is more easily visible.

Red Poppy Flower against white brick wall

In terms of how the plants look we discussed having at least some plants with large leaf forms or bold shapes so that he can use these as anchor plants whether they are in flower or not.

For example:-

Tree Peony

Bamboo

Small round shaped conifers.

Tall columular conifers

Elephant ears

We also discussed light in the garden. We have security lights but also would like softer mood lighting for dusk.

While we would love real candles, they are not perhaps the safest choice for a person with limited sight.

So we agreed on safe flameless outdoor candles and string lights to use when we are out there at dusk. We will turn these off when we go in so as not to confuse wildlife.

Homemory 6”x3” Outdoor Waterproof Flameless CandlesCheck Price

Sense Of Taste

We did not think there would be food to taste all year round, yet it will still be an important element. Many of these plants also have scent.

It is crucial that I do not include anything poisonous, an irritant or just ill tasting. Accidents can happen when you touch poisonous plants and we cannot risk this.

So in terms of positive tastes we intend growing a lot of herbs and salad crops. As we hope to have an allotment we wont be growing lots of veg or fruit in the garden but smaller edible plants are welcome.

We have grown vegetables in outdoor containers before and will continue to do this.

So we will grow:-

Different mint varieties such as chocolate mint and peppermint. These will be in separate pots as they can be invasive and take over a whole bed.

sage

rosemary

curry plant

distinctive salad leaf crops such as rocket.

baby carrots in tall pots

radish

Strawberries

Fennel

Safety In The Garden

Gardens needs to be safe for every person and there are some specific considerations when you are design for a sight impaired or severe sight impaired person.

We mentioned previously to avoid any plants that can be poisonous just in case they are touched. Also to avoid any that can be irritants such as euphorbia plants

To avoid very prickly plants such as prickly Holly , pyracantha unless they can be positioned at the back of a border where it is difficult to touch them.

Flat ground is easier for my husband now. As he is new to sight loss he still finds steps a bit of a barrier I need to help him with so we will be aiming for a flat garden if possible. If we do have steps then I think we will need a handrail. Also the steps need to be highlighted in some way with a different colour or texture.

Any ponds should be highlighted in some way depending on the level of sight. So for some a border of a different material around the pond will be enough to know to avoid it, others may feel happier with a grid over the water so falling in is not an option.

For other people a pond in the ground is not desirable but perhaps a raised pond in an old barrel made waterproof would be a good option.

Trip hazards are something we need to avoid as my husband has already had a couple of falls over things he did not see. So the aim is to have raised beds but a little higher than normal so that he can feel them with his hands. A low below the knee height is no good as they will just be another trip hazard, they need to be higher.

This also achieves that scented plants will be at a better level rather than having to bend down all the time. If necessary we can also paint them different colours or at least the top section a distinctive colour so that he can see more easily.

For him the ground needs to be flat as possible. A lawn is fine and we would still like some lawn, but we will probably go for more paved areas in large slabs that have some grip and do not get slippery in wet weather.

So with a little planning and discussing the needs of the person I do believe it is perfectly possible to make and maintain a beautiful garden.

When we take into account smell, hearing, touch, taste and safety, which should be cornerstones of making any garden we can make a lovely garden suitable for someone with sight loss and beautiful in every respect.

Wrought Iron Handrail, Step Handrails for Outdoor Steps Fit 3 to 4 StepsCheck Price Keter Urban Bloomer 12.7 Gallon Raised Garden Bed with Self Watering Planter Box and Drainage Plug, Dark GreyCheck Price

Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part One

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part One

My husband has been gradually losing his sight and this is something we both need to learn and adjust to.

One of the areas I have been looking into recently is how to have a garden that will be beautiful, fun and interesting to him as his sight declines. We are also anticipating a house move in the next few years to make life easier long term so I am looking into what will work and how I need to change my gardening style.

There are always five elements to take in to account when making a garden and these revolve around the five senses of

Smell, Hearing, Sight, Touch and Taste and then the next important area is safety.

It is vital that we work together on this project so that I understand what he wants and needs from the garden. Our aim is to retain his independence as much as possible in all areas of life and that includes the garden.

We aim to arrange it so that he will know where he is in the garden by the location of key plants and structures and take notice of the five senses.

In Part One we will discuss the senses of Smell, Touch and Sound and in Part Two we will discuss Sight, Taste and Safety.

I have presented these elements in the order my husband would like me to concentrate. I find the best approach to be led by him in what he needs and wants in the garden.

Elements To Address in The Garden

Smell : Scent: Scented Plants

Touch : Different textures and feel. Safe to Touch Plants

Hearing : Sound: Windchimes Water Features and Birds

Sight : Colour and form, Light

Taste : Fruit, veg and herbs Edible Plants. Avoid poisonous plants.

Safety : Moving around independently and safely

Sense Of Smell-Scent

Scented Sweet Peas

Scented plants are very important in any garden but particularly when thinking of a person with sight loss. I am aware of many scented plants. The next step was to ask which scented plants he preferred, so I made sure I included those.

I will not be limited to these plants though as I always think it is good to have surprises. Some plants are all year round scent from leaves, others only have scent for a part of the year they are in flower.

We discussed having these plants mainly in raised beds so that it is easier to smell them and easier to maintain, plus better to be able to give them the conditions they like. In addition, the plants that have Mediterranean origins like free drainage, difficult to provide on our mainly heavy clay soil.

So we will plant:-

Lavender

Lemongrass

Basil

Thyme

Rosemary

Jasmine

Salvia

Scented Sweet peas

Artemisia

Curry plant

Scented roses

Thyme

Honeysuckle

Chamomile

Scented Daffodils

Cushion Bush/Silver sand

Rosemary

Sense Of Touch

Although I love plants like Holly and pyracantha, they are both very prickly and it is not a great idea to have them central in a garden suitable designed for a sight impaired, partially sighted or blind person.

A better idea is to have plants that can be touched safely and that do not mind being touched.

Some of these plants can be the same as the ones with lovely distinctive scents, many have leaves that are evergreen and release amazing scent when touched. Also they are not harmed by being touched.

Choysia shrub pale yellow leaves and white flowers

So we will plant:-

Choisya Shrub

Curry plant

Artemisia

Lavender

Rosemary

Chamomile

Lambs ears

White Scented Roses

A reality check are our love of roses. Now roses usually have thorns which is not a great idea. However we both adore roses and do not want to give them up so we worked on what we hope is a solution by planting roses in raised beds and surrounding them with lavender and chamomile.

That way my husband will know if he smells or feels lavender or chamomile he has a safe space before he gets to roses. However once in flower the roses will have a gorgeous scent he can enjoy safely.

Sense Of Hearing -Sound

Plants

In the garden sound can be achieved by plants making the sound such a bamboo or grasses. The distinctive rustling in the wind or a gentle breeze is a lovely sound for anyone and makes it a restful place for a bench to sit and listen.

Wind Chimes

Materials are also useful in making a sound such as wind chimes. They can be a useful item in the garden to provide a different element and even announce a separate area.

Bamboo

Water In The Garden

Water is an important element but while we both want a pond for wildlife it can be a real danger for someone who is sight impaired.

So our solution is to have elements near the pond that will alert him to the water such as a physical barrier of a fence around the pond, a windchime near it and for added safety we will add a grid over the pond in case he does walk onto it.

We may have a small running water feature pump, not so much so that it disturbs wildlife but enough for it to be heard.

We will change the ground near the pond to something very different so if there is grass mainly near the pond we will put slabs down.

Bird Bath

We will also continue to have a bird bath. Even if he eventually cannot see the birds very well, he can hear them having a bath as they splash around. We love our garden birds so we intend to have maybe three bird baths in different areas.

A Bird In The Bath
by RaintreeDesigns

So with a little thought and discussion and some plant knowledge it is I believe very possible to make a beautiful sensory garden with Touch, Sound and Scent for a person with sight loss and being an interesting garden for everyone.

See Part Two in a few weeks, which will cover Sight, Taste and Safety.