The Tiny Joys Journal Volume 2
I haven't done much social media, because to be honest I found it to be a little bit cringe.
It often felt unrealistic.
Everything seemed beautifully curated, overly whimsical, perfectly aesthetic, or weirdly robotic. There was always someone telling you what you should be doing, eating, buying, or saying... and I just couldn't keep up.
Lately though, I’ve found my mojo again.
I’m giving social media another go - but this time, on my own terms.
I don’t want perfection. I don’t want to pretend I’ve got life all figured out, because I absolutely don’t.
What I am is a real person running a small business. I have good days and rubbish days. I muddle through life just like everyone else, and along the way I try to notice the tiny joys that feel good.
So here I am.
No perfect aesthetic. No polished version of reality. Just honest moments, behind-the-scenes snippets, the highs, the hiccups, and hopefully a space that feels a little comforting, maybe even enjoyable.
Life isn’t perfect - and that’s great.
Perfect is boring anyway.
Tiny Joy #2
Pegging the washing out
Last week my youngest daughter, Cove, wanted to write out the invitations for her first official birthday party with her school friends.
I won’t go into all the reasons why this meant so much to her, but let’s just say school hasn’t always been the easiest place for her.
To cut a long story short…
We wrote the invites.
We handed out the invites.
I recalled the invites (because I was convinced I’d put the wrong date on them).
I opened every single invite.
The date was, in fact, correct.
I resealed the invites.
Then we handed the invites out… again.
The stress. 😂
When I got home, though, my whole mood changed because I realised I could finally hang the washing outside.
Why does hanging washing on the line feel so ridiculously satisfying?
There’s just something about it.
And before you tell me I’m on my own with this tiny joy….
Think about climbing into bed made with freshly line-dried bedding.
It’s one of life’s simplest pleasures, and somehow it just makes everything feel a little better.
Tell me I’m not the only one who gets this excited about washing on the line? 😂
What I’m Watching Right Now
Tip Toe – Channel 4 (5-part series)
This drama aired in June and I’d been told more than once that I needed to watch it.
It wasn’t always an easy watch, so maybe check the synopsis before diving straight in.
What I liked most was how it explored different perspectives and highlighted the differences that exist in the world without trying to give easy answers.
It was really thought-provoking.
I love a programme (or a book) that leaves me thinking long after it’s finished. The ones that challenge your perspective, spark conversations and make you see the world just a little differently are always the ones that stay with me.
Have you watched it? What did you make of it?
What I’m Loving Right Now
Hot Weather
This might be controversial, but I’m loving the hot weather. It means I can spend more time in the garden and chip away at the never-ending project out there. I nearly passed out the other day, mind you, but I’m taking the rough with the smooth.
I also love being able to leave the house without a jacket. It’s the small things.
M&S Cookies
I will tell anyone who’ll listen about these cookies.
Firstly, they’re incredible. Secondly, they’re surprisingly affordable.
They come in a range of flavours – milk chocolate, white chocolate and double chocolate – and a pack of five large cookies costs around £3.
I’m going to say it… they’re better than Mille’s Cookies. They’re bigger, taste better and cost less.
These are my new go-to treat, and I now can’t walk into M&S without coming out with a pack.
Consider this your sign to buy some. You can thank me later.
What I’m Burning Right Now
With the temperatures so high, I haven’t been burning many candles, but I have flipped all my reeds and made good use of my room mists.
Most people seem to use less home fragrance in summer, but I actually use more. Hot weather has a funny way of amplifying all the smells you’d rather not notice around the house.
So my current routine is a quick tidy followed by a spritz.
Dreamy.
What’s Going Down at HQ
Wild Pomegranate
Wild Pomegranate
You may have noticed that Black Pomegranate has quietly taken on a new name – Wild Pomegranate.
I know it’s only a name, but what’s in a name?
This is something I’ve been overthinking for a while.
The fragrance itself is extremely popular, so that was never going anywhere. So many of you love it. But every time I looked at the name, something didn’t quite sit right. A bit like when you’ve done your make-up and spend all day feeling like something’s off, only to realise halfway through the day you forgot mascara.
When I think about this fragrance, I don’t think of anything dark or heavy. I think of being outdoors on a crisp autumn day, then coming home to snuggle under a blanket. It has that untamed feel to it, and I never felt the old name captured that.
So, after it had been niggling away at me for far too long, I finally changed it.
I’m hoping Wild Pomegranate is exactly the change it needed.
A Thought to Leave You With
“Life has a funny way of reminding us that one mistake doesn’t define the whole day.”