handmade Archives | Jayne Hardy

DIY Projects + Crafts ➤ 2nd December 2024

DIY Christmas Crafts: Baked Orange Garland

The scent of these baked oranges are up there with freshly cut grass, baked bread and chai latte, for me. A Christmas craft that’s ridiculously easy to do and one I do year after year...

DIY Projects + Crafts ➤ 19th April 2024

This Crochet Pattern Makes The Cosiest Blanket

Our daughter is in her minimalistic preppy era and wanted a blanket for her bed which fit the brief. I found just the thing and then made it!

YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Writing ➤ 4th May 2023

Speech-to-Text: A Quick Way To Create New Blog Posts

This is a reader-supported website. When you purchase products and services through links here, we may receive an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Want to know something that might bend your brain a...

Everything Else ➤ 13th March 2024

A Letter To You If You Don’t Have ‘A Village’

Dear You, They say "It takes a village" and you hate that saying because it's a stark and painful reminder that you don't have one. It hurts, it rankles and it smarts doesn't it?! I know that you often feel alone, depleted, invisible and torn. As though there's nowhere or no one in which to turn for help. You might at times feel jealous of those who do have support. Anger, too, at your circumstances. Regret for the choices you may have made. Despair at the choices which felt as though they were taken from you. Exhaustion at the monotony of it all, wishing and wanting and needing a break.

Everything Else ➤ 8th November 2023

How to Get Unstuck: Some Ideas To Help

Life is truly riotous. It's not a clíche when they say it's a rollercoaster; full of ups and downs. Just as we appreciate spring so much because it comes after a stark and chilly winter, without life's obstacles, we wouldn't appreciate life's great times so much, they'd be without contrast. That's not to say that the downs aren't difficult, demanding and draining. Because, let's face it, sometimes they're so tricky that we can get awfully stuck in them.

Everything Else ➤ 14th June 2024

I Have Fallen in Love With My Eufy Robot Vacuum Cleaner

I decided to buy an Eufy Robot Vacuum Cleaner. My only regret is that I didn't take the plunge sooner. You see, I'm in love. Completely and utterly bowled over.

Everything Else ➤ 1st March 2024

What Athletes Teach Us About Goal-Setting And Goal-Getting

The frameworks athletes build around a central overriding goal are fascinating. And, replicable. That's the bit I find so juicy; we can all build support systems, carefully curated routines, and take care of ourselves in optimum ways.

Everything Else ➤ 5th April 2024

Self-Care For When Life Gives You Lemons

We’ve all had ‘those’ days which have rolled into two, maybe three, possibly a week, a month, a year – a stretch of time when it feels as though life is just pelting lemons at us, repeatedly. A chaotic patch of life which tests our resolve to the limit. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong. We’re beyond stressed. We’re at our wits’ end. Kerplunked. Problem-solving takes brainpower, courage and resilience. It’s hard to pick ourselves up again, and again, and again. The knee-jerk reaction is to keep ploughing on but it rarely all goes away without a re-steering of the ship.

Everything Else ➤ 26th March 2024

The Reason Why ‘Thinking Positive’ Isn’t Always Easy

The negative stuff tends to shine like a beacon, roar like a lion and refuse to retreat. Positive stuff does happen, and we actively look for it, but it always feels outnumbered by the rough stuff, which starts to make us feel that we're doing something wrong, that we're broken, that we're really unlucky. Or all of the above.

Everything Else ➤ 17th May 2023

Leaving Instagram: How It’s Been 12 Days In

Truthfully, Instagram hasn't been an enjoyable place for a long while. There's something about the noise of it that fills my head quickly. After a scrolling session, I feel flat and less motivated.

Writing ➤ 30th March 2023

Journal Your Way To Better Writing: How Journalling Improves Your Craft

Writing is wonderful when it’s all going well, the words are flowing and you’re totally ‘in it’. It’s the best feeling. When it’s not going so well? Gah, it’s incredibly frustrating. We’ve all seen (and...

DIY Projects + Crafts ➤ 12th October 2023

A Christmas Gift Guide for Pre-Teen Girls

I do not like choosing gifts for people. In fact, it's a huge source of stress for me. Will they like it? Do they already have it? What if they pretend to like it? What if they're disappointed? Thankfully, we have a long-held family tradition of sharing gift lists and I'm really grateful we do. With that in mind, and because this pre-teen age is one I find tricky to buy for, I roped Peggy into helping me craft this gift guide for pre-teen girls in the hope it'll help you in the same way our lists help me.

Jayne Hardy

handmade