It's all a bit shit out there at the minute isn't it?! The hopes and dreams of practically the entire Afghan people being crushed in the blink of an eye. A deadly earthquake in Haiti killing over 2,000 people. Devastating flooding across large swathes of Europe. Rampant wildfires raging out of control in other parts of Europe and the USA. An on-going global pandemic. The IPCC's damning report on climate change. Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay I could go on and on, sending

So, it seems the last time I added a blog post as part of the #Write52 challenge was sometime back in early June 2020... Oops. But what a year it turned out to be! Anyway, less looking back and more looking forward :-) I've decided to reboot this challenge and make it to the end - better late than never, right?! To kick things off, I've actually got a guest blog post from Andrew Groves from the eco-friendly company goBambu. His post is definitely food for thought, thanks Andr

I know, I've been MIA for more than a few weeks, and I was going to start this post by apologising, but to be honest, I'm not all that sorry. Lockdown has been tough and I've simply not had the brain space to keep writing here, too. But today is a new day – Izzy has gone back to preschool for the first time since 20th March (gosh, that feels like a lifetime ago!) so I've got some headspace during the day, and one of the first things I've wanted to do is switch the radio to Sc

Time is a funny thing, isn't it? Both of the following sentences feel equally valid right now: Option A: "I can't believe it's already been a week since my last #Write52 post." Option B: "I can't believe it's only been a week since my last #Write52 post." Delete as appropriate I guess... I know last week's post brought a great deal of joy to many people, so thanks for getting in touch to let me know it made you smile - that was the intention after all. This week has seen us t

Now I know I've missed the past two weeks of #Write52 goodness (sorry!) and I'm pretty sure you'll all think I've gone bonkers in that time given the title of this week's post, but bear with me... Team Worrell currently find themselves in self-isolation. Ben started feeling unwell with a high temperature and cough on Friday morning, and I quickly followed suit on Friday afternoon. By Saturday, we both felt zonked and could hardly move at all – in fact, I felt like I'd played

Last week was quite simply a shitty week and I never got round to penning my latest #Write52 offering. Much to my chagrin, but something had to give. We're not known as being a sickly family, so it was just our luck that between the two of us, Izzy and I needed to visit our local urgent care centre, have an emergency dental appointment, head to the pharmacy, call 111 and ultimately take a late-night trip to hospital. All in the space of 28 hours. Joy. I am, however, pleased t

Today marks quite a milestone: 999 days since I became a mum. And yesterday marked another: Izzy's first day with a childminder. And I'll admit, I'm all at sea. As is the dog for that matter. She's been staring at the front door, whimpering and waiting for Izzy to come home. This post won't be anything new to all of you out there who have already gone through this, but I still felt like I needed to get my thoughts down on paper. Well, digital paper at least. And who better to

Granted, it's been a while since I last mentioned plastic-free swaps in the kitchen (way back in week 25 to be precise!), but here's another great one that is here to stay in the Worrell household. It's also courtesy of Ed of #Write52 fame and his lovely financée, Nicki, since it was part of my fantastic birthday goodies: compostable sponge cloths and a coconut husk scourer. Both of these little helpers are 100% biodegradable and can be popped on your compost heap/in your gre

I've got three things to share with you this week, all progress (of sorts)! 1. Personal progress A very clever and eco-conscious Father Christmas left three excellent gifts for me to find in my stocking: a shaving bar, a shampoo bar and a soap dish/carrier. The shaving bar smells divine and lathers up beautifully; it's simply a joy to use. As you'll know from week 16 of the #Write52 challenge, I've not yet converted to shampoo bars but as soon as my current bottle runs out, I

First off, Happy New Year (if it's not too late to still be wishing you such a thing on 8th January?!). I'll admit, this is the first #Write52 post I've put off - despite my out-of-office only being switched off on the 6th, I could and should have written this post last week. But I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by it all and I didn't really know where to start (probably why I've opted for the standard [overused/trite?] option of a New Year's greeting). Like many of you, I'm

Woohoo, I've made it halfway through the #Write52 challenge - that feeling of accountability has certainly spurred me on in the weeks it's been hard to find the time to sit and write a post. But it's been good fun sharing our #DitchingThePlastic tips these last 6 months, and I've got a few more up my sleeve for the next 6 months. But for now, I'd like to wish you all a happy, chocolate- and/or cheese-filled* Christmas, and a healthy, peaceful and fulfilled New Year. Normal se