Simply Woman & Home

Feel fabulous every day

Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Simply Woman & Home
ACTING GROUP SPECIALS DIRECTOR Michelle Hather ART EDITOR Elizabeth Jones GROUP PICTURE DIRECTOR Karen Whitehead PICTURE EDITOR Emma Smith CHIEF SUB EDITOR Susannah Hockham SUB EDITORS Heather Ransome; Andreia Shelley; Sophie Goodall; Kirsty Walker;
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Hello there, SUNSHINE
Welcome to Simply woman&home, and to the glorious month of July. This year may feel a little different for some of us – less hola to the Med, more hello to what our own shores have to offer – but still as special. And this issue celebrating Outdoor L
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
3 Great Things To Try This Issue…
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Simply Woman & Home4 min read
Here's To A Summer Of OUTDOOR LIVING
This summer’s top trend in outdoor furniture is all about keeping it natural, according to Ian Ellis, outdoor living buyer for John Lewis. Last year’s rattan fix is here to stay, and there are loads of ways to introduce the tactile material into your
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
3 Ways To Be Ready For Any Weather
Frivolous but fun, fringed parasols are this summer’s garden accessory of choice, offering protection from sun and rain. ‘Parasols are a nice way to add colour, especially if you don’t have many flowers,’ says Selina. Business & Pleasure Co umbrella,
Simply Woman & Home1 min readRegional & Ethnic
Easy Pizza
Food writer Lucas Oakeley says nifty portable pizza ovens are the must-have cooking equipment for summer soirées. ‘If want to fire up the kind of beautifully blistered pizza you’d happily pay £12 for, there’s no better option.’ He rates Ooni’s wood p
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Rethink The Centrepiece
‘Table floristry at home doesn’t need to be complicated,’ says Gael. ‘Try using small, colourful glass vessels to hold flowers at different heights.’ Alice agrees: ‘Bud vases of different heights along the table can be impactful and it’s also thrifty
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Playlist
Kick-start summer vibes with our pre-prepped playlist of holiday favourites and fresh new hits… Kokomo The Beach Boys Club Tropicana Wham! Black Hole Griff Freedom! ‘90 George Michael You Can Call Me Al Paul Simon La Isla Bonita Madonna Twisting by t
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Lights, Camera, Action!
Is there a better way to use your back garden than hosting an outdoor film night on a balmy summer’s evening? Make sure you’re ready to press play with our tips… CHECK THE TECH Always look at the resolution and lumens count when buying a projector. 4
Simply Woman & Home2 min read
Drink In That Feeling
As one half of the team behind London cocktail bar Swift, Mia Johansson is clued up on fresh trends behind the bar. ‘Classics are making a return,’ she says, tipping Club Tropicana flavours like watermelon, lychee and pineapple, and disco-inspired co
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Treat Yourself #2
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Simply Woman & Home6 min readRegional & Ethnic
Pack a PICNIC
It’s worth buying the best cherry tomatoes you can find, as they will make the finished tart taste even better. Serves 6 • Ready in 1 hr, plus chilling and cooling 1 x shortcrust pastry block for the filling: 500g cherry tomatoes1tbsp olive oil2tbsp
Simply Woman & Home5 min read
How To Love The GREAT BRITISH SUMMER
Summertime and the livin’ is easy… or, at least, a blooming sight easier than it has been of late. A long time ago (2019), we would start planning where to go for our summer holiday as soon as we’d chucked out the last of the Christmas turkey. Now, s
Simply Woman & Home5 min readRegional & Ethnic
Holiday AT HOME
This fragrant dish would make a delicious, no-fuss Sunday lunch. Serves 4 • Ready in 1 hour 30 mins 1kg potatoes, eg Maris Piper1½tbsp olive oil1 free-range whole chicken (around 1.7kg)1 lemon, cut into wedges8 leaves sage, chopped, plus extra for ga
Simply Woman & Home5 min readRegional & Ethnic
Sunshine in EVERY BITE
This is an afternoon delight, with an irresistible strawberry cream cheese frosting. Ground almonds add a marzipan flavour and crumbly texture. If you’re the experimental sort, you could start converting half the flour in all your favourite sweet bak
Simply Woman & Home10 min read
A summer TREAT
When asked to describe her, Lizzie’s friends would hesitate. ‘Ordinary?’ said one. ‘Not in a plain sense, of course. Just… well, just fairly average, so to speak…’ Another said, ‘Lizzie? Well, where does one start? Forty-ish, I think, or close enough
Simply Woman & Home3 min read
The Man with THE SILVER SAAB
It happened very quickly. One moment, Ulf Varg’s hearing-impaired dog, Martin, was enjoying his outing to the park, sniffing about in the bushes, pursuing ancient and tantalising smells, the next he was bleeding copiously from a number of severe head
Simply Woman & Home4 min read
The Big READ
Breathtaking by Rachel Clarke, (£12.74, HB, Little, Brown) Palliative care nurse Rachel Clarke worked on COVID wards during the first wave of the pandemic, caring for the gravely ill and acting as a conduit between patients and their anxious families
Simply Woman & Home4 min read
Living The DREAM
A garden dining set that combines chairs for the adults with benches for the kids is a winner. Lanterns hung from a pole above the table not only look stunning, it frees up table space and keeps candles and tea lights safely out of reach.* Elba six-s
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Expert Trend: Outdoor Lighting
‘Never underestimate the importance of outdoor lighting, the ultimate accessory to bringing a space to life once the evening draws in. Solar stake lamps work well in plant pots or borders, and tabletop lanterns bring an inviting warmth to dining sett
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Expert Trend: Garden Bars
‘We all know that meeting with family and friends will be more important than ever, and we’re anticipating home get-togethers to grow. Our customers are now looking for ways to elevate their cocktail capabilities and the outdoor bar is perfect for th
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Expert Trend: Foldaway Furniture
‘Small spaces, such as balconies, can look cool. Surround yourself with compact, and foldaway furniture, while injecting personality with plants.’ Jo Seddon, design manager, Dunelm ■
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
How To Be Brave With Colour
Stylist at Dobbies Garden Centres Rebecca Stanton shares expert advice on how to use colour in your outdoor space: ٭ GO BOLD Yellow pops against greenery. Use a spectrum of tones in the same shade to bring the look together. ٭ TEXTURE AND SCALE If yo
Simply Woman & Home1 min readDiet & Nutrition
FOOD & DRINK
…and conjure up your very own summer food festival. From sizzling good ideas for the barbecue to savoury bakes for sharing, plus easy cocktail recipes and our pick of the best wines in the shops right now, this is your complete guide to getting the p
Simply Woman & Home7 min readRegional & Ethnic
New BBQ CLASSICS
This Moroccan-style chicken is sweet and smoky. We served ours with a spicy couscous, a simple side that can be made in advance. Serves 4 • Ready in 40 mins, plus brining 8 skin-on chicken thighs½tbsp best-quality olive oil3tsp ras-el-hanout2-3tbsp r
Simply Woman & Home1 min readRegional & Ethnic
SAUCE Of Inspiration
Add a little chipotle powder to your favourite tomato ketchup to give it a warming, smoky kick of chilli, or grab a bottle of earthy and rich Stokes Chipotle Ketchup from Ocado (300g, £3). Take 4tbsp Colman’s Hot Dog Mustard and mix with 1tbsp cider
Simply Woman & Home2 min read
Easy drinking WINES
Taste the Difference Zweigelt, £8, 13%, Sainsbury’s Discover Zweigelt, Austria’s most planted black grape variety. It produces a soft, smooth red with bramble fruits and cherries, and a white pepper finish. Great on its own or with lamb or pork. Foun
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Mix it UP!
Serves 6-8 250ml pomegranate and raspberry juice750ml bottle sparkling rosé400ml sparkling water100ml triple sec220g strawberries sliced into rounds1 orange, sliced½ watermelon, thinly sliced into small wedges Combine all the cocktail ingredients in
Simply Woman & Home4 min read
Fresh From The OVEN
These deep pan, pillowy, focacciastyle bases are topped with fragrant basil pesto – and are irresistible hot from the oven. Makes 4 • Ready in 25 mins, plus rising 500g packet Classic CiabattaBread Mix (such as Wright’s)4tbsp olive oil2tbsp sun-dried
Simply Woman & Home5 min read
PERFECT Places To PICNIC
WHERE: B5285, near Coniston WHY: Tarn Hows might be deep in Beatrix Potter country, but with parking, toilets and an easy, hour-long, buggy and dog friendly circular walk around the mirror-like lake, it spells stress-free picnicking at its finest. Wo
Simply Woman & Home4 min read
Are We NEARLY THERE Yet?
It’s time to prepare for the glorious annual moment: setting off on the summer holiday. Garden watered, fridge emptied, doors and windows locked, neighbours alerted to your forthcoming absence, car loaded, strongest-willed family member sitting in th
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
1979 And All That
Thermos flask Cortina estate I Spy Ten Green Bottles in the back seat Bucket and spade Fab lolly Road atlas Fish and chips Jigsaw Cinema Camping Unsupervised wild flower picking Guest house Holiday cottage Shrimp paste Sandwich Jelly shoes Aertex shi
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
Subscribe And Save Today!
TWO EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE Visit www.magazinesdirect.com/BN21 or phone 0330 3331113 and quote code BN21 TERMS & CONDITIONS Offer closes 31st October 2021. Offer open to new subscribers only. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of your first sub
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HOMES & GARDENS
Create outdoor rooms for work or play, make plans to visit the UK’s most glorious gardens and keep your plot looking good for longer. Looking for a project? Declare your garden open to Mother Nature and transform it into a wildlife haven. The birds a
Simply Woman & Home4 min readArchitecture
Gardens With Stories TO TELL
Deserving to be more widely appreciated, the Courts Garden, near Bradford on Avon, is a delightful seven-acre English garden. Originally created between 1900 and 1921, it was inspired by the influential Hidcote garden and under the ownership of the N
Simply Woman & Home3 min readArchitecture
KEEPING IT LOVELY For Longer
The first flush of exuberance is over in the garden and it’s now settling into the comfortable maturity of high summer. And what do most people do? Go away, leave it all to fend for itself, then come back to borders that are looking past their best,
Simply Woman & Home3 min read
Create a WILDLIFE HAVEN
Basking in the sun at my back door the other day was a frog – a long way from the cosy cover of the compost heap or long grass frogs love, so I picked it up and took it back there for safety. As most gardeners know, a hungry frog means far fewer seed
Simply Woman & Home3 min readArchitecture
The Rise Of The GARDEN ROOM
We’ve all been cooped up together so it’s little wonder we’re seeing a huge rise in the popularity of the garden room – internet searches around ‘garden office’ have increased by 350% in the past 12 months. Whether you want a home office, a place to
Simply Woman & Home5 min readProfessional Skills
25 Steps To HAPPY
According to Kevin Kruse, author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management, daily lists are a total waste of time. ‘The simple act of scheduling tasks on your calendar – instead of making a to-do list – will free your mind, reduce st
Simply Woman & Home1 min read
TRAVEL & DAYS OUT
From its windswept sand dunes in the west to the flat expanse of the east; from clifftop drama on the south coast to the bleak beauty of the north. From kiss-me-quick seaside resorts to ancient landscapes, untouched for centuries. And from cityscapes
Simply Woman & Home5 min read
Shore Things…
Rugged green and red rocks and heathland thick with wild flowers frame the pure white sand at this jewel of a beach, which opens onto an intensely turquoise sea. Kynance Cove is completely flooded at high tide, but, at ebb, you can wander among the s
Simply Woman & Home3 min read
We All Need Some VITAMIN Sea
The roar of crashing waves, the fresh air and the humbling sight of an endless blue horizon, there’s no denying the restorative effects of the sea – and it doesn’t have to be the Med or some far-flung ocean. In fact, even the sea surrounding our own
Simply Woman & Home4 min read
BRITISH ISLES To Fall In Love With
WHERE? In the Outer Hebrides. Though often referred to as two separate entities, rather confusingly, Lewis and Harris are actually one island. Lewis is the larger part in the north, and Harris is to the south. In summer, a car and passenger ferry run
Simply Woman & Home4 min read
How COOL IS THAT?
This homemade take on the Fab retro ice lolly is especially fruity and so easy to make. Makes 6 or 8 • Ready in 10 mins, plus freezing 150g strawberries90g caster sugar1tsp vanilla extract500g low-fat natural yogurt100g white chocolate, melted60g hun
Simply Woman & Home3 min read
Location, location LOCATION!
1 In JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Harry is forced to stay with his dreaded relatives Vernon, Petunia and Dudley Dursley. Where do they live? A 4 Privet Drive B 6 Pine Lane C 12 Thorn Way 2 Which London railway station gives its name to author Mi
Simply Woman & Home2 min readDiet & Nutrition
The Big PUZZLE Pages
Test yourself with this maths puzzler. Each column, row and 3x3 subgrid must contain all the digits from 1 to 9. Find the words in the grid. Which sweet treat is missing? CANDY ECLAIR FLAN GUMMY BEAR FUDGE JELLY BABY LOLLIPOP MUFFIN PASTILLE POPCORN
Simply Woman & Home2 min read
Your best SUMMER EVER
MOVIE MUNCHIES Grease is the word at Newcastle’s open-air cinema spectacular in Exhibition Park. Pack your camping chair to indulge in street food, live comedy and screenings of The Greatest Showman, Pretty Woman and more. Catch outdoor screenings at

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