Hello lovely lady,
Welcome to this week’s moment of calm and reflection.
Before we begin, go and make yourself a cuppa. Then, for the next five minutes, let the laundry wait, let the emails sit unanswered and give yourself permission to simply pause and have a little wander through this week’s Root & Rise Ramble.
Because like me, you may need the reminder that you don’t always have to be doing.
Finding Your Own Way to Rest and Recharge
Last weekend, I found myself slowing down. I think the changing season was partly responsible. There was something about the cooler air, the darker evenings and that unmistakable shift from summer into autumn that made me realise my body was sending me a fairly clear message.
“Slow down, Nicole.”
Recharge your batteries. And I listened. Although, as I’ve discovered many times, recharging your batteries looks completely different for each and every one of us.
One person’s reset might be a long walk in the countryside. Someone else’s might be a quiet afternoon with a book. Another person’s might involve putting on their pyjamas, cleaning the bathroom and doing three loads of washing.
Yes. That last one was me.
I stayed in my pyjamas until 2pm, did some laundry and tackled a few cleaning jobs. I had friends pop over for an hour for a catch-up, and on Sunday I went to the local church for the first time before heading off to puppy class.
Nothing particularly extravagant or Instagram-worthy. But it brought me joy.
For me, that’s the bit worth remembering.
Your reset doesn’t need to look restful to somebody else. It needs to feel restorative to you.
So if you find yourself thinking,
“I really should be resting…”,
Ask yourself a slightly different question:
“What would actually bring me joy today?”
Because sometimes rest is a blanket, a book and silence. And others, it is cleaning the kitchen while listening to a podcast.
There is no prize for doing self-care correctly. A little gratitude goes a long way.
A Simple Gratitude Jar for Everyday Wellbeing
On one of the morning school runs this week, I was listening to a podcast by Rob Dial, who reminded me about the importance of practising gratitude. It struck me because, if I’m honest, my own gratitude practice had slipped a little.
And then came one of those lovely little coincidences.
A few days ago, I pulled a Gratitude card from the Mind Cards that live in the Summerhouse. The card suggested keeping a Gratitude Jar and putting a coin into it whenever you consciously thought of something you were grateful for.
I rather liked the idea. But naturally, I gave it a little Root & Rise twist.
Instead of coins, I cut up some scraps of paper and started writing down the things I am grateful for.
Nothing grand. Just the little things.
“I am grateful for my car having some fuel put into it by Robin.”
And: “I am grateful for people enquiring about The Turning, the day retreat I am hosting with the soul doula extraordinaire, Karen Ramsay-Smith.”
Gratitude doesn’t have to be about pretending everything is wonderful all of the time. Life can still be messy. You can be tired, overwhelmed, grieving, hormonal, frustrated or simply having one of those days… …and still notice something good.
It can often be the tiny things that help us remember that life is happening alongside the difficult bits, not just around them.
So this weekend, grab yourself a jar, a bowl or even an old mug and start your own little gratitude collection.
You don’t need any rules or beautifully handwritten affirmation cards. Simply notice.
Related Rambles: Blog Post 5 - The Beauty of Slow Beginnings
48 candles and a very different birthday.
Tuesday was my 48th birthday. And it was a very quiet day here at the farm. That felt particularly significant because it was such a contrast to September 2025, when Robin and I celebrated at The Pig.
Last year’s birthday was very different. This year was simpler.
And actually? It was everything I needed.
After school, I helped Matilda and my friend’s daughter bake and decorate my birthday cake. Then I spent the evening at the farmhouse with my close family. There was no elaborate plan or a grand occasion. Just cake, family, conversation and being together.
And it reminded me that we can enjoy the simple things in life just as much as the expensive, carefully planned and orchestrated ones.
Quite often, the things we remember most aren’t the things that cost us the most money. They can be the moments where we felt connected, seen and safe at home.
Here’s another little invitation for you this week:
Notice the ordinary things that make you happy.
The first sip of your morning tea.
The dog resting his head on your knee.
A conversation with somebody you love.
Sunlight coming through the window.
Fresh sheets.
A favourite song.
The smell of autumn arriving.
These things may be small, but they aren’t insignificant.
The Turning: An Autumn Retreat
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn, you may have seen that Karen and I have created something very special for Autumn.
On Monday, we had our planning session for The Turning, our day retreat here at Hunningham Hill Farm on 30th October.
It is a day created around returning to yourself as we move into the darker months.
I will be running an Aromatherapy workshop where we will explore how essential oils work and you’ll have the opportunity to create your own bespoke blend to take away with you. We’ll be honouring Samhain, the turning of the season and the land around us here at the farm.
Related Ramble: Blog Post 2 - The Healing Power of Aromatherapy
And, of course, there will be plenty of space to pause, breathe and reconnect during a day where somebody else has thought about the details for you.
This is a day where you can simply arrive. If you’ve been feeling the pull towards slowing down, reconnecting with yourself or marking this seasonal turning in a different way, you can find all of the details and book your place using the button below:
And finally… a little Autumn glamour
My final treat of the week was a long-awaited nail appointment.
And I now have the most beautiful Autumnal nails, courtesy of the wonderfully talented Tammy Saunders at Happiness at Your Fingertips.
Self-care doesn’t always have to be deep, transformational or worthy of a journal entry.
Sometimes you just want lovely nails.
And that counts too.
What Would Recharge You Today?
So, as you head into the weekend, take five minutes to ask yourself:
What would actually recharge my batteries right now?
Don’t worry about what you “should” do, or what somebody else would call self-care that looks good on social media.
What would genuinely bring you a little more joy?
Then, if you can, give yourself permission to do that.
You are allowed to pause, recharge and enjoy the little things.
And you don’t have to earn any of it first.
Until next week,
