oh's editor shares her bookshelf

It’s one of those things I have been meaning (longing) to do since the beginning of lockdown 1.0… Sit down, go through my bookshelves, and make a satisfying list of my favourites, category by category. Ever since the high street shut down (for the third time), second-hand book shops, charity shops & my own amazing local bookshop have been the places I’ve most missed visiting, by far. To soften this blow, I set up a Bookshop.org shop of my own, to proclaim the wonder of the books I’ve had the privilege of getting lost & found in, during the course of this past year. There are many to choose from, and these are lists I shall keep adding to. At present, they house my four main interests in non-fiction… interests that keep evolving & expanding; Plants, herbs & holism; nature & women; play, creativity & mindfulness; and sufficiency & seasonality. I’m working on one all about MAGIC too… and that’ll be added soon.

I hope you enjoy these ready-made and ready-to-read lists, and if you choose to buy from them, rest assured that you’ll be supporting some of the best indie bookshops in the UK. Hooray!

Find my bookshop.org SHOP HERE.

Weight on, float off with Remy’s Weighted Blankets

Sponsored post

Taking hours to fall asleep only to wake up multiple times in the night affects our work, relationships, mood, and health. We’ve all been there. Introducing weighted blankets from Remy.

Studies have shown sleeping under weight can provide a beneficial calming and relaxing effect, helping to reduce anxiety and give you a calmer and better night’s sleep. Remy’s weighted blankets use Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT), which evenly distributes a gentle weight and pressure across the body which mimics the sensation of being swaddled. This sensation of being cuddled is proven to lower stress and anxiety.

---

Their premium weighted blankets are designed to look like a stylish home accessory rather than a medical aid. With options for the summer as well as options for children and adults the whole family can enjoy.

---

They offer a 100 night sleep trial and free express delivery so if you’ve always wanted to try a weighted blanket now’s your chance, risk-free. Focus less on falling asleep and more on what your dreams are telling you.

Remy is offering an exclusive discount code to Oh Magazine readers for their Lounger Hand-Knit Weighted Blanket (pictured below). Shop at remysleep.com and use code OhMag15 at the checkout for 15% off. Get your ticket to dreamland.

Period of Calm with Natracare

Sponsored post

Take care of your mind and body during your period with Natracare

No matter where you are in your menstrual cycle, it’s always important to nurture and care for your mind and body. But as we move through our cycle towards our period, it can feel more difficult to stay positive. Organic and natural period-care brand Natracare has come up with three top tips for looking after yourself while on your period.

---

Breathe deeply to relieve stress
Most of the time we breathe without thinking about it. But taking the time to breathe slowly, deeply and mindfully is an easy way to combat any stress you may be feeling during your period. Sit or lie in a comfortable position and place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe in deeply through your nose and then exhale slowly, pressing gently on your stomach as you breathe out. Focus on keeping your breath slow, smooth and continuous and letting go of stress and tension.

Get comfortable
There are times during our period when all we want is to feel comfortable and secure. Lean into this feeling by cosying up and dedicating your time to something that relaxes you. Whether that’s reading a book or enjoying an evening in with Netflix, hibernating from the world is sometimes exactly what our bodies need. Don’t forget to choose period protection that makes you feel comfortable, too! Steer clear of products that contain plastic, bleach or harsh chemicals. Instead, look out for period care that lets your intimate skin breathe, like Natracare’s organic and natural period products, made from compostable materials that are soft on the skin and help avoid irritation.

Take gentle exercise
Exercise has so many positive impacts on our mental health. But often when we’re on our period, moving our bodies is the last thing we want to do – and that’s OK! But if you’re up for it, some gentle exercise can help to relieve stress and even ease period cramps. Try some of the yoga poses above for some light, fun movement. To discover Natracare’s full range, visit natracare.com. For more tips and tricks to support you throughout your menstrual cycle, follow Natracare on Instagram @natracare.

---

Oh's Nature Diarist shares her playlists

Our wondrous nature diarist Elizabeth-Jane Burnett – the experimental poet & author of several unforgettable works, including poetry collection Swims, and the luminous poetic-prose memoir, The Grassling – shares a short nature-inspired playlist, linked to her writing in each issue, which is also woven together with the issue’s theme.

oh mag nature diary Robin playlist (issue 58)
oh mag nature diary Swift playlist (issue 59)

oh issue 59 playful playlist

The theme for our spring issue 59 is PLAY, and so it was fitting that we plucked songs whose strings made us ponder, wonder & smile. Stick this on as your background music for the afternoon & we guarantee it’ll make everything feel that wee bit lovelier. Let us know what you think at @ohmaguk

Listen to & download the oh PLAY playlist here

Spring has sprung! Hello, oh 59

132 pages of playful enquiry, hope & magic

Play. What comes to mind? Boardgames, playgrounds, football pitches? Dancing, joking, letting your hair down, or just being plain silly? Play means many different things to the people in this issue – from the surprising realisation that it’s still possible to laugh out loud after losing a loved one, to the wielding of humour to disarm our deepest social biases. Play can lead us to do things we never dreamed possible – to break through after breaking down; driven by an urgent need to share something beautiful with the world. This delicious spring issue is filled with that beautiful stuff – from witchy magic and soul-affirming murals, to nature’s soundscapes and unforgettable portraits. It’s a good place to get lost, and an even better place to begin... it is spring, after all.

What poetry does (even if you don't like poetry)

Written by Ana Sampson, author of Night Feeds and Morning Songs: Honest, Fierce and Beautiful Poems about Motherhood (Trapeze, £12.99)

Twenty-two year old Amanda Gorman had already been honoured as America’s Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, but when she read her poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ at the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris, a star was born. Amanda has since read her work ‘Chorus of the Captains’ at no less a venue than the Super Bowl – the first poet ever to perform to its audience of more than a hundred million people. Her books rocketed to the top of the US Amazon charts and a four book deal with Penguin Random House UK followed.

As Amanda read at the inauguration, I watched social media light up with people all around the world who found that this young woman’s words struck a deep chord with them. She had created a powerful communal moment of hope. But if I had asked those same people an hour earlier whether they liked poetry, most would have demurred: too difficult, too fancy-pants, too niche, too much like school.

---

And yet.

Poets have an extraordinary ability to emotionally ambush us. This makes it sound a little like they lurk in bus stops, leaping out to declaim: “Hope is the thing with feathers!” at unsuspecting passers-by… and perhaps some of them do. What I mean is, that verse cuts to the heart of things, so it cuts to the heart. Some of the earliest things we learn are poems – just you dare trying to skip a page of The Gruffalo to hasten a toddler’s bedtime – so meter and rhyme can exert a deep nostalgic pull. Novels have moved me to huge, ugly, wracking sobs countless times, but there is a long slow process of immersing ourselves into their world first. By the time you’re weeping, you’ve often spent hours if not days or weeks in the company of the characters. Not so with poetry. Wham! Bang! Poets go straight in without any polite preamble and take your breath away. It’s the reason we turn to poetry at weddings and funerals and other times fraught with feeling. Poets are professionals. They can say the things we can’t, without a four chapter warm up.

One of poetry’s greatest pleasures and consolations is the feeling that we are not alone: in our grief, or elation, or infatuation, or depression. As Alan Bennett wrote in The History Boys: “The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.”

When I edited a collection of poems about motherhood, I got this feeling a lot. In those sleepless, wild-eyed early days of parenthood, I felt peeled raw with exhaustion and shock and wonder. In those weeks and months, our skin is paper thin. There are so many chinks in our ordinary armour through which emotion can suddenly pierce us. (Yes, I’ve bawled at the swelling music in a terrible film. Yes, I’ve wept while reading a story to my children. The Ladybird Classics version of The Happy Prince is brutal. Yes, I sobbed for twenty minutes at a story in the local newspaper about an elderly man being reunited with his lost tortoise.) I felt the peculiar dislocation from the world that so many of us have felt this past year, and that homeschooling my children solo – now four and seven years old – brought flooding back. I was often lonely, but never alone. I had never needed someone to hold my hand more.

Deep in the bewildered newborn fug I had neither the time nor the mental agility to absorb a novel. I – a library-card-carrying bookworm both personally and professionally, to whom reading had always been vital – only read two books in the entire first year after my eldest daughter was born. (Needless to add that my optimistic visions of finishing my art history studies, growing my own vegetables and perhaps also learning Spanish did not materialise.) I did, however, have just enough time to gobble poems here and there. When I read poetry on my phone about other women feeding their babies in other quiet rooms, tonight and yesterday and a hundred years ago, I suddenly felt I was not alone but part of a great, eternal, generations-old community of raw, mad, knackered women, rocking and shh-ing and soothing in the dark.

The world is raw, mad and knackered at the moment. Amanda Gorman’s reading made such an impact on so many – including people who firmly believe they don’t like poetry – because we are all so thirsty to feel something hopeful and bright. Her poem wasn’t difficult to understand. It wasn’t pretentious. It didn’t require any background reading. It spoke to millions in that moment. That’s what poetry does.

Night Feeds and Morning Songs: Honest, Fierce and Beautiful Poems about Motherhood is published on 4th March 2001 and available to pre-order from your local bookshop.

oh issue 58 curious playlist

The theme for our early spring issue 58 is curiosity and the springboard for this playful curation of tonic tunes – to intrigue and inspire. From Feist’s Brandy Alexander to Nina Simone’s Forbidden Fruit, it’s a gorgeous playlist of 13 songs to wind down to, and ideal as a work-from-home soundscape. Let us know what you think at @ohmaguk

Listen to & download the oh curious playlist here

Here comes the sun... issue 58 has arrived

132 pages of early spring optimism, hope & curiosity

‘What would happen if...?’ How many bold and brilliant things have begun with those words? It’s
good to be curious. To challenge the status quo. Curiosity is creative – it’s the spark that led
that first person to create fire, to invent the wheel, to take to the sky. It’s fun to see the world through this curious frame – a world where everything is a source of wonder, with secrets to share. In issue 58 we explore everything from the nod of the daffodils to the liminal, primal pull of the water; the power of our own two hands, to the art available to all of us in the dregs and daily detritus. All it takes is a fresh perspective – and that’s what oh is all about, after all.

Elizabeth-Jane's Nature Playlist – issue 57

Our new nature diariest is Elizabeth-Jane Burnett – the experimental poet & author of several unforgettable works, including poetry collection Swims, and the luminous poetic-prose memoir, The Grassling. In each issue of oh she shares a short nature-inspired playlist, linked to the issue’s theme. For our Midwinter issue 57, her playlist features Nick Cave, Aretha, The Lemonheads, and loops into our Circle theme. Listen to it here.

Issue 57 is out now

132 pages of midwinter warmth

A circle is a symbol of so many good things. Our beautiful planet; being held in an embrace; the unbroken arc and cycle of life. It is also the guiding theme of this issue, which explores ways to shift our collective thinking from myopic and self-serving to generous, kind and long-term. This is how we change the world for the better. Find stories of modern day nomads, the joy of living trees, the making of memorable mealtimes and the necessity for creative catharsis; learn how to be a good ancestor, find breathing space & a quiet resting place, and curl up – t’is Midwinter after all.

Introducing Breath Hub

Sponsored post

Breath Hub is a guided breathing meditation app that aims to transform your life by changing your breath in just ten minutes a day. Its mission is to make the world breathe better, and in so doing live better.

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned breathwork practitioner, Breath Hub will be somewhere you can visit daily to access hundreds of life-changing breathing techniques by world-renowned experts. With Breath Hub Originals, a new session from one of our partner coaches is uploaded every day focusing on things such as anxiety, stress, relaxation, focus, sleep, fitness and mindfulness.

Breath Hub also gives you access to our Academy where you can book one-to-one sessions with your favourite coaches or sign up for training or workshops. Now you’ll be able to learn the most effective breathing techniques at an affordable price, and also practise breathwork wherever you are, whenever you like. With highly skilled coaches from all around the world easily accessible in the app, you’ll get all the support and guidance you need. You can find your best fit among hundreds of techniques and coaches, sessions incorporating  A Course in Miracles rules, one-to-one sessions, workshops and more.

To start your seven-day free trial, visit breathhub.app. After that, an introductory price for the first year costs £69.99 ( usual price: £119.99 ).

---

Sign up for Breath Hub

• Access hundreds of expert-designed breathing techniques

• Book one-to-one coaching sessions

• Sign up for training or workshops

• Receive a new breathwork session every day with Breath Hub Originals

Join our Breath Hub Partnership Programme

• Publish your audio sessions and sell your workshops and one-to-one sessions to a global audience

• Become one of the first 250 coaches to get a free coach membership and verified profile

Breath Hub for teachers

As a global breath-education platform, Breath Hub brings together hundreds of breathwork professionals, yoga and Pilates teachers and energy healers with decades of experience in their respective fields. Sign up as one of our coaches by joining the Breath Hub Partnership Programme (see above) at breathhub.app.

---

Essential oils for everyday selfcare

Sponsored post

A little about essential oils in beauty for everyday self care

We all know the power of fragrance, and how certain smells can evoke a feeling, trigger a memory or change our mood. Essential oils are highly concentrated oils extracted from plants and are used in beauty not only for their aromatherapeutic properties but also their skin and hair-enhancing qualities. Whilst the Ancient Egyptians are often credited with the invention of essential oils, other ancient civilizations were using essential oils around the same time, including Indian, Chinese, Greek and Roman.

---

Some Popular Essential Oils and Their Beauty Benefits

Lavender
One of the most revered essential oils in beauty and health products, lavender has powerful anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial properties, not to mention the calming aromatherapeutic properties of the oil. Its anti-inflammatory properties mean lavender oil is often called upon in formulations for acne and other skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. In hair care, lavender essential oil may help hair grow thicker and faster, whilst its anti-inflammatory properties may help with scalp conditions such as dandruff and itchiness.

Lemon
We all know how uplifting the smell of a zesty lemon can be, well when we diffuse lemon essential oil it can enhance our concentration and have an energising effect, as well as removing toxins from the air. In both skin and hair care, lemon has a balancing effect on oil production, so is great for those who suffer from greasy hair and shiny faces. When it comes to body care, use lemon essential oil products in the bath or shower to improve your mood and tone the body, and even reduce cellulite.

Rosemary
A member of the mint family, rosemary has long been touted for a range of health and beauty benefits. Studies have shown that rosemary extract can improve cognitive memory function in ageing brains, as well as combatting the signs of ageing in the skin.In skincare, rosemary can help protect skin from UV rays and free radical damage, increasing elasticity and reducing sagging and age spots. When it comes to hair care, rosemary essential oil offers superior cleansing properties, as well as helping keep the scalp healthy and moisturised.

Peppermint

The active ingredient in peppermint is menthol, and has been proven to help with headaches and pain relief. Many also swear by peppermint oil for relief from gastrointestinal ailments such as IBS and acid reflux. When applied topically, peppermint oil has a natural cooling effect which can soothe irritation and inflammation, and can be an effective cleansing agent thanks to its natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties. In hair care, peppermint oil can help with any dryness or itchiness on the scalp, and may even stimulate hair growth by increasing blood circulation to the hair follicles.

Tea Tree

Tea tree is one of nature’s most potent antibacterial and antiseptic agents, and as such is used in many therapeutic beauty products. You will commonly find it in hair care products used to treat conditions such as itchy scalp, dandruff and psoriasis, due to its antibacterial properties. Likewise in skincare, tea tree oil is a hero ingredient for many suffering from acne, and is often used directly on the skin to treat breakouts, as it inhibits bacterial growth by mixing with our skin’s natural oils, preventing them from becoming food for the bacteria. When it comes to nails, tea tree oil’s antifungal properties may help in reducing the growth of trichophyton rubrum, a fungus that causes nail fungus and athlete’s foot.

Avalon Organics offer a range of essential oil-led hair, bath & body care products, available in store at Waitrose and online at waitrose.com Indulge your senses with some aromatherapeutic self care every day, and your skin and hair with the power of botanical-based beauty products. As well as the lead essential oil, all shampoo and conditioner formulas are enriched with Quinoa Protein, Aloe, Babassu Oil and Vitamin E, and all products are NSF-certified to contain organic ingredients, and EWG VERIFIED™, which means it meets the Environmental Working Group's strict ingredient standards and features the EWG VERIFIED™ seal on its label.

JASON tips for winter-proofed hair

Sponsored post

Whilst we often think about how the colder weather affects our skin and change products accordingly, can you say the same about your hair? Hair can also be affected by the winter weather, we just don’t feel it like we do our skin. Read on to discover more.

Firstly, the low humidity in the cooler months can dry our hair out. The dryness in the air raises the cuticle, zapping out moisture and leaving hair looking and feeling dry, as well as brittle and prone to breakage. Extreme environmental elements can also contribute to this: moving between the cold outdoors into central-heated homes and offices dries hair out and can lead to the dreaded frizz. To minimise these extremes, it is best to don an extra layer and only resort to turning the heating on if you really have to. Using a humidifier can help keep moisture in the air (as well as your hair!).

What we eat plays an important part in our hair health too. As the temperature drops our diet may not always be as complete and balanced as in the summer months. Winter finds us craving carbs, stodge and comfort food over healthy salads and fruits. This can leave our hair looking dull and feeling lacklustre. For great hair, ensure you are eating a protein-rich diet. Biotin has been identified as an important ingredient for hair growth, and can be found in a variety of foods but only a few contain particularly rich sources of it, including raw egg yolk, liver & leafy green vegetables such as Swiss chard.

Other external factors which may affect your hair health include:

● pollution, which damages our hair just the same as it does our skin. If you live in the city, you might want to consider wearing a hat or scarf to protect hair from exposure.

● over-use of products, which over time can build up causing dullness and adding dead-weight to hair. When looking for products, look for natural and organic products formulated with botanicals and free from harsh chemicals that may strip your hair’s natural oils. If you are a daily hair washer, try to reduce the frequency of washes, start by going to every other day and see where you end up. The fact is, many of us wash our hair too frequently and this upsets the balance.

● over-styling, which can cause dryness and frizz. In the winter months particularly, try to limit use of heated styling devices and go for more natural looks - curls created with plaits and pins, natural waves and more up-dos.

Finally, make sure you are using the right hair care products for your hair type. New and improved reformulations with clinical testing from JASON mean that you can be sure that your hair is being given the best possible care. JASON is inviting you to see the results for yourself and join their JASON Hair Care Challenge. As an introductory offer, you can buy the shampoo and get the conditioner free till 15th November. You will also be automatically entered into a prize draw when you share your results with the opportunity to win a year’s supply of JASON hair care products. Click here to discover the new formulas and find the right products for your hair to get started on your #JASONHairChallenge !

How feminist YA came of age

Meet the new heroines who will transform how you see yourself

written by Julie Vuong, oh books editor and author of literary newsletter, Written Approval

The young adult section in your local bookshop might not be the first place you’d expect to read a modern feminist manifesto, but stories with complex women as leads are increasingly reflecting the lives of girls today. As part of our partnership with Dove and Refinery29 we're celebrating the work of women writers who are ripping up the (patriarchal) rulebook. 

Literature plays a significant role in shaping perceptions of who we are from a young age. So, it's apt that YA fiction - books aimed at those aged between 12 - 18 – is at the forefront of inclusive writing. From fantasy and romance, to re-writing the classic canon, these stories are paving the way for the next generation of young women to be better represented and seen. This also happens to be the goal of the Dove Self-Esteem Project, a programme helping girls to build positive body confidence and reach their full potential. Now, thanks to leading YA authors, whose diverse characters don't succumb to stereotypes, girls can see themselves and the world around them differently, from the first page to last. 

The popularity of YA has been on the rise for years, but critics say for every Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and Sephy in Noughts + Crosses, there are countless other stories that could barely scrape past the Bechdel Test, leaving ‘real’ women largely absent from the page. Now a dynamic group of voices, writing narratives that hold space for young women, is spinning coming-of-age tales that boost our self-esteem and how we feel about ourselves.

Chloe Gong; Author of These Violent Delights

So, how do you tackle tired representations of young women? Upend the literary canon and subvert expectations. Chloe Gong, an exciting new voice in fantasy, takes on the Bard himself with her debut These Violent Delights, which is released in November. A riff on Romeo and Juliet, it replaces fair Verona with 1920s Shanghai, and puts a headstrong 18-year-old Juliette Cai at the heart of the action. “I think teen female characters have evolved so much over the years and now there’s finally room for a main character to be different things at once,” she says.

Casting off tidy and convenient versions of teenage girls can only be good news, allowing room for characters with depth and relatability. Gong continues: “They can go into the book as a breath of fresh air, freed from the usual restrictions or expectations that are focused around what girls should be. It feels like we’ve finally hit a point where a strong female lead simply means a fully-realised, dynamic lead.”

Bethany Rutter, author of Melt My Heart and No Big Deal

Fully realised characters can also come in all shapes and sizes. Feminist YA fiction at its best challenges societal norms – and in this case, showing plus-size girls happy with the skin they’re in.

That’s Bethany Rutter’s approach. A writer and plus-size model, she weaves the current conversations around body positivity into her books. “I feel really lucky to be writing in a space that makes people feel seen somehow,” she confirms. “I think that's why I write.” Her two YA books, No Big Deal and latest Melt My Heart, give us fat heroines who are content with the way they look, countering the toxic messages we are fed by society and media that thin bodies are better.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Rory Power, author of Wilder Girls

Fiction, YA or otherwise, has long been guilty of tightening the corset on the stereotypical damsel in distress. More recently, though, it’s increasingly opted for a foil in the gladiatorial gal, of an Arya Stark from Game of Thrones kick-assing her way to victory. In her dystopian horror Wilder Girls, dubbed a ‘feminist Lord of the Flies’, Rory Power asks us to reconsider this idea of equating a ‘strong’ female as inherently feminist. “More important to me than Hetty’s strength are her flaws,” she says of her protagonist. “I always try to look at what male characters are allowed to do in their stories and replicate that for my main characters.” The US crime editor and queer activist goes on to say how women should be given the green light to be the true complex creatures they really are.

“Men are allowed to be antiheroines, to be villains, to be their worst selves, and we still give them our attention, and ask for those stories.

I want that for marginalised characters too. I think a lot of authors are doing really incredible work reflecting the complicated nature that exists in not just white, cis men but in everyone, and I hope I can contribute to that as well,” says Power.

Indeed, literature’s ability to serve as a mirror, reflecting our culture and race, plays a powerful part in nurturing positivity and raising self-esteem. For Namina Forna, a lack of Black characters in the books she read growing up was a key motivating factor for penning her trilogy The Gilded Ones, which comes out later this year. “I try to hold a space in my writing where everyone is seen and welcomed, especially femmes of colour,” the US author and screenwriter says. Her hero is a gifted teenager called Deka, who lives in a society where women are traded like commodities because they literally bleed gold. “My hope is that somewhere across the world, when some child is growing up in a difficult place, they can find safety and a home in my books.”

Namina Forna, author of The Gilded Ones

Similarly, Latinx author Tehlor Kay Mejia wrote We Set the Dark on Fire as a direct response to President Trump’s treatment of her community, using fantasy to revise stereotypes of young Mexican women. “I wanted to write a story teen-me could have felt at home in, with references and touchstones that felt familiar and comfortable to people raised in Latinx families even while exploring the traumas our communities face.” At the centre of her story is Dani, a rebellious young Latina who refuses to accept the law that women are to either run a household or raise children. “I’ve always been fixated on the duality of womanhood, on how even as girls we’re forced to choose between two sets of identities,” Mejia continues. “Are we going to be ambitious and driven, or nurturing and emotional? We’re told and shown so often that we can’t be both.”

Tehlor Kay Mejia, author of We Set the Dark on Fire

---

oh issue 56 'labours of love' playlist

The theme for our autumn issue 56 is Labour of Love. We dug deep – feeling into the power of those songs that celebrate sticking with something (or someone), for the greater good, and building up, rather than tearing down. From Bright Eyes’ Make a Plan to Love Me to Bill Withers’ anthemic Grandma’s Hands, it’s a mellow, but soulful soundscape for an autumn afternoon.

Listen to & download the oh labours of love playlist here

Issue 56, autumn, is out now

Just when we feel we need it most, mellow autumn arrives, offering us a chance to reflect and reconcile, slow and assimilate. This 'labours of love' issue celebrates the living of the moment – filled with passion projects, down-to-earth dreams and daily purpose, which lend our wandering, wondering minds a safe harbour.

We look at the stories knit within our belongings, the heritage of our handiwork, and seek out human tales rich in kindness & community – celebrating the many ways in which we are each other's harvest.

We interview The Lost Words and The Lost Spells co-creators, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris; we learn the differentiate between relaxation and radical rest, with Nehanda Truscott-Reid; we celebrate the memories held in our hands, with Toko-Pa Turner; we stoke the fire and make bonfire soup, knit blankets for loved ones on the edge of life, celebrate the re-telling of old fairytales, and find humble plentiful pleasures in the kitchen, garden and home, with This Conscious Life co-creator, Paul Rushton. We tell stories of solo fathers that will swell your heart, while Tamu Thomas proclaims the importance of #nofilter feelings.

Win! Autumn’s cover print, by Jago Silver

We have worked with Cornish artist Jago Silver, for a full year – six glorious covers. Each cover has been won by an oh reader, and this one is no different. To be in with a chance of winning a one-off print of our issue 56 cover, enter below. Good luck! 

Terms & conditions:
The competition closes at 11.59pm on 18 November 2020. A winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries after this time and notified shortly after. Full terms and conditions are at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Cover art © by Jago 2019

Sunshine botanicals

Sponsored post

Although travel is beginning to be a possibility again, you may still feel unsure about doing so, but whether you choose to jet off, stay in the UK, or just get out in the garden and your surrounding area, you still need to make sure you are applying sunscreen. Even on cloudy days! Many people think that on a dull or overcast day SPF isn’t required, but even if the sun’s not out, UV rays may damage your skin. UV rays pass through clouds very easily, so don’t be deceived as even on cloudy days up to 90% of the sun’s UV rays still penetrate your skin. Every time you are outdoors, the damage of UV rays is affecting your skin; it’s accumulative. Your skin cells may be being damaged at cellular level, without you even knowing.

Many of us dislike the feeling of sunscreens on our skin. Sticky, thick and heavy creams that take an age to apply, stain clothing, and reapplications that feel like a faff (probably reasons why we shy away from using them if we don’t see and feel the clear and present danger of the sun!) If this sounds like you, then you need to get to know Alba Botanica SPF Sprays. These sunscreens offer convenient spray application and fast to rub-in formulas, making them ideal for use on all the family, especially kids who won’t stand still. As well as being water resistant for up to 80 minutes, the formulas are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and reef-friendly, containing no oxybenzone, octinoxate, PABA, nano-particles or vitamin A.

Choose from three products:

Alba Botanica Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Fragrance Free Spray SPF35 fragrance free for sensitive skin, with soothing calendula and chamomile. For those who prefer a mineral sunscreen.

Alba Botanica Kids Sunscreen Tropical Fruit Clear Spray SPF50 high SPF to help keep kids safe in the sun, with 100% natural tropical fruit fragrance.

Alba Botanica Sensitive Sunscreen Fragrance Free Spray SPF50 fragrance free for sensitive skin, with soothing calendula and chamomile. For those who desire a higher SPF.

Find Alba Botanica at Whole Foods Market, all good independent health stores nationwide, and kijaniliving.com

Kijani Living is offering 15% off Alba Botanica SPF Sprays, valid till 31 August 2020. Quote SIMPLE15 at checkout.

oh issue 55 flame playlist

The theme for our high summer issue 55 is Fire & Flame, which inspired this, by turns powerful and peaceful playlist (and, often, both). From Etta James’ iconic Fire, to Alicia Keys’ anthemic Girl on Fire, from trailblazers to torch-bearers, this is a playlist to live your life to – full, fiery & flaming glorious.

Listen to & download the oh flame playlist here

Make herbal jellies

Plants for the People, by Erin Lovell Verinder

In issue 55 of oh, we shared a simple recipe for creating your own herbal jellies – simple fruit-based sweeties with herbal benefits! The recipe was taken from Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine by Erin Lovell Verinder is published (Thames & Hudson, £19.95).

If you want to try making the Herbal Jellies from issue 55, and add in your own herbal infusions, you’re in the right place. Here are some ideas from this wonderful book, for making some classic, helpful, healing concoctions.

---

FRUIT JELLIES

Although these simple jellies are a hit with kids, they are also a regular feature in many of my adult clients’ fridges. You can adjust the fruit–juice ratio and reduce the sugars by adding water instead of juice and increasing the amount of fruit. This is a flexible recipe, easy to make and foolproof. When you are considering the taste of the jelly, try using different fruity flavour combinations to round out the strength of the herbals. Makes two standard ice-cube trays (32 cubes).

INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons gelatine powder* (or agar-agar powder/flakes for a vegetarian jelly)
1 cup water
1 cup fresh or frozen fruit (organic berries are perfect)
1 cup fruit juice (choose stronger-flavoured juices, such as grape, prune or pear, with no added sugar)
Herbal medicine – infusion, etc. (see dosage information in method)
* Ensure gelatine is derived from pasture-raised/grass-fed livestock sources.

EQUIPMENT
bowl
saucepan
strainer (optional)
ice-cube trays or moulds

METHOD
Place the gelatine powder and water in a bowl, mix gently and allow the gelatine to ‘bloom’, absorbing the water for a few minutes. Place the fruit in a saucepan and mash down a little with a fork over low to medium heat. (If using frozen fruit, allow it to thaw in the heat of the pan first.) Add the fruit juice and stir through until well combined, then add the bloomed gelatine. Heat until the gelatine becomes liquid, stirring constantly until smooth. At this point you could add a touch of optional sweetener, such as maple syrup.

Remove from the heat and either strain out the fruit for a smooth jelly or keep as is. Pour the liquid into ice-cube trays or moulds (fun shapes gain extra points!) and include a half to full herbal dose as prescribed per cube. For example, if a child needs 2 ml (scant ½ teaspoon) of a strong echinacea infusion, add 2 ml to one mould or divide between two moulds, and then offer the child their daily dose of one or two jellies. Mix gently and refrigerate to set.

INFUSIONS
To make an infusion, add your plant of choice to a heatproof mason jar, fill with boiling water, and infuse for 3-4 hours minimum, or leave overnight to deepen the strength. Strain out the herbs/plant material. This infusion can then be added to your jellies – at around 1 teaspoon per 32 jellies (or two standard ice-cube trays). Great herbs to infuse include thyme, rosemary, calendula, echinacea, elderflowers, elderberries, lemon balm, peppermint and licorice root. There are many recipes in the book to try.

Taken from Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine by Erin Lovell Verinder (published by Thames & Hudson, £19.95).