Welcome to this month’s random selection of ‘things I’ve really loved’. There is a full video version further down the page and I highly recommend watching it if you have an extra ten minutes or so. It gives you an extended walkthrough of each of the tracks I’m about to talk about, while bringing them to life in full technical color and Doby surround sound.
(I have no idea about the last two things I just promised, it just sounded good.)
I wanted to include “dried flowers” in this month’s favorites, but I ran out of space – it’s an unwritten rule that I never exceed five species – so we’ll have to look forward to January. Frankly, my passion for dried stems has gotten slightly out of control and yesterday I had to cross Milsom Street in Bath, lest I accidentally walk into the flower shop again and find myself leaving with a box of dried poppy heads or an armful of pampas.
Instead of the dried flowers I included some really good eye drops. You are welcome. Let’s get cracking on this month’s loot, shall we?
One of my only Vinted purchases that was successful (I’m now the proud owner of three mini skirts and a Stella McCartney dress so big I could fit two of me in it) but boy do I love it. Beautiful colors, the best silk and the perfect fit, I have bought many Equipment shirts over the past two decades, but this is my favorite.
The bonus was that it cost me £18 at Vinted and looks like it’s barely been worn. Equipment shirts are usually hundreds of pounds. I’ve now saved this as a Vinted search to see what else comes up in my size (small).
It’s interesting to note that the two successful second-hand purchases were a) items I actually needed and b) items I had previously tried on or from a brand where I knew exactly what size I needed. I guess that’s not interesting at all, just common sense.
I never thought I would be writing so enthusiastically about eye drops, but I have to say that one of the major side effects of my laser eye surgery was that I now have dry eyes. Intermittently, and it’s not something that ever really affects my day in any major way, but it’s definitely there. More than any scratchy or sore feeling, I tend to feel like I have scars on my eyes that I can’t quite get rid of – the one you get in the morning, the residue or whatever you’d call it. except it’s not just in the morning.
I know I desperately owe you these follow-ups on the first eye surgery post I posted (it’s here) and I’ll get into those right after Christmas, but suffice it to say for now that dry eye is not something that would put me off laser surgery. The benefits greatly outweigh any drawbacks or annoyances, of which there are only two.
Either way, these Hycosan Extra eye drops are the best. I was using Thealoz Duo, which seems to be widely recommended, but Hycosan is a different level of instant lubrication and relief. Both Thealoz and Hycosan are preservative free, which is obviously very important if you’re going to use the eye drops long term (although that means you have to use them within the stated time), but I’m pretty sure the Hycosans are slightly thicker. I’ve done some very basic testing with both drops on the back of my hands and the Hycosan has more ‘slip’, to steal a beauty term.
I find that I only need to use Hycosan every other day, once a day at most. Thealoz was at least a twice a day affair so I knew the Hycosan Extra was working harder for me.
I got my drops from Vision Express but they are on Amazon here (affiliate link) for a little less if you want the convenience of having them delivered. It is truly one of my most rewarding discoveries of the past few months!
At this point I can’t even begin to count how many hours I’ve wasted on Bad websitecreating various lamps that I don’t even need. Actually that’s a lie: I needed one, but I bought it and now it’s happily down in the The corner of Dorset waiting for the next lucky holiday guests. It’s the time I’ve spent looking at lamps from then this is more of a problem!
Here’s the thing that I find irresistible (and I know this is a really niche topic, but stay with me): not only can you combine different bases in hundreds of different lampshades, the site shows you exactly what your new lamp would look like with flawless executed digital render. It’s just so incredibly satisfying. Not only does it appeal to the side of the brain that constantly needs to fashion something new and unique, but it brings my design to life with minimal effort.
It’s also why I spent at least seven hundred man hours designing my car when I ordered it a few years ago. There was an online configurator with a really accurate rendering of your order and it updated visibly every time you clicked an option on or off again. The level of customization on offer was incredible – ten different types of wheels, endless exterior paint and interior colors of leather or cloth, eight steering wheels, three types of roof, different seat shapes with options for heating or ventilation or embossed logos or something called a “divergent stitching’ where you could have all the seams on the leather stitched in a thread color of your choice…
It was ridiculous. I lost days. Weeks. It became an obsession. The lamp obsession is infinitely cheaper everywhere so I’m not going to feel sorry for it. Just let me know if you ever need bulb advice because I’m now a certified expert. I could do a degree on Pooky stands and another on lampshade sizes, types and fabrics. Do you want a bold and bright lamp for your bedroom? Allow me to introduce you to my red and pink creation, proudly named “Candy”, with a bright red Wobster base and a soft pink tint…
Or are you looking at the neutral silk pleated shade on the exquisite carved natural wood stand to the right of Candy? (I’m thinking this for my cabin.) I have about eighty bulbs in my storage folder. And I won’t come out and say outright that I want Pooky to do some sort of “edit” with me where I put together my favorite combos, but it wouldn’t be too far off.
I have now bought five Pooky lamps, over the years they have been excellent. If you are thinking of ordering and want a useful tenner off please use the link here (affiliate link) will get you £10 off your first order.
Pooky Discount Code Link (affiliate link)
I try to turn off my phone completely over Christmas and New Years, moving my social media apps to a hidden little folder on the furthest screen away from home, breaking the habit of opening things for no reason and then wasting half an hour doing pointless scrolling.
There are two things I come back to internet land for: one is the Soho Home sale and the other is Me + Em. I’ve rounded up some of my best wardrobe staples from the annual Me + Em winter sale and bagged them for a fraction of their original price.
The sale has already started – you can browse here (affiliate link) – and they’re adding more and more as the Christmas holiday progresses. I’m subscribed to their mailing list so I usually get a message when they’ve added more stuff or made further reductions. If there are pieces you’ve had your eye on over the years but haven’t been able to justify, then now is the time to take the plunge and see if you can get your dream coat/dress/trousers at a price that’s within budget.
Me + Em discounts (affiliate link)
It’s a very strange thing, the land of social media, especially for those of us who have worked in it from the beginning. Many of us old-school bloggers or “original influencers” have different pockets of completely different followers and subscribers scattered all over the place who only follow a single platform. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that those who watch on Youtube have no idea about the content I post on my Instagram page and Instagram stories, where the most immediate and regular updates happen.
Same for my blog readers (which is now you, my Substack readers). Many people would have no idea that I just cut my hair or that I dressed up as an Oompa Loompa last week to visit a chocolate factory because it all goes mostly to Instagram. One of my goals for 2025 is to be able to make better use of the content I’ve dedicated myself to creating: for example, uploading my Instagram videos to Youtube or creating edited versions of them to appear here on Substack. It would be nice if a piece of video content could somehow serve all three platforms, I just need to work out some programming!
Which brings me to my new cubicle and how it will revolutionize my work life. Magically, when I enter this oak-clad sanctuary, this my roomthis professional haven, this quiet church of intense concentration and zero distraction, I will magically become the kind of person who can look at a printed calendar week by page and fill it with a reasonable amount of interesting content and see also exactly how this content can be adapted to suit different audiences.
I’m telling you, it will happen. I just have to believe.
Anyway, the cabin is finished. Expect a full tour in January and then no doubt a long stream of posts detailing what I would have done differently, how I decided on the paint color and where I got my rugs, lights and furniture. Betcha can’t wait!
God, I went off on a right tangent there, sorry. I always try not to discuss things “behind the scenes” when it comes to the social media part of my job (and not the book writing part, or the running on vacations, or the admin part of run-multiple-business) but I think that it is relevant. Maybe you all have some helpful feedback for me that you can leave in the comments! In fact, let’s do a poll to round off the year nicely. A little market research.
This is the last Tuesday post for two and a half weeks, so I’ll wish you a Merry Christmas here and now, and a Happy New Year. I can’t thank you all enough for your support in 2024 and I hope for joy and good health for you and your families and friends. See you on the other side!
Video treat – grab a cup of tea and spend some time:
