Saffia Farr shares 5 things she learnt editing the Winter Issue
What amazing jobs there are in the world
Preparing A Page for Young People I read Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of by Natalie Labarre, published by Nosy Crow, and loved the diversity of jobs. There are so many amazing things we can do with our lives, it reminded me that we need to inspire our young people to think creatively.

How to use essential oils
Essential oils have always fascinated me, but I’ve never been sure how to use them. In her Winter Scents article, Heather Dawn Godfrey explains the best oils to use and what to do with them in different situations. I was even lucky enough to review some oils from Akamuti which feature on our Gift Ideas pages. I hope you feel inspired to try some essential oils this winter.

To take the time to hibernate
Lizzie Mae Smith is our new homeopathy columnist. She writes about hibernating in the winter – not sleeping for months but finding time to stop and relax and ‘go within’. This resonated with me because I love nothing more than sitting in front of a log fire or going to bed early to read. Do you have midwinter rituals that help you through the longer hours of darkness?
How important it is to stop and look at or photograph seemingly unimportant things
In Chris Brock’s column he writes about his photographer friend who was “once quizzed by police for the suspicious act of trying to capture the way the sunlight cast shadows through the railings. They couldn’t understand why that would be of interest to someone.” This made me smile, because it’s exactly the sort of thing I would do. I love those moments when you see a beautiful shadow or pattern of leaves or amazing sunset, and stop and admire it, or take a photo. For me, it’s those tiny moments that brighten a day, and I was grateful for this reminder.

How much I love frosty mornings
Just look at our gorgeous cover! Don’t you love those frosty days when you can see your breath and the ground is crispy under your feet? The colours are unique and it’s a special midwinter time. I hope we have some beautiful frosty mornings this winter!