Category: HOME & GARDEN
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Fear Street Part Two
A few additions to yesterday’s picture collection. It’s cheap fun, even in a cost-of-living crisis. I hear that it can cost £100 for a bog-standard meal for a family of four these days (dinners, desserts, a few drinks each). Thus, in the UK we’re being priced out of existence. My only saving grace is my…
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First Spooky Season @ the new house
Summer feels like a lifetime ago, even though it’s been less than two weeks since I was in Montenegro, wearing shorts and a T-shirt. A cold, the return to lecturing, and the arrival of October have all conspired to accelerate time. And while autumn has its downsides, it’s hard not to admire the season’s brilliance—the…
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Mastering Shoe Storage: My Personal Journey
I love my shoe room, although it’s been in a fairly dysfunctional state for a while. Some shoes are on display, some boxes have pictures, but around 80 pairs are boxed without any indication of what’s inside. Many of the shoes aren’t in their original boxes, which makes it practically impossible to find a large…
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From Grime to Shine: Revamping My Bathroom
No disrespect to the previous owners, but the top-floor bathroom was left in a bit of a state. It wasn’t exactly a horror show, but it ticked all the usual boxes: mold in the grouting, a tired-looking shower hose that clearly needed replacing, limescale caked over every bit of chrome—you get the picture. I assumed…
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Home Makeover Journey: From Chaos to Comfort
Boy, have I been busy lately! The past few weeks have been hot, hot, hot — ever since I returned from Chile in May, it’s felt like an early summer: warm, dry, and relentless. And, true to form, I’ve had far too much going on to properly relax under the seasonal sun. After buying my…
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Mastering Life Organization: A Guide to Freedom
No offence intended, but I believe many adults are still amateurs at life. For many, life is a visible hot mess—chaotic, disorganised, and constantly in flux. And to be fair, there are good reasons for this. Work consumes our time and often feels like an abusive relationship. We’re pulled in all directions by partners, family,…
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Space is EXPENSIVE in the UK
The title speaks for itself — I work in the City, in the heart of London — which means I have to be within commuting distance. As a consequence, I have to live in one of the most expensive places in the world per square meter. As you can see below, central London is more…
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New skills and practicing what I preach: a growth mindset
In one of the modules I led this year, a key topic was growth mindset, which is the opposite of a fixed mindset. The latter involves the assumption that “I am what I am… I can’t [insert your limiting belief—drive, fix things, speak in public, etc.].” It’s not about denying the significance of talent; it’s…
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New Bedroom!
As with much that I have got going on, this was months in development. I bought the bed at a great sale price just after Christmas, when I guess new beds aren’t typically a priority. It was project management 101 – chicken, fox, grain – I had to get the radiator fixed and lighting changed…
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Home Improvements, Minor but Meaningful Progress
The house has been very much on the backburner since January. I’ve taken little opportunities to progress, getting things in place for months to come. The vision for the garden is coming into view for example, as is the artistic vision for the house.
Dr Martin James 