Personally, whenever I get home from a long, busy day, I like to light my favourite scented candle and put my feet up. But what I hadn’t realised is that, according to the principles of Feng Shui, where you position your candles in the home is important and can affect the energy of your space.
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that consists of arranging spaces in order to harmonise with the natural world. It literally translates to wind-water. And if you’ve been wondering whether your best candles may have an impact on your home’s harmony, you’d be right.
Reflective of the fire element, candles are a great way to awaken stagnant spaces and encourage high energy and clarity in your home. Here’s everything you need to know.
When considering where to position a candle according to Feng Shui, you should avoid areas of clutter and try to place your candle as central to the room as possible.
‘Firstly, avoiding areas of clutter can help create a sense of calm and prevent spaces from feeling stagnant. Disorganised spaces can clutter the mind, so I’d recommend choosing calm, uncluttered areas as a starting point,’ explains ARRAN Sense of Scotland’s in-house Fragrance Expert, Robin Fisher.
‘In terms of specific locations within the home, placing candles in a position in the centre of a room is a preferable option. South, southwest and northeast areas can also be good locations if the centre isn’t possible.’
Robin also points out the importance of using candles safely. As it is an open flame, you should keep it out of reach of kids and pets, away from curtains and never leave it unattended. You should also trim your wick before use to help stop your candle from tunnelling.
Within the principles of Feng Shui, there are five elements to be aware of: earth, metal, wind, water and fire. You should try to balance each of these elements in your home to achieve harmony, and unsurprisingly, candles are one of the best ways to represent the fire element.
‘The fire element is associated with transformation, high energy and clarity of intention, making candles a simple way to awaken stagnant spaces, bring warmth and shift energy flows within the home,’ says Robin.
Robin also explains that scent can affect the energy of your space. There are scents to help calm you, scents to energise you, and scents to make you happier, and all of these can be used as part of your Feng Shui process to improve your home’s energy.
‘For inspiring calm and rest in the bedroom, I’d recommend choosing soothing scents such as chamomile or lavender to help promote deep sleep,’ recommends Robin.
‘To bring a sense of clarity and energy to work spaces and home offices, bergamot and grapefruit are great choices. Their fresh, uplifting character can help create an atmosphere designed to boost focus and productivity.
‘To refresh areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, citrus scents such as orange and lemon, or sharp peppermint, can help to refresh these areas and create a clean and invigorating atmosphere.
‘Finally, to promote harmony in living areas, scents such as sandalwood and vanilla can help nurture a warm, welcoming environment.’
Trust me, M&S’s Bed Candle smells so cosy and comforting. Gentle and slightly fruity, it has a fresh, clean scent making it great for relaxing.
I currently have this candle on my coffee table and it smells gorgeous. It’s fresh, pear scent makes my living room smell like a summer orchard.
Described as smelling like ‘golden hour’ this is my favourite fragrance to scent my bedroom. It’s warm and cosy, blending tonka bean, amber and jasmine.
Now if you excuse we, I’m off to ensure my candles are all well-positioned to bring clarity and harmony to my home.
You might think it’s way too early to be thinking about Christmas. But Marks & Spencer’s cult favourite foodhall-inspired Christmas decorations just went live this week, and they’re already flying off the shelves – with the cookies being everyone’s favourite.
I know, I know! It’s only August; it’s still technically summer – so why am I talking to you about Christmas already?! I don’t get to decide when new collections, products and the best Christmas decorations drop, so please don’t shoot the messenger. But I’m afraid that if you wait to shop these adorable decs until next month or even longer, then they might be gone.
Every year, these foodie decorations are an instant sellout success as soon as the M&S Christmas shop opens – but this year, the retailer is going live even earlier with a quiet drop of these iconic designs even ahead of the actual opening of the full Christmas shop. And yet, shoppers have managed to find their way to them, as the already-mentioned Cookies tree decoration is currently trending on the M&S website.
Last year, it was all about the Colin the Caterpillar bauble which quickly sold out. Sadly, this beloved design isn’t back this year, or at least not yet – there’s still a chance more designs will launch once the Christmas shop officially opens. Instead, M&S is selling a Connie the Caterpillar decoration this year, likely assuming most people have already got Colin last year and can now get Connie to have the full pair. And the attention to detail is impressive as the glass decoration comes boxed just like the dessert would.
These are all the foodhall-themed M&S Christmas decorations that I recommend snapping now while you still can so that you don’t have to regret missing out later.
The M&S cookies are a beloved treat for many so it’s not surprising that people are going crazy for them. Especially since the decoration is so well done, as a stack of tiny cookies is actually sitting in a transparent case that looks like the plastic bag they always come in.
M&S clearly doesn’t want your Colin the Caterpillar decoration to go lonely on your tree this festive season. So now you can have the happy couple adorning your tree together, side by side. How adorable is that?!
As an avid cafetiere user – I have this Bodum cafetiere from Selfridges – this is actually the decoration design I’m most excited about. And I’m not alone in this as our Editor in Chief, Heather Young has already purchased hers.
Percy Pigs are another iconic M&S sweet. So, of course, that this set is currently the bestseller following the cookies and Connie. And how fun that you get both the bag and the gummy sweet itself!
Do you remember Marks & Spencer’s viral Big Daddy pistachio-filled chocolate bar? For a period of time, my Instagram was flooded with people going into M&S shops trying to find it and then taste testing it. So it’s only right this cultural moment got turned into a Christmas bauble!
No festive season is complete without some fizz – so why not put some on your tree, too?! This prosecco decoration also comes in a two-pack with oysters if that’s something you like to indulge in.
Which one of these foodie M&S baubles is your favourite? Or are you waiting for the season to be a bit more appropriate for Christmas decoration shopping and more Christmas shops to open before committing?
After weeks and weeks of heatwaves, rain has finally reappeared in UK weather forecasts – and if you’re hoping to make the most of this week’s rain, there’s never been a better time to start collecting it.
The best way to do that? Learn how to install a water butt. In his recent Instagram reel, gardening presenter Alan Titchmarsh can’t praise them enough – and he included a few tips on maximising the amount of rainwater you collect.
Wondering if it’s worth adding one to your garden? Here’s what Alan and the experts say.
Water butts are the gold standard if you’re looking for sustainable garden ideas, since they save mains water wastage and costs. Since we’re heading towards autumn now, it’s the perfect time to install one – and the sooner you do, the more you’ll get out of this week’s downpours.
Alan Titchmarsh is so in favour of us owning water butts that he just dedicated a video to them, highlighting the collectors in his own garden.
‘One thing this garden does have is plenty of water butts – every home should have water butts,’ he says in the reel.
‘What’s in here is free, and also, you’ve probably noticed that whenever you water plants with rainwater, they do seem to grow better.’
So, it’s not just about saving water – a garden that’s fed rainwater is more likely to thrive, too. It’ll also allow you to water your garden during a hosepipe ban.
‘If you can store every drop of water possible in your garden, you’ll be far less irritated when there’s a hosepipe ban,’ Alan explained, and added (with a rather wry look at the camera), ‘don’t get me started.’
You don’t have to spend a lot – a simple kit like this 100L Strata Water Butt with Connection Kit, Tap and Stand from Argos is ideal for small spaces, and every little helps. There are even ways to make a cheap water butt look more attractive, if you’re worried about the way it’ll look. You’ll just need to make sure it’s set up in a way that makes the most of rainfall.
Alan says the best way to do that is by installing water butts beneath ‘Every downpipe of your house – in [his] case, it’s an old tile roof, and the lead flashing has been adjusted around the back to divert the water that comes onto that roof into the water butt.’
Nick Ee, product training manager at BLACK+DECKER, adds, ‘Once you’ve purchased your chosen water butt, you’ll need to position it next to a downpipe that collects rainwater from a roof, such as on your home, shed or garage. I recommend choosing somewhere with firm, level ground and make sure there’s enough room to access the tap easily. If possible, position it in a shaded spot to help keep the stored water cool.’
Alan also addressed the common concern that a water butt will overflow during periods of heavy rainfall.
‘You can get downpipes with diverters in them which carry on filling [the water butt] until it’s full, and then the water goes down the drain.’
Try this Ward rainwater diverter kit from B&Q. You can even install a rain chain to make your water butt setup look every prettier, like this Fallen Fruits Copper Plated Rain Chain from John Lewis.
One of the most elegant water butts I’ve seen!
An affordable slimline water butt kit for small gardens.
Double the water collection space!
A water butt or two (or three, or four!) is well worth the investment.
