The joy in simple things

I love Autumn, when summer waves goodbye and the chilly crisp mornings take over. The trees turn a wonderful gold and amber hue as the sun streams through the leaves. My early morning walks with Louis, my little Dachshund, are my favourite part of Autumn, making me feel nostalgic with the smell of fallen leaves melting into the earth. Autumn can’t quite make up its mind as the day warms up a little - coat or no coat? Louis feels the same, trotting out in his little jumper while I debate if I need mine too.

What’s your favourite part of Autumn?

But October wasn’t just pretty walks and pumpkin lattes - it came with its own challenges too. My husband travelled home to Kashmir this month for his best friend’s wedding. We usually go together, but after a family meeting we decided that this time I would stay home - my book is in the printing stage, and our eldest has just started a new school. Sometimes, we have to balance personal dreams with family priorities.

And honestly, it reminded me how important it is to find joy in the little moments - even when routines change. My boys and I enjoyed morning forest walks, beach strolls, and time with friends which became time to reset and made everything so much better.

If you’ve had a hectic month too, try this: pick one small ritual that grounds you - a daily walk, journaling, or even making your favourite coffee slowly. It changes everything.

Our boys have been keeping me smiling (and busy!). Our eldest has started High School and I met his tutor for the first time (a wonderful young lady). Honestly, I am very impressed the school and its staff and my son loves it there. I saw how hard he has been working so I treated him to his favourite cheese board, guacamole, nachos salami with a movie night.

Our youngest also continues to make us proud. At parents’ evening his teacher told me how he is trying his best to listen in class (he’s a talker like me!). So, I treated him to a surprise mother-and-son lunch date. He’s always said, “Mum, one day I want to take you for a date. You’ll have to pay though as I don’t have a card!” Don’t you just love him! Until now, we’ve never had the time to take it, but with the boys in different schools with different inset days, I had the opportunity to spend time with them separately without the guilt! We had such a fabulous time and it made him so happy.

Half Term brought us together again - baking, pumpkin carving, Halloween Trick or Treating and welcoming my husband back home.

And amidst all the family chaos, something new has been cooking (pun intended!): I’m launching a fun new feature on my website: “Challenge Me If You Dare” — where you can send me a challenge to try. It can be cooking, baking, or something totally unexpected (though please, no ballet!).

We’ll start with the “7 Days of Pasta Challenge”  — seven days, one hero ingredient, endless creativity. Got an idea for the next one? Send me your challenge in the comments below!

And yes — my new book is almost ready to order worldwide (just in time for Christmas!). You’ll even be able to request a signed copy with a personal message on my website. In the meantime, you can leave your email and get an update when it is ready to order. Visit my home page.

Want to surprise someone special? You can now book a personal video message or even a one-to-one Zoom chat with me. Whether it’s for a birthday, holiday, or just a friendly chat, it’s a lovely way to connect. Book your message on my video page.

Now it’s your turn — what challenge should I take on next? Comment below. I’ll feature a few of your ideas (and maybe even your names!) in next month’s newsletter.

Here’s to crisp mornings, comforting meals, and finding joy in simple things. Happy November!

With love, Nelly

Ps. Have you read my blog yet? You can find my latest post here.