The Little (aka Magical) Things
Cherry blossom walks, phone-free mornings, herb deliveries and a new whistling kettle.
Hello, how are you?
How has 2026 been going so far? And the start of Fire Horse? How was your eclipse season? The recent full moon lunar eclipse and the current mercury retrograde?
Has it been a bit non-stop and intense for anyone else too? I feel like I’ve blinked and it’s the middle of March already.
I’ve been deep in the process of re-imagining Fleur Remedies since October last year and feel like I can only now come up for air.
With so much going on (astrologically and self-imposed projects) and as the chaos of the world continues, is anyone else feeling the urge more and more to strip away at the noise?
How do we keep grounded and centred when everything around us keeps speeding up?
Turning off all notifications has been a big one recently (more on that below).
For a brief moment, I was left wondering what to do when I turned off all the distractions? What should I fill the precious time with if I wasn’t constantly thinking I should be checking things and getting back to pings and vibrations as soon as possible?
It’s taken a minute to feel safe in this new space. Being busy can create the illusion of safety and be a great distraction sometimes from what’s really going on. Something I learned last year when I had to really wind down in order to heal from concussion.
I forced myself back into my book Where the Crawdads Sing (and now don’t want it to end, Kya has my heart), ordered a new flower remedy book to devour as soon as it arrives and bought an issue of Monocole because I wanted to read the article ‘How to change countries and start over’.
The so called little things begin to take centre stage again when the mind isn’t full of distractions: the Cherry Plum blossom on morning walks, planting seeds and then impatiently waiting for them to shoot, the small excitement of a new herb delivery and a weekly veg box on the doorstep.
I’m starting to think these little things should actually be called ‘magical’ things as altogether they create little anchors and map of our day that can turn a week that could feel very mundane and ground-hoggy into something incredibly beautiful.
I started a list in my phone notes of all the little aka ‘magical’ things that have been bringing me little moments of joy and in turn soothing my nervous system recently.
The list is long and growing by the week, but I thought it might be nice to share some of it here.
It’s so funny writing on Substack, it makes me feel incredibly vulnerable.
For context: I spend time every week writing newsletters, blog posts and social content for work which go out to a few thousand people every time. But on here, just being myself and not having a sewing pattern or product to hide behind, I always feel a little exposed.
I have posts saved that I’ll work on for hours and then decide they’re not good enough and so get buried never to see the light of day.
I started this list two weeks ago as a brain dump, decided I hated it and left it in the drafts folder.
But something this morning pulled me to finish it, I woke with the sun (which I honestly haven’t been able to do since the end of last Autumn) and made a fresh pot of nettle, lemon balm and hibiscus tea (from said herb delivery) with my new whistling kettle, excited to sit down and finish this.
I hope you enjoy xx
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Little aka ‘Magical’ Things Bringing Joy Recently
1. Turning all Internet Notifications off
Keeping with the theme of the Chinese New Year, my phrase for 2025 was “clean everything up.”
The words were going round and round my head for nearly 12 months as I tried to smooth out the kinks at work with C et C and Motif and slowly detox the things in my life that no longer felt aligned to make space for Fleur Remedies.
This year, the phrase is “streamlined,” it won’t leave my brain. Bringing a new business into the roster means more work, but it also means being more intentional and efficient with time.
Turning off all internet based notifications on my phone has been one of the nicest things I think I’ve done for myself. Not in a I don’t care about my loved ones, the news or my customers way. But, more in a let me be intentional and present with them/it when I do.
Notification free mornings have become my new favourite thing. My phone stays on charge, out of sight, until I’m ready to start work and it feels like the ultimate modern-day luxury.
Beginning the day reading or going for a walk somehow seems so decadent, but it’s such a simple way to set the tone for a peaceful day, if you’re able to schedule your time that way.
If someone really needs to get hold of me they can text or call the old-skool way.
Otherwise, a bulk reply to WhatsApp messages once a day is working for now. If I’m meeting someone and have to make plans about times and location etc. then of course I’ll ignore the rule, but this system seems to be bringing more flow and intention when I am online - messages aren’t rushed and I feel I have more time to craft out a heartfelt reply when I do.
Taking a leaf out of Tim Ferris’ 4 Hour Work Week, I’ve also been stricter about checking emails and socials: only allowing myself to do this once a day, and using a scheduling app (Unum is my favourite for this) to free up time.
Something I learned recently from a talk on ADHD is do your brain heavy / creative / most mentally challenging project first. Save the admin and customer replies until you have done what you need to bring into the world first.
Doing so means you can start work with a fresh slate and don’t use up all your thinking energy before you get to the big project of the day. This is the complete flip of how I used to work and has been a little revelation.
2. Standing under Cherry Plum Trees in Full Blossom
In the Bach system, Cherry Plum is the flower remedy for tranquillity. If you feel like you’re on the edge, about to snap or at your wits end, Cherry Plum is the remedy to reach for.
It’s in the classic Rescue Remedy and my own version of this called SOS Formula.
I wrote a longer blog post about the history and meaning of Cherry Plum Blossom for Fleur Remedies (you can find it here), but standing under a tree in full blossom seems to make the world stand still for a minute.
If you see one, I urge you to give it a try and let me know what it does for you.
And if you’re wondering, like I was recently, how to tell the difference between blackthorn and cherry blossom, a new friend I made recently under a tree in the park told me to look for the bees.
She said bees love cherry blossom - you’ll often find them circling around the tops of the trees. How beautiful, and also something I don’t think I would have learned if I had been staring at my phone.
3. Handcrafted Goods for the Soul
I had a little pinch-me moment the other day while putting together this Mother’s Day edit for C et C, realising just how lucky I am that I get to work with (and curate collections from) these talented makers from all over the country.
Not to sound too woo-woo… but maybe actually yes, to sound very intentionally woo-woo and a little biased being a maker myself: handmade pieces really do have a different energy. They have soul and vibrate at a higher frequency (especially when crafted with natural materials).
I think it’s the absence of hard edges and man-made materials, the tiny, imperfect details that reveal they were made by human hands that makes them feel that much more special.
When I think about everything I own, my favourite pieces are always the ones that have a story, a maker’s mark and simply just feel nice to hold.
Some personal favourites include a mug thrown by an old friend, a handwoven fan I brought back from the Philippines, my gold filled bauble hoops from Emily Georgina Jones, and a natural dyed linen patchwork cushion I treated myself to from Dipwood Studio last year.
Having all these little creature comforts around reminds me of the people who made them and whenever I go to use or wear them, bring so much joy and satisfaction. So uplifting for the soul.
4. Planting Beans & Seeds
My favourites so far this year have been some French bean seeds I picked up from Petersham Nurseries one rainy Sunday and some artichoke seeds (Romanesco purple globe ones) I hunted down on eBay.
Two summers ago I was lucky enough to spend a solo month in Provence and became slightly obsessed with French beans.
It’s my dream this year to fill the little London patio garden where I currently live with edible plants and flowers for summer.
A new sweet instagram friend who is an avid gardener has shared that Real Seeds is an excellent resource for seeds, I think my next batch might have to be from there.
5. Herb Deliveries
I once heard a gut health guru describe herbal tea as nutrient-dense water and it’s stayed with me ever since. Especially in the winter months…why drink regular water when you can make it nutrient dense?
A little haul from Buy Wholefoods Online meant there was a fun evening decanting all the new herbs into the glass jars I’ve been collecting recently. Dried nettle, spearmint, lemon balm, chamomile flowers, whole hibiscus, ginseng and beetroot powder were in the last delivery. I don’t think I’ve ever met a herbalist that isn’t completely obsessed with nettle. I’m trying to make it a habit to get a daily dose.
6. Veg Box Deliveries
Nothing makes me happier than a fridge full of fresh and locally sourced organic vegetables these days.
Simply knowing this little box is arriving every week takes a small weight off. Riverford has been my favourite since 2021 when I was living in Somerset, I love everything they do and jumped for joy when I discovered they also deliver to south-west London. Their 100% UK Organic Veg box is my go-to at the moment.
Last year a nutritionist really drummed into me just how important it is to eat locally - not only for sustainability but for freshness and health too.
Something that’s travelled halfway round the world just isn’t going to hold as many vitamins and minerals as something that was picked a last Wednesday from a few hours away.
And with nature being so clever, by eating locally and in season, we are making sure we get the right nutrients our bodies need at the right time of year.
7. Collecting Glass Jars
There’s something I’ve grown to love about the randomness of collected jars, which is honestly something I never thought I’d say - I used to think they were too cottage-y and probably not cool enough. I was obsessed with the kitchen looking perfect and only a kilner jar would do.
But I now find myself picking certain foods in the supermarket for the shape of their jars. It makes me experiment more with my food choices too. I wouldn’t necessarily have picked that particular variety of olive / pickle / bean before, but the jar is nice so…
Finding a big one with a gold metal lid feels like winning the glass jar lottery.
If you ever find yourself with a tough label that won’t come off and leaves sticky residue I’ve honed down a little technique that seems to do the trick: soak the jar in a bowl with plenty of washing-up liquid and hot water for a while and peel / scrape off what you can. Then rub a few drops of tea tree oil into the remaining residue to dissolve the stickiness, followed by a little coconut oil and use a piece of kitchen roll to rub off anything left to bring the glass to a shiny finish.
8. A Whistling Kettle
A little kitchen object that I find oh so satisfying, the sound alone soothes my soul every time it boils. Whistling kettles just remind me of being in the countryside, of being cosy by fire and the comforting thought of something warm on the way.
I’m not quite living in my dream home / wooden house / olive grove off the coast of Spain just yet… but I found this whistling kettle on eBay recently and it has been a pure source of joy every morning.
Stainless steel with a fun little lever to lift up when pouring. I feel like I’m slowly starting to bring the olive grove dream alive by filling my current home with items I’d want in my future forever home.
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I think that might be it for now, but the list is growing…so perhaps a part 2 is in order at some point.
Before I forget, I listened to this podcast with Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés which I’m going to have to listen to again.
As always, her words are so insightful. I loved hearing about her thoughts on things happening at the right time - she shared in this episode how Women who Run with the Wolves took 20 years to come to fruition and she sent it out 42 times before it was accepted by a publisher.
There’s also a part 2 to this podcast which I might have gotten round to listening to by the next Substack.
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Sending love to you all, and may you have little ‘magical’ moments that soothe your nervous system and make life beautiful this week.
Fleur xx