August - Week 1. Slow Living with Karmen.

Hello August. A Slow Living Guide to Embrace the Seasonal Changes.

The first day of August has long been celebrated in folklore and rural tradition as the beginning of the harvest season — a time to gather wheat, oats, corn and barley in preparation for the winter months ahead.

In Christianised Anglo-Saxon England, this day became known as Lammas Day — from "Loaf Mass." Farmers would bake a loaf of bread from the first wheat harvest and carry it to church as a blessing for the crops. A simple, beautiful act of gratitude that still resonates today.

Bringing the Countryside into Your City Home Kitchen.

For me, August is a month of harvest — and for many, an inspirational time to bake. There is something deeply satisfying about filling your kitchen with the aroma of wholesome rustic bread, banana loaf, or a freshly baked cake shared with family. Like so many, I have adapted my habits in response to the energy and cost of living crisis. I now visit my traditional local bakery for a beautiful baked loaf, supporting our community at the same time — a small but meaningful shift.

Yet I found I truly missed the scent of home baking drifting through my kitchen. That absence became an inspiration. In keeping with harvest folklore and Celtic tradition, I set about creating a new fragrance candle to capture that feeling — and so the idea for Karmen's Bakery Collection was born.

I am delighted to introduce the newest addition: the Farmhouse Kitchen Candle. As you light the flame, you are transported to the heart of a warm farmhouse kitchen, where bread rises slowly in the oven and the air is thick with the scent of something wonderful. This hand-poured soy wax candle captures the soul of homemade baking — golden, buttery, and deeply comforting.

As the flame takes hold, it fills your space with the irresistible aroma of freshly baked bread, warm from the oven. The fragrance blooms into a rich, spiced heart of ground nutmeg and sweet vanilla, before settling into a deep, creamy base of melted butter and baked dough. Slow, unhurried, and utterly inviting — like a Sunday afternoon that never ends.

I am so pleased to share that both new candles are now available in Karmen's Bakery Collection — inspired by the fragrance of freshly baked bread during the harvest season and the crispness of an autumn day. I hope they bring as much warmth and comfort to your home as they do to mine.

Shop the Brand New Farmhouse Kitchen Candle Here

My Early Morning Slow Living Lifestyle.

Each morning I wake with gratitude. Before anything else, I spend fifteen minutes practising a simple Tai Chi routine — stretching, flowing, releasing the tensions that build up in everyday life. It is so rewarding, and wonderfully easy to maintain. If you have never tried it, I cannot recommend it highly enough. There are many wonderful tutorials for beginners on social media — do seek them out.

My first drink of the day is always water, followed by a homemade omelette for breakfast and — my one guilty pleasure — a pot of coffee. For the rest of the day, I return to water and green tea with honey. Simple, nourishing, and grounding.

Do you have a morning ritual that grounds you? I would love to know — do share in the comments below.

Simple Ways to Organise Your Day.

The very first task of my working day is my 'To Do' List. I write down everything that needs attention and tick each item off as it is completed. It is deeply satisfying — and it quietens the noise in the mind considerably. As a self-employed maker, my days are full before I have even begun creating: accounting, admin, marketing, stock-taking, client follow-ups. The list truly never ends.

It would be easy to work around the clock and burn out entirely. Reminding myself that "I work to live, not live to work" is something I return to often. It is hard for small business owners — the challenges of building a business whilst earning a living wage are very real. As most of us will tell you: holidays? What are those!

And yet, I am deeply grateful to have taken the plunge. I studied at Warwick Medical School and spent many wonderful years in the NHS — a career I am proud of. But I needed a new chapter. Leaving behind a steady salary was not an easy decision, yet it is so important to open new doors and embrace new challenges. I know many of you will understand that feeling. Sometimes, you simply have to feel the fear — and do it anyway.

So in my non-working hours, I choose simplicity. I step away from the noise, still the inner chatter, and tune into the quiet power of silence.

My Ways to Relax, Tune In and Slow Down from City Life.

I love walking through the countryside, drinking in the seasonal changes of the landscape. August in Warwickshire is breathtaking — golden wheat fields and lavender stretching as far as the eye can see. I delight in the butterflies, dragonflies, and bumblebees, and most of all in simply listening to nature: the chirping of goldfinches, the swifts darting and dancing overhead. I always feel a quiet sadness when the swifts depart each year on their perilous journey to North Africa — and pure joy when they return to nest in my eaves each British spring.

Stepping out of city life on my days off and connecting with nature is, for me, golden nectar. It slows the pace, silences the noise, and restores the mind, body and soul in a way that nothing else quite can.

The fruits of summer are gloriously abundant at this time of year. I love going blackberry picking at our local farm shop in Warwickshire — gathering just enough to make a couple of pots of jam. The fruit is weighed and paid for, the farm is supported, and I come home with something truly made with love. It is a joy.

How do you slow down and reconnect with nature at this time of year? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Unwrap Yourself and Connect with Harvest Time.

Over the years I have gathered a few seasonal rituals that truly help me reconnect with the rhythm of the year — I hope some of these speak to you too:

1. Celebrate Lammas on the 1st of August — the ancient beginning of harvest. Mark this day simply: walk out into nature, bake a loaf of bread, light a candle to honour the waning sun, and give thanks for the abundance in your life.

2. Venture out into the countryside. If you live alone and feel uncertain about walking solo, consider joining a local Ramblers group. Check your local library or community noticeboard — you may be surprised how many others are looking for the same connection.

3. On a rainy day, bake something beautiful. Follow a simple Lemon Drizzle cake recipe, or if you'd rather simply enjoy the fragrance without the washing up, explore Karmen's Bakery Collection and our brand new Lemon Drizzle Cake Candle — a celebration of harvest season in every flicker of the flame.

August is our month to celebrate harvest and the joy of baking. I am so delighted to share that the Lemon Drizzle Cake Candle is now available in Karmen's Bakery Collection — inspired by the sweet, zesty fragrance of a freshly baked lemon drizzle on a crisp autumn afternoon. I hope it becomes a beloved companion for many cosy evenings at home.

Shop the Brand New Lemon Drizzle Cake Candle Here

4. Make a nourishing homemade soup. My favourite is carrot and coriander — a simple, salt-free recipe that is wonderfully warming. Make a big batch, freeze it in portions, and take it to work with a rustic roll. Delicious and deeply satisfying.

5. Visit a local orchard. In August, the trees are heavy with fruit and their scent carries the first whisper of autumn. It is a beautiful reminder of how close the season is turning.

6. Make a corn dolly and hang it in your kitchen as a nod to the harvest tradition. A small, handmade act of seasonal celebration.

As August deepens, the signs of the coming autumn grow more visible — lengthening shadows, the first fallen leaves, apples maturing quietly in the orchards, the preparations for a new school and academic year. And yet it is the shift within ourselves that we feel most keenly. Deep inside, we sense it is time to begin closing up the affairs of summer and turning, gently, towards the nesting and nourishing of September.

I hope my slow living diary and seasonal tips have brought you a little inspiration this week. Until next time — be kind to yourself, move slowly, and savour every moment.

I would love to hear — what does slow living look like in your corner of the world this August? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Every story is welcome here.