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Autumn Glory: Why Trees Lose Their Leaves Take a trip to upstate New York, Vermont or Quebec in September and you are in for a treat. A short climb or drive up any hill with a vantage point will afford you a viewpoint that will literally bring a tear to your eye. Laid out before you, the hills undulating away to the horizon, a seemingly endless vista in a blaze of colour like nowhere else on earth. It is breathtakingly glorious to see. Every shade of pale to deep yellows, bright to dark ochre oranges, and brilliant ruby to scarlet to...

Pet Therapy It is well-known anecdotally that interaction with a gentle, friendly pet has significant benefits. What is less well known is that there is strong scientific evidence to back this up. Here are some of the more common: For Physical Health lowers blood pressure improves cardiovascular health releases endorphins (oxytocin) that have a calming effect diminishes overall physical pain the act of petting produces an automatic relaxation response, reducing the amount of medication some folks need...

Scotland at the Bleeding Edge Scotland is famous for many things, some to be proud of, some perhaps not so much. Recently however the Scottish Parliament achieved a world first in the quest to end period poverty. In the words of MSP Monica Lennon: “No one should have to worry about where their next tampon, pad or reusable is coming from.” “Scotland will not be the last country to consign period poverty to history, but we have the chance to be the first.” (emphasis mine) This is laudable, especially from a small nat...

What on Earth is Smell Training? The lyrics to the Passenger song ‘Let Her Go’ pretty much sum up what it is like to lose one’s sense of smell: You only need the light when it's burning low Only miss the sun when it starts to snow Only know you love her when you let her go Like so many things, until it is gone, we do not realise how much we need it. Perhaps after a global pandemic we might at last begin to no longer take anything for granted? I had Covid-19 in October and lost my sense of smell and taste for 24 hours, gi...

Take Heart: Rainbows after Rain When my children were small I started a keepsake book for them in which I recorded quotes that I felt could guide them through life. On the very first page of that book I wrote a quote from Nicholas Nickleby which pretty much sums up for me all the guidance one would ever need… “Happiness is a gift. The trick is not to expect it but to delight in it when it comes and to add to other peoples’ store of it ” If we follow this, I advised my small children, you simply can’t go wrong. My eighteen ...

What is a Sweatshop: Part Two In part one I spoke about defining a sweatshop both historically and in modern times. While there is nothing wrong with going on marches, writing to politicians, organising petitions, or gluing yourself to Westminster bridge in order to make your voice heard, most people do not have the time or the spare capacity in their lives to take on any cause to this extent. Is there anything we can do then? Is there is something relatively easy that doesn’t involve a large commitment except in principl...

How to Make Your Very Own Oat Milk How to Make Your Very Own Oat Milk It was love at first taste. I have tried all kinds of milks and “milks” in my time. Soy milk, sheep milk, goat milk, almond milk, tiger nut milk, cashew nut milk and coconut milk to name a few. Most of these varieties are great on cereal, granted. Soy milk fresh from a stand in a local market in Kuching came closest to “milk as a drink” satisfaction. But it wasn’t quite perfect. Then came Oat Milk. The heavens sang. Great on cereal, decent in coffee, accepta...

There’s China, Then There’s The Chinese Over the past four years or so there has been a significant increase in anti-China sentiment. This is particularly so across the pond. In my opinion we need to separate China from the Chinese; the state from the people. Regardless of political ideology what I have found on my travels is that people are people. Most of whom you like, some of whom you don’t. Whether you are in a village in rural Vietnam, a small bar in a small town of eight hundred in Alabama, or a bed-sit in Melbourne, Austra...

What is a Sweatshop: Part One What is a Sweatshop? Part One The term sweatshop is one of those familiar words that is bandied about quite liberally without many of us truly understanding what it means. We know it is not good, and definitely not fair, but what exactly is it, and is there much we can do about it? Origin The phrase sweatshop was coined in 1850, meaning a factory or workshop where workers are treated unfairly, for example having low wages, working long hours, and in poor conditions. Since 1850, immigrants h...

Economic Empowerment Through Fair Trade As a child, I knew little about fair trade. I remember seeing the Fairtrade logo on bars of chocolate in my local Coop and I knew that this meant something good, but I wasn’t quite sure what. Now, as an adult, I am far more aware of the importance of fair trade, and what makes those chocolate bars special. Fair trade plays a significant role in the economic empowerment and sustainable development of marginalised communities. Like many people, I am saddened that fair trade is something we have...

Dragonflies I have long loved Dragonflies. Even as a child they struck me as magical creatures. With their double wings, their speed, their exquisite flight control, and their iridescent beauty. I was captivated. When it came to my attention that we have Dragonflies featured on RainbowLife.co.uk in the form of an Essential Oil Diffuser Bracelet and a Hand-made Ugandan Greetings card I could resist no longer: blog time. Here are a few little-known facts about wonderful Dragon flies. Did you know for examp...

Why wear a face mask with ties? I am a frontline worker, a teacher in a school for pupils with Special Needs. In most special schools in the UK staff are currently wearing face masks for protection in the communal areas but not in the classrooms as it could be too upsetting for the pupils. We end up needing to take our face masks on and off all day. I bought these SETU hand block printed cotton face masks with tie strings for Rainbow Life due to their practicality and because the purchase supports a self-help group of women...

War Against or Truce with Plastics? A Little History The first mention of plastic was a cellulose based product developed by John Wesley Hyatt in 1869. A formula using camphor and cotton cellulose to create a product durable and resistant enough to replace elephant ivory and tortoise shell. This was a boon for the ‘animal protectionists’ of that era. I am certain most pachyderm and large shelled amphibians were also quite thankful. Replacing billiard balls and tortoise shell eyewear with this new synthetic polymer is an example...

How to Choose a Beard Balm Credit to Jeremiah Newton for his excellent guide. How to Choose a Beard Balm For any bearded guy who is ready to take his daily beard care routine to the next level, The Bearded Bastard beard balm is a great way to go. Beard balms are becoming more and more popular as they are multi-functional products that are typically loaded with ingredients that your facial hair absolutely loves. Due to the surge in popularity, you’ll find that the beard balm market is loaded with a diverse and exten...

Our Ethics Welcome to our brand new store. By way of introduction here is what we are about. Our aim is to carefully select products that are ethically sourced and sustainable from suppliers that we trust. With the descriptions of these products we aim to inform you as far as possible, about the story of your product. Some call this the backstory, we prefer to call it the frontstory. This detailing of the products we believe helps connect you with the producer or artisan. We also believe in sharing our...

The Healing Power of Aromatherapy- A Rainbow of Possibilities. … The Greek Physician Hippocrates, known as the ‘ Father of Western Medicine’, said in the fourth century BCE… “ The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day” Certainly, the Greeks and later the Romans followed his advice. Throughout time people have recognised the protective and healing power of plants and their aromas. The ancient Greeks held aromatics in high regard and the ancient Egyptians used aromatics for incense, embalming and perfume. The holy anointi...

Masks and Knickers 2020 will be writ large in the annals of history, long after we have all shuffled off our mortal coils, for one major global event which will undoubtedly, for good or ill, change the course of human history: Covid-19. There is much to write, but today I want to focus on one of the profound impacts it has had. Simple on the surface, and yet with a huge impact on human relations, inter-personal space, transportation, social events, and what some may find surprising, a potentially massive negati...

A Different Kind of Business We are all shaped by our early childhood experiences and many of us carry varying degrees of positivity and negativity around in that regard. Sometimes what may at the time seem negative, ‘miraculously’ turns into a positive. With the benefit of age and a dash of wisdom perhaps, you become grateful for having ‘endured’ these childhood proscriptions. One of my earliest recollections of being preached to by my strong-willed mother was about waste. Mum grew up in the war years with rationing. ‘W...