Vivi's Cottage Garden

The price of my weekly shop jumped quite a lot when I moved to Swanage because I only had the choice of two fairly expensive supermarkets. But…..earlier this year a new branch of the budget supermarket Lidl opened so that must be worth a go surely. Yes…except it isn’t on my doorstep….so will it be worth the extra time and, most importantly, the cost to go there?

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

In the Kitchen: Lidl Shopping – was it worth the time & cost?

A typical busy, frugal day…..balancing home needs, food needs and work….while maintaining my frugal habits.

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

At Home: A day in the life of a frugal girl (end of summer)

As the summer starts to wane it’s time to get on with some prep for autumn. I had a bit of an accident so it’s slow going with a painful sacrum!

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

Vivi’s Cottage Garden: Autumn Prep (after an accident)

I’ve had a painful accident (which impacts the next few videos) but a fabulous distraction with a friend visiting from America…..plus the usual random chat!

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

At Home: A Painful Accident (& other chat)

Today I am continuing to tackle the Laurel Bay plus…..I’m attacking the jungle behind my garden! And a new species of creature arrives in the garden.

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

Vivi’s Cottage Garden: Clearing the Jungle!

I’m getting on with myriad smaller jobs over the next few days, all my usual frugal stuff…..but there is a major problem looming which is going to cause a huge amount of upheaval.

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

At Home: A Major Problem!

Today I’m using the rest of the gorgeous mushrooms from my local greengrocer/deli for which I was given a gift voucher. There are many things I could have made but I settled on soup as I’m a bit short on lunches during this no spend period.

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

In the Kitchen: Wild Mushroom Soup

Cheers everyone…..and a grr moment that Mr Punch agrees with. Plus birds, a local ‘talk’ and a gorgeous foodie book with a man who melts me!

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

At Home: Cheers! (plus birds, boos & a delicious read).

I popped down to the sea to watch the 2026 eclipse…..it was lovely to gather with locals and holiday makers to witness the phenomena. Plus, a thank you.

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

Out & About: Eclipse Quickie

At the end of the first week of August…..and after weeks of heat and drought….I’m checking how things are doing in my garden. I’m already making plans for a few tweaks next year. Please note….towards the end I erroneously say ‘Strelizia’ when showing the Sisyrinchium.

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Living a simple, mindful life by the sea in rural England (Dorset).

Vivi’s Cottage Garden: Cottage Garden Tour – August 2026