Mye PA recommends... Lockdown lifesavers

Whether it still feels weird, or you are actually getting used to it, our "new" lives stuck indoors are all being affected by some sort of restriction, and unavailable service or entertainment.

I remember the pleasure of bringing a bag full of items to my local charity shops (#IloveStreatham) , the excitement at collecting printed photos of the latest night out, Christmas dinner, birthday party, the luxury of sitting at a restaurant table and enjoy fresh deliscious food, masterfully prepared by someone who does that for a living!...

Well times may have changed and all this isn't available for us to experience and enjoy for now, but it is wonderful to find that, like an old mentor of mine used to say, even in the most difficult situations "There is always another way to get there".

So here are Mye PA's top 3 tips this month to have those 👆 in a slightly different way:

What an amazing find while looking for a collection service after my tenth decluttering spree in a single lockdown year! I had booked with previous charities directly (all absolutely fantastic and commendable) but the super easy process of requesting a collection with ICollectClothes and being kep up to date with time windows, collection details and changes simply have no rivals.

You can choose between different charities your items will be donated to, select your preferred date -which ICollect may change at times depending on the availability of their vans in your area, but you can confirm or decline and pick a new one- and they don't JUST collect clothes!

Their drivers are professional and friendly, and I have to admit some of the very few I have met who really follow social distancing and wear a mask.

The next bag is ready to go guys:

OPEN WEBSITE. REQUEST COLLECTION. CHOOSE A DATE. HIT SEND!

This app was recommended to me by a photographer friend and he was right: great quality at great prices. The Lalalab app is pretty straightforward to use: choose your format and size, upload your favourite images, pay ridiculously low prices and wait for your great memories to be re-delivered to you.

I have ordered both before and after Brexit and considering these are printed in Europe I can confirm their delivery times have not changed and so still approximately a week it is (pheeewwww). You may need to buy a minimum quantity for specific sizes but if you wait until you have a good number of images it's super efficient and ridiulously cheap.

Call me old school but I still enjoy flipping through the pages and have a photo album take me back there, rather than a screen...

Let's be honest: yes the pandemic has taught us that denied of the option to dine out we can very well cope with dining in, for a fraction of the price and perhaps even with a new sense of creativity and purpose when it comes to cooking.

Raise your hand if you have tried to recreate your favourite restaurant food at home at least once, twice, three times perhaps...and consistently failed each single time...

And no matter how fast your delivery can get to you, that takeaway hot dish is never going to arrive just right.

UNLESS.... you do cook your own meal but with genuine restaurant ingredients!

Here's an example: as an Italian I can spend hours browsing for the right pasta and find it every time, but what makes a true Italian dish is Her Majesty The Sauce: THAT is a whole different matter to get your oven gloved hands on! A mission pretty much impossible..

Pasta Evangelists offer all those locally typical ingredients that combined together become...Italia on a plate ❤️

I cannot wait for Week 3 to try Tuscany's Famous Wild Boar Ragù with Fresh Pappardelle !

Stay tuned for more tips, or enquire directly if you have a question or request.

Silvia x