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15 must-have accessories for outdoor dining in style

Out with the scratched melamine, in with stylish cups, cocktail shakers, candelabra, and cutlery. Here's our guide to the wow accessories that will make your alfresco meal sparkle
Easy slow-cooked lamb for a spring feast

Looking for a low-effort crowd pleaser for a post lockdown get-together? This melt-in-the-mouth lamb recipe with polenta chips is just the ticket, slow-cooked for five hours.
58 things to glam up your garden

Garden parties are go, people! But, oh God — is that really the state of the patio? Glam up the garden and impress your guests with these 58 must-have garden objects.
Downsizing in later life? 9 things to consider

Got aging parents thinking to downsize? It pays to do your research. Here are 9 key things to look out for when you’re helping your parents find their next home
7 Easter Eggcentrics to eat on the big day

Plain eggs are out, novelty chocolate is in. We're after a bit more pizazz. Popping candy? Shaped like a sandwich? Take your pick with these 7 alternative Easter eggs.
Try this light but warming spring supper

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's healthy take on this Scottish fish soup makes for a quick and hearty but healthy supper that's perfect for cool spring evenings.
My favourite places: designer Chloe Kempster

The Chalk Paint® queen and furniture designer behind Maisie's House on TV's Money for Nothing let us in on her top local spots in Leicestershire - how many do you know?
Gotta Have It: spring cleaning gear

The evenings are getting lighter, lockdown is nearly over and the sunshine is showing up those handprints on the windows and stains on the carpet. Time to bust out your inner Mrs Hinch…
Make your home grown up again

It’s been kid-central for the past 12 months but now, as schools reopen, it’s time to coax your home back into the land of the operational adult.
Kitchens 2021: the latest designs and colours

Gadget garages, working kitchens and unfitted units... This year, says new design company Huckleberry, we're witnessing a kitchen revolution. Here's what it looks like.
And the Best Place to Live in Leicestershire is…

This leafy town in the heart of Leicestershire has a fabulous community spirit and a brilliant buzzing indie scene, we have a worthy winner!
Comforting classics from The Pie Room

Ooh, is there anything more satisfying than good flaky pastry? These two tasty recipes from Calum Franklin's new cookbook The Pie Room are just the ticket.
And the Best Place to Live in Rutland is…

Sitting proudly in England’s smallest county, this tiny market town oozes charm from every corner and is made up of pretty stone buildings, cosy pubs and so much more.
Bring the bar to you: how to have a virtual night out

Counting down the days until that chilly pub garden come April? God, us too. Here's the next best thing: bar-quality cocktails, perfect ambience, and a whole lot of glam.
Face off! Expressive interiors to buy now

Inject a little personality into your home with these interior buys that feature quirky facial expressions, all from fabulous local businesses on The Indie Store.
Letterbox cheer: best gifts by post

Share the love in lockdown (we’re almost there!) with one of these fun letterbox gift ideas, from book bundles and candles, to beauty boxes and wine.
Speedy supper: Wild mushroom risotto

Getting a little tired of your own cooking? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Here's a delicious and easy risotto recipe from award-winning Rutland gastropub, The Olive Branch.
Flipping good: four new pancakes recipes to try

Had enough of lemon and sugar? Spice things up a bit this Pancake Day with an Iranian cardamom pancake, shredded duck pancake, or vegan version with blueberry compote.
Asian-inspired healthy dinners for reboot February

January didn't quite live up to your healthy living expectations? Cosy food doesn't have to come at the cost of health. Try these tasty plant-based recipes made with warming ginger and miso.
Interiors inspo: bold spring refresh

Enough with cosy interiors and soft greys - here’s our edit of the fabrics, paints and tiles to lift your spirits and inject some spring into your step, hallway, walls, sofas...
I do like to be beside the seaside…

From seaside botlholes to A-lister-worthy waterfront homes - wake up to fresh sea air every morning in one of these 10 coastal properties for sale now.
WFH in style: the best office furniture to buy now

Tired of your back giving you grief thanks to a shoddy home-office set-up? Work and homeschool in comfort with Muddy's list of Insta-worthy desks and chairs.
Fast and filling recipes for Feb

No time/energy to cook (let alone make it healthy)? Don't worry, we've got you. Here are two low-effort, speedy suppers under 500 calories to feel good about.
The Simple Life: pared-back properties in nature

Looking to get away from it all? Try one of these dreamy pared-back properties for a taste of pastoral living. From projects crying out for TLC to sprawling listed mansions, we've got it all.
Gotta have it! Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2021

Pantone, the ultimate colour authority has spoken, and 2021's official shades are Ultimate Gray and Illuminating (aka, sunshine yellow). Here's how to get the look.
Tonight’s dinner, sorted!

Too many mice pies? Try this cod one-pot from hot healthy eating guru, Dr Rupy Aujla, plus top tips on eating clean in the new year. The doctor will see you now…
Make this gingerbread Christmas tree

Christmas just ain't Christmas without a gingerbread or two. This year make this Christmas tree one by local foodie blogger and recipe creator, Neha D'Souza.
Bonkers baubles for your Christmas tree

Forget subtle sparkle and colour co-ordination - this year we're embracing kitsch and dressing our Christmas trees with the most bonkers baubles we can find! Which is your favourite?
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s winter warmers

Spent all of lockdown scoffing crisps and mince pies? Whip up a veg-packed soup or hot pot from Hugh's new cookbook, 'Eat Better Forever: 7 Ways to Transform Your Diet'
Light it up! 42 cool indie candle brands

The arrival of autumn means darker evenings snuggled indoors by candlelight. Looking for a new scent? Try one of these gorgeous indie candle brands from across the Muddy counties.
Bottoms up! The best new indie drinks

Got a large glass to hand? We’ve rounded up 43 of the best new independent drinks from across the Muddy counties from wine and gin to rum and beer.
6 of the best boxed wines to drink now

Boxed wine has a bad rep, but forget everything you know - it stays fresh for longer, contains litres of tipple and can actually be really tasty. Here's what we're sipping.
House swap – modern properties we love

If period properties give you the heebie jeebies, and you'd rather have a glass extension than a thatched roof, then walk this way - we've rounded up some of the best architect-led modernist properties in the Muddy counties.
Lockdown garden stunners

Entered Muddy's Lockdown Gardens in Bloom yet? Stake out your competition here and snap your space to win part of our £1000 prize pot to spend at Olive & Sage.
Muddy ‘Lockdown Gardens in Bloom’ is GO!

Calling all green fingered goddesses! We want to see your lockdown gardening handiwork. Snap your space and post it on Instagram for the chance to win vouchers (there's £1000 up for grabs) to spend online at gorgeous garden and homewares boutique Olive & Sage.
Provençal fougasse with green and black olives

Lockdown is the perfect time to get to grips with our favourite chewy loaf: sourdough. Ready, set, bake with this savoury share-and-tear number (you can skip the sharing bit if you like).
House swap – what will £500,000 get you?

Nothing like a lockdown to make you appreciate your home - or make you want to move when it gets lifted. But what will your money get you across the Muddy counties?
8 flowers to choose for a cutting garden

Dibbers at the ready! Garden broadcaster Toby Buckland picks a pocketful of posies that anyone - yes, even you with the dead house plants - can grow.
3 party cocktails – ready, steady, shake!

Step away from the Chablis and try something different! We've got 5 copies of a cool new cocktail book to give away - and here are three autumn liveners from it to whet your whistle.
Waitrose gin tasting? We’re in!

Brand new, this service from Waitrose combines our favourite things - gin, friends and hanging out at home. See how Muddy's Ed-in-Chief, Hero Brown, got on and book up pronto this summer, it's a blast!
7 perfect days of summer – just add gin!

Ableforth's Bathtub gin looks cool, tastes even better and will rev you up for a summer of fun. Here, win a case (yup, six bottles of it!) and find out for yourself.