About Vanalleswa Living

Vanalleswa Living is a journal for people whose lives swing between two places: the home they keep and the places they go. One week the question is how to light a dark living room or what to do about a sash window that rattles; the next it is how to survive a long-haul flight or what to pack for a safari. We write about both, because for most of our readers they are part of the same life.

What you will find here

The journal grew out of a habit of swapping notes. Someone would come back from a trip with a lesson learned the hard way, or finish a renovation and want to save the next person a few mistakes. Those notes became articles, and the articles gradually settled into a handful of shelves:

• Home and lighting — recessed lights, chandeliers, tiles, painting, plumbing and the quiet maintenance that keeps a house comfortable.
• Screens at home — internet television in different countries, picture settings, and getting a steady stream without fuss.
• Trips and places — temples, safaris, restaurants and the preparation that makes travel calmer.
• Healthy living — general, cautious pieces on everyday habits, always with a reminder that a GP or pharmacist knows your situation better than we do.
• Sport and gadgets — kit for adventurous days, football clubs worth following and small devices that earn their place.

The Tips and Technology shelves are the fullest, and the Guide section holds the longer how-to pieces.

How we write

Every article tries to answer a real question in plain language. We put the practical steps first and the background afterwards, and we say clearly when something depends on your country, your landlord, your insurer or your doctor. We do not claim professional titles, and we do not invent numbers to make a point sound more convincing. When we are not sure, we say so.

Some pieces on these pages were prepared together with outside businesses or mention a company by name. They go through the same editing as everything else and are kept to the same plain, practical tone.

Who is behind it

A small group of writers working under pen names looks after the journal, each with a patch of subjects they know from their own home and travels. You can read a little about each of them on The Studio Team page.

If you are new

A good place to begin is First Time Here? Start With These, a short selection of pieces that show what the journal does best. If you spot an error or have a question, the Drop a Postcard page explains how to reach us. We read everything that arrives, and many of our best article ideas have started as a reader's note.