5 Fun Ways to Exercise at the Beach Even if You're Afraid of Water

By Louise Pool
I love hanging out in the water. Floating on my back staring at the sky whilst trying to split clouds is my idea of heaven. Now and again, I'll swim a few strokes just to feel the water lapping against my skin. If I feel like a little more exercise, I'll jump in the waves and have been known to indulge in a bit of body surfing as well.

But I know there are countless islanders who can't swim. Maybe they're not really aquaphobes, but the thought of being out in the deep blue sea where feet don't touch the ground will trigger a minor (or major) panic attack or at least get that adrenalin coursing through the veins with no thought of a fight response.

Fear not; there are other fun ways to keep fit at the beach. Here are some ideas:

Just for Fun: The Beach Personality Test

You Are Quietly Passionate

You like people, but you're careful about who you get close to. Friendship is important to you... so important that you aren't just friends with anyone. You fall in love with ease and confidence. Even if you've had bad experiences in the past, each new love is a reason to start completely over. You are a deep and contemplative person. You are as passionate as everyone else, but your passion is not always apparent. Your sense of humor is intellectual and obscure. Only really well educated people get your jokes.

The Beach Test

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

This is fairly acccurate... How did you fare?

Takamaka Tree at Anse Lazio, Praslin, Seychelles

Takamaka Tree at Anse Lazio, Praslin, Seychelles

How to Decorate with Sea Glass Even if You're Totally Craft Challenged

By Louise Pool
I love sea glass. Call it beach glass, mermaid's tears or verre bouteille as it's known in Seychelles, it's one of my favourite materials to work with when crafting. I collect shells and driftwood whilst beachcombing, but what really makes my day is when I find a particularly lovely piece of beach glass. In Seychelles, we get mostly green (Keep them coming Seybrew drinkers!), white and brown sea glass, but once in a while I come across a rare piece of violet or blue sea glass.

I know that not everyone enjoys making things, but that's no reason not to use sea glass as a decor accent in your home. Here are some ideas for the non-crafty on how to use these beach finds in your home to celebrate the beach lifestyle.

Create the Sacred Space You Need to Survive Daily Life

By Louise Pool
Virginia Woolf said that every woman needs a room of her own to be able to write. I would go further; everybody needs some sacred space of their own to survive daily life. We all have to retreat from the mundane at times and get in touch with our spirit.

As a child, I always wanted a treehouse. It seemed like the perfect sanctuary to me, high up and hidden away from sight. In my imagination, I decorated my treehouse with exotic wall hangings and huge fluffy cushions. Unfortunately, my father had two left thumbs and couldn’t put up a shelf, let alone embark on a dwelling, however minor. Ever the resourceful child, I looked for the next best place and found it behind the Freemason’s Lodge. Nobody ever went there and it seemed sufficiently magical to qualify as a sanctuary. I spent a lot of time just sitting and dreaming and also set up a graveyard for dead birds there. I particularly enjoyed holding funerals for the poor birds. My mother called me a morbid child…

Did You Know You Can Eat Coconut Sprouts?

And that they taste like manna from heaven?

Coconut sprouts are called uto in the Cook Islands, o'o in Samoa, manzanas de coco (coconut apples) in Latin America and here in Seychelles we call them koko zerm (or coco germes if you wanna be a little more high falutin'). In Hawaii, this food was considered so powerful that only the royals were allowed to eat it.

Overcast day at Anse Source D'Argent La Digue