These are my new best friend when it comes to all things cooking! I’ve got two pairs of kitchen scissors which come apart for easy cleaning and can be used for cutting up all sorts of things. My poor coordination, lack of dexterity and difficulty concentrating (causing my limbs to wander off) make it difficult to use a knife; so where possible I now use scissors! For example, after using a knife to remove the top and bottom of the pepper, use scissors to cut it into small strips, cubes it in chunks! Other scissor friendly food items include raw meats and cheese.

As soon as I started struggling to withstand, I acquired a perching stool. Yet it always seemed to be in the wrong place when needed, plus and size of my kitchen meant I was constantly having to stand up to reach items. Frustrated by my need to be seated safely whilst handling anything sharp or hot, I decided to invest in a saddle stool. Commonly used by medical professionals such as physios and osteopaths during clinics, this was the perfect solution to my struggles. I still can’t spend large amounts of time in the kitchen (hence the ready-made pizza), but I can now safely transfer the hot pizza from the oven to the worktop whilst sitting down. My balance is much more stable, and I can move around more easily by gently pushing my feet.

I found this item in the middle of Lidl, which was such a pleasant surprise. The other shoppers must have thought I was rather odd for getting so excited over a washing basket! But the reason I love this basket so much is that it has shopping basket style handles, making it easy to carry and manoeuvre. It’s also slightly smaller than a standard washing basket so you don’t knock things flying at every turn.

Best of all, I can carry the basket in one hand whilst using my stick in the other. Allowing me to concentrate on maintaining my balance and looking ahead for obstacles like furniture and corners. It also perfectly fits on my lap when using my stairlift. So even though I now need help with the physical process of managing my laundry, this item allows me to put loads in the washing machine and transfer loads to the tumble dryer. Being able to independently complete even a small part of the process, a task that may seem small to most but is really fulfilling for me.