Happiness Archives - Life's Little Things

5 July 20215 July 2021

5 little things for a happy hygge Summer!

Hey everyone! It feels like forever since I last wrote a blog post, but it’s only been a month! It is so nice to be back writing though. Since my last post we have officially entered into Summer! Woohoo! One of my favourite posts from the beginning of the year was about Hygge. (If you missed it, you can check it out here!) I love hygge in Winter, but how can you get your hygge on in Summer? Life’s little things brings you 5 little things for a happy hygge Summer!

What is hygge again?

Hygge, is the Danish way of life, where people surround themselves with simple things that bring them the most comfort and contentment. It’s normally associated with Winter, but hygge is totally achievable in Summer, just not in the same ways as Winter! Hygge is about creating happiness from the most simple things in life like the food we eat, the company we keep, a cosy, comfortable setting and being present in the moment to see, smell and really feel what is all around you.

1. BBQ

The number 1 thing I look forward to every Summer is BBQs! Whether it’s a small impromptu BBQ or a larger gathering with family & friends, I love them! Hearing the sizzle of the BBQ & that glorious smell of the food cooking. There is just something about cooking and eating food outside that makes me so happy. Apart from the delicious food, I love BBQs with friends & family as it’s more of an event, where everyone comes together & relaxes & chats & enjoys eachothers company. Whats not hygge about a good bbq?!

2. Family picnics

Sticking with the theme of eating outside, somethings else that brings me a lot of hygge happiness in Summer is a good family picnic. I love preparing & packing up our favourite treats, then heading out to somewhere like a beach, a park or a woods. Again, what is it about enjoying food outside that makes it so much more fun? I wonder if it is because when eating lunch in your home, you are surrounded by all the jobs & chores you have to do as soon as you finish eating? Being outside away from your normal humdrum lunch environment just allows you to relax, enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and the sights & sounds around you.

3. Growing & eating fruit & veg

Food again! This year we have had a go at growing our own vegetables in the garden & I have loved it! I am not naturally green fingered, so the fact that I have managed to grow anything is a miracle. I have enjoyed watering the plants everyday & seeing them grow. Its felt like quite an exciting achievement. In the last week, we (especially the kids) have been so excited that things have finally been ready to start picking & eating. It has been so wonderfully comforting & has brought a lot of happiness to pick & eat something we have grown ourselves. I highly recommend giving it a go!

4. Relaxing in the sunshine

In Summer, on those odd occasions I have a spare half an hour to myself, I love grabbing a blanket, a good book (and don’t forget that sun cream!), then finding a lovely sunny spot to relax in while I read or listen to some music or just close my eyes & listen to the (hopefully) peaceful surroundings. I love warming up in the sunshine, and just listening to the birds singing, the breeze rustling through the trees. Peace and quite. A wonderfully hygge way to slow down & be present in the world and the moment.

5. Stargazing

I think this is probably the most hygge of the 5. On a lovely clear night, what better thing is there to do than snuggle up under a blanket & gaze up at the beautiful starry night sky. While enjoying a starry night, maybe you could have a fire pit, make s’mores & drink hot chocolate or maybe just light some candles or switch on some warm glow fairy lights to create the perfectly cosy and comforting hygge outdoor space. Perfect!

I hope you all enjoy your Summer, whatever you get up to. Don’t forget to take notice of the little things in life, they are all around you! See you in a month for another post from Life’s Little Things! For more posts in the meantime check out my Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest accounts.

Take care

Jem X

24 April 202124 April 2021

5 little things for better self care

When I say ‘self care’ I’m not talking about choosing better shampoo or how often we should brush our teeth. I am talking about taking care of our emotional and mental wellbeing. This past year has been a really tough one for us all and I think it has highlighted vulnerabilities and strengths we may never have thought we had when having to deal with life during a global pandemic. For me it has highlighted how important it is to slow down and focus on the little things in life and making sure you look after yourself. So for this blog post, Life’s Little things brings you 5 little things for better self care.

Get enough sleep

Since becoming a Mum I have really come to learn and appreciate the importance of sleep! When we have gone through rough sleep patches of disturbed nights and being up with one of the kids, in the worst times I didn’t feel like myself at all. My mood would be very low and I literally couldn’t think straight. I would need a nap like the kids just to make it to the end of the day!

According to the NHS an adult needs around 8 hours of good quality sleep a night

Having a nice relaxing bedtime routine can really help with a good nights sleep. You could do things like make a ‘to do’ list and jot down all those stray thoughts that always occur just as you are getting ready to go to sleep. By getting them down on paper, you won’t need to think about them! Other ideas are listening to some relaxing music, or doing some relaxing yoga. The one recommendation I always struggle with is avoiding smartphones and tablets an hour before bed. But I am going to try harder to not work so late and give myself time to unwind before bed to help get a better nights sleep.

Getting enough sleep not only boosts your mental health and wellbeing but research shows it even boosts your immunity! After the past year, having good immunity can only be a good thing. Something as simple as getting more sleep is so good for you, so snuggle up and sweet dreams!

Talk

An article on mentalhealth.org.uk says that talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health, and can help you feel supported if you have a problem. So many times I will chew a problem over and over in my head. As soon as I talk to someone about it though, I feel so much better! Do you find that? Many times whoever I am talking to will then say they have had the same problem or worries. Just talking to someone and knowing you’re not alone in your thoughts and feelings is a great way to take care of yourself. Whether it is through text, over the phone, FaceTime or getting out for a walk with a friend, get talking.

You time

When I talk about you time, I don’t mean time on your own so you can get the housework done. I mean proper YOU time, where you do something for YOU and only YOU. Whether that is going out for a walk, a trip to the beach to have an ice cream by yourself. Maybe take yourself out for lunch and a little bit of shopping. You could set aside a little time each week to learn a new hobby. Or just relax, read a book or watch your favourite programme. Just because YOU want to.

Being a Mum to 2 young children, a lot of my time is spent doing things for others. While I don’t mind doing things for my family, every now and then it is really important that I give myself a break and do something for me. It gives me time to refresh and re-energise. I am a better Mum, Wife and person when I return.

Escapism

There is so much going on in the world. We have the news and social media constantly at our fingertips telling us the good, the bad and the ugly all the time. I love nothing more than a bit of escapism every now and then to get away from it all. I love getting lost in a good book or engrossed in a film. I’ll admit, when things get tough I normally turn to a Disney film, or my favourite tv programme, Friends. It’s even better if you know what you are watching really well because just for a little bit you can completely switch off your brain and not even have to think! Or I love putting on some of my favourite music and singing along like no one is listening and dancing around like no one is watching.

It’s ok to ask for help

Something that is really really important to remember about self care is that you don’t have to know all the answers. You don’t have to know exactly how is best to look after your mental and emotional wellbeing, or why you feel the way you do, or exactly how you can make yourself feel better. You don’t have to know everything about how to bring up kids, or how to deal with a global pandemic or just deal with life in general. There are many places, organisations and people that you can reach out to for help.

Should you feel you need to reach out for help or advice please check out the list of numbers available at mind.org, nhs.uk or here is a selection below.

Taking a bit of time to look after yourself whenever you need it, will not only benefit you but also those around you. These are just 5 little things for better self care, but there are plenty more things that you could do. I have lots of ideas saved over on the Life’s Little Things Happiness and Mindfulness board on Pinterest. For a little happiness boost, you could always check out my blog post about Hygge, or for some motivation and inspiration you could check out 9 little quotes to live by – Part 1.

See you in 2 weeks. For more posts you can check out my Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest accounts.

Take care,

Jem X

13 March 202113 March 2021

Spring is on its way!

After what has felt like a very long and very cold winter, have you noticed the sun starting to shine a bit more lately? Doesn’t it just make you feel uplifted? Hopeful of the warmer weather to come? Spring is on its way!

Spring Equinox

Next weekend is the Spring equinox, so the mornings will be getting lighter and the evenings will be getting longer. Like the animals that are beginning to creep out of hibernation, I feel like we have started creeping out of hibernation from inside the house. Although it has still been cold, I’ve started to feel more warmth in the sunshine. It has been lovely to start opening up the windows wide to let in some of the fresh cool air, to get some washing out on the washing line and to start getting out in the garden. While out on a little walk the other day, I saw that colour is starting to appear as new leaves are growing on the trees and daffodils and other flowers have begun to pop up. It was wonderful to hear the birds chirping and to be hit by the smell freshly cut grass!

Leaves growing on the trees. — Leaves are starting to appear on trees.

Daffodils growing in the garden. — Daffodils are brightening up gardens.

Planting Seeds

I am excited for this coming spring as I am going to try and grow some fruits and vegetables. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time but I don’t have the greenest of fingers! Last weekend we planted some carrots, peppers, strawberries and snap dragons. It was a lovely thing to get the kids involved in. They loved getting all muddy (of course!) and helping with planting the seeds. I’m sure they are going to love watching them grow and eventually help harvest what we have grown. I am looking forward to planting more vegetables over the next few weeks.

Giving the seeds some water. — Giving the seeds a good water. Maybe a little too much!

I will keep you posted over on Life’s Little Things Facebook and Instagram pages about how well our seeds grow. Hope you all enjoy the start of spring and that it brings you some happiness and hope of better things to come as it has for me. If you need a little ‘pick me up’, check out my last blog post 9 little quotes to live by – Part 1. It is made up of some brilliantly motivational and inspiring quotes.

Take care,

Jem X

30 January 202112 March 2021

Life’s Little Things brings you Hygge. (Something we all need right now.)

Hygge? What on earth is hygge I hear you ask? Well let Life’s Little Things paint you a little picture…

I love winter. Wrapping up in jumpers, scarfs, hats, and gloves. Going for a lovely walk in the winter sun. Blowing the cobwebs away in the cold, crisp, cleansing air. I like staying out just long enough for the tips of my fingers and toes to go cold. Then the best bit, walking through the front door of my home. The warmth of the heating washes over me like a warm bath. The smell of something delicious in the slow cooker hits me and I warm up on the inside at just the thought of eating it! There are also those wet and windy winter days where I snuggle up on the sofa with my loved ones. Dressed in my comfy clothes and fluffy socks, watching the rain on the windows. A hot chocolate in hand and the living room bathed in the warm glow of lamps and candles.

Candles, blankets, hot chocolate and popcorn. Very hygge!

So what is hygge?!

A warm and cosy space, comforting food, good company, hot drinks. All these things generate a warm glow right in my core. They make me feel happy, cosy and contented. Did you know that there is a word for that feeling? It’s Hygge! (Pronounced hoo-ga.) It comes from the Danish way of life, where people surround themselves with simple things that brings them the most comfort and contentment. Denmark has very cold and very dark winters, yet is ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world! They must know what they are doing!

Hygge is not about material items bringing us happiness, it is about creating happiness from the most simple things like the food we eat, the company we keep and a cosy setting. It is about turning off your phones and tablets and being present in the moment to see, smell and really feel what is all around you. In a time when we can’t hug our loved ones and friends, I think we all need a little hygge. Hygge can be slightly different for everyone and interpreted in your own way. Everyone has different things that makes them feel happy after all.

To me, Hygge is about home

It is about what is within my 4 walls, the comforts as well as the people. We have very busy lives and barely stop during the week. With homeschooling, looking after a toddler, working, chores, home improvements etc. So I do try my best to make Sundays, our most peaceful day of the week, as hygge as I can. Last Sunday was no exception. A very delicious lamb stew bubbled away in the slow cooker all day. Unlike most of the country, we unfortunately didn’t get any snow (snow would have been sooooooo hygge!!) but we still played in the garden and got all chilly. After a lovely warm bath for the kids, we tucked into the stew, which certainly warmed us up. I love belly warmer dinners, the ones that you can still feel all warm inside your tummy for ages after. After tea, we shut the curtains, turned on the lamps, fairylights and lit some candles. A wax melt filled the room with the scent of Main Street Bakery in Walt Disney World (warm cookies!!!). Then all 4 of us snuggled up on the sofa under a blanket and watched ‘The Snail and The Whale’ together before it was time for the kids to go to bed. This is always my very favourite part of the week, when we just all stop and are present and have time to appreciate what we have.

Choose Hygge

The outside world feels like the complete opposite of hygge at the moment. It is all about staying away from people. It is sterile and cold with rubber gloves and masks and news reports glowing white with hospital lights. All these things need to be happening in the world right now to help keep us all as safe as possible and to help stop the spread of the virus. We don’t have any choice in that. Where we do have a choice though is within our own home.

Treat yourself to some hygge time this week. It doesn’t have to be big, after all, here at Life’s Little Things it’s all about the little things in life. Treat yourself to your favourite comforting meal when you next go shopping, your favourite sweet treat or get some of your favourite hot drink. Snuggle up on the sofa and watch your favourite tv programme, a film, read a book. Take a deep breath, smile and forget all about the world outside.

At the end of the film Trainspotting there is the famous ‘Choose Life’ monologue. Well, I have come up with one of my own. Choose good food, choose good company (socially distanced where necessary until allowed otherwise!), choose blankets, choose cushions, choose candles, choose cosy, choose comfy, choose hygge!

The most hygge time of year is Christmas, so I will definitely be bringing you a little more hygge later on in the year. Until next time, you can check out my previous blog posts (Welcome to Life’s Little Things and A little bit about me) or check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for posts during the week.

Take care!

Jem X