Despite the weather turning really cold over the last few weeks, it is actually still Autumn. The leaves have turned beautiful shades of red and orange. The evenings have gotten darker and cooler. I have already written blog posts about Spring & Summer, so what better theme for a short and sweet blog post this month than Life’s Little Things brings you some Autumn Appreciation.
Beautiful fallen Autumn Leaves
The trees are turning red & orange
There is so much I love about Autumn. When I finish work in the evenings, the air is feeling cooler, crisper & cleaner. Everything seems a lot quieter as people are spending less time in their gardens in the evening. The smell of log fires is getting stronger & when the weather is nice enough I watch the sun set in a beautiful pastel rainbow sky. The kids seem to really be appreciating Autumn a lot more this year & have found a new favourite game to play on their way home from school. Grabbing piles of leaves & throwing them at each other & me! I do like this time of year, as its not too hot & not too cold. The lush green leaves have nearly disappeared & the trees are getting more bare. The excitement of Halloween & Bonfire night has been & gone, but now Christmas is buzzing in the air.
I am looking forward to eating warmer, more hearty meals as Autumn moves into Winter. Keep your eyes peeled for my next blog post coming soon, which will be an Autumnal recipe that will keep you toasty as the weather gets colder. In the mean time keep an eye on my other social media channels, Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest, for more frequent posts. Enjoy the rest of Autumn.
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!
Little seedlings!
All planted & growing.
Peas, carrots & onions!
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.
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 are starting to appear on trees.
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.
Planting carrot seeds.
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.
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.
