Hygge…

I’ve lived in the Northeast my entire life, with four definitive seasons. I’ve always loved fall and got married on the sweetest day of the year, the third Saturday in October. 

Last week, I felt it coming, and so did Klaus. We both entered grizzly mode this week, always hungry and tired no matter what we did. I have been saying this for decades.

Think about September, the month when we begin to prepare ourselves for winter.  People crave pumpkin spice, fuzzy boots, flannel shirts and hoodies, warm, cozy blankets, harvest decor, and warming soup bowls. 

I’m guilty of all of it. I got out my mini pumpkins and a small amount of Halloween decor and carefully placed them around the house. 

This is our body telling us to prepare for winter, not because we see so much fall shit in every store we go in. 

You begin to see comfort food recipes and photos on magazine covers near the checkout areas in grocery stores—those clever bastards. 

I am guilty of loving all those things in September; I feel it inside, not because Amazon, TJ Maxx, or Better Homes and Garden magazines convinced me.

The Danish and Norwegian people have been living the Hygge way; it’s the way they can make it through a long, dark, and cold winter.

New Year’s Eve dinner last year at Martin’s place. How beautiful it looked, very Hygge.

The togetherness part of Hygge, I feel as well. Last week, I invited our friends to come for an Oktoberfest dinner party. I need to see my friends not only because I love to entertain, I need to.

In the invitation, I said I wanted to get everyone together to have cocktails or wine while eating some delicious, seasonal food made with love. 

Right away, I got texts from our friends telling me they could come. Menu planning started before the invite, but now it was full steam ahead. I already have my shopping list ready. Yay!

Many people think all this fall and winter shit is ridiculous, but say that to any women at Home Goods, they will flatten you instantly, screaming, “Get the hell out of here!”

Do whatever makes you and your family feel warm and cozy—buying everyone new slippers or matching pajamas for Christmas or making Hygge baskets as gifts with items like tea, socks, a book, knitting needles and yarn, hot chocolate. You get it.

I love fall and winter candles, which make me feel the warm fuzzies. I am a person who enjoys good smells; Sam is the same way. 

I was bummed that I can no longer burn any old seasonal candles. Their smell makes me cough my head off and gives me a headache. This never happened until my lung issues started.

Candles made with essential oils, as I use in my diffuser, are okay, and they are better for our home environment and my health.

I ordered a couple of fall-scented candles from Mrs. Meyers; winter scents are not available yet.  Seasonal scents of candles, soaps, and cleaning products are only available for a limited time. I can’t wait until Iowa Pine is out, my favorite.

I’ve started to crave comfort food and have been freezing servings for two when I make our dinners now. Perfect to pull out of the freezer for quick and easy winter dinners. I feel like a squirrel storing acorns for the winter.

Right now, I’m drinking tea while wearing my fuzzy blush pink robe with a fuzzy blanket on my legs; Nelly is curled up beside me. It’s 44 degrees outside this morning. Hygge.

We eat by candlelight on many nights; I burn scentless pillars all year, but now, I want them in every room since it gets dark so much earlier. The warm glow is so cozy. Hygge. 

I am meal planning, which I do on Sundays, choosing mostly cozy and comforting food. I’m eating oatmeal for breakfast since I am craving it big time. Hygge

I’ve picked up my Kindle again and started looking for new books to read this winter. Hygge. 

I’ve switched back to two fingers of bourbon as a nightcap and want old-fashioned cocktails instead of margaritas and gin & tonics. Hygge. 

I want to bake pumpkin bread, popovers, and scones. I don’t enjoy baking as much as cooking, but there is something about this time of year and the urge to bake. I love the smells from baking when it fills the home. Hygge.

I moved my flannelly-type shirts, sweaters, hoodies, and jeans front and center, tucking my shorts and tank tops behind them. I organized my scarves, hats, and gloves. Hygge.

Before 2017, when Hygge became an international hit, it was an instinctive thing we had been doing all along, just like the Danish and Norwegian people.

Happy Fall y’all. 🍂🍁