Cosy Time

Louise McCourt - 4 Nov 16

The other night over dinner, a friend of mine told me about an interesting concept she was going to try out with her family. ‘It’s called hygge,’ she said (pronounced hue-ga), ‘a Danish approach to enjoying time with your family.’ Now call me cynical, but as soon as she announced this I couldn’t help but think my family would probably have more fun with a box of Toffifee. In my experience, being told about a certain way to do things rarely turns out to be a good thing. So I prepared myself to be told that I needed to stamp on my iphone and set light to the sweetie drawer. But then she explained more about it, and do you know what, I was hooked.

Hygge when loosely translated means cosiness. It’s about achieving a feeling of well being and enjoying life with your family, your close friends and even your pets. And what makes it more appealing is that hygge urges people to put aside clean-living for a moment and embrace the little luxuries that make life great. My friend and I started to think about the kind of things we could do with our families and friends to embrace this trend..

Board games on the lounge floor
Toasting marshmallows over a fire pit, chimenea or barbecue
An afternoon pot of tea served with cake
A cold or rainy walk – with comfy, soft clothes and fluffy socks waiting back at home
Story telling around the fireplace (or with candles on a mantel), that could be tailored for the time of year – scary for Halloween, magical for Christmas
Saturday or Sunday afternoon in with a movie and big bowl of popcorn
Hot chocolate by candlelight

The list could go on, but you get the gist.

I started to think about what I already do with my family. We have movie afternoons and bedtime stories, but there is also a lot of time spent on tablets, not to mention my phone which is regularly swiped (even by my two year old) when I’m not looking. But without realising it, I have been doing some of these things already, and I’m sure you have too. All the same, when I saw some marshmallows at my local supermarket yesterday, I bought them to toast in the garden this weekend, something I wouldn’t have normally thought of, so having these ideas in mind will definitely give me some new motivation.

With winter upon us and the nights drawing in, it’s the perfect time to add a bit of hygge into your life. So how best to achieve this cosiness in your home this winter..

Candles or fairy lights will give your home that warmly lit feeling
Big soft rugs for the sofa
Fluffy socks all round
Getting some favourite treats in for the weekends
Looking out for movies that might be good to record (I love Harry Potter on a Saturday early evening, or Bond on a Sunday afternoon, with the roast cooking away in the kitchen)

And thinking ahead, although it’s hard to believe, in just a few months it will start getting warmer again. So in the spirit of hygge don’t let your new indulgent lifestyle end when the blossom comes out. Instead when spring has sprung, dig out your picnic basket and fill it with a delicious feast, research outdoor concerts and festivals (there are many child friendly ones), or plan a nice route to cycle and invite friends to come along too. And at home, you could take some lovely photographs, frame them and put them on your walls, or invite friends over for a cheese board, fresh bread and glass of wine, or three.

The idea of hygge is to be joyful in the moment. I, for one, am in.

Louise McCourt

Mummy of two and freelance writer. My words have made people laugh, cry and be inspired - it doesn't get much better than that.

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