There’s something truly special about the few weeks of fall we’re experiencing right now. The leaves have burst into their brightest colors and there’s a crisp chill in the air that invites us to nestle into our cozy sweatshirts and warm socks. The anticipation of the holidays to come is just beginning to spark. It seems like everything has just a dash of cinnamon in it.
Yet, this year more than ever, it’s difficult to allow ourselves to become too anticipatory of what’s to come. With concerns about the pandemic and cases rising, it’s hard to know what the winter will bring. Indeed, this fall and winter might be unlike any we have ever experienced, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be wonderful amidst the chaos of uncertainty.
In fact, while this summer was very different than we had expected, there were many good and special moments as we tried new activities and broke out of our regular rhythms. If we approach this year’s holiday season with the same mindset, we might surprise ourselves with what a disruption of normal can produce.
As I think about how my family will approach this fall and winter, I’m considering some fresh ideas for things we can safely do inside when it’s too cold to go outside. With each idea, I’m trying to evoke the feeling of “hygge,” the Danish lifestyle mindset best defined as “coziness and connection.” What can I do to the way my home looks, smells and feels to make it warmer and cozier as the weather cools? What activities can we plan to intentionally connect with each other at home?
One way I’ll evoke hygge will be in the resurrection of old family recipes and experimenting with new ones. The fragrance of a hearty soup simmering on the stove or a roast braising in the oven can bring an immense amount of comfort to our souls, breaking us out of the frenzy of fast food culture. I’ll slow down and teach my children to prepare our ingredients for a feast that takes hours to perfect.
Colleen Cook works full-time as the Director of Operations at Vinyl Marketing in Ashland, where she resides with her husband Mike and three young daughters. She’s an insatiable extrovert who enjoys finding reasons to gather people.
Another way I’d like to invite the feeling of coziness into my home this year in the absence of normal festivities is to snuggle under a plush throw blanket and read together. While my youngest children might be too small for a longer story, I’m hopeful that snuggling up and reading something a little longer than our typical bedtime stories will be a part of our winter months.
When we’re stuck indoors in the bleak of the winter, finding ways to spruce up our spaces may be a great way to breathe fresh life into them. I’m considering small decorating upgrades I can do to a space: new fabrics, artwork, furniture, paint or flooring ideas that won’t be an overwhelming amount of work, but will spark joy as we go about our daily lives in the space. Another easy way to add variety to a space is to simply declutter it. As we simplify our lives, we can feel the freedom of release.
Finally, above all, I’m going to do my best to stay present in the moment and not worry about what’s to come. This year has been a challenging one in that respect, leaving us wondering what shoe is about to drop. Giving ourselves space to enjoy and delight in the good moments and tackle the hard ones as they come and not before might be the best gift we give to ourselves this year.
