Hygge, we have all heard about it’s cozy draw. Sip warm drinks in the glow of candles on game night with your friends. Love Hygge, however, those things are not really for me. Hygge is really about the feeling, the feeling of warmth and connections. And finding comfort, where you are. Hygge is a lifestyle of warmth, passion and love.
Here is how we live the Hygge lifestyle in our snowy corner of the Bold North!
*Get outside into the frosty and frigid air. Bundle up and your take Love with you, bring your dog and camera. There is such beauty in the snowy woods. Walk in the early morning and in the night under the stars. Take pictures of the bare trees and snowy landscapes. Watch your steamy breath float away.
*Take care of the nature around your home. Get bird seed with cracked corn, peanuts in the shell, chunky suet. Hang bird feeders and place platform feeders, fill them every day. Tack up suet blocks to trees. Keep track of all the birds that visit. Pick a favorite.
Name the furry squirrels who are sure to find their way to your feeders. Put up a separate feeder just for them, stuffed with peanuts in the shell. Enjoy how happy they are with their found bounty in the winter snow.
*Once home, light the fire, pull on comfortable clothes and fuzzy slippers. Pour a glass of wine, make it a dry red. Use a beautiful glass. Watch a romantic movie with the lights turned down and a few fragrant candles burning.
No fireplace? Add an electric fireplace with mood lights. Just as romantic as the real thing, truly. This gem glows in our bedroom. We have another electric fireplace in our lounge. Makes our winter nights cozy and close.
*Decorate your home in season. Winter whites and sparkly glass with greens and plants. Winter themed items . Bring out the fur throws (excellent for the Hygge lifestyle!) Add plump pillows. Drape cozy blankets over the chairs.
*Keep warm in cozy ways. Don’t crank up the furnace, layer on a cozy wool sweater, pull on fuzzy socks. Draw the curtains against the cold night, unless the moon shines through! Use a towel warmer in the bath, drape with huge fluffy white towels, make sure your robe is up to the cozy standard your towels are!
*Eat seasonal food that is light and fresh. Eat fresh salads, enjoy grapefruit at it’s sweetest juicy best, large bright oranges and clementines. Pomegranates are red bliss. Chop chunky mushrooms, peel rutabagas, saute carrots and crisp celery with dill. Eat with a winter eye.
*Enjoy the weather. Sit in front of a window and watch the snow fall, gaze at the moon, get up to gather the first rays of the sun, Ponder the sunset. How does one enjoy the “Bold North” winters? Wind chills at -30 or more ( we do live in the Bold North of Minnesota!) snow up to your knees, early nights and late dawns… Honestly it is Hygge at heart. We embrace our chilly lives, celebrate with Winter Carnivals, Ice Castles, ice fishing, skiing. Fresh air every day!
Clockwise from the top: Dressed in winter gear, sunrise on the lake, skis waiting on the porch, ice fishing- this is the frozen lake!
Such is the story of our Hygge living here in the Bold North! More to come!
Now for Us 