The picture is by Katya Ross on Unsplash. Those aren’t my toes, which are rarely even, and those definitely aren’t my ankles, which swell in the heat and cause me concern. Shorts and skirts are definitely off my list for the moment.

But the idea: of spending time relaxing with something good to read, something good to drink and surrounded by nature… that’s the plan.

July and August feel very disjointed. Because we work for ourselves, we don’t do long breaks (no three week trips around Europe for us… yet!) but we do do a series of weekends or long weekends and we have quite a few booked. Add to that the timetables of three adult children still at home and elderly parents still in their home, and life is quite busy.

I’m taking time off to handle it all. Going Cold Turkey from Midsummer to September at least. I thoroughly intend to bathe myself in good food, good wine, good books, good movies and TV, good days and holidays out. I’ll record it all on my camera, perhaps, but not to share, at least not straight away.

I want to retreat and regroup. I want time to sit and stare, to find a favourite tree in the local park again, to make summer food and have long evenings to enjoy it. This will be my last post until September, when I’ll be back again.

I hope you all have a lovely summer season: may God bless you and bring you enough simple joys to handle the stressful issues.

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted to me or bought by me with my everyday wages or donations from supporters. Every book I review has been bought and read by me, unless stated otherwise.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. It always feels good if you get a book back in return for some money. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are:

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better. Lent is a season of rituals and resets. The book has small and easy ways to make your life flow with grace and happiness, which lead to more hygge.

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human. And it’s always the little things.

Is it too early to think ahead? My Christmas books are always available: Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas is a good place to start, on how to make the season cosier, happier. Celebrating a Contagious Christmas was written during covid year, but has useful advice on celebrating when times are hard anyway and Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas is a short e-book on keeping Christmas simpler, easier and better for you, your waistline and your budget. It even includes 25+ suggestions for self-care activities over Christmas, as simple as sipping tea, keeping a list journal or lighting a candle. Bigger is not always better for Christmas.

I’m currently working on two book projects: I have a hankering to rewrite 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way, so it’s not available at the moment, but even dearer to my heart and my next stated aim is to finish and publish my next book, Simple Plus Cosy = Hygge. It will be about homemaking and how the home we create shapes the hygge we have. Hopefully it will be finished by the end of summer/autumn/winter 2024 or 2025.

If you’d like to support me, but don’t want to buy a book, I have a Paypal.Me account as Hygge Jem. Every little helps, so even a few pence goes towards the books, goods and courses I use and recommend on the site. I’m grateful for every little bit that brings me closer to my dream of full-time writing, and I know I couldn’t still be writing if it weren’t for the support of many readers and friends out there. Thank you all for every little bit of support, emotional, physical and financial, you give me.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it or save it so others can enjoy reading, thinking about and living hygge as well.

The photo between post and promotions is by Laurentiu Iordache on Unsplash. Summer brings poppies, and a glorious sun that eventually has to set.