I am not the world’s best at waiting. I don’t hold secrets well, and when I was younger used to drive my brothers wild by taunting them. A lot like the Ghost of Christmas Present in Scrooged. I’m so glad I wore my pretty dress.

But these last few days before Christmas, especially for me and anyone else who started and finished organising early, are all about waiting. The presents are wrapped, the cards have been written and posted, food shopping all done bar a last top up on Christmas Eve. Work is over (for the year, if you’re lucky) and you have nothing else left to do apart from wait.

Oh, who am I trying to kid? There is so much left to do before Christmas that the chance to sit and wait would be a miracle. There’s a last Christmas clean to do, washing to clear off the settees so people can sit down, food to shop for (still) and last-minute presents and cards to deliver. That’s before I start my mammoth baking session on Christmas Eve, and food prep for the day itself. You can always find another thing on the to do list.

And yet…. finding a few minutes to stop and wait for peace to descend could be the best gift we give ourselves in the next few days. It’s no use feeding the body, if our spirits are hungering for rest. That extra cake in the tin won’t calm our spirits.

For the next few days I will do everything I can to make sure that my days are bookended by a few minutes of waiting. Just sitting still, no lists in hand or thinking allowed. Just a few minutes of being. Waiting to be me again, not some mad-cap Christmas Fairy.

I have a massive favour to ask….

I don’t monetise my blog. I don’t run adverts, take sponsorship for writing posts or use affiliate links. I want everything I do on this blog and in my hygge life outside to be truthful. If I promote a book it’s because I’ve read it and like it, if I  point out an item it’s because it’s impressed me on its own merits and not because the publicist has talked me into it. It does mean I don’t run giveaways and I’m not chasing followers, but the drawback is that I need to find a way to support myself.

That’s why I write books. My thoughts are that if I ask you to buy a book not only does it support me, and let me keep writing as an independent writer, but you get something back for your bucks. I’ve written several books, some on hygge, some on Christmas. If you like what you read here, or in the Hygge Nook, and you’d like to support a struggling writer, would you please consider buying a book? Ebooks give you the best value, since for 2 or 3 pounds you get the content of the book, but I’d be a pretty poor writer if I didn’t appreciate the beauty of a real book in the hand. If you buy just one book, it all adds up in the end to support me, and I’d be so grateful.

I have three Christmas books,

Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas was released in September 2017 and is available again in paperback and ebook version. It looks at keeping the Christmas season warm and cosy, with ideas for activities and routines to keep Christmas happy.

A (Hygge) Christmas Carol is my look at Dickens’ immortal classic and the many lessons we still learn from it today. It contains the full text of the book as well as hyggely thoughts on the story.

Enjoying a Self Care Christmas is only available in ebook version. It’s about keeping Christmas simple enough and healthy enough to keep you sane in the process.

My other books are hygge related, 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way  was my first book, and is available in Paperback and Kindle version. It’s a simple look at ways to feel more hyggely in life and at home even though we’re not Danish and don’t have it in our DNA.

How to Hygge Your Summer, in Paperback and Kindle form, has lots of good ideas for the summer months. I strongly believe that hygge is so much more than throws and warm drinks.

Happier is my fourth book. It’s about how I boost my own happiness levels. It’s full of hints, tips and ideas for you to use and adapt to suit your own situation. It is available in ebook and paperback version from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

If you buy any of the books through the links on this page, I get a couple of extra pence per copy, in Amazon vouchers which go towards buying more books to review for the blog. I’d really love it if you’d support me monetarily, but I quite understand that cash is tight for many people, and I just love having your support via reading and commenting as well.