I settled down today at the office on the hottest day we’ve had for a while. Not a day sensibly for lighting a candle, and yet I did.

I like having a candle in the office, especially on dark and dreek days. It adds a touch of cosiness, of warmth and homeliness. More often than not it’s a scented candle. This summer was a St Eval Sea Salt scented candle in a delicious pottery container, but now the evenings are drawing in and the mornings starting with a sheen of mist (even though it burns off quickly in the heat of the day) then it’s time to switch fragrances for a new season.

So, enter the Liverpool Candle Company and their range. I treated myself to two of their candles this month and…. indeed…. am delighted to know that not only can my candle needs be met with smoke free, hand poured soy candles but also that the candle will be hand delivered by the owner because it’s made somewhere in my end of the city. The names of the candles are totally local, too: Take Me To Another Place is about Antony Gormley’s fantastic iron men in Crosby, while Picnic by the Palm House is about Sefton Park’s Victorian greenhouse and the large park surrounding it, and Mersey Ferry Crossing needs no explanation.

I wonder where they’ll use as inspiration next? I’d love a frankincense myrrh and sandalwood richly scented candle, possibly named Hope Street after the two cathedrals that bookend the street. Or a Beatles inspired one with a mix of some of the scents named in their songs. Norwegian wood, for one…. possibly a rose scented candle to commemorate the meeting of John and Paul at the crowning of the Rose Queen at Woolton School Fete in 1957. They could call it The Day John Met Paul, and contact St Peter’s Church to see if they’d like to stock it.

I can see my few Christmas presents that I need to purchase this year being a candle in one of their delicious fragrances. For now, I’m happy in my office with my Sunday Morning Coffee candle smelling of vanilla, coffee and all things sweet. Why can’t I enjoy Sunday on a Tuesday?

I’ve decided to have one header for the whole season of small things: it’s one of my favourite pictures by Alex Geerts on Unsplash. I love the whole colour scheme, which just makes me feel so autumnal. I love the socks, the book, the blanket, the tea, the leaves and pumpkin. There are so many small pleasures in the picture, it’s like my ambition for this whole series in one simple shot.

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. August is like a pause before real life begins again in September, so it’s a second chance to set up rituals and rhythms that boost happiness and work for you.

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.

On the principle that it’s never too early to start thinking ahead, really, and that Christmas is always on us before we know, how about Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas? Christmas is about the small things in life, much as hygge is, and establishing what you want from Christmas and then being able to say no to the excess is important. The book has hints and tips that hopefully will help you enjoy what is, too often, a frantic season.

Available as just an ebook, and a short, sharp read, is Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas: Easy Ways to keep the Joy of Christmas, and your Sanity, intact. It’s an easy read, with ideas and hints to keep you sane through the season. The self-care advent calendar is one I’ve followed for a few years now, and it really is a small daily dose of calm in a manic month.

And on the basis that we may well find ourselves in Lockdowns or unable to enjoy an absolutely normal Christmas under Covid regulations if numbers spike, why not read and plan alternatives? Celebrating a Contagious Christmas was written in response to the pandemic last year, and will need updating soon, but it is about celebrating whatever the situation, and does have good advice on stocking up an emergency cupboard, celebrating when travelling to relatives is impossible and putting the heart of Christmas back into the heart of the celebrations.

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, and read the other posts in the series, too.

My September of Small Things:

Day One: A New Book on the Kindle and a New Tea

Day Two: Five Minutes Crochet and a New Place to Visit

Day Three: Plants, Naturally

Day Four: A New Magazine that Really Suits Me

Day Five: Autumnal Decor Ready for the Harvest

Day Six: Planning in the Golden Afternoon Light

Day Seven: When Every Day Smells Like Your Favourite Coffee Shop