Sometimes social media works in ways that make the labyrinth seem like a straight path, with easy to follow instructions… and sometimes it works just as it should.

If part of the purpose of the Algorithm is to place sites and services in front of me that I might want, then last night Facebook worked perfectly.

I love paintings that are overwhelmingly domestic: interior scenes, comfy armchairs, bookshelves, range cookers, Roberts radios, cats and/or dogs and always a sign of life. It’s my kind of relaxing art. (I do also love High Art, proper art galleries and all the pomp and ceremony that goes with visiting them) I love buying a greetings card, bringing it home and popping it onto the mantelpiece or in front of a few books. I have some by Dee Nickerson who lives a delightfully ramshackle artist’s life, and others by Marcella Cooper, whose cosy kitchen is just so appealing. I may or may not have got a green Roberts radio in my kitchen because I liked Marcella’s so much.

And yesterday Facebook pushed a suggestion towards me… had I tried Lucy Almey Bird Art? No, no I had not. Within a few minutes I’d visited her website, found and followed on Instagram and decided that a couple of greetings cards (£2.50 each, 5 for £10) were enough of a bargain to be bought. Look at them, aren’t they delightful?

I’ve re-jigged my bookshelves. I’ll be decorating my mantelpiece for Autumn this weekend, and my greetings card gallery will be on show again. Even though the sun is literally cracking the flags and the heat is oppressive, I’m living in hopes my cosy cardigans and pots of tea can soon come out to play again. I’m also trying to work out whether a large print of at least one of my domestic idyll painters could work in my dining room?

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.

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 Arno Smit on Unsplash. I wish I had a garden shed like this one! I chose it because I love the colours of the windowframes, the tantalisingly inviting open door and the comfy chair within. Perfect spot for a cup of tea and a good book. And the header today is ‘Me Time’ by Lucy Almey Bird Art.