My house is over-full. I know this, I know this and I work hard to keep it clear and clean as much as possible. I am a hoarder, though, and a maximalist in the best possible sense, in that I like good stuff and if a little is good a lot must be better.

I’m also a realist who knows that actually, no, a lot is not better and that a functional house relies on having sufficient rather than excessive. So every so often I am spurred on by events or encouragement to have a damn good clear out of books (Kindle is my favourite invention: without it, I’d have to run a library with all my books), clothes, craft stuff or other items that somehow gradually multiply or arrive at the doorstep saying ‘Keep me, Use me, I’m Yours Forever’.

The next month or so I’m having a darned good clear out. I started last month with my living room, with a re-jig and making it more into a ‘library’ area than ever before. It’s very cosy, sitting there at night surrounded by books and lamps, tea and newspapers. I cleared boxes of no-longer-needed books, games, ornaments and more out. The aim is to Konmari the place: everything will have either a meaning or a purpose in my life, and all ofthem in combination will spark joy.

Of course, then my daughter needed to get ready for Uni, my son has job hunting and work experience to find and I have my proper holidays coming up, so rather than the full days of clearing, sorting, organising I would like to have, I’m fitting it in between working, visiting parents and month-long chest infections. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I keep telling myself that.

And then my TV started trolling me.

Yes, I’m doing my best to. Give me a chance.

Although: I love Sort Your Life Out. The shows are a bit like the wonderful Perfect Housewife show from the early 2000s: something that simultaneously terrifies and inspires me. I put an episode on and there is very little else I can do but clear a space, clean a cupboard or make desperate lists of what to do next. The house will be finished. It will. It will.

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 my TV trolling me. Even my TV trolls me. How lucky am I?