It’s been a slow week at work so far. I was off Monday and Tuesday the Boss was out so, once the written work was finished I could spend some time just…. chilling.

I’m fortunate that I have a position where I get to organise myself and there is space to think, dream and plan. I had the planner out and my Evernote app open on the ‘puter.

After my post last week about crafting a life you don’t want to escape from, I got a little distracted by the (many) posts urging me to ‘Romanticize’ my life. I read them (not all, but a lot) and I came to a realisation:

Romanticizing life is just the latest label for enjoying a simpler, easier, slightly nostalgic, handmade, handcrafted and curated with love kind of life. It’s the 2025 version of Simple Abundance, of Hygge, of Live the Life You Love, of Domestic Goddess crossed with Traditional Homemaker crossed with Real Life that has been going on since at least the 1950s, and probably before.

The ‘Romanticize Your Life’ lists were a lot like the ‘Simple Pleasures’ lists in my 1990s Filofax, the ‘Puttery Treats’ of the 2000 and the ‘Mindful Moments’ of the 2010. A lot like. The aesthetic may change slightly, but the fundamental principle: that it is the details of life that make hard times bearable…. that hasn’t changed. In other words, it’s the small things in life that help when the big things (job, school, romance, family problems) cannot be altered and you need to reclaim some element of control. And that taking notice of those little things, putting time and effort into making life as cosy as possible *despite* the externals helps one to handle less-than-perfect situations.

I love the idea that it is a way of making yourself the leading lady in your own rom-com, basically, (whether there’s a love interest or not) of casting yourself as the star in your own movie of your life. I know we need to be altruistic and share the love, goods, joy… but there are times in life when pure self-care needs to happen. We might as well have a list of things to boost that so, yes, I did compile a list of ways to romanticize/upscale/level up the basics of my life. I’ll also probably do a blog post about that, soon.

But it’s 20th August today and there are 11 days left until September, so I thought it would be worth a reminder that #septembersmallthings is coming up and that it really does help me to stop at the start of a new season, catch my breath and start the autumn/winter run with my happiness tank full.

Same rules as ever: record one small thing a day that makes you happy, smile, brings joy or just adds a frippery of pleasure to mundane existence. It could be a joke, a meme, a cup of tea that was perfect, a new scarf, a book, a magazine, seeing a favourite episode of a comedy show, finding a lot earring. eating the last perfect peach of the year or the first apple crumble and custard.

I’ll be writing my physical list in whichever planner I’m in that week, a virtual list in Evernote and a post as often as I can on Instagram, on the Facebook Page for How to Hygge The British Way and in The Hygge Nook. I’ll also aim to do a catch up post once a week or fortnightly on the blog. You’re very welcome to join me. Use the hashtags #septembersmallthings #smallthings and #gratitude and let’s spread the sunshine joy this Autumn!

If you’d like to read my past posts on September Small things they are here:

2024: September Is Coming: A Month of Small Things

2023: September Small Things…. Are You In?

2021: Life is Made Up of the Small Things

2018: A September of #smallthings

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. 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.

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 but Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas may be a faster and more seasonally appropriate read.

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 Winter 2026.

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 by Svitlana on Unsplash. It just screams autumn: the rainy window, the teapot and a chunky mug, the pumpkin decoration and the bowl of autumn’s fruits. The only thing that’s missing is a stove or woodburning fire.