When did it become September? Did I blink and it turned leaf over night?

Whatever, I have belatedly remembered that I haven’t even in any way shape or form mentioned September Small Things before now this year. Of course, I’m doing it. This year, especially, spotting the small and cheerfully domestic is something I need more than ever. I have no doubt it may well be the same kind of things that enchanted me last year and the year before and the year before that… hot drinks, cold pints, plentiful stews and casseroles, friends, family and a reminder that this life is so short, so precious and filled with small jewels it would be easy to miss in the busy-ness of the world.

I’m currently phone-less, using a temporary replacement and chasing up my proper one which, I hope, is in the Phone Hospital and being repaired, so I have no access to Instagram or Facebook even except at my desk. I’ll catch up, once the baby is returned or replaced, but for now I’m making a note in my planner, taking a photo and storing in a folder in my Cloud and, hopefully, remembering to update this post at regular intervals.

If you’d like to see my past posts, I’ve put links below, and you are absolutely welcome to join in on any socials you have access to. Let me know in the comments where you post and I’ll be over as soon as I have access again. Hashtag #SeptemberSmallThings, slow down and enjoy the path.

September Small Things 2026:

1. Setting up my slimline Travel Planner
2. Proofreading my daughter’s MSc Dissertation because a. I have a daughter clever enough to want to do a Masters and b. She has dyslexia, so her spelling gets creative and it has to be a side-by-side task as I ask her what she meant to say.
3. Getting to the due date on an assignment knowing I sent it in 12 days early.
4. Flying. I will never not get excited on take off, and how can anyone look out as the weather changes from grey and miserable to blue skies above a sea of cloud and not catch their breath?
5. The Wawel Dragon in Krakow. It’s a statue at the foot of Wawel Hill that blows fire at irregular intervals, so every time is a surprise.
6. The Wieliczka Salt mines, especially the salt artworks and the grand Cathedral made from salt. It’s stunning.
7. Getting a heart for my Pandora bracelet to show where I’ve been.
8. Discovering new-to-me artists because different countries have different hero artists. Wyspiański, Mehoffer and Jan Matejko are all Polish artists that I had never heard of before.
9. Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels. Is there a better lunch than that?
10. Peasant crafts. I love embroidery, wood carving and homemade crafts. I got my fill in the Ethnographic museum in Kazimierz, Krakow.
11. Sleeping in my own bed with proper sheets. There is nothing like staying at home for real comfortt.
12. Filled pasta with mushroom sauce.
13. Getting to Church and having a really deep sermon that makes you think.
14. Flowers for the mantelpiece.
15. Finally putting out the Autumn doorwreath. Let the Fall of Leaves commence!
16. Bookclub! The theme was Perseverance, the recommendations were fun and the company was great.
17. My Course started again. It was so good to see everyone after a summer ‘off’ (the most un-restful summer I’ve had in a while!)
18. Having a meal cooked for you (in this case, by my son, David)
19. Getting Into a Box and Sorting Things Out. Decluttering, you know what I mean?
20. A Daughter safely arrived to her holiday destination. Thank God.
21. Bible Study. As a Church we’re studying Luke’s Gospel from start to finish so, as well as a Sunday sermon on a small part, we have a Monday Bible study on the bits in between. Cake, tea or coffee and really good discussions.
22. Hobbit Day! We had a lovely meal together and I had a quiet evening alone to watch whatever I wanted to. Cozy.
23. An unexpected afternoon out. The Husband and I went with standby tickets to watch a show being recorded and didn’t get in, so we stopped for an afternoon drink in the sun and visited a nearby Art Gallery.
24. Clearing a desk and building new shelves to store the office bits.

In Need of a Reminder?

Here are my past posts on September Small Things (you know I start with enthusiasm and end up not completing because life gets in the way) which may give you some inspiration and a reminder on how it’s always the small things that matter.

2018: The First recorded Instance of September Small Things that I could find on my blog.

2021: First post, books and tea.

2023: Small Things and La Rentree, because September is always a month of beginnings, even when you’re not at school.

2023: The Finished List. I didn’t record every day because *life*, but I did keep the list.

2024: The Introductory Post. This was the year my Mum died, but she was in hospital from halfway through September, so small things both anchored me and never got recorded.

2025: Last year’s post. I’ve had my hiatus, a complete rest from life, writing, posting etc and now I’m back. Love is in the small things, and God is Love so God is in the small things.

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 my non-Christmas books 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.

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 is of a few moments peace in a local pub, The Elephant, in Woolton. I had a meeting there, and was early. It never occurred to me that I could just go to a pub, sit at a table and enjoy a mocktail alone. I’m doing it again, I tell you.