There are days when waking and having an hour of peace is absolutely wonderful. And there are days when the bed calls me back. Today was the second sort of day, so after waving Son Number 1 off to work at 8, I crept back into my warm bed and had a half hour of cosy wrapped up resting. I don’t very often drop off … Continue reading Five Minutes Crochet and a New Place to Visit: September Small Things Day 2.
When I was a little girl my Mum used to accuse me of building castles in the air. Meaning my plans were baseless and had little chance of succeeding. I think she was referring to my alternative careers as a princess, astronaut, Olympic gymnast and shepherdess in a Thomas Hardy novel. Oh… and international musical sensation. I had very little chance of being any of … Continue reading My Life Needs More Castles.
I have a weekend away booked for next week, to Leamington Spa. It’s a beautiful town in the Midlands that made it as a spa town in the early 19th Century when spa towns were *the* place to be. It’s a romantic little break, just Mr Hygge Jem and me, and we will spend our time wandering through the streets of Leamington, Stratford and Warwick, … Continue reading Five Words for August.
Sometimes holidays just seem like the hardest task we set ourselves. Prepping for going away, washing, packing, listmaking, arranging for pet care, parent care, tidying ready to go away, travelling (worse yet if it’s abroad and all the extra worries of foreign travel are piled on top). Sometimes it’s just so much easier to stay home. When the children were small, we used to visit … Continue reading Nefyn. Not This Year, Except in My Dreams.
I know hygge has no rules… because it’s a very personal thing and what makes me feel hyggely may well be what makes you feel antipathy… but there are certain things that act as guidelines. Not fixed, immovable rules, but ideas that can help, especially if at a certain point in your life you’ve just hit a brick wall of chaos or doubt that has … Continue reading Hygge Guidance for a Good Life.
I’ve been enjoying myself this week reading up on ancient philosophies, specifically the Stoics. I know. Don’t ask. Philosophy (root words: philo meaning love and sophia meaning wisdom) is described by Wikipedia as the “study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about reason, existence, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved.” Or, as … Continue reading Lessons from the Porches of Antiquity
Simply Living Well has the subtitle A Guide to Creating a Natural, Low-waste Home. Living well, living simply are cornerstones of my life, and I am always keen to read up on how other people live and see how environmental principles can be embedded in daily living for everyone. Julia Watkins is the creative force behind @simply.living.well on Instagram. It’s a beautiful feed, classy, elegant, … Continue reading Book Friday: Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins.
Continuing my work-through of The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown. Yes, it’s taking me ages. Yes, we’re nearly finished. Yes, it has worked on getting me to live wholeheartedly. The subtitle of this chapter is “Letting Go of Anxiety as a Lifetstyle”. So many things nowadays get pushed as a ‘lifestyle’. Even hygge, back in 2016, was being pushed as a ‘lifestyle fad’. The … Continue reading Cultivating Calm and Stillness: Wholehearted Living Guidepost part 8
How to Hygge the British Way 