It is wonderful and necessary to make life simpler, but also trying to keep it exciting. I have been pinning on pinterest for at least 7 years now. For the last maybe 3 years, I have been seeing and pinning things in relation to Hygge. Hygge [pronounced hoo-gah] is a Danish term for a lifestyle that brings simplicity, coziness, and contentment.
With the way this year has been, I have been feeling like we need to make some changes. This year, despite the global chaos going on, I have just felt like we haven’t had a chance to really be present. Everyday just seems to pass. A week use to feel like a drag, but now I blink and it is Monday again. How we are already in September, it feels like I woke up from a coma and can’t remember the last few months. How are we here already?
Needless to say, I have been trying to find ways to slow down; to be present. So, as a family, we decided to try this 7 day Hygge challenge that I found on pinterest.
I figured it would be fun to document the week. Perhaps we would learn something new to start incorporating more often. Perhaps you may be sitting there feeling the same way we were and can find something to take away from our experience.
I give you, our experience with the 7 day Hygge challenge.
Originally we planned to start this on a Sunday. I don’t remember why that didn’t happen, but then Monday was a holiday so that changed our routine a little bit. So, we wound up starting on Tuesday, but then combining day 1 and day 3 into 1 night.
[Tuesday] Day 1. Buy some flowers or plants to add some greenery indoors.
So, a little explanation here before the pictures. Plants don’t do well inside my house, though I have tried a few different ones. The cats tend to go after them all and I will be completely honest, I do not have a green thumb. So when I saw that this was on the challenge, I decided I could still interpret it to my liking. With Fall on the forefront here, I decided it was time to switch out some of our decor for Fall decor. The week before we started this challenge, Chris brought me home a lovely bouquet of flowers. So, I decided to include those too!
[Wednesday] Day 2 (combined Monday’s with Wednesday’s challenge) Cook dinner and have a candlelit dinner with music. Have a screen free evening playing board games or cozying up with a good book.
The kids really enjoyed the candelit dinner. It was calm while it lasted.
I made a ham and roasted carrots with candied pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese.
We let the kids choose the games. We wound up playing Operation, Sorry, and Battleship.
[Thursday] Day 4. Create something: sketch, write, bake cookies, or knit.
I am always working on creating something. On this day specifically I did a craft project for Halloween. We found this jewelry box of sorts at Goodwill for $2. I had everything else at home, a hot glue gun and paints.
[Friday] Day 5. Watch a film with family or friends with lots of cozy blankets and hot beverages.
We had a somewhat busy evening going to Target and Michael’s. I did order some delivery from my favorite pizza place here in town. I didn’t have hot beverages, but Monkey did get a milkshake. We camped out in our room watching movies with a couple of fall candles going. I didn’t take pictures, but we watched Spookly The Square Pumpkin.
[Saturday] Day 6. Have a leisurely morning.
I was glad that this happened today. I had a rough night, staying up until somewhere around 3am. Of course, the kids don’t take that into consideration when they get up for the day. Luckily though, they did approve of morning snuggles. We laid in bed for about in hour until we finally decided to get up. Needless to say my morning started with a lot of coffee.
[Sunday] Day 7. Head outdoors for a long walk to enjoy nature.
Today was hotter than it had been all week prior. It was definitely nice out. The kids were just wanting to be outside all day, but we had some other things to do first. We got those things done and decided to venture to the park. We figured we would only stay if there wasn’t that many people. To our surprise, no one else was there. The kids were so excited. I decided to try to be brave and walk the dog through the trails alone. I made it down the hill before something told me to turn back. I hate my mind sometimes, but progress is progress. It wasn’t that long of a walk, but it definitely was in with nature.
I really liked doing these things this past week. It gave us something to remember and be present for. Hygge is a really wonderful thing and I highly recommend everyone incorporate it somehow or another into their life. Even if it’s only once in awhile, it definitely is good for the soul.
-jenn
Reclaiming My Sanity 