Yesterday evening we settled down early, full family on the sofa snuggled under our new family-size sherpa blanket, and watched our first Christmas film of the season; Elf. It has been a favourite of mine for years and the child in me finds it hysterically funny. It's safe to say my 4 and 6 year old loved it as much as I do as they giggled all the way through! We had eaten out at our favourite local pub in a nearby Lincolnshire village and, feeling extremely full from a roast dinner and pudding, we changed into our pjs, grabbed a hot drink and spent some quality family time together before the madness of the approaching Monday morning.
Christmas is our season. My husband is lucky enough to have a couple of weeks off work each Christmas so we are very fortunate to spend the holiday season doing the things we love the most whilst the whole family is under one roof. I feel like I love the build up to Christmas more than Christmas Day itself with the excitement, the shopping, the planning and the events although seeing my children going to bed on Christmas Eve and waking up in a frenzy in the morning is definitely up there with the best feeling!
Everybody has their own traditions and ways to kick back and relax during the Christmas period but I wanted to share our top 10 cosy ways to have a hygge Christmas:
1. You can never have enough blankets. Have plenty of warm blankets and fluffy pillows ready for those wintery days and cosy nights. You could also create a cosy nook in the corner of the room.
2. Wear Comfy Clothes. You have the green light to spend all day in your jogging bottoms, oversized jumper and cashmere socks.
3. Create your own rustic decor. Bring the outdoors in. Collect natural elements such as twigs, sprigs of greenery and pine cones. Arrange them on a decorative tray with candles and mini succulents.
4. Family photographs and interviews. Take a family photograph each year with the same pose. Record family members sharing their favourite moments of Christmas and what made the season magical. Both of these ideas are nice to look back on each year and to reminisce about the Christmases past.
5. Bake Bake Bake. Holidays are best spent baking (and indulging). This year, how about trying some Scandinavian favourites? We will be sharing some of these recipes across our social media.
6. Get merry on glogg. It isn't a hygge Christmas without a piping cup of glogg; Scandinavia's version of mulled wine. Check out this recipe https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p012m7ln
7. Secret Santa. This is a bit of a spin of the typical Secret Santa. Draw names out of a hat and whoever (secretly) chooses your name has to do a series of nice things for you without being caught.
8. Take a wintery walk. Time for some fresh air for the whole family and the chance to connect with nature. Don't forget to wrap up in your winter woolies.
9. Relax. Read stories, play board games, make crafts and watch Christmas movies. Remember to put down your phone! Instagram and Facebook can wait.
10. Collect ornaments. We have a tradition of collecting ornaments for the Christmas tree whilst we are on holiday, at a memorable place/ event or those given to us by loved ones. It's a great way, whilst decorating the tree, to reminisce about their special meanings and to talk about the memories associated with the ornament.
Of course, for those cosy nights in, candlelight is a must. Our range of rapeseed and coconut candles are friendlier to the environment than many commercial candles. Our jars are reusable and our labels are printed in-house using recycled paper. Check out our brand new Christmas candle range including Winter Spice, White Chocolate Christmas Cookies, 'Christmas Eve' and many more.
If you're wanting to read more, Chapter Eleven in 'The Little Book of Hygge' gives a wonderful insight into a truly hygge Christmas and don't forget we will be sharing hints, tips, recipes and festive photographs on our Instagram page throughout the season.
