‘ber’ months!
Happy October, friends <3
Hi! Hope this post finds you sitting in a cozy place, in good spirits. I’m having myself a little sick day currently, (boo) and it felt like an ideal time to flesh out another blog post! Despite my stuffy nose and sleepy eyes, writing feels very grounding to me. Also, this is better than me watching another episode of Nobody Wants This… again. If you know, you know. This one is going to be quite lighthearted and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you!
October might be my favorite month of the year! Leaves are changing, it’s chilly in the mornings and chilly at night. Still a little warm in the middle of the day, but mostly not hot. Okay, sometimes it is hot. I live in Tennessee. But despite that, I am an autumn girlie! I love being cozy, I love the gorgeous scenery and being able to wear long sleeves once again. I love a little rain when the leaves are falling outside and making soups. But also, this particular changing of the season can leave me with a sense of dread. Okay, dread might a touch dramatic! The closer it gets to winter, the less sunlight we’re getting… and I don’t love that. Shorter days sometimes leave me feeling like I didn’t get enough done, or that I’m not being social enough. Or just overall feeling down. Although I know we have a ways to go until it’s officially winter, I wanted to get ahead of the game and focus on some of the things I’d like to do to stay regulated and light, even in the darker months.
-Tea time. Partly because of being sick, I have been enjoying a warm cup of tea about an hour or thirty minutes before bedtime. I like to mix my magnesium supplement into my tea, as well as a little honey or lemon. I struggle a lot with sleep just generally, and I feel the routine and the act of drinking my warm tea helps slow me down both physically and in my brain. I also try to steer clear of caffeine for the most part, and so I am considering trying to add my tea routine to my mornings as well!
-More time outside!!!! Especially as it gets colder and the days get shorter, even just fifteen minutes outside make a big difference for me. Whether it is before sunrise or sunset when the light is blue, or the middle of the day when the sun is out, some fresh air is consistently beneficial. I prefer a little walk, or sitting on my back porch with my journal. Maybe running is your thing! Or hiking! Or throwing a stick for your puppy. Whatever brings you the most joy.
-Embrace hygge! I was gifted a book on this concept last year by a friend. It is so lovely, so I’m going to share a little about it. Hygge (pronounced Hoo-ga) translates rather loosely to a sense of comfort, togetherness, warmth and serenity. Sounds wonderful, right? Although there is much to say about hygge, I want to focus on the ways you can create an atmosphere of hygge in your own home. You can start by lightning many candles! I am such a lover of warm lighting, so this makes me very happy. If you don’t have candles, a little lamp with warm lighting will also do the trick. My roomie Anna thrifted the cutest little lamp that we keep on our kitchen countertop, and it has completed changed what it feels like to be in the kitchen early in the morning or at night. I highly recommend! I also like to light a candle while I’m showering. It feels luxurious and peaceful and cozy, in all the best ways. A few other examples of ways to embrace your personal hygee is some a warm and hearty meal, cozy woolen socks, a nice blanket, paper in pen for writing letters, and music that’s slow. I would veer towards artists like Gregory Alan Isakov, Novo Amor, John Vincent III or Penny and Sparrow. But choose whatever feels hygee to you. Anyways, this is just scratching the surface! Do some reading on hygge in your spare time and join me in embracing cozy togetherness this autumn and winter.
-Sabbath. Okay, this is good for any time of the year, but I wanted to include in the list because I feel like it ties in just perfectly with the concept of Hygge. My boyfriend Miles has an amazing brother and sister in-law who are working to practice sabbath regularly and it has been so inspiring for me! Specifically in Jewish culture, sabbath was a staple, but it is rare that you hear of it being practiced in our modern world. Mainly because everything about our culture goes against the principles of the sabbath. Our world is hurried, productivity obsessed and anxious. Setting aside a whole 24 hours to be exceptionally present with the people you love most, disconnect from the world and lean into restful practices that bring you closer to the Lord takes a lot of intentionality and discipline. John Mark Comer has some incredible teachings on this if you are inclined to learn some more!
-Slow down! I feel like it is so easy to want to keep up with the same social lives we have in the summer through the changing seasons, despite how exhausting it can feel. With the colder weather, we are more drawn to the indoors. Especially the coziness and comfort of our own homes. We want warm meals and hot drinks and lots of blankets. I believe winter time was created specifically for us to slow down and be more present. So many we can try not to put so much pressure on ourselves to do allll the things every week this time around.
-Making more food. This feels kinda like a no-brainer, especially with the holidays coming up, we’re all doing more cooking and baking. But I am trying to prioritize it in this upcoming season, whether that is trying new recipes or just having more actual meals and less girl dinners if you know what I mean. It is also soon to be the season of homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, apple cinnamon bread and cookies rolled in brown sugar. Yum. I am the type of person that LOVES the process of baking but not so much the eating, so thankfully I have Miles, as well as many friends to share with.
-Cozy up with a book! I myself am an avid reader any time of the year, but I especially want to curl up with a novel when the temperature starts to drop. Whether I’m in a warm coffee shop with a peppermint hot chocolate or in my perfect pink room under the covers, there’s just something about getting lost in a new book. I think it’s probably law that you read The Secret History sometime between now and December but the choice of literature is all yours<3
-Early-ish bedtime… Okay everyone that knows me, knows that I am practically a grandma when it comes to sleep. So maybe I’m a tad biased, but being asleep by 10:30 (at the latest…) on a weeknight is simply the best. Sleep is truly one of the things that helps me most to be the best and most attentive version of myself.
-Time with people you love. It is a lovely season to prioritize time with your favorite people. Maybe dinner at home or a fire in the backyard or have hot apple cider and a film. Options are endless, but I find that intentional times like this make a world of difference going into my week. The people you have supporting you and laughing with you bring so much hope and light into life, and more so as the days turn darker earlier.
A little note from present me to close this out :)
I hope that this fun little post brings you joy and helps you to get into the fall/winter/cozy spirit, if you aren’t already! Slow down and enjoy the little things. And have the best day! See you next time.
-Abigail <3
