It might just be an autumn call. The excitement of Halloween is over, alongside its costumes, candies and pumpkins and is it still too early to start diving into the Christmas spirit.
So how can we get the most out of this midway season?
All you need is a bit of Hygge in your life.
If you have been on social media or in any bookshop recently, the word “hygge” won’t have escaped your attention.
Although not easily translatable , the Danish word “hygge“ means all things cosy, welcoming and joyful. Hyggelig moments brings you positive memories and happiness and the Danes know this just too well. Is not a coincidence that Denmark is at the top of the World Happiness Report every year.
Here at Vilda, we firmly believe that a compassionate lifestyle will make you feel good in your body, house, clothes and social environment and ultimately lead to happiness. So let’s see what you need to experience a bit of compassionate hygge in your daily life.
A good scent
An all time favourite is the Hopscotch Cedar + Pine Candle, handcrafted and soy made (soy candles do not contain paraffin, a byproduct of petroleum and is good for your lungs and the environment ). This fragrance is just perfect for November as it melts the warm notes of cedar with the fresh and musky scent of pine.
…and another favourite
Also worth checking out Tbilisi, as this brand combines self-love (candles are paraffin free) with care for the environment (the jar is made out of recycled glass) and contribution towards the community (part of the profit goes to a UK-based women’s charity). It’s a win win!
The right light
Sometimes we spend hours scrolling IKEA catalogues and Pinterest boards thinking what is it that makes this environment look so welcoming and soothing, with just the right amount of light.
The Little Book of Hygge contains this statement from Paul Henningsen that sums up the concept quite well: “ It doesn’t cost money to light a room correctly – but it does require culture. From the age of eighteen, when I began to experiment with light, I have been searching for harmony in lighting. When in the evening, from the top of a tram car, you look into all the homes on the first floor, you shudder at how dismal people’s home are. Furniture, style, carpets – everything in the home is unimportant, compared to positioning of the lighting”.
I found that for me this translates into fairy lights, and I love the Cable & Cotton ones, that again, combine sustainability with a positive impact in the community. By buying these lights you are supporting an entire community of women in a remote southern region of Thailand: “All our workers have an insurance policy set up for them to provide income if they are unable to work for any reason. We take pride in their working conditions, where their “office” is in the fresh, open air. Set up with the help of the Thai government’s project OTOP, and designed to support small sustainable business projects in rural Thailand, Cable & Cotton guarantees year-round income for our workers”. Least but not less important they are all handmade and fully customisable in terms of colour choice and patterns.
A cosy sensation
There is nothing like cuddling up on the sofa, sipping a tea and reading one of your all time favourite classic (mine is Madame Bovary). But you really need a soft and warm blanket over your knee to make sure you can spend hours there without your feet getting cold.
This Animalia Faux Fur Throw seems just like the perfect addition to any sofa, with his neutral colour and good size (178cm x 152cm). If you are lucky enough to have an Anthropologie shop near you, pop in and you will find it difficult to keep your hands off it.
A bubble bath
This Neal’s Yard Geranium and Orange Bath Oil has to power to energise and unwind at the same time.It is completely vegan and crelty-free. Is made of organic soya, wheatgerm, and apricot oils. My skin feels beautifully soft and nourished after a bath, without that dry sensation we often feels after a bath or a shower. The bottle is made out of glass, ready to be washed and reused. I like to simply put a flower in it.
Togetherness
The Hygge Manifesto – yes there is one – names togetherness as part of its core values. Mike Wiking, Happiness Researcher (coolest job title ever?) actually said that being with other people “might be the most important ingredient to happiness”.
How? It has to do with oxytocin, a neurohormone that decrease stress and anxiety and increases social connections. This simply means spending time with your family and friends and make memories, taking the time to organize time to be spent together, bringing out your table games, organize that party, that dinner (and impress your friends with this Swedish recipe with a twist) that day trip.
Hygge is not only about the coziness of your house – it is about having fun, feeling good, and ultimately about love.
Header photo by Worthy of Elegance via Unsplash. All other photos belong to the respective websites/online store.
Thank you SO MUCH for writing this version of how to hygge without harming others. I have read the Little Book of Hygge and, as a vegan, I can’t have animal fur in my home. These resources you share are very useful. Thank you!