Embracing Hygge During Winter Months

When my friend, Jessica, asked me if I wanted to participate in a Hygge home tour I said, “Sign me up!”. After all, cozy is a MUST in our home.   I have joined together with a group of gals in a blog hop, so be sure to make a stop by their cozy homes as well, you’ll find links to them all at the bottom of the post.

Welcome to any new friends, I’m so excited you have jumped over and am delighted to invite you into my cozy living room.  As always, products used will be linked at the end.

Hygge, (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) is the Danish word used when acknowledging a cozy atmosphere or moment while alone or with friends.

Instant Cozy

A dear friend, who texts me often when seasons change or post holiday, recently asked me how I transition after Christmas.  My first response was layer your throw blankets, and add more pillows.  In this post I will demonstrate how quickly you can create the ultimate hygge experience simply by layering.

Of course texture and twinkly lights don’t hurt either.  I gathered together a mixture of faux fur and wool throws and pillows for a cozy seating area.   Paired with woven baskets, candle light, and rice lights, I’m already feeling the vibe, how about you.  We had the most beautiful snowfall this particular morning, so the hygge philosophy came natural.

This cozy spot literally made me want to instantly pop a squat and browse my favorite catalogs.  I still love flipping through magazines and ear marking pages even though the internet can be instant gratification.

One Step Further

Since my hubby works away from home (almost 4 hours away) I work hard at making him feel extra welcomed when he returns home each week.  He’s a romantic guy, so I knew I could capture him hook, line, and sinker this past weekend 😉  I stepped it up a notch and searched Pinterest for the ultimate hot chocolate recipe.  Let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint!  The girls and I did a trial run as I was creating this post.  I’ll post the recipe a little later 😉

Mhmm, yep those are toasted marshmallows, and they were to the scrumptious state in under 2 minutes.  I figure enticing the hubby with an ooey gooey s’mores hot chocolate may result in take out dinner, and he happily obliged.  Maybe it was the cookies…. none the less I succeeded.  Anytime I don’t have to clean up a dirty kitchen this wife/momma is happy!

Not gonna lie, this whole scene screams mushy 😀  Valentine’s Day is closer than you think.  Drink up some of these tips to create your own hygge experience,  I promise good results 😉

Even though our fireplace is no longer functioning, twinkly lights provide a cozy ambiance without creating too much heat, lol!! Sigh… I miss when it worked, but I’m totally ok with it this way.  How many of you noticed I switched out the stacked logs and moss?  What can I say, I like to change things, and there was a whole lot of nasty cobwebs goin on…

S’mores Hot Chocolate (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup marshmallows
• graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 tsp non-bitter stevia
• 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to low broil and move oven rack to the second from the top (high enough up to broil your marshmallows).  Place baking sheet on rack.
2. Heat milk and water in saucepan over medium heat until warmed through – about 5 minutes.  Be careful not to overheat or scald.
3. Add cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, sugar, stevia and salt.  Whisk vigorously until thoroughly combined.
4. Meanwhile, take a few marshmallows and rub them around the top of your mugs so the graham crackers will stick.  Then, dip mug in graham cracker crumbs until well lined.  You could also add some graham cracker crumbs to the bottom of your mug for extra graham flavor.
5. Pour in hot cocoa and top with 1/4 cup marshmallows each.  Carefully set mugs on the baking sheet in the oven and broil marshmallows until browned, watching carefully as to not let them burn.
6. Carefully remove from the oven with an oven mit (they should cool quickly for handling). Top with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and extra graham cracker crumbs for serving (optional).

Cozy Reading Nook

This was so much fun, I figured I might as well snuggle up our reading nook too.  School and normal routine resumed, and that means homework.  Maybe it won’t seem so terrible if the homework spot is extra cozy…. worth a try 😉

Same elements and textures moved to another spot and it’s instant cozy all over again <3

Thanks so much for your visit, now go get cozy!!  Creating a hygge atmosphere is easier than it sounds.  I hope you enjoy the hot chocolate recipe, and of course let me know if you have any questions <3

Be Sure To Check Out These Hygge Tours

Jessica | Honey n Hydrangea
Dara | Hood Creek Log Cabin
Nina & Cecilia | Nina & Cecilia
Lisa | Shine Your Light
Beth | 1111 Light Lane
Martha | Simple Cozy Charm
Yuni | Love Your Abode
Kristin | White Arrows Home
Kellie | Gratefully VIntage

*********Instagram Story Giveaway Winner*********

Joanna – @joannasellshomes

Winner chosen using Random.org

Author and photos – Martha Knake

Chief Editor – Emily Schunke