From Burnout to Blanket Time: How My Bestie & I Found Our Hygge

Learn the Danish secret to feeling calm, cozy, and connected—no matter the season. In this episode, we unpack the 10 pillars of hygge from Meik Wiking’s The Little Book of Hygge and explore simple, soulful ways to create warmth and ease in your home, your energy, and your daily rhythm.

From soft light and comfort food to gratitude, togetherness, and boundaries that protect your peace, you’ll walk away with practical ways to bring hygge, self-care, and intuitive calm into your own life.Plus I’ll give some personal shares of ho why bestie and I are implementing in our own lives! 

💜Whether it’s candles and cocoa or sunshine and sea air, this is your reminder that you can cultivate cozy connection and a calmer nervous system—right where you are.

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Joy. Hey, beautiful soul, welcome to spirit. Speak Easy. I'm Joy Giovanni, joyful medium. I'm a working psychic medium, energy healer and spiritual gifts mentor. This podcast is like a seat at the table in a secret club, but with mediums, mystics and the spiritual luminaries of our time. So come behind the velvet ropes with me and see inside my world as I chat insider style with profoundly gifted souls, we go deep, share juicy stories, laugh a lot, and it wouldn't be a speakeasy without great insider secrets and tips. You might even learn that you have some gifts of your own. So step inside the spirit speakeasy. Hey, beautiful soul, welcome in for another episode of spirit speakeasy. In today's episode, we are exploring the Danish art of hygge, a beautiful word that describes a feeling of hominess, cozy connection, contentment, and how you can use it to shift your energy, reconnect with yourself, and bring more warmth and ease into your everyday life, especially during this current season, you'll learn where hygge comes from, the 10 core elements you need to create hygge that meek, wicking, I apologize for mispronouncing that name shares in the little book of hygge and simple, practical ways to create that feeling of hygge, no matter what the season where you live and on any budget. I'll walk you through what wicking says and how my bestie and I are each applying this in real life, and how you can turn these ideas into your own ritual of self care intercom and cultivate your own restorative practices and hominess. So I want to just share briefly how the inspiration for this episode started. So my bestie and I really are more about creating experiences as people. It's just kind of how we work, and less attached to material things. And she actually suggested, because a friend had suggested to her, Oh, this season, let's focus on this idea of coziness. There's this whole coziness movement that was popularized, and let's focus on this. And so bestie actually suggested this as a way to have kind of a positive focus for this crazy period in time, and to create a special feeling for ourselves through these winter months, which both of us tend to find, the cold weather and the lack of sunlight just difficult for us personally. So she was starting it herself, and I, as she would tell me about it on our everyday chats, I got kind of interested, and then I wanted to understand what this mysterious practice actually was like, the real practice of it and the intention behind it. And as I was deep diving for all of that, I realized that this could be a really fun episode to give us a positive focus and that warm and fuzzy feeling at a time when we all need it. So what are we talking about when we say hygge? Hygge is spelled, h, y, G, G, E, but it's pronounced hygge. It's a Danish term with Norwegian origins, and there's no exact translation for hygge, and it can show up as an emotion, an adjective, a verb, a noun. It's really a vibe, a way of being, and it's so deeply embedded in the culture that actually, in the book that I'm going to tell you about, the author actually talks about if you were in his country and looking for a restaurant or a coffee shop to go to. One of the most searched terms is hygge or Hoogly, because they're wanting places that exemplify this feeling. It's a really important cultural experience, and possibly why they are ranked among the most happy content people in all of the world. It's that soulful, homey feeling of coziness, this hygge. It's creating a warm, friendly atmosphere that feels pleasant and full of well being. It's taking time to be together and enjoy life's quieter pleasures. Think of warmth, trust, unrush togetherness. It's kind of like a hug without touching, but it goes way beyond that. The vibe of hygge is things like handcrafted over store bought, intentional over overpowering, vintage or well worn or even thrifted over new as a preference, board games over at video games, it often carries a nostalgic feeling and remembering hygly moments, whether they were from years past or just this past weekend, the reminiscing about the feeling of hygge is part of hygge itself. It's soft, warm light and yummy, but. Baked treats and feet up by the fireplace. All of that is part of this mysterious vibe of hygge that I'm going to share with you today. And while fall and winter are considered the most hygly times of year, you can enjoy it all year round, no matter the season and on the cheap. So get excited for those of you that are feeling thrifty right now, think of steamy cocoa or tea warming your hands your closest friends comfy on couches under blankets or soft sweaters, toasty wool socks, maybe a card game going on while the fireplace crackles candles and soft, warm light gently flooding the space while you can smell the tasty stew simmering in the slow cooker just off in the kitchen. Hygge is a practice. It's a way of being. It's not a shopping list. And for this episode, I bought the book I mentioned the little bit, the little book of hygge by meek weekings. I hope I'm saying that right, but I know that I'm not. And this person also happens to be the CEO of the happiness research institute in Copenhagen, and again, as part of his research, the Danes, year over year, are recognized as some of the happiest people in the research and hygge is thought to be a big part of why they are so happy. I also listened to the audio book. I went through the hard copy of the book, and I made lots of notes. It's not a very big book, and it's kind of small, so it's an easy read, and I highly recommend it. The book talks about the 10 pillars of hygge. So we're going to go over them together, because these are kind of like the 10 ingredients, the recipe of this feeling or of this cultural way of being hygge. So we're going to talk about all of those 10 pillars, what they mean, how we can apply them, and I'll share also what I'm doing and what my bestie is doing for each one to help inspire you and get your wheels turning for how you can infuse more hygge into your experience. So let's dive in and look at what actually creates the feeling of hygge. And again, I highly recommend the book and the audio book. I really loved getting to hear all of this in the author's own voice. So what actually creates the feeling of hygge weakens himself, researched and popularized his 10 Point hygge manifesto in this book, and I'll share some of his examples, and then again, what I'm doing and what bestie is doing for each of these. So the first of these 10 ingredients that we need to create hygge is atmosphere. Make puts the lighting first and most important, it's things like turn down the lights, candles, iconic Danish lamps. There is a segment in one of these chapters. Well, there's a whole chapter on candles, but a segment about a famous artist who is thought to have invented light architecture for the home, like light design. And I learned that candles are so important in Danish culture that it's totally common for there to be several candles in people's workplaces, not just at home, in coffee shops or places you might go, even in classrooms. Now I do think some of this is because where they are placed right geographically. In the winter months, they get so much darkness. In the summer months, they get tons of light and have long hours of daylight. But in the winter, it's very dark and cold where they are. So it makes sense that you would want a warm atmosphere. So in the book, it's lighting, lighting, lighting. Think of like soft glow lamps instead of harsh overhead light with UV, UV bulbs, candles, a little PSA here, little caution the Danish authorities have reported, and it's in this book that candle particulates, like when you burn the candle, that the particulates go into the air. So respiratory cautions here, but it actually also specifies that in Danish culture, natural ingredients materials are actually preferred. And again, that's just the general vibe, handmade or small batch crafted over like big box store bought. So as you're perhaps flooding your place with light, and thinking about how you can use soft lighting and candles just kind of PSA, their fire safety, and also chemical and particles and things like that. So for lighting, for atmosphere, there are some things that I'm doing and that bestie is doing that I want to share. So for me, I actually have kind of been working on this one for the whole year without realizing it. I really have been paying attention to wanting to create different feels in my home with lighting. Those of you that watch on YouTube or my website see the light. Lights behind me that cast the purple and blues for this podcast. I actually have some different warm light settings and cozy settings that I use. And I just ordered it on a really good sale, kind of at the beginning of last year. And I use, there are some light strips and some little dome things that cast light? But then I also, you can't see it where I position now, but around my house, these light bulbs can actually go inside my regular lamps. And then there's a app. Of course, there's an app for everything, but I use the Philips Hue. I'm not sponsored. It's just the one that was on sale that I thought was kind of cool. So there's an app, and you can adjust the brightness, because I always really want a dimmer, but it's so hard to find lights with true dimmers that aren't that harsh led feel so with these type of light bulbs and lighting, you can use your existing lamps, and you can just on this app, choose different colors for each lamp. You can make it really warm and cozy. You can dim or increase the light if you're wanting, like task lighting, and i Besides, if you're watching this candle that you see beside me, that was a gift last year that I'm still working through. I'm using more of, like the battery operated candles, just for safety and chemical considerations. And I'm also using salt lamps, which I just happen to have. I didn't buy any of these for this project, I just have a salt lamp at my office, and I have a salt lamp in my living room. They do just cast a really lovely, warm, rich either like there's some that are kind of a white, yellowish glow, and some that are more orange, into those pinks and orange colors. And they do have those really inexpensive at lots of stores as well. But again, I'm doing just the battery operated candles, which you can pick up at, like $1 store type place, if you have never seen them before, but I think most people have them. Bestie has was inspired by visiting me because I did all these special light settings for her as part of the vibe I was creating for her visit here this summer? So she was inspired by my lights and decided to get kind of like a an Amazon version of the light bulbs. They have them at all different price points, all different companies make them. So she got some like that for her house to be able to control the different lighting scapes for different seasons or vibes that she wanted to create. She is using real candles. And at the beginning of this project, she treated herself to a special candle to kick off the season. She has kind of scent themes in her home, so she wanted a really specific one. But it really is just about thinking about, how do we turn off harsh lighting? Unless, of course, it's sunlight, the more sunlight, the better, right? But in those darker months, particularly, how do we craft an environment, an atmosphere like the number one says, of just soft lighting and the feeling of warmth and like that, diffused lighting, rather than very harsh lighting, okay, the second on this 10 Point manifesto of hygge is presence. This means Be Here Now, kind of like with the Ram Dass right, put your phones away, single task conversations, meaning not multitasking, slowing down, maybe even playing board games. So both bestie and I are pretty good at this one already, just as part of who we are as human beings, to the point where we both seem to always even forget to take pictures when we're together or together with other friends. Are any of you like that where you realize like, oh my gosh, I have no pictures of me with my friends because we are so focused on being together that we don't take pictures everywhere we go. That's happened to me a lot in these last couple years. So I don't have a problem putting my phone away for togetherness and presence and being like fully here now. And I love board games. Bestie does not, but I do. My kids grew up playing board games with me, and I think it's just a really fun way to come together. So number two on the list is presence. Number three is you're gonna really love this one pleasure. So this really focuses on things like small treats and slow cooked comfort food. Cake is hygge, coffee, cocoa, Stew. And there's a whole chapter for food and drink in this book. And there are even some really special family memories, Danish family memories that the author includes in the book, a couple for some sweet almost like bread, kind of like I would think of, like a pumpkin loaf for a banana loaf, like those kind of, like breads and cakes, and then a couple for some really hearty stews that I thought was just such a special addition to this book. So how are bestie and I doing this and pleasure? I mean, who doesn't love a tasty, warm from the oven baked treat, or like a long cooked stew that just really smells so good for me, I learned how to make masala chai as part of this project that we're doing, and I'm experimenting with the different various warm spices. Is like cardamom and cloves and nutmeg, and you simmer them in a pot with if you like, a little bit of sweetener, if you don't, and you also put some black tea in there, whether you use a tea bag or steeper or however you do it, to create those warm scents and tastes, and just to make a massage Chai. So I'm learning that this season, I personally don't like anise or anise that spice, but you could also use that one. It's part of what is sometimes in Masala Chai. And I always make a few different stews throughout this season. It's something I've done for many, many years now. So I'm right on board with that one, and I actually make a little bit extra now that it's just me at home and I don't have a whole huge family here anymore, I will make extra of these stews and soups that I do, and I will freeze some, which I will tell you, came in super handy this last year when I ended up getting the flu right after the winter time, I just went into my freezer and I had some, like, amazing homemade chicken soup, and it was a lifesaver. And I also recently treated myself to a better coffee maker, which, again, you don't have to spend money for this. You could get a really simple French press, even if you don't have a coffee maker, for like, 10 or $15 or even you could probably find one at a thrift store. Really, I treated myself to a little bit of a better coffee maker than the one I had for many years, and this one does espresso, so I decided sometimes I'm a better person espresso so that I can make it myself at home, because I really don't like going to the expensive coffee shops and getting it, and I've been experimenting with which coffee beans I like the best to really bring the hygge into my experience. And bestie is always working on recipes. This woman makes the most amazing. She just this week she made like a chicken shawarma from scratch with all the herbs and spices and seasonings. She's amazing. She's also been teaching her kids this season how to do some of their favorite recipes that she has, and she is famous in her little family for her matzo ball soup, which she also makes from scratch and scratch matzo balls with roasted chicken, and it is all the rave in her family. So what are some family recipes maybe you could bring to life again, or your own versions of recipes that you really like. We are both talking about also making some mulled spice wine, some warm kind of, like a Christmassy sangria, is the way I'm thinking of it anyway. And of course, you could also do this with, like a mulled cider with herbs and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg or clove or whatever else you might want to put in there. I like a little bit of orange peel or orange zest also in there, and maybe some cranberries. I will be sure to post picture on my social media when I do actually make it, and I'm probably gonna make it next week. So if you're not on Instagram, get on there and follow me. That's where I'm mostly posting things. So I'll pick I'll see if she'll send me a picture of her mulled wine, and I'll put mine. I don't know if anyone else thinks of it like a Christmassy sangria. I think of it so that is number three on this list of hygge. I don't think I have to tell you about making baked treats and yummy deliciousness. And in the book, he did draw connect some dots for me. If you back east, we do call them Danish here, they don't really necessarily call them Danish in California, but those sweet, crispy pastries that are like part croissant and part something delicious like cinnamon or sweet cheese or fruit, that's Danish. So they are masters of hygge, and what is more cozy feeling than a warm coffee or tea and a delicious danish pastry, right? So number three pleasure. Number four is equality in the way the author says it, we over me. Everyone contributes, shared tasks, shared air time, like at the table, everyone gets to share and talk and be part of the conversation, the book really leans on something that they call convivial togetherness, which is like happy, Jolly, easy togetherness. Both bestie and I are pretty intentional with our friends and chosen family that we have in our lives. So this is kind of a natural part of what we both do already with our closest friends. We invite, sharing and follow up, and we both intentionally plan time, not just together with each other, but with our friends that are locally, where we each are as well. So it's really just making sure that you are not just putting out right, but that you're allowing others to share equality, that one's pretty easy, and yeah, that's definitely part of the homey, cozy feeling, I think for all of us, right. Number five on this list, the 10 items manifesto hygge, is gratitude, of course. So take a moment Meek's tone, or Mike. I think it's meek, but Mike's tone repeatedly not. Judges, appreciative savoring within these simple scenes, a shared meal, the light, the company, and just really having an appreciation, not only as you're having that experience, but later, I learned a big part of hygge is the aspect of this culture of also reminiscing on how Hoogly a Hangout was, whether it was a year ago and we're still reminiscing on, oh, that cake that so and so baked and we had that Hoogly time, or whether it was even just last weekend or yesterday, a big part of this gratitude is reminiscing about the Hoogly times that we've experienced together, or when someone made like a really Hoogly get together, they reminisce about it pretty regularly. And I think that's something we can all do pretty easily, and have this spirit of gratitude and like, wow, that was so nice, the simplicity and appreciating it. I think bestie and I also get a gold star on this one. We both do something a little different than the book. We each find lots of Hoogly comfort in very specific shows and movies playing in the background, like for ambiance, or for me, like when I'm working from home. She loves the 80s movies with the Griswolds that Christmas vacation being her very best favorite. And she also loves old Hallmark movies and bonus points if they are holiday themed or winter themed, I enjoy those too. But I also like really cheesy, like, I'll take any cheesy Christmas movie. It doesn't have to be Hallmark hers, or specifically she likes that style. I'll take any of them. And of course, I always love a show like friends in the background that I've seen a million times all the episodes. So thinking about how you can just feel that presence of appreciation and gratitude and ease as you go through this season to create your Hoogly atmosphere. Number six is harmony. Keep it relaxed and non competitive. The overall guidance is kind of keep it low stakes, right? Like very chill. Nothing expected. Ease come as you are cozy conversation, no performance needed. You don't need to come with something prepared for the group or to brag about your accomplishments. It's very low key and easy going, which already makes you feel a little bit Hugo, right? Both bestie and I tend to be this way anyway. Hence the tighter circles that I just mentioned. There's enough competition energy out there in the world. I don't need it in my closest friendships, and neither does she, and neither of us wants that kind of attitude in our cozy zone, so to speak, plus, we both believe everyone can win, and I really strongly believe and so does she in celebrating other people's wins and being happy for them, even if I maybe I'm going through something hard, but someone's telling me something great, I want to keep it happy. I want to celebrate them. I want to I want to hear, I want them to share, right? It's not about performance or competition. It's about really just being mellow together and sharing that time and space with each other. So both of us tend to do that just kind of naturally. Number seven on this 10 Point manifesto of hygge is comfort. Yes, think of like wool socks and cozy blankets and soft layers and comfort clothing and really cozy textures. Really the book suggests like, Get comfy, take a break where I grew up, in Boston, for many people, this would also include like, things like switching out those very airy drapes for heavier winter curtains like to kind of block the draft, or even maybe you're bringing out the down blankets or big throws, maybe even getting your area rugs for those warm to warm up those like cold floors, really just getting out your thermals and sweaters. California is maybe not so intense in that way. But are you doing a swap over in your home? Of like, maybe pillows that you have in the summer are lighter or more playful, and maybe in the winter, we're wanting to go for like, more of a sweater y texture or something cozy, right? So for me on this comfort, as you might imagine, I'm pretty good at this one, and so is she warm. Wooly socks and cozy slippers are always cozy favorites of mine, and I have plenty that I have collected over the years. I'm it's a thing I do kind of every holiday season when the like warmest, coziest, fuzziest wooly socks are on sale. I always buy a couple on really good sale that kind of have lasted me many, many years. And actually, right now, I'm on the hunt for an electric blanket because mine gave up. And I also sometimes, if it's a year that my electric blanket has given up, I will use my trusty old heating pad to, like, get the sheets toasty, or to put on the couch with me, which. Which, of course, costs nothing at all. I actually already keep a cute assortment of hotel style slippers, like those single use slippers that you can just take with you, or really cute socks by my front door, because I'm a no no shoes house, so I think I got to offer socks or slippers or something cozy for people. So you could even consider putting a new basket of socks, like not old used socks, right? We want fresh, or those little slippers so that people can feel more hygge at your house. Bestie loves a cozy robe and slippers. Every year, the only thing she asks for for Christmas is a cozy robe, because she really wears hers out every year. This year, she picked up an electric blanket, and she also picked up some microwavable socks, which I had no idea was a thing she gets really very cold beatsies. And so she wanted the microwavable socks, which I'm excited to hear about. So number eight on this list, I mean, comfort, I think, is pretty easy for all of us, but it's like really being intentional about it, maybe even like layering blankets I tend to have I keep looking because this my office is kind of part of my living room here, so I have a couch blanket on two sides of my couch and a chair blanket, because I love a blanket to just cozy up with, even sometimes in the summer. Remember I said we can do this all seasons. Air Conditioning is a little much for me, or in the evening, I get a cool breeze sometimes, so I love a little something cozy to wrap around me. I definitely have favorite cozy sweats and things that come out in the winter time, and I'm sure that you do too, and I would love to hear what are your favorite comfort items for number seven. Number eight is truce. Now I'm gonna keep this one simple. This is about creating a drama free space. The manifestos truce is widely cited with kind of like a spirit of park your politics for today, so people can just relax together. Think of like a gentle, cordial, comfortable, friendly vibe, where we're not going to talk about anything too serious or anything too hard, we're just going to keep it easy. Bestie and I, I do think it makes sense for gatherings to keep it light. Let me start by saying that and maybe certain family members are different than friends, but I will tell you that both bestie and I have let a lot of people go from our lives over these last many years who don't align with our own basic values. For me, that's a part of feeling Hoogly. Let me say it this way, if someone doesn't believe hungry kids should have lunch or that women shouldn't have their own voices, then we probably aren't friends anyway. So I we don't need to tell people not to say things, because even if we're not talking about it, I really try to choose good people. So that is my two cents on number eight truths. Number nine is about togetherness. Think of like small groups that are intentionally chosen device free meals, where we're all just really appreciating and enjoying the pleasure of the food and the comfort of it, and maybe we're playing some games or some charades, or who knows what type of board games. I would love to hear your favorite board games. Maybe we're sharing stories about other Hoogly times or our day, or maybe we're just telling tall tales. There's a full chapter in this book on togetherness, which is one of the many reasons I think you should check it out. So for me, I have been really making an effort to intentionally nurture my friendships these past couple of years. I'm thinking I might create a very small kind of New Year's inspired gathering with just a couple friends To eat yummy food and play games and hang around in our sweats and keep the lighting very soft and warm. The introvert in me is still deciding if I'm actually going to do this, but that is the idea I have at this moment. Bestie also has been really carefully curating a special, small friend group of her own as well. And I think the truth is, we're all so busy these days and so much is expected from us that it can feel really hard to connect with our closest friends, and we can all easily go several months without seeing a specific friend, right? So both bestie and I are fans of, let's just get it on the calendar so we can have it planned. And anyone that knows me knows I'm saying, like, just, let's get on the calendar. Like, when can we do this? When can we because for me, it's part of, like, I build it into my schedule, because that togetherness with people I want to be in togetherness, togetherness with is so important to me. So if you are someone that finds a hard to like, get come up for air. Think about carving out time on your calendar, on your schedule, reaching out to the people you do want to spend this Hoogly time with and say like, Hey, when? When can we all be together? Or even just two at a time, whatever works for you or I. Grew up, there's this idea of, like, a corner pub or a coffee shop that people might see each other pretty regularly. Like several times a week they're going down to the corner pub and having a meal, and usually often, like, also seasonal, special things to Boston and maybe a pint, whatever they like. And so you might see a lot of these people really regularly. And I know a lot of Europe is also like that. California and also Vegas, where bestie lives, is not really like that for the most part, at least in my experience. So for me, togetherness doesn't really happen without intentionally calendaring it, but I do think it's really important and wanting to just share in people's lives with them that I really care about. So maybe consider how you can have more togetherness, not with everyone, but with the group that you feel the most Hoogly. With number 10 is shelter. Hygge is about safe haven, and in the book, Meek weekends describes a Christmas Day where he gives like his his picture of Hoogly or hygge. Think about in this scene the way he describes it. It's Christmas Day. He's with friends in a woodsy cabin, and after a really nice hike through the snow, they come back and are all sitting around a crackling fire. They've already taken off their wet boots and coats, and they've put on, like, really warm sweaters that they're wrapped up in and wooly socks, and they're sipping like warm mulled wine the group you know, in the way he describes it, they sat together just listening to the fire completely content in that quiet appreciation, and as the group sat together in that comfortable quiet and shared the warmth, one of the friends asked, Could this be any more hygge? And another friend paused and replied, Yes, if the storm outside was raging and even that line, could this be even more hygge? Yes, if a storm outside was raging, kind of captures it perfectly and gives you that vibe. A hygge place feels like a place of peace and security and the way he says, it is with your tribe. So for me, since I am not shelter insecure, I feel like this one is more about a safe sanctuary feeling in your living environment. Or actually, my office feels like this too. So where you hang out the most. I like to feel cozy everywhere I am. And quite honestly, part of what it is in my office is different textures of fabrics and nothing that's too bright or offensive and the light is warm and soft, and most people, when they come into the office, actually remark some version of how soft and warm or cozy or safe and nurturing my office feels. I have a couple textured, neutral blankets hanging up for people to wrap up and if they want. And so it's really just about creating a feeling of coziness in whatever area you want to identify as shelter for you. And I really even sometimes here create just a little hygge zone or Hugo y zone, where I pull a chair up so I could see the view out of my window, and I wrap up in a blanket with maybe like a warm cup of coffee. And I do also like to have this is, this is maybe like a doesn't quite qualify, because it's electronic. I don't have a fireplace, but I do like to have on my TV in the living room. I put YouTube on, and there are these different channels or settings you can find that have like fireplace and happy jazz or bossa nova. So I like to have that on the background, often because it feels like a fire, and it makes the crackly fire noise, just to kind of make it feel cozy. Bestie loves to cuddle up on her couch with her two little dogs, pickles and popcorn, and with her Christmas Hallmark movies that we talked about, with her candles all around and you really can create your version of this with whatever you have right now. It's more about a feeling and an experience and a way of being than any specific like items you have to get. And all of this, again, can be applied to any season in the summer. It might feel more like beach days with open fire cookouts with family all chipping in to help, maybe a game of charades, or what's that one, where you toss the bean bags into the hole, maybe tossing on a thin sweatshirt in the evening over like sun kissed skin, golden light streaming into the evening sky, feeling playful and easy and kind of a feeling of home that comes from inside. Actually, my kiddos when they were growing up, anytime we do a beach day and visit the beach, I always put something like a stew or like a chili in the crock pot in the morning before we would go. There is nothing more Hoogly than coming home from a long day at the beach under the sun and getting beat by the waves. And you. Kind of Sandy and exhausted, and then taking a nice hot shower and cozying up with a warm bowl of chili and toppings, and especially as a mom, not having to, like cook it after all of that, it just is so cozy to get together and snuggle up and watch a movie with your like, warm bowl of chili after a long beach day. So it really can be applied to any season with very little extra than what you probably already have right now. Or could even trade with a friend for for example, if they don't use their crock pot anymore and you don't use your tea kettle anymore, you could swap, or you could find a lot of these things, even at like a thrift store or second hand of some kind. So an extra idea that I had that I just wanted to share with you, that I thought would be kind of a fun idea as we're moving towards holiday season, if you're listening to this at the time it's released, I thought it might be a really fun idea to give, like a hygge gift kit. And this could be just a playful basket, right? You can include the book, which was, I want to say, like, right around$10 I think, is what I paid for it. And the audiobook was free on my platform, so you could put in a basket, you know, like some even electronic candles, or real candles, if you like, a couple little chocolates, maybe some tea or coffee, a pair of warm fuzzy socks or, like an inexpensive throw blanket. Maybe a favorite book, this book or a film, maybe a notebook or a pen for journaling. Maybe you could write them a little letter or include some photos. Maybe you frame them. Maybe you don't just make it like a cozy kind of to go kit that you could give as a holiday gift. And you could, of course, adapt this to five items, if it feels like that's the easiest, but you can really adapt it to your your individual friends, likes or needs, and just to give them, like a basket of hygge, a basket of like a hygge starter kit, kind of a cozy, cozy little starter kit, right? But I thought that'd be a really fun, inexpensive, easy idea. I actually used to do kind of a version of this. There was a time in my life where I really loved making gift baskets. Many years ago, I used to work for a florist, and I would do all of the gift baskets, and there was, like a gourmet food section. And so I many times over the years, have given a gift basket where it's to be honest, a lot from the dollar store or discount store where it's like a mug, a type of like instant cocoa or tea, or something special like that, maybe some marshmallows, maybe some sweets or something tasty in there, maybe a little journal and a pen, or even, like a little tiny notebook, or maybe something that has a sweet little saying. I've done a movie themed where it's like a couple of movie snacks. I did it for a dear friend after she had a bad accident and was bedridden for several months while she was recovering. And I put, like, a couple of her favorite DVDs, when you could get those for like, two for $10 in those giant bins at those big stores. And I put a cute little, it was almost like the the type of paper popcorn things that if you go somewhere and they have a popcorn machine, you just fill it up in that little container. So a little popcorn container and some microwave popcorn in there for her. And I think I even had some warm socks, and I might have had, like a little cozy shoulder throw or something in there. So there's lots of ways you could do this for very inexpensive. And I think it makes a really fun gift for something like a white elephant or something where you're only supposed to spend like $25 or$30 or something. And it is really nice idea too, if you maybe are hosting something for the holidays and you want to have a couple extra gifts around, just in case someone brings a guest and you don't want them to feel like left out. You could always stash a couple of like, warm fuzzy socks and little journals and pens or something somewhere to give, like a Hugo y gift to spread the spirit of huga. So I'm really curious what this has kind of stirred up in you, and if you've been getting thinking a little bit about how you could make your space more hygge, even with whatever you have right now at your disposal. As you could tell, Hyuga is much more than just candles and cocoa. It is really about safety, simplicity, presence, the slow way creating spaces and moments where your body and spirit can finally exhale and maybe even feel a little bit nurtured each of Michigan's 10 pillars, atmosphere, presence, pleasure, equality, gratitude, harmony, comfort, truce, togetherness and shelter offer a different layer, a different doorway into that experience of calm and belonging. You can build hygge in any season, in winter with soft lights and slow meals and cozy materials, or in summer, with sunsets and laughter and bare feet in the sand, what matters the most is intense. Attention, bringing mindful comfort to whatever moment that you're in. And as you move through this week and even this season, notice the little hygge moments already happening around you. The warmth of your mug. Maybe it's like mine that I don't have next to me right now, a mug that was handmade by someone and gifted to me. Many, many, many, many, many years ago, probably more than 30 years ago. And maybe you have something like that that's very simple that you just really love the feeling of and you can just appreciate that warmth. Maybe for you, it's the sound of a friend's voice or the glow of the evening light, and just let those simple things remind you that peace is a practice, and that your intuition really does thrive when your energy feels safe and cared for. So here's to finding your own version of hygge, inside and out, and to letting that cozy, grounded energy guide you through the season ahead. If you have had any ideas about how you might make your space more hygge. I would love if you would drop them in the comments wherever you're listening or watching to this, or you could even post pictures of the way you're making your space more Hoogly and send them to me on social media, I am at joyful medium on Instagram and Facebook, and just tag me. I'd love to see them, and I will try to pepper my social media with little glimpses of my Hoogly zones throughout this holiday season, and I hope that this leaves you feeling cozy and warm and Hoogly inside. Big hugs. Lots of love. Bye for now from inside spirit speakeasy, you.