Our Family Weekend of Hygge

Perhaps you've heard of Hygge before.  Quite simply it's a Danish cultural practice embracing everything cozy about winter.  Coming from a family who is prone to SAD (Season Affective Disorder) and is undergoing a somewhat 'dry' February (this is our third year of limiting our drinking in the month of February), creating a weekend where we embraced Hygge seemed like something fun to look forward to together and to break up the monotony of winter by leaning into it.

Hygge is about curating a space where you embrace coziness and relaxation and is all about wellness.  Having felt like we still haven't recovered from a busy holiday season, a weekend involving embracing the great indoors (and outdoors a little bit, but then retreating back to our den of comfort) seemed really appealing. Here's how we did it.

Molly enjoying hot chocolate 

Book a Block of Time in Advance
Look at your calendar and try to allocate at least a day or two to embrace Hygge. We booked an entire weekend starting on the Friday night and working right through to our Sunday night.

Figure Out What Cozy Means For You & Your Family
To us this meant lots of blankets, candles, comfortable clothes, and warm beverages (think tea and hot chocolate).  We stocked up on all of these and had them readily available all weekend long. I indulged in a face mask and a brunch catch up with a friend.

Plan Your Time
We wanted to make this experience about family togetherness. Our quiet time was a mish mash of quiet reading, board games, puzzles, crafts, soft music, family movies, crock pot meals, Lego Building, and naps.  We also planned an outing on Sunday to check out ice sculptures, enjoying a winter activity and then retreating back home for some more warm comforts and togetherness.  All meals were baked, slow cooked, and based on comfort foods with one delivery exception.

Enjoying the Ice Sculptures In Yorkville

What We Played
-Zombie Dice
-Yahtzee
-Jenga


Movies We Watched
-13 Going On 30
-The Greatest Showman
-The Muppets

Would I Do It Again?
Yes, much like Dry February this is going to become an annual occurrence in our house.  We all had fun and look forward to doing it again.

What I'd Do Differently
I would stop by a fruit market before hand to up the fresh fruit we had on hand. Next year I might add in a little more self care whether it's bath bombs, a massage, or just painting my nails with Molly.


Happy Winter Everyone, Only a month and a half to go!