I can’t stop this feeling, deep inside of me, January you just don’t realize what you do to me…when you are cold but it’s getting more light you let me know everything’s all right…
Ever since I read The Little Book of Hygge, I’ve been a bit obsessed with the concept: winter in Calgary is long, and being intentional about being cozy fits the bill. This January has been all over the map, weather-wise, from extreme cold to pretty mild, but windy days.
Some of the things featured in this month’s Favourite Things have been featured in previous Favourite Things; because of that, I had some doubts. Should I continue with Favourite Things if I’m repeating them? Should I press myself to continue with this monthly feature if I’m just going to write about the same things over and over? Do I have no new ideas for anything and is it all for nothing? Nothing, I say???
What can I say, we are in a global pandemic. Dark moments, even about silly blog features, happen. Originally I started Favourite Things with items that I had recently purchased, and now I just like to celebrate the things I like. Apparently, some of these things deserve celebration OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Celebrate the good things! Right? There are no RULES to Favourite Things other than being things that I love that month. There’s no LAW I can’t write about bum warmers over and over. THERE IS NO LAW.
Anyway. This month it is all the things that make me feel hygge. If you can’t feel hygge in January, when can you? Well, if you live in Calgary, there are plenty of opportunities, but I digress.
Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Hygge-Chaka Hygge-Hygge-Chaka Edition
All The Sweaters, All The Time
I follow a number of fashion blogs, several of which are in California, one in Texas, and one in Florida. The latter blogger once mentioned that she had two sweaters for cooler temperatures, and when I read that, I stared into the distance for a while. Two! I can’t even imagine a world in which I didn’t have a sweater on for nine months of the year. Nine months AT MINIMUM. I have an enormous collection of sweaters: some are light, for mildly cold days, and some could be considered a cold-weather jacket for warmer climates.
Bonus: fuzzy slippers and fuzzy dog, both hygge.
I wear a lot of long cardigans, especially on teaching days when I need to strip down to only two layers (yoga tank and long sleeve tee) for class, without ruining my hair. If I’m not teaching, I wear pullover sweaters with layers underneath. Always, always layers. I can’t think of a single instance wherein I would have a sweater on without at least a tee or tank underneath.
Warm Up That Booty
I have mentioned bum warmers so many times, but they deserve a mention for their place in the hygge lifestyle. A local woman makes these out of thrifted sweaters, and they are just so cute and snuggly.
I have three that I alternate between, but this one is my current favourite as it’s a little bit longer. The other two have matching mittens, but this one goes nicely with my battery-powered heated mittens.
She’s Got Legs, She Knows How To Warm Them
Bums aren’t the only thing that need warming! I wear legging-style yoga pants most days, and those thin pants are just not enough for warmth. On teaching days I wear fitted, stirrup-style legwarmers to keep me warm in that cold, cold community centre; the floor is linoleum over concrete, and it is VERY cold, even in the spring and fall.
Years ago my mother-in-law knitted me several pairs of legwarmers, and they are incredibly thick and cozy. I wear them for walks on days that are cold, but not cold enough for snow pants.
They are too heavy to wear indoors or while teaching but perfect for walking. Options! It’s good to have them.
Sock It To Me
On non-teaching-but-still-wearing-yoga-pants days, I like to wear super-long socks as an extra layer. I have a number of pairs, mostly in black or charcoal.
It takes me a significant amount of time to get dressed in the morning.
It’s Tea Time, Bitches.
One of the interesting things, reading about hygge culture, is that Denmark is a huge consumer of coffee. Me too, Denmark, me too.
The very first thing I do every morning, before I drink two glasses of water, before I wash my face and brush my teeth, before ANYTHING at all, is start the coffee pot. I drink essentially a pot of black coffee every morning and I am not ashamed to admit it. The coffee is not strong, I just like a lot of it. Don’t worry: I drink a ton of water every day too, about 4 litres a day, so I am pretty hydrated and also, yes, I do have to use the bathroom a lot. Sometimes I’ll meet someone who doesn’t drink coffee and never has, and I will be in awe, wondering what that’s like.
Anyway, I have developed a Tea Ritual in the afternoon. When you drink an entire pot of coffee before 8:30 in the morning, you probably don’t need more caffeine in your life. I mean, you do you, but I don’t need more caffeine in my life. However, I like a nice warm drink in the afternoon as sort of a break in my (not-so-busy) schedule. It’s a little treat to look forward to, choosing an herbal tea from my massive stockpile and sipping.
Remember this mug? Leanne sent it to me (HI LEANNE) in the Secret Santa Mug Swap, and it is absolutely perfect for an afternoon cuppa. It’s the perfect size and shape, and it makes me feel cozy and hygge just looking at it, let alone drinking from it.
Girl Put Your Apron On, Tell Me Your Favourite Song
You know what is super hygge? Baking delicious things!
I kind of combined two recipes, and made some changes to end up with this pumpkin swirl loaf, which turned out to be super delicious. The boys asked me if I EVER follow a recipe exactly and I had to really think about it. Pie crust! I never deviate from a pie crust recipe because, let’s face it, pie crust is a bitch to make.
Here’s a Happy Homemaker Hint for you: when rolling out pie crust, roll it between two pieces of wax paper. Take off the top one, and just flip it over onto the pie pan, and peel off the bottom layer. It’s so much easier, although it can still stick and make you swear.
Anyone who knows me knows I despise pie, particularly apple – it’s a grievous waste of good apples! – but I lovingly make them for my family. Well, lovingly and swearingly; as you can see, I had to do some crust patching. Ah well, the whole thing lasted less than 24 hours, so I guess no one cares about esthetics.
Those are my favourite things for this chilly month of January; things that make me feel all the hygge. What are your favourite things? xo
That bit about the woman with two sweaters made me count mine in my head. I have five that I actually wear– four pullovers and a cardigan– and a few more I really should give away because I never wear. I also have a couple wool shirts and an Ithaca College sweatshirt I like to wear. After a mild December we’ve had a colder than average January and those sweaters are getting more use than usual. Also I have leggings under my jeans when I go for a walk most of the time these days.
I am also big on warm beverages in winter, coffee with a lot of milk, black tea with or without milk, and herbal tea. I have at least two of those, sometimes all three, in day.
Leggings under jeans is a really smart idea. It took me decades to figure out that yes, I do need more than one layer on my legs in winter. It’s game changing.
I’m not sure what is up with all of those people who just don’t drink coffee. I’m married to one of them! He just drinks one small cup of tea in the morning and is able to lead a functional life on that. It’s the strangest thing. The first personal item that I moved into his house when we were dating was a coffee filter holder so that I could make coffee when I stayed over. It’s very sad, but I’ve figured out that I need to limit myself to one cup a day for sleep reasons, though there are days when the size of the “one cup” is pretty large.
I’ve never made a “perfect” pie crust and it doesn’t matter for exactly the reason you say==>all that anyone cares is that you made pie and it gets eaten pretty quickly.
One small cup of tea!! That’s amazing. I’m already on my third cup of coffee, it’s possible I have a problem…
I live in a cold weather climate (we’re not Calgary, but there’s plenty of snow on the ground right now) and I do not care for sweaters. I wear base layers, a heated vest, and plenty of scarves. Layers, layers, layers, and more layers.
My husband is a tea drinker and, by default, so am I. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him drink any coffee at all, although we both love how coffee smells. I envy you how delicious your house must smell every morning!
It’s all about the layers! My husband likes English Breakfast tea and I really, really don’t. Herbal tea though, that’s my jam.
While I would love to be a sweater person (I’m even a knitter), I find that most aren’t warm enough! I have 2 super warm Patagonia fleeces that make me look like a muppet, but that’s the only thing that is warm enough for me. I think you are on to something with the long sweaters. I also don’t drink coffee (except when I was pregnant, weird, I know) because it’s too in your face. “BAM, I’m coffee!!” I do love the smell, though.
Ooooh fleeces are nice too, and hey, muppets are great!
I like your chaka chaka hygge love! Stay hooked on that feeling, Nicole!
I’m high on believing that you’re in love with meeeeeee
I’ve got the Ally McBeal dancing baby animation stuck in my head, now! (Somebody say they know what I am talking about! I think it was a meme before everyone meme’d!)
I loved that show so much! It is the reason I became a Gladys Knight fan!
Oh I love all the cozy. It has been hovering around -20 all week (and we’re set to get a big snowstorm this weekend), so this gave me some warm fuzzies.
I’m doing a Favourites of January post on Monday, so I won’t ruin the surprise, but a few of the items help keep me cozy because…that is what is on my mind a lot of the time lately in this insane Canadian weather.
Brrr! Our weather hasn’t been bad this week, so I’m bracing for a hit sometime in February/ March/ April!
2 sweaters, huh? That’s all that FL woman has? I’m working on absorbing that information. No winter coat I get, but…
The pumpkin swirl bread is ingenious. I like how it looks and no doubt would like how it tastes. You’re a clever baker. And you look great in all of your sweaters, btw.
I know, it was hard for me to absorb as well. I guess if you don’t need a thing you don’t buy a thing, but what glory that must be. And thank you for your kind words!
THAT KERMIT MUG.
I am appreciating winter so much more since being in a pandemic. I used to dread it. Now, I don’t mind it. Hygge is such a mindset. I love your attitude about it. Those are all great things to enjoy. Thank you for sharing them with us. 🙂
KERMIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!! Thanks, sweet friend!
I get that FL woman with only two sweaters. I think I maybe owned one sweater when I lived in Texas. And I certainly didn’t have a real coat. Needless to say, I have a coat(s) and sweaters now.
It’s funny that you mentioned this….”I wear a lot of long cardigans, especially on teaching days when I need to strip down to only two layers (yoga tank and long sleeve tee) for class, without ruining my hair.” as it literally JUST dawned on me last week that I should probably get dressed BEFORE fixing my hair. And it works – the amount of frizz I usually have is pretty much gone. And it only took me my entire life to figure that one out.
Glad to be of service! I always do my hair after dressing, otherwise, disaster. You warm-weather girls and your lack of sweaters! I cannot even imagine. If I took out sweaters from my wardrobe, I’d have a LOT MORE SPACE.
I love this. I too had to stare in the distance for a moment at the concept of TWO SWEATERS. TWO. SWEATERS. What a life.
I love all your various warmers. Very cute and cozy.
And apple pie is my favorite pie (do I like any other type of pie? key lime, I suppose), but I agree so much about pie crust. No thank you.
I like a chocolate mousse pie, but that doesn’t even really seem to be in the same ballpark as fruit pies. Possibly I like it because it’s chocolate, but also it’s a cookie crumb crust, which is 1000000000 times easier than pie crust.
Pie is honestly one of my favourite things. I rarely make it because MAKING pie is not my favourite but EATING pie is. So. It has to be done once in a while. But yes, always while swearing. It’s the thing to do.
OMG first, I have to say I was so excited to see your name. HI MARILYN HI MARILYN HI MARILYN!! Pie is SUCH a bitch to make. I guess I could just BUY pie crust, but you know. I don’t.
I love a cozy sweater and I have several, but I cannot wear them while I babysit. Especially when I babysit for a crowd, which is the way it is currently. On sitting days, I go with layers because getting up and down off the floor and changing a million diapers and running up and down the stairs at nap time makes me sweat. Your sweaters are really cute and I love your bum warmer. While the long open sweaters look great, I do not enjoy them. I feel like I have to hold them shut, or wrap them around me in order to stay warm or keep it from falling off of me. I’m clearly doing it wrong. I agree, THERE IS NO LAW when talking about what you love.
This might surprise you, but I do not drink coffee. Never have. And I seem to function just fine, but I guess that depends on who you ask.
You’re one of the no-coffee unicorns!!
I can see how an open cardigan would be really impractical, looking after little ones. There’s no law!
Ha. I wish I’d had this list when I first got to the midwest… having grown up in a tropical country, I always imagined it was warm whenever there was sunshine. Long trouser socks really changed my life!
Long socks for the win!
There are NO laws Nicole, NONE.
I won’t tell you how many sweaters I have because I want you to love me. But we do have a freeze warning this weekend, so I feel you.
Ok, I really don’t; this is rare.
I think your bum warmer looks like an adorable mini-skirt; how cute and clever.
I love apple pie and yours is beautiful.
My favorite things lately? Not having to run our air conditioner since we’re having lovely weather.
I’ve been enjoying Cold Brew coffee in the mornings; it’s less acidic and easier on my belly. But also: NOT WARM, so you probably wouldn’t care for it.
Wait, Suz, do you have ANY sweaters? Is your number ZERO? I promise I’ll love you either way!
I have a few sweaters because they are cute but especially in this hormonal season of my life I can hardly ever wear them. I do love my snowflake-patterned flannel sheets, though.
What could be cozier than flannel sheets?
I can definitely relate to the person who said she only owns two sweaters, haha. I have tried to grow my “winter” clothes collection because it is really fun to be able to wear cozy sweaters and cardigans when our temperatures dip, but it also feels like such a waste to invest too much money when I can only wear those clothes two months out of the year! The way you survive the frigid temps is similar to the ways I survive the heat here in Florida!
I am not a fan of pie in general, but damn, I really love a good apple pie every now and then. Eeks!
You Florida girls! You are exactly right, our winter is your summer, but with a 65 degree difference (Celcius! I don’t know what it would be in Fahrenheit). WAIT, I JUST DID THE CALCULATION, IT WOULD BE LIKE 132 DEGREES DIFFERENCE. Anyway, what can you do!
Oh, please continue with your “favo(u)rite things”-posts – I enjoy them so much and don’t mind at all if some things repeat themselves. In fact, it makes me feel like I know you better if I go “yup, I know that about Nicole, she sure loves her bum warmers and lots of coffee” 🙂 (me, too, btw!)
Hahah! Thanks San!