Stay at home, my heart, and rest, homekeeping hearts are happiest.
-Longfellow-
A cozy home is the kind of home that sounds most appealing and welcoming to me. While coziness is totally a realistic thing for all year round, there's something about autumn and winter that just make a home all the more cozy. It's this time of year when we feel more inspired to light candles and hang twinkly fairy lights and pour mugs of hot chocolate at night. I believe the mission to make a cozy atmosphere is a good one and it brings lots of fun, too. Today I have gathered some thoughts that I have shared previously in hopes that you might be inspired to make your home a cozy haven.
"I am such a seasonal person. I count down to the day when I can bring out my sweaters and scarves and boots and leggings and coats and cozy pajamas. I love gathering all my cozy-scented candles, which have been hiding since Spring came. Digging out all the pumpkin decorations and the scarecrows is simply the best. Deciding on the perfect spot in the yard for a few fresh pumpkins or pots of mums and placing mini pumpkins on the ledge above our front door is yet another sign that a season of glorious, slow beauty is upon us."
(Read more here: An Autumnal Pace)
"Making your home a haven can sound like a daunting task, but let me assure you that you don't need an interior design degree in order to create a beautiful, peaceful, inviting, warm place. You are simply creating a space that welcomes you in from the cold, sometimes harsh outside world, and whispers to you, calling with peace, calmness, and enjoyment. Even the person who feels challenged with design and home decor can easily succeed in making such a place. It just takes a little creativity, some imagination, and a sincere heart's desire to make such a place for you and your family.:
(Read more here: Creating a Haven of Rest, Beauty & Love)
"Autumn holds so much within its grasp...beauty, wonder, magic, warmth, invitation, coziness. Upon the first cool, crisp morning, my heart feels lighter and I am more myself than I've been for months. Summer just isn't my favorite; autumn, however, reawakens something deep within my soul. It causes me to remember the things I most love and value. I could sit here and list many things that I most anticipate about autumn...but I've chosen a select handful, or two, to share today. I'd love to invite you to find a cozy chair to squish down into and brew a cuppa for yourself of the most delectable, warm and spicy hot tea you can find...light a candle or pop some seasonal blends into your diffuser. Get comfy and settle in...we're about to count just a few of the blissful bits and bobs of autumn!"
(Read more here: Blissful Autumnal Bits & Bobs)
"Our home is full of coziness...from warm, thick blankets casually draped over the back of the couch and spicy scented essential oils creating a comforting scent wafting through the air, there are ample tastes of coziness everywhere I turn in our home. Candles flickering and cups of tea in hand, bookshelves filled to overflowing with books of all sorts, and stacks of movies to watch whilst curled up on the couch, fuzzy socks on and the lights dimmed low. Shelves of board games and decks of cards invite you to sit at the little table we have placed beside the fireplace for an evening of games, laughter and warmth by the fireside. Soups and stews simmering on the stovetop all afternoon long and bread rising waiting to be kneaded and shaped into loaves of beauty and heavenly flavor. Soft and sweet lighting creates a peaceful atmosphere and ambience as opposed to the harsh white light that is almost blinding. And favorite medleys and tunes are playing in the background, making whatever you are doing all the more fun...even cleaning. Yes, even cleaning."
(Read more here: Keeping a Cozy Home)
~ Some simple ideas to make your home cozy ~
♥ change our your lamp lights from white to amber, and use a lower wattage as well
♥ invest in an oil diffuser and always have some blend diffusing
♥ make a warm, spicy scented room spray...here's my favorite
♥ make dinner time special by lighting candles and dimming the lights
♥ keep calming music playing in the background...for us, this doesn't always mean soft, slow music, but rather, uplifting Irish/Celtic tunes
♥ take every opportunity you can during these cooler months to allow your dinner to simmer on the stovetop all afternoon...soups, stews, chilis, etc., or even roast a chicken
♥ make comfort food often (it doesn't have to be unhealthy!)...pot pies, homemade bread, etc.
♥ drink lots and lots of hot tea and cider and cocoa and coffee...have fun making different homemade recipes similar to the ones you find in coffee shops
♥ games nights, movie nights, marathon nights of your favorite TV shows
♥ have plenty of blankets and quilts handy...keeping them out makes them easy to grab and they add such a cozy, homey look to any room
♥ keep your coats, scarves, hats and gloves easily accessible so you will be encouraged to go outside more often
♥ purpose to enjoy nights of crafting...whether it be painting, knitting, sewing, crocheting, paper crafting, scrapbooking, journaling, etc.
♥ or enjoy family game nights and try learning new games as well as playing old favorites
♥ purpose to broaden your horizons when it comes to cooking and baking from scratch...I can't think of a better time to learn a new kitchen skill than this time of year, or simply enjoy a skill you already have practiced
♥ read, read, read...curl up with a good book and be transported to another place...and learn something new, too
♥ set up a drink corner in your kitchen with an electric kettle, mugs, sugar, and a variety of teas, coffees, hot chocolate and spiced cider
♥ decorate for the season and holidays...decorations are not clutter
♥ hang twinkly fairy lights and bring a bit of whimsy and magic to a room
♥ have a seasonal tea party...see our autumn tea party from last year HERE
What are your favorite ways to bring coziness into your home this time of year? Share your ideas below and let's inspire one another!
♥