I'm a self-confessed lover of traditions and rituals and rhythms. I love how they add both a specialness to ordinary days and beauty to daily tasks as well as stability and threads of steadiness and security to our days. As seasons change and come and go, I have specific rituals that I delight in. I have learned over the years that I am a very seasonal person, and it is reflected in my cooking, baking, decorating, what I wear, what my hobbies are and just how I go about my days. I notice this more and more about myself in both big and small ways. For example, I would never light a cotton or honeysuckle scented candle in the autumn time, nor would I dare even listen to Christmas music in the summer. Some people do these things and that is what works for them...but not for my seasonal self. I find it so funny how different people are and how unique each of us is made. I think that should be celebrated!
And I am a seasonal person. Therefore, now is the time for me to enjoy my autumnal traditions and rituals.
The traditions, rituals and rhythms that we each take part in should, and will, be as unique as we are. I believe that our senses often guide these without us having much input. Every one of us has specific scents, tastes, textures, sounds and sights that we just automatically associate with a certain season, holiday, time of year, etc. Another thing that contributes greatly to our traditions, rituals and rhythms is nature and the seasonal pace of creation. Often, for me, this is what initiates that beginning of a new season of traditions. There is always, without fail, a morning, usually in October, when the air has shifted. I wake up and it just smells and feels different. It's almost as though someone has announced that the change of seasons has arrived, and yet it is told in a quiet, subtle way. Then, again, in March sometime, there is a morning when the air smells of the earth coming alive again after her winter's slumber. There is a distinct feeling that I cannot put into words, but I just know it's there. My sister is the same way. It's quite amazing, actually!
Autumn and wintertime are, in my opinion, the time to really ramp up the coziness. While coziness is prominent in our home all year round in various ways, it's just different in the cooler months. We really love to pull out all the stops with extra blankets, lighting lanterns and candles and enjoying the fireplace in the evenings, and having plenty of warming foods to eat. I am delighted to present to you some of my personal favorite cozy rituals and traditions...
Warming Drinks
Tea and spiced apple cider and hot chocolate with vanilla almond milk and the occasional vanilla latte. These are the drinks of autumn and winter for me. Where I live, it means that our summers come early and leave late, and I just can't do hot drinks during those months. I occasionally have a mug of tea late at night in the summer, but other than that, it's all iced tea, water, and smoothies for me. As soon as the air turns crisp and cool and autumn is just twirling all around me, I pull out my collection of mugs that I save just for this time of year. Every time I prepare a warm drink, I choose a special, pretty mug and it just makes it all the more enjoyable.
Comfort Cooking
My most favorite things to cook are soups and breads and stews and those comforting foods. I love meals that simmer all afternoon long, leaving a homey scent wafting through the air. Turning on some music, sometimes soft and relaxing and other times dancey tunes and spending hours in the kitchen chopping onions, celery, carrots and other veggies and sauteing them low and slow, adding the other ingredients and having the warmth from the pot surround me is what comfort food is all about.
Seasonal Baking
Seasonal baking means more than just pulling out the pumpkin or apple recipes, though they are in abundance. I find myself so much more inspired in the kitchen when the weather is cold and especially when it's raining (or snowing!) outside. I get excited to experiment and try those recipes that I've been collecting all year long. Breadmaking is one of those arts that I am working on continually...I dream of mastering it one day!
Soft, Ambient Lighting
In our home, we rarely use white, bright lights. We just don't care for them and how glaring and annoying they are. Instead, we opt for amber-colored light bulbs and they create a softer, gentler glow. We also light lots of candles through the autumn and winter months, especially when we are in the kitchen working and in the evenings when we are just hanging out at home. Many times, too, instead of using a big overhead light we will use several small lamps. It just makes for a cozier atmosphere and we love it! Candles are also a must at dinnertime.
Spicy Scents
Whether it is a candle, soup simmering on the stovetop, bread baking in the oven, or a simple stovetop potpourri or oils in the diffuser, our home almost always smells magically delightful in the colder months.We don't use them all at once, of course, because it would make for a strange smell with all the scents mixing in the air. I also enjoy making super easy room sprays with spicy scented oils in a spray bottle to just go around and spritz throughout the house.
Pillows and Blankets
Our couches and chairs always have some blankets and pillows on them, but as soon as September hits, we bring out even more. There's nothing better than cuddling up on the couch under a squishy, soft blanket to watch a movie or just have a long chat. Oh, and if you have fur babies, they will appreciate this, too! We also always make our pets' beds and sleeping spots cozier this time of year with their own special blankies. But if your babies are anything like ours, they will almost always end up on the bed or furniture with you anyway. {{winks}}
Clothing and Pajamas
I'm all about comfy, cozy clothing! My wardrobe is simple in style and almost all casual, comfy in type. I'm not one for dressing up unless I absolutely have to. At this time of year, I am beyond excited to pull out my warmest sweaters and sweatshirts (many of which I've gotten on our travels). Fluffy socks and cute scarves and handknit cowls are where it's at for me. Boots are my favorite shoes, but often, I will just go for sandals with cozy, warm socks. Leggings are my go-to pants wise and I am literally in love with them, though skinny jeans are nice too, and yoga pants are great for lazy days at home. I'm of the belief that leggings are totally capable of looking nice and put together, even with a sweatshirt and boots or clogs. Looking put together doesn't mean you can't dress cozy. I think it's just a matter of brushing your hair and not having it look like you just rolled out of bed and putting on clothes that don't look like you've been wearing them for a week straight. People's ideas of looking "put together" often means wearing makeup and office-casual clothing and spending hours on your hair. That completely goes against my natural tendencies and beliefs as well...so enjoy your cozy clothing. If you must wear a certain dress code for your work, do that, but then don't feel bad for wearing cozy clothing the other times. We need to stop apologizing for our personal styles, especially those of us who prefer a casual, cozy style.{{Rant over.}}
And finally, pajamas! You really need to get some thick, fluffy, flannel or fleece pajama pants. They are where it's at this time of year! A cozy robe is also nice for lounging and simple T-shirts are my favorite tops. They're soft and you just can't beat them1
Nights at Home
With the nights longer and colder, we spend more time at home naturally. That doesn't mean that you can't have fun, though. Home should be the center of our lives anyway, but this time of year just means that we can make it even cozier. We look at all the ways we can make our home even more of a haven and a place we love to spend time in even more. We really do love being at home and in my opinion, autumn and winter nights are full of tons of potential. Light some candles, cook a dinner that warms you from the inside out, hang some twinkly fairy lights, make hot chocolate and serve it in pretty mugs with homemade whipped cream, bake a loaf of homemade bread, etc.
Entertainment
Another aspect of home is entertainment. These longer nights are perfect for at-home movie nights, an evening of binge-watching your favorite show, having a family game night, hosting a tea party or soup night with friends, Friday night pizza nights, working on a puzzle, and the list goes on and on forever. Some nights we are just doing our normal stuff, but many times, we enjoy doing something a bit special to really soak up the slower pace and gentler atmosphere of an autumn evening.
Hobbies
My hobbies change a bit this time of year...for example, I am inspired to get out my knitting needles and yarn bag and making a cowl...or two...or ten. Reading is something I always enjoy but of course, there is a seasonal aspect that I love to incorporate. In the autumn and winter, I love reading books that take place that time of year. Or books with a magical feel, such as Harry Potter. Or books that have an emphasis on home like the Mitford series. I just can't get into a book set at the beach when it's cool outside and leaves are falling. And I save all my Christmasy reads for mid-November through January. Other books that I just personally think of as "cozy" will come out now, too.
Nature
Weather has never stopped us from getting fresh air, even when my sister and I were little. We would just get bundled up, put on rain or snow boots and head outdoors. This is no different now. I'm a lover of long drives through the countryside, with ample time for conversations and laughter and listening to music and oftentimes, even taking snacks or a picnic or reusable travel cups of hot tea or spiced cider. Oh, and of course, always my camera, too! Taking walks through our neighborhood and visiting local parks and just sitting out in our own garden are also some of our favorites. You can't really enjoy this time of year to its fullest unless you get outside in my opinion. As the saying goes, "There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing." So it's the perfect time to pull out your warmest and most favorite scarves and gloves and hats.
Well, friend, there you have it. My favorite cozy rituals and traditions. These are all things that we enjoy incorporating into the nooks and crannies of our days. This time of year is so beautiful and full of such possibility for us to really soak up all it's wonder and loveliness, it would be such a shame to allow it to just slip through our fingers without us even enjoying it.
I'd love to hear your favorite seasonal traditions or rituals. Are you a seasonal person like me, or do you enjoy the same things all year round? And for those folks where spring is in her fullness right now, what are you enjoying these days?
Do share below!
♥