What the Heck is Hygge?

Quick: are you into hygge? Chances are, most of you are staring at your screen trying to figure out what we just asked you. Is it a style of yoga? A new yogurt-based diet trend? A hip new dance? The answer is far simpler than you think: hygge, pronounced “hoo-ga” is a Danish concept based on the principle of finding happiness and comfort in everyday life. Hygge can be roughly translated to “cozy contentment,” and those who are inspired by the Danes to embrace hygge in their lives report a sense of enjoyment, happiness and wellbeing in even the smallest things in life.

Perhaps the best thing about hygge is that it can literally be anywhere you look for it, as long as something brings you joy. Being mindful and appreciative of people and things that matter to you can help you find your sense of hygge and lead a stronger, more purposeful life. Here are some tips on how to achieve hygge within your everyday life:

Get comfy- In order to achieve the warm, fuzzy feeling associated with hygge, it is essential to make your home and surroundings as comfortable as possible. Cashmere socks, snuggly throw blankets and warm sweaters with plush textures can all contribute to your sense of hygge.

Keep it simple- Hygge is all about finding beauty in simplicity. Whether you choose to embrace the simple life by inviting a couple of friends over for a no-frills, home-cooked dinner or by spending a relaxing evening in an overstuffed armchair with a glass of red wine and one of your most beloved books is up to you. Find the joy in the simple things in life and you’ll have hygge locked down!

Love your friends and family- Of course you already do this, but to gain true hygge perspective, try spending more quality time with your loved ones. Simply chatting around a warm log fire or relaxing on a big comfy couch and telling stories of good times past can deepen your connection to one another and give all of your an immense sense of inner peace and well-being.

Bring nature in (or bring yourself out!)- Connecting with nature is one of the foundations of the concept of hygge. There’s nothing quite as uplifting for the soul as a walk through the great outdoors, breathing in the fresh air and feeling your heart pump in your chest while you think your thoughts. If you can’t get outdoors at the moment, do the next best thing and bring the best of nature inside the house with you: a well-placed bowl of pinecones, an antique vase filled with wildflowers, or a collection of pressed fall leaves will boost the hygge factor each time you look at them.

For more about hygge and what it can do for your life, read this interesting article from House Beautiful, and please let us know how hygge is going for you in the comments section.  

Just Throw It! How to Use Throws in your Home Décor

Throw blankets are a great and easy way to add a pop of color into any room. Not only that, but they can bring interesting texture and unexpected warmth to an otherwise lackluster living space. Here are some tips for making the most out of your home decorating and add style and interest to your home almost effortlessly!

Keep it Neutral- If your home already has a mishmash of furniture and patterns that don’t necessarily coordinate with one another on their own, adding some neutral-colored throws is a way to tie it all together and make it all work. Look for beige, tan or brown throws to accomplish this.

Cozy it Up- Does your living area look too stark? Nothing a warm-colored throw slung against the back of the couch can’t fix. Instantly add a vibe of casual comfort to even the most austere furnishings with a rich-textured throw blanket in an orange or red tone.

Fur Real- A cuddly faux-fur throw is not only ideal for snuggling beneath during a family movie night or snowy morning in, but is also a way to add an instant layer of interest and texture to your space. Plus, it’s so fun to pet!

Fancy Furnishings- If your couch is a solid color, consider buying matching throw pillows and blanket in an interesting texture or with an intriguing pattern. The matching element will instantly transform your blah sofa into an elegant, classy piece of furniture.

How do you like to use throws in your decorating? We can’t wait to hear from you in the Comments section!

You'll Love These 3 Fall Trends for Your Home!

Fall is here!  It’s time for pumpkin spice everything, cozy football Sundays at home with friends, and of course Mother Nature’s gorgeous color display of changing leaves against an azure sky. What’s not to love about this delightful season?

Here are 3 of our home décor trends to welcome fall in unique, unexpected ways.

1. Layered Rugs- This home trend adds a feeling of warmth and texture to your living space, while having fun with patterns and varying fabrics. Just snag a large rug in a neutral color or pattern and layer a plushier, more vibrantly-patterned rug on top for an instant living room makeover that practically begs you to sit in front of the fireplace.

2. Plush Throw Pillows and Blankets- A throw pillow or blanket is an ideal way to add a touch of color, and now you can use them to make your home more fall-ready in minutes! Choose richly-textured fabrics like cable-knit, faux fur or velvet to give your home the cozy, autumn feel you want, and get set to want to hug your house!

3. Paint it (Matte) Black- Looking to add a little drama to your white bathroom sink or light-colored kitchen island? Consider matte black fixtures. A perfect way to add some fun contrast and flair for instant sophistication and interest.

Images originally appeared in POPSUGAR blog post from August 31, 2016. Check out full post complete with more fun fall trends here.

Ceramic Cookware 101

Last Christmas, my husband gave me a beautiful set of ceramic-coated cookware. Unlike Teflon or other types of traditional non-stick cookware, ceramic coating is much safer and healthier, not to mention heat- and scratch-resistant. After trying out my new pots and pans I was thrilled to see that they were every bit as nonstick as my old cookware set, with none of the unpleasant side-effects (Teflon-sprinkled eggs, anyone?) Here’s a helpful guide to get you the most use and highest performance out of your ceramic pots and pans:

Before the First Use:

Unlike traditional skillets and frying pans, it is not necessary to “season” your ceramic cookware with oil. It is, however, good practice to wash your new pots and pans in warm, soapy water and wipe dry with a paper towel. This will remove any leftover ceramic dust particles from manufacturing. Once it’s washed, it’s ready to go!

Use Proper Utensils:

Make sure to always use only wooden, silicone or plastic utensils when stirring or serving the contents of your cookware. Metal whisks, spatulas or spoons can leave scratch marks on the surface of the cookware. Though ceramic coating is more scratch-resistant than other nonstick surfaces, it is not entirely immune to scratches or gouges, so it’s best to stick with the safer utensils.

Skip the Cooking Spray:

Here’s one I didn’t know at first. Cooking sprays can cause a buildup of residue on your ceramic cookware, so use a tiny bit of oil or butter to coat the inside of the pan when you cook instead. The amount of oil or butter you have to use is so insignificant it will hardly add any calories to what you are cooking, and it will help the coating last longer.

Avoid High Heat:

Though ceramic cookware is heat-resistant, it performs best on low or medium heat settings. Because ceramics distribute heat effectively, foods will be cooked more evenly and quickly on low to medium heat. On the other hand, high heat can cause the food to stick, which can damage or discolor the surfaces of the pots and pans.

How to Clean Ceramic Cookware:

A year has come and gone and those pots and pans get put to use in the kitchen almost every day. Needless to say, they’re no longer as sparkly and white as they were out of the box. Luckily, washing ceramic cookware is easier than washing other types of nonstick pots and pans. Ceramic cookware should always be hand-washed in warm soapy water and a soft, non-abrasive sponge or scrubber. Soak pots and pans in hot water for 30 minutes prior to washing to make cleaning burnt food from pans easier. If you want to get your ceramic-coated cookware back to its original gleaming state, periodically give them a good deep cleaning to remove stains, buildup and discoloration. To do this, soak the pot or pan in hot, soapy water and wash with a non-abrasive sponge as usual. Then sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda to the affected areas and let stand for 20 minutes. Using a plastic dish brush, scrub the pot or pan in circular motions until stains have lifted, then rinse with warm water and dry with a clean towel.

Start the Year Off Right! 8 Tips to Organize Your Home This Winter

Why wait until spring to start your spring cleaning? A new year deserves a fresh start in your home. Here are 8 quick and easy ways to spruce up your house, clear the clutter and get things in order while you await the spring thaw.

 1. Tackle that home office. What better time than a brand new year to sort through your files and important papers and weed out the ones that can be shredded or recycled? Get your desk, shelves and filing cabinets tidy, and while you’re at it, create a file folder of all the things you come across that you will need for your taxes. April 15 isn’t THAT far away, you know!

2. Clean the OTHER desktop. Your computer can get just as cluttered with junk as your actual desktop. Now is a great time to delete old files, empty the trash (that’s Recycle Bin for you PC fans), store photos and other files you wish to save on an external hard drive or cloud drive, and even updating your operating system for maximum speed and performance.

3. Reorganize the cupboards. My kitchen cabinets are like the Bermuda Triangle. I can’t even count how many times I have pulled a perfectly good, but unfortunately now expired, can of soup or box of cookies out from behind the stack of boxes that was blocking my view. Starting the year with tidy, organized cupboards full of food you will actually use is a great way to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, too- that is, if your resolutions include eating healthy or staying budget-conscious. Bonus- any canned or boxed foods that are not past the expiration date but which you know you won’t really eat can go to the local food bank, which can use donations year-round, not just during the holidays.

4. Clear out your spice rack. Did you know spices can expire? After 6 months, they can lose their flavor and possibly even start to taste weird. And are you really going to use that tiny dusting of paprika in the otherwise empty container? Didn’t think so. Toss out all your old spices and take inventory of any replacements you need to buy. For an extra fun way to make your friends roll their eyes at you, put your spices in alphabetical order to make them easier to find.

5. Wrangle the winter wear. Match up all mittens with their mates, hang scarves on a rack created for the purpose of hanging scarves, clear off your coat rack which is probably about to topple over from the weight of so many coats, and hang all the coats back in the closet. A nice wicker basket or bin placed inside the closet is a great way to keep track of gloves, hats and earmuffs, especially when you have kids. Next time you want to build a snowman, you’ll know where all your outerwear is!

6. Schedule your appointments. Dental checkups, pediatric visits, gyno appointments, eye exams- get it all scheduled at the beginning of the year and keep track of appointment dates and times on a wall calendar in the kitchen or another room you’re in often, or on your phone or tablet. Set appointment reminders to beep when the appointment is imminent. Never miss another tooth cleaning!

7. Clean out your closets. Go through all your clothes and divide into two categories: keep or give away. Be ruthless- if you haven’t worn it in two years, it goes in the giveaway pile. If any of the clothes you wish to keep have stains, rips, or need to be dry cleaned, put aside for mending or cleaning. Go through your kids’ closets and pull out anything that no longer fits or needs to be replaced. Round up all your giveaways and drive to your local charity donation center immediately after cleaning the closets- you won’t end up procrastinating and leaving the bags of clothes in the garage for 6 months if you drive it right over while you’re on a roll.

8. Sort your pots and pans. If there are any you don’t use regularly, or if you recently got a new set of cookware, donate the ones you no longer use to charity. Hanging racks for pot/pan lids are a convenient and affordable way to minimize clutter and ensure that you will always be able to find the right lid at the right time.