My mom frequently tells me that I am the best relaxer she knows. She will walk into my room on any given night, see me snuggled up underneath a blanket with my TV on; there is mood lighting, candles, and most likely a book in my hand. She says 'You're the best at relaxing' and it's very true. I have always been good at winding down and taking care of myself.

Skincare Routine

Scents

Entertainment

Journaling

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know how much I love to stay indoors and how much I love the hygge lifestyle. Hygge is the Danish word to acknowledge the feeling or moment of cozy, charming and special. It could be alone or with friends, at home or out but either way, it is meant to be described as a warming, cozy feeling.

I've always been someone who loved being cozy and content at home so it's nice to have a word to describe it.

I did a post at the beginning of the year with the products you need for the perfect hygge experience but now I want to go into more detail on what to do to really relax and become one with hygge. I thought the week before Christmas and a few days before the winter solstice was the perfect time to discuss.

Some things to note before we get into the nitty-gritty; you can have hygge alone or with a small group of friends. I also think it's important to have the right temperature in the area where you are having a hygge night. My ideal temperature is warm but not overly hot because you want to be able to breathe and not sweat under blankets.

Also, if you're planning on having a winter hygge night at home, I highly recommend setting yourself up by your Christmas tree. There is nothing more beautiful and comforting than laying on the couch while your Christmas tree lights twinkle as you're watching a Christmas movie. There is nothing that makes me happier.

*Bonus points if it's snowing or raining!

Now onto the real stuff...

Comfort

Hygge to me means being comfortable. That means your clothes, your environment and the company you are keeping. When I'm having a winter hygge night, I'm in baggy sweatpants and a big, comfortable sweatshirt. Then, I make sure I'm in a comfortable space whether that is on my couch or in my bed. I make sure I have tons of layers in pillows and blankets; I cozy up underneath everything and find that spot that makes me sink into the bed or couch, and I just feel like I'm on a cloud.

Food & Drinks

I don't think food is completely necessary for a hygge night but something that is warm, inviting, and comforting can only be an added bonus. Drinks, on the other hand, are completely necessary! For winter, I really prefer hot chocolate or a caffeine-free winter flavored tea. It just warms your entire body and adds to the experience.

Lights & Scents 

Candles instantly make any room cozier so I always have them burning; especially during the winter, a Christmas candle completely envelopes a room and makes it better. I also love the flickering light and warmth a candle gives off. No hygge night is complete without a candle. If candles aren't your thing, an oil diffuser gives off the same effect plus it has some calming benefits.

Self-Care

If you want to go the extra mile, slap on a face mask, take a bubble bath and read a book. Self-care goes great with hygge!

What is your ideal winter hygge night?
xoxo
B

I never got the hang of gift guides and usually only do 2-3 per year but I like rounding up my favorite items to give different people in your life. I also like categorizing these guides because everyone in your life has their 'thing'.

My thing is the homebody and hygge.

I have always been a homebody. I'm someone who likes to stay home, relax, watch TV and just be chill. It's not even that I want to be alone because I like staying in with friends as well. After 4 years of continuously going out Thursday-Saturday (sometimes even Wednesdays), I'm exhausted from the bar scene. I've accepted that this is who I am and I'm done apologizing for it. I'm 25 years old and too old to care what people say about me and my homebody habits!

Also, hygge has been such a huge trend in the past few years and it's a lifestyle I love to live by! I wrote a post about it earlier this year but it's still something I practice and believe it. Everyone should hygge once in a while.

These are the things that I would love to be gifted as a fellow homebody and someone who loves to be cozy, chic, and at peace.

Barefoot Dreams Blanket

This is every blogger's favorite blanket and with very good reason. It's so incredibly comfortable, soft, and embodies everything I have ever wanted out of a blanket. After drooling over this blanket for years I finally purchased it via QVC (thank you, easy payments!) and have fallen in love with it. It's super cozy and just unlike anything you've ever touched before. All of Barefoot Dreams products are chic and cozy so your homebody would love anything by the brand!

J.Crew Factory Marbled Joggers

I stumbled upon these pants by accident; I was looking for a new pair of sweatpants and these looked like a good pick so I scooped them up. Well, I had no idea what I was in for! These are the most comfortable, delicious pants I've ever worn in my life. They feel like a mix between fleece and silk -- it's such a unique material and just very, very soft. I want to buy them in other colors too but one thing to be aware of is that they shed! Whenever I wear them, black fuzz appears all over my bedroom carpet. It's strange and I thought it would get better after washing but no such luck!

Candle Set

A candle set is a safe gift for anyone really, but it's an essential part to be cozy at home. I stock up on candles throughout the year but Christmas and winter are really my favorite times to burn! I think picking up a candle or two for your homebody is a great idea but what would be even more special is splurging a little on a luxe candle set, one that you know they wouldn't pick up for themselves!

Monq

Essential oils have become a huge part of the home and part of people's wellness routine. There is nothing I love more than cozying up in a blanket and diffusing some of my favorite essential oils to really set the mood. Now, we have personal essential oil diffusers which you can breathe in for an even better experience. Introducing Monq! These personal essential oil diffusers come in a variety of flavors that all use different oils to create a different feeling. I personally love the Zen and I think a nice gift set would be great for your homebody.

PS: Use code briana10 for 10% off your order -- it's good until 12/31 ;)

Salt Lamp

In the same realm of candles and Monq, a salt lamp creates a spa-like feeling in someone's home and also has some great health benefits. It's part decor, part health and wellness and all kinds of cozy!

When it comes to your hygge obsessed friend, any of these gifts will make them smile and then immediately want to hibernate!

What other gift guides would you want to see? Or let me know what hygge gifts you would want! 

For the past year, I have been living by a term that makes everything in my life seem peaceful and perfect. That term is hygge which is the Danish term for cozy living. It splashed onto the scene at the end of 2016 and has since made an impact on the wellness and lifestyle industries here in the US.

Hygge is such a major part of Danish living that someone wrote an entire book about it, which I recently finished late last year and I loved every moment of it. It describes what hygge is and how to have the ultimate hygge day. It compares the trend to other countries around the world and it just brought such peace to my mind.

I love nothing more than being cozy and relaxing so to have a term for it now, and for it to be 'on trend' aka socially acceptable makes me a little happier than it really should.

If you've ever experienced the warm coziness of being snuggled up in a blanket, with snow falling outside and a candlelit you've experienced hygge.

It's such an interesting concept and in a world where we are measured by how busy we can be at any given time, it's nice knowing that it's acceptable to take a break.

We're always rushing to do something, to experience something, to get that new job, to start the new side hustle, to experience something, that I don't think a lot of us ever take the time to just relax.

Even me, the queen of relaxing, has trouble with it. My mom always sees me sitting at my desk, typing away on the computer and continually asks "What are you doing?" and when I tell her about a new project I'm working on, she looks at me quizzically and says "Why don't you just put the computer and phone down and watch tv? Just relax"

I pride myself on being able to relax and unwind but after an hour or so, I get very restless and feel like I should be doing something. Then, I wonder why I'm always tired: because my mind, hands, and body are always working, always stressed and always thinking about what is coming next.

I've been trying to cut back, to just relax, at least for a few hours and sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.

However, I do think I am more qualified than most to tell you how to have the perfect hygge experience.

Threshold Blanket Oil Diffuser Tea Pinch Provisions Self Care Kit Diptyque Candle  Sweatshirt Kate Spade Slippers

Below are a few other of my favorite hygge picks!

Relaxing is my favorite hobby. It is one of the greatest things I do. My mom always tells me that I am the greatest relaxer ever. That doesn't mean lazy... it just means having alone time and decompressing.

That being said, relaxing on the weekend is a given for everyone but relaxing during the week is an art; I have perfected it.

Relaxing on a weeknight after work is a must for me. I rarely do anything after work because I am way too tired and I just need time to myself.

I get home around 6:30 every night (sometimes earlier, sometimes later if I'm late at work or there are a lot of delays) and I usually have dinner right after I get home. Then I shower and it's time to chill.



Relaxing on a weekend is a little different for me than a weeknight because I do try to stay off the computer after work. After staring at the screen and typing all day, I need to take a break.

1. Candles & lights: My ultimate way to relax is by burning candles and turning on my twinkle lights. It creates the perfect ambiance for me to unwind and chill out.

2. Television: I am a TV person through and through but the weeknights are the ultimate TV nights because everything new is on. It's usually Bravo and the housewives but getting into bed to watch television after a long day is my favorite thing in the world.

3. Journaling: I end every day with writing in my journal and recapping my feelings on the day previous. It helps me clear my head and just wind down.

4. Planning: I have a few new planner systems going on right now in the New Year (post coming soon) and I've been loving sitting down with my new planner and getting things in order for the week and following days. *Definitely more of a Type A way to relax but true nonetheless

5. Pampering: I love a good face mask after a long day of work and just laying in bed with a face mask *or hand, hair, or feet mask* while watching trashy reality TV is awesome. I also love to take my sweet time with my skincare routine. Washing my face, putting a mask on, and then lathering myself in serums and moisturizers makes me feel so good.

All in all, I really try to stay off the computer and stay away from 'work' stuff, or anything really stressful. I try to avoid any blog work on weeknights too (which is why sometimes there are gaps in my schedule during the week) so I have zero responsibilities.

What are your favorite ways to relax on a weeknight?
xoxo
B

For the better half of 2017 I was super focused on wellness.

I love the idea of being mindful, peaceful, and really just taking care of every part of your mind, body, and soul. I've been obsessively reading Well + Good which is a website that I've read little of in the past but the past month have really enjoyed.

I guess you can also say that I went off the hippie, dippy deep end and have also been into spiritual and healing trends. I owe this to the Alex and Ani app & blog which offer a lot of quotes, motivation, and insight into spiritual ideals.

When I was planning content in my new Content Planner (post/review coming soon) and thinking about content for the month of January, wellness was something that kept sticking out to me.

To me, wellness is all about being the best person you can be, for yourself. It can mean staying home and watching a calming movie or organizing your closet so your mind is more at peace. It can be having lemon water in the morning or buying a new sports bra to wear to your new gym.

There has been a lot of talk about wellness and self care in 2017 and something more and more people were researching and focusing on. That is going to continue into the new year and I for one am super excited about it.



I wanted one of my first wellness posts of the year to be about the trends you're going to see this year, in all areas of wellness. These are the trends that I think are attainable, relatable, and ones that I will for sure be focusing on.

1. Hygge Activewear: We won't see the disappearance of the activewear trend any time soon but we will see it get a little cozier and take on some hygge aspects. I am obsessed with Hygge and just finished this book on it. 

2. Beauty That Protects: I'm not talking about SPF here, we've got that down pat. I'm talking about beauty and skincare that protects you from enviornmental dangers and pollution. We talked about this at my company in late 2016 and it's so weird to see that it actually was right on target. Urban Decay already released their pollution protecting setting spray and I'm sure we'll see more as the year ticks on.

3. Even More Self Care: Self care was a huge thing in 2017; more people stayed home, took baths with bath bombs, and drank tea (I'm guessing?) but this isn't going anywhere either! It's a huge thing right now to be really into your self and being a bit selfish when it comes to taking care of YOU so I'm happy with this trend staying put.

4. Lunar Everything: I've always been into horoscopes and astrology but this year, the shift is moving to Lunar; focusing on moonscopes, supermoons, and all that jazz. The moon is said to effect us even more than other planets so it'll be interesting to see this take center stage.

5. Women Working Spaces: Have you heard of WeWork? What about The Wing? While WeWork isn't a women's only working space, The Wing is and I'm super into it. There are a few all over New York and they're going to be opening up in more cities this year. I wish I had a remote job just so I could join The Wing. The reason this is a wellness trend is because it's bringing women together to empower and care for each other. I'm all for it!

What wellness trends are you excited about?
xoxo
B