10 Small Ways to Create Cozy In Your Home This Winter
This time of year, I’m always thinking about how I can capture the cozy. After a long holiday break, it can be jarring to jump back into school and work and life. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how I can keep capturing all of the cozy puzzles & movies & pajamas vibes when we’re in our normal routine. Things always fall back into chaos pretty quickly, and it’s easy to lose sight of doing the small things that make you feel good.
So, I decided to sit down and write out a little list of the things I know invite all of the warm and cozy vibes into my house. I’m committing this winter to doing the things on this list more often. If you’re also longing for more quiet and cozy moments at home, I hope you’ll join me!
How to Create Cozy: The Video
If you prefer to watch or listen, I put together a little video summarizing all of my tips! Watch below or head over to my YouTube channel if you prefer that!
10 Small Ways to Create Cozy This Winter
Work on a Puzzle for Days On End.
There is nothing more cozy than gathering around the table with your family for an hour or two to work on a puzzle together. I love getting a big one and spreading it out on the dining room table. We all work on it on and off over the course of a few days and it’s so fun to watch it come together.
Cook a Meal That Simmers for Hours.
There’s something about your house slowly filling up with the scent of a delicious dinner that feels so special. Plus, it feels so good to do all the prep work in the morning and not have to think about dinner again!
Read a (Physical) Book in Your Coziest Chair.
I love an ebook or audiobook. It’s how I do about 95% of my reading! But, there’s something that feels so indulgent about curling up in my favorite chair with an actual book. And, preferably, a glass of wine too.
Organize Something Small.
We all get the itch to organize a purge a bit this time of year, right?! Tackling a small space in my house that needs a little help is always so dang satisfying, and it makes our house feel a little cozier and more functional!
Dream About Your Year.
When is the last time you sat down to indulge in a little planning and dreaming for yourself? I’m serious – we all do a lot of planning for our families, our jobs, our kids. But, what about you? Try making a vision board (or even just a Pinterest board!) with all of your goals, hopes, and dreams for the year!
Set The Table For Dinner (Complete with Candles!).
Don’t save the taper candles and fancy china for dinner parties. A random Tuesday in January is the perfect time for your best tablecloth and a fancy place setting. Bonus points if you’re serving something incredibly easy, like a frozen pizza or some sandwiches! It’ll feel silly in the best way.
Play a Game (Or a Few!)
Just like puzzles, settling in for a few family games is such a great way to make things feel cozy. I love a round of Play Nine or Rack-O after dinner! Need some ideas? Here are all of our favorite family board games.
Have a Kitchen Dance Party.
I love to create playlists for different season that capture the vibes of the season. I play them on our home speakers when I’m cooking dinner or just when we’re hanging out. It’s hard to describe it, but there’s just something about your favorite music drifting through the house while the sun is setting and the kids are playing that just feels so cozy. And, of course, if everyone joins you in the kitchen for a little dance party, that makes it even better!
Watch a TV Show as a Family.
I love having a show that we’re all watching together. The kids are at an age where they can enjoy some of the things we do, which makes it so nice! You could declare Wednesday night Survivor night – or Full House or Great British Baking Show! I can’t wait until the day my kids are old enough for us to dive into The Office together! However you do it, setting aside an intentional family night for a favorite show is so fun and will create some special memories!
Start a gratitude journal.
And finally, gratitude journaling is one of my favorite ways to slow down and be a little more grounded and present in my day. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – just jot down a few things that made you smile that day. The more granular and specific, the better. For example, writing something like “the feeling of my kid snuggled up on my lap” versus just writing “my family”. I promise, once you start looking for those little moments, you’ll find them everywhere!
A few other small ideas:
- Light a candle just because.
- Go for a long walk.
- Make a big breakfast on a weekend morning.
- Add a few lamps to your home, and use them every evening.
- Bake something delicious.
- Write a letter to a friend.