In Denmark they call it Hygee (pronounced Hoo-ga) Hygee is experiences with the people you love, being together in a safe comforting environment. Along the same theme, Isabel Gilles has written COZY The Art of Arranging YOURSELF in the WORLD.
When we think of the word cozy we think of a warm blanket, favorite slippers, a special chair or hot cup of tea/coffee. Ms. Gillies explains that being cozy goes beyond objects. According to the author, “cozy is an attitude, not a thing- a shortcut to bringing the most essential parts of ourselves with us where ever we go.”
For example, the author suggests that making the bed can be cozy. As professional organizers we always suggest to our clients to make the bed daily. Making the bed brings order to the day. You have completed a morning task which will encourage you to do other tasks on your to-do list. Also, a clean made bed encourages you to keep the rest of your bedroom organized as well. While you make the bed, you can use the time to set priorities and plan. Of course, in the evening there is nothing like heading to the bedroom and seeing a clean room and well-made bed after a hectic day.
Another room that people find cozy is the kitchen. The smells, the people, the heat from the oven or stove all can be cozy. Many times our cozy childhood memories are the family gathered for meals or watching parents cook. The author states, “kitchens are full of stories as anthologies-if spatulas could talk.” Of course an organized kitchen is always helpful. Here is the note Ms. Gilles leaves for her children, “Turn off all appliances, put food away, clean dirty dishes, wipe down counters, does the kitchen look tidy?”
The book is divided into five parts and we are shown that coziness can be found in many places such as our travels, in our hobbies, in our alone time, in what we drink and even at our workplace. The book ends with family recipes which adds to the coziness of just reading the book.
What the reader learns is that cozy is not just objects in our home but a way of life. If we can dig deep and look beyond our stuff we can find cozy/safety in our daily life, no matter where we are. As the author states, “Cozy isn’t something that just exists. You have to make cozy happen.” By reading COZY, we have the power to make our lives fuller and happier just by acknowledging the coziness of our surroundings.
Isabel Gillies is a New York Times bestselling author of Happens Every Day, A Year and Six Seconds and Starry Night.
