Thankful for Cozy

2004:Your oldest child's first day of kindergarten is not cozy-- even when the house is quieter it's too emotional. When they come home from school and it's raining and you make popcorn and everybody reads stories...that's cozy.

My friends think it's funny how often I use the word cozy (that one and fancy which makes me sound like a little girl but I really haven't found a replacement that suits me). Maybe I love the word and the state of being so much because it grew on me while living in The Netherlands where they have a word that means cozy times infinity. 'Gezellig' doesn't translate into anything in English but if it could it would be cozy with more glory attached. Dutch people love 'gezellig' situations and so do I. You could say that I really prioritize cozy above many other moods. My top ten cozy ingredient list might look like this:

1. Warm glowing lamps 2. A soft blanket/throw--preferably not wool 3. The perfect company (varies depending on mood) 4. Fresh bread, cookies and herb tea or hot chocolate 5. The right music (again, mood will change this drastically) 6. A chunk of time that is open-ended...can't be rushed 7. Something exciting that you are anticipating in the near future 8. The right outfit (mood weighs in again) 9. Good health is preferable but coziness works wonders for sick people 10. Light brainless task on hand but no TV!!!

Fall and Winter are the ultimate seasons for getting cozy so make your own ingredient list and do it. Remember, if it's too emotional it's not going to be cozy...it will be too sentimental. If you want to learn to say gezellig like a pro listen to this (scroll down for the word). I love "take 2".

Here's to a cozy holiday season.