How to Hygge-up your Spring

This is it - I’m committed to the fact that spring is here. I know that living in Vermont means winter can come back with moment’s notice, but the melting snow and sucky skiing are nudging me towards the excitement of a new beginning. I say nudging because as much as spring is my favorite season, I am mourning this past winter a bit. Global warming or not, there was barely any snow and that makes me sad.

So, let’s get ourselves ready for spring! As much as hygge seems like a winter weather indulgence, it’s something we can enjoy year round. As you know, home is the easiest place to start! Open your windows on a warm day and let the fresh air in. Then sit down with a drink (lemonade?) and think about your favorite things the season brings. Here are a few ways that I hygge-up my life this time of year.

Flowers and Greenery

The tulips start peeking out from under the leaves and my rhubarb starts to rub it’s eyes and look up towards that warming sun. The lilacs are budding and the peonies are shooting up faster than you ever remember. My kids start coming inside with bouquets of dandelions, dirt under their nails, and huge smiles on their faces. Go outside and make some clippings - it doesn’t have to be flowers - look for branches with leaves starting to unfurl, a few ferns, and anything else that catches your eye. The first signs of spring in a small vase or mason jar next to your sink or on your mantle can bring your heart a warm sense of joy and anticipation of what’s to come. If you don’t have a yard or anything to steal from outside, there is nothing wrong with grocery store (Trader Joe’s are the best) flowers!

Spring Cleaning

To some people, spring cleaning sounds like a mundane chore, but for me it’s another way to refresh and renew. Instead of looking at it like drudgery, look at it as an opportunity to refresh - like getting into a bed with fresh clean sheets. Open your windows and put on some of your favorite music and get to work. Start at the top of the rooms and work your way down. Dust things that frequently get missed, take books off the shelves and give them a wipe, maybe moving things around for a new look. Wash windows (you will be surprised at how much of a difference this will make - especially when you do the outside!) and throw your cushion covers and throw pillows in the wash. If you have a clothesline (how hygge is a clothesline?!), hang your laundry outside to bring that fresh air in.

Using natural products are more hygge (to me) than the old school stuff. Fresh scents like lemon and lavender will make anyone think spring. This is my favorite disinfectant recipe that uses ingredients you already have at home. Give it a try!

Spring Recipes

Soups are winter hygge for me, so in spring I switch them out for salads. The first juicy strawberries of the season go on a bed of spinach with red onion, feta, toasted pepitas, and balsamic. Grilled cheese is swapped out for sandwiches piled high with crisp veggies between fresh sourdough. We take to the grill when we can on the “hot” 50-degree spring days as the kids splash in the puddles and catch frogs and snakes that have come out of hiding.

Having friends over for a bbq is a great way to get the spring vibe going. Some meat on the grill, drinks in the cooler, and kids running around outside and you’ve got the trifecta of a spring feast!

Spring Activities

Hikes and walks outside feel different in the spring. Enjoy all of the different shades of green popping up, the birds chirping and the squirrels chasing each other in the trees.

Planning your garden in early spring can be so exciting! Every year I think of something new to try growing. One year it was brussels sprouts (my favorite), another it was onions (I will always grow onions now - there is nothing better than running to the basement in December to grab a home-grown onion for my soup!). Even a different placement in your garden could be fun - a salsa garden with tomatoes, basil, jalapenos, and onion. Or a potted herb garden just outside your back door by the kitchen. Every year I try to add a perennial to my flower garden and have enjoyed how it has taken shape over the years. If you don’t have room for a garden outside, try planting something in a pot. Even if it’s something simple like radishes, the quick-growing varieties are so satisfying to grow and can make you giddy watching from day to day.

Find a peaceful place outside to enjoy this time of year. A chair on your porch with a little table and a warm drink. A bench next to your garden where you can sit and read, noticing the changes from one day to another. Even having a favorite coffee shop or park where you can enjoy some time soaking in the signs of spring. People wearing raincoats, kids with the first creemees of the season (if you aren’t a Vermonter, you can read here about what a creemee is), and the smells of the farms getting their fields ready for summer. Yes, I just implied cow poop is a hygge-inducing smell in my world. Vermont.

Spring Clothes

If I could, I’d wear sandals all year round. I’m not a sock person, so living in Arizona years ago I got to enjoy that very thing. Here in Vermont, that first day that it’s warm enough to go outside sock-free is a day to celebrate! It takes me longer to brave shorts, but short sleeves, light coats (or no coat!), and flowery dresses are starting to take center stage. Spring makes me think of not only crisp whites, but also bright colors - pinks and yellows and sky blue.

Cleaning out your closets this time of year can promote hygge feels. Putting the sweaters away and pulling the shorts to the front. Boots in the basement and flip flops on the welcome mat. Wellies ready for that spring rainstorm that always hits during your afternoon of errands.

Hygge Self Care

What kind of self care makes you think of spring? For me a fresh pedicure, a spring haircut, and a facial are all ways to feel that I’m starting anew. Outside of the spa, a walk outside, a new book with spring vibes (a romance?), and planting our garden are things I look forward to when the days are getting longer. Self-care is so personal - spending a little time to decide what that is for you can make an impact on how you feel all season. Some other ideas you might enjoy are: try something new like woodworking or furniture restoration (or whatever you’ve been wanting to try but haven’t made the time), meditate, journal, or even declutter a space in your home that will make you breathe easier.

Yay Spring!

So there you go. Hygge spring-style. It’s different for all of us, but the important part is that it makes your heart happy. Think about a warm blanket and a candle in the winter - what gives your heart that same feeling in the spring?

If you’d like more hygge ideas, inspiration, tips, and more, please sign up for my mailing list here to receive my super cool newsletter called the Neat & Greet! I’d love to have you.