Always be ready for fika with friends

Nordic love is everywhere, even at Houzz.com, one of my other fave sites.

In Denmark they have hygge, in Germany it's gemütlichkeit and in Sweden you might get mysig. Loosely translated, all of these words mean "cozy,"but it is really much more than that. Hygge is about relaxing, slowing down and enjoying time spent together with friends and loved ones. It is about bringing light and warmth to a dark night, sipping hot drinks around the fire and creating a cheerful, peaceful, welcoming mood at home. And the beautiful thing about a hygge home is that it depends much more on the care you take than the cash you put into it.

Frankly, it's inspiring to read such words on a home decor site, many of which are more concerned with fashion and fakery (and consumerism) than quality of life.

"Cultivating cheerfulness" is not just a pleasant pastime; it's a sacred calling. We can do a much better job of evangelizing if our homes, hearts and dispositions are cheerful. (And yes, by gum, even our husbands and kids need to be evangelized on an ongoing basis... as do we dumb old housewives.)

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