LET’S HYGGE OCTOBER 2022

Let's hygge Lindbjerg Graphic Journal Blog

[definition of hygge]

a quality of cosiness and comfortable living that engenders a feeling
of contentment and well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).

Add a little hygge to each month

I just wanted to check in… I have been feeling a little low on energy lately, so this month’s theme is how to regain energy and find something joyful to do. My personal escape is drawing. Sketching makes me focus and relax at the same time. If you need inspiration, Around the Kitchen Table by Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron is full of fun creative projects and yummy recipes. I am sharing my recipe for Bliss Energy Balls with you because they are delicious and healthy at the same time and a perfect pick-me-up. Another lovely treat is going to see a movie and it’s something I warmly recommend doing. Even if all of the above seem too overwhelming, try hitting the link to the song below. It works its magic for me every single time, but you need to play it loud… very loud! I promise it brightens up any dull day.

I wish you an energized October… filled with loud music, some fun creative projects and a bliss ball to keep you going. Let’s hygge!

I love a sweet treat in the afternoon with my cup of tea. I have made these Bliss Energy Balls ever since my boys were young. They taste fantastic and are packed with spices such as cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and pepper, which may sound strange but, combined with the sweet taste of the dates and the juice and zest from the orange, works so well. If you still have hungry kids at home, please double the recipe and store them in a container in the fridge.

BLISS ENERGY BALLS

1½ cup of almonds
1½ cup of pitted dates
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground pepper
1 organic orange (finely grated orange zest and the juice from the orange)
cocoa powder

Finely zest the orange, then halve and squeeze all the juice into a cup. Into your blender, add the almonds, dates, orange zest, spices and some of the orange juice. Blend the ingredients and add more orange juice if needed as you want the mixture to be moist enough to keep together when you form the balls. Do a little test and if the mixture is too dry, add a little more orange juice. Take spoonfuls of mixture and form into little balls the size of a walnut. Place some cocoa on a plate and roll each ball until fully covered in cocoa. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

I cherish taking the time to make sketches and small drawings. This is my kind of meditation and a wonderful way to take a little break from routine. Before I start drawing, I spend some time creating nice watercolour backgrounds, mixing my favorite teal green tints and tones, then leaving them to dry. This is a wonderful project in itself. I pick herbs or plants that I really like and draw them using my favourite pen. I will usually do the backgrounds as a small project one day and then sketch on another day.

All you need is:
White paper
A black pen in either 0.1 or 0.05 (I prefer 0.05)
Watercolor Pocket Set

With this month’s theme being about finding joy and restoring energy, I cannot recommend Sophie Hansen’s latest book highly enough. She has created Around the Kitchen Table with her mother Annie Herron, who is an artist, sculptor and art teacher. They invite us to join them at the kitchen table where they inspire us to cook, draw, decorate, preserve, make wreaths, bake, prepare picnics and then wander into nature carrying a sketch book. It’s a wonderful book, filled with lovely warming recipes and fun and inspiring creative projects. Press the image to learn more about the book!

I can’t wait to watch the movie Where The Crawdads Sing. The author Delia Owens was 70 years old when she had this, her debut novel, published in 2019. I absolutely loved reading the book and am looking forward to the movie adaptation. I am also loving the movie poster which I find incredibly beautiful. Please click the poster to watch the official trailer!

Something that really energizes me is listening to loud, upbeat music. It’s incredible how this can immediately change the mood. At the moment, Whitney Houston’s Step by Step is doing the job very well…but it needs to be loud…very loud! Press the link for an instant mood shift!