Hygge
Wrapped in a hug! That's hygge, and that's what we hope you get from this part of the blog. Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable good humor with feelings of wellness and contentment! Yes, and please!
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London Fog Latte
How to Make a London Fog Latte
Let’s Make a London Fog Latte today! Cozy warm drinks. You take that first sip and they warm you from the inside out. They give you that gemutlich and hygge feeling of contentment.
The London Fog latte is a special cozy drink that’ll fit perfectly into your gemutlich & hygge routine. The Earl Grey taste featuring bergamot oil is so unique, and with the milk, it’s just heavenly. Here’s how we make it, with a few variations.
What you need to make the London Fog Latte
2-3 Earl Grey Tea Bags (tea from Stash is great!)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 – 2 tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup (we like to stay away from refined sugars when possible, and thankfully, honey and maple syrup are great options that in our minds taste better too!)
3 Cups Milk
Dried Lavender buds for garnish if you like (We choose not to do this, but traditionally, many people do).
Nespresso milk frother
.What you need to make the London Fog Latte
2-3 Earl Grey Tea Bags (tea from Stash is great!)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 – 2 tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup (we like to stay away from refined sugars when possible, and thankfully, honey and maple syrup are great options that in our minds taste better too!)
3 Cups Milk
Dried Lavender buds for garnish if you like (We choose not to do this, but traditionally, many people do).
Nespresso milk frotherHow to Make your Cozy London Fog Latte: Method
Pour your milk into a 3 cup Pyrex measure. Heat it in the microwave until it’s quite warm, but not boiling. Add the 3 teabags into the hot milk and stir. Let steep for about 3-5 mins. Don’t worry if the milk starts to cool because it will be heated again in your Nespresso brother, Add in your vanilla and honey. Pour the mixture bit by bit into your milk frother. Be sure to note the do not fill over proportions inside the frother. Pour into mugs and enjoy!
You May Also Like
50 Activities To Do On a Day at Home
Pumpkin Soup Recipe
15 Stocking Stuffer Ideas
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Pumpkin Soup Recipe
The Best Coziest Healthy Pumpkin Soup!
Who has been craving pumpkin everything?! It’s the absolute best for this time of year, so cozy and rich and gives you that hygge Autumn feeling!
Here’s our recipe for the yummiest pumpkin soup:
Ingredient list:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, very finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh sage
3 cups pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons half and half
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon umami powder
Toasted sunflower seeds for serving! (optional)
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, sauté for 5 minutes or until onions start to brown, add in garlic and cook another 5 minutes.
Add the Thyme and sage stir to combine, next stir in the pumpkin puree, salt, cumin, pepper and ginger.
Cook over medium-low until fragrant, about 5 minutes. At this point mix in the chicken broth and stir to combine.
Remove from heat, mix in the maple syrup and half and half, stirring constantly. Add Worcestershire sauce and umami powder. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Taste it and adjust salt and pepper accordingly.
The flavors meld as the soup sits so it’s best to cook this 3-4 hours before serving. Garnish with toasted sunflower seeds!
Enjoy, and be sure to save it to your Pinterest recipe board!
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50 Activities To Do On a Day at Home
It can be hard during times like these to stay positive and excited about life when let’s face it, folks are a little down right now. But never fear, we’ve got a list of 50 activities to keep you busy while you’re stuck at home. Whether you’re busy working from home or are taking care of your kids, this list certainly has at least a few things to keep you busy during your homestay!
Spring Cleaning:
-Move furniture and vacuum behind and under it (Goodbye 3 year old dust bunnies!)
– Detail your car- Wash, Vacuum, squirt and spray, also while you’re at it top off all fluids!
– Clean gutters- it may not be fun but it’s certainly a good thing to do and you’ll be happy you did it too!
– Wash floors- Grab that bucket and a brush and scrub away!
– Clean Grout- While you have your bucket out from washing the floors, clean your tile grout too!
– Wash your windows, not sure about you but with the sun streaming in we’re definiltiy seeing windows in need of washing
– Tune up your lawnmower- There are tons of great lawnmower tutorials on youtube you can look at to make you mower function at its best.
– Tidy your laundry room, it’s probably one of the rooms you spend lots of time in, why not keep it clean and organized
Culinary Projects:
-Try to cook a new recipe with things from your cupboard/fridge
⁃Bake cookies- Chocolate chip, oatmeal, shortbread, so many options!
-Make homemade bread
-Try making homemade pasta
– Try a new cocktail recipe
– Make chocolates
Outdoor Activities:
⁃Do some gardening, finally prune those trees, weed that bed, org
⁃Have a picnic in your backyard
Staying Active:
-Jump rope- Good for your heart rate and it’s fun too!
-Walk with kids and make a game of finding/identifying flowers- Tulips, Daffodils, H
yacinths -Go for a bike ride
⁃Find a new workout app so you can workout at home (try fittbe!)
⁃Go for a walk
⁃Head to the local lake and go kayaking or paddle boarding
Organization Activities:
-Organize your digital or printed photos, something you probably rarely have time to do normally
-Organize your garage- it can be daunting but take it one section at a time.
⁃Organize your closet, go through clothes and figure out what you want to keep or not
⁃Organize cabinets/drawers- office and kitchen! Sort things to donate and keep!
Staying indoors:
⁃Watch a movie that you’ve been wanting to look at for a while
⁃Rearrange living room furniture
⁃Do soduko
-Make a flip book
⁃Learn a new card game, cribbage, euchre, gin, bridge
⁃Start that blog!
⁃Make seasonal cards
-Watch old family movies- you’re guaranteed a laugh or two during your trip down memory lane!
⁃Write a gratitude list
⁃Do a spa day, take a bath, paint your nails, do a facemask, drink tea and read a book
⁃Do a puzzle
⁃Tie Dye things
⁃Make homemade play dough
⁃Make homemade bath bombs
⁃Learn origami
-do your taxes (not fun but must be done!)
– Learn how to tie useful knots
– Do a funny photoshoot
– Decorate for the next holiday
Tech Things:
⁃Unsubscribe from junk emails
⁃Make a new playlist of songs for the upcoming season
⁃Organize computer files
-have a virtual happy hour with friends
-Listen to songs of praise
-research a DIY on YouTube
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15 Stocking Stuffer Ideas
Hi there Grace Girls!
The holidays are just around the corner and Black Friday is looming near, which means great deals on Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers. I don’t know about you but I always loved opening stockings on Christmas morning. Now that I make stocking for people I’ve realized how hard it is to find the perfect small gifts for stockings! Here are a 15 ideas for stocking stuffers, for her, him and the kids!
5 Stocking stuffers for her:
The perfect small things for your mom, sister, cousin, aunt…you get the idea.
Makeup mirror for travel: This one great for women ‘on the go’ whenever a makeup refresh is needed, this is the perfect thing. Small enough to fit in a handbag and it lights up too! Click here to check it out!
Eye shadow applicators: Why is it that the eyeshadow ALWAYS lasts longer that the little applicator? and using a q-tip or your finger to apply eyeshadow just isn’t the same. These Covergirl applicators are under $3 and will tide over your makeup lover..at least until Easter!
Reusable shopping bag: For those environmentally conscious folks (or folks who don’t want to spend .10c for a shopping bag each time they go to the store) these mesh bags really do the trick. They’re lightweight, can be tossed into a purse and bonus, they’re washable too! Reusable mesh bags are a stocking stuffer essential!
EOS lip balm: This goes into my families stockings each year, Eos lip balm not only hydrates and nourishes your lips but the best part is the shape. You can always find it in your purse because of the “egg” shape. The vanilla mint flavor is a must as well!
Soy candles: The cold winter months call for calmingly lavender scented candles. These offer a clean, fresh, lavender scent and burn up to 35 hours, and they come in a 2 pack so you can keep one for yourself, better yet, light it while shopping online for stocking stuffers!
5 Stocking stuffers for him:
The perfect small things for your brother, dad, husband, boyfriend…we’ve been here before.
Pens: I know it sounds weird to talk about “writing” experience but these pens are literally the best! They write super smooth with a fine tip. For under $8 for 3 pens these will spoil you and nothing will ever compare…maybe! Click here to purchase!
Earbuds: Where do earbuds go? You have them one day, and the next, poof, they’re gone which is why they’re the greatest stocking stuffer ever. Even if you already have some, more of these little guys is always better, you never know, a set for travel, a set for the office? These Earbuds work with iPhone, Samsung galaxy and Android.
Notebook: Moleskin notebooks are a great stocking stuffer, no matter who you are, you can always use a cool, sleek notebook! They come in a variety of sizes too!
Card pocket for phone: Card pockets are essential when space is limited (ie: in a pocket). Grab out just the cards needed, maybe a bit of cash and you’re ready for a night out or a quick run to the store.
Swiss Army pocket knife: This is the perfect stocking stuffer, and practical too, you never know when you might need a tool, nail file or a pair of tweezers and it’s a small keychain version too so it’s always accessible. Click here to check it out!
5 Stocking stuffers for the kiddos:
The perfect small things for the kids…be sure to add copious amounts of candy and sweets too..it is the holidays after all!
Playing cards: In this day and age, we are so focused on tech, phones, video games and TV. Cards are the perfect way to engage a child and maybe teach them a new game or two! Cards are a classic. These cards are too cute with animals on the backside, choose from a variety of animals that suit your little’s fancy (get it…suit!!).
Yo-Yo: Yo-Yo’s are a classic, they teach hand, eye coordination and offer a bit of fun too! They’re the gift that can go anywhere and bonus, they’re not annoying for parents either!
Fun Bandaids: Owies are never fun, but having a cute bandaid to cover it up makes it feel a little better. These bandaids offer a few different characters, from Paw patrol to Frozen, there is a pack for every kid!
Emoji Sticky notes: These are thinking outside the box! They’re fun too, with 4 different designs there is an emoji for every mood!
Lipsmackers: Whether these are for a boy or a girl, lip smackers are always fun. For boys they have Starwars and M&M’s theme while for girls they have Frozen. Who knew lip balm could be so fun!
Have a great time Black Friday shopping for stocking stuffers! Make sure to buy a little something for the shopper too!
Here’s to a stress free holiday!
xx,
gracegrl
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50 things that make us happy!
Because we’ve been feeling like life is really, really good, we’re sharing with you 50 things that make us smile!!
1. That first cup of morning coffee
Thanks, Jametlene Reskp for the photo! 2. Puppy’s (always make anyone smile)
3. Sunflowers
4. Jade Roses
5. Little kid hugs
6. Spotting a deer
7. Going to bed with freshly washed sheets!
8. Watching a Gossip Girl Marathon
9. Joel Kanitz’s voice (if you don’t know who this is…you NEED to…voice of an angel!)
10. Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway on a perfect day
11. Country music sing-alongs
12. Watching it snow (not this time of year…but in the winter)
13. Hanging out with our girlfriends
14. Christmas Dinner
15. Getting a new pair of shoes
16. Getting a cute text
17. Eating a box of French Macarons in the bubble bath with Chardonnay ala Ms. Blair
18. Discovering a new recipe
19. Tom Ford scents
20. Getting the newest issue of Instyle magazine
21. Receiving a compliment
22. Finding the perfect gift for a loved one
23. Getting invited to a party! (always exciting especially when you usually host!)
24. Sunshine when rain was predicted
25. Freshly clean and waxed car!
26. Making eye contact with a cute stranger
27. Pilates
28. Feeling like you could run forever
29. Freshly painted toes
31. A really good glass of rich, smooth Cabernet
32. Finding your favorite jeans at half price
33. Finding money in your pocket when you go to do the laundry
34. Getting a handwritten letter in the mail
35. The smell of freshly cut grass
36. Eating peanut butter right out of the jar!
37. A book you can’t put down
38. Filet Mignon
39. Silk robes
40. Baby chicks
41. Friday nights
42. Smell of the air after a spring rain
43. Rainbows
44. Paris…everything Paris
45. Receiving a beautiful bouquet
46. Watching Dynasty on the telly
47. In our crazy world finding out that Gentlemen still do exist!
48. Playing Scrabble with funny people
49. Harvesting crops from the Garden that you’ve grown
50. Reading comments from people on our blog
That’s 50 things that make us smile! Leave us your comments and tell us what your top 10 are! Have a phenomenal day!
xx
T
