Cozy…

I recently finished Cozy by Isabel Gillies. I’d rate the book “a bit unsatisfying” – started strong, finished with a whimper – but it inspired me to write out a list of things that represent cozy to me.

While she doesn’t overtly define cozy, Gillies writes: Coziness stems from the very core of our individuality. Cozy is an attitude, not a thing – a shortcut to bringing the most essential parts of ourselves with us wherever we go.

“Cozy” isn’t just about things we like or even things that bring us joy. I think cozy represents experiences and the stimulation of certain senses that make us feel safe. Nurtured. Content. And, while individual ideas of cozy may have overlap, our lists are always going to be unique.

In a 10-minute brain dump, here’s what I came up with:

• Fall. All of it. The leaves. The colours. The smell – crisp air, sunshine, decaying leaves.
• Soft, fluffy blankets. (Coarse, thin blankets are an abomination.)
• Snuggles – at bedtime with the kids; in the morning with my husband.
• The smell of wild mint on my parent’s shoreline.
• Lemon-scented cleaner.
• Walking into a house where fresh bread (or any other baked good) has just come out of the oven.
• Cradling a hot drink.
• Driving with music playing loudly (preferably on a warm, sunny day with the windows down).
• Church.
• Christmas. The music. The presents. The smells. The way the world quiets down for a few days.
• Micronaps.
• Twinkle lights.
• Lamps.
• Books.
• Documentaries about artists.
• Rain when I don’t have to be outside.
• The sound of cicadas on a hot summer afternoon.
• Sunsets.
• Peanut butter and banana on toast.
• Browsing picture books at the library.
• Neat and tidy spaces.
• Cushioned socks.
• Closing my eyes when I know I’ll be asleep in seconds.
• Anne of Green Gables.
• Baked apple desserts – still warm – topped with vanilla ice cream.
• Soup. Biscuits. Cornbread.
• Slipping in to pajamas.
• Showers right before bedtime.
• Being with Mom; drinking coffee while sitting around the table with Dad.
• Unexpectedly catching a waft of a clothes dryer while walking by someone else’s house.
• Saturday mornings.
• Magic bags.
• Sitting in front of the patio window on a sunny day.
• Receiving letters in the mail.
• Pumpkin pie.
• The movie White Christmas.
• Sitting down to enjoy a meal I didn’t prepare.
• Waking up with nowhere to go.
• Smelling a book.
• Indoor plants (not flowers).
• Walking through a forest; the smell of evergreens.
• Mom’s meatballs and rice; her “brown stew” with a baked potato.
• Fresh cut grass.

I’ll stop there for now; it’s your turn! What things – smells, flavours, sights, experiences – represent cozy to you?

Header photo by Svitlana on Unsplash