Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is a word that has been around for a long time but is just starting to gain traction in the U.S. It originates from a Norwegian word that loosely translates to a sense of comfort, well-being and togetherness. It’s the cozy feeling you have when you are curled up under a blanket with a good book and cup of cocoa as the snow falls outside; or when you and your family gather around the table for a game of Uno (or better yet–Jenga with a Twist) after having shared a meal together.

The Danes are famously the happiest people on the planet (despite having terrible weather and one of the highest tax rates in the world) and one of the biggest reasons for this is the fact that hygge is a cornerstone of their way of life. This is a lesson that the rest of the world could benefit from learning. 

When 2016 began, I chose the word SAVOR to be my “word of the year” (you can read about that decision here) I chose it because I knew that I was bad at taking time to slow down and truly appreciate all of the goodness in my life. It’s not that I didn’t know that I was blessed, it’s just that my personality type tends to be one that is constantly striving for the next great thing and rarely takes the time to soak in all of the FabYOUlousness of the present moment.

As a part of my SAVOR ’16 challenge, I decided that I was going to write one blog post a month about the particularly savorable things that I had enjoyed during that month. Last month was easy to write about because I had just returned from a week long vacation with my family on the gorgeous island of Oahau, Hawaii (you can read about that experience here–but be prepared to be jealous!)