Creature Comforts

Heyo!

Tis' the season to be cosy, at least that's what I've decided to coin it! Autumn to me is all about getting snug, warm, and filling yourself with good wholesome food like soups, stews and pies! I love cooking really nice soups and so on, but another way to feel cosy is to treat yourself to things that will keep you warm and feel as snug as a bug in a rug. I am the queen of making myself at home, forever asking if there's blankets because due to my awful circulation I am forever cold (except in Summer where I melt and die if it goes over 20 and stay indoors with my doggo!)

As the queen of cosiness and getting very toasty very quickly in the comfort of my own home, I thought I would share with you all some of my creature comforts that help me stay comfortable in the season that keeps getting colder as the days go by!

Blankets

Blankets are perfect for the days when you want to get back into bed but you don't want to be a hot sweaty mess under the duvet! They're also so good for when the evenings draw in and get colder (clocks go back soon - this will make things real cold really quickly!) and you can take them around the house with you so you're never cold. I use mine all the time, and can't really imagine a life without it. I got mine from Primark two years ago but they still stock it, it's the super soft x-large throw and costs £9, but they do one the size of a single bed too if you don't want to be a burrito of warm like I do. They're really cosy, and when it gets really cold I use the big multi-coloured blanket I knitted myself before uni, which has been featured several times in Instagram and blog posts, it's super heavy but so warm! Blankets are essential for Autumn/Winter so go treat yourself to one if you haven't already.

Tea/Hot Beverages

I'm a sucker for tea, at one point I had 19 different types of tea in my cupboard! I love herbal teas, loose leaf teas and speciality teas just as much as a mug of Yorkshire Tea, and because of this I seem to have a favourite tea for each kind of mood and for the seasons too. Whenever Autumn hits, the tea that comes to mind is apple and cinnamon, and then something along the lines of an earl grey or an assam, with warming spices that make you feel a bit sleepy. The obvious sleep/calm tea is camomile and spearmint (I don't like just camomile because it can be so easily over-brewed) and this is also a great option for anyone looking to get cosy and sleepy and ready to hit the hay. 

Other hot drinks I really like are hot chocolates, with vegan marshmallows ideally, with a mix of water and milk to make it creamy and filling. I have also just discovered that they do a vegan-friendly dairy-free chai latte now, and I've never had one so I thought now is the time to give it a go - I am saving them for when I need to keep calm or if it gets really cold and I fancy a treat! I got these in Tesco on offer 4 for a pound, what a bargain! I'm not a huge coffee lover because I've cut out a lot of caffeine as it would bloat me and tire me out a lot more, it is now reserved for intense revision sessions and coffee-shop dates with pals!

Jumpers

I am a sucker for a jumper, ask anyone I see at uni or in life in general what I wear October-March and they'll sigh and say 'Jumpers.' I find great comfort in an oversized (often male-fit) jumper, especially the ones that could totally be from your Grandad's wardrobe, the uglier the better in my opinion! I try and get them cheap when the shops start bringing out summer clothes and hunt the men's sections because ladies jumpers are often cropped and/or rubbish! I like baggy clothes because I can move about in them, eat as much as I want and get comfy without being uncomfortable. They're like wearing a hug, and who doesn't love the warmth a hug can bring? The one I adore is in the picture at the beginning, and cost me £20 from The Yellow Shop in Bath, but other good shops are charity shops, vintage shops and eBay.

Candles

Candles smell amazing, look great and calm most people down, so there's really not a lot to hate about them at all! I like the way they flicker when first lit, and the glow they give off really keeps me calm and sets the mood for me to unwind and relax after a long day, ideally with a book or a cup of something warm and tasty! My current favourite candle is the pink lemonade one from Primark, it cost me £2 and smells of raspberry sherbet and my childhood. I encourage you to get some candles for the lighting aspect and also the smells they give off, they can be really soothing and make your room/house smell amazing.

Lights

I hate how harsh most main lights can be in room, hence why I like candles a lot. I also opt for softer lighting, such as the use of fairy lights and mood-lights. I use battery operated lights mainly to encourage me to use them sparingly, and also because in a student house every penny counts so you can't leave plug-in lights on without annoying your housemates! My old housemate Trey had a lava lamp, and those are really cool and also very relaxing to watch, so these are a great option too! Fairy lights are really cheap in Primark again, but also supermarkets sell them, and this is the time to go and get some, even the rainbow lights. I put mine around the head of my bed so I can read without harsh lighting or having to use a torch like the kid who stays up past their bed time to read (this was also me, no regrets!)

A Good Book

This might just be me, but I really love being curled up in a blanket with a cuppa and reading a good book in bed or on a sofa or somewhere cosy. I love getting lost in a new world with characters that I want to befriend and root for throughout. I am sure that this comes as a shock to nobody, as I have always been an avid reader, and still read books both for my university course but also for fun too. I am currently re-reading The Great Gatsby and I am fully enjoying it! I am hoping to read before bed to make me sleepy and calm, so I can try and get some more rest because I've been struggling a bit lately. This was something recommended to me by my pal Alex, and I will start by putting it into practice tonight and seeing how I get on! If you're not a big reader, a good TV show or film might be a good idea, as these do the same thing as a book, but might require you to focus and visualise less, sometimes even I prefer this method of storytelling to the traditional pen and paper method.

*

I hope this little list of my own creature comforts has been of some use to you, so go and make a hot drink, snuggle up in a blanket, put your feet up and get really comfortable, you deserve it!

B x