Novel and Nosh

Creating Cozy Corners

• Courtney

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Creating cozy corners in our homes provides spaces for mindfulness and connection during a divisive time. Fall offers the perfect opportunity to embrace slowness and comfort through simple, intentional changes to our living spaces.

• Getting back to community, nature, and seasonal living is central to the Novel and Nosh philosophy
• Creating small cozy nooks helps us pause and reconnect with ourselves amid busy lives
• Simple changes like soft blankets, warm lighting, and candles signal our bodies to slow down
• These spaces invite both solitary reflection and meaningful conversations with others
• The division in our world calls for more face-to-face connection rather than screen-mediated interaction
• Creating cozy spaces doesn't require expensive purchases—repurpose what you already have
• Layering textures (blankets, pillows, rugs) creates comfort without significant expense
• The invitation: create your own cozy fall nook this week and spend at least 10 minutes enjoying it


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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Novel and Nosh. Today I want to talk about cozy corners, but I also want to not betone death to what is going on in our world right now. Unfortunately, this is two days after Charlie Kirk was assassinated and it just has left me. I think it's left many of us just disappointed in what is happening in our world right now, and that is why I feel it is even more important for me to speak out or speak up about this. I'm not into speaking about politics or religion. I hold those close to my heart because I personally feel that we all have differing opinions due to what happens in our own life and we are not meant to judge one another based on our own lived experiences. Therefore, it is not right for me to pass judgment on you and your beliefs based on your experiences you and your beliefs based on your experiences. So I'm not here to talk about that today. What I am here to talk about is true to what this, what I am creating with Novel and Nosh. It's getting back into your community, it's getting back into nature, it's about seasonal living, starting to live with the earth and what is provided for us. No matter what you believe, you know that that is given to us through the foods that we eat. Getting back to looking at your neighbors, speaking with your neighbors, speaking with your community members, buying products from your community members, rather than outsourcing everything to our phones and the bigger businesses. That is ultimately what Novel and Nosh I know it seems weird, but that's what this is about is driving it home, getting you more rooted into yourself. And fall is about gathering, and I really am hoping to build a community of not even like-minded, just people who want to get back to themselves and their communities. One thing and I know this sounds strange, but one thing that we can do is to create small, cozy corners in our home. Why is this good for us? Corners in our home? Why is this good for us? Well, this is good for us because it provides an opportunity for us to sit with ourselves, to take a moment to relax. We are all so spun up, living so quickly in life, that we don't take a moment to just breathe, and many of us don't even allow our minds a moment to relax outside of what is shown to us, and I am also to blame. I noticed this with my other business that I had. I became so consumed with the information through podcasts, and I know that's kind of odd that here I am podcasting when I'm saying to myself I was listening to too many podcasts. I had so many podcasts going in my ears that I no longer knew who I was inside myself. So this is just each week.

Speaker 1:

I'm hoping to provide a little snippet of things you can do to get back to yourself, your community, your family and you know, start to make changes there. And fall is my favorite season. I've said this before. It is a beautiful season to lean into comfort.

Speaker 1:

Today I want to talk about how you can create a little cozy corner in your home tiny nooks that invite you to slow down, breathe and connect either with yourself or with others. Don't allow consumerism to take over at this time of the year, and I'm saying this as I myself bought cute fall leave napkins, a new pumpkin candle, and I think I bought something else. I can't remember, but there was something else I purchased. So I don't feel like like you do not have to go out and buy all the things to start to welcome fall in and you don't have to redecorate your whole house to welcome fall. You can. You know, it's easy to scroll Instagram and Pinterest and find all these cute ideas.

Speaker 1:

But even just creating small little shifts can create that change for yourself. So a soft blanket draped over a chair, lighting a pumpkin or a cinnamon candle, or swapping out bright lighting for a warm glow instead of all the overhead lights. Having little lanterns or lamps I should say not lanterns, having little lamps strewn around the house can help with that as well. It creates a cozier environment. These little changes act like signals to your body and mind. It's time to slow down, it's time to cozy. When you carve out even the tiniest corner of your home as a cozy nook, it becomes an invitation, an invitation to pause, to read, to sip tea, to journal. It reminds you that it's okay to step out of the busyness of the day and just be, just be with yourself. Or an opportunity to invite family or friends over into that space and talk.

Speaker 1:

These spaces aren't just for solitude. They're wonderful for small, meaningful connections. Sitting with a friend, having an intimate conversation or sharing tea can feel so nourishing in a cozy little nook. And I do feel that this has something to do with what's going on in our world right now. We have gotten away from spending time with family and friends and probably more friends. I would say we have let divisiveness rule us and many people hide behind screens rather than just talking to people. I will always believe that, no matter what side you are on in you know politics, we all ultimately want the same things. I think we just have a different way of getting there. Many of us believe we have a different way of getting there and I think the more we sit down with one another and talk and get back to those days where we would sit down and talk with one another, that is the only way we can move forward.

Speaker 1:

As simple as creating a cozy nook in your house to invite a friend over for some coffee or some tea, just to chat, is huge in starting to make the next step for change. So what are some things that we can do? I want you to think of quick, budget-friendly ways that you can create a nook. Like I mentioned putting down a blanket, a cozy blanket. Just put that over a chair. You don't have to create the whole space, maybe just finding a little corner. Don't spend too much time overthinking this or spending too much money on this. This is really just finding a small space in your house that you, and it can be even like on a back porch or on a front porch, wherever you want it to be that you can find a few things in your home to repurpose. That will create a little bit of coziness, like I had mentioned, the blanket putting a cozy blanket in an area, grabbing a little candle, grabbing a favorite mug, a basket for books, pillows pulled from another room.

Speaker 1:

To create this cozy fall type, experiencing Layering texture is a key to creating more coziness. A rug under your feet. These things don't have to be expensive. What matters is how they make you feel If you sit down in your space and it makes you take a deep breath. You've done it right. That's all you need to do. Then invite a friend over, right, that's all you need to do. Then invite a friend over, invite a family member to sit down with you and just get back to talking.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes the smallest, simplest gatherings feel the most meaningful. I always like to leave my listeners with something to do and this week I'm inviting you to create your own cozy fall nook. It doesn't have to be big. Maybe it's a chair by a window, a corner of your couch even, or even a floor spot. Me Sitting on the floor is so important to do so, grab a pillow. You can create a little nook with a pillow in a corner and sit down on the floor, more Adding just one seasonal touch. Handle a blanket or your favorite mug. Then give yourself at least 10 minutes to sit there, read, sip tea or just enjoy the quiet. Notice how it feels to have a little corner that's just for you. Cozy corners are about more than just decorating. They're about creating small pockets of comfort that support mindfulness, connection and joy. I hope you'll try setting up a nook this week and see how it changes the way you move through your days.