Little Luxuries at Home

When I first moved to Illinois, I was bracing myself for a cold winter. Sure, New Jersey gets snow, but I had been warned. This would definitely be worse.

Little did I know, I would be greeted with the 2019 Polar Vortex.

Welcome to Illinois!

Now I'm not someone who constantly needs to go out. I adore having a warm and inviting home. I love having a place to come back to, that I'm happy to be in.

But like most people, once something isn't an option, I want it. As soon as I can't leave home, I get antsy.

The Polar Vortex quickly became an exercise in making the most of where you are.

We spent the weekends doing puzzles, watching Netflix, sleeping in, and eating hearty stews and flatbreads from Aldi.

So here we are again, in the middle of winter. The holiday magic has faded and everything feels a bit colder, grayer, and cloudier.

So over the next few weeks, I want to share with you, my favorite ways to make time at home a little more luxurious! Because we should enjoy our space! Especially when we may be spending more time in it that we normally would.

This will come as no surprise but my favorite little luxury is curling up with a good book. I love being under a big warm blanket, with a hot cup of tea and maybe a candle on the nightstand. It's a million times better when I'm resting on the most luxurious sheets!

I've been raving about Pure Parima since I got my first set of sheets. The colors are beautiful and the designs are sophisticated. We now have the Yalda sheets in Grey and Icy Blue. These sheets are certified 100% pure Egyptian Cotton. It's the softest cotton I have ever felt. They recently released the new Ariane sheets. This design is more ornate compared to the chic simplicity of the Yalda sheets, but gorgeous none the less!

So what are some of the coziest reads you can enjoy between this luxury sheets?

Look no further! I have for you a list of cozy reads, sorted by genre no less, and a present at the end!

Fiction

These are authors where I have read more than one of their books, and I intend to read more! This doesn't happen for me often outside of a series. I trust that I will enjoy their next story as much as the last!

In the Midst of Winter or Japanese Lover - by Isabel Allende

Isabel Allende weaves together the most beautiful stories. It's never just about one person either, or even one moment in time. But don't let the back and forth scare you away. When I say she weaves them together, I mean she truly does. I don't know exactly what her formula is, but it's perfect.

A Man Called Ove or My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry - by Fredrik Backman

I love books by Fredrik Backman. They aren't a roller coaster ride thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. They're stories where you slowly fall in love with all the characters. Until your heart break when things don't go exactly as they hoped, and you don't even realize when you started to care so much! Each time I read one of his books, I add another to the list.

Mystery

What She Left Behind - Ellen Marie Wiseman

This was an incredible story about how mental health is viewed and treated, both today and in the past.

The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton

This isn't your typical mystery. In fact I had to double check that it even is considered as fitting into the genre, by the larger bookworm community. And it is! There isn't an exact mystery, but there are so many questions to be answered, and secrets to be uncovered! It's not often that I think there's a twist, but this was one of those books, where I can't say I saw it all coming.

New Take on a Classic

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein - Kiersten White

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is such an important book in the way it brought science fiction to Western audiences. And she was only a teenager when she wrote it! This retelling comes from Kiersten White, who tells the story, but from Elizabeth’s point of view. You’re given so much more insight into the making of Victor and it’s the most thrilling “behind the scenes” look I think anyone could tell of a classic.

Ayesha at Last - Uzma Jalaluddin

It was Pride & Prejudice Anniversary Day, just yesterday! It’s one of my all time favorite books, and I love the way variations of the story have been told. Ayesha at Last is summed up as “a modern-day Muslim Pride & Prejudice for a new generation of love.” Of all the retellings, I am itching to dive into this one! Maybe join me? Maybe this is how I start my own book club? JasBeingBookish? JasBeingBookworms? We’ll come back to it!

Something Different!

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics - Carlo Rovelli

So maybe you can’t quite relax and you want to feel a little bit more productive with your down time. I completely understand! Feeling productive is a way to feel good and a lot of times it’s when I feel best. So here’s a book where you also could learn something! Seven Brief Lessons on Physics is poetic in the way it talks about physics. It’s not incredibly heavy like a science textbook. But if you’re like me and science isn’t part of your day to day, and you find understanding some sciences intimidating, this is a great way to ease into it! Also, how lovely is the cover?

Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood - Marjane Satrapi

This is the first graphic novel I have ever read! It’s the memoir of a child growing up in Iran during the Revolution. It was a quick read, and I almost wish I had slowed down to savour the experience a bit more. But this is a great way to experience possibly a new genre of books, without a huge time commitment, AND, you could even learn a little bit of history along the way!

Helium - Rudy Francisco

I wanted to include at least one book of poetry. Because with poetry you can pause and reflect. You can think about what resonates with you and what doesn’t. You can even start to dissect what you think the author is trying to say, although I’m not a fan of going down that rabbit hole sometimes. Helium is one of the best books of poetry I have ever read, and it’s even better performed! As you read through, mark your favorites and see if you can find the spoken word performance on Youtube! Trust me, Rudy Francisco gives an amazing performance.

Curled up with Little Ones

The post story time group hug is full of giggles!

Of course I couldn’t forget the little ones! For many of us, our weekend snowed in might mean we’re responsible for entertaining the youngest members of the household. These books are for you to enjoy together!

Bilal Cooks Daal - Aisha Saeed

I have gifted this book multiple times, and it’s always a hit! Bilal is excited to share one of his favorite dishes with his friends, but he’s also a bit nervous they won’t like it, or will make fun of him. It’s a lovely story about sharing the things you love, AND! A little birdie told me there’s a recipe for daal in the back of the book. So when you’re done reading, head to the kitchen and try out the recipe together! Or ask your child what their favorite dish is, and have them join you in making it! It will be quality time for you both, and a small way to ease children into taking an interest in cooking. When we have joyful memories to pair with everyday tasks, they don’t seem as burdensome in the future!

If I Had a Gryphon - Vikki VanSickle

This is another adorable book! As you go through the list of magical creatures you can make a note of which ones your child likes the most! Maybe even look up some additional information on them, and the mythology they originate from. It might seem odd, or even a bit intense but kids are sponges and when they think something is cool they really want to soak it all up! They get excited and they want to learn more. This is a great way to do that, and you won’t be the bad guy when you tell them, no, you can’t get a gryphon, because it’s not your fault, there aren’t any available!

Whichever you choose to curl up with, I hope you enjoy your cozy reads!

To help get you started, the amazing people at Pure Parima have offered a giveaway for one set of luxury sheets, in the new Ariane design!

In addition to the luxury sheets, I will be throwing in a copy of one of the books listed above. Winner's choice!

To enter the giveaway, head over to my Instagram!

To get notified when I share the next Little Luxury at Home and giveaway, you can follow along on Instagram, or subscribe to JasBeingJas.com!

As always, happy reading!