As the nights grow colder, darker and altogether more miserable, all I want to do in the evening is curl up in my pyjamas and lay on my sofa huddled under a blanket - and I'm sure that's true for most of us! I'm usually exhausted when I get home from uni, so I want to spend as much time relaxing as possible, which isn't always easy when you're trying to keep on top of studying, blogging and working in between. However, there are a lot of different ways I love to relax, and spend my autumn evenings, and today I thought I would share them with you all.

PRACTISING HYGGE
The Danish art of living well has taken the world by storm, and it is a philosophy I can totally dedicate myself to. Hygge is all about being comfortable and cosy within your life, and acknowledging those moments that make you feel special. For me, there is not greater contribution to hygge than a cosy atmosphere, which in my house involves drawing the curtains, lighting candles, fluffing up the pillows, popping my fairy lights on and chilling out with my other half. The peaceful ambience, the feeling of warmth and love for my partner and that incredible ability to sit in quiet tranquillity without awkwardness, just enjoying the moment, makes me feel happier than anything else.

PRODUCTIVE CHILL
Recently my boyfriend has taken up a lot of extra-curricular activities on campus during the evenings, none of which particularly interest me, which in turn leaves me with a lot of alone time. I don't particularly enjoy being alone on a dark evening, it makes me feel anxious and afraid, and I've found that doing something productive has been a great way to channel that anxiety. Whether it's copying up study notes from the past week, making my way through my reading list, or even bashing out a few blog posts, if I feel like I'm getting on with something then time will fly by. With some chilled out music and a lot of snacks to keep me going of course. How else am I supposed to motivate myself to actually do something?


"WHAT ARE WE HAVING FOR DINNER?"
As a couple, this question is spoken more in our house than any other, and it usually leads to some fabulous home-cooked meals, or heading out for dinner at least once every fortnight. Personally, food is a huge part of autumn, because when it's cold, dark and you can go from being on top of the world to wanting to drop off the face of it in three seconds, nothing makes me feel better than a warm, comforting meal. However that doesn't always mean that I necessarily want to make it, which often results in some of the best spontaneous date nights both in and out. Even if that does involve a few food related arguments beforehand (yes, I am one of those indecisive people).


BINGE-WATCHING IN BED
Since moving in together, this surprisingly isn't an activity we've managed to do a lot of, (we're both practically in our sixties, so when we go to bed we actually go to sleep) but it's still one of my favourite autumn evening activities. Autumn is always a good season for new and returning shows, and with Stranger Things, The Walking Dead and many others making their way onto our screens, there is no better place to watch them than from the comfort of your own bed. Alternatively, we also love to stay up late playing video games, and when I say playing I mean I watch him play video games, while I yell at him for not doing them properly. I'm a passenger seat player. 

What's your idea of a perfect autumn evening in? Does it involve spending the night in your pyjamas, with a cup of something warm? Or do you prefer being productive and getting shit done? I'd love to hear it! 



Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Until next time, 

Rachel x