I love winter’s coziness, especially here in Switzerland. So when March rolls around, with spring knocking on the door, I savour the following cosy rituals helped along by some fantastic (mostly) Swiss products.
1. Schoggi melange in a locally crafted alpine cup
Winter calls for steaming hot drinks. But what I drink those drinks out of is a vital component of this ritual. So when I arrive in the mountains, and my usual Rooibush tea transforms into a rather decedent Schoggi melange (a hot chocolate topped with lashings of cream), my regular town cup develops a decidedly countryish vibe!
My local interior shop Joshelle in my mountain home of Klosters, has exactly that, an especially beautiful range of locally hand-made and hand-painted cups perfect for my Schoggi Melange indulgence. There are deep cherry red cups with polka dots and others, illustrating a beautiful alpine scene of goats, bells and clover filled pastures.
100% coziness in a Swiss cup!
2. Combing my morning Cuppa with a morning walk
Anything copper makes me feel cosier instantly, so I often take my morning cuppa out on my walk in a copper mug. Walking outside first thing, feeling the cold air on my face, hot drink in hand, is truly a blissful moment, benefitting my physical and mental health too. Those first rays of light through your pupils do wonders for setting up your day and your circadian rhythm, helping towards optimal function and better sleep. Which brings me to my next point …
3. Temperature Regulating Swiss Pjs for a Good Night’s Sleep
Shawn Stevenson’s valuable book “Sleep Smarter” dedicates a whole chapter to keeping cool while sleeping. Not only does a lower regulated temperature help you fall asleep faster, but it also helps you wake up less during the night too. While it may sound trivial, my pyjamas by Swiss pyjama company Dagsmejan, help me do just that. These PJs have been instrumental in helping me to maintain the optimal body temperature and helping me sleep better.
I was initially annoyed with myself at the cost of these pyjamas. Still, they have benefitted my sleep and health so much that I ended up gifting them to my now addicted family members for Christmas. I feel like with so many cosy sleep and underwear brands like Calida, Zimmerli, and now Dagsmejan, Switzerland can add loungewear to its list of products to boast about (i.e. it’s not only chocolate and cheese!).
4. Curate your perfect Swiss bed
A big house move allowed us the opportunity to start from scratch with our beds. A local woodworker made our frames, and we bought ergonomic mattresses from the Swiss company ‘Happy Mattress’. However, the icing on the cake (or the duvet on the bed), was new duvets bought from longstanding business Fischer Bettwaren. Yes, that company famed for their advert on local TV. A trip to their factory in Wadenswill already had me wishing I was back in bed. There are large vats of mindfully sourced goose feathers of different weights to choose from and a room where these feathers dance around like a snowstorm. They cut our duvet to measure and completed it with diamond-shaped stitching to distribute the feathers evenly. To claim my bed now feels cosier than one in a boutique hotel is an understatement.
5. Wrap yourself in Swiss cosy fashions brands which are taking Instagram by storm
It seems Swiss fashion designers truly understand what is required to indulge in cosiness in this snow-peaked land.
Geneva company “Faz not Fur” has developed a line of outerwear that recreates the volume and enveloping feeling of fur whilst utilising the PETA-approved vegan fabric. I love any cosy tactile texture in winter and have also been delighted to find my “Faz not Fur” jacket incredibly warm. The company releases two collections a year that sell like hotcakes, impressively also outside of Switzerland.
Many of you will have also noticed international Winter fashionistas wearing shearling-lined “Innuki” boots designed in Switzerland by Zurich entrepreneur Cinzia Maag and her two sons. After falling in love with the practicality and the warmth of my first pair of Innukki boots bought from Paparazzi in Zug, I picked up a second pair in the January sales at Jelmoli. I insist on wearing this ultimate in cosy footwear without socks to maximise the feeling of wrapping my feet in warm clouds!
6. Layer your home interior with fuzzy cushions and throws
It is not unusual to walk past even simple homes in winter here in Switzerland to see candles flicking in glass lanterns and sheepskin throws casually strewn on outdoor deckchairs. Dressing homes according to different seasons is something Swiss inhabitants do well.
I especially love the versatile fleece blankets found commonly in mountain areas which feature soothing colours, alpine scenes and rustic shapes. As I switch blankets and shearling throws to linen and other lighter materials in summer, I find it an impactful way to easily change the ambience within a home according to the season.
As always, my favourite interior shop Varikanikum in Zug, is a paradise for cushions and throws.
7. Light a fire
Humanity’s love of fires is likely to be evolutional, since, before electricity, fires provided essential warmth, means to cook and defended from danger. Watching crackling fire flames has even been shown to lower blood pressure.
I especially feel sitting and talking around a fire is deeply bonding in a social sense. In particular, the multi-sensory smell is so powerful that I even gravitate towards smoky cosmetic perfumes like Le Labo’s Tee Noir.
In the absence of a real roaring fire, I compromise with the Netflix version and my all-time favourite scented candle, the very realistic Dipytique Feu de Bois. A simple alternative? A dancing candle flame.
8. Bake your own Sunday Zopf
Did you bake bread during Lockdown? It was jumping on the bandwagon but in the most genuinely rewarding way – a ritual that brought anchoring comfort during an uncertain time. Added bonus? The more you cook your own food from scratch, the healthier you are likely to be.
Here in Switzerland, one of the easiest loaves of bread to make is Zopf, and Kristin has evolved the most delicious Zopf recipe over the years (and the recipe is right here). Try it one Sunday when you want to fill your home with an amazing smell (and bellies) with melt in the mouth flavour. I have started making fresh seasonal jam using chia seeds to up the fibre, omega 3 and plant portions, perfect for topping a fresh slice of Zopf. Local grass-fed butter is another bonus thanks to Swiss farms and the many “Buurehofs.”
9. Share a Käse Fondue from a beautifully painted Caquelon
Fondue is the coziest ritual of them all. While we had a non-stick Teflon caquelon in London, I’ve concluded since living in Switzerland that a ceramic Maiensäss (summer house) painted caquelon from Kuhn Rikon is worth the extra time spent on the washing up.
There are many fondue fans here at z’Nüni, and a recent discussion between the team revealed we share many favourite varieties. The Moitier-Moitier fondue was mentioned as a good starting point, as well as Gletcher fondue. The cheese delicatessen Dubach in Zug does a wonderful champagne fondue, and the Chäs Hutte Rust’s blend contains mild but authentic flavours. Read more about the coziness of the fondue ritual in Kristin’s article here.
Our last Käse Fondue as a family for the season is typically in March, and for us concludes the end of the colder months. And as my mind drifts towards floral spring hikes and refreshing summer Badi’s, I am already looking forward to seeing what the local Swiss entrepreneurs come up with next season to help us all feel cosy!
Note: All products mentioned are not sponsored and are just items I genuinely use and love using to help me feel cosy!
