Lagom. The Swedish concept of "not too little, not too much," has swept the international lifestyle landscape much as the Danish concept of Hygge, which is loosely translated as "coziness," did a few years ago.
When hygge reached the U.S., I read about it with rapt attention. How could I make my fast-paced New York City work and family life more cozy, less sharp around the edges? I bought cashmere blankets and folded them on the sofa. I created a neutral palate in my living room. I bought Tungsten lightbulbs to create a candle-like glow in our bedrooms. I bought an espresso machine so that I could offer my guests perfectly frothed lattes. And it was lovely. But it didn't change the fact that my life, my actual day-to-day existence, was still chock full of American excess and soul crushing to-do list items whose existence on the page I questioned. Did I really need to bring my two-year old to a speech therapist, or could we wait a little while for him to enunciate his "S's" correctly? Was I actually going to switch over fifteen years' worth of online subscriptions from a yahoo account to a gmail? Was it okay to leave them alone? These were just the tip of the iceberg. There were even more head-scratchers on my professional to-do list, and do not get me started on my neverending list of home improvements. As a professional who was burning life at both ends in New York City, working a hectic full-time job, raising two young kids, and managing a household that always seems to create more daily tasks than four people and two dogs ought to, I was drawn to the Swedish concept of lagom when it followed hygge to our shores. Lagom (pronounced "lah-gum") goes a step beyond hygge, because it applies to everything. When I read this Travel & Leisure article, all of my sensors went off. "Ding! Ding! Ding!" Yes, of course I want to prioritize quality over quantity in my life. Yes, I am operating in extremes - not enough sleep, too much coffee, not enough leisure time, too much structured activity, and so forth. And yes, all of these choices create an imbalance that, at its worst, makes me forget all about basic contentment. Which is why I started this site. Welcome to Lagom Bklyn, a refuge from the frantic pace. Here, I hope to share ideas about how to develop lagom living in our sparklingly exciting city. I am so eager to hear your ideas about how this concept of "just the right amount," can be achieved in our Brooklyn lives. To start things out, I have broken up the blog into three parts: balancing our lives, building a feeling of belonging within our community, and creating a sanctuary that promotes these values, without too little, or too much. Let's see where that takes us and please suggest any other areas you would like to see covered. I look forward to hanging out with you here! xo Maggie
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