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Alyssa Took

@hobbithomemaking

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Hobbit homemaker, hygge homeschooler, urban homesteader. Writer of tips & encouragement to build your own Shire wherever you are. Modern Hobbitry! ✞

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October is here!! It is officially the season of slow days at home, hearty food simmering on the stove, pumpkin patch adventures, and hygge evenings by the fire.

In this week’s Substack, I share how homemakingnjs more than chores, it can be healing work that roots us, restores us, and creates peace for us (and friends and family) to recover in.

From the simple joy of puttering about the house, to protecting healthy boundaries in your schedule, to weaving in seasonal rhythms like soup nights and cozy crafts, this is your invitation to embrace a gentler pace these last few months of the year.

Enjoy your spiced cider, warm sweaters, autumn hikes, and the art of creating a kingdom home where both you and your loved ones can thrive! And speaking of thriving... How does red light therapy and good habits effect us as we make a home?

I’d love for you to join me inside this full essay (and future ones!) by starting a 30-day free trial of my Substack. While I share both free and paid posts, with this you’ll get full access to deeper musings, homemaking tips rhythms, cozy seasonal practices, and encouragement for building a life-giving home inspired by the beauty of the Shire.

Come savor the slow magic of October with me!

Thanks for reading today ❤️ I will be off now celebrating my oldest daughter turning 13 😭 I don't share my kids faces on this platform for their safety and anonymity; oh how I wish I could show of this incredible girl to you all! She is an incredible blessing to our family and truly blooming into a fantastic young woman. Happy birthday to my first darling 🍁🎉 by @hobbithomemaking

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a year ago

"That very month was September, and as fine as you could ask."
— A Long-Expected Party, The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

This month brings not only the long-awaited arrival of fall, but also the joyful celebrations of Hobbit Day around the world on (or near) September 22, the shared birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.

Over the past few months I have loved making these seasonal boards! So I began to brainstorm what autumn might truly look like in the Shire. Since Tolkien shaped it after the idyllic countryside of rural England, there’s much to imagine!

Aside from the grand preparations for Bilbo’s eleventy-first birthday, here’s what I picture unfolding across Westfarthing, Buckland, and beyond:

I imagine, much like our own September, the trees would be heavy with apples waiting to be harvested and preserved.

There might be bundles of the last of Summer's herbs hanging to dry, filling smial kitchen's with their earthy fragrance.

The leaves would begin to change their colors though a few stubborn green ones still cling to their branches.

The pumpkins would surely be spilling out of gardens and onto round tables and stone pathways!

It would be prime time to forage for mushrooms with your favorite hobbit cousins! Maybe the little ones could be encouraged to sketch their findings in their nature journals 🤭

Hobbits, of course, are known for their love of bright colors (especially yellow and green) and you just *know* the best of their Fall attire would be on display! (And the Stoors, no doubt, eager to show off their favorite fall boots.)

I could see families gathering indoors as the days shorten, cozying up with handicrafts while pots of soup bubble away, filled with the last of summer’s vegetables. Perhaps some fine brown bread cooling and waiting to accompany it 😍

This, to me, is what fall hobbitry might be! And it's certainly one we can bring into our own homes as we craft little Shires of peace and plenty in the midst of this crazy (and dark) world of Men.

What are you most looking forward to this September? Will you be celebrating Hobbit Day? We’re preparing for a potluck feast here… now if only I could track down my fireworks guy. 🤣 by @hobbithomemaking

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a year ago

Is #shiresaturday a thing?? If not, can we make it one haha!

Building a shire-inspired home is a topic very close to my heart. And there’s a difference between decorating a home… and **cultivating** a cozy, safe one.

The Shire was never just about round doors and wooden tables! It has always offered warmth, rhythm, and spaces that made people feel instantly at ease. The aesthetics represent the deeper layers that draw people in and leave us craving what the Shire offers.

Homes that glow in the evening, tables that welcome weary travelers, and rooms that feel lived in, NOT staged.

This kind of atmosphere doesn’t come from buying the right aesthetic. Rather, it comes from the small choices we make every day that shape the spaces we live in.

In this carousel I’m sharing a few simple ways to begin bringing that hobbit-hearted warmth into your own home! And I'm starting with something many of us overlook: the way we light our spaces.

But this is just the beginning friends!

On Substack, I’m going deeper into what it looks like to build a hobbit-style home in the modern world, from layering warm lighting and choosing natural materials to creating kitchens that feel abundant and spaces that invite people to sit and stay awhile.

We started Part 1 of the series (the heart and hospitality behind building a shire in your home) last month, and now Part 2 is live! This edition dives into the tangible side of bringing the Shire to life in your own home.

If this kind of slow, intentional homemaking resonates with you, you can read the full piece on 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙤! by @hobbithomemaking

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7 months ago

A few rambling thoughts from my brain today, on walking to Morder and keeping up your hobbitry in heart.

I had coffee with a dear friend on my porch and came in with an itch to dump words on a page... Aka my notes in my phone ha.

It's not tidied up as I prefer to do, maybe I need to give that up and go back to raw-in-the-moment musings.

This isn't a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" post, and I don't have a magical solution to make life's pain disappear.

Perhaps I don't even really have anything wise to say, other than to offer a shoulder and a soft "I'm here with you."

I have always found my home in Middle-earth, so it makes sense that I go there in grief too. My faith has always drawn me in and connected to Tolkien (and his friend Lewis as well) and lo and behold, that's where I found myself this week.

While others might find it vapid, I will continue to "romanticize" the ordinary, because it reminds me of goodness and beauty, where other things try to pull my mimd to rot.

I will keep lighting my candles and savoring food and making this place a home, because it really is a safety net that keeps the horrors of the world at bay.

And ultimately, that is my dream for everyone. A safe, warm, home that revitalizes the soul. Because many of us didn't grow up with that, and we aren't the only ones who benefit from that safety.

Loved ones, friends, neighbors... They all need a shire to come to and escape the darkness. May our hearts and homes be a fragrant offering to welcome in others, and especially our own hearts when they need the soft place to land.

There is no right way to grieve. There is no perfect timing to move forward. There will never be a good enough time to do what must be done.

We just have to keep putting one foot forward where we are, and realize some days we will have capacity for speed, and others... One step will require every bit of strength we have.

Fight with me against the shadow, and hold your ground ❤️ by @hobbithomemaking

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3 days ago

I was 11 years old the first time I visited the Shire, and a piece of it never left me.

Over the years, as I have learned to make a house a home, I realized just how much "hobbit culture" impacted my heart, my decor, and my way of living.

After a friend pointed out the parallela, I've realized I sort of did build a hobbit life!

And then I realized I'm not alone in wanting to form that sort of life, however we can with the means we have.

My homemaking journey started in a one bedroom apartment, so let me be clear here:

You don't need acres of land, a cottage in the English countryside, a smial with a round door, or a life where everything is perfectly slow and beautiful to make home like a hobbit.

I want to dwell on the halfling way of life...

A home that feels warm and lived in and safe.
Growing what I can, wherever I am! Even if it's in pots.

Making good food and sharing it with people.

Finding adventure, and crafting a space worth coming back home to. Learning the seasons and living accordingly!

Reading really good books, perhaps even memorizing poetry and folk songs to sing around the fire.

Making things with my hands again, and not for profit. Things to enjoy, to hang on the walls, or to gift to others.

Welcoming people around my table and offering a respite to whoever comes by for tea at 4.

Building a little Shire of my own right where I am!

And the more I've pondered this, the more I've wondered:

What if we could do this together?! What if there are other folks out there who want this just as much and maybe feel overwhelmed with how (or feel like they can't because of overconsumption culture and a tight budget).

So, I want to start something new here on Instagram!

There And Home Again: Building Your Own Shire, Right Where You Are.

It's going to be completely free, and I'll be sharing it right here through reels, posts, and little bits of our everyday life. I might include a few S•u•b•s•t•a•c•k deep dives as well.

Let's take the life you already have and make it feel a little more like home. And a little hobbit-inspired along the way 🥹

More coming soon! Follow along and join the shire life ❤️🌿 by @hobbithomemaking

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7 days ago

What might hobbits actually do in the fall?

I feel like there would be lots of cooking, walking and meandering, gathering the harvest, feasting, storytelling, and definitely making the house cozy before winter.

And, if you’re Bilbo Baggins, your autumn might look like opening a secret door in a mountain and accidentally inciting an angry dragon. 🤣🫠 You know, just basic fall girlie activities haha!

Tolkien’s Shire calendar gives us Halimath (September), Winterfilth (October), and Blotmath (November). The changing seasons are part of the rhythm of life in the Shire!

The hobbits knew (aside from those with Tookish tendencies) that "the good life" often was remarkably ordinary. And I think that's something that draws us too it.

While we all crave adventure, many of us really crave safety. And the Shire feela like home.

There is always food to be found in the pantry. There are gardens to tend, and fresh berries waiting to be picked. Birthdays to celebrate, neighbors to know, stories to tell, and always an occasion to put the kettle on.

So these are the hobbitcore activities that feel applicable to this time of year!

In our neck of the woods, you don't need to make your house look like Bag End this fall to live the hobbit life!

Instead, ponder on how you might make your ordinary life feel worth inhabiting. Find the small joys and glimmers that feel especially hobbity in this orcish world we find ourselves in.

Consider how you might gather what needs gathering and make room for goodness this autumn time.

Bake something warm and cozy, take the long way home, invite someone to supper, visit with Tommy B and Goldberry, turn off the overhead lights and read by lamplight...

And maybe leave the secret doors closed until Gandalf shows up at least 🤣 by @hobbithomemaking

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9 days ago

Today I have been looking back on photos of Fall Past, as I feel excitement growing for October's arrival and all the good things that come with the autumn season.

Seasonal depression is so very real, and I truly feel affected by it in the summertime. I have great compassion for those fearing their own bouts with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) in the darkening days.

It's complex at times, honoring others differences while not erasing your own. Autum makes my heart come absolutely alive and I am thrilled she is here, especially after the roller coaster of the past few months.

Yet my heart aches for those who dread the coming seasonal changes and holidays.

I am working on a S•u•b•s•t•a•c•k, coming soon, about keeping up your hobbitry in heart and what that might look like in these modern days.

My hope is that it serves as a balm for all needing their spirits uplifted in these days we face, filled with orcs as they are.

Whether your current battle is seasonal depression, financial, health, family, or something else entirely... You're not alone here!

And this Autumn I hope to touch more on my favorite topic of hygge, and how to bring comfort in these dark days that tempt our souls with despair. A balanced place for those who thrive in autumn, and those who find themselves struggling!

Enjoy these glimpses of fall joy, and keep an eye out! ❤️🍁🥧🎃

(First picture is from our stay last fall at the @nauvoo_halfling_house, our family's favorite vacation ever! I can't even believe it is coming up on a year since our visit 😭) by @hobbithomemaking

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12 days ago

"Wellness" feels like a loaded topic these days. And many of us really do not want or need one more thing to optimize.

We want to support our bodies and nervous systems, but we also don't want a complicated routine with a dozen steps we can't keep up with.

Sometimes hobbitry is seen as just baking bread or tending the garden haha, but you can't tell me the hobbits didn't know how to take care of themselves! (Though they probably were a bit more nourished than us with their farm-freah food 🤣)

Hobbit "self care" might look like some good hearty food, yes. But also putting your feet up and offering your body a little respite after a long day.

Because, this year especially it seems, we are all walking to Mordor in one way or another. And sometimes our bodies just need a chance to stop carrying everything for a little while.

This is part of what I love about the Pranamat! Its acupressure points are designed to stimulate the skin and promote blood flow, relaxation, and an endorphin release.

And people can use it in different ways depending on what their bodies need! I love it for my hyper mobility pain. For my friend, we're especially hoping it can help her relax, support her nervous system, and offer some relief for the foot pain she's been dealing with.

When we feed our bodies and care for them after all the things they're forced to carry, we can show up better for ourselves and those around us. 🍁

Hobbits certainly do love to give gifts don't they!

If you’d like to gift a Pranamat to someone you love (Christmas is coming after all) or gift one to yourself haha, you can use my code HOBBITHOMEMAKING to save at checkout.

Even the road-weary need a place to rest. ❤️
Thank you @pranamat for coming along on the journey! by @hobbithomemaking

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17 days ago

In honor of the shifting season today, my friend @taylorparra and I came together to create a liturgy to mark the turning.

This is just little something to help us all pause at this threshold of autumn, that we may notice what is changing, and welcome the season we have been given.

"We linger in a place between,
A threshold of almost there and not yet,
Like the light and dark that tarry in equal measure,
May we not wish for another brighter day for,

We know this is the day that You have made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

In our Substack, you’ll find the full liturgy along with a free printable to tuck away in your stillbook or commonplace journal, we hope to revisit each year when autumntiide comes round again!

This autumntide may we learn to live within the limits of our own seasons. And ehile these days grow shorter, let us not despise the darkness!

May we grab a candle, plug in the twinkle lights, light the corner lamp, put the kettle on, and find solace in our homes ❤️

May we embrace our hobbitry and remember that there is much to be found in the ordinary, and how healing and safe that is indeed.

And may your home be a little haven as the world outside begins to turn. I hope your soul can revel in it 🍁☀️

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙀𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙭 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙮 + 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠! by @hobbithomemaking

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19 days ago

Hobbit Day 2026 was a grand success! We had such a blast partying like it was 3001 of the Third Age.

Much like Bilbo and Frodo's party of special magnificence, we had (city appropriate-sized? 🤣) fireworks, a phenomenal feast, and my husband again gifted his LOTR-inspired paintings away again. As hobbits are known to do on their birthdays!

My husband made wine labels for my hobbit birthday a few years ago which we reprinted for this year, we enjoyed some trivia, and he even designed and printed our own Shire version of the card game Mafia, in which we had to play rounds guessing who in the crowd were the Nazgul!

My heart is so full and so blessed that our friends came, dressed up, and brought fantastic food to celebrate Hobbit Day with our family.

Here's to a glorious Tolkien Week, and a wonderful first day of fall dear friends! by @hobbithomemaking

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20 days ago

Happy #middleearthmonday dear hobbitses! For today's #alongexpectedhobbitday prompt, "Food & cheer & song," we are sharing how we "met" The Hobbit.

On this day, 89 years ago, The Hobbit was first published!

I was introduced at 11 years old, when my new uncle showed me The Fellowship of the Ring. As I fell in love with Middle-earth, he suggested I read The Hobbit...

And the rest is history.

Bilbo, Gandalf, Beorn, Thorin, and all of our dwarf friends kept me company up in my room, my secret respite from the horrors of the real world.

But what Tolkien gave me in those years was more than an escape.

All the while I read The Hobbit (and then The Lord of the Rings), I was learning about courage, mercy, friendship, the importance of home, the value of ordinary things, and that the smallest unthought-of folk could be the ones to change the world.

Those lessons took root in my heart, and I have carried them with me every since. The innermost parts of my aching preteen heart, despite so much difficulty, learned that a cozy and safe home matters, but sometimes adventures call that my stretch us to the very ends of our being.

Now, so many years later, through my various hills and valleys, I see how those lessons carried me through. How my core values developed, all because "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

I no longer have my original copy of The Hobbit, but I do have this vintage mass-market edition from a set that I absolutely adore!

And now, one of my greatest joys is sharing this world with my own children.

This time, I don't bring them to Middle-earth because I need an escape (and hallelujah that thought is even foreign to them 😭)

I bring them along with me into the portal that is The Pages of a Book, because I know the gift of a story that can shape a childhood, and because some books really become part of us forever... The only childhood home we might return to.

Middle-earth was once a place I ran to for refuge.

Now, I build a home inspired by it, my hope that it may serve as a refuge to my my family and any who cross the threshold.

Thank you dear Tolkien, happy birthday to the tale that welcomed so many of us in to y by @hobbithomemaking

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20 days ago

This project has been MONTHS in the making! (You might remember my thrift haul with these plates.)

It has been ridiculously hard to find the right plates for this three tiered tray, because all I have been finding is full sets haha.

After finding the plates, my next hunt was for candle sticks! Also hard to find of late 🤣

Alas, I found the pieces just in time to craft for our hobbit day celebration.

The beautiful part of this, if you choose to upcycle your own tea tray, is that you can really make it your own. Different candle holders or plates, few tiers, etc.

Tea time and special second breakfasts are an important part of our family culture and I'm so tickled to finally have recreated this.

In ye olden days of "millennial optimism" Pinterest DIY blog culture I loveeeed making these. And I still have one on my nightstand for my clock and jewelry!

Budget-friendly decor is a passion of mine, because no matter our economy or income, everyone should be able to craft the home they dream of. It might take a lot of time and patience! But we can.

And I hope to share of that side of homemaking soon ❤️ Hobbits were resourceful folk after all! by @hobbithomemaking

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21 days ago