The Cottage Fairy Companion

by Paola Merrill

The Cottage Fairy Companion is your accessible and beautiful guide to mindful living. It teaches the fundamentals of cottagecore style through the practices of The Cottage Fairy’s daily life.

Use mindfulness for healing and fulfillment. Paola Merrill, author and creator behind the popular YouTube channel The Cottage Fairy, left a hectic life in the city for the rural mountains in search of a deeper connection to herself and the world. She learned that nature is the biggest teacher of all—if we open our eyes to its wisdom. Mindful living can be applied in most walks of life, and Merrill’s writing encourages you to find healing and fulfillment, wherever you are.

Inside this enchanting book on mindful living, you’ll find:

• Insight to creating a cozy and inspiring space, living in alignment with natural cycles and seasons, and gardening and making tea.
• Original illustrations and breathtaking photos of the author’s cottage, crafts, and the countryside.
• Calming, meditative prose to promote tranquility and stillness in a hectic world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Poetry, Self Help, Lifestyle, Philosophy, Memoir

199 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2022

Reviews

[R.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I abided by Goodreads' star rating translations, the honest rating would be 2 ("it was okay"), but I wouldn't feel right giving such a low rating to a project that was clearly a real passion for its author. Anyways, I was expecting more of a practical "how to" guide for the cottagecore lifestyle; and so while I enjoyed the crafts and recipes therein, I wanted way, way more of them, and less of the essays which proved to be the main purpose of the work overall. And, honestly, I wouldn't have minded the essays quite so much if it weren't for the innately self-centered nature of the writing and photography. Paola Merrill seems like a lovely person, but when I found that most of the photos feature her in gorgeous settings, it began to ring as an ego project. Of course, she runs a YouTube channel literally about her life, so maybe this is exactly what her followers want. But from the perspective of a non-follower, the title of the book led me to believe that it would be more about things you can physically do to create a more cottagecore lifestyle, rather than meditative essays about the author's inner journey accompanied by photos of her looking old fashioned and pensive.

If and when Merrill makes a book totally devoted to cottage crafts and such, I'll absolutely check it out! Until then, this book wasn't for me, and that's fine.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last weekend I was introduced to the YouTube channel of The Cottage Fairy, and even though I’ve only watched a handful of videos, I find myself very drawn to Paola’s style of looking at the world. Her videos are reflective and sweet and mindful, and so is this book. I recommend both the text version and the audiobook, as she herself is the narrator and her voice is very soothing.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paola is one of my favourite YouTubers. I eagerly await her videos every week, because they are calm and grounding. Non-fiction books have a harder time recreating a whimsical feeling than videos, but she's certainly done her best by peppering the pages of this book with stunning photography, delicate illustrations and poetry, recipes for delicious treats and how-to guides for making enchanting little decorations for your home, going from one season to the next, picking wildflowers in the spring and pressing them, going down to the river in the summer to find shiny rocks, making wreaths in the autumn, and frozen outdoor ornaments in the winter.

I didn't have any big revelations about myself while reading this book because I'm slightly older than her and I've been living like this for a while, but you might! This is a book about joy, about paying attention to your surroundings and your loved ones, about learning and feeling content. It reminds me of Seed to Dust: A Gardener's Story, if it had been written by someone 40 years younger, which is exactly what it is. A book to savour and cherish, and revisit when you need a pick-me-up.

[Anne Kinsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a kind, gentle read to be savored and revisited throughout the seasons. I enjoy a slower pace of life and find it rare to encounter others who need and thrive in this sort of countercultural rhythm of rest, slow living, and work. I appreciate her transparency about her eating disorder and her need to make changes to heal and learn to savor life. I enjoy Paola’s YouTube channel, as well, and find watching her videos to be nurturing self-care.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I’m kicking a wounded kitten in giving the book such a terrible rating. I have not seen her YouTube channel, but the author comes across as a very young, self-centered individual who has confused surface and depth. I feel sorry that she has struggled with eating disorders and anxiety, and I understand the importance of finding others who are also struggling, but it reads like a therapy session with pat answers instead of real depth. In the vein of “true happiness cannot be found in a place, it can only be found within!”. I think people who are living in truly desperate conditions or situations may beg to differ. And…she’s clearly selling that vision of a calm space in nature.

If you’re seeking meaning in nature, you have to listen and observe. Nature is not a place where there is “time for everything”—a quick look at birds desperately feeding their young would cue you into this. Gosh, I could say more, but I would avoid recommending this to anyone other than teens struggling to find their place in the world.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Paola's for a while and it's been wonderful seeing her career as a videographer, artist and author flourish. This book is beautiful, taking you through living mindfully each season, alongside recipe and craft ideas, poetry, artwork and photography. I particularly liked all the advice and prompts to consider about our own lives. I used to love waking up early, living slowly, being creative and embracing nature. Recently I've been through a lot and have lost all those parts of myself. This book really inspires me to try and regain those aspects of myself because I know they're still alive underneath all the anxiety and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Thank you Paola for creating this book, you're a beautiful writer and person.

[kiraa (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

just love to reread it every season

[Cindy Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Paola on YouTube for a few years now, and I always enjoy her soothing content. I actually discovered her early in the pandemic when I took some time off from work and I was thinking about how I would like my life to look once I started working again. I craved a slower, simpler, and intentional life. Paola reminds us all that it is okay to be introverted and to live a slower/simpler life, and she shows us ways to go about doing that in a way that suits us - and that is exactly what I was looking for; this book covers these topics exceptionally well. Paola has included beautiful watercolor images, poems, short essays, recipes, and craft projects to help readers live a slower life. I took my time with this one, dipping in and out of it as the mood hit me; I started it in January and I am now just wrapping it up completely. And I will continue to refer to it throughout my life journey because I marked many pages generously (I underlined and added little notes to myself to make this easier). Whenever life starts to feel hectic again, I will pick up this compendium and remember what I truly want out of life.

[Alina Adamut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Paola, I opened your book, and I placed a kiss inside it. I’m savoring it, I’m reading it at a peaceful pace. Love your words, your photos, your gentle & loving energy, your connection to nature. Your book already inspired me to write two poems. Thank you for sharing your beautiful light! I’m grateful for you and for your precious presence in the world!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book filled with gentle reminders about slow living, gorgeous photographs, and interesting ideas for living more in harmony with nature and the seasons. It really captures Paola's voice very well; if you enjoy this book I highly recommend checking out her videos on YouTube, which are likewise gentle, soothing, and beautiful.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a long-time fan of Paola's YouTube channel and her Etsy Shop, so I roughly knew what tone and pacing to anticipate from her book. The Cottage Fairy Companion is a quick read to cozy-fy your seasons. It has elements of "hygge" which are commonly found in Scandinavian slow-living reads. This book includes craft ideas, recipes, reflections, meditations and stories of the four seasons. It is a calming book infused with Paola's artwork and nature photographs. I would highly recommend this book for those interested in simplicity, mindfulness, slow-living and cottagecore

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I’ve been a big fan of the YouTube channel for years there was no doubt I would also love this book. The photos and illustrations are beautiful and I loved the writing.

[maii28 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this audiobook a lottttt...so mesmerising and calming! I loved the recipes too! Can't wait to try them

[Grace Gladstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely!

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this book floating around on Amazon as a recommendation for me, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t know the author was a youtuber with an impressive following (I’ve totally since subscribed!), but this book was a very happy surprise.

I really admire Paola’s open, gentle nature and how it showed through her writing. I wanted nothing more to run away to a cabin in the woods and not emerge for a few years. She made it sound so magical but in a realistic way, not overly romanticized. While that isn’t in the cards for me in this stage of my life, she included how you can practice the slower lifestyle in a city setting.

I loved this book. I feel like it is a real hidden gem and I’ve already recommended it to many friends since starting and finishing this book. This is one I would love to have on my shelf, marked and tabbed for many future rereads. 🌸

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

23 May 2023 - Wow! For me, the audiobook experience was superior to the physical book experience. Paola's voice is so soothing, which is part of the allure of her channel.

22 May 2023 - Because I follow Tanya's lead, I have decided to give this another go. Only this time, I have borrowed the audiobook, which is narrated by the author.

5 January 2023 - I started reading this in conjunction with Youheum Son's Heal Your Living, as they seem like complementary reads.

This is a charming book, a labor of love... however, I could not fully focus and dive into the book as I had hoped.

This is a skim and DNF.

[Sarah Nealy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflective, comforting, and uplifting. As someone whose natural pace is slower then the fast pace whirlwind of our society, I struggle with myself. With feelings like I can't keep up, I try to match my pace with the rest of the world's and end up burnt out and exhausted. I am now on a journey of accepting that slow is ok, I'm not going to fall behind. I maintain my peace by listening to my body and resting before I tire out. This book and the author's YouTube channel has really helped me to embrace slower living and I found her words to be very validating and moving. I've used my highlighter well underlining words and sentences that I will be coming back to as I continue on this journey of self acceptance.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a soothing sip of warm tea, but also like tea, once you get to the bottom where the bitter leaves lay you're ready to move on. I love her youtube videos and get a sense of calm from them. Her book is no different. It has me wanting to find the beauty in my small town so that I can feel content and full of awe on my good days. Merrill is relatable and realistic with her thoughts, crafts, recipes, and ideas. I recommend this book to people who are bursting at the seams with responsibilities and a full schedule, so that you may look at your life and figure out where you can find some moments of peace; no matter how little.

[Julie Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no memory of putting this on hold at the library but one day I went in and there it was on the holds shelf for me... It looked interesting... the subtitle was "A Cottage core Guide to slow living, connecting to nature, and becoming Enchanted again" which i mean is totally my M.O. ...

That didn't really feel like that's what this was. I think it would be great if I actually followed this person on youtube or Instagram and wanted to know more about her and her thoughts but since I don't it just felt kinda meh. Lots of beautiful photos and crafts and little essays on how she is healing from a stressed out life.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the reviews disparaged this for being self-centered. If you go into it thinking this is a book about how to live a cottage-core life then, at it's simplest, yes you may be disappointed. I read this as a memoire, but at it's heart Merrill is advising how to live simply and describing her journey to leading a simple life. I didn't think it was self-centered at all, I mean, it's about her! Peppered with recipes and crafts and beautiful imagery, it's mostly memoir and self-help. This is exactly the book I wanted.

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could describe living simply in one phrase it would be "elevating the ordinary." It is the practice of transforming our daily experiences and finding meaning, purpose, and beauty in everything we do. We are allowed to take occasional breaks from the more stressful aspects of life to breathe deeply and exist differently for a while.

Some folks are discovering that a great way to get me to read a book with them is to simply say "I'm thinking about reading this." And maybe the impression wasn't to get me to read it, but they win anyway! I'll be genuinely intrigued enough, especially if my library has the book. Even more so when they have the Libby version of the book.

This is to say that this book was not on my radar, and it didn't give an especially large BEEP when I read the book jacket. I'm not familiar with Paola Merrill, and while I do like some types of nonfiction, the sort of spiritual gardening genre (or however you would qualify this) is not generally my bag. And yet, this was a short, insightful book about how to find peace with yourself.

When I was finishing the book, I thought about the appeal of it and of things like Hallmark Channel (and I dig a good Christmas movie, let me tell you). I think what appeals to some folks who like Hallmark Channel and the cheesy movies is that they are just so easy. It's escapism. My life is a hellscape of anxiety; wouldn't I feel better if I moved to a small town, made a great group of friends, and also found my soulmate? We would live in our small town together in perfect contentment. In our heart of hearts, we know that isn't the solution. Even the films that are based on real events and couples have some creative license, and they aren't a guarantee. We can't all move to small towns. But there's an even bigger reason that Merrill shares: small towns aren't the "fix it" that we all hope they would be.

Now granted, Merrill did in fact move to a small, rural community. She is quick to mention that it didn't solve all her problems, the implication being that it wouldn't magically solve ours either. She talks about how she thinks she'd be able to get to a better sense of peace wherever she is at, but her newer home has helped her to appreciate nature and what's around her. All one has to do is find nature. I like the idea that inner work has to happen for improvement. Though on the one hand, I live in a high-stress area, and being in a less busy area does have a calming effect on me, so I don't think her move had no effect. I think she had to want to make a change, and that it led to her making other changes that improved her quality of life.

Since I do not have a cottage out in the middle of nowhere, I do think I can still appreciate what she has to offer. I come from a place of almost no seasons, so to be in a place with seasons is actually sort of magical. I could spend all day staring outside, and sometimes I do. Allowing myself to appreciate what's out there and be in nature has been beneficial. She's also got a bunch of recipes and instructions for making things that I've kept. I would say I got more out of this book than I expected, and I'm happy with it.

--

PS. Slowly potentially drawing back from Amazon services. If you all ever go to The StoryGraph, let's be friends there! Here's my profile.

[Pam Ela · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Paola’s channel, you will like this book. Upon initially flip through, I thought I might find it too repetitive (as I’d followed her first years in the cottage on her channel), or too saccarine… but I found it to be neither! It is a quick read, taking me just under 2 hours to read cover to cover. She no doubt made it a perfect afternoon in nature book, or a pick-me-up in winter as it is for me right now.

The photographs printed a bit dark but otherwise it’s beautifully laid out and smells exactly like a Scholastic book fair. It’s quick chapters read like her video scripts, little nuggets and musings that tie the seasons and nature to the ups and downs of life. There are recipes and poems, and little watercolor illustrations throughout.

Many of the “slow living” concepts are exactly what you’d expect, but Paola’s beautiful and honest writing make them feel new again. I really enjoyed a cozy afternoon with this book at a time where I needed to remember a few of those well-worn concepts. Definitely going to add this library borrow to my permanent collection eventually.

Trigger warning for eating disorders, however the topic is presently very gently and not at all in-depth, only in occasional reference to her experiences prior to arriving at the cottage.

[maya garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I invite you to consider what it is that makes you, you?"

What a beautiful, beautiful book. Paola Merrill gently guided me through the seasons, combining aspects of mindfulness, storytelling, photography, poetry, and recipes into a book that makes sense! She is such an inspiration and her honesty and kindness is so refreshing.

I checked out the virtual version on my phone. I'm sure it is gorgeous on paper as well and am considering buying it so I can refer to it again and again. I annotated and highlighted it quite heavily and am excited to try and connect some of these things to my life!

For anyone looking for some peace, soft advice, if you're a cottagecore lover, or just interested, you will love this book.

Peace!

[Anna Wermter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got anxiety? Get rid of it in 2 sweet hours of listening if you’re able to listen to the audio of this book. I have been wanting to pick up a copy but the reading of this book was so beautiful I am sure to re-listen and I can’t wait to see all the recipes when I do finally pick up a copy. Everything Paola creates is pure magic ✨

[Seema Snitkovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been slowly reading a few pages of this book at a time as a wind-down activity before bed, and I'd say it's really well suited to this purpose and has helped me shift into a more positive, gentle, and mindful headspace and relax back into my sense of self. As someone who frequently fantasizes of a cottagecore life for myself, this is a great reminder that nothing is stopping me from incorporating some of it into my day-to-day. I may end up doing a couple of the little activities presented in the book, but I think more likely I'll reach for it again just to read a quick anecdote here and there that helps me loosen up and feel a little more meditative. I really also like that this book is divided into seasons, I think that will make it good to reach back to over the course of the year, as it will likely continue to live on my nightstand.

[Dorothea Biggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very much a reflection of Merrill's YouTube channel. While I love her channel, I was really hoping for something a little bit different- more recipe and craft ideas, more discussion of rural daily life.
While the many pages of meditation on a quiet inner life are sweet, about half way through the book I started skimming.
The author has a slightly awkward grammar style, probably more old fashioned than incorrect. I think this holds up better in the spoken word than in the written one.
All that being said, her YouTube channel is a real treasure, and she is a true artist!

[Eliza Fitzgerald]

I picked this up at the library mostly for the beautiful pictures, but the writing was nice and comforting as well. There are a few poems and recipes sprinkled through. Its almost like reading a journal.

[Cyber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a cozy read for sure, and very soothing. I did snag a few good quotes from this one, and I liked the parts where she presented a few questions to think about. I bookmarked them, I think they will be good during times of introspection. I will have to agree with Abi though, it felt more like a diary and less of a self-help. I've found a couple discussion items that I could relate to in a more negative aspect, but there wasn't any actual help or feedback on how to change or manage these negative things. I was hoping for more discussion aspects on how you could work to change these small things, but like I said it felt more like a diary and didn't really provide much assistance other than "accept" or "bond with nature". I thought it was sweet overall but not exactly what I expected.

[maria ♡༄ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un memoir muy mono y narrado de forma preciosa en el que la autora nos habla sobre la necesidad de reconectar con la naturaleza cuándo todo se vuelve abrumador. Me gusta que pese a ofrecer una visión muy positiva, no elimina los aspectos más crudos y difíciles de vivir en el campo. Y tengo ganas de probar las recetitas y manualidades que deja 🌺🧚🌷

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid follower of Paola, her writing, her art, this was a delight to read!! Organized seasonally, it is a great companion for inspiration and recipes and all things art and craft, including lovely poetry!! Would make a great gift book, too!! Highly recommend!!!