Design on my mind

As ever when I have an empty momement between taking care of the kids, looking for work, maintaining Huset Lagom (the just right house) and working... phew, I tend to let my mind wander over to home decor. To be specific the land of dreamy, Swedish home decor where everything is in just the right place, colors are stark, and there never seems to be a scratched up couch or a dustball under the chair (do people even live in these houses?) Here's some new favs on that front from the blog 'Fashion Squad' by Carolina Engman (pictures via Svenska Mäklarhuset).  This people is how a home should be staged!



Here's another shot from.fashion squad from a Danish townhouse which is just as beautiful and pristine.


Yummy.  My house is a mess but one can always dream.  The first thing I want to do is look into how to paint floors.  I love it, and just maybe I can talk handsome hubby into painting the dining room floor for me, what do you think?  EHow makes it look easy, http://www.ehow.com/how_7709491_easily-paint-wood-floor.html, but what about resale value?  Would you buy a house with painted wood floors?

NO-FOMO

I'm sure you have heard of FOMO  (Fear of missing out), but have you been introduced to MOMO yet? "The Mystery of missing out" is when something is someone doesn't post a picture, and you rack your brain wondering why.  Bianca Bosker of the Huffington Post does a great job of explaining why this situation preys on our fears, the mystery of the missing shot leading one to wonder "what am I missing, how cool are they, and who is there?"  instagram-silence  She writes:

"In an odd way, the ultimate Instabrag is not sharing at all. 

If an adventure isn’t posted on social media, it must be ultra special.."

In the Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook crazy world we live in everyone seems to be trying to out-cool each other with the next best party or trip or fashion or friends.  So maybe just staying put and being anti-FOMO or NO-FOMO as Garance so aptly puts it is actually the way to be.  Interesting comments here:  (FOMO post by Garance Dore)  It's become tacky to instagram everything and everyone I guess, but that's not really why I don't do it.  I'm not trying go all MOMO on you either.

I rarely post personal pictures because I think the internet is a good place to explore ideas and the inner workings of oneself whether it be something trivial like a drinking song, or learning a new skill.  I'm not here to impress but to find like-minded souls who enjoy some of the same things I do: making art, Swedish culture, family, traveling, having fun and learning new things.  Or just being silly...

It seems that everyone is so worried about impressing the next person that we lose sight of who we really are, and what's important.  Also the busier you are the more fun you have and therefore less time to worry about all the cool things other people are doing, so NO-FOMO it is!  Hooray!  

Look Mom, I can use filters too!  (taken by our daughter)

Need inexpensive child care?

Cultural Care Fun Fact #1: In the last 25 years, we have had the unique opportunity to bring young men and women from many countries to the United States as au pairs including: Austria, Australia, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, China, Thailand, Sweden, France, and more, thus changing hundreds of thousands of lives!

Full disclosure, I just signed on to be a sales rep for Cultural Care Au Pair, an affliation of EF, that has run au-pair programs for the last 25 years.  If you want to include some international diversity in your home, and get some help with the kids (45 hours childcare/week) it's a great way to go.  The young men and women they bring over are amazing - screened, eager to help out, and speak English.  They want to be included in family life and need their own room, otherwise costs are low, both emotional and physical of about $360/week and room + board. *Less right now, see special below!*  Read au pair in MA

I believe in this program because I know a lot of people who have been au-pairs, myself included, and we really do love kids and want to have fun with them.  Some people take advantage, and make you scrub the house from top to bottom, but that is not the idea.  Please some light cleaning and preparing of meals is fine, but au-pairs are not indentured servants.  Besides, you who have kids know how tiring they are to take care of!  You get up to 45 hours of childcare for all your children and it's a great deal as well as a nice way to get to know a young person better, and help them.

I remember trying to give the two little boys I took care of in as an au-pair in Paris baths.  Their favorite game was to jump out of the bath one at a time, and run naked through the house like slippery little eels while I tried to catch them and put them back.  First Fabrice, age 7, would streak around the house and just as I plopped him back in, Benjamin, age 5, would take off!  Phew!  I took care of these little boys all year, they placed a permanent hold on part of my heart, and I think of them still with fondness.  Many au-pair families stay in close touch with their au-pairs and they become like favorite nieces or nephews that play with your children. I hope if you're interested in an au-pair you'll be able to take advantage of this special.

*Get up to $1,075 for registering this weekend (July 12 - July 13). Go to http://trawson.aupairnews.com/about-au-pair-childcare.com and scroll down to "register". It takes only about 10 minutes and there is no obligation. Once you have filled out the information you will be waived the $75 registration fee by using coupon code PCFLS2014. You will also save $500 off the program fee if you welcome your au-pair by 10/2/15, and another $500 off the fee if you welcome an au-pair this year by 10/3/14. Please use the coupon code and go through my site!

I can help match you up with a wonderful young woman or man from abroad who wishes to experience American culture and take care of children. It ends up costing only about $360/week (less with this one time promotion) for up to 45 hours work/week. I will fill you in but register today, no obligation, so you get the discount if you decide to go ahead. I believe in Cultural Care, and hope that you will be able to take advantage of this discount! Contact me at tina.rawson@rep.culturalcare.com with questions. 

Thanks!

Happy Summer!

Ha, ha!  Even thought it's not accurate this picture is pretty funny and sometimes a Swedish summer can be the pits.  But as the heat goes up into the 90's here and the humidity soars I think longingly of Sweden with with its cool ocean breezes and long days.  I miss the white beaches, and the routine of packing a picnic basket with coffee, saft (a sweet drink made with concentrate, preferably homemade like my mother's lemon saft) as well as cookies or "bullar" for the kids.  Throw a couple of magazines in there like Damernas Värld or something silly about the royal family and you're all set for a couple of relaxing hours.  Heaven!

Ask me for a recipe if you want one, and I'll try to translate.  Otherwise the local IKEA does a nice lingon (cranberry) saft and a couple of other flavors you might enjoy.  Yum!