Blogging before

Please let me know what you think, and let me know how you’ve made the transition from all out obsessed mother of two worrying about every nap and diaper change, to a woman with a full, balanced life and bigger children (who still need me but in different ways).  Because of course, as with everything, the islands are a metaphor for a better me – lovelier, serene, and self contained – a place where you have everything you need and do not want for things “off island”.  It’s worth a shot!

(From: https://easyontheislands.wordpress.com/ ©2010)

Hello, feeling a little sentimental today as I found my old blog on wordpress.  I'd been playing around with the idea of blogging for a while before heading to Bornholm with handsome hubby for our 10th anniversary.  There I came upon the realization that I, like many other people, love islands. I wanted to take that easy-breezy feeling (aka lagom) into my "real" life and help it grow.  This was my first attempt at blogging.  Check it out if you'd like: https://easyontheislands.wordpress.com/ 

What I realized is how much my life revolved around my young children at that point.  It still does, to a degree, but I do feel more room in my life now to make decisions just for me.  This year I turned the kids growing up and no longer needing me as much into a good thing by getting a new job and building a side business teaching art.  It's bittersweet though.  Just the thought of those little munchkins makes me teary.  Change isn't easy but I am so proud of my children!  One is graduating 9th grade and the other 6th grade, both with high grades, good friends, and a wonderful way about them.  They're funny, kind and smart.  As I wrote in my first blog on September 15, 2010 --

Well, life goes on even though the kids are both at school.  I cried my eyes out this morning, after realizing that little kid stage is over.  It’s hard going from the emcee of their lives, to the cheerleader/enforcer who drives them around places and makes them do their homework.  It will take some getting used to but I’m going to find my happy place and this blog is part of the process of getting back to my center.

Happy Swedish Mothers Day!

Grattis på morsdagen!

Free Viking Coloring Pages – Printer Ready

Here's something fun for you to do this weekend - feel like coloring a Viking? 😉 Wishing you all a Happy Memorial  Day weekend! What are you Americans going to do  with your extra day off? FreeColoring Pages – Printer Ready

What's your sign baby?

I'm an Aquarian.  According to this blog post (Mind Body Green) the best time for me to work out is in the morning.  Ha, ha!  I don't believe for a minute but I will suspend disbelief for a moment because someone asked me to work out with her at 5:00 AM.  Um, ok, I thought.  I never get up any earlier than I absolutely have to, and I actually slept through my alarm clock twice this week, but yeah maybe.  Maybe I will!  That's definitive isn't it?  ;-)  I hope that I can readjust this summer and make positive changes to my work out routine. How about you? When do you work out? Also, in addition to being born in the winter, I am also a Wednesday baby which stinks as in "full of woe".  I always detested that Sunday child!  Ha, ha! 😄  Have a Happy Memorial Day Weekend All!

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath day

Is bonnie and blithe and good and gay.^[1]

Bike pimp

I yarn bombed my bike.  Been wanting to do this for a while. Do you like it?  ;)

There are so many fun pics on the internet that inspired me.  Check this out -

Groovy huh?  

Nerdy- wordy post

Hello dear readers, hope that you are having a lovely Sunday.  We're busy at La Casa Lagom with soccer, end of year school reports, and planning for new business venture so not so lagom right now. But balance will prevail once the pieces fall into place, and snart är de sommar!!! (soon it's summer!) Or as Gyllene Tider says: "Sommartiden"! :)

Being a teacher has its perks, particurarly a nice long vacation with family.  Can't wait to head to Sweden! I have been teaching the boy Swedish in the car on our way to his highschool.  He spent a year there in 4th grade but now that he is in 9th he needs a serious refresher.  We sing songs and go over the grammar.  Perhaps that's why I found this article so interesting. We will be practicing our Swedish all summer, it's actually a pretty easy language to learn for English-speakers.  Check out why here - http://nordic.businessinsider.com/heres-why-scandinavians-are-so-good-at-speaking-english-2017-5. Here's a cool tidbit from the article for those of you who don't want to click over ---

• Swedish and English share 1,558 words. Examples include accent, digital and salt. However, Swedish people learning English must beware of “false friends”. These are Swedish words spelt the same as English words, but with different meanings. Examples include the Swedish word “bra”, which means “good”, and “glass”, which means “ice cream”. Don’t get too confused if a Swede asks you if you would like to eat some glass. They’re not out to get you – quite the opposite in fact!

Swedish Watches and one heck of a bagpipe player (Gunhild Carling)

Hello everyone, and Happy Monday!  I am currently salivating over a pretty little Sigrid watch by Mockberg.  Isn't this cute?  It's on sale for Mother's Day. I don't know does being a mother give you the right to buy something nice for yourself? ;-) I mean little cards from the kids and flowers from handsome hubby is all very nice, and I'm not complaining, but this is a pretty little watch. Here's a link to a lineup of unique Swedish watch brands that you may want to peruse for something different: http://nordic.businessinsider.com/here-are-daniel-wellingtons-11-swedish-challengers-2017-2

Also, I promised you a kick-*** bagpipe player. and here she is!  What an amazing player!  Sometimes I like Facebook for the funny things that show up in my feed.  This woman is just amazing.  She can play just about anything and lives it up.  Check out her solo at at about one minute in - you'll be astonished. 

Have you ever heard the bagpipes sound so good?!  Happy Monday to y'all. 

Eurovision 2017! Update #2

Closing results:  Salvador Sobral from Portugal won with "Amar pelos dois", Bulgaria came in second and Moldovia came in third.  Sweden was 5th place.  I think personally that there was a voters back-lash against the heavily produced dance songs.  Portugal's song was a very laid-back, Bossa-Nova inspired and emotional piece.  In his acceptance speech Sobral said: “We live in a world of disposable music; fast food music without any content. I think this could be a victory for music with people who make music that actually means something,” he announced. 

Hmm, sore loser?  

Robin Bengtsson thought so saying “Congrats on your victory, I really like your song and the way you sing it, but I think your speech after winning the ESC was below the level of a true winner. ‘Fast food’ pop music can be the best thing in the world at the right place and time, so can a song beautiful as yours. There is room for everyone.“ Oh, strong words from a Swede! ;)

More information on all the results here.

Hej!  Eurovision is on today and starts at 3PM Eastern Standard Time in the USA.  I'm rooting for Sweden of course, and the bookies are giving Portugal 2/1 odds.  Russia pulled out after Yulia S. was barred from entering the host country of Ukraine after having toured Crimea in 2015 when it was annexed by Russia.  Scandalous! Here's more on the stats, line-up and performers:Who Will Win?

Hello all, if you've been following my site you know that I'm a sucker for Eurovision, or Musikfestivalen as they call it in Sweden.  The final will be on May 13th, and I for one plan to get some family and friends to watch and vote.  I find that it's kind of like the Kentucky Derby in that it's a good excuse for nice drinks and munchies, although it's much longer and a constant source of ridicule (which let's be honest is a big part of the fun.)  I do miss the days when it wasn't quite so hightech and overproduced, but it is still a fun night of pop music and silly back stories.  Here's the entry from Sweden with Robin Bengtsson.  Do you think it has a chance?

Robin Bengtsson will open the show with I Can't Go On, co-written by another Robin — Stjernberg — who represented Sweden in 2013: "He told me that he was so nervous when he did Eurovision, but I'm enjoying this so much, I'm not nervous".