Sweden ahoy! I'm leaving on a jet plane to Höllviken!

 

The weather is fine. My bag is packed. I have a big week planned. I will be visiting my mamma in Höllviken, Sweden. I hope that we will get some beach time in, and that I'll see my extended family. It will be nice to just laze around for a bit, eat good food and hopefully see some old friends.

I'm staying at Höllvikens Mat and Logi which comes with a full "frukost" (breakfast) and comfy little cottages. My mother lives right down the street from it, which makes life handy. For those of you who might be interested in ever visiting beautiful little Höllviken, here's a link to the Hollviksnas hotel .

Did you know that Swedes get five weeks of paid vacation a year? I think that's just about right. ;) I wish that we Americans did too, but I'll only get to stay for a week. This is the brygga (dock) that I hope to head down to with my coffee and mackor (sandwiches) for a day in the sun. 

Höllviken is South of Malmö on the penisula called "Näset" easily accessbile by bus. There are beaches on all sides, and further down on the spit you will find Falsterbo, a gorgeous community from the middle ages that reached its zenith as a bathing destination for the rich in famous in the 1930's. 

Here's some history from Wikipedia:

"Falsterbo historically enjoyed trading privileges with the Hanseatic League. During the Middle Ages, it was a rich and prestigious town owing to its location in a center of trade and herring fishery. On the beach between Falsterbo and neighboring town Skanör was the Scania Market where merchants from various parts of Europe had fixed market places."

I've been in Falsterbo many times, and I can't wait to go back. We lived not too far away in 2012 - 2013 in Ljunghusen. More on that adventure to follow...

I hope that you have a great end of August and wishing you all some downtime too! Living la vida lagom is harder from the US but we put in good effort to find balance, and carve out some time for what's most important - family. 

Happy Swedish National Day!

Actually the Swedish National Day is on June 6th but I'm going to celebrate none-the-less.  Why not?  It's Friday, reason enough to celebrate. :-)  National Day is a good excuse to eat Swedish pastries too.  (Actually most days are good days to do that.)  Here's a little link to some great cafes in Sweden. cafes in Sweden I might make some kaffebröd this weekend.  Here's a simple recipe if you'd like to try it too.  http://scandinavianfood.about.com/od/coffeecakessweetbreads/r/Cardamomdough.htm  The kids and I love it, yum, but in lieu of delcious Swedish pastries I guess a doughnut is going to have to do, speaking of which, Happy Doughnut Day!  (Yet another reason to celebrate.)  Here's where you can get a free one today. Yay, free doughnuts!

Ramona Morningbird

Lately when I had the chance to talk with Hopi, another of my entrepreneurial inspirations, about her successful foray into selling on-line I jumped at the chance! See Ramona Morningbird.  Here's why: she's a creative business woman who's tapped into a successful niche; she's a mom with three children (one is almost 3 months old!) - how does she do it?; she has an enormous garden and is the best camper I know, she's very nice and she's got a very cool background.

She's basically doing what I would like to do at a younger age, with more children, and she's making it work.  

Her parents were hippies and they named her Ramona Morningbird hence the business' name.  She sells utilitarian treasures with the industrial look (which is so hot) and she started on Etsy on 2012 where Fab found her and recruited her for sales on the web, like the one going on now.  Ramona Morningbird on FAB!  

Here's what she says on-line I love the excitement of a great find; the feeling I get when I spot something fantastic, buried or blurred in its surroundings. To pull it out, hold it up, step back and feel the ah-ha! moment. It's addictive."  Hopi is not only feeding her addiction but ours with these amazing finds, and is fueling my hope that I can make it work someday too.  

Check out these cool items at her Applecrest Farm space (another add-to-the-wish list, a space that shows the soul of your products) but please forgive my poor photography. You should pop over here http://fab.com/sale/22106 ASAP if you want some of these fabulous finds, cause they are selling like hotcakes.  Kind of like the pancakes Hopi served us from her tent in a rainstorm, but that's another story.  Good luck Hopi!

Happy May!

I can no longer say "Happy May Day" obviously, so a "Belated Happy May Day" to you all!  We had the best time strolling the streets of our little town with Master Luke's school, wishing people a good day and enjoying the sunshine.  Such a nice tradition!  Then the preschoolers joined the upper grades for songs and flowers in the beautiful park.  The simplest traditions are the best aren't they?  Just glad that I was there to help get flowers and join in on the fun.  Missed the "Sköna Maj" song though this year.  See this video if you'd like to hear it. The CD that my mother gave me didn't work so I had to sing it to myself while working on my mead.  Yes, mead, you didn't hear wrong.  I learned that this is a Swedish tradition for Valborgsmassoafton (the last day of April, see my other post for more info) so I had to try it out for myself.  The ladies and I are indulging tomorrow at a party at my fab friend's house.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  In the meantime here's the link to the recipe,  http://www.knittedbliss.com/2011/08/recipe-swedish-mead.html, which I found in this great book. Thanks Knitted Bliss for typing and trying it out!  You made it look very enticing.