Summer in full swing

Camping in Maine was amazing.  It feels like summer is in full swing now, too bad school is right around the proverbial corner.  This is usually the time of year when I start looking through the ads for a Swedish summer house, just for fun, but I do love my real estate browsing.  Once we have seen this link, you will want to start too! fancy Swedish summer houses for sale  This one is my favorite, it's in Simrishamn, a little village on the coast, and it costs "only" 11,500,000 krones or ($1,674,613)!

Another thing I like this time of year is Formex in Stockholm.  I have only been once with a friend but I'd love to go back sometime.  This is where buyers from all over converge on Stockholm's main exhibit hall to see the wares, and ideas, of talented Scandinavian designers. It opens today, of course I love this photo from the young designers on the site.  Check out formex.se  More info here, formex 2014

Here's one from one of the booths -

Formex - the largest interior design fair for Nordic design. The fair is a meeting place for 850 exhibitors, 25,000 national and international visitors and over 800 media representatives. Formex is a trade fair that is open for anyone who is active in the following areas: gifts, home textiles and furnishings.

Finally to round out the summary feelings - a Swedish song that lives on and on and on.  Nostalgia in a bikini. A good thing?  You decide.  Take a look at the next post (Sommar, sommar, sommar) to get a listen and a look of Sweden in days past.  At least the dunes look the same!  Happy summer.

Sommar, sommar, sommar! Nostalgia in a bikini

Camping vs Glamping

Hello cyberspace friends!  We are going camping, the least technical of all activities, and yet you need sooooo much stuff!  Here's a "little" list I found on line at LoveTheOutdoors.com.  See way below. OK, so where do we start?  Luckily HH and I are not hard-core campers.  For one we've only been away for a weekend max.  Secondly we always camp near civilization where a nice warm breakfast can be found.  And finally, this time, we even have a back-up plan if it rains! Wimpy, perhaps, but if the idea is to relax and enjoy I guess I'd rather go low key than full on camping.  Glamping even.  That could be right up my alley. ;-) Like this lovely shot...

from Colin Cowie weddings

Where you actually might need this handy little supply list could be hiking in Sweden's Arctic Circle, for example Kebnekaise, the mountain range which is 103 miles north of the Arctic Circle.  Mt. Kebne is close to 7,000 feet tall. Here's a view from the top tackled by Oliver Gee of The Local.  More on the 13 hour trek to Swedens-highest-peak.  Have a great weekend!

Check out more camping tips and advice at LoveTheOutdoors.com!

Shelter

__Tent
__Ground cloth/tarp
__Extra stakes
__Shade tarp/poles/rope/stakes
__Axe or hammer
__Mat for tent entrance
__Dust pan/brush

Bedding

__Sleeping bag
__Sheets/blankets
__Pillow
__Air mattress/sleeping pad/cot/tarp
__Air pump
__Repair kit for air mattress
__Utility bags for storage

Cooking

__Large water jug & water bucket
__Coolers/ice
__Thermos
__Stove with fuel/propane
__Matches/lighter
__Charcoal/firewood/buddy burner
__Dutch oven/tin can stove/box oven/etc
__Campfire grill/BBQ grill
__Fire starters/newspaper
__Tablecloth/thumb tacks/clips
__Plates & bowls/paper plates & bowls
__Silverware/plastic silverware
__Measuring cups
__Heavy-duty aluminum foil
__Paper towels
__Trash bags
__Dish soap
__Clothes pins
__Cooking oil/Pam spray
__Containers for food storage
__Potholders/oven mitts
__Pots and frying pans with lids
__Soap for outside of pots and pans
__Cook utensils-spatula, knife, spoon
__Tongs
__Skewers/grill forks
__Can opener/bottle opener
__Folding table
__Dutch oven
__Pie irons
__Mugs/paper cups
__Mixing bowl
__Cutting board
__Ziplock bags
__Napkins
__Dish pan
__Dish rags/towels
__Scrub pad/brillo
__Seasonings/sugar/condiments
__Potato peeler

Clothes

__Shoes/boots
__Jeans/pant/belt
__Shorts
__T-shirts
__Socks/extra socks
__Hat
__Bandana
__Sweatshirt/jacket
__Underwear
__Sleep clothes
__Rain gear
__Swim suit/towel
__Laundry bag

Personal

__Shower shoes/flip flops
__Towels/washcloth
__Soap in plastic case/shampoo
__Tooth brush/tooth paste
__Deodorant
__Comb/brush
__Razor
__Feminine products
__Toilet paper
__Shower bag or 5 gallon bucket
__Camping shower/shower pump
__Other personal items
__Personal medications – take extra

Miscellaneous

__Sunscreen/chapstick
__Lantern with fuel/mantles
__Extra batteries/bulbs
__Compass
__Bug repellant/candles
__Whistle
__Water filters/purification/treatment
__Camera/battery/film/
__Books/magazines
__Candles
__Maps/directions
__Misc. tools
__Backpack/fanny pack
__Fishing gear/license/bait
__Radio
__Musical instruments/song books
__Camp chairs
__Sunglasses
__Hammock
__First aid kit
__Tissues
__Saw/axe
__Park map/guidebooks/trail maps
__Lantern pole or hanger
__Collapsible drying rack
__Popcorn
__Marshmallows, Graham crackers, Hershey bars (Smores)
__Flashlight/batteries
__Pocket knife
__Plastic grocery bags
__Binoculars
__Rope/clothes line
__Canteen/water bottle/coffee pot
__Bungi cords/straps
__Cards/games/toys
__Duct tape/electrical tape
__Notepad/pen
__Reservations info./confirmation
__Cell phone/charger & 2-way radios/walkie talkies
__Small shovel
__Safety pins
__Money/ID/credit card/quarters
__Bikes/helmets
__Travel alarm clock
__Work gloves
__Umbrella
__Hand wipes
__Drinks/snacks
__Small sewing kit
__Fire extinguisher
__Hot chocolate/tea bags/coffee
__Scissors
__Watch
Tell someone of your plans – give details of where you are going and when you expect to return, give directions and possible alternative roads that you may take, provide cell phone numbers, vehicle description and license plate numbers, hand-held radio channel and codes that you will use, and provide local authority phone numbers (State Police, Game & Fish Commission, Sheriff Dept, etc.) for the county or area that you will be in.

Basic First Aid Kit

__Personal medications
__Roll bandages
__Adhesive tape
__Antiseptic wipes
__Sterile gauze pads
__Cotton swabs
__Tweezers
__Safety pins
__Scissors
__Bee sting kit
__Sinus medications
__Tissues
__Bug repellant
__Sunscreen
__Notepad/pen
__Sterile compresses
__Splinting materials
__Personal information/contact person
__Feminine products
__Ipecac
__Razor blades
__Plastic bags
__Small bottle of water
__Blanket
__Other personal needs
__Small mirror
__Triangular bandages
__Misc. Band Aides/bandages
__Anti-acids (Tums, Rolaides)
__Antibiotic cream
__Aspirin/Ibuprofen/Tylenol/Naproxin
__Hydrogen Peroxide
__Ace bandages
__Sunburn lotion
__Burn ointment
__Snake bit kit
__Eye drops
__Poison ivy cream/cleansers
__Heat/cold packs
__Small flashlight
__Latex gloves
__Antibacterial soap
__Thermometer
__Coins for emergency phone calls
__Antibiotic soap
__Butterfly bandages
__Twine
__Mole skin for blisters
__Road flares
__First aid manual
__Nail clippers

Additional First Aid Tips

• Take a First Aid class and a CPR class – keep current on this information
• Keep supplies in a well marked, durable, waterproof container
• Keep the contents organized
• Know how to use everything in your first aid kit
• Inspect content often, re-supply as needed
• Keep readily available at all times

Dala horse

From Hildas hem

Time to talk about the most iconic of Swedish items - the "Dalahäst" - or Dala horse, or even the Dalecarian horse according to Wikipedia (Dalecarlian horse).  Everyone with a Swedish background has one of these standing around, or several, from the old country.  Here's a picture of a big brute in Mora, Dalarna that I copied from the blog Hildashem.se, but most the horses are much smaller, just big enough to place on a window sill or a shelf.  The horses are more than a simple wooden statue, they are a symbol of home.  I guess that's why they are so beloved by Swedes.  Here's one being made:

The style of the painting is "kurbits" which you can read more about here

I just love my horses, two oranges ones, that follow me from house to house.  Here's one of my little guys next to a bunch of Swedish things I made or gathered over the years.  Check out the plate too!

I learned in Wikipedia that the earliest references to the wooden horses are from 1623 when they were made by woodcutters in the province of Dalarna near Mora.  They made toys for their children, mostly horses, sometimes pigs or roosters and they were later painted in the kurbits style with a saddle and harness. It was a cold, severe winter and as King Charles XII of Sweden waged war throughout most of Europe many soldiers were quartered in private homes around that area.  When success of his bartering toys for food reached the other soldiers ears they started too.  Now this has become a major industry of Mora and Nusnäs in Dalarna where over 250,000 horses are made annually.

Someday I plan to go there, but in the meantime a little on-line shopping never hurt anyone.  Here's one shop where you can buy a Dala horse of your own: http://www.designsofsweden.com/shop-by-category-all-things-dala-horse.html

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!