Lately on Insta...

I thought I'd get back into the routine of blogging again by recapping what we have done lately with the help of Instagram (as many other bloggers do). So here's what we've been up to:

1. Visit by my aunt and uncle, Bicke and Anders - lego building with Harald. 2. Overnight trip to Luxembourg with Anders and Bicke - ferris wheel at one of the Christmas market in Luxembourg City. 3. Carousel, mulled wine and walking through the old parts of Luxembourg City. 4. Vianden Castle in the north of Luxembourg, near the German border. 

5. Time for this year's Secret Santa/julklappsbyte! 6. First advent calendar with little presents ("paketkalender") for the kids. 7. Beautiful Christmas lights in Stockholm on one of my 5 (!) business trips to Sweden during October-December. 8. First "lussekatt" (saffron bun) of the season on my latest Stockholm trip this week.

Secret Santa / Julklappsbyte 2015!

På svenska längre ner

It's time for the annual* Christmas Gift Exchange! It's a fun Christmas gift swap, often with people from many different parts of the world.

So how does it work?!

All participants will send and receive a Christmas gift!

Email me at komheden (at) hotmail . com by 6 December and provide your name, address, blog url or Instagram (not necessary for participation), three things on your wish list / things you like and three things that is not your cup of tea.

I will send you an email with a name and address of a person as well as the information about what s/he wishes / likes and don't like. You will then send a wrapped gift worth a maximum 100 SEK (10 euros) and a Christmas card to your designated person by 15 December.

Spread the word! The more the merrier!


*************************************************************************

Det är dags för det årliga julklappsbytet! Det är en rolig julklappsutväxling, ofta med folk från många olika delar av världen (av vilka majoriteten är svenskar pga en blogg- och Instagramgemenskap med svenskar som bor utomlands).

Så hur fungerar det?!

Alla deltagare kommer ge och få en julklapp!

Mejla mig på komheden (at) hotmail . com senaste den 6 december och ange din adress, eventuell bloggadress eller Instagramnamn (ej nödvändigt för att delta), tre saker du önskar / gillar och tre saker som inte är du.

Du kommer sedan få tillbaka ett mejl med en adress till en person samt information om vad hen önskar sig / gillar och inte gillar. Du skickar sedan en inslagen julklapp värd max 100 SEK (10 euro) samt ett julkort till din utvalda person senast den 15 december.

Sprid ordet! Ju fler desto roligare!

Isolde on the lap of Saint Nicholas (two years ago) who is celebrated on 6 December in Belgium, among other countries

* Initiated and most often organised by Emma, and by me last year and again this year. 

Secret Santa / Julklappsbyte! NEW Deadline / Nytt sista datum!

På svenska längre ner

Emma has organised a Christmas gift exchange among bloggers and others for a few years in a row now but this year she's a bit swamped and I have promised to substitute for her!

So how does it work?

All participants will receive and give a Christmas gift to someone still unknown person!

Email me at komheden (at) hotmail.com by 8 December and provide your name, address, blog url (if you have one), three things on your wish list / you like and three things that is not your cup of tea.

I will send you an email with a name and address of a person as well as the information about what s/he wishes / likes / don't like. You will then send a wrapped gift worth maximum 100 SEK and Christmas card to your designated person by 15 December.

Spread the word!

*********************************************************
Emma har organiserat ett julklappsbyte bland bloggare och andra några år i rad nu men i år har hon lite fullt upp och jag har lovat att vikariera för henne!

Så hur fungerar det?

Alla deltagare kommer få och ge en julklapp till någon ännu okänd person!

Maila mig på komheden (at) hotmail.com senast  den 1 december och ange din adress, eventuell bloggadress, tre saker du önskar / gillar och tre saker som inte är du.

Du kommer sedan få tillbaka ett mail med en adress till en person samt information om vad hen önskar sig / gillar / inte gillar. Du skickar sedan en inslagen julklapp värd max 100 SEK samt ett julkort till din utvalda person senast den 10 december.

Sprid ordet!

December Last

Thursday is bullet point day and since I haven't done one for a while I thought I'd restart this Thursday theme today.  I haven't blogged about our two weeks in Sweden over the holidays yet, nor about the weeks leading up to Christmas.  It is perhaps a bit overdue and not in anyone's interest to read about Advent and Christmas now, but for my own record here are some pics from December.

• My mum visited in early December (that weekend I got stuck in Copenhagen Thursday to Friday) and she performed her grandmother duties very well and baked both ginger cookies and saffron buns with Isolde (and I helped a little too). 

 

I brought some of the saffrons bun to work for the Christmas drink and another colleague made very delicious salmon and caviar treats = the Swedish contribution

 

• I think I mentioned this in a previous Thursday post but without any photos, so here is one of perhaps the cosiest holidays/celebrations of them all, Saint Lucia.  In Sweden we very rarely every go to church, except for weddings, christenings and funerals, and the occasional Advent or Christmas service, but when living abroad the church becomes a very important meeting place, and something that provides a sense of community and contributes to continuity of Swedish customs and cultural habits, whether or not you are a faithful believer or not.  Peter has started going to the church's playgroups, mainly with Harald on Tuesdays but sometimes also on Wednesdays with both children.

Saint Lucia with the children's choir at the Swedish Church in Brussels

• I participated in Emma's Christmas Gift Exchange again this year, and this year my Secret Santa was Petchie!  I don't know if Emma planned it this way, since she knows we are neighbours here in Brussels, or if it was just a happy coincidence :)  And I sent my gift to Emma - and it wasn't that secret for natural reasons since she organises the draw.  Well, the gift was a secret but she knew it would be from me :)  I hope she liked her present (this reminds me that I have to double-check that she received it)!

Petchie-Santa brought me a note book and a range of different cards.  She had read my letter to Santa carefully!  (Sorry about the feet in the picture!)

• In Sweden the tradition is to decorate the Christmas tree on the 23rd of December, just the day before Christmas (Christmas Eve being the most important day of Christmas in Sweden), but since we knew we were not going to stay in Belgium over the holidays, we got a tree already the second week of December so we could get into the Christmas mood (the anticipation of Christmas is the best part after all). I'm quite minimalist in terms of Christmas ornaments (the opposite of Annika haha), and we didn't bring all our Christmas stuff to Belgium anyway (though Peter brought a few additional baubles for the tree when he went home that same weekend my mum was here) so in addition to the tree we only had a few other decorations, mainly made by Isolde at school.
  

  

  A bit funny-looking, at least the top part, but it was good enough for us.

 

I really like this little Russian doll nativity set!

 

We received a handful of Christmas cards.  I wish more people would send them, but on the other hand it is better for the environment if they don't I guess.  We still send a real card, with pictures of the children.

One of Isolde's creations.  Harald was rather fascinated by it, maybe because it was even bigger than him!

Another of Isolde's creations from school, a Saint Nicholas and a mushroom (I need to google why toadstools are typical Christmas ornaments, it can't be only because they are red and white??)

And the prettiest Christmas ornaments signed Isolde, though this one I think we can use throughout the year as it is more pink than red.

• We also tried to take some Christmas portraits of the children but it was a bit difficult... In the end we opted for a Christmas card with photos from throughout the year instead.

Take 1

Take 2

Another day

Christmas card 2013

Friday Gallery: Advent

Annika has taken over the hosting of the Friday Gallery for the month of December (and she's permanent hostess for the FG widget) and for our first task she's given us Advent. Easy one. This is what our home looks like since last weekend/first of advent:

Isolde helped out with the advent candles:

On First of Advent Isolde and I went to the Swedish church here in Brussels to get into the Christmas spirit: 

And of course I have to bring some "adventsmys" to the office as well:

And for those who have read the below post I'm happy to report that the ordeal was finally over just after 3pm today when I set foot at home again, 17 hours after planned arrival. The 10:35 flight this morning was of course delayed twice and it wasn't until 12:45 that we left Copenhagen. Next time I will definitely bring underwear and deodorant and a few other key items on day trips just in case. And by my next work trip I hope to have stopped breast-feeding, as towards the end of the delay my breasts were rather full and painful, after not having been "used" for over 36 hours. I don't nurse as much anymore but at least once every morning and twice at night, so still regular enough to keep milk production up. 

All is well that ends well, or however it goes. Peter made it to Stockholm as planned this morning and the kids had a great time with my mum. Isolde missed Saint Nicholas at school today but luckily she's too young to care, though apparently has little friends had missed her and even cried for her sake because she missed Santa (bless'em). 

Now I'm off to bed for some very needed sleep! 

Christmas Gift Swap!

It's finally time for the annual Christmas gift exchange!  Emma is our coordinator as usual.  Visit her blog for more details, but just in case you're not a Swedish speaker (and you certainly don't need to be Swedish to participate), here are the instructions in English:

All participants will receive and give a present to someone still unknown... Email [Emma] at rappapiraya@hotmail.com by 1 December and provide your address, blog url (if you have a blog - not required), tre things you like and three things that are not you.  You will then receive an email back with name and address to a person to whom you should send a wrapped present (new and not used - but I think regifting is fine) and a Christmas card.  You will be provided information about things that person wish for / like / don't like and you are free to send something you think will be appropriate!  The value should be around 100 SEK (10 euros) and you should try to post it by 7 December.

It's really fun both to pick out something for the recipient, also to wait for a package from your own Secret Santa!

Thursday Again??

• How is it already Thursday?!  Time is really flying and sometimes I feel like I only do half of what I want to get done.  On the other hand I'm not the kind of person who gets stressed.  It will all be fine in the end.  No use worrying.  That's my mantra.
• Isolde is well again except for a persistent cough, and has been at preschool all week, but Harald has been very miserable, poor thing.  He doesn't have any fever anymore, or very little, but his nose is still very clogged up and he coughs a lot, so he will probably need another few days to get well.  None of us have been sleeping very well since last weekend, and this week I have only slept 4-5 hours per night *yawn*.  Can't wait for the weekend to come so that I at least don't have to get up at 7am and go to work.  I have also started coughing a little bit, and my throat is a bit sore, but hopefully I won't get it bad, fingers crossed.
• Tomorrow we're hoping to meet up with one of my cousins who's in town on business, depending on his schedule.  We plan to have fika in the afternoon somewhere in town, and afterwards, when he has to head to the airport, we will go to the Swedish church's annual Christmas market.  Looking forward to it!  A bit of a start to the holiday season!
• Almost every day on my way to one of the lunch places I pass two beggars.  At least one of them is Roma, a woman who sometimes has her baby with her, and the other one is an old man, maybe also Roma?  I never give them any money, as I'd rather help in some other way through an organisation (or if I would give them something directly, perhaps some clothes or items for the baby), but I feel sorry for them and I feel bad every time I pass by without doing anything.  I really hope that the Belgian authorities could do more for them.  In Sweden they are not allowed to beg accompanied by their children; if so the authorities steps in and remove the children, which perhaps helps, at least the children and hopefully also the parents (but I'm not at all an expert on this issue). 
• I'm very disappointed in the level of recycling here in Belgium.  For some reason I thought it was one of the more advanced countries, and as all is relative perhaps they really are, but compared to Sweden they are well behind (and apparently Belgium didn't even have a functioning waste water system until the mid-2000s...).  In Sweden we can recycle most plastic (and in soft/light plastic bags and covering where my parents live) but here it is only plastic bottles or other drink containers.  So plastic boxes/hard packaging for minced meat for example is a no but I assume a schampoo bottle is a yes, even though it is not a drinkable fluid.  Also, there is so much packaging still in this country!  Toothpaste comes in a paper carton.  Same with a tube with tomato paste.  Teabags are always individually wrapped, and often in plastic, not paper.  All bisquits and cookies come with several layers of packaging (but we have noticed that it has benefits - the humidity in this country makes cookies go soft very quickly otherwise.  I could go on but I think you get the gist of it.  At least most paper and metal can be recycled.
• We are starting to plan our two weeks in Sweden at Christmas!  So far we have New Year's Eve planned, and a brunch with my group of girlfriends (childhood friends) and their families on the agenda, and an appointment with the Swedish children's health centre (BVC) booked (3-year-old check-up for Isolde and regular check-up for Harald).  I also need to book a hair salon appointment and I also want to use some gift vouchers at a beauty salon near our Stockholm flat.  Peter and I are also planning to have either set of grandparents babysit for a day so we can go to Raison d'Etre spa (at Grand hotel, best spa in town!) and to a restaurant for dinner.  We may also take Isolde for her 3-year-old dentist check-up (first ever dentist appointment!), but it could also wait until our next home visit in March or April.  And then there is Christmas and hanging out with family of course.  And see more friends.  Can't wait!
• But before then I'm looking forward to my dear friend H. visiting this weekend!  She's coming on Saturday and in the evening we're going out for dinner, something I haven't done since we moved here!  The rest of the weekend is not planned yet, but suffice to say it will contain eating and drinking, talking, seeing some other friends, maybe doing some shopping (I need to start my Christmas shopping soon).

Christmas 2012

Here are some pictures from Christmas, better late than never, right!

We started our Christmas celebrations at lunch with Peter's parents and one of Peter's godparents.  Isolde got to open her first Christmas present (from her grandparents, so they didn't need to carry a quite heavy package to Peter's sister where we'd be spending the evening), a old-fashioned race car that has been on her (or mine..?) wish list for a while.  

"Helping" dad put the car together was as much fun as driving it.

Christmas Eve(ning) was spent at Peter's sister A and husband M, who had invited us, Peter's parents, M's parents, M's brother with family, and M's brother's wife's mum and husband, for potluck (we were responsible for herring and shrimp as well as chocolate and toffee for coffee treats) dinner and pressies.  We were 12 adults and three children so the noise was quite high for a while - but somehow the kids slept through it once they had gone to bed.

There were so many presents, probably at least a third of them for the kids, so we put most of the kids' presents aside for the following day.



Santa stopped by of course!

Isolde didn't want to let cousin O. have daddy to herself.



Cousins with an ear fetish...

Snuggly slippers in one of the boxes!

Christmas Day we continued the festivities at my parents.

Morfar and Isolde had fun with the sled for a while.  The next day the weather got milder and the snow started melting so it was good that they took the chance on Christmas Day.

Godmother Maria and Daniel stopped by for glögg and saffron buns and gift exhange.

An attempt to take a nice mother-daughter photo in front of the Christmas tree...

Boxing Day we were back in Stockholm and Isolde played with some of her new toys before we went over to Peter's parents for turkey dinner with his uncle and cousin.

The new Pippi house is popular.

Attempt to get farfar with his two grandchildren to all pose at the same time...ehum...

2012 Christmas Present Exchange

In this year's Secret Santa that Emma organises every year I was treated to some Florida treats by Katrin aka Swede in Florida. I'm looking forward to devouring saltwater taffy and trying the orange coconut marmalade and especially the alligator beef jerky. Thanks Katrin!

I sent my gift to Cecilia in the UK. I was a bit late but I hope she has received it by now. She doesn't have a blog so can't check. I sent a necklace, a owl birthday card and sweets (must for Swedes abroad), according to her wish list :) No photo evidence though.

Can't wait for next year's Secret Santa!

God jul! Happy Christmas!

Status half-through Christmas Eve:

• Peter and I dozed in bed from 6 am onwards, when Isolde woke up, while she was watching telly and played, until we got up for breakfast just before 9 am.
• Late morning Peter visited his grandmother together with his father and sister while Isolde and I got ready.
• Around noon we walked over to Peter's parents for lunch with one of Peter's godfathers, an old tradition.
• Santa (aka the grandparents) brought Isolde her first Christmas gift, a cool steel ride.

• When we got back home we watched Kalle Anka while Isolde went down for a nap.
• Now I'm still on the sofa watching Home Alone while Peter is also resting.

And tonight we're off to Peter's sister A and husband M for dinner together with Peter's parents, M's parents, M's brother and wife P, and P's mum and husband.  And of course Isolde and little cousin O and O's cousin A.  15 people in total. 

Tomorrow we'll continue the festivities with considerably fewer people at my parents with my brother.  If we survive tonight ;)

Greetings to all of you!  Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

 

Our Christmas card delivery is stuck with UPS somewhere so I haven't been able to send them.  So in the meantime and in case they never arrive, here it is. 

 

Friday Gallery: Christmas Preparations

With 3 days to Christmas, Västmanländskan's third theme "julstök", meaning Christmas (messy) preparations, is a very appropriate theme, as all of us, I'm sure, are busy cooking and fixing and buying the last presents. I bought my last presents today (except for Peter but we have sort of agreed to go shopping together for each other so-to-speak after Christmas when we have more time and the sales have started) and tonight and Sunday we're preparing some food (mainly herring) and goodies. So far I don't have many, or any really, pictures of the julstök but here are some of earlier preparations as far as Christmas decorations are concerned.

Secret Santa is Back

Emma has launched this year's Secret Santa.  Visit her blog for more details (in Swedish) or send the following details to her email:

- Name and address
- Blog url (if you have a blog; not required)
- Three wishes / things you like
- Three things that are not you
- If you participated last year, include who you sent to and received from respectively so you don't get the same person again :)

Let Emma know by 25 November if you want to participate.  The gift has to be sent before 5 December and the value is around 100 SEK.

This will be the fourth year I participate.  Here's last year's account, 2010 and 2009.

Bring on Christmas season!

God fortsättning!*

I forgot to wish everybody a Merry Christmas here on the blog but maybe Boxing Day (where it's celebrated) is not too late to do it?!

Isolde is on the move now.  She stands without support and she has taken mini or semi-steps.  I wouldn't call them real steps but she's definitely almost there.  Will keep you posted!

* One of those expressions that is difficult to translate

Secret Santa

One of the highlights of the year, Emma's Christmas Present Exchange, just took place.  My gift travelled to Karin in Åland (hope she has received it?!) and I received a package that had travelled much further.  Thanks Annika!

"Who are these jolly people?"

"Mummy, let's open this one first!"

"I like the Christmas ornament - and especially the bell inside - but mum likes the cards the best.  And the iPhone gloves will come in handy when I want to play Peekaboo Barn while out in my pushchair."

Santa Peter

Peter made his first ever performance as Santa (tomte) for my cousins' children this Christmas (good practice for next year?). Unfortunately I couldn't experience it live, as me tagging along would have given his real identity away. But there's plenty of live and still footage and here's some (borrowed from my aunt and uncle's blog):

The children have reportedly said that it probably wasn't the real Santa. Erik (soon 5) said that it was probably a person dressing as Santa and Viktor (7) thought he recognised Santa's eyes but couldn't really say who they belonged to :)

The children - Ellen, Emelia, Erik, Gustaf and Viktor (and little Judith who is not in the picture)

Belly Dancer's First Book

Christmas present from Peter's cousin Alexandra and her husband (I had seen it in the shops but didn't buy it as I thought "this is something Sandra would buy"!):

"Picture book for a bit posher children"

Via Anna's iPhone