Birthday Treat

My day today:
7:15: Woken by the alarm. Peter says "Happy birthday! You're not going to work today, I have a whole day planned." (He had to repeat a few times before I believed him!)
8:30: Breakfast at Sheraton Hotel (using a voucher I had in the Christmas lottery at work)
10:15: The ultimate spa experience at the new spa at Grand Hotel (Raison d'être) including swim in the pool, steam sauna, so-called experience showers, and massage with hot wheat and bean bags (in addition to regular massage). I skipped the cold bath and the cold bucket shower in the picture though...
15:00: Light lunch and coffee followed by some dress shopping (we're going to a wedding party on Saturday and I wanted something new and found one!)
17:00: Back home after shopping for my little birthday party ("kalas") for friends and family on Saturday
Tonight: Dinner out but I don't know where yet!

Pretty good day! :)

Universal

So cool and amazing and unbelievable that I live somewhere in all of this...

First iPhone Post

Testing, testing. My dinner today: salad, crostini with pesto and a glass of white, probably followed by a cup of tea and dark chocolate later.

Show & Tell: Exercise

Sparkling's fourth theme is exercise. We had a similar theme, sports, last autumn, which I thought I'd link to for further information.

Sparkling has four questions for us:

Do you exercise regularly?
Ehum...not really. I'm really bad actually. I sort of do it in bouts and then I don't mean the ten-minute bouts of exercise followed by a two-minute break before doing another exercise bout. No, I manage to keep up going to the gym two or three times a week for a month or so and then I fall into a period of lazyness before going at it again.

Image from dynamicchiropractic.com

Have you done regular exercise or sports previously?
Yes, but a long time ago. Played football between the ages of 9 and 16, see my previous Show & Tell post, but otherwise... see previous question.

Image from Wikipedia

How important is exercise?
Very important, especially for one's health but also for one's self-esteem. Self-esteem comes from within but carrying around 20 kg extra doesn't help whilst losing 20 kg can be a huge boost.

I struggle getting the balance right. I don't want exercise to be something that interferes with my social life but if I don't plan and schedule exercise into my week, it doesn't happen. I don't want to have to say "no, can't meet you on Tuesday because that's when I go for my spinning class". I want to remain flexible. But maybe I will never get to the gym that way?

My new plan is to take walks in the mornings before work - Peter and I will walk together for about 45 minutes 2-3 mornings a week. I have a 15 minute walk to work as well but that's not that much even though it's obviously a positive thing. We will also re-start our weekend badminton routine again and I will keep my gym membership so that I can go there when I feel like it too.

Is there a form of exercise that you want to try?
I also want to try tennis, as I discovered last March when we were on holiday in the Canaries that I was pretty good at it. Thinking of joining a class once a week. Because we're having such good winter weather this year (snowing as we speak) I see lots of cross-country skiers out-and-about every day. I haven't had any skis since I was a young teenager but I'm seriously thinking of getting some now. Should do it before it's too late and the snow melts I suppose.

Do you think it is important with stylish clothes when you exercise?

Not really, it is more important with functional clothes. That said I just don't wear an old oversize T-shirt or shorts with holes in them.

Speaking of fashion and the body I read that one of the latest trends in Hollywood is to get a "boobfacial". I.e. giving your cleavage a spa treatment, for example a exfoliating peeling and a face mask. So that's my tip of the day; you don't want a wrinkly décolletage, do you?! ;)

Human Hot Water Bottles

If it had been April Fools today I wouldn't have believed this news item...

Apparently three Holiday Inn hotels in the UK are piloting human bedwarmers to warm up guests' beds. Those afraid of germs don't need to worry; the bedwarmers will be dressed in special garments. The bedwarmer will stay until the bed has reached a comfortable temperature of 20 degrees Celcius.

When Dagens nyheter asked what their readers thought of this innovative approach to drafty and bad insulated English buildings, 92% replied "no, thanks" while 8% said "yes, sounds cosy".

How would you vote?! Personally I always try to bring Peter on my business trips if I can :)

If Ikea Bought Saab...

Borrowed from Emma. (Though I think it's a Golf in the picture..?)

Mobile Health

Speaking of mobile phones and information technology, I'm participating in a study on the possible effects of long term mobile phone use. The study, COSMOS, which will follow the health of 50,000 mobile phone users in Sweden over a ten-year period (and equivalent numbers in the UK, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark), is supported by the World Health Organisation and carried out by the Karolinska Institute.

Not so proud of my Alma Mater today...

Oxford has apparently blocked Spotify because it is a music streaming services and it uses peer-to-peer technology. And it's not educational either. I wonder how long they will be able to stick to that decision...

New iToy!

Image from pickids.net

My iPhone arrived today, ten days before I thought it was supposed to come, and I'm about to get to play with it soon, as soon as I have emptied my old phone and copied contacts, etc. Yippi ki-yay! And since I probably won't get around to doing any Show & Tell fruit post I thought I illustrate today's event with the above photo :)

Greetings from New York!

...from one of my previous visits to the Big Apple! I'm playing with our new toy the scanner and digitalising my life pre-21st century. In addition to hundreds and hundreds of photos I also seem to have collected a substantial selection of postcards and newspaper clippings. Of the postcards I found these were my favourites. I think I bought them on one of my first visits to NYC in 1995.

Show & Tell: New Year's Eve

I'm still behind on Show & Tell posts but I thought I'd get something right and post a Show & Tell contribution on the correct day even though it's not today's topic (more on my dream room later)...

Sparkling, this month's host, asks us: how do you celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of a new one? Do you have any particular traditions? Do you make New Year resolutions? What are your hopes and wishes for 2010?

Before I show you some pictures from our New Year's Eve party I thought I'd answer these in turn. I think I've been at a dinner or a party with friends most New Year's Eves, since I was a teenager at least. Sometimes at my place but more often somewhere else. I have celebrated away from Sweden at least three times: 1995 in the US and New York* with aupair friends; 2001 in D.C. with my then-boyfriend and his friends; and last year, 2008, with Peter, his family and 20 or so of their friends in Paris**. When I lived in London and Brussels I went home for Christmas every year and always stayed over New Year's (if I remember correctly). Next year we may celebrate in Helsinki with the same bunch of people that went to Paris, if so that's another one to the New Year's abroad list.

Traditions? None, really, except that I have mostly celebrated with friends while Christmas (obviously) is more of a family event. I like fireworks - missed them in the US - but I'm satisfied with looking at other people wasting their money up in the sky :) This year I didn't see that many though as we just stayed in the flat and there were both buildings and clouds in the way.

I have hardly ever made a resolution, not a serious one at least. When I was little I would say things like "I will eat less sweets" or "I will work out more" (I say that now too) but I would never set myself a proper challenge or task and I still haven't. Except perhaps reading a specific number of books.

My hopes and wishes for 2010 are private and personal but it ranges around the usual stuff of love and happiness and a hope that all my loved ones will stay healthy*** and happy.

And now to our Old Year's Night party that we decided to throw this year (well, technically last year). About ten days before nyårsafton we still didn't have any plans****. So we sent out some invitations, expecting 10-15 accepts, maximum. We ended up being 25 with a further 5 people arriving after midnight (though 6 people left at the same time)! And as most of you already know, the last people left at 06:10 on January 1 so I think it's safe to say it was a successful party!

I won't be showing all photos here to protect our "customers" (those of you who are friends with me on Facebook can look there) but here is a selection to give you a flavour.

Ready for the guests to arrive. We think there are so few occasions for formalwear so we decided to set a dresscode, however we didn't ask anyone wearing jeans to turn away at the door ;)

We didn't fancy cooking food for 25+ people so we asked everyone to bring something. Note to self for next time: ask people to bring cold dishes, especially when there is only one oven... Also, don't ask any Italian guests to bring hors d'ouvres as they have a tendency to be late :)


Ghost of New Years past?


Some of us braved the cold and had our champagne on the balcony whilst the others (most people) stayed inside

Tomten kept to his corner, sipping a drink and getting a head massage

There was dancing, both freestyle...

...and classic pardans (couple dancing??)

As there wasn't much of fireworks going 'round we had to make our own sparkles

Around 5:30 in the morning...

...and the next day...

* We missed the ball drop though because we were busy partying in a hotel room in Tribeca and by the time we left (10pm'ish) there were simply too many people also going to Times Square. But we had fun anyway, despite not getting into the club we wanted to go to (as we were all underage by the American definition).

** Which I now realise I never blogged about!

*** And I hope 2010 is the year when my friend Maria finally gets well from her long illness!

**** Some of our friends are not very good at organising things, even if it's just a small gathering and some drinks... So we had hoped someone else would organise something but when that wasn't happening we had to take matters into our own hands!

Political Flute

This evening I attended an Almedalen political week type event. Once a month until the general election in September, Politikerbloggen, in cooperation with TV4, will interview a party leader in an informal format (a stand-up comedian warmed up the audience). It airs only on the web but there was a lot of other media present who will undoubtably broadcast or write about in some way. Up tonight was Christian Democrat Göran Hägglund, who I would never vote for but who is always fun to listen to, as he's quite the comedian himself.

If you're wondering why he's holding a flute it's because the hosts wanted him to demonstrate why (or how) he had the highest mark in music when he was in secondary school. I can reveal that he managed to get at least one tone out of it! :)

Pimp Your Ikea!

This post are for you Swedish expats and other Ikea fans out there! Check out Ikea hacker!

WANTED: your Ikea hacks. whatever they may
be - a funked up Klippan sofa, an ingenious idea for your Pax wardrobe, a
creative twist on your kitchen countertop, or even advice on how to finally stop
Forby stools from wobbling, I'd love to see your ikea hacks.

Christmas 2009: Part Two

After Christmas, in the so-called mellandagarna ("in-between days"), Peter and I went out to the country house for a few days (located roughly here if anyone is interested).

With all the snow we've been having since mid-December I just had to make a snow lantern to greet the arrival of our dinner and overnight guests. I hadn't built one for YEARS!

It took a while to heat up the house (though the radiators are always on 10'C when no one is there) but with two fireplaces, one in the lounge and another one (this one) in the kitchen, we didn't have to worry about being cold.


Our guests, dear friends Maria and Daniel

For dessert we had the 80s classic oven-baked pear with After Eight :)

The next day we took a walk in winter wonderland

Peter showed the nudist part of the beach...

...before he and Daniel checked the ice (it wasn't really ready yet).

Back at the house we discovered mice under the sink in the kitchen. We caught one and released into cold freedom.

Next day our guests have left and Peter and I take a morning walk

Remnants of (Mid)summer

Show & Tell: Christmas 2009

I'm a bit behind on Show & Tell... Here comes the first of three thematic posts. The first is on the last of Nilla's December themes; Christmas 2009.

Countdown...

Secret Santa, aka Lala i Umeå, sent me this nice Christmas gift - tea and a muffins baking kit. Thanks (a bit belatedly)!!


I made some homemade pickled herring, a first for me! I have always thought it was difficult but it wasn't at all! I will definitely pickle again for Easter or Midsummer!


Herring pre-pickle


I tried two kinds of orange and cinnamon /or/ ginger pickle recipes


This is the first year we have our own Christmas tree

Christmas Eve

The tree at my parents' house and this year's collection of presents

Lots of them!

Peter arrived from lunch at his parents in time for presents. I was "tomte" and passed on the presents from their slightly hidden place under the tree and behind the sofa, usually to Dad first who then passed it on to the right recipient (I'm a lazy Santa...)


Belgian beer goes well with Christmas presents; Dad, Granddad and Peter drank most it though while the rest of us had julmust


Peter was very happy for one of his Christmas presents, maybe it was Guitar Hero 5 for Wii, my present to him (in addition to tickets to Raw Comedy), or the Martini glasses from my parents


Time to eat! From left: Peter, my grandfather, by brother, my mum and my dad


"My" herring



Christmas Day

The birds were also fed


Lunch on Christmas Day - still at my parents. In the evening we had dinner at Peter's parents' apartment together with his sister, her fiance, their uncle and two cousins, but the pictures didn't turn out :(