WINTER CRUISING

  Things wound up so, that last weekend I ended up on a cruise ship alone, without company. I never get to go anywhere alone, so I was exhilarated!

The boat was new, and I´d never been on it before. Taking short cruises is something I like to do pretty much every winter, as a mini holiday outside of the summer cabin season (at the moment the ice is not yet thick enough to walk on, and we´re waiting to get to the cabin).

The weather was not at it´s prettiest, but I didn´t care, I got to stay inside in the warm the whole time!

A time for relaxation. I partied up until very late, slept long, had an abundant breakfast, took a nap, watched tv, shopped, and ate again. Plus enjoyed live music by various artists throughout the cruise. How cool!

  Then I returned home refreshed, ready to do laundry and cooking again... =)
  I value it highly to take a break from the usual in regular basis, to prevent life from becoming boring. That´s a feature I wish to maintain until and throughout my old days too. Life should never feel boring. If it does, it´s time to conjure up something new and exciting!

SINGLE WEEKEND

  Last weekend I got to enjoy the company of just me, myself, and I. The rest of my family went to visit granny, and I was able to stay home alone! What a luxury for a stay-at-home-mom, who´s never alone, always putting others´ needs before hers.

  Time flew by, and I was more busy than ever, still not finishing everything I was hoping to get done. But most of all I wanted to do things I usually don´t get to, in peace at least.
  I started the days with an extra long session of jumping on my mini-trampoline. I did an hour both mornings, when I usually do half an hour.

Then I enjoyed a tranquil brunch, the whole house all still and silent.

A brunch of delicious fruits with rice cakes and green tea.

   Then It was time to go shopping! Especially bras and jeans, because those are the most horrific ones to try on with kids along! I did find a nice bra, but jeans always fail me. So no jeans this time either. But a whole lot of other things, including beauty care products from Avéne (no financial interest here, I just love their products), makeup, and some fabric for my upcoming projects.

On Sunday, when I´d finished with all the shopping, I wanted to do something cultural. I found this little exhibition of hand-crafted dolls I found interesting.

The dolls were about a foot tall and looked so sympathetic! Here´s their version of Hugo Simberg´s Wounded Angel.

Fish market in the 1800´s.

This couple reminded me much of myself and my daughter. =)

This display is of the independence ball thrown by the president annually.

The best part about the party was the food!

    By now I was getting a little hungry myself, and hit a raw-food cafe. The very first I ever try, and the only one I knew was open on Sundays. What a disappointment! They had nuts and seeds in all of their cakes and desserts and their salads were quite ordinary so I didn´t want them either. What I was left with was smoothies, but it turned out they used hemp powder, chia seeds, and almonds in every one of them too. Well, I chose a cherry-chocolate smoothie without the almonds, but I can´t say much about it without complaining, so I´ll just say I could have done a much better job. That´s pretty much the way I feel about almost everything I´ve ever had eating out, so I don´t do that a lot. Good old traditional pizza is the only thing better in a restaurant than at home. I rarely bother with anything else these days, and pizza is so unhealthy that I do that very rarely over all.

In the evenings I watched movies over a tray of healthy munchies. First I saw "Thanks for Sharing", which I found was okay, and it´s cool that they make movies about sensitive issues, tabus even. But for someone like me, who watches only a handful of movies whole in a year, I would have preferred something more entertaining. So on Saturday evening I watched "Noah". An impressive but rather dark tale. But golly was it a great change to our daily Spongebob Squarepants!

  It is liberating to be alone every now and then. Being able to do what I want, when I want, without taking into consideration anyone else. Sounds selfish, and maybe I am, but darn did it feel good!!!

THE LONG EXPECTED DAY

  What a great first day of Christmas we had!

It actually begun yesterday by getting a nice spruce out of the forest. It´s a great tradition we have had since childhood, and continue now with our own kids. The natural trees are far from perfect, which only adds to the excitement! This is the one we chose.

Year by year I have cut down on decorations, and enjoy the tree itself more and more.

It snowed all day long.

And we took all the fun out of it!

My son doing a front flip into a pile of soft snow!

We also had time to play games inside together.

Heating up our old traditional log house sauna, which was built after the WW2. Sauna is an essential part of our Christmas tradition. When I was a kid I would go roll in the snow, but no more baby! =)

In the evening we had a Yule feast, and Santa came to bring gifts to us all, and we watched a bit of Hobbit 2 (a good reminder before hitting the movies to see the final part).

  By midnight we were all ready to hit the bunk. What a great day, and the party continues tomorrow!

P.S. The parkour outfit I made for my boy was a hit! He wanted to wear it immediately, and even wanted to sleep in it! That makes me so happy!

DARKENING NIGHTS

  It is always an inevitable sign of fall approaching, when nights begin to darken. Summer nights are unbelievably light here in Finland, as the sun sets only for a couple of hours (or not at all further North) leaving the sky beautifully lit. But now darkness is creeping slowly back in.

In a way it feels calming, after a hectic and super energetic summer.

And it feels cozy to use light bulbs and candles again.

My zen.

As a bonus the solar lights I installed two months ago in our summer home´s brand new outhouse come in use, finally.

  I count these murk nights as the first sign of autumn.

LUXURIOUS DAY

  Being alone is the best luxury for me these days. I´m a mother of two- and a nine-year-olds and happily married to the man of my life. They are the most important things to me. But right after them comes me, myself, and I. I love myself too. And I need time to myself too. Luckily my family lets me have it whenever possible. When mommy is happy, the whole family is happier too. It is not selfishness, it is a fact. Mommies need to take care of themselves too.

  Recently I was able to enjoy one of those important moments of solitude. Three full days in fact. Naturally I headed to our summer cabin to enjoy summer. On one of those days I decided to head to the nearby town, where I used to live as a child and a teenager, to refresh memories and check out the little boutiques there.

I started the warm summer day out by having a relaxed breakfast on the pier. 

I could start daydreaming watching these beautiful clouds on the horizon.

After a short ride, first on our boat and then by my car, I landed Rauma, a town I used to live in and have not visited for nearly three years. This view is from the old part of town, and in this particular picture the 19th century atmosphere is exceptionally well presented because there are no cars, traffic signs, people, or anything reminding of the present modern day.

A fun piece of art in the canal flowing through the town. I´m glad I have not encountered anything like that while swimming in the sea. I did get scared twice this day. First there was a bee crawling up my back inside my grey summer dress, but miraculously I was able to slip out of it without getting stung by the bee! And second, I almost stepped on a viper at boat harbor. There are snakes on our little island too, but so far every one I have seen was a non-venomous grass snake.

Next it was time to hit my ever favorite second hand store by the Red Cross. They operate solely on voluntary workers and sell stuff people have donated. The prices are ridiculously low. The store has been there forever, and I remember shopping here already in my teens. I must admit the stuff back then was older, nicer and more retro. I guess the selection just reveals that the lifespan of goods is much shorter now than in the nineties.

Would this look okay with jeans? Why not, it´s only 50 cents, and all I have to do back home is to take it in on the back a bit. Worth a try.

By now I was hungry. I heard that an old classmate of mine, whom I have not seen or been in contact with since 1989, had opened a cafeteria a few years back. So naturally I headed there to support her business by getting me a sinfully buttery and sugary pastry. After all that walking and shopping, I definitely needed these calories, right? =) I so rarely go out to eat, that this definitely was luxurious! And by chance I even saw a glimpse of that old classmate of mine! She had not changed too much since we were... um... eleven, twelve.  =) I have, but naturally only for the better!

Back at the summer house. It was so hot that I just had to jump into the sea right away to cool down. While in the water, this flock of wild geese flew by close to me. I could hear their wings swish and all. It was so cool, and I felt somewhat in tune with nature. Awesome.

After skinny-dipping in the sea I dried off in the late afternoon sun. I only dare to do this when the neighbors aren´t there. =)

In the evening I saw the most adoring sight: a pair of horned grebes feeding their young together (darn my snapshot camera, I could not get a closer picture). That made me miss my own kids...

  When my family came to join me in the cabin, I was fully charged and happy to meet and greet them again. What a difference it makes to occasionally just be left alone for a moment! That´s a big problem in our Western culture. Evening out the hectic times and the lonely times of life. When we are young, we are too busy to do anything. And when we are old, we have too much time and nothing to do. Peace of mind comes from balancing these two, or recognizing the deal and trying to balance it the best we can anyway. Easier said than done, I know.

DISCONNECTED

  I have just returned from an eleven-day retreat to our summer home. I staid, while the rest of my family came and went as they pleased. No computer, no internet, virtually no cell phone, and only three tv channels. I deliberately took no books or magazines, or any pass-time with me, so I could concentrate on summer, nature, and being lazy!
  While all alone there, I came to the point where I actually had hard time figuring out what to do after soaking my toes in the water. Should I lay in the hammock or have a drink? Tough.

The number one reason for going to our summer cabin is relaxing. Being able to do different things than at home, or not doing anything at all! I always enjoy sunshine. It charges me up and gives me positive mental energy. Recently there has been a lot of it, thank goodness!

The weather overall is an important factor when deciding whether to head to the cabin or not. Especially when the kids are along (which is almost always), only occasional showers are allowed. Lately it has been so sunny, warm, and nice that the only time spent indoors is when sleeping. All meals from breakfast to supper are enjoyed outside.

The cabin itself is rather small and needs renovating. Originally built in 1968, this little cutie has served three generations before us, and now awaits for our gentle care and remodeling (quite severe plans have risen in our heads so far). My husband is a carpenter, so only our imagination (and the county´s regulations on the size of the cabin) sets the limit to what we can do.

Nature and the sea is the reason we bought this place. Being on a small island, surrounded by the sea, right off the coast creates a magical atmosphere. It´s like no harm can touch us while out there. Like we´ve entered a sub-universe, only available to us. A safe haven.

One day, when I had the privilege of staying there alone, I decided to go rowing our smaller boat. This is initially meant for my husband and son´s use for fishing, but there has been so little fish around the past two years, that the boat does not smell fishy at all. I hate the smell of fish...

The waters around here are difficult to navigate in. This is what it looks like under the surface too. Big rocks everywhere. I have yet no desire to learn boating any more. I´m happy to get to the cabin and back, and row a little occasionally. But I do dream of a kayak!

This pretty little decorative lighthouse stands in our neighbor´s property.

Seagulls are so pretty when in their natural habitat! (And so disgusting in cities and dumpyards. But I do recognize it´s our own fault they go there, after a free meal.)

And then it´s time to enjoy the sun again, doing nothing.  =)

On a hot day it is essential to hydrate oneself properly! This drink only consists of grapefruit soda and lime wedges, but would well take in a splash of gin too.

Every perfect summer day ends with a gorgeous sunset.

  I´m totally loving this summer!!!

NIGHT LIGHT

 I simply need to share this tip with anyone who has/will have an energetic toddler in the house. A night light can help your little one to sleep better!

  My daughter climbed out of her crib some weeks ago. Yep, over the edges like a Tarzan. So that marked the end of her crib time, and now she sleeps in a "big" girl´s bed. That in turn means she can come and go as she pleases, in and out of her new nest (a phase I was not looking forward to very eagerly...  =).

  It was time to dig up the old night light I had bought for our son many years ago, when he was in this stage. What I did now was set a timer in the power outlet for the light, so that it switches the lamp on at around 9.30pm and off at 8.00am. Then I explained to my daughter (who recently turned two) that when the light is on, it means it is night time and we all need to sleep (especially mommy...). And that she is not to come to mommy and daddy´s bedroom in the morning until the light has switched off.
  This worked well with our son, and looks like it will work with our daughter now too. We have been learning to sleep according to the night light for a couple of weeks now. Looks promising.

  We live far up in the North, where summer nights are light. Soon there will be no darkness at all, and it would impossible for a two-year-old to tell time without a clock. But now she has a "clock" and will know!

  The result of our night light is that the whole family can sleep better and thus be happier. Ingenuous!

PRINCESS WEEKEND

  Last weekend I, with my sister and mother, celebrated the princess within us. We took a trip to a wonderland called Frantsila, where we intentionally only relaxed and enjoyed ourselves being lazy.

The main entrance. The buildings are old, oozing the atmosphere of their time. It feels like entering another realm.   The weather was not on our side, but it happens.

Frantsila grows organic herbs and makes heavenly skin- and healt care products based on them. Now their fields are resting, gathering strength for the upcoming summer.

There is a magical pathway criss-crossing around, in and out of the fields and surrounding forests.They call it the "herb route". No herbs visible in February, but I can only imagine what it is like in the summer!

But back to the main thing... These houses accommodate guests from all around the world, all year round.

The sauna. Freely accessible, as were all their marvelous beauty products from foot baths to boob lotions to detox extracts, and everything in between.

More guest rooms in this old lodge.

You can study many forms of alternative medicine and practices here. This room also provides an excellent space for morning yoga classes (which I must admit, I was too tired to attend after watching tv for too long in the evening. Pathetic...? Perhaps, but I figured this princess can do anything she wants to and does not have to get up so early in the morning  =).

Their cute little herb store. I felt like I wanted to buy 80% of the stuff there, but settled for a cook book and a balancing mixture of essential oils to be used with my aromatherapy earrings of course. Speaking of which, will be available in this shoppe in a few days (as soon as I can get the lot ready and shipped). How cool is that? Smart people run the place!

Food was one of the most important reasons we chose this place. Everything is vegetarian, with little or no dairy, and organic and local (if not self-grown) for the most part. And everything is made here in Frantsila kitchen. As a vegetarian/vegan I was in heaven! For once I could taste and chow down everything displayed. A-w-e-s-o-m-e!

The dining room is a cozy nook, where you can eat in peace surrounded by antique furniture and the friendliest atmosphere. The staff makes you feel genuinely welcome and special.

Adorable dried roses, lavender, and other herbs were hung from the dining room ceiling reminded us of last summer. How different this place must be in the summer, with flowers popping up everywhere, attracting butterflies!

  Everyone in our company enjoyed pampering remedies like shiatsu, massage, yoga, or aromatherapy.
  The initial idea was to let loose and childishly have fun playing princess just for one weekend. You know, not having to work, cook, clean or be one bit serious, and to be served and pampered. Frantsila sure delivered! Thank you.
 What a weekend!