Sundays are usually a day when I like to wind down. To really take time for myself and make sure that I'm relaxed and ready for another week. Since it's currently hunting season, Andreas is out in the forest weekend mornings, which means I get my needed alone time. Even if my days aren't always packed and stressful, it can still be difficult to find the time to take care of yourself. That's why I like to at least once a week put on a face mask, sometimes I strive for two times a week. To make sure that my skin is doing okay, and prevent massive breakouts. Plus it's really soothing. This particular face mask is natural and moisturising. As always when I'm having a relaxed moment, I drink tea. My love for tea is great. To me tea stands for relaxation and being still. When I hold a cup of tea in my hands I know that I'll get to sit in peace for a while. Most of the times at least. That is one of the reasons I love tea and everything it represents.
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A thing that I've noticed and thought a lot about is that nowadays it seems like no one can handle silence. We're bombarded with music and screens everywhere we turn. And even when we're alone most of us turn on music or the TV.
I remember one weekend my husband was away, so I had to be home alone. It was one of the worst weekends I can remember. At the moment I wasn't in a good place. I had a bit of anxiety occasionally. And I remember being so afraid of being alone and getting anxiety that for the entire weekend I had Netflix on. Didn't spend a minute in peace and silence. And I felt terrible about it! It was the worst feeling, being afraid of your own thoughts and feelings. So when Sunday arrived I couldn't take it anymore. I had to do something about it. So I turned off all electronics, made a fire and lit a lot of candles. I made space for myself, space to be alone and not feel sorry for myself. Once I actually was able to pull myself together and turn off everything I noticed that it was only then I could actually be in peace. When I started listening to my own thoughts I discovered that they weren't so scary, they didn't bring the anxiety I was fearing. And I actually started enjoying turning off the music more often after that. There are so many that always put on some music when they go for a run or a walk. I used to be that person, but I'm not anymore. I believe you'll learn a lot about yourself by actually listen to your own thoughts once in a while. This is my challenge to you: take some time this weekend when you don't have anything else going on, and spend it on you. Do something you really enjoy and will get you relaxed, maybe even turn off your phone. Listen to what's going on inside of you. I'd be glad to hear if you've done it! This summer we received three small chickens and I got all excited about all the eggs we would get. I imagined going out in the mornings and collecting fresh eggs to make breakfast of. But no eggs came. We waited and waited. Soon it turned out that one of them was a rooster. Great! I thought, then we can get new chickens. Then another one turned into a rooster. Every morning they jump out of the cage we've built them and walk around all day while we're at work. Most times they have stayed in our garden all day, but lately it seems like they have started paying our neighbours a visit now and then. They are spreading joy around them every day. Both young and old like to walk by and say hello to our hens when they're standing by the side of the road.
But when darkness falls they jump into their cage again after they knock on our door to say it's time to lock up after them. One of my goals for this year is to get more plants. To fill our house with green plants and to learn how to take care of them. I've always been one to not understand plants. They seemed to die for no reason. Just because they were mine. I either gave them to much or to little water. Never knew what they wanted. Once I got older I guess I realised there are perks of having plants. A house with green leaves becomes a home. It starts to feel like someone actually live there. And the most common perk is that they clean the air in the house. Here are some flowers that I managed to save. One flower plant that had seen it's best days I turned into three separate plants. I would never have been able to do that a couple of years ago. My mum used to say that once you grow up you'll get more interested in plants but I never believed her. I guess she was right.
When autumn comes and frosty mornings become a part of life something happens in me. I like to say that my true self appears. I love the fresh crisp air and the fact that it's totally okay to start using knitted scarves and warm cosy sweaters again. I never was one for knitting, I never finished the things we had to knit in school. It didn't turn out like I wanted it to. I just didn't understand it, couldn't figure it out. Didn't stand it! But luckily things change. About six years ago something strange happened, all of a sudden. One day I went to the store and bought yarn. Can you believe it? And once I started I was hooked! I could sit for hours and knit away, a lot of wool socks got made those first years. Nowadays my little hobby has expanded, to crochet and lately also Afghan stitch. So when autumn arrives I always bring out my yarns and start a lot of different projects. I do yarn work all year around, but it gets a definite kick start at the beginning of autumn. The cosiness level is over the moon when I bring out the yarn, light some candles and put the kettle on. Most of the times I also put on a TV series or movie to watch while I satisfy my knitting needs. The cracking fire in the stove is perfect for that ultra relaxing knitting moment.If you want to take it to the next level of relaxation.
When I knit I feel like my mind gets a restart, it gets to wind down. I can breathe again. That's why I think it's good to do in the evenings. I like to believe it makes it easier to fall asleep later. There's something special about the autumn weather. Every time it starts getting colder and the colours of the trees start changing I also want to change. I want to start something new. I have to start a new project of some sorts. Autumn is the time for new beginnings.
Lately I've been longing for time to write. To write about things I care about. Or just some random words on a page. However, I love writing and reading. And I think it's time to start it up again. But this time I'm doing it for me. Because I need a creative outlet. And because I want to get it out there, that something that wants to get out. So from now on I'm taking over this blog. Andreas is too busy with work and instagram to have time to write on this blog. He nowadays has his own website, web shop and blog there as well. So, welcome to my own place. Hope to get something good out of writing this. It's a bit odd how I actually find it easier to write in English even though Swedish is my mother tongue. Guess I have been reading too much in English, I sometimes even forget some words in Swedish. With love, E This simple and tasty pasta dish is a great meatless variation if you want to try out something new. I started with some dried black beans, let them soak over night and then boiled them. The tomato sauce is a basic one with onion, garlic and crushed tomatoes. When the beans where ready I added them to the tomato sauce and spiced it up with some salt and herbs. I enjoyed it a lot and even my husband, who normaly is very sceptical when it comes to vegan food, ate it with a smile on his face!
If you sart out with dried beans it is a very cheap dish, affordable by anyone. And a really nutricious meal. /E It´s that time of the year again. The time to watch the world come back to life. That is what I love about living here in the north, you get amazed every spring. Amazed by the wonder of life. /E
I'm currently in Israel, staying by the Dead Sea. Me and my mom are visiting my brother who is staying here a couple of months. It's unbelievably beautiful here, I'm so amazed by what I see. This is just a short update with phone pictures, there's a lot more to come! Today we have been wandering the desert mountains here by the Dead Sea, so hot but so worth it!
I hope you all have a great week as well! /E Okay, apparently I had a lot to do last week. Have been trying to study and focus on that mostly, and on taking time to relax. At least for me it's super important to take quality time when I focus on resting and doing things I really enjoy. That means reading, a lot. While Andreas was out in the forest hunting this weekend I was sitting inside by the fire, reading, and it was so relaxing. When I grew up I could sit in my room and read for hours. And when I went to the library I always came home with a large pile of books. It's something I've always loved to do, and I'm so thankful for it. I'm so grateful that I'm able to go into another world, another land and learn so much from words. Even if it's just a fictional novel, there is always a lot to learn. This is one of our book shelves. When we noticed that we had too many books for our book shelf we found an old potato box. Andreas then remade it into a small book shelf, perfect for our paperbacks.
I have spent a lot of time lately looking at book reviews and making a list of books I wish for my birthday and christmas. So if you also are a bibliophile, please give me your best book recommendations in the comments! And for those of you who haven't found goodreads, it's a great place for finding new books and getting recommendations. /E |