kai turns 17!

how is it even possible that he is 17 years old today?

it was a good day... being awoken with happy birthday and princesstorta (traditional swedish birthday cake).

for the festivities, champagne to start and chocolate caramel cake to end. prezzies, friends, and lots of shenanigans and laughs. kai's requested menu of ribs, mac and cheese and broccolini was delicious and so. very. filling. 

that chocolate caramel cake? there was leftover for breakfast :)

i hope 18 doesn't come too fast (fingers crossed).

stockholm weekend pic, yasuragi

i spent an overnight with stefan at yasurgai and it was such a treat. baths and saunas, sushi and champagne.

my favourite is the salt room. bring in a handful of salt and sit on the tiled benches breathing in the eucalyptus scent while you heat up. once nice and sweaty, slather the salt all over and relax. then, you rinse using one of the shower heads provided. love it! 

the heated pool was another favourite and the outdoor baths too. the cool breeze was perfect while sitting in the heated bath.

the best part, there is no need to get ready for dinner. just show up in your robe/kimono, order your glass of champagne - it was my birthday after all - and enjoy the evening.

if you get a change to visit for the day or do an overnight you must. you'll thank me for the recommendation. it was pure bliss.

stockholm weekend pics, a slow january

i have not been around here very much lately.  following a completely and utterly restful winter break, getting back into a routine has been difficult, throwing me a bit off balance.  

there have been reasons, of course - getting used to going into work daily (a new job!), "single" parenting while stefan is away, lacking sleep, and coping with the continued darkness; i know the the days are getting longer but here in stockholm it really takes its time.  

yet, i have been trying to get the balance and routine back this month with these 5 simple ways:

i take a shot of iron. before moving to stockholm, i took monthly b12 injections but have let it go since being here but in its place i take iron (blutsaft in swedish which translates to blood juice) - i like floradix - which helps keep my energy level up; and i take vitamin d, essential with the darkness that permeates stockholm skies. 

i drink green tea with mint. i never liked green tea and then a friend encouraged me to try it with mint.  i was hooked and incorporated it into my day. 

i bounce!  when kai was little i purchased a mini trampoline which he and his friends put to good use, jumping and flipping onto my bed but i primarily bought it for my own use. cardio is the one thing i know that works to help me manage my weight but i don't like running and spin classes are outrageously expensive here, so i dusted off the trampoline. it's been great fun.  

i cook.  since stefan has been away, kai and i had take-out once.  i mostly cook vegetarian / vegan and it has me feeling really well.  no, i haven't stopped eating animal products, i can't give up my eggs... eaten with kalle (creamed caviar) just like the swedes. yum.

i go to bed so that i get at least 7 - 8 hours of sleep.  i am a night owl by nataure but this makes my mornings sluggish and unproductive, not a great start to the day especially now that i need to be at work at 8:30.  how i wake up matters to me and so my rushed mornings was bothering me.  i have gotten better... working out, taking time for a cup of tea, and eating breakfast a handful of times this month, which is progress for me.  

these are practices i hope to keep throughout the year.  fingers crossed. 

now, to weekend pics... here is a peek at the some of the photos i took during our january weekends:

thank you so much for hanging out in this space, it means so much to me.  hope you had wonderful weekends this month. xo

birthday celebration in sweet varberg, part 2 of 2

varberg is serious about it's reputation as a spa resort, add in a long beach promenade, charming downtown, good food, and a lovely countryside.  we had a wonderful few days.  

where we stayed

we relaxed at varberg's kusthotell mainly for its location right on the waterfront by kåsa beach and it's thalasso spa (13+).  we started and ended our days at the spa with its offerings of various saunas, hot pools, refreshing cold dipping pool, jacuzzi, and the saltwater swimming pool.  kai loved spa-ing :) we left booking treatments too late so appointments were already full but kai and i did have a fish massage!

the hotel is right by the lighthouse so one morning, we scrambled up the rocky path to visit it, fighting against the very cold wind.  but so stunning up there on the rocks.

what we did

from the hotel, we walked along the 1.5 mile long waterfront, with its wild autumn seas, into town to visit the fortress. the stroll was a cold one but the picturesque bays and rocky cliffs made it worthwhile, at least for me. it took kai awhile to warm up to the idea which he eventually did (boys are moody too!).  along the promenade there our 'gentlemen only' and 'ladies only' areas for skinny dipping.

built in the late 13th century and used as a military stronghold and prison until 1931, varberg's fortress exudes a past time charm.  love the colour of the facade!  we walked around, taking in the saltwater air and enjoyed the view over the ocean.  it's a cool place to visit.  in the summer, you can visit the museum or go for a guided tour of the prison caves or eat at hus 13, one of varberg's best restaurants.  standing amongst the cannons, you can look out over the seafront all the way to stubbe lighthouse.

just beyond the fortress, is kallbadhuset, a nudist bath house built on stilts in 1903.  if you prefer to keep your clothes on, then your only option is to admire it's architecture from outside, which is what we did.

the promenade also extends the other way, just beyond the lighthouse, towards apelviken, considered one of the best wind and kite surfing beaches.  on another morning, we drove out to see it knowing it would be completely empty.  just us, roaring waves and gusts of wind.

but in the summer, it will be filled with surfers in wet suits and locals eating at britta's, surf saloon, john's place or one of the many others (all closed for the season).  john's place has been perched right there since the 70s and is focused on bbq specialties.

i hear varberg is at it's best in the summer.

where we ate and shopped

it took a couple of tries, but finally kustbageriet was open.  an organic bakery, in town, filled with breads, rolls, and swedish pastries.  the smell and mood of the bakery was heaven.  we took a few sweets, like my favourite cardamom bun, away to enjoy later in the day during our walk in the woods.  stefan says the coffee was perfect.

many restaurants were closed for the season or had very limited hours so we thought ourselves lucky to have made it, just in time, to eat at verket social kitchen.  good flavours are promised!  we loved our lunch... kai had his swedish favourite, meatballs with lignon berries and mash while stefan and i had a noodle bowl filled to the brim with veggies and spice.  the layout is great, long tables and seating at the windows too.  they have a foodstore as well as takeaway and cookies too.  if you find yourselves in varberg, this place is a must.

otherwise, our dinners were eaten at the hotel once we were all warmed by a visit to the spa.  while not so impressed with dinner during our first night, we loved it on night two and couldn't believe it was the same place.  the black bread is to die for!  and the breakfast buffet was spot on... i love the swedish way to eat a hard boiled egg, with creamed caviar!  and the liverwurst on black bread is so good i always had seconds.

i didn't think i would buy anything in this small town but we, indeed, spent monies.  some of the boutiques i read about, marina, wonder, and basement design, were all visited.  basement design is the one that took our monies... a sheepskin and the softest black tote made in northern sweden came home with me.

 

 what we did in the country-side

we went to yngeredsforsen which lies between askome and gällared.  it is an old power plant pond that is dry and made for a nice walk in the woods.  the foundations and ruins of the power plant still remain.  you could easily spend a day here, strolling and discovering and resting on a cliff next to a waterfall.  

some views while driving the winding country roads...

strömma farm lodge in the countryside of tvååker has been on my radar ever since following them on instagram.  not only are they a cafe and a shop, packed full of things you want to take home, ceramics and textiles, but also a b&b that i considered as a place to stay.  just look at the photos, isn't it lovely?  warming up in the cafe, i loved my carrot soup and pastries too :)  in the barn, concerts, flea markets, and dances are hosted.

the farm is full of these type of abandoned barns.  i can imagine this is what it all looked like when they bought it a couple of years ago.  the place oozes with creativity and love; everything is old and vintage.

on our last day, driving out of varberg, we headed to hiaklitten, a hiking trail with amazing golden views.  we didn't walk far, just up two of the six rocky hills and then found a spot to eat my cardamon bun while kai explored and returned with a really huge splinter ;)  sun and clouds, trees and streams.  loved being out here, stomping on autumn leaves and climbing trees... ok, i didn't climb but the boys did ;)

 

 

it was exactly what i needed!  thank you stefan and kai... lots of love!