Happy New Year !

Another year has past...Time is flying when you are having fun.

2010 gave us some Good News and some Bad News.

Let's hope for a good 2011 for the world and for us.

Happy 2011 !

Gunn

Best Christmas tree

The best Christmas tree I have ever seen , thinking in ecological terms, was yesterday in Vietnam. Lots of empty wine bottles in the perfect green. How clever. It is an amazing contrast with the palm trees on the beach.

 Perhaps, tourist drinks a lot of wine. Our waiter insisted that we should have wine with dinner as it is ..so cheap , he told us. He could not understand why we would drink Lemongrass tea with our meal. By the way, we had some incredible meals. Love all the traditional fish dishes with lemongrass, ginger and green herbs.

As long as the guest has all the say, we are pleased.

Gunn

Giving Gifts !

Did you know....

Giving gifts makes you healthy . It lower stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine in the brains ( and we all know what that is ! ). 

Well that's the material in the brain, which tell us how unhappy we are. So let's lower it by thinking of others. 

People , who gives are happier than non-givers. 

Whatever you give as a present the actual gift wrapping is a great satisfaction by itself.

If you want to learn more - read the article in 

The New York Sun by Professor Brooks.

Happy Holidays !

Gunn

Fanny och Alexander

I love this film, by Ingmar Bergman.

It illustrates the best time of Christmas Celebration but it also shows the back side of the coin... the unhappiness created by family. We know that Christmas has a very high % in death ( I assume from over eating and emotional stress ) and divorce cases. And it is also a moment when many people decide to commit suicide. 

So why not simplify. 

Donate to others who need the extra care and attention. I can think of a few of my favorite and serious foundations.

For children: care&share.org - India

For animals: World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

For the planet: Foundation for Deep Ecology

For people : EarthSave.org

Every drop makes an ocean, 

Gunn

Christmas Eve in Sweden

Christmas in Sweden starts early with the first lit candle at the first of four Advent Sundays. It is a warm feeling and it makes you count the days before the Big day.

Then comes the celebration of Santa Lucia and all the positive things around it.

Every day is special, preparing for Christmas. Many gatherings with family and friends. A warming feeling with lit fire places, candles and many wonderful sweets to eat. Beautiful Christmas concerts are playing in churches. 

The night before Christmas Eve is normally the night when the family is decorating the tree. If you live in the country, the father brings it back together with eldest son from the woods in the morning. Opening the box of ornaments, stored away for a year, used last year. It is fantastic to remember the goat, the handmade ball, all the special decorations used year after year. Should we call it being nostalgic... is part of the tradition. Delicious scents are coming from the kitchen. cookies are baked, the ham is in the oven , herring is pickled and so on.   

Finally when Christmas Eve is happening , family members start dropping in. Everyone is happy. My sister and I used to laugh and say...It's Christmas ...use the big smile !

Perhaps the tradition of celebrating is more important and more fun when there is small kids around. When they do believe in Santa Claus. Lights are lit in the windows so he can find his way. Porridge is placed on a dish on the door step for Santa Claus. He always has his meal. The dish is always empty in the morning. He finally brings the gifts after spending endless hours around the table eating the famous " Smorgards bord". Believe me, then we eat leftovers for another two weeks.  Lots of singing, dancing and laughter. 

We are enjoying the festive until the 13th of January, when the last party is happening. The tree need to be undressed and the tradition is to throw it out the window. Lots of plays and small gifts again for the children.

G

My best friend !

Olmo,


 my best friend or at least my four legged best friend. He is a half lab of 5 years. He is always on my side, protecting , controlling. He is cute, loves to "steal" a  shoe in the morning and forget it easily in the garden. ( it's part of the game). He follows me to the bathroom, dressing room, sits by me at breakfast and checking IF he can come along in the car. He loves the car. And can wait by the car in the morning for hours, ready to leave. He is with me in restaurants, in the shop, pretty much every where.  Well I can call him my best friend ! 
Found this poem on the web. Sorry there was no information on who wrote it. It made me think of Olmo. I just modified the wagging tail bit.


You're...

My Friend,
my companion,
through good times and bad
my friend, my buddy,
through happy and sad,
beside me you stand,
beside me you walk,
you're there to listen,
you're there to talk,
with happiness, with a wagging tail,
I know you'll be there,
throughout the years!

Cute....

G

An easy Room freshener.

The month of December is the season of Oranges and Mandarines. 

Reuse the peel as a perfect natural Room freshener. Just place the peels on the radiator and the delicious citrus scent will fill the room for hours.  

Just a good thing !

G

Thank You !

Thank You all for reading my posts every day. 

Almost a year has gone by. 

It started in Paris with my friend Carina Schott at Nonchalant Mom

At that time I insisted that I was not a blogger but she persuaded me to start it. 

I have been enjoying this year.

Thank You, Carina

How to ward off colds and flu's

Stay healthy and strong with homemade Elisir.

Ingredients: 1 lemon 

                                     2 cm fresh ginger

                                          1 tea spoon turmeric

                                           1 tablespoon olive oil

                       4 dl water

Split the lemon in half, press the juice of one and cut the other in pieces. 

Mix all in a food mixer and add 4dl quality water.  Mix and filter.  It is fine using a tea strainer. Drink 1 dl before breakfast and the rest during the day.

This will give strength and energy during the winter month.

I received this recipe from a very best friend , who received it from another best friend.

Thanks for having friends,

Gunn

Time out !

Perhaps we can take a few extra moments for ourselves during the holidays. 

Relax with a warm bath and nara heltnaturligt bathfoam in the Enchantly scent 

( lavender, geranium and a touch of thyme) 

It is just the perfect essential oil synergy, to wind down with.

It should be on the wish list,

G

Happy Holidays !

Preparation, planning, more parties to attend, decorating, many friends to see, cooking, gifts to wrap, cards to write, gathering family members and .... 

The holidays are near.

Wishing everybody healthy, relaxing and Happy holidays.

Just Love Christmas, 

Gunn

Not feeling Blue...

But feeling for Blue !

I already spoke about the philosophy of Green in an earlier post and have been continuing thinking of the importance of colour. Not only for me as a Designer but for all of us. There is so many colours to take in each day. We can almost relate to people through colours. How many friends do you have that fit Blue ?

Dark blue is a symbol of dream and expectations, good and creativity. The colour of sky is associated with a spiritual evolution and the symbol of sky and sea. 

It can also be a symbol of crisis. Yes, we are going through a blue period in society. 

If a person loves dark blue, it means he is modest and melancholy. He gets tired very quickly and want to create impression that he can do everything, but actually he is a sample of 

self- distrust and socialite. In many countries the colour blue means mourning. 

In the north it stands for cold and shadow.

BLUE is the colour of wisdom, generosity, faith, glory and truth. Our minds react to colours, our mind can depend on different shades at different times. When I think blue, I relate it to sadness.

And calming, relaxing and healing. 

Spirit of truth ! 

Don't paint your room blue if you want energy.

G

Homemade Bath Salt

All you need is Summer, Sun and Fresh air ! 

We are in the middle of December and the days are so dark and cold.  I can't stand it and is already counting the days when I can have my breakfast in the beloved garden.

I made these photos this last summer when we made fresh bath salt for the shop. Just to look at the photos it made me feel lighter. So I like to share this receipt with you. Be creative and use what you can find in your garden or in your herbal store.

We need 1 kg of Sea Salt , flowers or herbs. I used the lovely petals of Marigold / Calendula and the Profumatissima ( actually the name of this rose in Italy ) Rose petals and a few fresh Pepper mint leaves.  Mix it all up and fill a pretty glass jar.

Take as much as you like for a hot bath. It will make you feel like a princess ! If you do not like all the petals floating around you, fill a cotton gauze bag, and and close tight with a string. It is a giant teabag , sort of thing...

I would suggest the bath in the evening, just before night time . A bath makes you head spin and sleepy and never longer than 20 minutes. Then it looses the beneficial properties.

 You can also use dried flowers as we are in the winter season and quite impossible to pick marigolds and roses.

Enjoy !

Celebrating Santa Lucia

Celebrating Santa Lucia again !

At Un Momento Nordico, Biella with the traditional Swedish Glogg 

(mulled wine party). This time it will happen on Dec 11, being on a Saturday.

Warm apple juice for kids and young adults will be served.

This will be the fourth time around and is a nice moment to see all under one roof....

You are welcome between 16.00 and 20.00

We at Un momento Nordico !

Seeing snow for the first time

Snow , is sometimes something very special.

 We are having a young boy ( 13 ) in our house for the last month. His name is Steven and came from Peru to stay with him mom in Italy. When he reached European grounds, 

his biggest wish was see snow and play with the dogs. 

When we got the first snow flakes ( to my despair ) it was magic to his eyes. He was out rolling around experiencing the ice for the first time in his life. What a joy it can be to spend time with children. 

I grew up in Sweden during the time children played outdoors and have wonderful memories of building igloos , rolling the snow for a snowman, rolling smaller balls for lanterns and so on. I am proud and happy that I could teach him something from my culture today. Sometimes the smallest of moments are often the most special.

Gunn

Hooked on Green.

The philosophy of Colour is very fascinating. 

Even the map is divided into colours;

White for the North - Brown for the South 

Yellow for the East - Blue for the West.

I realize that I am crazy about green, this fever has been going on for years. My closet is filled with green scarves, green socks, even a few green shoes and let's not talk  about jackets and pants. Green painted walls , green ceramic, green towels or green in any form. 

Green stand for Inspiration, calmness,

Personal morals and character are also defined by means of colour. For, example, green corresponds to Young. 

Green colour is a symbol of life, nature, revival, creation, spring and the miraculous force of being. It has a salutary effect on mind and soul. A person who prefers green, has a complex about an other's influence and searches for self-affirmation as he fears everyday problems, ups and downs of life and difficulties in general.

Positive aspects of green are;

Generous

Sympathetic

Compassionate

Understanding

Harmonious

Practical

Negative aspects of green are;

Indifferent 

Jealous

Miserly 

Hangs on to possessions

 Lack of consideration

Green is a balancing colour and has a calming effect.

A young designer couple made an amazing Eco village in Sweden built on the colour green. The above photo is from their place, called Urnatur.

Let's use Green for Christmas, it will help us to de-stress and have  harmonious  holidays;

 Gunn

Care & Share

 We at Un Momento Nordico, will donate 5% of our Christmas Earnings to this wonderful foundation Care & Share in Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), South of India.  

          This is an area very far from the success and News Millennium developments. Many families are having difficulty to support a child or two. The children mostly end up as little sex slaves in Red districts, labour in factories or in the land cultivating. We all know this is very convenient to us on this side of the globe, to buy many things for a low cost at the Shopping malls. Care&Share feed and educate 6000 children in their school. Caring for many HIV patients. The foundation was started by Carol Faison in 1991, when visiting India. Read more on www.careshare.org

To support a child and give him/her a possibility of a childhood and a smile on him/ her lips for 1 year would take 300 Euro out of your pocket. 

That is practically 50 % on a pair of shoes or the cost of a new jumper.

I love India and a beautiful smile from a child can make my life healthier,

Gunn

Galerie Vie, Marunouchi, Tokyo

We are now installed as guests in the Galerie Vie shop at the fancy location of Marunouchi. 

 The mix of their Collection looks really good with our Un momento Nordico's felted slippers from Finland and the antlers candleholders from Lapland.

A cabinet presenting our nara heltnaturligt skincare line, mixed in with stylish accessories.

Colorful hand made ceramic with tea towels in linen.

If You are around in Tokyo, just come by for a cup of tea and some 

Swedish organics treats,

Gunn 

Pampering Your Hands.

Easy does it ! At least for me...

Being always very "hands on", my hand are mostly a mess, dry with cuts and mostly with broken nails. This is the season one need to take some extra care. 

I remember reading about a women in Chile making this ritual every day.  At 80 she has hands as an 20 year old. It might not be all true , but it worth giving it a try. I have been scrubbing my hands every evening for the last 2 weeks and I promise that they have a better look.  Use a fresh lemon and a spoon of sugar , rub the hands together well and let sit for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water. 

Needless to say that I wish you to use my hand creme form nara heltnaturligt. I make a nice massage with the cream before saying  - Good night ! 

Please let me know if it works for you too,

Gunn

Melody Gardot

America born Melody Gardot, (photo by Leslie Stiles) is really my favorite artist lately. She has such a strong energy, writing, singing and playing herself . l feel her songs are a nice mix of jazz, blues and kind of Latin at times. She is wonderful. If you do not know her, go in and listen to her songs and i am sure you will enjoy them. 

I keep her singing in my office practically every day,

Gunn 

Thinking positively !

Oh....my Buddha ! I woke up to lots of snow. It felt like I had slept for a decade. Thinking....hell, my day is ruined. 

The best, with having dogs is the positivity they always transmit. Always Happy !We played in the snow for a few hours and this negative thought about receiving snow disappeared.

Thinking positively is easy to say and sometimes more difficult to do. I would like to call myself a realist rather than a pessimist. Positive thinking is a mental attitude, that project happiness, joy and energy. If you use this technique , most likely a successful outcome will be a consequence. Just stop for a moment and think of the friends you have that fit this category. I can think of a few and I admire them tremendously . 

Well , what I mean is being positive in all the doings, not the big grin

 ( that drives me crazy  ) you sometimes meet. It makes me think, what the he.. is so funny ?!

Positive thinking is power and a fantastic tool every day. It brings inner peace, success , improved relationships, a good health and should make life easier.

Should we all start tomorrow morning ?

My first thought is , I will make an incredible vegetable garden next year,

Gunn