Blue Zone in Småland Sweden?

Been away to the Netherlands for family circumstances... but now I'm back in Sweden. Starting up my own life again...

Recently I read an article in a Dutch magasin, it made me very happy. I'm a lucky one: I'm very living in a blue zone in the south east of Sweden in Småland 😃.

What is a blue zone? They say it is a area where people on the average get older as in the rest of the world. Most important reasons for this are:

1. Eating a lot of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables and not that much meat
2. There is a good social control, as it was in the old days
3. Every one is daily active (even older people)
4. Because the location (a little isolated) the habits doesn't change that quick

Some newspapers in Sweden and de Swedish broadcast on TV and radio already some made articles and programs about it some time ago. It is because in this area are relatively living more people above 100 years as in the rest of Sweden, it can even compete with some areas in the world (as you can read above).

Maybe Sweden can be a popular area to travel to for a digital detox. They have lots of nature where you can meet yourself again without any disturbances. You can find detoxing travel experiences on internet to Northern Lapland. Recently they made a film in the Netherlands. "Go to Sweden and have a digital detox....."

Impressions Christmas Market Älmhult

Good times on the Christmas Market in Älmhult this year. Nice handmade products, good music, very good organisation. About 50 stands and 3500 visitors on Sunday and 1750 on Sunday.

We made a lot of Christmas decorations for in and outside. A big assortiment of wreaths and other designs in a colorfull or in a natural way!

Julmarknad Älmhult 8 och 9 december 2018

Välkommen på en riktig Smålandsk julmarknad. Vi ska bli med...Saskia BloemArt and Antz Creations. Kommer du också?

Welcome on a real Smålands Christmas Market. And we will be there...Saskia BloemArt and Arntz Creations. Do you come and visit us?

Sneak preview Christmas decorations for Julmarknad Älmhult 2018

Looking for inspiration? For Christmas Decorations?

Last weeks we have been preparing for the Christmas Market in Älmhult on 8 and 9 december 2018. At first we looked for inspiration, later for good ideas and materials and at last the making off starts.... I'm very satisfied with the results, we made big modern things, and some small. On the market you can find some classic with a twist too. But after all it's all very natural. Like me. I hope you like it too :)

Maybe this is the first step to my dream, to create and sell creative handmade naturel products...

Vi ses på Julmarknad i Älmhult 2018!

vecklat krans or Wreath

Modern krans / Contemporarely wreath

Väggdekoration / walldecoration

What is Julskyttning?

Finally, it is the First Advents Day in Sweden. Every one has been longing for this day. But why?

It's a sort of starting upp Christmas time...Time to put on the lights in the Christmas tree on the Market place of every town in Sweden. It is very nice to have some light in this dark period, I can assure you...

All the people come together and drink some glögg (warm red wine with herbs) and nuts.You can have warm black current drinks too...
Of course there is Christmas music playing and a lot of market stalls where you can buy sweeties (warm sugared mandel) or Christmas presents and Santa Claus wil appear as well. Sometimes even Lucia will show up...It is  very cosy atmosphere, they call it Adventsmys.

DIY Förjulhygge? Sort of before Christmas Cosiness?

Do you need some inspiration for DIY natural Christmas decorations? I'm preparing for a Christmas Market in the beginning of december. You can already take a sneak preview of the making off...

In Norway and Sweden they call it førjulhygge or förjulhygge. Let's say a sort of before Christmas cosiness. Do you want to feel it yourself? Even the making of is fun. Just give it a try....

Big contemporary natural wreath

Contemporary natural heart

Natural Christmas Deco on table or door

Jultomte or Christmas Troll

Table deco

How to keep mouses outside of your house?

Excellent house mouse protection

When you are living on the country side it is very important to keep the mouses and rats outside of your house. We live on the countryside in Sweden and we have seen a lot of mouses outside. But we like to keep it that way. I'v seen a lot of metods, but this is the best one till now.
Just put an special power plug on every floor in the house, as you can see on the picture.You connect it on your electricity network. It gives a signal you cannot hear, but mouses and rats don not like it. In our house we have only two for about 100 m2. It works perfect!

Of course you still have to put away your food properly anyway....

Have you ever heard of Brittsommar?

Last week I read about Brittsommar in Sweden. I really didn't know what they are talking about. I thought it was a sort of celebration day for something of some one. They also have Kanelsbullens Dag on the 4th of October. So why not another special day?

I was really close. The Swedish Weather Forecast says there is Holy Birgitta who thought the climate in the North was so cold and hard that she prayed for the people living there. God answered he will give some extra summer days around Birgittas day on 7 October.

This name is only known in Sweden. There's not an exact definition but for the Swedish Weather Forecast it is necessary the warm and sunny period (over 20 degrees) follows a period of autumn like weather and lower temperatures around the 7th of October. Only this periode can you call Brittsommar. Like Indian Summer in the USA and Canada.

Well I can tell you, we had a real Brittsommar in South Sweden this year, it was very sunny with 20 degrees. What a wonderful week in Autumn. I like it!

Lake Flyxen on the 13th of October

Really warm 20 degrees, a real Brittsommar

Can you eat this chantarelle? Toptips!

Chantarelle? Wright or wrong?

One of the most asked questions when people start picking swamps. Is this one eatable? Or is it toxic? It's fun to go into the woods in Sweden, a lot of people do. Chantarelles are my favourites, they are really delicious to eat. Only bake it with some butter, peppar and salt.

Tips to recognize a chantarelle:
1. the colour is light yellow (not orange)
2. your can smell aprikos
3. the lamels don't stop on the stalk
4. it is not round like a pancake

So the left one is the wrong one (but it is not toxic), at the right the one you can eat!

Feeling autumn again...

What a Swedish quote... "Autumn learns us how beautiful it can be to let go". I found it on the Land website of land magasin. And it is so true. But it's not easy... You can feel the autumn approaching. It is getting fresher and more wet. But its difficult to imagine you soon will be inside a lot of time. After a very nice, very warm and long summer. It takes a little time to go with the flow.

But ok, it's time to go inside again. I will try to be outside at much as possible, to pick some swamps, get some autumnal leaves and prepare my garden for winter. And stay inside to think about next steps in my life in Sweden. Make new plans, think about a lot of things. When the leafs are falling, it is time to slow down, to take a step back again. To prepare for the next spring again.

I will try to make it as comfortable as possible inside. Maybe there are nice autumn recipes we can have a taste of. I'm more in the mood for tasty cheeses and nuts now. Or to cook a nice pasta with ham, swamps and cream. I can already taste the apple pie with cinnamon and a warm ginger tea. I also left a lot of things inside unfinished because of the nice summer....I have some books to read, some furniture to renovate, and oh yes we we're renovating the old Swedish winter windows.
I think it is ok it wil be autumn soon....I will have some candles on 😄

#autumn #feeling #letitgo #timetoslowdown