Holidays over- Monday to Friday

Sounds familiar right?
I have a feeling that a lot of us are starting to feel an anxiety of the holidays getting over. It is Friday and the weekend is coming to an end. For me- so are the 5 weeks of vacation.
I have been traveling with the family, meeting friends on weekdays, having a drink in the middle of the week, going to bed at 2 and waking up at 12. I have literally eaten, prayed and loved. I had a lot of time over to go through the attic, cleaning up, organising, home-improving, making petty cash on second hand websites, trying baking macarons- thrice! The list of things I engaged myself in is in direct relation to the list of things that I have been wanting to do during the months of working hard, not getting time to do. In Swedish there are 2 words that I hear often, 'orka' and 'hinna'. Where orka means - don't have the energy to do something, hinna means don't have the time to do something.
And do I hear myself say these words and hear others say these words often! I love the words in a strange kind of way as they symbolise and summarise the normalcy of allowing oneself to be lazy and the 'normalcy' of the high pace of life.
But this holiday gave me some time to think, to rejuvenate and put some pieces together. Holidays is  a perfect lesson to teach us about a life more than work and must-do's. It is a break to realise how lovely life can get even on an everyday.
It doesn't have to be a traveling to a distant land to feel unattached. It doesn't necessarily have to be a lot of efforts to find moments of joy in being around ones you love.
I know I sound stereotype but I certainly will remember this break as a beginning of a new thinking. I am so grateful that I have a clear definition of happiness. I know we all do, it might take some time to figure it out. But we all definitely have one definition and we all find pleasure in seeing this definition evolve, mature and become selfless.
I wouldn't let this feeling end. I would like to reduce the use of the words 'orka' and 'hinna'. The good news is I love my work too. But I know it is time to put things into perspective. I know Mondays would still feel heavy and Fridays would feel like a walk on clouds. But I will try listening to Friday list on Mondays.
I wish you all a great life and year. Hope you had a fantastic holiday and hope you preserve the positivity and just blend it with everyday-very smoothly, without realising that the holiday is actually over.Now off to preparations for a summer party being held today to wave holidays goodbye- but I have plans to dance it out.

So long...

The social media mannerism

Good morning

It is scary to see how many hours a day/week I spend on social media. Thanks to those functions that keep you aware, kind of inclining how much of a social media slave/ addict you are. Makes me wonder sometimes... And I always thought I wasn't. I felt a pride thinking and saying that I don't put up so much of my life out there, I just want to be aware of what's going on around me. 

So this morning when I waved my son and husband off while they were going for a sport selection, I experienced a wave of happiness, like a genuine one where you smile even when the people you are smiling at have left and cannot see it. 

I did not reach out to my phone to document it, but I did want to write about it. Yes, it's the same and that's where I am getting at. 
I have always heard growing up that sharing happiness doubles it and sharing sadness halves it. So, who am I to judge the people who do it more often than others!
And then the mannerism- hand on your heart, have you felt these ever- Did he like my post?, Is she unfollowing me?, What!!! did you block me, Ah! alright, so she friended my neighbor now too!, What do they have in common?, All those heart emojis - so exaggerated!, She has stopped commenting on my posts....
Well, are there really manners to be considered when it comes to social media? Shouldn't it just be a media to stay in touch, share ones personality? We are all born with different personalities. Some of us are more expressive than others, some of us are more personal, and don't want our lives to be exposed, some of us are more curious than others. 
However we have now reached a social media stage where a lot can be said, expressed, done and conveyed by one single click. We are all officially social media analysts. We all have our own interpretations, our own scales of reading between the lines, we are all a part of it. Even by not being a part of it we are subconsciously making a statement- 'I don't care', I am way beyond all this!
I remember when SMS was new and trendy- I thought 'super! Now I don't have to 'say' things anymore. I can write it and get the message through. I was a chicken and I even remember turning my phone off after sending something I knew could be hurtful! (Stop thinking how mean I was). 
And today everyone, just about everyone has that possibility. To say things without having to say. It is  democratic at a whole new level. At the same time there is a certain danger of mannerism running down the drain. 

I can go on and on about it. But think about your set of mannerism, don't forget the person you are- gather inspiration to be someone you want to be but remember that YOUR personality and YOUR mannerism is most valuable. It is something you truly own. That is something to be really preserved.

Have a wonderful day!Here are our kids engaged in Sunday baking.

Those teenagers!

I have been a bit sick last couple of days and my head is in a haze of bacterias and God knows what. 
It requires a lot for me to take that decision but today, I stayed at home and I am happy that I made the right decision. 
So, with the fifth cup of tea I went to my 13 year old daughter's room and lied down on her bed. I just took the time to lazily watch her get ready to school. It is actually quite nice to be that sick and feel a bit helpless and just be in the moment. She dressed up and then sat on her chair in front of the mirror. She played the music and started putting on her innocent and modest make-up. And before anyone of your judgmental souls have opinions about her make up- hold your opinions to yourself. 
She looked beautiful but most of all happy. She sang the song while she was putting on her aloe-vera home made mascara. She enjoyed the little make up knowledge she had gathered from the tutorials she had seen. 
Just then it stuck me how times have changed. As a 13 year old my mother would've haunted me down to have been wearing make-up. 'What is the need', 'who do you want to impress'- she might have wondered. 
As I have been sick and at home, basically doing nothing, I go time to think. We become the parents that we want to become. All theories about a repressed childhood with strict parents and a wonderful childhood with 'friend-like' parents is just Bull S**T.
The best parenting is one that comes naturally. That lets you make mistakes, that leaves room for a communication and the one we enjoy. The best parenting is where we let children be individuals, and not just our children. I wish for my kids that they can establish an identity that is theirs- made by their choices. 
The one thing that I can hope for and contribute with is setting examples. Don't take me wrong, I don't mean that once we become parents, we need to be perfect. I just hope that the times I failed, the times I broke down or the times I disappointed someone, my children saw that I strived to succeed, that I got up and moved on and that I wasn't afraid to apologize afterwards. Mistakes are a mirror for identifying the areas of improvement. 
I said goodbye to my beautiful girl and her big brother and watched them go towards the bus stop, talking to each other and laughing on their jokes. I made myself the sixth cup of tea and I feel thankful today. A day at home, feeling sick gave me the sense of joy that I am surrounded with. 
Have a great day!