Lifestyle Archives

December 23, 2020January 7, 2026

My Christmas Traditions

Christmas is around the corner, so I wanted to try writing down all my favorite traditions and hobbies during the month. I’m one of those people who start listening to Christmas music in September, I would fill my home with Christmas decorations from October and bake Christmas goods every week if I didn’t control myself. I think we need these holidays to look forward to. We need the calmness it brings (to most of us) and all the beautiful decorations surrounding us. So, here’s a list of some of the things making me get into a holiday spirit;

“Take deep breaths, look at all the shimmering and sparkling on the ground, listen to the creaking snow under the shoes, and get your nose and cheeks all red.”

This is Christmas for me

1. Lighting candles and listening to Christmas music. Every morning I start off by lighting a candle on the table, making the whole room light up. If you can, choose a Christmas-scented one (Yankee Candles have both high quality and wonderful smells). I then put on some classic Christmas music while sipping on a cup of coffee or tea. It’s a simple thing to do, and it will cheer you up for the rest of the day.

2. Consume clementines and oranges. Not only are these giving you an important C-vitamin boost, but the delicious smell will also fill your house.

3. Watch a Christmas series. Here in Sweden, we have a Christmas calendar show on the tv and radio every year in December. An episode every evening is a cozy tradition.

4. Watch Christmas movies with a cup of hot chocolate. “Harry Potter,” “Lord of the Rings,” “The Holiday,” “Christmas with the Kranks,” “Home Alone,” “The Santa Clause,” “It’s a wonderful life,” “The Polar Express,” “Love actually,” “Miracle on 34th street” are some of my favorites, to name a few.

5. Go for long walks. Take deep breaths, look at all the shimmering and sparkling on the ground, listen to the creaking snow under the shoes, and get your nose and cheeks all red. Your body will love new oxygen in the blood, and you can clear your head at the same time – the cheapest form of therapy.

Try to be creative

6. Bake something festive. Saffron buns, cinnamon buns, gingerbread cookies, bread with apricot, fig and nuts, oat cookies or apple cake. Add frosting, cowberries, sprinkles or dry fruit for an even more special treat.

7. Add cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg to most of your dishes make them go from a dull to a warming and cozy meal.

8. Make your own mulled wine with raisins and almonds or choose a Christmas-spiced wine or beer.

9. Make your own Christmas cards and send them to your friends and family. Getting busy with your hands to let your creativity flow is an excellent way to get into the Christmas spirit. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Use whatever paper, colors, scissors, glue and pens you have at home. Or just buy a few cards and send them, I can guarantee the receiver will appreciate it.

10. Try to read more books or your favorite magazines. Just let your eyes rest from the TV and computer a bit, and make up the pictures in your head and escape to another world.

11. Have a family/friend evening at home, where you play table games, wrap Christmas presents, decorate gingerbread cookies, and walk around in your comfiest clothes, eating candy.

12. Make your own ornaments – candlesticks, wreaths, garlands, and so on. As I mentioned before, it’s creative and fun. And if you’re doing it with someone, it’s quite social compared to other activities.

13. Make your own Christmas gifts. These days, most of us have more than we need, so giving something from the heart can be more special than ever. Don’t get anxious about the amount of money you have to spend. Just writing a couple of notes with inspirational quotes or complimenting messages in a jar can mean so much. Paint something on a canvas, stone, or piece of wood. Knit, crochet, or embroider something. You give your time and energy, and it’ll show. (Side note: I don’t mean that buying gifts is any less than making them yourself. But if you want to give something unique and love to use your imagination, that’s a great idea.)

14. Go skiing or sledding. Fun and exercise combined into one activity.

July 24, 2020January 7, 2026

CGD London – Start journaling for freedom

I really love making lists. It’s something about the feeling crossing off the stuff that has been done and the freedom to just let go once you put it on paper. If you love being creative, journaling can be really inspirational. There’s an unlimited way of putting it together, only your mind sets the boundaries.

My tips for journaling:

You can choose between blank, lined, squared, or “all-ready-made” pages. If your mission is to be creative – pick the blank one and make it from scratch. For immediate structure and organization, take the “finished” one. CGD London (on the picture) has really inspirational ones, and they almost feel like you made them yourself.

My second tip would be to get a “Frixion clicker“. You can erase for two years with the “friction ball”, and then the color is permanent. It’s an excellent pen, acting like a pencil and an ink pen. And if you’re like me, you despise doodle and misleading information, so this pen is undoubtedly a lifesaver.

Put pictures in it, different colors, or paint your own images. Set goals and take one step closer each week. Put stickers when you finished daily tasks and so on.

Get inspiration on YouTube. Step by step guides can give you a lot of ideas. I recommend you watch Bullet Journal for an excellent tutorial.

July 23, 2020January 5, 2026

Not knowing what you want in life? – I think you do

Hi guys! Hope you are all doing fine during these circumstances. The world isn’t what it justed to be only a couple of months ago. Just had to write down my thoughts from today’s regular morning walk, I started to think about that scene from the movie “The notebook” where Noah and Allie are standing on the pier and he asks her “What do you want?”, “What do you want?”, “WHAT… DO…YOU… WANT?” and the answer he gets is: “It’s not that easy…”

“What’s meant to be will always find its way. Always.”

I can feel the frustration from both sides. Noah wants an answer and I believe everyone knows deep inside, or at least has a clue, what to do. Allie intends to have the cake and eat it too, just because both of them (Noah and the one she’s supposed to marry) are so wonderful in their own ways, but mostly because her parents want her to marry someone with money and wealth.

With that said, I think we have to stop thinking about what others want and reflect on what is most important in our lives. As time goes by, what’s meant to be will always find its way. Always.