Sweet sweet life.....

A live photo update from one of my favorite spots by the Lac de Joux. 28 degrees in the air here with a nice, warm breeze and I'm listening to the sound of waves on the lake, touching the little wooden pier. The water is fresh and cooling, but not cold. The baby kicks are strong and frequent and my heart is filled with love!! My skin is getting overheated so am just about to take the plunge! I love this more than words can possibly describe... Photos might do the trick better ;))

Wishing you all a lovely Friday!!

xox

Hiking up to Dent de Vaulion - again ;))

Right.....so last time I was brave enough to try hiking up to Dent de Vaulion, I got us lost....and forgot the picnic at home. This time, Chris was around to guide our visitors (my dad and stepmom) and myself and that was lucky as the result was much better ;)) He heeee!

Quite a tough uphill at the end of pregnancy week 23, but certainly achievable and I was pretty amazed that I can still almost go in the same speed as without being pregnant! All the walking I've been doing seem to be helping me stay at least somewhat in shape. 

We spent an amazing afternoon hiking through the beautiful forest until we reached our destination. Only 6km's up and down and the actual hike only took 1.5 hours......then we probably spent 1.5 hours up at the top, just enjoying the marvelous views and some refreshing drinks. I adore this place and this time, the sky was very clear so we also had the most fabulous view of the Mont Blanc.

Dad, Paula and Chris taking on one of the first and smaller uphill parts.....

The fabulous Mont Blanc <3

View from the top

Chris pointing out some of the sights

We found some super cute donkey's and goats at the top that I enjoyed feeding =p

After our hike, we were quite hot and our muscles somewhat tender so we went for a refreshing swim in the Lac de Joux afterwards. Absolutely great way to spend a day in this region!!

No words can describe how lovely this water felt!!

.....could have stayed here forever <3

Something I would never do under normal circumstances, but since this is the first time I'm proud rather that ashamed to show my belly, I'm gonna flaunt it ;)) Hehe!

....and then the reward for our efforts - Cheeeeeeeese fondue!!

Fondue accessories

This year's fondue number....eeehh....uuhh......lost count!!!

This little ball of fire practically BBQ'd us on the balcony!! Such a hot day!

 ....we were all in bed around 21:00. That say's it all really!!
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!!!


xox

Sunday Market in Divonne-les-Bains

For a Swede like myself, Sunday's can sometimes be pretty boring in Switzerland. Why? Well, most of Switzerland is closed on Sundays, which is especially strange for me since Sundays used to be my favorite shopping day.....both in terms of groceries for the coming week, but also for shopping in one of the big malls, preferably ending the day with a movie at the cinema. Now I'm used to this fact, but also found a new way to be entertained on Sunday mornings: Driving over to France and visiting the market in Divonne-les-Bains.


Arriving in Divonne, after having fought for parking spaces for about 10-15 minutes, we were greeted by local wine tastings, well assorted cheese and meat stands, meters of bowls filled dried fruits, nuts, tea's and spices, fresh fruits, berries and vegetables, clothes & shoes (well not so much in my taste..but.....), flowers, candy, local jams & honey's, luxurious soaps, different foods, nougat, candies and the most popular stands of all, those full of fresh fish and seafood where you can eat oysters accompanied by a glass of chilled, crisp Champagne. Also, most of the regular shops were opened as well as the little restaurants, cafes and bars. 

Certainly not the last Sunday morning spent there ;)) ....but one word of warning, bring your patience with you!! It is incredibly crowded!! Also another advise would be to bring a little trolley or backpack if you're like me and love these things, as carrying around all those little bags got quite heave after a while.
Happy shopping and most importantly, tasting!!


xox

23 weeks done....17 to go.

Am now in the middle of pregnancy week 23 and gosh am I growing!!! ....and no, I'm not talking about that extra chin that looks to be developing (all though, yes, I think well spotted), but look at that belly =o/ Oh my!

With this in mind, I plan to spend the evening shopping for maternity wear as there are not many items left in my wardrobe I can actually still squeeze myself into ;)) Praise the lord (read: H&M) for keeping their store open until 21:00 today!

Last night I dreamt that I was going to feed the baby on my own for the first time and no matter how many times I sat down to get started, I had always forgotten something and since I was weighing the same as an elephant (thankfully still just in my dreams), I struggled to get back up every time. I heard about this......these pregnancy dreams that are somehow reflecting your fears or insecurities. So far mine are quite entertaining though rather than scary, but let's see how it develops!

xox

Hair Magic for dummies!!

My looooovely friend Therese introduced me to and also sent me this fantastic "hair donut" that magically turns your hair into a chic bun! Perfect way to get your hair out of the way this summer! ....and especially good for me since I normally have such dry ideas of what to do with my long and slippery hair! In other words, it is proven to even work for hair-styling dummies!
Highly recommended ;))

You'll only need this, your hair, a hair brush, two hairbands and some pins and you're all set!
This one comes from "Glitter" in Sweden.



Voilaaaaa!

xox

Days like these are precious treasures.....

I spotted these little lovely, delicate heart-shaped petals while walking... 

We woke up a bit late this morning, probably around 10:30-11'ish, using the fact that it's weekend and that we had no plans and while having breakfast, it was already 24 degrees and full sunshine with clouds so few and tiny that they didn't give any shade whatsoever. 


The afternoon was spent outdoors, walking around in our stunningly beautiful area and it was so hot that we decided to take a dip in the little mountain water brook, just close to our house (It was freeeeezing cold, probably not more than 15 degrees (MAX) but made us feel as good as new!). This was followed by  a, much warmer, bubble bath with facial and hair mask (just for me in case you were wondering ;)) and then a great Vegetarian Fried Rice dinner, cooked by Chris, on our balcony. An absolutely amazing way to spend the day!!


Here, a little update of what's happening currently and as of lately ;))

Currently, I'm........

Our view of Lac Leman (Lake of Geneva) this afternoon

Happy about: That summer is finally here!!! Every day is simply amazing!! 
Disappointed about: It would be impossible not to mention football here! I'm disappointed (not angry) that Sweden lost against Ukraine and England in the Euro 2012. It's true that we didn't play great in these games, but neither did our opponents frankly speaking, so in my opinion, it could have gone either way......a little bit of luck wouldn't have hurt and it never seems to be on our side in these kinds of tournaments.

The Raspberry cake from our landlords that we enjoyed, with some vanilla
ice cream for dessert! In the background, our own Raspberry bush, doing
quite well I must say =))

Thinking about: Right now, how to be able to get what we really need for the baby and not getting caught up in all of these absolute must-have-shopping-frenzies that all these baby magazines are inspiring you to go on. Have.To.Stay.Strong ;))
Listening to: Since we're sitting on the balcony, right now it's the sound of distant crickets, birds and cowbells (and Chris making the occasional comment about some airplane news he's reading in his favorite magazine ;)) ..... So lovely!!

Looking forward to: Everything!! =))

Eating: This amazing Raspberry pie/cake that our landlord baked and brought for us (while it was still warm I might add ;)). Sooooo yummy!! I'm pretty sure we have the best landlords in the history of mankind.

....surely not the warmest bath I've ever had, but nevertheless, amazing!

Watching: Alternating between this screen, the view from our balcony (great, green fields with a blue sky background) and  trailers for a few movies that we might watch later (right now, it's between "Safe house", "Jeff, who lives at home" and "21 Jump Street").

Wondering: How to celebrate Swedish Midsummer this year! It will be especially strange without the traditional Swedish Snaps! Not that I ever really enjoyed it, but it's just one of those traditions ;))

Planning: Things to do with my dad and his wife when they come to visit us! They arrive tomorrow evening and are staying here for 2 weeks. Will be fun!!

Feeling: The warm summer evening breeze in my face and our baby kick, frequently and LOTS! ....and I love it (besides the occasional kick on my bladder!! Ouch!) ;)

Inspired by: .....as you may have noticed, the weather!! Summer makes me feel like anything and everything is possible!

Thankful for: Being able to work less now so I can properly take care of myself and the little life growing inside of me. Strange feeling though for someone who always prioritized work and have worked at least 100% since 1998 (OMG!!!!!).

Remembering: The gorgeous afternoon I spent by the Lake of Geneva yesterday on a picnic blanket. It was especially lovely since I had the whole area more or less to myself and was then joined in the afternoon by my dear friend Greta who also joined us for BBQ, Mojito's and football in the evening. More of this pleeeeeeaaaaase =p 
Here, some snapshots from yesterday afternoon:

Summer in a bowl

Summer on a fork

Pure enjoyment caught on cam ;) 

My spot. Not too shabby I must say ;))

Wanting: Many MANY more summer days, just like these ones!! 

I hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!! .....and if your team is lucky enough to still have a chance in the Euro 2012: May the best team win =))

xox