It's Christmas time, people!

Just want to take a few minutes to wish you all a VEEEEERY MEEEEERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We will be celebrating Christmas in a climate where "...dreaming of a White Christmas" is probably all we'll be able to do.....dreaming of one I mean! I've heard that the temperature is supposed to be more than +12 degrees Celsius tomorrow... Not so white in other words, but certainly the most special one we will have had so far as for the first time, we will spend it being a family of our own.....and talking about first times, I couldn't think of a single thing to wish for this year! I really mean that...... Who really needs more than this..?I've never been happier!!

Below, an Instagram round-up and some additional photos from the last few days to give you a flavor of what our Christmas is looking like so far.

OK, so maybe I had one wish.... I was hoping Christmas would look a bit like this...as it did a week ago.... 

Instead, it looks a bit more like this....not too shabby, but not really "Christmasy".

A small reward after our walk this afternoon - a "Christmas style Cappuccino"
accompanied by Chris's homemade "Zimtsterne"

The tree has been decorated since a little over a week and now there's just a feeeew gifts still missing underneath it ;)

Deco details ;)

For me, as a Swede, there simply wouldn't be Christmas without Glögg, but it needs to be the one from "Blossa" (and not the IKEA food shop version!)..... =p

Wrapping the last few gifts.....

Uhhmmm.....this bowl was really overflowing yesterday when we came home from the Lindt Chocolate shop... Oooops! 

That's all for now and all that's left to say to you, before the festivities begin is: Enjoy, love, laugh, sing, eat, hug, kiss, dance, take some moments to remember the loved ones that for whatever reason can not be there with you and allow yourself during these precious days to be as lazy as it gets!! You deserve it and hopefully, Santa know that ;)

With love,

xox

December and all of that....

December and only some rare spots of snow here and there remain up here on the hills of Essertines. Winter Wonderland has again turned into a few hundred shades of grey and green and unfortunately, the weather forecasts, if accurate, reveal that this will NOT be a white Christmas. 

For (hopefully) explainable reasons, I am behind with absolutely everything! Lately, I have managed to miss no less than 4 important birthdays (I'm so sorry!) and practically forgot that Christmas is just around the corner and am just realizing exactly how close it is now that presents keep arriving at our place and the few presents we have managed to buy are not even wrapped yet and still have to be sent off! Oh well....at least the Christmas tree is in place and decorated since a week. Hope you guys are more on schedule for Christmas than I am?

Today was such a great day! It started with the postman bringing up two packages filled with christmas gifts from Sweden and so many beautiful Christmas cards from our friends and family.... Afterwards, a "baby-date" with lovely "Piretta" and her adorable baby girl, Charlotte, who is just a few days younger than Allison. After they left, Allison and I spent the afternoon playing, singing and reading stories together and she was in her best sunshiny-kind-of-mood the whooooole day, smiling, "talking" (No really! Like whole sentences in baby language, not just gurgling!! ;)) and being very cuddly. She has started to really listen to what I'm reading to her and, in a big-eyed way, watching the illustrations as the stories unravel. I can't wait for her to start understanding what all these words really mean, as for now, I'm sure my reading sounds to her just like her baby language sounds to me. She also started to play around with trying to put the pacifier back in her mouth without my help when she looses it. This cracks me up as of course, being only 2 months, this works maybe 2 times out of 10, so I end up assisting her lots more than normally as she also now spits it out on purpose just so she can practice her new moves and she gets VERY frustrated when she can't manage ;))

"Piretta", during our country side walk.....

At least there is still snow a bit higher up ;))

On top of this, she fell asleep effortlessly, a little after 8pm (Yep! In her own bed....) and since then, I managed to enhance and speed up the Christmas feeling with a cup of Swedish Glögg, in bed, in my cosy flannel pajama while blogging.....and if I'm lucky, she'll sleep through the night, like she's done most nights since about three weeks now. A happy HAPPY day.

Since my previous post, I have decided to keep blogging, but to re-launch the blog once we move to Sweden under a different name (still to be decided), as obviously by then, I'll be neither lost nor in Switzerland anymore.... I hope you'll follow me there.  
I'd like to thank everyone who sent me amazingly kind feedbacks regarding the blogging! I will try to reply as soon as I find some spare time (yep...I'm behind on this as well ;)).

....and one more thing before I close this laptop down to join Allison in the land of dreams. Who's watching Homeland?? OMG what an amazing season finale!! Best series since Dexter =p

xox

That post-holiday feeling.....

The first work week after the holidays is done and I must say, I never found it harder to ramp back up again. During this holiday, I managed to get completely relaxed and I didn't have to work even for a minute!! I can't even remember the last holidays I had where I didn't have to join at least one meeting from home, or at least receive a call from someone.... Probably I had forgotten what it is like to really have a break and now, once I've tasted it again, must say, it's the best thing ever!! Hence, the difficulties this week ;)) 

Some snapshots from the holidays:

Our little village, captured from a walk during Christmas

I went to Morgues for some shopping.... It's such a cute town!

We went to St Cergue for night skiing....only Chris skied. They only had red slopes opened and I was too scared ;))

For a while, the snow nearly melted away completely....

I went running many times and this is my usual view. Gorgeous!

Cheese fondue on New Year's eve

Mom and Kalle, enjoying their first fondue!

....hmmm....maybe more our 100th fondue?? ;)

My mom and I built a snowman....and I namned him Frosty, just like my sweater!

Like mother, like daughter ;))

We visited Lausanne

Where we had some Starbucks.... Gingerbread Latte, of course =p

We also had Raclette

.....and I found this little guy in my cheese =)

We went to Montreaux and had a nice walk by the lake

...and I played some more with my new curling tool from Amika!

With this post-holiday feeling in mind, I left work early on Friday and did the grocery shopping (to have that over with). When I came home, there was a plate of freshly baked cookies at the entrance from our amazing landlords (how great is that?! ...and they tasted divine btw ;))!! I then went for a 6km run while it was snowing (which feels amazing!), came home, did some strengthening exercises, stretched, took a looooong hot bath and then, while waiting for Chris to come home, I cooked pizza for us while sipping on a glass of red wine.....and just when I didn't think the day couldn't possibly get any better, Chris stepped through the door with a bouquet of flowers for me! I am truly blessed.

The cookie plate =p Do you see the two cats?

The before: Heading out for a run in the snow

The after: As soaked as if I had a shower and there is obviously also some steam in this photo =))

The flowers!! Aren't they beautiful? <3

The veggie pizza! This one with tomatoes, fresh garlic, mushrooms, fresh basil and mozzarella..

Now it's Saturday morning and I am trying to mentally prepare myself for what's coming up in a couple of hours..... I am nervous, but excited. My legs feel like jello thinking about it. I am curious to find out if I can really do it. This afternoon, I have a 2 hour downhill skiing lesson!!!! I hope I come back without broken bones =o/ Wish me luck!


I wish you all a lovely weekend!


xox

Photo blog: The first Noel.....

...in our new home, looked a little something like this..... 

Lots of snow the days before Christmas

The view from outside our livingroom window, the day before Christmas

I baked Swedish saffron buns

...and they turned out like this

The Christmas tree was decorated

....an abundance of goodies everywhere....

Christmas flowers were put on the dining table

...then it looked like this

Cupcakes in the making =p 

....I experimented and made them with Gingerbread flavor. Result: YUMMY!!)

Sooooo much snow and as you may see from my smug, unpainted face, I LOVE it!! 

I made my traditional "first snow, snow angel"! I refuse to grow old....

Chris too ;))

Swedish Christmas breakfast "Risgrynsgröt", which is a rice porridge served with cinnamon, sugar and milk.

Gingerbread and Saffron buns (I admit, they were also for breakfast ;))

I was wearing my new knitted sweater from Topshop! (and I've named him Frosty ;))

My Christmas hair-do, all thanks to my fab new curling tool from Amika

Christmas eve was in Swedish style....

Pickled Herring Cocktail, a delicious Christmas starter...

Swedish Christmas main courses

Swedish Christmas dessert

A little stroll in Essertines on Christmas eve

Our landlord even put a tree outside our house =)

Watched PLENTY of movies in bed =)

Even the bedroom has been all dressed up for Christmas ;)

Have also done lot of running this Christmas and this is my usual view!

Christmas day dinner, Swiss Cheese Fondue (to die for!!!)

I've had such an amazing time! I hope you all enjoyed your Christmases too!!
xox