• About how I try and avoid presents that your kids will never play with, and why I this year decided to make my own •
When it comes to presents, I’m quiet a conflicted person. I love when thought has been put into gift-giving. The idea of keeping a list throughout the year of things that people would like or could really use appeals to me. Or the concept of not having to gift the same people every year, but to only give presents to the ones you really have something personal for.
• A recipe for my easy morning buns •
A few years back, I used to bake some simple morning buns every Sunday morning. I’m not a skilled baker, but by studying other recipes I managed to make my own easy recipe that could be altered to fit whatever seeds, flour or nuts I would happen to have in my kitchen.
At some point I stopped baking. Maybe it was because I gave birth to Alma, and suddenly would spend my mornings breast feeding or catching up on sleep, or maybe it was because the best baker shop in the whole world, opened up just a block from our old home (I miss you Brød!).
• About how life sometimes can get a bit easier if you try and pick your battles and letting things go •
Despite all it’s wonder and beauty, motherhood can be quiet hard at times. I wish I could say our life was mostly smooth sailing, but it’s not. Instead I try to navigate my way through treenage tantrums, moodiness and small annoying things that suddenly turn into big scenes. And although I know everything would be easier if I embraced the choppy waves in hugs and endless love, but l find it hard to be that kind of person.
I feel like I always knew that I was going to become a mother to a girl and when I learned about the sex of my first born, I wasn’t surprised. A few weeks before I was due to give birth, my husband and I had decided on a girls name before we even knew the sex of our unborn child. Had it been a boy, we wouldn’t have had a clue. Having a girl felt right for both us, our family and our friends.
• A few thoughts on thankfulness on this my first Thanksgiving ever •
I often forget to be thankful for all the little things. Like a new pair of wooly socks, my husband heating up the bed (he travels a lot and it’s so cold when he’s not here) and my children playing and laughing out loud together. That extra cup of coffee on a sunny Sunday morning and our home at night when my kids are in bed, my husband is quiet and I get to be alone with my thoughts for a little while.
• My favorite Apple pie recipe •
As the temperature dropped outside, we decided to stay in on a cold and grey Sunday, which turned out to be the day that we would welcome colder weather, winter jackets, red cheeks and running noses.
In an old notebook I brought with me from Denmark, we found our family Apple pie recipe, which we normally would bake in our little summerhouse kitchen using only apples from our own garden. Little busy hands made for happy hearts when we after a few hours of baking all sat down together and celebrated the season, the birth of a new cousin and the upcoming holidays.
• A shortlist of some of my favorite Stroller friendly New York hotspots •
When we first moved to New York, I somehow felt that bringing my children to museums and other crowded public places could be a bit overwhelming. Chances were, that my youngest would start feeling tired as soon as we had checked in the stroller and I would end up carrying her around a museum for hours.
I love the nostalgic feeling that always sneaks up on me when autumn starts knocking on my door. It makes me dwell in old memories and think back on days and years gone by. Like today, when I realized that I’ve been married for more than six and a half years, and I remembered how I used to think that any adult older than 35 was half dead all ready. I’m 37 and I feel quiet alive. I also remembered how my husband, my eldest daughter and I visited New York exactly four years ago, while we were still living in Copenhagen. We borrowed a crazy apartment on the 15th floor of some modern building that had panorama windows overlooking Central Park, and every morning my daughter and I would get up really early and go sit in the window and look down at all the beautiful golden colors. While we were staying there my husband and I decided that we wanted another child and 9 month later my youngest daughter was born.
Today is a day of remembrance in this country, and maybe it has rubbed of on me a bit. Central Park holds a lot of great memories for me and my children, and so this was where we decided to spend this day off school. In a sea of golden colors and huge piles of leaves, we had our last picnic of the year, took a final ride on the carousel and spent hours making a beautiful leaf collection. Right now 20 small fingers all covered in glue are transforming all the leaves into a little piece of art and a small herbarium.
Soon the kids will be asleep, and I’ll spend the rest of the evening working on my two new creative projects that I one day hope to be able to share with you. I’ll drink some tea, do some research and listen to the wind chimes that are hanging outside our window that I have come to love so much.
Because when they get to the age where my thoughts and experiences can be of a bit of help in their lives they’ll probably find me really annoying, I’ve started writing down some thoughts for my daughters that I’d like to pass on to them. One day they’ll hopefully spend 5 minutes reading them and 5 minutes more thinking about them.
– Don’t let life make you forget about the dreams you had as a child. It is easy to forget but even easier to regret all the things you never got around to do. My biggest fear is waking up as an old woman and regretting all the things I never did, and this fear has brought me some great adventures.
– Read books. Long or short, pictures or not. Just read. It will keep your mind bright and hopefully remind you of me.
– Think before you act. What seems to be a great idea in the moment can sometimes end up being a really bad idea just an hour later. I still regret things I said or did before thinking, but I did learn something every time.
– Never be afraid of colors, but if in doubt, always go for black or white. It has worked for me for more than 10 years.
– Traveling is always a good idea, and if nobody wants to come with you, then go alone. It will bring you some of your greatest experiences, and I promise to try to not talk you out of it.
– Never stop creating. No matter what it is or even if it isn’t very good. It keeps your soul awake and your eyes clear and you love doing it. I know, because I see it every day.
– Remember that the most important things aren’t actually things at all.
– Don’t make decisions about your life based on other peoples opinions. Not even your parent’s. Your dad and I are often right, but when you grow up and become strong and independent young women, we might not know what’s always the best for you. And if I really don’t want to understand and except, show me this list, and I’ll try and remember that I too was young once.
– Be nice to animals. Most of them are nice to you and one of the things I wish I could have given you, was a childhood surrounded by animals of all kinds.
– Know, that you’ll have amazing experiences all over the world, but the biggest adventures are often found closest to yourself and in the middle of your everyday life. I have met a cobra in India, seen a wild tiger in the jungle, climbed a mountain in Nepal, travelled across the US in a bus and watched a sea turtle bigger than me lay her eggs on a Nicaraguan beach, still the two of you are my greatest adventure.
Today is our 1 year anniversary of living in New York and I thought it called for a bit of an update.
Even today while I’m ill at home, and my husband is in L.A for work and my daughters are both very concerned that Halloween with an ill mother is not going to happen or be fun, we still love living here. There are moments (like yesterday and today) where I miss my “village”, and everybody feels too far away, but most days things are great.
Here, one year after we started out on this adventure, I felt like sharing some ups and downs about moving to New York.
We love the slow way of living that we have engaged in. I don’t mind that small things can take a long time, and I accept that some days I don’t even get as far as putting on mascara.
We feel that this change of scenery has made us look differently upon so many things. At people, at relationships and at social connections. New York has turned both me and my kids into more open people, and should we ever move back, I hope to bring this with us.
I miss our friends, sharing a glass of wine with a bff or a Friday dinner with people we know so well and are comfortable with, that we don’t have to tidy up the living room before they come over.
I love that we live just a short walk from the amazing Brooklyn Bridge Park. Not many weeks go by without us going there at least once.
I miss nature. Not nature like in Central Park or Prospect Park, but real nature like the wild forest we go to when we’re staying in our summerhouse in Denmark.
One of the things I really want to do this second year in New York is to explore the amazing nature this city is surrounded by. We haven’t been good at doing this so far.
I love that I have been given an opportunity to spend this much time with my toddler. Even though having her at home half the week can sometimes drives me crazy and make me feel like I’m wasting my time, I think it’s the best investment I have ever made in myself and my family.
I have won over some simple fears I had when we first moved here. Like how do I take the subway on my own with 2 kids and a stroller and a hundred stairs.
I still don’t like going to the doctor here. Things are done in another way and although a check up is much more thorough here, there are things I still don’t fully understand with the healthcare system.
Politeness is highly regarded, and my kids have learned to always say thank you and please which I really like. On the other hand, the rude people you sometimes bump into on the street are so much more rude here, than I have ever seen in Denmark.
We get to celebrate Halloween in one of the most crazy Halloween settings you can ever imagine.
We might not get to see our family every month, but when we do see them it’s for 10 nights instead of just one or two, and even though it can sometimes end up being a bit intense, it means that my children really get to know their grandparents.
· A small selection of pictures from the last year ·
Exactly one year ago, we said a final goodbye to our old home. After months of trying to figure out all the practical things, and two weeks of intense packing, arranging and trying to get settled with the idea of leaving my beloved Copenhagen behind, we took off to London to spend a few days with my in-laws before moving to New York the day before Halloween.
During the last 8 months I’ve been asked lot of questions about moving abroad with small children, and since I haven’t always been the best at answering, I’ve tried to collect and answer some of these questions here:
What is the most difficult thing about moving?
It’s in no way easy to start a new life in a new city where you don’t know a lot of people. Both on a practical and on a personal level. You end up spending a long time trying to figure out how to deal with really simple things like how to make sure your child gets the necessary vaccines. My youngest daughter is in pre-school a few days a week, and spends the rest of the time with me taking art, music and yoga classes and going to the playgrounds. Even though I love spending time with her, it took me a while to get settled with this. I actually started Little Kin Journal as a way to accept that I would be spending most of my time in a child’s universe. It was my way of getting devoted to my new life and taking a step away from the life I used to live.
Do you miss your family?
Yes. But not as much as I thought I would. My parents have visited a few times, and my daughters and I spent almost 2 months in Denmark this summer, which we plan to do every year. In some ways, I think our relationship has ended up being more balanced since we moved. Because of the distance I can no longer rely on my parents to help solve my problems.
How did you decide on the area where you live?
That was a tricky one. When my eldest child was about two years old, we stayed in Manhattan for two weeks. She got stressed with the crowds and constant noise, so we knew that wouldn’t be the right place for us. Half a year before moving, we took two months off work to try out New York and figure out if this could be our new home. We ended up in one of the most child friendly areas of Brooklyn and we live really close to an amazing public school. Brooklyn Bridge Park is only 10 minutes walk away and we are 3 subway stops away from the Lower East Side in Manhattan. These things mean a lot to us, and even though we have to pay more for our apartment than one the same size in another area, it’s well worth it.
What do your children miss the most?
Their grandparents and our summerhouse. In the beginning my 6-year-old missed our old home a lot. My daughters were five and two when we moved, and neither of them were really attached to their friends. I think it’s much harder to move when children get older. I know some Danish people in Brooklyn who moved here over two years ago and their 13-year-old boy still misses his friends in Denmark every day.
Does your everyday life looks the same as it did in Denmark?
No, It doesn’t. If you want a good full-time day care in New York, it’s almost as expensive as a full time salary. At the moment my youngest is in pre-school (which is much more learning based than day-care) a few times a week, and for the rest of the time she’s home with me. A lot of people do it like that here, or you hire a nanny to take care of your children during hours they’re not in daycare. Since my husband is working a lot and his work requires a lot of traveling I take care of most of the practical things at home and with the children. The weekends we always try to spend together.
Did you keep an option open for moving back to Denmark if you didn’t like it?
We told our 6-year-old that she had to give it two month, and if she didn’t like it by then, we would move back home. A week after moving she said, she never wanted to move back home again. Before moving we decided to evaluate every year. In May this year, we decided to stay another year, and just a month ago, we decided to stay for at least two more years. My youngest daughter is starting school here next year, and both her and I would really like to see what that does to our everyday life.
Did you have things like schools, daycare apartment, work etc. settled before moving or did you just figure it out when you got there?
We had most of it settled before moving, except from daycare for my youngest, which is very different here, than in Denmark. Before moving, my husband went to New York for a few weeks to sort everything out, and after spending the first two weeks looking at a lot of awful and expensive places, he found a fairly spacious and very light apartment just one block from one of the best public schools in New York, which happened to have an open spot.
Do you ever regret moving abroad with small children?
No, and even if moved home tomorrow, I couldn’t imagine being without this experience. Before moving here, I sometimes questioned why we didn’t do it before we had children, but I never think of that anymore. I believe every family would gain and learn a lot from living abroad for a few years, and I think most children will end up seeing it as a positive experience.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I was convinced we would never have an apartment full of plastic toys like Barbie, Sylvanians and My Little Ponies. Now I know that was wrong in so many ways. We don’t have tons of toys, but we haven’t been able to avoid the commercial and popular kind, and since these toys often bring many hours of play time, I’m okay with having them around.
But as my children have been getting older, I’ve realized that they often appreciate the more unique pieces that are to be found in their toy collection. With this in mind, I’m trying to avoid buying anymore Barbies or My Little Ponies and instead focus more on hand crafted toys, either made by myself or bought from small companies or individual crafters.
Here’s a small selection of my favorite hand crafted toys, that I wouldn’t mind adding to the toy collection in our household.
1. Handmade Waldorf inspired doll I made for my youngest daughter. 2. Hungry bear doll / Coral and Tusk 3. Handmade ragdoll / Dancey Pants Disco 4. Cat headdress / Animalesque 5. Bunny in bloomers / Yume Creations 6. Camera / Fanny and Alexander 7. Fox mask / Coral and Tusk 8. Stacking toy / Toto 9. Wodden thief doll / Sketchinc 10. Ragdoll / Tippitoetailor 11. Play tent / Such Great Heights
I used to think that spring was my favorite time of year. As a spring-child, I’m born to love the feeling of new things blossoming. The ease with which April and May seem to flow by while days get warmer, evenings get lighter and people you love and cherish get sun kissed noses and start spending all their time outdoors.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve changed my mind. Fall has moved to the top of the list of my favorite seasons, and though I love barbecuing in our summerhouse garden, swimming in the sea or drinking my morning coffee in the summer sun, nothing beats the melancholic and gloomy feeling, that comes with falling leaves, the first fall storms and the woolly sweaters you suddenly feel like wrapping yourself and your children in.
I love red cheeks on my children’s faces when we have been outside playing in the park all day. I love kicking the fallen leaves, and throwing them in the air and letting them rain down on me. I love sitting on a blanket under a tree, enjoying one last picnic before the winter really kicks in. I love freshly picked apples. I love New York all dressed up in the most amazing rusty red colors. I love drinking my coffee hot again. I love to watch my children explore nature in another way that they did during summer. I love to watch squirrels bury their acorns for winter. I love that I can wear wooly sweaters, light jackets or even a long pair of pants without sweating and overheating. I love that I can wear shoes and boots (this morning i walked out only wearing sandals, and I was actually feeling cold). I love that it’s now ok to stay in all day and do little projects like drawing, painting and sewing with my kids. I love pumpkins and houses all dressed up for Halloween. But most of all, I love that fall will be followed by winter, which will be followed by spring, then summer and then fall again, and that i’m living in a city, where seasons are so explicit and changes so radical as here in New York. Those are the things I love about fall
I have always dreamed about growing my own vegetables. When I was a child, I knew of nothing better than eating a fresh carrot that still had it’s top on, and I remember days spent in my grandmother’s greenhouse, watering and cleaning the cucumbers and tomatoes and then afterwards going outside to pick bowls full of tasty strawberries. At the age of 86 my grandmother is still growing vegetables in her greenhouse and if my youngest daughter had the chance, she would happily eat every single tomato in there straight from the vine.
Before moving, I got to live out a bit of my dream in our summerhouse garden, where our old fruit trees and bushes would keep both us and all the deers stuffed full of fruit all throughout fall, and many a fruit pie has been baked with freshly picked apples and pears in our little cottage-kitchen.
When we moved to New York, I assumed nothing homegrown would find it’s way to our home anymore, except maybe a bit of basil.
This was until I discovered the Green Markets Farmers Market New York. Here, small family farmers sell their locally grown products directly to the consumers. The concept was founded back in 1976 and today more than 50 markets take place every week. Once a week, my youngest daughter and I will take a trip to one of the many markets and load up on freshly grown fruits and vegetables, homemade jam and locally produced honey. For me, taking the subway to the Farmers Market somehow seems like a bit of a contradiction, so instead we will pack a lunch box, take out our comfortable Mutsy-stroller and comfortable walking shoes and go visit markets in new neighborhoods and do some exploring along the way.
Come winter, we might stick to our local Farmers Market, which is only a few minutes walk from Alma’s pre-school, but for now, we love combining the trip to the Greenmarket with a long walk and some city exploring.
Read more about the Farmers Market New York or the amazing community gardens which are also run by Grown Nyc right here.
When you live in New York with two young children, October easily ends up being all about pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, spooky costumes and Jack-o-lanterns. If you, just like me, want to get through October without having your whole house plastered with tons of tasteless decorations, and would like to avoid spending most of a month salary on costumes and halloween treats, I have put together some halloween inspiration that most children and adults will like.
DYI links for my Halloween inspiration:
Carmen Mirande Costume // Llama costume // Printable monster cup cake holders // Sailor costume // Field of flowers costume // Mini ghost pinatas // Baby octopus costume // Glow in the dark treat bucket // Trick or treat bucket
I would love to be able to say that I’m the type of mother who always tells my daughters the truth, but that would be a lie. Like so many other mothers that I know, I sometimes end up using a little white lie to avoid long and logical explanations that my child won’t be able to understand.
In case you need some inspiration for your next white lie, or you simply want to shake your head while dwelling in my bad parenting, here’s a small list of the little white lies I tell my children.
– I can’t lay in your bed until you sleep tonight, because I have to go vacuum the whole apartment, but as soon as you’re asleep I’ll come in and lay next to you.
– If you pick up the pigeons feather from the ground, the pigeon will come after you, and try and hit you with a bird poop.
– When you’re asleep, the only thing mums and dads ever do, is to clean up and fold clothes.
– All the hot pink clothes are sold out in your size, and so are the blinking shoes.
– The toilet monster is really thirsty and hungry. Hurry out and feed him.
– The iPad has run out of battery and the charger won’t work until after dinner.
– The tooth fairy ran out of coins and instead she transferred the money to your bank account.
– If you don’t brush your teeth, they’ll fall out and you’ll have to live from boring things like soup and water the rest of you life.
– I never lie to you, so you would never lie to me, right?
A small list of 10 things we love right now:
In exactly one year, my youngest daughter Alma, who just turned 3, will start school. It scares me to think of her academic life starting at such an early stage (in Denmark you wouldn’t start school before you turn 6), but at the same time I know that she will be at an amazing school with plenty of room to play and explore. Fun things like jumping in puddles, and making roasting food over a bonfire, as Eleanor used to do in her Danish kindergarten, we’ll have to take care of ourselves during family time, but on the other hand, Alma will never be picked up later than 2:45, which is a lot earlier than many Danish children get to go home.
The first two years of school (pre-K & Kindergarten) are mostly play based, and the teaching at our school follows an Imaginative Learning concept, where the children are never told anything is right or wrong. Reading and writing is all based on their own imagination and how the individual child experiences a word and a sentence. This sometimes results in some funny written sentences, since words are being spelled out exactly how the child hears or feels them, and not according to the correct way of spelling. Most younger children don’t realize they’re learning to read, write or do math and the fact that they’re never told if things are right or wrong gives them great confidence.
Even though Alma won’t be doing much schoolwork for the first two years, the school still expects her to be able to do a bit of counting when she first starts. This means we need to do a bit of practicing, and with Alma being so excited about starting school, and Eleanor being so excited about Alma learning new things, it has become Eleanor’s little thing to make sure Alma is learning to count. At the moment they’re reading (or counting) a little counting book called Six with paintings by Katherine Bradford. I don’t know if it’s because of the paintings that are so far from anything you would normally see in a children’s book, or if it’s because the book is not structured from 1-10, but jumps around in the numbers. Anyhow, Alma has almost learned to count, and now counts to two every time she sees the Statue of Liberty, since that’s what you have to do in the book when a picture of a statue shows up on the page.
One week ago Eleanor went back to school. After two and a half months spent in quiet surroundings together with her closest family, she had to walk into a class room full of new classmates (and a few old ones) and a new teacher (who everybody says is amazing, and happens to be a real magician) and start a new chapter of her life.
When she turned around on that second day of 1st grade, waved to me and said “mum, you can go now”, I realized that she’s not my helpless little girl anymore. She is a little human who has just started a great journey of independence. Soon she’ll have her own opinions about more important things than what she wants for dinner or which colour is the prettiest.
As a parent I can just stand back, and hope, that we’re doing the right things and that she’ll turn out great. From now on I’ll have to watch her be happy, frustrated, angry and sad and have to let her fight her own battles and make her own decisions, without doing anything else than just being there to support her and helping her navigate through obstacles in her own life. It’s all I can do. That and making her a supergirl mask, that she can wear, when the butterflies in her stomach start speeding around a little too fast, or she just needs a little bit of extra power to get through the day. She says it gives her some extra strength when she has to do stuff like tiding up her room or make new friends at school.
Here’s how you make one for your child, should he or she also be in a bit of a need of some extra powers:
Cut out a paper mask-shape, and make sure the size and eye holes fit your child.
Pin the paper to a double layer of felt in your preferred color.
Cut out the two felt masks and either sew or glue them on top of each other.
Attach an elastic string to both sides of the mask. I sewed the elastic string to a thin piece of felt, but this is not necessary.
Illustrations by Emily Winfield Martin
It’s exactly 2 weeks ago that we returned to New York after almost 2 months of vacation back in Denmark. During this time, we stayed at our old summer house, which is still as cosy and Scandinavian as before we moved to Brooklyn. We enjoyed great times with old friends and family, visited Copenhagen where we used to live and walked around our old neighborhood, dropped by our old local cafe, and my coffee was served by the same girl as a year ago. It’s as if nothing much has changed since we left.
My girls and I have a new favorite, banana pancakes with no sugar, no flour and no other unhealthy things added. The inspiration came to me a few weeks ago, when a dear friend of mine served me a homemade brunch, which she prepared while cradling her adorable six month old baby. Among freshly baked buns, fresh fruit and large cups of coffee were some small and tasty pancakes, made only of bananas and egg.
I knew straight away that this concept would be a success with my pancake-loving children, and in order to make them a bit more filling and kids-friendly, I have added a few things.
This is the recipe we use when making a stack of delicious banana pancakes:
2 ripe bananas
4 eggs
1 tablespoon of oats
1 tablespoon of shredded coconut
1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla powder
or
1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon
Coconut oil or vegetable oil for frying
Using a fork, mash the banana until they are almost a smooth paste. Add all the eggs and whisk together. Add coconut and spices, and whisk it all together. The batter will be a bit thick and lumpy.
Heat a small amount of oil on a pan, and pour batter on the pan. Move the pan around until the pancake ends up round and thin, and let fry for a few minutes on each side until light brown.
Serve with fresh fruit or greek yogurt or fruit jam.
Tip: The banana pancakes also taste great when served cold, and will make a great snack for a lunchbox.
We’re slowly settling in at home after two months of vacation in our summer house in Denmark. Most days of our vacation were spent in our garden, at the beach and the nearby forest, while other days called for a change of scenery.
One of my eldest and dearest friends works at an amazing museum in Copenhagen and because of this, my daughters and I have been visiting the Glyptoteket museum on a regular basis ever since they were babies. We come here to sit in the beautiful Winter Garden, to participate in children’s events, and to enjoy the rooftop view and experience some spectacular exhibitions.
Some people might think it would be easier to take two small kids to see a modern art exhibition with only a few paintings on the wall, out of reach of curious little hands, instead of a place full of marble statues. And on a practical level that might be true, because who would like to see their 3-year-old knock over an irreplaceable marble statue, let alone be hit by it if it falls? But practicalities aside, which kid wouldn’t love to look a the huge white marble sculptures of bodies and busts and wonder who they are and what they are thinking?
On one of the last Fridays of our vacation, my daughters and I went back to Glyptoteket. We looked at the large golden fish in the Winter Garden (or the Jungle as Alma has named it), found a hippo and a butterfly and sat under a palm leave and pretended we were lost somewhere in a deep magical rainforest. We observed marble statues and came up with stories about the lives they lived many years ago. We saw paintings of girls playing in a forest, a statue of a girl holding a dead bird, a painting of a dead bird and a sad woman sitting next to her husband’s bed. We played chess in the hallway, and saw a beautiful Man Ray exhibition, which later inspired Alma to do some drawings of a little wooden manikin.
And at our summer-house we now have a small old glass with a golden edge filled with 9 tiny pieces of the most exquisite white marble, that our friend gave us just before we walked out through the big doors and left the magic of this amazing museum behind.
Should you ever find yourself in Copenhagen, be sure to pay Glyptoteket a visit.
It’s with a heavy heart we say our goodbyes to the month of August. To a month of Danish countryside living, to days full of sandy beaches, cold dips in the sea, summer rain and walks in the forest. To bright Scandinavian nights, barbecue-dinners, hours of talking with good friends and beautiful bouquets of homegrown grapes.
For me, August is one of my favorite month, mainly because this is the month where my second daughter was born. Celebrating her birthday always make me think back, and this year I have spent days wondering about motherhood and sisterhood, how my two daughters ended up being as different as they are and how I sometimes feel the necessity to change my life around to be able to see what’s really important.
Most women will tell you, how their life was turned upside down the day they became mothers for the first time. For me, it was with the birth of my second daughter, that everything changed. My first child was (and still is) the easiest kid you can ever imagine. It’s in her nature to be good, caring and to follow rules.
My youngest daughter, on the other hand, was a rascal from the moment she was delivered with and urgent C-section, and she continues to challenge me every day. She’s funny and loving and has a temper like 10 wild horses. She loves to be busy and amongst a lot of people and has a big need for a calm, safe and relaxing environment. She’s one of the good reasons why I chose to leave a good job in the fashion industry, and become a home-working mother in New York. Now every time the calendar says august the 1st., I’m reminded how different two sisters can be, the importance of sisterhood and motherhood, how a tiny person can end up changing your life and how you need to create the life you want for yourself and your children instead of just letting things happen around you.
And so, I spend this last evening of August looking back at all the good memories my family and I created together this August. September, I hope you’ll be just as amazing.
If I could decide, mornings would be a combination of blissful quietness, bright sunlight, large cups of coffee, space to let my thoughts and imagination wander off and with no more than a few words uttered.
But with two young girls and a husband who works in both Copenhagen and New York, (he wakes up to a full inbox of work related mails during the week because the Danes are 6 hours ahead), this is pretty far from my own reality. Feeding my family, getting the girls ready and dressed, packing lunch boxes and backpacks and making sure that I look halfway decent before leaving the house doesn’t leave time for much else than a quick coffee in-front of the bathroom mirror.
Though I have accepted that our mornings won’t be quiet and blissful before the day my daughters move away from home (and knowing myself and my husband, probably not even then) I’ll do whatever I can to try and minimize conflicts, stress and morning tantrums. And after thinking about it, I realized that this is probably why the messy top knot is the number 1. hairstyle in our house.
Both my girls have quite long and thick hair for their age, and though my eldest is getting good at brushing her own hair every morning, my youngest freaks out every time I try to brush out her messy and tangled locks. Getting the right hairbrush and using soft fabric hairbands has made my life a lot easier, but most times, brushing Alma’s hair out will still end up with me trying to catch a screaming child before she runs off and hides in her cupboard.
So I’ve stopped fighting with her. The days she feels like having her hair loose, she’ll let me brush it out, and the rest, I’ll just gather it all on the top of her head in a really messy top knot.
If anyone knows of any amazing tricks or kids friendly products for detangling long and thick hair, please let me know. Until then, I’ll choose my battles and accept that my youngest has a top knot on every single picture I take of her.
… we realized that living in New York doesn’t only mean great cultural experiences, it also means living close to a lot of great beaches.
… we ate sweet cherries for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
… we spent days climbing rocks in Central Park.
… we visited Brooklyn Museum (read about it here), and Eleanor fell in love with ancient Egyptian art.
… I took a trip down memory lane and revisited the year I spent in India all because of a little fruit I saw in our local vegetable market.
… we made crispy kale chips (see our favorite recipe right here).
… we spent a night on a plane that took us back to our home country for a long holiday vacation.
… we blew bubbles and barbecued in the evening sun.
… we picked petals from rose hip flowers and made our own kids friendly perfume (see how right here).
… we went to Lego Land and spent a whole day flying in Lego airplanes, driving in Lego cars and sailing in Lego boats.
… we picked flowers in our summer house garden and made plant studies on our wall.
… we visited old acquaintances in the countryside, and Eleanor fell in love with a huge horse and 3 tiny dogs.
… we visited the most amazing green houses and got inspired to do some indoor gardening when we return to NYC (you can read more about it right here).
… we celebrated Alma turning 3-years-old.
… I made Alma a Waldorf inspired doll for her birthday, and realized that making things with my hands is one of the things that makes me most happy.
… we tried to make friends with the Danish deers, snails and ducks.
… we picked lavender and wild strawberries in my grandmother’s garden, and enjoyed seeing a 3-year-old girl and her 83 year-old great-grandmother in conversation over a beautiful rose.
When I was a child, it was a common belief amongst most grown-ups, that enjoying art was for adults only. Luckily for me, my parents didn’t share this belief, and many of my childhood sunday’s or vacations were spent visiting museums and small galleries. I remember visiting The Louvre for the first time when I was 8. I was introduced to the Mona Lisa and one of Degas’s ballerinas, which I have loved ever since. I remember the first time I saw a Jackson Pollock hanging at a museum in Los Angeles and my dad introducing me to one of his favourite art movements, American pop-art.
In my mind, kids and art make the perfect combination, and I never hesitate bringing my kids to a museum. I believe that exposure to art in all ways can expand children’s awareness of the world and the society we live in, and open up their minds to a more creative way of thinking and seeing things. Visiting a museum might not be the same experience when you have to watch out that little greasy hands don’t touch the paintings, but I don’t mind, as long as it means that I get to hear Eleanor’s literal interpretations of even the most abstract paintings or Alma’s outbursts of enjoyment when she sees a piece that really speaks to her. I always make sure to visit a museum when my kids are well-rested and have had a good lunch, we never stay more than two hours and if the museum has a children’s department this is where we’ll end our visit. Some museums even have a children’s tour program, and if they do, we’ll always go for that.
Here’s a list of some of our favorite museums (and a few we have been recommended, but still haven’t had the chance to visit ourselves) :
Museum of Modern art, New York (Don’t miss out of the small but fun children’s play area)
Louisiana, Humlebæk, Denmark (this museum has a wonderful children’s department where kids can get creative themselves)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (take a look at their amazing family program to plan your visit)
Tate Modern, London (Prepare you child by visiting Tate Kids together)
Arken, Ishøj, Denmark (Every Sunday is Family Sunday with a lot of activities and an open creative workshop)
The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (join in on a family tour or visit the Family Lab)
Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France (Remember to book online in advance, if you want to take part in one of their fun youngster activities)
Statens Museum for Kunst; Copenhagen, Denmark (The Children’s Museum of Art is open every weekend. Read more here)
Do you know of any kids-friendly museums we should add to our list? We would love to know…
…And if you like the combo of kids and art as much as me, then check out this Instagram profile @rockthatmuseumkids, which shares great pictures of tiny art-watchers from all over the world.
We’re finally back in Denmark, and even though the first day of our summer holiday has been affected by a good amount of jet lag, we managed to visit our favourite beach spot, have a lovely picnic, play in the sandbox, eat wild strawberries that we found in our garden and make our own kids friendly ” perfume “.
It was something I used to do every summer holiday when I was a kid, and seeing the many rose hip flowers on our trip to the beach, I decided it was time to pass it on to Eleanor. It’s really simple, and actually smells great (my 65-year-old dad was sure we could sell it).
All you have to do is to pick a lot of petals from the rose hip flowers, and soak them in water for a few hours. We added the juice from two slices of organic lemon to give it an extra edge. Eleanor spent a lot of time pouring the water from one bowl to the other, stirring the petals around and ripping the petals into a hundred little pieces…. Simply put, you just need to add water to the petals.
Dress by Christina Rohde
My kids are not the type of children, who’ll eat anything I put in front of them. Not that they’re picky, but my youngest doesn’t like anything sweet, and my eldest has always preferred not to eat meat. One thing they both love is vegetables, and even though they prefer the more kids-friendly versions like carrots, cucumber, beans, tomatoes, broccoli, belled peppers and potatoes they’ll happily eat other ones as well, as long as they are prepared in a delicate way.
A favorite at the moment is baked kale chips, which they’ll eat just as a snack or as a side dish together with small organic chicken sausages.
Here’s my quick and easy recipe for kids-friendly kale chips.
You’ll need:
1 bunch kale
1/2 – 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
Remove the stems and tear the leaves into large pieces.
Wash and dry the leaves really well before beginning.
Spread the kale into a single layer on the baking sheet.
Drizzle the olive oil over the leaves and toss the leaves around to make sure all leaves are covered. Be aware not to use too much oil, as this will prevent the chips from getting crispy.
Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake at 375 degrees F (175 degrees C) until the edges of the leaves turn slightly brown.
Let the kale chips cool down for a few minutes before serving.
ENJOY!
June, you were hot, humid and dressed in pretty flowers. You brought us summer, evenings full of soft light, sweet strawberries and glasses of cold rosé. I can’t believe you’re gone already.
We love you June because for my little family you were the month where …
… We have to admit that New York summers can be a bit too hot, so we got ourselves an air conditioner.
… Eleanor graduated kindergarten, and will be a first grader.
… Alma realized that swimming is great in this heat.
… We spent hours at our local splash pools.
… We experienced this years’ first heavy summer thunder showers.
… We fell in love with the rose garden at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.
… Eleanor went through 2 weeks of crazy theme days at school ( including pink hair, funny socks, ice cream day and going to school dressed in a night gown ).
… We visited Governor’s Island for the first time ( but definitely not for the last ).
… We welcomed our first summer holiday as New Yorkers.
… Some of our favorite people from Denmark stopped by New York and paid us a visit.
… the kids had bare & grazed summer knees from running and falling.
… We saw a day of rainbow coloured celebrations because in the end, love wins.
… We expanded our household with the most amazing basil plant, that treats us to tasty green herb leaves every day.
… We bought our first piece of Scandinavian design for our New York-home. A Trip-Trap chair for Alma, we missed our old one too much.
… I realized that Eleanor can now read text messages, notes, letters and books. Nothing is secret any more!
“Sometimes you’re happy, sometimes you’re sad. You’re not always in the same mood. When you’re sad you might be afraid to tell a grown up, but if you tell a grown up, you’ll feel better.” That’s what my 6-year old daughter answered, when I asked her, what the film Inside Out was about.
Yesterday afternoon Eleanor and I went on a cinema-date to see the new Pixar film Inside Out. The film is about Riley, who has to leave her friends, home and beloved ice hockey team behind, to move to a new city because of her dad’s new job. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions; Joy, Fear, Sadness, Anger and Disgust. These individual emotions live in the control centre of Riley’s brain and they help guide her through the day. As Riley gets more and more upset about the move, chaos is let loose in her brain, and her emotions end up on a dangerous and heartbreaking journey in an attempt to restore order and make Riley happy again.
Through most parts of the film, the emotion Joy thinks she’s the only one who can make Riley happy. But by looking back at Riley’s most important memories Joy realizes that sometimes you need to accept sadness.
Eleanor and I both found that is was a really good, funny though also a very sad film. New York Times critic A.O. Scott describes the film like “ a defense of sorrow, an argument for the necessity of melancholy dressed in the bright colors of entertainment”, and for me, that’s exactly what the film is about. It’s so sad, that you feel like crying (a young man sitting right behind us made loud sobbing sounds more than one time throughout the film) but because the sadness is wrapped up in funny characters, bright colors and an imaginary animal-friend who cries candy tears, it’s digestible for a 6-year-old.
For my daughter and I, the film was a great opener for a conversation about emotions, how you cannot always be happy and that it often helps to talk about things with a grownup. It also started a conversation about how emotions work, and how our brains are built.
Go see Inside Out, and make sure you have time for those important conversations afterwards if you child feels like it.
//
As a mother in a new city, one of the things me and my kids like doing the most, is to explore our surroundings and all the things this city has to offer. Exploring is often equal to days spent outside, long walks and hungry stomachs, and after having to deal with blistered feet and a child screaming because she’s still hungry and doesn’t want to take a nap because I forgot to bring her favourite blanket, I have learned that there are somethings that you just don’t leave the house without.
Here’s my list of 9 things that I don’t leave my home without when I’m exploring New York with a toddler:
1. A good pair of walking shoes. The first few months I walked around in a pair of not so comfortable but very pretty shoes. That wasn’t the right decision. Now I wear my Birkenstock sandals on warm days and my running shoes when it’s colder. Less fancy but so much more comfortable.
2. A good stroller. I have tried a few different strollers in my six years as a mother, and one thing I’ve learned is that this is not good to go for the cheapest solution. If you know you will end up walking a lot, you need a stroller that can be adjusted to fit your height (to avoid getting a really soar back), maneuvers easily, is comfortable for you child, can decline for nap time and can carry all of your stuff in the shopping basket. My Mutsy stroller comes pretty close to being perfect and on top of all the things mentioned above it has a small storage room for the rain cover and it looks great with the leather look-a-like details and a simple design.
3. Water bottle(s). I’m always surprised how much water my children can drink when we’re out walking. Running out of water on a hot New York day is not fun.
4. A good book. My toddler loves to sleep in her stroller, and while she does, I find a bench with some shade and catch up on some reading (preferably with an iced coffee in my hand).
5. Nap time essentials like a snuggly blanket and pacifier.
6. Packed lunch and a lot of snacks. For some reason my kids always get hungry the second we’ve left the house, and since I can’t always be sure to buy something they like whereever we end up, I always bring food from home.
7. Sunblock. You often don’t realize that you’re getting a really bad sunburn before it’s too late, and even though it was cloudy when you left the house, there’s a good chance that the sun will come out during the day.
8. All the stuff you need to handle a change of diapers.
9. Patience. Exploring a big city with small kids is definitely not the same as exploring it with a friend or your husband. You might have to stop every 3 minutes to serve a drink, eat a snack, smell a flower, jump over a puddle or look at a fire engine.
(Do you want a few more tips on exploring New York with a toddler? I wrote about it earlier right here )
11 things I really want to remember about being a mother to a toddler:
~ The bittersweet feeling of being woken up way too early on a Sunday morning by a tiny voice whispering, Mum, are you awake? and how the whispering quickly turns to yelling if I ignore her question and keep on sleeping.
~ How greasy hands can be so loving and caring and non-disgusting when they quietly slip into yours and drag you off into a little world of unicorns, snuggly blankets and teddy bears.
~ How the word mummy, mama, mor and mimmi can be repeated indefinitely throughout the day.
~ The warm feeling of tiny kisses on your cheeks.
~ How feelings or states of mind are felt and expressed at one hundred percent, like being hungry, sleepy, really mad or very happy. Have you ever met a toddler who was just a little bit hungry or a tiny bit mad?
~ How strong-willed a toddler can be when it comes to staying awake, watching Netflix on the iPad or not eating her dinner.
~ The enthusiasm and excitement small things like making a painting, eating a bun or listening to a favorite song can bring. I wish I could appreciate these things the same way as her.
~ The amount of sandcastles you can build and tear down in less than an hour.
~ The amount of stress a toddler can cause when she decides to do the opposite of what you have asked… and how you can only convince her to do what you have asked by outsmarting them (How long will that last?)
~ How you keep on getting the best answers to your requests like:
– Go to sleep.
– No thank you.
or
– Give back the bucket you just took from your sister.
– No, sharing is caring.
~ The unconditional love and the fact that someone thinks that you are the best thing in the whole world.
When we lived in Copenhagen, my eldest daughter took weekly ballet lessons. She really liked to dress up in her pink tutu and her small ballet shoes (and I have to admit, I loved to see her all dressed up) and go dancing with the other girls. When we arrived in New York, the best ballet classes for her age were already full, so I decided to find her another activity that she might enjoy going to on a weekly basis. I love doing yoga, and since my gym offers great baby, toddler and family yoga classes, I decided to try and bring both girls to kids yoga. It has been four months since they started and they have been hooked on it since the first lesson.
Even though Eleanor feels really challenged when a new position gets a bit too tricky or a a stretch doesn’t feel comfortable, I can see how great it makes her feel about herself and it teaches her to focus and relax.
As for my 2-year-old and her toddler yoga classes, it’s not as challenging.We pretend to be animals while doing a variety of classic yoga poses and the children are allowed to play around and join in should they want to. Alma has her favorite poses that she will always do and she loves to do her version of the classic lotus pose, sit very still, close her eyes and say some loud ohm-sounds.
Besides from yoga being a fun activity, it also has a lot of benefits for kids:
It helps balance and coordination.
It develops focus and concentration.
It enhances physical flexibility.
It boosts confidence and self-esteem.
It strengths the connection between body and mind.
Kids yoga is becoming very popular in the US at the moment. Studies have shown a connection between kids yoga and improvements in asthma, stress, irritable bowel syndrome, ADHD and autism. None of the things mentioned above are the reason why my children are taking yoga classes, but I like that a fun activity can be more than just fun. As long as they both continue to love it, we will definitely keep going. Even though we might add a ballet class to their list of activities come fall.
If you want to do some kids yoga with you child at home, then check out the app My First Yoga. Eleanor loves to use it.
Mamaste (as my 2-year-old says)
//
Mens vi boede i København, gik min ældste datter til ballet sammen med to små veninder. Hun elskede at tage den fine tutu og de små balletsko på (og jeg må indrømme, at jeg også syntes det var ret sødt) og danse rundt sammen med alle de andre pastelfarvede piger.
Men da vi ankom til New York i slutningen af oktober, var alle de gode balletklasser optaget, og jeg besluttede mig derfor for, at finde hende en anden fysisk fritidsinteresse. Jeg holder selv meget af at dyrke yoga, og da min yogaskole udbyder gode baby- toddler- og børneklasser besluttede jeg mig for, at lade begge piger prøve det. Det er nu fire måneder siden, og de er begge absolut hooked.
Selvom Eleanor til tider føler sig meget udfordret når en ny position driller eller et stræk ikke føles rart, kan jeg se hvor godt det får hende til at føle, når hun selv kan se, hvor meget hun hele tiden forbedre sig og hvor meget det lærer hende at fokusere, slappe af, og blive ved med at forsøge selvom noget ikke lykkedes i første forsøg.
Min yngste på to er ligeledes meget glad for sine toddler-klasser. Her handler det om at lege det ind. Hver position formes ud fra et dyr, og børnene får lov at være med så meget eller lidt som de selv vil. Alma har helt sikkert sine favorit positioner som hun altid udfører, og så elsker hun at lave sine egen udgave a lotus stillingen, sidde helt stille og sige meget høje OHHHHHHMM lyde.
Udover at yoga er sjovt, har det nogle positive fordele for børnene, hvilket især ses tydeligt hos Eleanor.
Yoga hjælper med at udvikle en god balance og koordinationsevne.
Yoga udvikler barnets evne til fokus og koncentration.
Yoga forbedrer kroppens flexibilitet.
Yoga booster barnets selvtillid og selvværd.
Yoga forbedrer forbindelsen mellem kroppen og hjernen.
Jeg elsker at noget som kan være sjovt, også kan være så lærerigt og udviklende.
Hvis du vil prøve at dyrke lidt yoga med dit barn derhjemme, så tjek app’en My First Yoga. Eleanor elsker at bruge den til sine egne små yogasessions hjemme på stuegulvet, og den bliver helt sikkert et hit, når vi om lidt rejser til Danmark på en meget lang sommerferie.
Mamaste (som min 2-årige siger)
//
Endnu en måned er gået, med hede dage, smeltede is, turer til legepladsen, asfaltknæ og svedige nætter. For min lille familie, maj var også måneden hvor…
… Vi fejrede en 6 års fødselsdag (læs mere om den her)
… Vi kunne sige farvel til en pink gips.
… vi ventede nervøst i 2 uger, indtil Alma lige med begyndte at gå igen helt af sig selv.
… vi så Eleanor optræde i sin første skolemusical.
… Alma lærte at køre selv på en en ter-hjulet cykel.
… Vi brugte flere af vores vågne timer udenfor end inde.
… vi besluttede, at vi bliver i New York. I hvert fald i endnu et år.
… min mand og jeg så den sidste sæson af Mad Men (og hvilken afslutning).
… Alma begyndte at gå til kunstklasser.
… Jeg forsøgte mig med at tage billeder med et rigtigt kamera for første gang i årevis.
… jeg færdiggjorde Eleanors hjemmelavede dukke (Se den her)
… Eleanor og jeg forelskede os i Sufjan Stevens nye album Carrie and Lowell.
… Vi klappede en hygge-gris.
… Vi besøgte Brooklyn Botaniske have, og nød en dage blandt de mange blomstrende japanske kirsebær træer.
… solen farvede vores næser røde.
… vi bestilte billetter til 1 1/2 måneds sommerferie i Danmark.
… Vi tog til stranden og dyppede vores fødder i havet for første gang i år.
Farewell May!
Some of you have asked to hear more about the rag doll I made for Eleanor’s birthday (I have mentioned it before in this post). It seems like rag dolls are extremely popular at the moment, and several smaller companies and crafters make adorable versions, which would have been an easier solution. But since I’ve always wanted to make a personal present from me to my daughter and I actually love to sew, I decided to do a DIY rag doll instead.
The doll is made of a white organic cotton fabric and dyed in black tea to give it just the right skin tone. I chose to stuff it with a locally produced wool stuffing. The face is inspired by some of Eleanor’s drawings and the hair is made of wool (another option could have been yarn, which I might go for next time).
The wardrobe and the accessories I really enjoyed designing and making. All outfits are inspired by some of my favorite designers, and made from old clothes of Eleanor’s and mine. I wanted the doll to be a kind of secret friend to Eleanor, someone, who she can pretend will help her out of troubles and comfort her, when she’s upset. So I decided to make the rag doll (who Eleanor later named Super Ella) into a secret super hero doll with a super hero bunny rabbit sidekick and Eleanor loves that she isn’t just another ordinary doll.
I have made a lot of mistakes along the way, and have a small list of things I’ll do differently for my next doll projects. But even though she isn’t perfect, I still love this one. She’s the first doll I’ve ever made, and everything i made with Eleanor in my mind. Since I really loved making this one, and my younger daughter has ordered one “with pink hair” I’ve already started making the next few dolls. And hopefully we know of another few little girls out there, who would like their own little secret super hero friend cause I don’t think I can stop after just making two.
//
Nogle af jer har bedt om at se mere til den håndlavede dukke, som Eleanor fik i fødselsdagsgave (jeg har før omtalt den her). DIY rag dolls eller kludedukker, som man vel kalder dem i Danmark, er meget populære i USA for øjeblikket, og der er flere mindre firmaer og kreative damer, der laver nogle virkeligt skønne versioner. Man da jeg længe har haft lyst til at lave en personlig gave til Eleanor, og jeg faktisk elsker at sy, besluttede jeg mig for at DIY.
Dukken (som Eleanor senere har døbt Super Ella) er lavet ud af en kraftig organisk hvid bomuld, og er farvet i sort the for at få en fin og levende hud tone. Hun er fyldt ud med organisk uld, og ansigtet er inspireret af nogle af Eleanors tegninger af piger.
Noget af det sjovest var at lave Super Ellas garderobe og accessories. Tøjet er syet ud af gammelt aflagt tøj af Eleanors og mit, og Eleanor har moret sig meget over at kunne genkende stof fra gamle bukser og kjoler. Jeg har hele tiden haft en idé om, at dukke skulle være en slag hemmelig ven for Eleanor. Én, som kan give lidt imaginært hjælp og trøst når man har brug for det. Derfor besluttede jeg mig for, at lave hende til en hemmelig super hero dukke og give hende en hemmelig super hero kanin som sit side kick, hvilket har vist sig at være en meget populær idé hos begge børn.
Jeg har lavet en masse fejl undervejs og har en hel liste af ting, som jeg gerne vil gøre anderledes i mit næste dukkeprojekt. Jeg nød virkelig at lave Super Ella, og lillesøster har heldigvis bestilt en “med pink hår”, så der er allerede gang i et par nye dukker. Og så håber vi bare, at vi kender et par små piger derude et sted, der også godt kunne tænke sig at modtage sin helt egen hemmelige super hero ven.
Because childhood is short, and I don’t want to find myself in 10 years from now, regretting all the things we never got around to do while my kids were still young, I have started making lists. Here is one of 15 things, I would like my children to see before they become teenagers.
Before my children grow up, I want them to see…
… the beauty in small things. A flower, a simple drawing, a painted nail or a cats’ tail.
… that it pays off to be nice, honest and helpful.
… a classical art masterpiece, and not just run around in a museum and look at 3 paintings in 5 seconds. But to sit down and let it all in.
… themselves.
… the magic in words.
… nature. Not just a nearby forest or an overcrowded beach, but great wide open landscapes, wild animals, Redwood trees, waterfalls and mountains.
… the diversity of the world they live in.
… an abstract painting, and experience the emotions it gives them.
… The NeverEnding Story and The Brothers Lionheart. I don’t care if they are dated and don’t have a singing princess. They should still see them.
… me and my husband dance all night.
… that it’s okay to change your mind.
… old family pictures and laugh out loud at bad haircut and styling decisions.
… the Wadden Sea.
… a dead bird. Not in a scary way, but just as an answer to many a curious question.
… themselves getting really good at something, a talent they didn’t know they had, that makes them happy.
//
Jeg er begyndt at lave lister. Fordi barndommen er kort, og fordi jeg nødig vil vågne en morgen om 10 år, og fortryde alle de ting, vi bare ikke lige fik gjort. Her er den første ud af noget, jeg tænker let kunne blive en hel lille samling. Den handler om ting, som jeg gerne vil have, at mine børn skal se inden de vokser op.
Inden mine børn vokser op, vil jeg gerne have de ser…
… skønheden i de små ting. En blomst, en tegning, en malet negl eller en kats stribede hale.
… at det betaler sig at være, venlig, ærlig og hjælpsom.
… en klassiske kunstværk, som de virkelig sætter sig ned og studerer. Jeg tror på, at der kan findes mange svar i den klassiske kunst.
… dem selv.
… magien i ordet.
… naturen. Og ikke bare i form af en lille skov eller en overbefolket strand. Men de store åbne vidder, vilde dyr, Redwood træer, vandfald og bjerge.
… diversiteten i den verden som de lever og vokser op i.
… et abstrakt kunstværk og de følelser et sådan kan frembringe.
… den uendelige historie og Brødrene Løvehjerte. Det kan godt være de er gammeldags og ikke indeholder nogle syngende prinsesser, men de skal se dem alligevel.
… min mand og jeg dansende en hel nat sammen.
… at det er okay at ændre sin mening.
… gamle familiefotos, hvor en fantastisk frisure eller et helt forfærdeligt outfit kan få dem til at grine sig halvt ihjel.
… Vadehavet.
… en død fugl. Og ikke på en skummel måde, men blot som et svar på et utal af nysgerrige spørgsmål.
… dem selv blive rigtigt gode til noget, som de ikke troede de ville kunne klare.
Though only a month has passed since we had our last snow fall in New York, the temperatures are hitting 30 ºC / 86 ºF and the sun is shining all day. While I turn red faster than most people can say the sun is shining, it turns out that my youngest daughter is allergic to the sun. If she flashes any skin without being covered in sunscreen she will not just turn red, but get a really bad and itchy rash that won’t disappear for days. So we apply sun block, wear sun hats and cover up in light cotton fabrics all day long to avoid ending up looking like cooked lobsters.
Here are a few recommended guidelines regarding sun protection for kids that were recommended to me by a Danish dermatologist specializing in skin cancer.
1. Shirt / Tocoto 2. Kids Sun Lotion / Rudolph Care (my absolute favorite, and the only one that my youngest isn’t allergic to) 3. UV jumpsuit / Petite Crabe 4. UV jumpsuit / Petite Crabe 5. Cotton summer suit / Grey label 6. Sun hat / Oeuf NYC 7. Cotton dress / Pierrot La Lune 8. Sun hat / Atsuyo et Akiko 9. Pocket tee / Grey Label 10. Sunglasses / Sons and Daughters 11. Sun stick / Rudolph Care 12. Hat / Zara 13. Dress / Popup Shop
Soleil-illustration / Nice Mice For You
//
In celebration of mothers day and motherhood in general, here you have 10 of my favourite iconic mother / daughter pictures.
1. Jacqueline Kennedy and daughter.
2. Kate Moss and her daughter Lila Grace, shot by Mario Testino, 2011.
3. Jane Birkin and Lou Doillon, shot by Kate Barry.
4. Demi Moore and her daughter, shot by Ellen Von Unwerth, 1996.
5. Goldie Hawn and her daughter Kate.
6. Gwyneth Paltrow and her mother Blythe Banner.
7. Florence Owens Thompson (32-year-old mother of 7) shot by Dorothea Lange after Florence had sold her tent to provide food for her children. Oklahoma 1936.
8. Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne, shot by Lord Snowdon, 10 October 1957.
9. Beyonce and her daughter Blue Ivy.
10. Shirley MacLaine and her daughter Sachi Parker, shot by Allan Grant, 1959.
Happy mothers day.
All pictures through Pinterest.
Celebrating my daughter’s birthday, got me thinking about how becoming a mother changes people and lives.
Six years ago I became a mother for the first time. Before then I was a girlfriend, an editor-in-chief, a stiletto lover, a partygoer, a traveller, a good friend and a fashion enthusiast. Becoming a mother instantly changed me. From the moment I held my daughter for the first time, some of the things mentioned above didn’t matter anymore. Some things are still important to me, like being a good friend and a caring girlfriend, but more than anything being the best possible mother to my kids and bringing them up to becoming thoughtful human beings is now the most important thing in my life.
Below is a list of 10 ways in which I have changed since becoming a mother:
– I care more about someone else’s wardrobe than my own. If someone had told me about this 7 years ago, I would have called them a crazy liar.
– I hate travelling alone. I used to travel alone all the time as part of my job and back then I would love to arrive to a new hotel room and have it all to myself. Now I get a stomach ache when I’m away from my family for more than a night or two, even though I know, that they’re having the time of their lives, doing all the things only their dad would allow them to do.
– I wear Birkenstock sandals instead of high heels. Before I got pregnant, flats were for Sunday brunch and very late work nights only. Now I don’t even own a pair of stilettos.
– I fear death. Not that i didn’t before, but I would never really think about it. I do now.
– I have learned to cook meatballs. Who would have thought.
– I no longer follow the fashion trends. Before becoming a mother, fashion was one of my biggest passions, and I loved to travel from Copenhagen to Milan or New York just to spent all my time watching models present the latest fashion collections on the runway. After becoming a mother, fashion became just a job, and I would be happy to stay away from Paris, New York, Chanel and Chloé if it meant I wouldn’t have to say goodbye to my daughters. I don’t even know what Chanel’s latest collection looks like, and to be honest, I don’t really care either.
– I don’t mind leaving my house without makeup.
– I appreciate my own company more than I did before. I love being with my children, but a bit of me-time makes me a calmer and nicer person.
– I have given up on some of dreams, but found some other ones along the way. My career used to be one of the most important things to me, and even though it still matter, right now it makes perfect sense putting it on stand by for some years and spend my time and energy with my kids instead.
//
Fejringen af min ældste datters fødselsdag fik mig til at tænke over, hvordan det at blive mor, kan ændre personer og liv fuldstændigt.
For seks år siden blev jeg mor for første gang. Før det var jeg kæreste, Chefredaktør, stilet-elsker, festabe, rejsefreak, en god veninde og absolut mode enthusiast. Fra det øjeblik, hvor jeg første gang holdt min ældste datter i mine arme, var der nogle af de ovennævnte ting, der ikke længere betød noget som helst, og aldrig kom til det igen. Andre ting var stadig en del af mit liv, men i en mindre skala. For over alt, så er det nu det, at være en god mor og bringe mine døtre op til at blive gode mennesker der har betydning for mig.
Her er en lille liste over måder hvorpå jeg har forandre mig, efter jeg er blevet mor:
– Jeg tænker mere på mine børns garderobe end min egen. Hvis nogle havde fortalt mig at det ville blive sådan for syv år siden, havde jeg helt sikkert kaldt dem en løgner.
– Jeg hader at rejse alene. Der var engang, hvor jeg pga mit job hele tiden rejste afsted bare mig. Og jeg pleje af elske det. At have et helt hotelværelse bare mig, var lykken. Nu får jeg ondt i maven så snart jeg forlader mine børn i mere end en nat eller to.
– Jeg går rundt i Birkenstock sandaler dagen lang. Førend jeg blev gravid, var flade sko forbeholdt søndagsbrunchen og meget sene arbejdsaftner. Nu ejer jeg ikke længere et par stiletter.
– Jeg er blevet bange for at dø. Ikke, at jeg ikke var bange for det før, men det var bare ikke noget jeg tænkte over. Det gør jeg nu.
– Jeg har lært at lave frikadeller. Hvem skulle tro det ville komme dertil.
– Jeg følger ikke længere med i alle de nyeste mode tendenser. Førend jeg blev mor, var mode en af mine største passioner, og jeg rejste gerne halvt omkring jorden, for at se modeller gå ned af et podium iklædt alt det nyeste. Nu ved jeg ikke engang hvordan den seneste kollektion fra Chanel ser ud. Og helt ærligt, så er jeg også fuldkommen ligeglad.
– jeg har ikke længere problemer med at forlade huset uden makeup.
– Jeg sætter mere pris på de få minutter, jeg får lov at nyde i mit eget selskab. Jeg elsker at bruge tid med mine børn, men at have bare en time helt for mig selv her og der gør mig til et roligere og bedre menneske.
– Jeg har opgivet nogle drømme, men fundet nogle nye. Min karriere plejede at være det vigtigste overhovedet, og selvom det stadig er af stor betydning, føles det lige nu helt rigtigt at stille den lidt på lavt blus i nogle år, for istedet at kunne bruge min tid og energi med min familie.
Exactly half a year ago, we spent the first night in our new Brooklyn home. Before leaving Copenhagen I remember feeling anxious and excited. We spent several months thinking, talking and visiting what could become our new home. And then one day, we decided to stop talking and dreaming and make it a reality.
Six months in, I’d like to share a few thoughts about my new found reality of moving to New York as a family.
– Our life has slowed down; I get to spend much more time with my kids. The morning rush and stress of getting kids ready for school and nursery is non existent. Our pace of life has changed.
– We’re focussing on creating great memories and enjoying time together and much less on materialistic object. We have realized, that we can live without our designer furniture, huge wardrobe and creature comforts.
– We are more curious than before. We’re open to new ways to live life, enjoy our surroundings, simple pleasures like a great cup of coffee, a pretty flower amongst other things that we meet along the way.
– People are extremely polite and well mannered and my daughters have been influenced by this.
– We are more creative. In the US, homemade, home-grown and handmade outranks mass production. This makes me happy.
– We eat more kale.
– We have a bathtub. Back in Denmark we had a tiny shower. When you have kids, a bathtub changes bath time, it’s much more fun for kids and parents.
– My kids are experiencing incredible diversity and brand new culture, which I believe will make them more open minded and free thinking individuals.
– People are friendly. I like chit chat. I know the name of one store owners pet hamster.
– We miss our family and friends and our Christiania bike (but we are member’s of the same gym as Ethan Hawke)
Next week my eldest daughter turns six. And while the realization of having such a big girl probably isn’t going to hit me until the night before, I have started preparing a bit for the party and picking out a few birthday presents. i have decided that this year it’s not going to be about quantity but about quality and personality.
For a long time, I have wanted to make Eleanor a birthday present that she can keep for years and maybe even pass onto her own child one day. But for the last few years I haven’t been able to find the time to realize my project. This year I finally did. It is going to be a personal present with a lot of love put into it, and hopefully she’ll like it just as much as I do. It’s a handmade rag doll with a small wardrobe of dresses, tops, skirts and accessories. The clothes are all kept in a timeless style inspired by some of my favorite designers like Raf Simons, Magareth Howell and Dries Van Noten (ok, that part she’s probably not going to care that much about, but it makes me enjoy making it even more).
Apart from the doll (I’ll show you more next week) I’m trying to find some presents which reflect Eleanor’s personalty and our life as a family. And I’m sure that some of these beautiful things will bring a lot of joy to my little girl, even though they might not be found on her hand written wish list.
1. House pillow / Camomile London 2. squirrel soft mask / Sara Lowes Studio 3. Flower press / Acorn shop 4. Necklace / Little Titlee 5. Swimsuit / Christina Rohde 6. Garden Kit / Acme 7. Play tent / Such Great Hights 8. Tool box / Acorn shop 9. Dress / Atsuyo et Akiko 10. kids apron / Odette Williams
For two weeks now, Alma’s leg has been covered in a cast from the top of her thigh and all the way down to her little toes. She hardly ever complains about it. She adapted quickly and developed her own way of moving around our apartment, and whenever she wants to move a bit faster or get up on a bed or a couch, she will call out “ I can’t walk ” and someone will rush to her rescue.
But one thing she really misses is going to the playground or just running around outside and playing. Sitting in a baby swing is a possibility but it makes her realize that her ability to move around is restricted, and in the end it makes her upset.
After a few days with a lot of sun and high temperatures, last night the weather was that of swirling winds and rumbling thunder. Although Alma hated it and thought monsters were coming, it turned out to be the source of big joy today. Everywhere we walked, we found little white flowers that had fallen from the blossoming trees. We picked them all up and she saved them in her little hands. We then spent a long time sitting on our stoop in front of our house, playing with her new found treasure. The simple joy of 30 small white flowers.
//
I to uger, har Almas ene ben været pakket ind i gips. Hun klager næsten ikke over det. Hun fandt hurtigt ud af sin egen måde at komme rundt i vores hjem siddende på hendes bagdel, og når hun synes det går for langsomt, eller hun gerne vil op i en seng eller en sofa kalder hun ” Jeg kan ikke gå ” og så kommer hjælpen for det meste hurtigt.
Men en ting som hun virkeligt savner er, at gå på legepladsen. Eller bare at løbe rundt udenfor. Hun kan godt sidde i en babygynge, men de gange vi har prøvet, har det blot fået hende til at indse, at hendes frihed til bevægelse er ret begrænset lige nu, og i sidste ende gør det hende blot ked af det.
Efter et par dage med sol og høje temperaturer var vores sidste nat fuld af susende vinde og larmende torden. Og selvom Alma absolut ikke kunne lide det, da det stod på, og var sikker på at et monster var kommet, var vinden alligevel med til en overraskende glæde idag. Over alt hvor vi gik fandt vi nemlig små klaser af faldne hvide blomster, fra de mange træer der lige nu står i fuldt flor i vores kvarter. Vi samlede de fineste op, og gemte dem i Almas hånd. Og inden vi gik ind for at sove lur, bruge vi en god rum tid udenfor på vores trappe, og legede med vores nyfundne skat. Den simple glæde ved at finde 30 små hvide blomster.
Spring has finally arrived in New York, and the city is heating up faster than I’m used to in Denmark. Two weeks ago my daughter was still wearing her winter jacket to school (ok, maybe it was because she didn’t have anything else to wear) and now she is suddenly walking home in just a t-shirt or a short sleeved dress. We moved here in October and back then I didn’t have warmer weather on my mind, when I packed down my children’s wardrobe. That, and the fact that they have both outgrown most of their spring clothes from last year means, that I’ll have to do a bit of spring clothes shopping for them both. Here you have some of my favorites for a basic kids spring wardrobe.
1. Cameo / Marmar Copenhagen 2. Shirt / Marmar Copenhagen 3. Jumpsuit / Grey Label 4. Vest / Bobo Chooses 5. Sneakers / Adidas 6. Dress / Pierrot La Lune 7. Scarf / Atsuyo et Akiko 8. Baggy jeans / Zara 9. Pants / Marmar Copenhagen 10. Cardigan / FUB 11. Shoes / Angulus
White dress from GAP
//
Foråret er endelig ankommet til New York, og pludselig bliver byen varm med et tempo som jeg slet ikke er vant til fra København. For to uger siden, gik min datter stadig til skole i vinterjakke (ok, måske var det fordi hun ikke havde andet at tage på) og nu er hun kun i en t-shirt eller en kortærmet kjole når vi går hjem om eftermiddagen. Vi flyttede herover i Oktober, og på det tidspunkt havde jeg ikke varme dage og bare tæer i tankerne, og det var derfor primært vintertøj der kom med. Derfor, og så det faktum at begge mine piger er vokset helt vildt gør, at jeg bliver nødt til at investere i lidt nyt forårstøj til dem begge. Her er mine favoritter til en simple forårsgarderobe til børnene.
1. Cameo / Marmar Copenhagen 2. Skjorte / Marmar Copenhagen 3. Heldragt / Grey Label 4. Vest / Bobo Chooses 5. Sneakers / Adidas 6. Kjole / Pierrot La Lune 7. Tørklæde / Atsuyo et Akiko 8. Baggy jeans / Zara 9. Bukser / Marmar Copenhagen 10. Cardigan / FUB 11. Shoes / Angulus
Back when we lived in Copenhagen, the kids and I started a tradition of baking holiday themed cookies whenever we could find an excuse for it and Easter calls for an egg and bunny shaped version. We made the cookies together, but since we made them for a surprise Easter kids party, this time I did the decoration.
When I’m baking with kids I like to get all ingredients ready and measured out, so they can just pour it all in the bowl and stir. Watch out for small sneaky fingers though, sometimes ingredients can disappear in the most mysterious way. (in this case all our dries raspberries happened to disappear before we ever got to use them)
Here is my recipe. It is very simple, and you can easily add spices, chocolate, nuts, dried fruit or berries or fruit juice to make your own version.
11.4 oz flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 oz soft butter
8 oz sugar
1 large egg
30 freeze dried raspberries
1 tablespoon of acorn syrup
Icing:
Icing mix
food color
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Use your hands to bring it all together and put it in the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes. Roll out the dough and make it into whatever shape you wish. Bake the cookies in the oven 360 F for about 6 minutes. Make sure they don’t get to dark. Let them cool down and decorate with your favorite icing. Let the icing dry (it can take a while if you end up using a thick layer). Serve, eat and enjoy.
//
Mens vi stadig boede i Danmark startede mine døtre og jeg en hyggelig tradition med, at lave tema småkager til hver eneste hellidag eller ferie. Og selvfølgelig kalder påske på kager formede som kaniner og påskeæg og pyntede i fine farver. I denne omgang bagte vi kagerne sammen, men da de skulle bruges til en lille overraskelses påskefest, stod jeg for at dekorere og pynte.
Når jeg bager med mine børn, kan jeg godt lide, at starte med at måle alting ud, og så tage alle ingredienser med hen til spisebordet. Så kan børnene sidde på knæ på deres stole og dermed bedre komme til at hælde og røre. Pas dog på med listige fingere, og skåle fyldt med lækre ingredienser. Vores skål med de tørrede hindbær måtte fyldes op mere end en gang.
Her er opskriften. Den er simpel, og kan let tilføjes hakket chokolade, nødder, tørrede frugt eller bær efter smag.
325 g hvedemel
1 tsk. bagepulver
115 g blødt smør
225 g sukker
1 stort æg
30 frysedetørrede hindbær
Glasur:
250 gram sigtet flormelis
frugtfarve
Evt 2 spsk pasturiseret æggehvide
Miks alle ingredienser i en skål med dine (eller dine børns) hænder. Er dejen meget klisteret, så lad den stå i køleskabet i 5 – 10 minutter. Rul dejen flad og stik den ud med forme eller et glas. Bag kagerne i ca 6 minutter ved 180 grader varmluft. Pas på de ikke tager for meget farve. Lad kagerne køle ned, dekorer dem med glasur. Det gøres lettest med små plastikflasker med en lille tud eller lignende og lad så glasuren tørre. Server, spis, nyd og hyg.
Ever since I was a young child, March has been one of my favorite months. Maybe it’s because March is the month of my birthday and the first glimpse of spring. Today I am looking back at another month gone by and for us March 2015 was the month where…
… we experienced both snowstorms and warm spring sun which resulted in freezing fingers and sunburnt noses.
… I could add another year to my age.
… both my kids found joy in doing yoga, and Alma learned to say Mamaste (with an M instead of an N)
… Eleanor got her first report book at school. And it was nothing less than perfect.
… Alma learned to count to 20.
… I took up knitting again after a 20 year break.
… we began our Easter preparations.
… we had our first picnic of the year.
… we found out that Alma has allergies.
… Eleanor and I went to the cinema to see Cinderella.
… Alma decided that she only needs to nap every second day.
… we visited a snowy white Coney Island.
… Alma was given the most beautiful pair of moccasins from Hubble and Duke.
… and we spent hours upon hours reading books, playing with dolls and drawing cookie monsters.
//
Lige siden jeg var barn, har marts været en af mine yndlingsmåneder. Måske fordi den indeholdte min fødselsdag, måske fordi den bød på de første forårsdage. Idag siger vi farvel og kigger tilbage og for os blev marts 2015 måneden hvor …
… Vi oplevede både snestorm og de første forårsdage, hvilket resulterede i forfrosne fingre og solbrændte næser.
… jeg kunne tilføje endnu et år til aldersregnskabet.
… begge mine børn blev vilde med at dyrke yoga, og Alma lærte at sige Mamaste (med M i stedet for N)
… Eleanor fik sin første karakterbog i skolen og stolte forældre fik tårer i øjnene over fantastiske udtalelser.
… Alma lærte at tælle til 20.
… Jeg begyndte at strikke igen efter en pause på blot 20 år.
… Vi begyndte at forberede os til påske.
… Vi havde årets første picnic.
… Vi fandt ud af, at Alma er allergiker.
… Eleanor og jeg tog i biografen for at se Askepot.
… Alma besluttede at hun ikke længere behøvede at sove lur hver dag.
… Vi besøgte et snehvidt Coney Island.
… Alma fik de smukkeste mokkasiner fra Hubble and Duke.
… og vi brugte timer på at læse bøger, lege med dukker og tegne venlige monstre.
When you move to a new country, you’re not only leaving family and friends behind. You’re also saying goodbye to traditions and culture. You suddenly find yourself in a limbo of how traditions used to be kept alive and have you now choose to do it yourself.
My husband is English which means that I’m the only one to preserve the danish traditions in our family. And I’m a big fan of traditions, but not in the traditional way. Most of the traditions I grew up with, and still upheld when we lived in Denmark, were created by my parents and my grand parents. Now it is finally time I make my own version of the old traditions that will fit my family and our way of living. And I’m quiet sure it is going to end up in a great mix of danish and american. So far we have embraced a few new american traditions like halloween and Thanks Giving, that we didn’t celebrate while we lived in Denmark. While living in New York, we celebrated christmas danish style and today the kids and I started our easter preparations.
The easter letter is a very old and cute european tradition where you cut out a beautiful letter, write a poem on the letter and send it to a person dear to you, without writing who it is from. If the person can’t guess it is from you, they will have to give you an easter egg an vice versa. We also painted eggs with water colors, decorated spring branches and eat a pink marsh mellow easter bunny rabbit. We will be doing an easter egg hunt next friday, when Eleanor will have a friend from Denmark visiting her for a sleep over and at the same day I will need to have some homemade bunny rabbit cookies ready as a surprise for the girls. And maybe, for the first time, we will try and make hot cross buns and have the easter bunny come with a easter basket for the kids.
//
Når du flytter til et nyt land, er det ikke kun familie og venner som du lader tilbage. Det er også både kultur og tradition, som du pludselig ser dig selv tage afsked med. Lige med et befinder du dig i en limbo af traditioner som de plejede at blive holdt i hævd, og hvordan det nu gøres i dine nye omgivelser.
Min mand er Englænder, og jeg er derfor den eneste der kan bestemme, hvilke danske traditioner vi skal holde fast i og hvordan det skal gøres. Selv er jeg kæmpe fan af traditioner, men ikke på den traditionelle facon. For mig bliver traditioner først rigtigt betydningsfulde, når de skabes omkring min egen lille familie, og tilpasses vores måde at leve på. De fleste af de traditioner jeg er vokset op med, er blevet skabt af mine forældre og bedsteforældre, men efter vi er flyttet til den anden side af jorden, er der nu blevet plads til at vi laver vores egne. Lige nu er der nye traditioner, der begynder at tage form. Traditioner som opstår udfra min lille familie og som indtil videre er et fint miks af amerikansk, dansk og engelsk. Vi har fejret halloween og thanks giving på amerikansk manér, med trick or treat og thanks giving optog, og vi holdt en næsten almindelig dansk juleaften i vores Brooklyn-hjem. Og i dag startede vi så på påskeforberedelserne. Vi klippede gækkebreve, malede påskeæg og spiste lyserøde marsh mellow bunnies. Påskeferien starter i New York først i næste uge, og hedder her forårsferie i stedet, men for vores vedkommende kommer den helt sikkert både til at indeholde æggejagt og påskefrokost og kanin cookies. Og så skal vi også afprøve lidt amerikanske traditioner som hot cross buns og et besøg af påskeharen, der bringer en påske kurv til børnene.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
Ever since I was a young girl, one of the things I loved the most, was to read a good book. My love for the great novel brought me to my university studies, made me aquatinted with lives lived hundred of years ago and gave me the ability to visit places I had never set foot before.
I still try to make time to read books, discover new writers and get caught up in old classics. But no doubt that most of the reading I do these days are children’s books. And I really don’t mind. It means a lot to me, that both my girls learn to appreciate the joy of reading books, and experience how a great story can send you out on an imaginary journey. I read for my daughters everyday, several times a day both in English and in Danish, and our children’s book collection extends by far both our Barbie and our Lego collection. My only requirement is, that we go for well written and well illustrated books, and so through the last five years of being a mother I have made my own shortlist of my daughters and mine favorite children’s books, with Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are on a first position (my husband even says it is the best book he has ever read).
Here you have a list of my 10 favorite children’s books:
Where the wild things are by Maurice Sendak
The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson
Little bear by Else Homelund Minarik
Fantastic Mister Fox, Roald Dahl
Guess how much I love you, Sam McBratney
My fathers dragon, Ruth Stiles Gannett
Goodnight moon, Margaret Wise
The brothers lion heart by Astrid Lindgren
Wonder, R.J. Palacio
//
“En læser lever tusinde liv førend han dør. Ham der aldrig læser, lever kun et enkelt.”
Lige siden jeg var en helt ung, har en af mine absolut yndlingsbeskæftigelser været, at læse en god bog. Min kærlig for den gode historie har bragt mig til mine universitet studier, har ladet mig stifte bekendskab med liv levet for mange hundred år siden, og givet mig muligheden for at besøge steder, hvor jeg aldrig fysisk har sat en fod.
Jeg forsøger stadig, at finde tid til at læse bøger, at opdage nye forfattere og at blive fanget af en god klassiker. Men jeg må samtidig indrømme, at det jeg har læst allermest af de sidste 5 år, er børnebøger. Og det er faktisk ikke noget, som jeg har noget imod. Det betyder enormt meget for mig, at mine døtre lærer at kende glæden ved at læse en bog, og oplever, hvordan den gode historie kan sende dig ud på en imaginær rejse. Jeg læser for mine børn på både danske og engelsk hver dag og gerne flere gange om dagen, og vores samling af børnebøger overgår stort både vores Barbie og vores legosamling. Mit eneste krav er, at vi læser velskrevne og fint illustrerede bøger, der fortæller gode historier. Den megen læsning for min børn, har gjort, at jeg, igennem de sidste fem år som mor, har lavet min egen lille liste af mine yndlingsbørnebøger. Ikke alle har jeg læst for dem endnu, mens vores alle sammens yndling, Where the Wild Things Are, er på programmet i hvert fald én gang om dagen. Hver dag.
Her er i hvert fald min liste af yndlinge børnebøger:
Where the wild things are ( Vilde Vilddyr ) / Maurice Sendak
Løven, heksen og garderobeskabet / C.S. Lewis
The Gruffalo ( Grøffeldyret ) / Julia Donaldson
Little bear ( Lille Bjørn ) / Else Homelund Minarik
Fantastic Mister Fox ( Den fantastiske Hr. Ræv ) / Roald Dahl
Guess how much I love you ( Hvor højt tror du jeg elsker dig? ) / Sam McBratney
My father’s dragon ( Min fars drage) / Ruth Stiles Gannett
Goodnight moon, Margaret Wise Brown
Brødrene Løvehjerte / Astrid Lindgren
Wonder ( Wonder) / R.J. Palacio
My version of a a simple (and unisex) baby spring wardrobe
No, I’m not having another baby. But I seem to be surrounded by pregnant woman these days, and for a lot of them, this is their first time around as a mother. A few of them have been shopping baby clothes from before they actually knew they were pregnant, but most of them have no clue when it comes to the essential baby clothes that you will need for the first few months. If you ask me (and a lot of them already have) a good selection of soft and comfortable bodies (I normally go for organic cotton for summer and wool for winter), a soft wooly cardigan, a hat and some comfortable pants will get you and your baby a long way.
1. Hats / Flora and Henri 2. Body / Grey Label 3. Cardigan / Fub 4. Knitted pants / Poppy Rose 5. Hat / Oeuf NYC 6. Jumper / Soft Gallery 7. Body / Oeuf NYC 8.Hat / Gro Company 9. Body / Marmar Copenhagen 10. Knitted cardigan / mormor.nu 11. Jumper / Marmar Copenhagen 12. Jumpsuit / Gro Company 13. Knitted booties / Poppy Rose 14. Jumper / Oeuf NYC
//
Min version af en simpel og unisex forårsgarderobe til baby
Nej, jeg skal ikke have et barn mere. Men af en eller grund er jeg omringet af gravide kvinder for tiden, og for fleres vedkommende er det endda første gang de kan tilføje titlen mor til deres visitkort. Et par af dem begyndte at shoppe babytøj længe inden de overhovedet vidste, at de var gravide. Men de fleste er faktisk fuldkommen lost når det gælder om at finde ud af hvad der skal til for at de kan have en en essentiel og simpel babygarderobe klar. Hvis du spørger mig ( og der er der mange af dem der allerede har gjort) så kommer man rigtigt langt med et godt udvalg af bløde og behagelige bodier (Jeg går altid efter økologisk bomuld om sommeren og ren uld om vinteren) en lille hue, en varm ulden cardigan, et par heldragter og nogle behagelige bukser.
1. Hatte / Flora and Henri 2. Body / Grey Label 3. Cardigan / Fub 4. Strikkede bukser / Poppy Rose 5. Hat / Oeuf NYC 6. Heldragt / Soft Gallery 7. Body / Oeuf NYC 8.Hat / Gro Company 9. Body / Marmar Copenhagen 10. Strikket cardigan / mormor.nu 11. Heldragt / Marmar Copenhagen 12. Dragt / Gro Company 13. Strikkede støvler / Poppy Rose 14. Heldragt / Oeuf NYC
