loulouloves

30 day Keto challenge – week 1

I'm trying to become a fat-burning beast and judging by my mood these last few weeks, I've already nailed the beast part of it.

Fractured

It seems like more of an old lady's injury with the jury out as to why, when falling down a hill trying to save a dozen eggs before Easter, both my leg bones shattered on impact.

Keto kid-friendly fried chicken with broccoli

For 30 days, I am going to eat <20 grams of net carbs, which basically means you give up bread, pasta and biscuits, and go around annoying people with endless energy and nutritional advice.

Mixed bag 2

Given my current state of reduced mobility, sitting around losing weight by eating butter just sounds too good not to try.

Needing a new knee

Life on crutches is not optimal. It makes you look like a pensioner and feel like a pensioner, but without any discounts.

Easter 2018

I've been camped out on the trundle bed in the girls' room for 7 nights and we've barely left the house. It's been a quiet one, that's for sure.

TSH can't stand up and I can't really walk so Easter 2018 will be a much toned-down version of usual events. The kids will not even notice as long as "The Rooster" shows up sometime over the next few days.

The Heads of Departments

And it's pretty safe to say that for the last three nights the kids have had supermarket meatballs and macaroni for dinner, with nigh on not a vegetable to be seen. I know you are meant to 'eat the rainbow' but our rainbow has a slight 'sepia' tone to it, with only white and brown to be seen.

Mixed bag 1

I still feel like I play a rather 'supportive' role to the other members who actually possess value-adding real life and language skills. However, I do put on a great spread when meetings are held at our house, which may be the reason for my re-election.

The gift of time

And by the way, I've ignored all the rude message's I've received from TSH such as, 'I'm sleeping much better now', 'I'm feeling less stressed'.

Sunshine, summer, scents

We had such a fun time exploring all the boutique shops, which all had superior gifting wares. We got into the south coast mood and I felt the strong need to get into a soft linen pant.

TMJ hindered to healing

The best news was that my biological age was estimated to be 37, so when TSH told me I was looking five years younger, he was as usual, absolutely SPOT ON.

Cheers to the year that was … part 2

I felt like I was in the Barossa Valley, whipping up quince jelly, quince paste and rosemary and quince jam. Turns out, all you have to do is add a hell of a lot of sugar to them and boil the crap out of them.

Cheers to the year that was… part 1

Turns out, the younger two had the same resolve as their mum, that 9 million others should learn our language, instead of us having to learn theirs.

Pretty Raspberry Caramels

Oh and with a slight diversion from my sugar-is-the-devil ways, I'd love to share one of my favourite Christmas recipes. They make the perfect gift!*

Adventures with Advent

By December, Sweden has very few hours of daylight so some clever bugger came up with the idea of celebrating the four Sundays before Christmas, by lighting candles and drinking mulled wine. Golf clap.

The Ying and Yang of Marriage

I think this is because you see 'your other half' do shit that you can't, so you get super impressed with their skill set and decide to marry them.

The room that does not spark joy

A box/drawer/room that causes a twitch in your right eye every time you walk past, but not enough that you actually do anything about it.

Halloween in Sweden – part 2

My contributions of 'ghost bananas' and mini 'pumpkins' we not the most popular choice. I blame 1) merchandise positioning - he'd placed them right near the big pot of candy and 2) his complete failure to sell them in.

School holidays in Swedish, literally

Adding to the mysteries of Sweden, there is no hangman in 'hangman', you just drawing a sad looking face.

Halloween in Sweden – part 1

I went as the dead car crash victim in the Great Gatsby/or a Dickens novel. I have to say, looking dead took no effort at all. Over the last few months I have truly perfected the haggard look and basically, just roll out of bed every morning looking like this.

Starting a herb garden

So over the coming weeks, TSH did the hard labour of cutting back the overgrown mess and I became the operations manager. This project was the start of our dream to build a kitchen garden and to attempt sustainable living. My 'all spirit/no skills' approach to gardening was born.

The slow, slow down

So how's not working going? Turns out not as good as I thought. Last week I thought I would have been happily soloing parenting along, job seeking, fermenting vegetables or learning to play the mandolin.

The Good Life

Although I have plans of becoming a biodynamic gardener with a primary focus on vegetables and sustainability, let's just say that I am not quite there yet. I'm still sitting at home, drinking tea and listening to Madrigals.

Seeker Lover Dreamer

Today, I finished up at 9.30am and by 10am I was at a specialist appointment with Miss 5. I ate ice-cream for lunch and had a cup of tea. This sparked immense joy.

Warning: more change ahead

I'm now a job seeker in a country where I can only apply for 5% of the jobs on offer. Jobs in English. Sure, I can speak Swedish, but it's a version of Swedish that is not recognised by the EU, nor by the greater Swedish population.

Game on!

We had a nude weigh-in on Sunday night - which sounds like it should have been way more fun than it was - because we know it may come down to just grams.

A rainy Friday afternoon

It's for those interested in sharing tips and inspiration from all those who have a real green thumb, and are interested in organic growing and sustainable living. I've been allowed to join the group despite only successfully growing sage.

The Magic of Midsummer in Stockholm

It's also a celebration of fertility and that's why around noon on Friday we will be dancing around a phallic pole, doing a traditional frog dance with a crown of flowers on our heads. WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THAT?

Why not?

We've never owned a property, only apartments, so we have no experience WHAT SO EVER in any of these important issues and me in particular, have never shown any interest in anything other in home ownership, other than candles and organic linen in the shade of Marigold.

Buying a House in Sweden – part 1

The final nail in the 'let's move to Sweden' coffin was when we found out that - despite not being residents there/me having any form of income in that country/TSH not even having started his job/us living in Australia - we could indeed get a bank loan and purchase property there. This had long been our dream, to find a family home.

Another Easter Miracle

"The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances."

May 2

6 Comments

30 day Keto challenge – week 1

I'm trying to become a fat-burning beast and judging by my mood these last few weeks, I've already nailed the beast part of it.

Apr 29

2 Comments

Fractured

It seems like more of an old lady's injury with the jury out as to why, when falling down a hill trying to save a dozen eggs before Easter, both my leg bones shattered on impact.

Apr 25

8 Comments

Keto kid-friendly fried chicken with broccoli

For 30 days, I am going to eat <20 grams of net carbs, which basically means you give up bread, pasta and biscuits, and go around annoying people with endless energy and nutritional advice.

Apr 23