This month's happiness project is focused on learning. For once, I can report that it's going well so far! I wanted to work on my Swedish this month, and I've been listening to more talk radio and reading more books with the intention of comprehension (normally I skim the local newspaper with the intention of getting half...
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Do You Write in Books?
I love a brand new book. I love the unbroken spine, the sharp corners, the fresh smell. I love knowing that I'm the first person to open the book and turn each page. I remember in high school, when our English teacher would hand out the next reading assignment, I'd always hope to get the best copy. I'd...
It's Time to Talk About Ikea
I've wanted to include design—interior and industrial/product—in this blog since its inception. That's actually the main reason I included the "Beauty" category you see in the top menu. It's taken me this long to get to it, but I'm glad to be here finally. So this is the first in what *should* become a weekly...
Happiness Project Month 6: Learning
(Sorry for the short disappearance, friends. I started to feel sick late last week, which evolved into a pretty nasty stomach bug that hit over the weekend. After spending all day yesterday alternating between the bed and the couch and trying to rehydrate, I'm feeling a bit better today and trying to get back into the...
Happiness Project Month 5 Wrap-Up
This month in my happiness project I wanted to give myself an attitude adjustment. I wanted to pause to enjoy the moment, and I wanted to work on my bad habit of complaining too much. I was fairly successful in my first goal but less so in my second. It helped that I set myself up...
Alternative (and Free) Souvenir Ideas
Slipping away to some exotic or culturally rich location for a vacation is wonderful; bringing home souvenirs from that vacation, which jog travel memories and help the vacation last longer in your mind, is also wonderful. But that doesn't mean you have to stop at those kitschy, overstuffed bric-a-brac shops and pony up for some mass-produced (and questionably...
Some Pics From Our Trip to Spain
And we're back! We had such a lovely time in Spain, and now it feels great to be home again. Spain was just what we needed: a break from the dark winter. We got so much sunshine and warmth (except in Granada), and I felt an infusion of energy. I got so much exercise walking everywhere...
A Trick to Making Vacation More Pleasurable
Last winter we went to Portugal for a month. We stayed in a lovely town outside of Lisbon and we found a Swedish school, where we sent August a couple days per week. Some days James and I took turns taking care of the boys so that the other could put in a few hours of work (I...
The One Thing I Always Wish I'd Brought With Me On Vacation
We're having a great time in Spain so far: it's been sunny, warm(ish), and we've spent our days walking, playing, and eating. This is EXACTLY what we came for. But there's one thing I forgot to bring that I'm kicking myself about...
Getting Ready for Spain
We're off to Spain tomorrow morning! We're staying in a small town on the Mediterranean called Nerja, where we've rented an apartment for the two weeks we'll be there. We're looking forward to sunlight (!), warm afternoons spent at playgrounds, and yummy fresh food (and, of course, cava).