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Life in Sweden

Swedish Lucia with candles

A Very Swedish Holiday: Lucia

December 13, 2016 By Jodi

Today is December 13—better known in Sweden as Lucia. It's a lovely holiday meant to celebrate the bringing of light into the dark, dark winter. It used to correspond with the winter solstice on December 21 or 22, but these days it coincides with St. Lucia's day on the 13th.

With August as a newborn

Maternity Leave in Sweden vs the US

November 25, 2016 By Jodi

In my first post about having kids in Sweden, I laid out the basic benefits of having babies in Sweden: generous parental leave; chances for social connection while home with a baby; affordable, high-quality daycare, and more. Now, I want to lay out a theory I'm developing about the benefits of the generous parental leave policy.

boy-playing-in-boat-preschool-in-sweden

Preschool in Sweden: the Basics

October 7, 2016 By Jodi

Let me start by saying that I never know whether to use the word daycare or preschool when referring to the place where kids spend their early years here in Sweden. I suppose that's because it's sort of a mix of what we know those two places to be in the US. While I will continue to use the word preschool here, do...

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stockholm-archipelago-sailing-sail

Birthday Sail in the Stockholm Archipelago

September 15, 2016 By Jodi

I mentioned that we went sailing on my birthday as part of the weekend's celebrations, so I thought it would be fun to share some pictures. So much blue! We are lucky to live in such a beautiful place and to have such wonderful neighbors.

grona-lund-carousel-swing

Stockholm With Kids: Gröna Lund

September 14, 2016 By Jodi

Normally I'm quite unsure about what I want to do for my birthday. I always have the vague notion that I would like to see friends and eat good food, but beyond that, no clear idea. This year, however, I knew exactly how I wanted to spend my birthday weekend--outside, having fun. 

carl-eldhs-museum-jodi

Visiting the Carl Eldhs Studio Museum in Stockholm

August 24, 2016 By Jodi

Last week I finally had the chance to do something I've been wanting to do almost since the day we moved to Stockholm: I visited the Carl Eldhs Studio Museum. It's a small museum situated near the top of a hill in a park on the northern end of the city. The first summer we...

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Would You Stay at the Ice Hotel?

August 19, 2016 By Jodi

I know it's still summer for most of you but for some reason today I'm thinking about the Ice Hotel in northern Sweden. The hotel is in the village of Jukkasjärvi, north of the Arctic Circle. Every spring the hotel and accompanying art exhibition melts back into the Torne River from where the ice is harvested. And...

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Our weekend on Sweden's west coast

August 10, 2016 By Jodi

Speaking of summer, last weekend we took a train to the west coast of Sweden to spend a few days sailing with our wonderful neighbors (who we call the kids' Swedish grandparents). Henrik has had his boat Maja for forty-five years! We didn't do any actual sailing (we motored around because we didn't have the best...

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Swedish-summer-sailing

Summer in Sweden: the Basics

August 4, 2016 By Jodi

Let's talk about summer in Sweden. The days are endless, the nights almost nonexistent, and everyone is on vacation. After a dark and grueling winter that seems to last nine months, suddenly the world is bright and warm(ish) and lush again. Swedes use this time to get out of the office and back into nature. For us,...

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baby-on-fathers-shoulders-stockholm

Having Kids in Sweden: The Basics

July 14, 2016 By Jodi

This is the first in a series of posts outlining the general structure of life in Sweden for a family.  You've probably heard or read about the amazing parental leave policy in Sweden and wondered if it's true. It is. Maybe you also heard about the affordable universal daycare and wondered whether that's true, too. It is. And while these...

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About Jodi

I just repatriated from Sweden to the US with my British husband and three young kids. I started this site while living in Sweden to build the conversations and community we've had with loved ones around the world, and to create a space to share thoughts about life, beauty, motherhood, and everything else. read more →

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Recent Posts

The Best Gift for New Parents (or Seasoned Parents, or Anyone at All)

September 7, 2016 By Jodi 7 Comments

newborn feet in air

Two nights ago I had the good fortune of taking a Red Cross First Aid for children course that had been organized by our parent-cooperative preschool. The last time I took a First Aid/CPR course was thirteen years ago when I was in AmeriCorps! Not only had I mostly forgotten everything I'd learned back then, but I also...

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Adding a "Now" Page

December 27, 2016 By Jodi Leave a Comment

Jodi and August on Christmas Eve

This morning I somehow stumbled across the website of Derek Sivers, and was fascinated when I read his "now" page. I liked the idea immediately and decided to add one of my own to Dear Sabrina. 

September's First Autumn Weekend

September 26, 2016 By Jodi Leave a Comment

apple-tasting-table

While it may have officially become autumn just last week, here in our part of Sweden it's felt like fall since early August. Still, we wanted to herald the new season with an outdoor weekend--and a trip to an apple orchard.

Baby Girl Gets a Name!

March 22, 2017 By Jodi 5 Comments

Baby Zoe with mom and dad

Baby girl is three weeks old today, which makes it high time for her to get a name! We've been having a hard time making a decision, as our final contenders all seemed to fit. But, after three weeks of delaying and trying out the finalists, and then a couple days of calling her just one of...

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About Dear Sabrina

Welcome! Dear Sabrina is a lifestyle blog for the thinking woman (and man, if men read lifestyle blogs). I hope that visiting this site gives you something to think about, makes you laugh, or shows you something new. If you want to further connect, find me on one of networks below or send an email.
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