23 snow

     

We are waiting for Santa Claus.

 

One of our wishes has allready come thrue.

We have snow.

22 anniversary

 We had the most perfect wedding anniversary.

 The Courtauld Gallery was beautiful and just the right size.

 There was ice skating at Somerset House.

21 covent garden

20 rewards of living with children

We slept in today. We only got up little before eight. The elf factory was in full run.

Moving to England does not always look like the best of ideas. Yesterday my son watched Peter Pan on CBeeBies. He understood everything and enjoyed the story. Maybe moving to England has some very good sides.

19 presents

18 ginger cookies

Our Christmas tradition is to bake ginger cookies with friends before Christmas. I started this tradition when we where still living in Finland and my son was just one. At the time the children only concentrated on eating the dough. Now they can do it and I just watch.

It has been fun sharing this tradition with others that may visit our house for the first time and maybe have never had a Scandinavian small and thin ginger cookie. This year we have two cookie evenings, first we make them and then we decorate them.

I did stay up on baking evening and baked many many more. I love the factory mode I go into and how the cookies look on the baking paper. The dough is never ending. I will put them in small bags and give to friends and my sons teachers.

17 anselm helps

I got the change to see Anselm Kiefer´s exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts. 

 

I was very stressed and grumpy walking in and art did help me to forget myself.

16 pudding

Did you know that in England dessert is pudding? This was new to me. I am still trying to understand the concept of tea. It is not what you drink, but what you eat in the evening or late afternoon. The time depends on the person that is using it. I have decided to buy something strange every week from the grocery store. This week it was Christmas pudding, the pudding of all puddings. I asked my friend what to do with the brandy cream and she said it is goes together with this cooked dish, pudding. So I tried the pair.  It was supper sweet, but I got little hang up on the cream. It might be good with apple pie?!

15 leaf

 Sometimes I see something beautiful without leaving my house.

14 bling and ting-a-ling

 I was window shopping at Fortnum and Masons.

13 Lucia and pulla

It is Lucia´s day today. We watched youtube video with the Lucia song. 

My son was not very impressed. I had difficulties understanding that. 

When I was small becoming Lucia maiden was my dream.

Somethings can not be shared with the next generation.

I felt little homesick and I got a craving for pulla.  

Brioche from Pauls was a good substitute. 

My son enjoyed his brioche.

12 elf factory

 Spend the afternoon in the elf factory doing crafts.

 Yes, we where wearing hats.

Tomorrow I can hopefully escape from the factory and see some Christmas London.

11 cards

Cards are almost ready.

Today I will put them in the post.

10 peacocks

I spend a splendid afternoon alone in the city.
Best Christmas decorations where these peacocks on Old Bond Street.

9 Anna´s day

It is my names day in Finland. Happy Anna´s day to all with similar names!

We talkend long and hard with my mum in Skype. We have a weekly meeting with her. This time my mum was hammering something. Last time we had snack while talking. We usually talk at least an hour. My mum can also babysit my son sometimes via Skype while I cook or clean. It always helps to talk with my mum, she can make me see things in proportion.

We had rice porridge for lunch. I made it in almond milk, so good and sweet. This is a real Christmas delicacy, though we eat it whenever I have the time to make it. It is best with cinnamon and little sugar. 

8 little bear is sick

Little bear is sick and I am at home with him. My plan to see the Christmas light it the city is been postponed. Luckily we have had beautiful sunsets this week.  

7 a woollly hat

 I went to Blackhorse Workshops Christmas Market and found this beautiful woolly hat.

 Does it say East London?

Or just Scandinavia?

6 frost

 Frost is covering all in the morning.

 The morning sun is radiant.

I can´t wait to see 

Finland´s Independents Day Gala 

dresses this evening.  

But first we are going out to enjoy the beautiful and crisp weather.

5 something to read

I bought these magazines for myself to get in to the Christmas mood. After reading them I can use them to wrap presents. I am also listening a Christmas radio.  An hours in the afternoon just to work on my blog and listen to Christmas song is the best.

4 Ice Skating

My sons best friend from school had a birthday party. We went ice skating to celebrate it. 

 

The ice was slippery and I thing it was the first time for all of them. 

We had so much fun. 

And in the end my son did some actual ice skating.

I am so proud of him.

We will go skating again, soon.