New Year Resolutions

6:00 PM Kristiine 1 Comments

Like every each one of you have at least once in a lifetime promised something- the one and only- NEW YEAR's resolutions. I have to say that last New Years Eve I didn't promise anyone anything really, not even myself. My mood was down somehow, the year had been wearing me and not me wearing the year. Well, another year and another NYE, so I thought I might want to write down what I would like to accomplish this upcoming year so I have something to look back to. I have a feeling that this year is going to be mine, or at least I make it mine.

 First of all, I would really like to be more of a training person. I don't mean that I want to be muscular and full of adrenaline all the time, but you know- just go to gym and enjoy my time there whether it is half an hour or a whole hour. Taking time for myself on 2015 have definitely not been on my list. Unfortunately!

I want to read more books. I used to love reading books so much that I stayed up until I finished the book. In fact- I challange myself to read one (!!!) book in a month. Which means that by the end of the year I should be able to pat myself on the shoulder and say: Good job, you've read 12 books! I'll be writing some book reviews of the books that I have been enjoying. Oh yes, look back at the first resolution -> "more me time". Reading would be my other me time.

Pointing back to the first resolution again. I'd like to eat healthier. I think I eat pretty healthy, but once in a while I have this monster living inside of me (usually on Friday night) who is making me eat all kinds of unhealthiness. Chips, candy, chips, chocolate, burgers, chips, pizza, chips. And on Saturday morning I wake up feeling bloated, disgusted of myself and I swear never eating anything mentioned above again.

I would really like to visit a Spa here in Sweden. It is a lot more expensive than in Estonia, so I don't usually prefer a super-expensive Spa weekend to a calm home weekend. I actually have to say that me and one of my besties are planning a Spa weekend in Stockholm for the very beginning of the year. We haven't decided yet when, but you bet I write how it was or wasn't.

In 2016 I'd love to travel to one country in Europe that I have not been to. My long time dreams have been Hungary, France, Scotland, England and/or Poland (especially Krakow).

We have been living four, almost five years in this apartment, but there are still things (decorwise) that needs to be fixed or done. By the end of the year I would love to be complitely ready with one of the rooms, mainly the bedroom. We need bedside tables, a closet to the man of the house and a carpet would be cosy to have. Oh, and lamps. Bedside table lamps.

As many of you don't know but I'm blind as a bat and quite frankly I'm very tired being that way. I have glasses and lenses but it's not doing it for me anymore. I want to be the person who walks out from bed and sees where she is going or what's on the floor so I would not be twisting my toes left and right all the time. An eye operation would be much appericiated.

Date nights. More one on one date nights with my handsome significant other. First year of living together we used to have those kinds of date nights when we both put our phones on silent and just talked and catched up on life. I feel like 2015 we haven't had that very much.

I bet I'm aiming a bit too high goals, but I hope I will be hanging on to them and can say that I nailed it next New Years Eve!
I wish you all very good New Year and remember that only You can make it better than the last one!

What are your goals for new year?

Best Christmas Movies

12:00 AM Kristiine 0 Comments

As many of you might not know it yet, but Christmas is my favorite holiday. Sometimes I start watching Christmas related movies already in September and really I'm not even ashamed of it. I like to watch movies (generally) couple of times a week since I don't usually spend my time in front of TV otherwise. I don't like scheduled series or movies, I make my own schedule and like to watch series and/or movies whenever I feel like it. So here is my TOP 10 favorite Christmas movies that I can really watch several times and never be tired of them. Starting from the last but not the least favorite.

10. 12 Dates of Christmas (2011) is about a woman who re-lives her Christmas Eve blind date about 12 times before she mke everything right and can let go of her past relationship and be happy. I find it's such a cute chick-flick movie.

9. Miracle on 34th Street (that movie has been made several times so it doesn't really matter which one you see) is just such a beautiful movie about love and believing of the miracles.

8. The Polar Express (2004) is definitely something for adults. I found the cartoon work absolutely amazing but at the same time a bit scary for the really small children to watch so check it out first and then rethink if you'd like your children to see some of the scenes. I think that the story can get a bit too complicated at times for the toddlers to handle.

7. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) I'm not the biggest fan of the Muppets but I'm somehow in love with this movie. I find it a lot better than the original Christmas Carol movie and the storytelling is on point.

6. Fred Claus (2007) is such a lovely story about Father Christmas and his older brother and really about family and that we need to love and take our family as they are.

5. Tomten är far till alla barnen (1999) is a Swedish Christmas movie about a huge family affair where the housewife Sara has children with different men and they are all coming over for Christmas Eve. Chaos, really! But extremly entertaining!


4. Home Alone (1990) Classic and always a good idea to rewatch it!

3. The Holiday (2006) Cameron Diaz does a really good job on her character and I just love the English countryside and villages. Amazing! And SNOW! Yes!

2. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) well I actually like the sequal to first Home Alone much more. I think the storyline is kind of the same but I guess they have made the movie better. Little Kevin is just adorable!

1. Just Friends (2005) I watch it every year religiously and it is officially my favorite winter time movie. I like to take couple of snacks and a cup of warm tea and just watch it and laugh! It's such a funny and silly movie and I absolutely love Amy Smart and Ryan Reynolds in this too.

I hope there were some movies that you've not seen yet so I could somehow inspire you to have a cosy night-in with or without family and great laughs!

What is Your favorite holiday movie?

Food Friday #1

6:27 PM Kristiine 0 Comments

For me there is no real Christmas feeling without the smell of freshly baked gingerbread cookies. Of course it would be extremly magical if it would be snowing while you're baking them, but it's not always possible. It has been snowing once this season here where I live, but it melt away pretty soon.

I thought that I would share my ultimate gingerbread dough recipe that I have been using past couple of years and it turns out beautifully every single time. No fuss!

There's couple of things you need to keep in mind though- do NOT use the gingerbread dough directly. It needs some time to "marinate" and take in all the fabulous spices that you're using. I wouldn't recommend you to use it until first 48h has passed. So basically when you plan to bake gingerbread cookies on Sunday, make the dough ahead of time some time on Friday. Ready made dough keeps in fridge up to two weeks very beautifully and this recipe gives you roughly 1,2 kg of dough. It's complitely fine to freeze the dough if you don't plan to bake it in upcoming two weeks. I divided it into two small plastic bags and one of the bags was enough for 4-5 cookie plates of gingerbread cookies.

It seems that the ingridient list is long, but believe me, you'd be surprised if you find most of the things at home already.

2dl of dark syrup 
2dl of sugar (I used coconut sugar, but you can use whatever you have in hand)
1 tbs cinnamon powder
1 tbs cardamom  powder
1 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp clove powder
250 g of butter (the real butter, not anything else)
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
600 g wheat flour

So here's what you need to do:
Take a small pot and add dark syrup, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and clove powder to it. Mix and warm on medium high heat until you see it bubbling. Then take the pot off from heat and mix in all of the butter that you have sliced earlier. Let the butter melt and then mix. DO NOT put the mixture back on heat! While you wait the butter to melt you can measure the flour into a big bowl and mix it with baking soda. When the syrup mixture has cooled down about ten minutes and it's not steaming, bubbling hot anymore then you can quickly whip in those eggs, but be careful that the mixture is not too warm so the eggs will crumble. Then it's time to combine the two mixtures. I find it easier to use fork to mix than spatula. Voilá! You can now storage the dough in a box or plastic bag. I waited until the dough had complitely cooled down until I put it in the fridge. It took me about 15- 20 minutes to make it so I find it really simple and not time consuming at all and the best part is that it is good to use quite a long time.

PS. I baked my cookies in 200C for 7-8 minutes, but really it depends on how thick or big you make your cookies, I had pretty small and thin ones. Keep an eye on your cookie baking time.

What is Your favorite Christmas scent?

Links

7:23 PM Kristiine 0 Comments

I have been stupidly busy with.. living my life, working my ass off and studying all at the same time. Sometimes it feels like twenty four hours is not enough. Past two or three weeks I have been sleeping about four to five hours during the night and I feel drained. It is soon over. I mean that busy period.

I really can not wait til I can chill and relax in my Estonian home and just take time to be present, enjoy the moment and the ones around me.

Anyway that was my miserable way of saying: I'm so sorry I haven't been writing anything interesting or posting pictures or really doing anything lovely. I have gathered so much nice thoughts and ideas that sometimes I feel like I have let myself down when I don't fulfill those ideas.

Here's some links I have been clicking during past month or so, that still keep me sane and smiling. You know, something between this hectic- I have to get home after work to cook dinner, oh no, I have to buy the groceries first and when I'm done cooking then I have to find the time and energy to study at least four hours.

Here's amazing blog that should make everyone appericiate themselves and smile too: Advanced Style

Here's how to make the gingerbread glaze  (in Estonian) and guess what? I'm making it tonight!: Piparkoogiglasuur

My Christmas board on Pinterest: Every day is Christmas

H&M's home department before Christmas time is a place to daydream yourself to different dimension: H&M home

Oh and on Spotify I've been listening lots of Zara Larsson because i think she has catchy lyrics and amazing voice. Bing Crosby has been calming and setting my Christmas mode on!