Pilkkiä

It's called jigging or ice-fishing. I had to look it up.

Day at the park

Luonnollista

For about a year I've been taking small steps towards using natural cosmetics. My approach is pretty flexible. I do still also use ordinary products and I couldn't even afford to go all natural. The idea is minimalism: I don't use too much of anything and only buy what I feel I really need. My search started because I was unable to find an ordinary hair gel that wasn't too strongly scented, but of course there are also many other reasons for choosing natural cosmetics.

It takes a while to find favorite natural products, and it's easy to lose some money while experimenting. This time my order included one product I had already approved earlier, some that had been recommended on a certain blog I follow, and some that were completely unfamiliar.

In case you're interested in this sort of thing, let me share my top three products with you.

Benecos natural mascara, super long lashes
I'm extremely picky about mascara. This one has a really light consistency and spreads on evenly. One layer looks very natural, just add layers for more volume. Smudges easily in rain, and if you're chopping onions, it's gone. But on the other hand it also washes off easily. Very affordable compared to ordinary mascara!

Madara herbal deodorant
Still a new thing for me, but feels promising, at least in Nordic wintertime.

Organic coconut virgin oil
This is actually sold next to coconut milk in our grocery store! I first bought it for a granola recipe, which was also a success, but then read it's very good for your skin, too. So I transferred a bit to a small used jar and have been using it as night cream. Just love going to sleep smelling like pure coconut!

(If you live in Finland and are interested in ordering, try this place. Good service and fast delivery, and also free delivery for orders over 50 euros. Just get everything you need at once!)

Still digesting, it's almost midnight...

Over the holidays, I decided to allow myself to have a cookbook revolution.  I purged three grocery bags worth of mediocre cookbooks and magazines that I have been hanging onto for way too long, and started researching which are the very best cookbooks in each of a few of my favorite categories.  I have three books so far, representing cakes, bread, and Italian cooking.  Ohhhhh boy!  Today I am reporting on my favorite, an Italian cookbook by Marcella Hazan.  We have been feasting on chicken, meatballs, minestrone, lentil soup, and the best pasta sauce ever.  But today...the recipe I have dared not make until I could resist no longer...focaccette.  Three cheeses, wrapped in dough, and deep fried.  I miss them already.

Terveisiä keittiöstä

Greetings from the kitchen! The pink pot stand was a surprise Christmas present from my daughters' god parents. It is now one of my favorite items in the kitchen. The card on the fridge door is from another dear friend, and the perfect illustration of our winter until recent days. Waiting for snow was so frustrating that the kids really did try to sled on grass. Kiitos rakkaat ystävät ihanista tervehdyksistä!

So long, sun...

I have been meaning to stop and take this picture for a while now; we have been having so much sunshine! This weekend we have the possibility of snowy rain, or rainy snow, so it might be time to say goodbye to the mountain for a while. But if you like this view, 1.5 million dollars will buy you a lovely house very close to where I took this picture. Who is in with me? Communal living?

Lumen taika

That morning my whole world was bright and new. It's the magic of snow.

But we forgot the cookies for Santa...

Christmas eve, planned on a complete whim just that day:  Bookstore, Italian deli, then a visit to this one particular business in a small town (between home and downtown) that always puts up a ridiculous amount of Christmas lights.  When I'm a zillionaire, I'll eat like this every day.