Half Way! 52 Weeks of Happy...26/52.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.

Joining in with the lovely Jen at little birdie, here are my happy moments from the past week. 

1. Framing the personalised print I ordered for John and I from Isa Form (to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary, the reason for our break last week). It makes me smile every time I look at it.

2. A jug of anemones. There is so much anticipation in knowing how beautiful these flowers will be when they open fully.

3. The way the children have settled back into routines and playing at home this week. Bella's collection of "small people" are arranged all over the house at different times. I try very hard not to think of them as clutter to be tidied away, but something to be enjoyed and savoured.

4. Chai tea, my new favourite thing.

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As I am half way through my 52 Weeks of Happy posts, I've looked back through the last 26 weeks in this series, curious to see what has featured regularly, what themes emerge. I think it's worth saying here that the idea for this joyful series came from Jen of the blog little birdie, and if you do join in (as many do!) then please do her the courtesy of linking back to her blog. Credit where credit is due. Well, the children feature more than anything else; things they have done, said or made make me very happy. No surprise there. Next is food - baking, cooking and eating it - and yes, that is one of my great pleasures. Time with family and friends, fresh flowers, books and tv, a new magazine, some new yarn or fabric, bits and bobs around the house, all these feature regularly. Often it's simply a moment that I wanted to capture and preserve - an afternoon spent crocheting on the sofa, a night out with friends, some time for myself. 

The thing that really took me by surprise was how much nature and the seasons features in my happy posts. I am not a particularly out-doorsy sort of person but time spent outside - on the beach, autumnal walks, snow - all appear to make me very happy. And the changing of the seasons and the traditions that are associated with this, like sparklers on Bonfire Night or daffodils in spring, they are incredibly important to me. They make me feel grounded. The garden only featured once, but then I joined this series in the autumn and spring is still arriving, so I'm sure there is time for that.

But John, the person who makes me so very happy, hardly features here at all! How odd. I don't really know why. I think it's partly my way of trying to balance public and private, to share but not over-share, and partly because I think the ways he makes me happy are lots of little things which add up to big things, and they are hard to capture in a photo and a sentence. 

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Also, while I remember, I have added a bloglovin' button to my sidebar. I have to say this Google Reader business is passing me by as I never use it, but I know many of you do, and you can import all the blogs you currently read on Google Reader over to bloglovin'. 

Have a great weekend lovely people! 

Souvenirs

Life has returned to normal this week. On Monday I talked John into a spot of decorating, and on the last day of his leave too, I am unkind to that long-suffering man. What should've been a simple job (re-paint the pink wall white, and touch up any scuffs on the other three white walls) turned into an nightmare when we discovered that one brand of pure brilliant white was not the same colour as the other brand we'd used. How is white not just white? Much swearing under the breath ensued but it's done now, and looking fresh and clean. I'll share photos later in the week. Then there has been washing, and more washing; it's my punishment for going away and being carefree. The tyranny of laundry. And a pile of ironing that grows and grows, and housework, and small people to entertain, although that bit is fun.

So it's been extra lovely to unpack my treasures from our trip away and admire them and then decide where in the home they will live, for now.

This happy chappy is my birthday present from John. Remember when it was my birthday back in February he gave me a voucher for a gift of my choice in Copenhagen? I love this bird by the Danish designer Kay Bojesen. I spent ages deciding on which colour but in the end chose this bright and cheerful combination, perfect against the grey wall in the living room.

Dala horses! I love these. I think they are actually a Swedish folk craft but I saw them in lots of shops and well, what's not to love? Inexpensive too - the larger white one was bought for about £8 from Illums Bolighus (the most incredible shop - four floors of Danish design for the home. I was in heaven) - and the smaller red horse was bought for about £3.50 from the tacky airport gift shop. I don't care, I still love it.

Egg cups! Who doesn't need egg cups? These wooden ones are called bordfolk which translates to "table people". They were widely used in Denmark in the 60's and 70's then fell out of fashion until they were recently resurrected by designer Lucie Kaas. Of course four was absolutely necessary and I chose one for each of us; I'm the brunette in yellow, John is the blonde in the dashing knitted jumper, then our two brunette children in pink and green.

Of course, these wont actually be used for egg cups. No. That's crazy. They'd get dirty! We've got lots of ceramic and plastic ones in the cupboard. These are to be admired and played with. 

And a rather attractive print of Copenhagen, needing a frame, but lovely nonetheless. It's by the Danish company Ferm Living who I hadn't heard of until about a year ago, and now I see that John Lewis stocks some of their wares, but sadly not the small pink wire basket that I am obsessed and want to store my yarn in.

And of course there were gifts for the children, thoughtfully chosen Lego and sticker books and Moomin cups, which have been largely ignored in favour of the plastic Copenhagen snow globes we bought at the airport.

So there are my souvenirs. Chosen with a budget in mind, pieces that will brighten up our home and make me happy when I look at them, pieces full of memories and a strong sense of the country we so loved visiting.

Copenhagen

I fear this post should really come with a warning: Indulgent Post Alert! Photo Overload! Please bear with me. When my friend Abigail asked if I'd had a good time away, I said yes, it was amazing, wonderful! She said, was it wonderful because it was Copenhagen, or was it wonderful because it was a holiday and a break from everyday life? Well, it was both. It was so good to have that time with just John, being a couple, holding hands while we wandered around and enjoying long, leisurely meals together without asking for the children's menus. But is was also good because we went to Copenhagen, a truly lovely city that we had never visited before. A city small enough to walk everywhere but bustling and energetic enough to feel that you were somewhere else, somewhere vibrant. Here are my impressions, the best bits, the things I want to remember and share with you...

Blue skies: We were blessed with gorgeous weather and the sun shone constantly throughout our trip (which was just as well as it was rather cold).

Bikes: Oh, how the Danes love their bikes! I've never been to a more cycle-friendly city. Huge, wide bike-lanes dominate the roads; flights of steps have special bike rails so that you can easily wheel your bike up and down; at rush hour we saw as many bikes as cars queuing at traffic lights. And no-one wears a helmet and everyone seems to cycle in their normal clothes while looking impossibly chic and not breaking a sweat.

Hotel: A (very comfortable) room with a view of buildings, flags and sky, a view I loved to look out on each morning.

Borgen! Or the Danish parliament, Christiansborg Slot, to those not so obsessed with the Danish drama series as I.

Cafe culture: Tables outside cafes are full even when it's chilly. If the sun shines, people seem to sit outside regardless - cafes owners even put blankets on chairs for their customers to use.

SmrrØebrØd: Mmm, smØrrebrØd, the delicious open sandwich of rye bread, salmon, herring, eggs, pototoes and all manner of other lovely toppings, commonly served at lunchtime. Totally delicious.

Nyhavn: This picture-postcard area is full of cafes and restaurants which manage to cater for wealthy tourists while retaining some Scandinavian charm. We bought hot dogs from a van, sat on the quayside and people watched.

And very nice it was too.

Cranes: Much of the city seems to be under construction with cranes and building works at ever corner. I liked the yellow crane against the blue sky.

Cake: Oh, the cakes! Seriously, the Danish make good cakes. Really good.

Trees: There was little sign of spring on the trees, hardly a bud in sight.

Frozen: And the sea was frozen! Actually frozen! I had never seen this before - I guess it's an indication of how cold Scandinavian winters can get.

Buildings: The architecture is stunning, a mixture of old and grand, very modern...

...and very soviet, fortress-like design. The advert below is for travel insurance, I believe.

Flags: Oh, flags were everywhere! On every building and mast and corner, it seemed. I tried to remember if you see this many union flags in London; I suspect you probably do.

John: My travelling companion, on holiday and in life.

Tourist: We had such fun doing touristy things, seeing the sights - The Little Mermaid (she's certainly little!), Amalienborg, home of the Danish Royal Family, and watching the changing of the guard. I was struck by how similar some of these traditions felt to British ones.

Post: We didn't send any postcards, but I did like the postboxes very much.

Water: Copenhagen is a city of bridges, canals and waterways, and views and photo opportunities abound. 

Hot chocolate: Oh my, and what a hot chocolate it was, which is just as well since it cost about £8 in a very posh cafe. John did say Hmm, what a clever idea, charging people double for what is essentially a do-it-yourself drink.

The Round Tower: A spiral, sloping, cobblestone walk to the top rewards you with panoramic views over the roof tops. 

Streetlamps: Oh I got such a kick out of these! I took about fifteen photos of them. The Danes are just so stylish that their streetlamps are pendants which would not look out of place in a trendy magazine, suspended by wires over the middle of each street (trainers not available on every road).

Beer: It's delicious and everyone drinks it.

Tivoli Gardens: What the guidebook declared was the sight to see in Copenhagen was sadly closed for winter until mid-April. We had to make do with looking at the gate.

Are you still with me? Well done if you made it to the end. What else...it's very friendly, and everyone speaks English which was a relief as it turns out I'm not fluent in Danish after all, despite feeling that I really ought to be after all the hours of Danish drama I've watched recently. The residents of Copenhagen are a stylish bunch and make a winter coat, hat and scarf look like something you'd want to wear year round. It seems a very baby and child friendly place, even the bikes have these brilliant attachments for safely peddling little ones around the city. Eating and drinking out is pretty expensive in the main tourist areas, but cheaper the further out you get. The cost of things, and the fact that the Danish Design Museum was closed for refurbishment, were the only downsides to an otherwise pretty perfect holiday. And I bought some lovely souvenirs! They deserve a post of their own I feel. 

52 Weeks of Happy...25/52

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.

Joining in with the lovely Jen over at little birdie, here is my bumper week of happies. It was hard to choose only four! We'll call this one the Copenhagen edition.

1. The view from my window seat very early on Wednesday morning. Sunshine! Airports! Holidays! Don't you just love that moment right before take off when the cabin goes really quiet and hushed then the engines roar and...lift off! It always makes me stupidly excited.

2. On the rare occasion that I am away from the kids, I like to take random daytime baths purely for the pleasure of it. Usually at a time of day when I would normally be on duty and dealing with the children's tea time or bedtime. And then there is the added pleasure of using someone else's hot water and filling the bath to the absolute brim, just because you can.

3. John and I climbed to the top of The Round Tower on our anniversary and sat in the viewing area for ages, holding hands like an old married couple, which I suppose we are. It was a cold day but the sun was warm and the air was clear and the view beautiful. The company was quite good too. (In the very distance you can see the Øresund Bridge, which joins Denmark and Sweden and was made famous by The Bridge television series.)

4. Coming back and seeing the children. I was unprepared for quite how much I missed them and I don't think I could have stayed away another day. Bella made us a book to record her time spent with my parents so we'd know what she got up to, sweet girl. 

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Thanks for all your Easter and Anniversary wishes. Today is a bit of a flying visit - over the next few days I will slowly but surely catch up with all your blogs and sort through all my Copenhagen photos to make a bumper holiday post.

This Easter I Have Loved...

...chocolate...the sea...six little cousins all together...beach huts and big skies...watching Bella and Angus play with the toys from my childhood and sleep in our old bunk beds...daisies...Easter egg hunts...the beach...pavlova...painting pebbles...great big family lunches family for fourteen....lie ins...time. Time to relax and just be with family.

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I'll be taking a little blogging break from now until next weekend while John and I leave the children with my parents and enjoy a short break in Copenhagen to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. I am more than just a little bit excited! But don't worry, I will be back soon to bore you with many, many photos of our trip. Bye for now. x

52 Weeks of Happy...24/52

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.

Joining in as ever with the lovely Jen at little birdie, here are this week's happy things:

1. New postcards from the fantastic Showler & Showler. That bear with the scarf just makes me smile! 

2. Hot cross buns made by my very talented baker friend Dean, given to us yesterday afternoon still warm from the oven and sticky with their apricot jam glaze.

3. Anything made by the children always makes me happy, especially when it hardly stands up under the weight of all the glue and tissue paper.

4. Collecting our Danish Kroner from Post Office this week. There is something so exciting about foreign currency. Our first trip abroad in almost five years is almost here!

I want to wish you all a very happy Easter. I hope you are enjoying the long weekend, wherever in the world you are. Thanks as ever for visiting and for your kind comments, they make my day. Also, hello new followers, it's so great to have you here.