bare minerals complexion rescue

As much as I love the transformation of my prone to redness, sensitive skin - 

for which I totally blame my dear grandmother who most likely froze certain bits of my face when she used to take me for long pram walks in what was then pre-climate change Scandinavian winters. Of course I never complained then, it takes years for such things to develop. But still, blaming you granny - 

brought by bareMinerals original foundation, but during cold, dry winter days it doesn't work as much magic anymore. In fact I find that it dries the skin, despite the Dermalogica moisture boost.

So when my last jar of the mineral powder was empty the other week and I had to get a new one I asked if they could recommend something better for winter use. 'Our fabulous BB cream of course!' So home I came with a tube of complexion rescue. Which you apparently should use over the day cream, but under the mineral powder.

I'm not sure my patience with the daily beauty regime is quite that embodying, in fact I know I loath having to layer different stuff on my face like this. But. But after trying a few drops of the complexion rescue I find that it actually covers that redness on my cheeks pretty well on its own. So perhaps I'll use it without the powder (over the day cream of course) the rest of this winter.

All in all, given the unabashed enthusiasm for the product from snoopervisor Ågot, it must be a fabulous product, right? Right.

my health necessities

Yes I've blogged about my essential supplements before, but this time they've been joined by the little gang I'm oh so grateful for helping me keep colds and flus at bay these days. Since I began taking the supplements in 2011 - 

I'm ashamed to admit it took me so long realising that despite a varied, vegetarian diet with lots of veggies I still lacked essential vitamins and minerals. 

And what's probably even more shocking is that not a single doctor I visited when I was at my all time low that year asked me about my diet and possible deficiencies... - 

I'm rarely sick and down with flus (touch wood) and when I do get them they are much much milder and last about a week, not nearly as bad as tin can woman and her friends. Touch wood twice.

And I do believe that the fact that I'm addicted to the goodness and benefits of fresh ginger and ginger in general now has helped greatly fighting germs and infections.

So apart from linseed oil capsules (Omega 3 for vegetarians, vegans and everyone really. Skip the fish oil Omega 3, that's such an unnecessary process when you can have nature's own goodness in the shape of linseed oil!), vitamin D2 and B-12 I regularly have fresh ginger in juices and smoothies and food.

When I have the unfortune to still getting a cold or flu I drink the Asian ginger tea which is basically grounded, dry ginger. You mix it with hot water and drink it. It's super strong and very hot and helps a lot. I usually drink two ginger tea bags during a one week's cold. 

And eat a few of those lovely ginger candy chews with tapioka.

I also find that in Germany you can find really great herbal cough drops, like these ginger ones last summer.

So, what are your health necessities, 

preventive and relieving?

you shouldn't run a social network if you can't put a stop to hatred and threats

The other week I read this fabulous article or rather an article about a fabulous lawyer in Würzburg, Germany who started a crusade against Facebook demanding they comply with German laws regarding Volksverhetzung (racial agitation) and alike.

The article is in Swedish of course but do google there might be English versions out there too, there most certainly are German ones.

In short the lawyer and his law firm, just as so many of us, got sick and tired of the fact that Facebook just don't care about all the hatred and threats they are a forum for and decided to take them to court. And they won. It's quite obvious that if you run a social network business as Facebook you should not be able to shy away from putting a stop to hatred and threats that take place in your network. And it's absolutely crazy that they have been for so long.

Not to mention all advertisers that in fact finance all this hatred.

Hopefully this law suit and the aftermath will lead to radical changes for the better. Something really really has to change on social media. And I love this quote from the German lawyer Chan-jo Jun: "You shouldn't run a social network if you can't put a stop to hatred and threats." Simple as that really.

Of course I wish more people could live by the motto "if you can't say/write something positive or constructive just don't say anything", but since clearly a vast amount of people all over the world can't the companies need to take their responsability seriously.

I think this story is a great example of moral courage and law at its finest.

organic tea from arvid nordquist

Arvid Nordquist is a family owned company within the food industry. I think they're mainly known for their coffee which is all organic - a couple of years ago I went to a talk about coffee and the devastating impact non-organic coffee has on the environment and health. And yes coffee is one of the most important things to buy organic, alongside bananas and grapes, but of course you already knew that, right? - but they also sell other food products, including baby food and sweets. And obviously tea. 

It's a company that takes CSR seriously and they work with different organizations to create a better, sustainable world. Their latest project is that money from the sales of their African coffee is given to the African Wildlife Foundation in order to save elephants, for example. 

Now for their tea, which I only discovered recently, in a beautiful box - which, if I'm honest, feels a tad over the top in luxuary. It will go straight to the cardboard recycling anyway... - is filled with red berries rooibos tea bags. With lots of flavour. The tea is organic and fairtrade. And paw approved with enthusiasm.

Needless to say, Arvid Nordquist is a company I would love to work with (on their vegan food products). 

So, Arvid, if you happen to read this,
have copywriting and/or social media management needs,
do get in touch!

five more smoothies

I've decided to turn the 14 days that turned into 20 into 30 days of new smoothie blends. It's lovely to gulf down all these fruits, veggies and colours but, again, I'm amazed how little (ie absolutely nothing) it has done to boost my energy. 

That said, let's continue with the smoothie ingredients. Above smoothie is a blend of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, banana, kale, dates and oat milk. Lovely. 

Pale green smoothie with cucumber, banana, peach, pineapple, fresh ginger. I will never again use tinned pineapples, it doesn't taste anything at all and seems an awful waste of good produce. Plus the bisfenol nastiness of most tins of course.

Chocolate smoothie with a blend of banana, avocado, blueberries, fresh ginger, raw cacao and oat milk.

Peach coloured smoothie with banana, orange, passion fruit and fresh chili.

Deep red smoothie with beetroot, carrot, orange and fresh ginger. Note to next beetroot smoothie; use only a tiny bit of beetroot because a small whole one will make the smoothie overpowering with 'earthy' flavour. This was not a favourite blend. It felt very healthy but was not very enjoyable to drink alas.

Next smoothie time I'll most likely give you the last 9 smoothies of the 30 in one post only. And after that I'll probably have  no more than 1-2/week. At the most.

please excuse any cat hair in the chocolate

I got some nice chocolate creams for M's name day and thought this little cardamom heart deserved a photo of its own. 

Unfortunately one of the snoopervisors got a bit frisky and it ended up hopelessly covered in cat hair. Well, at least we're most likely immune to cat hairs in the food after all these years of close encounters of the feline snoopervisor kind.

vernissage - viewpoint europe

Tomorrow I'll pick up what'll hopefully be that last version of the photos for the exhibition. 

But today already I give you the official invitation to spend som time with us on March 19, 2016 in Stockholm. The vernissage of Viewpoint Europe will be between 2 and 6 pm - hope to see you there!

global warming's first snowdrops 2016

Hello snowdrops, hello global warming.

This is how something sweet quickly turns into melancholic thoughts about how badly the human race have treated this one planet. And of continue to treat it. 

Yes I'm talking to you animal flesh eaters.

To you gas guzzling obsessive vehicle drivers and 

to clueless, frequent plane travellers who don't care about the environmental impact.

To everyone who doesn't recycle their trash or throw it in bins.

To those who don't strive to buy organic and/or locally grown products as much as possible.

How come you still haven't changed your despicable habits and lifestyle?
ow many more have to pay the price for your lazy ways?

the colour purple circus nails

It's circus nails time again! I did promise I would do that more often this year. Which, apart from the cleansing and giving away to charity, is the one personal goal of this year that I've actually managed to fulfill. So far. Other than that I'm more scatter-brained than focused 1,5 months into the new year. 

Which obviously is material for a whole other blogpost. But this one is about nails. And the colour purple. Which still is one of my least liked colours. But sometimes I feel like it despite that. So here is:

OPI Do you have this color in Stock-holm? (Obviously I had to get a bottle of that one.), Models Own Speckled egg Swan and OPI You're such a Budapest.

Technically perhaps not fully circus nails since I've done 3 colours instead of 5-10, but good enough fun for me. 

eating out: vegan brunch at green peas

Today I enjoyed an excellent vegan brunch at Green Peas, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Stockholm that has obviously flown under my radar.

Green Peas has apparently a restaurant at Stockholm University - lucky students! We most certainly weren't spoiled with vegetarian or vegan choices when I was a student there alas - but now this one in the city too. 

The restaurant is situated in the premises of what I remember as once an American muffins cafe, the interior simple and understated, the food too but also flavourful and fresh.

I had a lovely lunch there earlier in the week and realised it would be perfect for today's lunch meeting. Which turned into a brunch.

The earlier lunch was this great chipotle-quinoa burger with avocado, aioli and potato wedges.

Today's vegan brunch was a tad pricy, but very nice; corn chowder, a plate with miniature burger with pulled jackfruit, filled avocado, fresh springrolls with tofu (awesome flavour and texture!) and a miniature pannacotta with rhubarb cream. Plus elderflower cordial and green tea.

I highly recommend you visit, the food is great and reasonably priced. The restaurant is opened for lunch from 11 am Mon-Sun. The vegan brunch is served on weekends.

Green Peas

Fridhemsgatan 3,

Stockholm

Mon-Fri 11am - 2pm

Sat-Sun 11am - 3pm

See evening opening hours at their website - www.greenpeas.se