Treehouse Getaway

I'm not often at mum's place without a job description and a to do list, so this was a completely new experience :)

A lovely little holiday in the South of France. 

Croissants for breakfast served in our treehouse.

Lunch outside in the surprisingly hot sunshine, some sunbathing, some sightseeing, but most of all, just relaxing!

We started October in the best possible way.

I did give myself a mission as I am making mum an Instagram profile. Now I finally have a platform to share all the treehouse pictures I've taken over the years!

 If you've been at Orion B&B and have your own pictures to post, don't forget to tag @oriontreehouses and hashtag with #orionbb! 

Why not today?

Market Life

A lot of lists were written while brainstorming about opening our lifestyle store.
A lot of plans were made.
Some of those didn't materialise (or haven't yet) while other things just sort of happened without ever making it onto the lists in the first place.

Selling at markets was one of those things ... quite a few steps outside our comfort zones, to be honest, but with our recently adopted why-not-today-attitude we basically just had to go for it :)

No matter how brilliant our location is during the spring, during the fall & winter not a lot of people visit the local garden center.
From the end of August to the beginning of October markets are in the focus here on the island so from now on that will always be the time we go out and find our customers instead of waiting for them find us :)

Yesterday we had or final and most successful market - what a way to end the season!
We'll be putting the dates for next year's markets in our agendas already now so that we won't miss a single one in 2016!

Open Allotment Day

Today was open allotment day here in Visby. Hadn't it been for my adorable neighbour who has her own plot I wouldn't have known, but now I got a personal invite! 

Geared with my old but loyal camera I criss-crossed the paths alongside the different gardens, sneaking up on bumblebees and butterflies, doing my best to take only pictures and leave the berries ...

Due to the water shortage on the island people here are only allowed to water with a watering can, not with a hose, so the fact that so many flowers survive is the result of true love and dedication :)

I came home with a little bouquet of flowers and kale that is now on my kitchen table 

Some days you don't need much more than this to be happy :) but God do I miss my greenhouses!

Staycation

I've posted photos of limestone quarries before, as there are quite a few here on the island and definitely more enjoyable to swim in than our algae-riddled Baltic sea, but none are as amazing as the one we found last weekend. 

Look at those colours!!! 

When you live on an island like Gotland it's almost considered a crime to leave during the summer months,

so when Jonatan and I both had 4 days off we decided to explore some more of the island, by bike! 

Isn't mine just a beauty? It truly is the best health-investment I've ever made. My old one didn't have gears which used to be my main excuse to take the car instead. Now I just need some winter tires so that even snow won't be an issue. (I'll let you know how that goes :p)

Since I went to a screening of the documentary Bikes vs Cars here in town this spring (and downloaded the tracking app with the same name) I've biked 350 kilometers, saved 22 liters of oil and 45 kg of CO₂! We also sold one of our cars since we moved into town and put a tow bar on the one we kept so that we can take our bikes with us when we want to go explore a bit further away from home.

So now, what are your excuses for taking the car?

How about leaving it at home and biking/walking/inline skating/carpooling?

Why not today? ;)

Your health and/or the environment will thank you for it!

xxx

Aina

Sleep

The fact that sleep is important for our health and wellbeing is nothing many people will argue against.

Many things that we take for granted are affected by sleep.

Sleep affects our quality of life!

What I find especially interesting is that sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors in the brain: the hormones that are released into your blood when you are sleepy are the same ones that drive appetite. Getting enough sleep is therefore especially important for those who want to keep their weight in check.

On top of that, sleep lowers stress levels and increases emotional stability.

Plenty of reasons to make sure you get enough zzz's! 

Nothing new, but worth reminding yourself (myself) of.

Feeling a bit down, stressed or craving unhealthy foods?

Why not switch off your tv, computer or smartphone an hour earlier and treat yourself to an extra hour of restorative sleep?

I bet you can hear me coming ... Why not today?

Hint: a clutter-free yet cosy bedroom and an inviting bed definitely help! 

Dreams

There's no better place for lunch than a charming greenhouse filled with old furniture and pretty plants on a cloudy summer day.

Days like these I feel especially blessed to be running a company of my own, sharing the work load with my business partner who's been in the store on her own these past days so I get to spend time with my visitors. (Thank you Lotta!!)

Sure, being self-employed can be scary as hell. It takes a fair bit of discipline and a dash of naivety ...

& of course there are days when I second guess myself and wonder if I'm being stupid ...

but then I remember that I only have one life, 

and I really can't imagine wasting it working on someone else's dream!

Closing one door, opening another.

On the first of July I locked the door of my little red cottage behind me for the last time.

What started as a summertime housing solution in 2013 turned into 2 years of waking up to sea view in the middle of what I used to call my little paradise, where I took care of the gardens as well as the rental of a couple of summer cottages.

It was a dream come true. 

I had always wanted a little house of my own surrounded by nature.

I had 2 greenhouses at my disposal where I could grow my own food,  the beach at 50m from my doorstep, 

and I could go for walks in the nature reserve bordering the property without even meeting a single person.

It was a lot of work and took me a lot of time, but it was worth it.

But when the man who used to share my little paradise with me bought himself his own slice of paradise and gave me a key, my own paradise lost its glory and all of a sudden the reasons to hold on to it didn't outweigh the reasons to leave anymore.

I will miss the mulberry tree, the plum- and the apple trees, the blackberries and the figs,

I'll miss the early spring breakfasts & lunches in the greenhouse, soaking up the sun behind the glass before it's warm enough to sit outside.

I will miss the beautiful sunsets from my kitchen window and the sound of the waves ...

But nothing beats new-found freedom after letting go of too many responsibilities.

And there's nothing better than the energy boost a change always seems to bring along!

So now ...

Are there changes you know you need to make?

Isn't it time you let go of responsibilities that aren't yours to take?

Isn't it time to listen to your heart?

Why not today?

PS: That's really all it takes: "Why not today?" Lotta and I made posters and postcards with exactly that phrase on them (in Swedish though). So helpful to put up on your mirror or fridge as a reminder!